| abstract |
A fuel cell stack comprising alternating solid oxide fuel cell plates (10) and gas separator plates (30) stacked face to face with one or more seal assemblies (34, 36, 37, 38, 40) provided between opposed generally planar surfaces (33, 54) of each adjacent pair of plates. Each seal assembly comprises a pair of rigid ribs (36, 37) projecting from one surface (33) with a valley (38) therebetween and a third rigid rib (34) projecting from the other surface (54) and nested between the pair of ribs. Opposed contact surfaces (54, 60, 61) cooperate to define the maximum insertion of the third rib (34) into the valley (38). The third rib (34) has a profile that leaves a void between the valley (38) and the third rib (34) at said maximum insertion. A glass sealant (40) in said void contacts the surface of the valley (38) and the third rib (34). In a preferred embodiment each rib (34, 36, 37) tapers away from the respective surface (33, 54) towards a distal surface (51, 61) of the rib. |