Fuel cell and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11380916-B2
Application number	US-201916964297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel cell (2) comprising at least one membrane/electrode unit (10) comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, which electrodes are separated from one another by a membrane, and comprising at least one polar plate (40) which comprises a first distribution region (50) for distributing a fuel to the first electrode and a second distribution region (60) for distributing an oxidation agent to the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode of the at least one membrane electrode unit (10) are electrically connected by means of a conductor (90). The invention also relates to a fuel cell stack (5) which comprises a plurality of the claimed fuel cells (2).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell ( 2 ) comprising:
at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ), which has a first electrode ( 21 ) and a second electrode ( 22 ) separated from one another by a membrane ( 18 ), and
at least one polar plate ( 40 ), which includes
a first distribution region ( 50 ) for distributing a fuel to the first electrode ( 21 ), and/or
a second distribution region ( 60 ) for distributing an oxidizing agent to the second electrode ( 22 ),

wherein the first electrode ( 21 ) and the second electrode ( 22 ) of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ) are electrically connected by means of a conductor ( 90 ), and wherein the conductor ( 90 ) includes a reinforcing member ( 92 ), which is arranged at an edge region of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ) and which holds the first electrode ( 21 ), the second electrode ( 22 ) and the membrane ( 18 ) together mechanically,
wherein the reinforcing member ( 92 ) includes two foil-like members on each side of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ), and
wherein the foil-like members are connected to each other outside of the edge region of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ).

2. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conductor ( 90 ) further comprises an ohmic resistor.

3. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conductor ( 90 ) comprises a semiconductor member.

4. A fuel cell stack ( 5 ) comprising a plurality of fuel cells ( 2 ) according to claim 1 .

5. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one polar plate ( 40 ) includes the first distribution region ( 50 ) for distributing a fuel to the first electrode ( 21 ).

6. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the at least one polar plate ( 40 ) also includes the second distribution region ( 60 ) for distributing an oxidizing agent to the second electrode ( 22 ).

7. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one polar plate ( 40 ) includes the second distribution region ( 60 ) for distributing an oxidizing agent to the second electrode ( 22 ).

8. The fuel cell ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an adhesive adhesively bonds the reinforcing member ( 92 ) to the polar plate and to the membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ).

9. A fuel cell ( 2 ) comprising:
at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ), which has a first electrode ( 21 ) and a second electrode ( 22 ) separated from one another by a membrane ( 18 ), and
at least one polar plate ( 40 ), which includes
a first distribution region ( 50 ) for distributing a fuel to the first electrode ( 21 ), and/or
a second distribution region ( 60 ) for distributing an oxidizing agent to the second electrode ( 22 ),

wherein the first electrode ( 21 ) and the second electrode ( 22 ) of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ) are electrically connected by means of a conductor ( 90 ), and wherein the conductor ( 90 ) is an adhesive.

10. A fuel cell ( 2 ) comprising:
at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ), which has a first electrode ( 21 ) and a second electrode ( 22 ) separated from one another by a membrane ( 18 ), and
at least one polar plate ( 40 ), which includes
a first distribution region ( 50 ) for distributing a fuel to the first electrode ( 21 ), and/or
a second distribution region ( 60 ) for distributing an oxidizing agent to the second electrode ( 22 ),

wherein the first electrode ( 21 ) and the second electrode ( 22 ) of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ) are electrically connected by means of a conductor ( 90 ), wherein the conductor ( 90 ) is embodied as a potting compound ( 94 ), which encloses an edge region of the at least one membrane/electrode unit ( 10 ) and an end face of the at least one polar plate ( 40 ).

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schmeisser Harald
• Belschner Werner

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0271

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/04238 Primary

  Depolarisation · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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