Separating plate and fuel cell stack including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522848-B2
Application number	US-201615570466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separating plate and a fuel cell stack including same. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a separating plate is provided defining a coolant passage capable of uniform coolant supply and heat recovery across all areas of a reaction region, the separating plate can easily regulate the temperature of a reaction surface, and a reduction in performance and durability due to thermal load can be prevented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A separating plate, comprising:
a first plate having a first surface and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface and having a plurality of first channels protruding from the first surface toward the second surface to provide flow spaces for a first fluid and provided to have linear passages along a longitudinal direction extending from a first end of the first plate to a second end of the first plate; and
a second plate having a first surface facing the second surface of the first plate and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface and having a plurality of second channels protruding from the second surface toward the first surface to provide flow spaces for a second fluid and provided to have linear passages along the longitudinal direction, the plurality of second channels being parallel and coextensive with the plurality of first channels,
wherein the first plate has a plurality of third channels provided on one surface of the first channels facing the first surface of the second plate so as to provide flow spaces for a third fluid in a space between the first plate and the second plate,
wherein the second plate has a plurality of fourth channels provided on one surface of the second channels facing the second surface of the first plate to provide flow spaces for the third fluid in a space between the first plate and the second plate, and
wherein the first plate and the second plate are coupled such that a virtual first line segment connecting centers of the third channels adjacent along the width direction and a virtual second line segment connecting centers of the fourth channels adjacent in the width direction intersect in some areas.

2. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are provided such that the first line segment and the second line segment are inclined with respect to the width direction, respectively.

3. The separating plate according to claim 2 , wherein the first line segment is provided to be inclined in a first direction and the second line segment is provided to be inclined in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

4. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of third channels is provided to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction in the linear passage of the first channel, and
the plurality of fourth channels is provided to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction in the linear passage of the second channel.

5. The separating plate according to claim 4 , wherein the length of the third channel along the longitudinal direction of the first channel and the length of the fourth channel along the longitudinal direction of the second channel are provided to be different from each other.

6. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are each provided to have different channel depths along the longitudinal direction in the linear passage,
the first channel and the second channel each comprise a first region having a first depth and a second region having a second depth less than the first depth,
the third channel is formed by the second region of the first channel, and
the fourth channel is formed by the second region of the second channel.

7. The separating plate according to claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the entire length of the second region to the entire length of the linear passage in the first channel is formed to be less than 70%, and
the ratio of the entire length of the second region to the entire length of the linear passage in the second channel is formed to be less than 30%.

8. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is a fuel, the second fluid is an oxidant, and the third fluid is cooling water.

9. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are coupled such that the first channel and the second channel are in contact with each other in some areas and the first channel and the second channel are not in contact with each other in the remaining areas.

10. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein the third fluid flowing along the first line segment direction from the first plate side and the third fluid flowing along the second line segment direction from the second plate side are joined and branched in the intersection areas.

11. A fuel cell stack comprising a membrane-electrode assembly; and
the separating plate according to claim 1 .

12. A separating plate comprising
a first plate having a first surface and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface and having a plurality of first channels protruding from the first surface toward the second surface to provide flow spaces for a first fluid and provided to have linear passages along the longitudinal direction; and
a second plate having a first surface facing the second surface of the first plate and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface and having a plurality of second channels protruding from the second surface toward the first surface to provide flow spaces for a second fluid,
wherein the first plate has a plurality of third channels provided on one surface of the first channels facing the first surface of the second plate so as to provide flow spaces for a third fluid in a space between the first plate and the second plate,
wherein the first plate is provided so that a virtual first line segment connecting centers of at least two third channels adjacent along the width direction is inclined or parallel with respect to the width direction,
wherein the first channel is provided to have different channel depths along the longitudinal direction in the linear passage,
the first channel comprises a first region having a first depth and a second region having a second depth less than the first depth, and
the third channel is formed by the second region of the first channel.

13. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the first plate is provided so that a virtual first line segment connecting centers of at least two third channels adjacent along the width direction is parallel with the width direction.

14. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of third channels is provided to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction in the linear passage of the first channel.

15. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the boundary region between the first region and the second region is provided to form an upward flow or a downward flow of the first fluid flowing through the first channel.

16. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the ratio of the entire length of the second region to the entire length of the linear passage in the first channel is formed to be less than 70%.

17. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the first fluid is a fuel, the second fluid is an oxidant, and the third fluid is cooling water.

18. The separating plate according to claim 12 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are coupled through a gasket provided at the edge.

19. A fuel cell stack comprising a membrane-electrode assembly; and
the separating plate according to claim 12 .

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Hye Mi
• Jeong Jee Hoon
• Yang Jae Choon

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0267

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/026

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title