Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11355773-B2
Application number	US-201816609670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell stack has a prevention dam formed outside an alignment pin, such that a sealing material, which has viscosity and fluidity at a sealing temperature of a fuel cell, may be prevented from coming into contact with and adhering to the alignment pin, and pressure applied from the outside may be uniformly applied to the fuel cell stack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
an upper end plate;
a lower end plate;
a stack structure which is positioned between the upper and lower end plates and includes one or more end cells which are stacked;
an alignment pin extending through a hole in the upper end plate, the lower end plate, and the stack structure; and
a plurality of prevention dams in the hole which are spaced from each other in an axial direction and surround an outer portion of the alignment pin,
wherein the end cell includes:
a unit cell;
a window frame which is positioned at an upper side of the unit cell;
interconnectors which are positioned at an upper side of the window frame and a lower side of the unit cell;
a sealing material which is positioned between the unit cell, the window frame, and the interconnectors and bonds the unit cell, the window frame, and the interconnector; and
a spacer which is positioned at an upper side of the window frame and transmits a load to the sealing material,
wherein a height of one of the plurality of prevention dams is equal to a height of the spacer.

2. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of prevention dams is larger than a cross-sectional area of the hole.

3. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams is made of mica or insulating ceramics.

4. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams is made of metal.

5. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams has a hollow column shape.

6. The fuel cell stack of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams has a cross section and a plane having a shape selected from a group consisting of a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape having vertices with curvatures, a triangular shape, a quadrangular shape, a pentagonal shape, and a hexagonal shape.

7. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams has an inner surface contacting the alignment pin, an outer surface, an upper surface extending between the inner surface and outer surface and a lower surface extending between the inner surface and outer surface.

8. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of spacers in the stack structure, wherein each of the plurality of prevention dams is aligned with one of the plurality of spacers.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sanghyun
• Choi Kwangwook
• Im Sanghyeok
• Noh Tai Min
• Park Kwangyeon
• Kim Daehwan

Classifications

• H01M8/248 Primary

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0276

  Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0282

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M8/247 Primary

  Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title