Fuel cell stack pressurized by press forks and assembly method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10985396-B2
Application number	US-201816012947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A fuel cell stack is provided and includes a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked between upper and lower current collectors. The fuel cell stack includes an enclosure that pressurizes and seals the fuel cell assembly in a stacked direction of the fuel cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack, comprising:
an enclosure having a housing and a cover which are coupled with each other; and
a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of stacked fuel cells are pressurized by a predetermined pressure along a stacked direction in the housing,
wherein the cover closes inside of the housing, and
wherein the housing supports a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly in a vertical direction to a closing direction of the cover,
wherein the housing has an opening end to which the cover is coupled, and the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing in a vertical surface direction to the stacked direction of the fuel cells through the opening end in a state that the fuel cell assembly is pressurized by a press fork along the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

2. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes both side plates supporting the pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly, and a plurality of fork grooves that allow a release of pressurizing and an extraction to outside of the press fork, wherein the fork grooves are disposed at an inside surface of the both side plates.

3. The fuel cell stack of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of fork grooves is formed to be connected from the opening end to a closing end of the housing along an insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly, and the press fork formed as one arm cantilever shape pressurizing the fuel cell assembly to be inserted into the inside of the housing in the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

4. A fuel cell stack, comprising:
a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked between upper and lower current collectors, and
an enclosure that pressurizes and seals the fuel cell assembly in a stacked direction of the fuel cells,
wherein the enclosure includes a housing in which one surface is open, and a cover that closes an opening end of the housing,
wherein the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing through the opening end in a surface direction vertical to the stacked direction of the fuel cells,
wherein the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing in a state of being pressurized by a press fork, and a fork guide unit is formed at an inside supporting surface of both side plates of a first direction and allows a release of pressurizing and an extraction of the press fork, and
wherein the housing includes:
the both side plates of the first direction supporting the current collectors by a first set of side surfaces of the fuel cell assembly and supporting pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly;
both side plates of a second direction connected with the both side plates of the first direction and supporting a second set of side surfaces of the fuel cell assembly; and
a base plate connected with the both side plates of the first direction and the both side plates of the second direction and supporting a surface of an insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly.

5. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the both side plates of the first direction include:
the inside supporting surface that supports the current collector to which a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly is applied; and
a plurality of fork grooves formed at the inside supporting surface to be connected from the opening end to a closing end of the housing along the insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly.

6. The fuel cell stack of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of fork grooves is formed to have a greater depth than a thickness of the press fork.

7. The fuel cell stack of claim 5 , wherein the press fork is formed as one arm cantilever shape that pressurizes the current collector at both sides and is to be inserted into the inside of the housing in the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

8. The fuel cell stack of claim 5 , wherein a current collector terminal is installed at each of the upper and lower current collectors, and a terminal groove is formed at the inside supporting surface and parallel to one of the plurality of fork grooves and into which the current collector terminal is inserted.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Baeck Suk Min
• Kum Young Bum
• Jeong Kwi Seong

Classifications

• H01M8/248

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/2475 Primary

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0202 Primary

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title