Separator plate for an electrochemical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11476472-B2
Application number	US-201917058085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a separator plate for an electrochemical system, comprising: at least one first through-opening for conducting a reaction medium through the separator plate; an active region having structures for guiding a reactor medium along a flat side of the separator plate; and a first sealing structure, surrounding the first through-opening, for sealing the first through-opening. The first sealing structure has a first passage for conducting a reaction medium through the first sealing structure, which passage points in a direction facing away from the active region. The invention also relates to a bipolar plate for an electrochemical system, which bipolar plate comprises the described separator plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A separator plate for an electrochemical system, comprising:
at least one first through-opening for conducting a reaction medium through the separator plate;
an active region including structures for guiding the reaction medium along a flat side of the separator plate; and
a first sealing structure surrounding the first through-opening for sealing the first through-opening,
the first sealing structure including a first passage for conducting the reaction medium through the first sealing structure,
the first passage including a first passage opening facing away from the first through-opening,
the first passage defining a first direction directed from the first through-opening toward the first passage opening; and
the first through-opening being in fluid connection with the active region by way of the first passage,

wherein the first passage is arranged and formed in such a way that the first direction includes an angle of at least 100 degrees with a second direction, the second direction being defined by a shortest straight connecting line connecting the first passage opening of the first passage to a media inlet or outlet of the active region, and the second direction being directed from the first passage opening of the first passage to the media inlet or outlet of the active region.

2. The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first passage has a second passage opening facing the first through-opening, and the first direction is defined by a shortest straight through-conduction line connecting the second passage opening to the first passage opening.

3. The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first passage is arranged and formed in such a way that the first direction, together with the second direction, includes an angle of at least 105 degrees.

4. The separator plate according to claim 1 , comprising at least one second through-opening for conducting a coolant or a reaction medium through the separator plate, and comprising a second sealing structure surrounding the second through-opening for sealing the second through-opening.

5. The separator plate according to claim 4 , wherein the separator plate is formed from metal.

6. The separator plate according to claim 5 , wherein the first sealing structure and/or the second sealing structure is/are formed as sealing beads embossed into the separator plate, or are formed as a sealing bead embossed into the separator plate.

7. The separator plate according to claim 1 , comprising a distribution region arranged between the first through-opening and the active region, wherein the first passage opening of the first passage is in fluid connection with the active region by way of the distribution region, the distribution region comprising distribution structures which are configured to distribute, across the active region, the reaction medium that, proceeding from the first passage opening of the first passage, is introduced into the distribution region, and/or to collect/pool, toward the first passage opening, the reaction medium that, proceeding from the active region, flows toward the first passage opening of the first passage.

8. The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first passage opening is formed as a through-window or as a through-hole in the separator plate.

9. A bipolar plate, comprising:
a first separator plate and a second separator plate each made of metal, the first separator plate comprising:
at least one first through-opening for conducting a reaction medium through the first separator plate;
an active region including structures for guiding the reaction medium along a flat side of the first separator plate; and
a first sealing structure surrounding the first through-opening for sealing the first through-opening,
the first sealing structure including a first passage for conducting the reaction medium through the first sealing structure,
the first passage including a first passage opening facing away from the first through-opening,
the first passage defining a first direction directed from the first through-opening toward the first passage opening; and
the first through-opening being in fluid connection with the active region by way of the first passage,
wherein the first passage is arranged and formed in such a way that the first direction includes an angle of at least 100 degrees with a second direction, the second direction being defined by a shortest straight connecting line connecting the first passage opening of the first passage to a media inlet or outlet of the active region, and the second direction being directed from the first passage opening of the first passage to the media inlet or outlet of the active region,
wherein the first separator plate and the second separator plate are connected to one another, the second separator plate likewise including a first through-opening, which is aligned with the first through-opening of the first separator plate, and the mutually aligned first through-openings of the first separator plate of the second separator plate forming a first through-opening of the bipolar plate.

10. The bipolar plate according to claim 9 , wherein the second separator plate is formed from exactly one layer of a metal sheet.

11. The bipolar plate according to claim 10 , wherein the first separator plate comprises at least one second through-opening for conducting a coolant or a reaction medium through the first separator plate and a second sealing structure surrounding the second through-opening for sealing the second through-opening, the second separator plate likewise includes a second through-opening, which is aligned with the second through-opening of the first separator plate, the mutually aligned second through-openings of the first separator plate and of the second separator plate forming a second through-opening of the bipolar plate, the first separator plate and the second separator plate enclosing a cavity for conducting a coolant through the bipolar plate, and the cavity being in fluid connection with the second through-opening of the bipolar plate.

12. The bipolar plate according to claim 11 , wherein a fluid connection between the second through-opening of the bipolar plate and the cavity opens into the second through-opening of the bipolar plate on a side of the second through-opening of the bipolar plate which faces the active region.

13. The bipolar plate according to claim 11 , wherein a cross-section of the second through-opening of the bipolar plate which is determined parallel to a planar surface plane of the bipolar plate increases toward the active region, at least in an end section of the second through-opening of the bipolar plate which faces the active region.

14. The bipolar plate according to claim 13 , wherein the second through-opening of the bipolar plate, parallel to an overall media flow direction, in the active region, has a maximum diameter, which has a first end facing the active region, the aforementioned cross-section of the second through-opening being determined perpendicularly to this maximum diameter of the second through-opening, the aforementioned cross-section, in a contiguous section along this maximum diameter of the second through-opening consistently increasing strictly monotonically toward the active region, this contiguous section having a first end facing the active region and a second end facing away from the active region, a distance of the first end of the contiguous section from the first end of the maximum diameter of the second through-opening being 10 percent of the length of the maximum diameter of the second throug

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Stoehr Thomas
• Speidel Andre

Classifications

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0276

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/026 Primary

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title