Separator for a fuel cell and a fuel cell stack comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10840533-B2
Application number	US-201816170649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

This application relates to a separator for a fuel cell and a fuel cell stack with improved durability, which contains the same, particularly to a solid oxide fuel cell stack. Specifically, this application allows an oxidizer and a fuel to flow in a counter-flow manner and a cross-flow manner in the fuel cell stack by forming an outlet manifold and an inlet manifold to have a specific shape, location and size in the separator. As a result, interlayer peeling, microcracking, etc. are prevented because no variation in temperature, reactant concentration, power, etc. occurs between each unit cell and the power density per unit volume is significantly improved because the volume is minimized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A separator for a fuel cell, comprising:
a tetragonal center portion; and
a peripheral portion disposed to surround the center portion,
wherein the peripheral portion comprises:
a first outlet manifold located at one pair of corners facing each other with respect to the center portion and formed through perforation;
a second outlet manifold located at the other pair of corners facing each other with respect to the center portion and formed through perforation;
a first inlet manifold located along the side of the center portion between the first outlet manifold and the second outlet manifold, adjacent to the second outlet manifold, and formed through perforation; and
a second inlet manifold located along the side of the center portion between the first outlet manifold and the second outlet manifold, adjacent to the first outlet manifold, and formed through perforation,
wherein the first outlet manifold is formed through perforation to have a larger area than the second outlet manifold and the first inlet manifold is formed through perforation to have a larger area than the second inlet manifold.

2. The separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first outlet manifold is formed at a location satisfying Equation 1 and Equation 2:

1
2

≤

x

1
,
out

a
1

≤
1

[

Equation
⁢

⁢
1

]

wherein a 1 is the length of one side constituting the corners of the center portion adjacent to the first outlet manifold and x 1,out is the shortest length between a perpendicular line extending from the midpoint of the one side and the center of the first outlet manifold

1
2

≤

y

1
,
out

a
1
′

≤
1

[

Equation
⁢

⁢
2

]

wherein a 1 ′ is the length of the other side constituting the corners of the center portion adjacent to the first outlet manifold and y 1,out is the shortest length between a perpendicular line extending from the midpoint of the other side and the center of the first outlet manifold.

3. The separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first outlet manifold has a shape of an ellipse satisfying Equation 3 and Equation 4:

0
<

2
·

r

11
,
out

L

≤
0.2

[

Equation
⁢

⁢
3

]

wherein r 11,out is the semi-major axis of the first outlet manifold and L is the distance between the corners of the center portion facing each other

0
<

r

12
,
out

r

11
,
out

<
1

[

Equation
⁢

⁢
4

]

wherein r 11,out is the semi-major axis of the first outlet manifold and r 12,out is the semi-minor axis of the first outlet manifold.

4. The separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second outlet manifold has a shape of an ellipse and is formed to be spaced by a predetermined distance from the corners of the center portion such that an imaginary line extending from the major axis of the ellipse passes through both of the one pair of corners facing each other with respect to the center portion.

5. The separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second outlet manifold has a shape of an ellipse and is formed to be spaced by a predetermined distance from the corners of the center portion such that an angle formed between an imaginary line extending from the major axis of the ellipse and an imaginary line passing through both of the one pair of corners facing each other with respect to the center portion is 0-90°.

6. The separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second outlet manifold is formed at a location satisfying Equation 5 and Equation 6:

1

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech
• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Lee Jong Ho
• Yoon Kyung Joong
• Lee Sang Hyeok
• Bae Yong Gyun
• Kim Dong Hwan
• Hong Jong Sup

Classifications

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/2432

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title

• H01M8/0247

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M8/2483 Primary

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title