Separating plate, method for manufacturing same, and fuel cell stack comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10629919-B2
Application number	US-201615580034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jul 3, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separating plate, a method for manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell stack comprising the same. An aspect of the present invention provides a separating plate comprising: a plurality of channels extending in elongated shapes along a first direction, respectively; and a plurality of riblet elements provided to connect side walls of two adjacent channels along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the plurality of riblet elements, which connect side walls of two adjacent channels, are spaced by a predetermined interval along the first direction, and a separating plate, which is provided with a first opening, is provided between two riblet elements, which are adjacent to each other along the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A separating plate comprising
a plurality of channels extending in elongated shapes along a first direction, respectively; and
a plurality of riblet elements provided to connect side walls of two adjacent channels along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the plurality of riblet elements connecting side walls of two adjacent channels are spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the first direction and first openings are provided between two adjacent riblet elements along the first direction,
the riblet elements are provided to have a parallelogram shape, and
wherein the riblet elements are provided such that each of a pair of long opposite sides is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

2. The separating plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the width of the riblet element along the second direction is formed larger than the width of the channel.

3. The separating plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first openings are provided to have a parallelogram shape.

4. The separating plate according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first openings are provided such that each of the pair of the long opposite sides is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

5. The separating plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein second openings connected to the first openings and formed on the side walls of the channels are provided.

6. The separating plate according to claim 5 ,
wherein the second opening has a parallelogram shape.

7. A fuel cell stack comprising
a membrane-electrode assembly;
a gas diffusion layer provided on one side of the membrane-electrode assembly; and
a separating plate according to claim 1 , the separating plate being provided to contact the gas diffusion layer in some areas.

8. The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the width of the riblet element along the second direction is formed larger than the width of the channel.

9. The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first openings are provided to have a parallelogram shape and the first openings are provided such that each of a pair of long opposite sides is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

10. The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second openings are provided to have a parallelogram shape.

11. The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein a fuel or a reaction gas is supplied to flow through the second openings along the second direction of the separating plate.

12. A method for manufacturing a separating plate according to claim 1 , the method comprising steps of:
forming a pair of opening patterns on a plate along its length direction; and
stamping the plate along its length direction so that riblet elements corresponding to the opening pattern areas and channels corresponding to the areas adjacent to the opening patterns have a stepped structure,
wherein said openings are provided to have a parallelogram shape.

13. The method for manufacturing a separating plate according to claim 12 ,
wherein the opening pattern is formed through etching or punching.

14. The separating plate according to claim 1 , wherein two adjacent riblet elements along the second direction are provided to be symmetric with respect to a plane of symmetry extending along the channel and orthogonal to the separating plate.

15. A separating plate comprising
a plurality of channels extending in elongated shapes along a first direction, respectively; and
a plurality of riblet elements provided to connect side walls of two adjacent channels along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
wherein the plurality of riblet elements connecting side walls of two adjacent channels are spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the first direction and first openings are provided between two adjacent riblet elements along the first direction,
the riblet elements are provided to have a parallelogram shape, and
wherein the length of the riblet element along the first direction is formed longer than the length of the first opening.

16. A fuel cell stack comprising
a membrane-electrode assembly;
a gas diffusion layer provided on one side of the membrane-electrode assembly; and
a separating plate according to claim 15 , the separating plate being provided to contact the gas diffusion layer in some areas.

17. A method for manufacturing a separating plate according to claim 15 , the method comprising steps of:
forming a pair of opening patterns on a plate along its length direction; and
stamping the plate along its length direction so that riblet elements corresponding to the opening pattern areas and channels corresponding to the areas adjacent to the opening patterns have a stepped structure,
wherein said openings are provided to have a parallelogram shape.

18. The separating plate according to claim 15 , wherein two adjacent riblet elements along the second direction are provided to be symmetric with respect to a plane of symmetry extending along the channel and orthogonal to the separating plate.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Hye Mi
• Yang Jae Choon
• Jeong Jee Hoon
• Kong Chang Sun

Classifications

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/249 Primary

  comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1018

  Polymeric electrolyte materials · CPC title