Electrochemical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147958-B2
Application number	US-201515117986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

An electrochemical system has at least one endplate, a terminal bipolar plate as well as a sealing device arranged between the endplate and the terminal bipolar plate. The materials of the terminal bipolar plate and the endplate have different coefficients of thermal expansion and with the sealing device being designed in such a way that during temperature changes, the sealing function is also given by a sliding of the endplate and/or the terminal bipolar plate along the sealing device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemical system, comprising
at least one endplate,
a terminal bipolar plate as well as a first sealing device arranged between the endplate and the terminal bipolar plate,
with the materials of the terminal bipolar plate and the endplate having different coefficients of thermal expansion and with the first sealing device being designed in such a way that during temperature changes, the sealing function between the first sealing device and the endplate is also given by a sliding of the endplate and/or the terminal bipolar plate along the first sealing device; and
a penultimate bipolar plate adjacent the terminal bipolar plate with a second sealing device arranged between the penultimate bipolar plate and the terminal bipolar plate wherein the second sealing device is different than the first sealing device.

2. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is arranged in an area around a port and/or around an electrochemically active area of the terminal bipolar plate.

3. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein elements of the sealing device extend completely or partially over the surface of the endplate and/or the terminal bipolar plate.

4. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is designed in such a way that it does not reach through the entire thickness of the endplate.

5. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is realized as a one- or multilayered coating of the endplate and/or the terminal bipolar plate.

6. The electrochemical system according to claim 5 , wherein the material of the coating comprises a laminated film or glued polymer film, wherein the laminated film or the glued polymer film comprises fluoropolymers.

7. The electrochemical system according to claim 6 , wherein the coating is screen-printed coating, or a roll-printed coating, or a spray coated coating.

8. The electrochemical system according to claim 7 , wherein the coating comprises sliding-enhancing additives including graphite, PTFE, MoS 2 , and fluorinated waxes.

9. The electrochemical system according to claim 6 , wherein the coating is a polymer film comprising PTFE, PI, and/or polyester.

10. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is an ablated structuring of the endplate and/or of the terminal bipolar plate made by grinding, lapping, polishing, electropolishing and/or honing.

11. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device comprises a sealing element inset into the endplate and additionally comprises an intermediate plate, which is arranged in such a way that the intermediate plate is arranged in a sliding manner on this sealing element wherein the intermediate plate is arranged between the terminal bipolar plate and the endplate.

12. The electrochemical system according to claim 11 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the intermediate plate is identical or essentially identical to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the terminal bipolar plate.

13. The electrochemical system according to claim 11 , wherein the sealing between the intermediate plate and the endplate is realized with a sealing system that is molded-in and/or inserted.

14. The electrochemical system according to claim 11 , wherein the intermediate plate extends over the entire surface of the terminal bipolar plate or is a frame.

15. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the terminal bipolar plate is smaller than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the endplate.

16. The electrochemical system according to claim 11 , wherein the sealing device is designed in such a way that in the direction of the largest lateral extension of the endplate a lateral adjustment of up to 8 permille of the length of said lateral extension is possible by a sliding in the area of a contact zone between terminal bipolar plate and sealing device while maintaining a sufficient sealing function.

17. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is designed in such a way that it can be brought into contact with a bead of the terminal bipolar plate.

18. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one element is arranged in an area of electrochemically active area of the cells between the endplate and the terminal bipolar plate for the adjustment of the height and/or the transmission of compression force in stack direction.

19. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein an intermediate plate, a current collector plate and/or the terminal bipolar plate are comprised of metal.

20. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the endplate comprises passage bores for the supply of fluids and/or coolant to the terminal bipolar plate.

21. The electrochemical system according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of these passage bores comprises no reinforcing insert.

22. The electrochemical system according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of these passage bores comprises a reinforcing insert, with the reinforcing insert not extending over the complete height of the endplate.

23. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical system is a fuel cell system, an electrochemical compressor system or an electrolyzer.

24. The electrochemical system of claim 1 , wherein the second sealing device lacks a sliding enhancing additive.

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh
• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Gaugler Bernd
• Scherer Joachim
• Gruenwald Bernadette
• Stroebel Raimund

Classifications

• H01M8/0273 Primary

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• H01M8/0276

  Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/2485

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title

• H01M8/0286

  Processes for forming seals · CPC title

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title