High-voltage fuel-cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10998571-B2
Application number	US-201916276814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Feb 20, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The electrochemical cell stack assembly has electrochemical cell sub-stacks. A first and second electrochemical cell sub-stack are connected electrically in series and fluidly in parallel. The first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks have electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cells have a membrane electrode assembly with an cathode catalyst layer, an anode catalyst layer, and a polymer membrane therebetween. The electrochemical cells have an anode plate and a cathode plate with the membrane electrode assembly interposed therebetween, a cathode flow field, and the anode plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell stack assembly, comprising:
a plurality of electrochemical cell sub-stacks, wherein:
a first electrochemical cell sub-stack and a second electrochemical cell sub-stack are connected electrically in series and connected fluidly in parallel;
the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and the second electrochemical cell sub-stack comprise a plurality of electrochemical cells comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly comprising a cathode catalyst layer, an anode catalyst layer, and a polymer membrane interposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer,
an anode plate and a cathode plate with the membrane electrode assembly interposed therebetween, and
a cathode flow field positioned between the cathode plate and the cathode catalyst layer; and
the electrochemical cell stack assembly further comprises a manifold distribution plate connected to a first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and a first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack, wherein the manifold distribution plate is configured to fluidly split a supply of at least one of fuel, oxidant, or coolant to the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks.

2. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein electrical current passes from the first electrochemical cell sub-stack to the second electrochemical cell sub-stack.

3. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrically conductive structure disposed at a first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack; and
a second electrically conductive structure disposed at a first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack,
wherein the first electrically conductive structure is electrically coupled to the second electrically conductive structure.

4. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive structure disposed at the first ends of the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks.

5. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive structure disposed at a first end of at least one of first or second electrochemical cell sub-stacks, wherein the electrically conductive structure is electrically coupled to a frame of a mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

6. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive structure is at a common electric potential with the frame of the mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

7. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first current collector disposed at a first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and
a second current collector disposed at a first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack.

8. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first current collector is at a higher electric potential than a frame of a mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly and wherein the second current collector is at a lower electric potential than the frame of the mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

9. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first current collector is at an electric potential from about −1000 volts to about +1000 volts and the second collector is at an electric potential from about −1000 volts to about +1000 volts.

10. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 7 , wherein electrons flow (i) in a first direction from the first current collector to a second end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and (ii) in a second direction from a second end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack to the second current collector, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

11. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein an electrical insulator is disposed between the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks.

12. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein a supply of at least one of fuel, oxidant, or coolant is split between the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks fluidly connected in parallel.

13. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cathode flow field comprises a porous structure and the plurality of electrochemical cell sub-stacks generate a current from about 0 amperes to about 1000 amperes.

14. A method of arranging an electrochemical cell stack assembly, comprising:
connecting electrically a first electrochemical cell sub-stack and a second electrochemical cell sub-stack in series;
connecting fluidly the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and the second electrochemical cell sub-stack in parallel,
wherein the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and the second electrochemical cell sub-stack comprise a plurality of electrochemical cells comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly comprising a cathode catalyst layer, an anode catalyst layer, and a polymer membrane interposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer,
an anode plate and a cathode plate with the membrane electrode assembly interposed therebetween, and
a cathode flow field and anode flow field;
connecting a manifold distribution plate to a first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack and a first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack, the manifold distribution plate being configured to fluidly split a supply of at least one of fuel, oxidant, or coolant to the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
disposing an electrical insulator between the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks;
disposing a first electrically conductive structure at the first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack;
disposing a second electrically conductive structure at the first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack; and
electrically coupling the first electrically conductive structure to the second electrically conductive structure.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing an electrically conductive structure at the first ends of the first and second electrochemical cell sub-stacks.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing an electrically conductive structure at a first end of at least one of first or second electrochemical cell sub-stacks, wherein the electrically conductive structure is electrically coupled to a frame of a mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electrically conductive structure is at a common electric potential with the frame of the mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
disposing a first current collector at a first end of the first electrochemical cell sub-stack, and
disposing a second current collector at a first end of the second electrochemical cell sub-stack,
wherein the first current collector is at a higher electric potential than a frame of a mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly and wherein the second current collector is at a lower electric potential than the frame of the mechanism housing the electrochemical cell stack assembly.

20. The electrochemical cell stack assembly of claim 4 , wherein the manifold-distribution plate is placed against the electrically conductive structure.

21.

Assignees

• Nuvera Fuel Cells Llc

Inventors

• Blanchet Scott

Classifications

• C25B9/63

  Holders for electrodes; Positioning of the electrodes · CPC title

• H01M8/242

  comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title

• C25B9/70

  Assemblies comprising two or more cells · CPC title

• H01M8/249 Primary

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

• H01M8/2475

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