High-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack having independent cooling plate and method of producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270116-B2
Application number	US-201715434110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack may include a plurality of cell units; a cooling assembly including a plurality of first independent cooling plates disposed on top surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively, and a plurality of second independent cooling plates disposed on bottom surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively; and a support assembly configured to support the plurality of cell units and the cooling assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack comprising
a plurality of cell units;
a cooling assembly including
a plurality of first independent cooling plates disposed on top surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively;
a plurality of second independent cooling plates disposed on bottom surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively;
a first refrigerant inflow passage configured to guide a refrigerant that flows into each of the plurality of first independent cooling plates;
a first refrigerant outflow passage configured to guide a refrigerant that flows out from each of the plurality of first independent cooling plates;
a second refrigerant inflow passage configured to guide a refrigerant flows into each of the plurality of second independent cooling plates; and
a second refrigerant outflow passage configured to guide a refrigerant that flows out from each of the plurality of second independent cooling plates;

a support assembly configured to pressurize and support the plurality of cell units and the cooling assembly, wherein
the first refrigerant inflow passage and the first refrigerant outflow passage are each disposed in an elongated shape along a direction in which the plurality of cell units is stacked;
the second refrigerant inflow passage and the second refrigerant outflow passage are each disposed in an elongated shape along the direction in which the plurality of cell units is stacked, and disposed on an opposite side of the plurality of cell units from the first refrigerant inflow passage and the first refrigerant outflow passage;
the first independent cooling plate includes a first protrusion that does not overlap the cell unit based on a direction in which the cell unit is stacked;
the first refrigerant inflow passage and the first refrigerant outflow passage are connected to the first protrusion;
the second independent cooling plate includes a second protrusion that does not overlap the cell unit based on the direction in which the cell unit is stacked;
the second refrigerant inflow passage and the second refrigerant outflow passage are connected to the second protrusion; and
the first protrusion and the second protrusion are configured to not overlap based on the direction in which the cell unit is stacked.

2. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the cell unit is configured by stacking a plurality of separating plates.

3. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of separating plates includes a hydrogen flow path through which hydrogen flows and an air flow path through which air flows, and does not include a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows.

4. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the first independent cooling plate and the second independent cooling plate is formed using a metal material having a strength greater than a material of the cell unit.

5. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the cooling assembly further includes a refrigerant hose disposed between two adjacent first independent cooling plates and formed using a flexible material.

6. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 5 , wherein each of the two adjacent first independent cooling plates includes
a body in a planar shape;
an upper refrigerant port configured to extend upward from the body; and
a lower refrigerant port configured to extend downward from the body; and wherein
the refrigerant hose is configured to connect the lower refrigerant port of one first independent cooling plate and the upper refrigerant port of the other first independent cooling plate between the two adjacent first independent cooling plates.

7. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 6 , wherein, in a state in which the plurality of cell units and the cooling assembly are pressurized by way of the support assembly, a distance between the body of the one first independent cooling plate and an end of the upper refrigerant port of the other first independent cooling plate is greater than a length of the refrigerant hose.

8. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 6 , wherein each of the two adjacent first independent cooling plates includes a fixture provided to each of the upper refrigerant port and the lower refrigerant port and configured to fix the refrigerant hose.

9. The high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack of claim 8 , wherein, in a state in which the plurality of cell units and the cooling assembly are pressurized by way of the support assembly, a distance between the fixture provided to the lower refrigerant port of the one first independent cooling plate and the fixture provided to the upper refrigerant port of the other first independent cooling plate is less than a length of the refrigerant hose.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Energy Res

Inventors

• Sohn Young-Jun
• Kim Minjin
• Kim Seung-Gon
• Park Gu-Gon
• Bae Byungchan
• Yim Sung-Dae
• Park Seok-Hee
• Yang Tae-Hyun
• Lee Won-Yong
• Kim Chang-Soo

Classifications

• H01M8/2457

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• H01M8/2404

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/04074

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/124 Primary

  characterised by the process of manufacturing or by the material of the electrolyte · CPC title