EP 0 591 800 B1 discloses a fuel cell battery, which features in each case two interconnected plates arranged in parallel to each other and forming an intermediate cavity between two electrolytic electrode units arranged in parallel to each other and each consisting of an anode, a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) and a cathode. Between the plates and the electrodes of the two adjacent electrolytic electrode units are embodied gas or fluid spaces for introducing operating media such as hydrogen or oxygen to the electrolytic electrode units.
One way in which the cavity between the two plates arranged in parallel to each other can be used is to feed in or to extract the cooling medium. In this case the two plates form a cooling card for cooling the two electrolytic electrode units. Instead of being used for inserting and removing the cooling medium, the cavity can also be used as a pressurized chamber for setting up a pressure pad which exerts pressure on the adjacent components and thereby creates a contact pressure between these adjacent components, to guarantee a good current flow between these two components for example. On the other hand such a pressure pad can be used as an element for compensate for tolerances in the dimensions of the adjacent components. However, when the cooling card is used as a pressure pad the cooling of the fuel cell block is reduced.
A battery known from DE 27 29 640 C3 consisting of a number of electrochemical cells, especially fuel elements, features electrolytic electrode units arranged in parallel to each other, between which contact elements are arranged for tapping off power. These contact elements feature a cavity for feeding in a pressurized medium and are thus embodied as pressure pads for pressing together the overall arrangement. This enables an even contact pressure to be created between adjacent components and thereby for example the current flow between these components improved. No cooling of the electrolytic electrode units is provided here.
Cooling cards are additionally generally known, from WO 02/50953A2 for example. A cooling card disclosed in this application is embodied as a composite printed circuit board with two plates which form a cavity between them. This cavity features inlet and outlet channels and has cooling water or also heating water flowing through it during the operation of the fuel cells.