Electrochemical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11581564-B2
Application number	US-201816955731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An electrochemical system having two metallic separator plates, an electrochemical cell arranged between the separator plates and sealed by at least one sealing element, and fixing elements for fixing the separator plates. The fixing elements comprise at least two fixing elements which are designed as integral with the first or with the second separator plate, which differ from the at least one sealing element, are spaced apart from the at least one sealing element parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates, and project at least in sections beyond the plate planes of the separator plates in a stacking direction. The first fixing element is thereby supported on the second fixing element in such a way that the second fixing element prevents a displacement of the first separator plate relative to the second separator plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemical system comprising:
a first metallic separator plate and a second metallic separator plate which each define a plate plane and are stacked in a stacking direction perpendicular to the plate planes;
a membrane assembly arranged between the separator plates, the membrane assembly comprising an electrolytic membrane or a water exchange membrane, to form an electrochemical cell between the separator plates;
at least one sealing element for sealing the electrochemical cell comprising a first sealing element extending from the first separator plate and a second sealing element extending from the second separator plate, the separator plates stacked such that the first and second sealing elements are in contact with one another; and
fixing elements fixing movement of the separator plates relative to one another, the movement parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates; the fixing elements comprising:
at least one first fixing element formed with uniformity of material and integrally with the first separator plate, the at least one first fixing element is different from the at least one sealing element, is spaced apart from the at least one sealing element in a plane parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates, extends from the plate plane of the first separator plate, and projects at least in sections beyond the plate plane of the first separator plate in the stacking direction;
at least one second fixing element formed with uniformity of material and integrally with the second separator plate, the at least one second fixing element is different from the at least one sealing element, is spaced apart from the at least one sealing element in a plane parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates, extends from the plate plane of the second separator plate, and projects in the stacking direction across a gap formed by the at least one sealing element to contact an exterior side of the membrane assembly at the plate plane of the first separator plate and an interior side of the membrane assembly contacting an exterior side of the first fixing element at the plate plane of the first separator plate; and
wherein the first fixing element is supported on the second fixing element in such a way that the second fixing element prevents a displacement of the first separator plate relative to the second separator plate in at least one of two opposite directions along an axis or straight line aligned parallel to the plate planes.

2. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein each metallic separator plate comprising a sealing element height in the stacking direction such that plate planes in a stack are separated from another plate plane by a distance of two of the sealing element heights, and
wherein the first fixing element and the second fixing element project in the stacking direction to at least the distance of two of the sealing bead heights.

3. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein a frame of the membrane assembly is accommodated between the first fixing element and the second fixing element.

4. The electrochemical system according to claim 3 , wherein said frame section is accommodated and arranged between the first fixing element and the second fixing element in such a way that it electrically insulates the first fixing element and the second fixing element from one another.

5. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sealing element is integrally formed into the first separator plate and the second separator plate, the first fixing element is formed integrally with the first separator plate, and the second fixing element is formed integrally with the second separator plate,
the fixing elements formed on a side of the at least one sealing element exterior to an active region, and
a base of the at least one first fixing element is coplanar with the plate plane of the first separator plate, and a base of the at least one second fixing element is coplanar with the plate plane of the second separator plate.

6. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the separator plates are each formed from metal.

7. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sealing element comprises at least one first sealing element, which is integral with the first separator plate, and that the at least one sealing element comprises at least one second sealing element, which is integral with the second separator plate.

8. The electrochemical system according to claim 7 , wherein the first sealing element comprises a first sealing bead molded into the first separator plate, and that the second sealing element comprises a second sealing bead molded into the second separator plate, wherein the first sealing bead and the second sealing bead mutually support one another and accommodate the membrane assembly between the first sealing bead and the second sealing bead.

9. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the separator plates each comprise two individual plates, which are materially bonded to one another.

10. The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein in each case precisely only one of the individual plates of each of the separator plates has at least one fixing element in the form of at least one extension of this individual plate.

11. The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein both of the individual plates of each of the separator plates has at least one fixing element in the form in each case of at least one extension of the respective individual plate.

12. The electrochemical system according to claim 1 , wherein the first fixing element comprises an elevated area, molded into the first separator plate and facing the second separator plate, and that the second fixing element comprises a second elevated area molded into the second separator plate and facing the first separator plate, wherein the second elevated area of the second separator plate has a depression which has a complementary shape, at least in areas, to the first elevated area of the first separator plate, and wherein the first elevated area of the first separator plate is accommodated, at least in areas, in the depression of the second elevated area of the second separator plate.

13. An electrochemical system comprising:
a first metallic separator plate and a second metallic separator plate which each define a plate plane and are stacked in a stacking direction perpendicular to the plate planes;
a membrane assembly arranged between the separator plates to form an electrochemical cell between the separator plates, the membrane assembly comprising an electrolytic membrane or a water exchange membrane;
at least one sealing element for sealing the electrochemical cell comprising a first sealing element extending from the first separator plate and a second sealing element extending from the second separator plate, the separator plates stacked such that the first and second sealing elements are in contact with one another; and
fixing elements fixing movement of the separator plates relative to one another, the movement parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates; the fixing elements comprising:
at least one first fixing element formed with uniformity of material and integrally with the first separator plate, the at least one first fixing element is different from the at least one sealing element, is spaced apart from the at least one sealing element in a plane parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates, extends from the plate plane of the first separator plate, and projects at least in sections

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Stoehr Thomas
• Speidel Andre
• Glueck Rainer

Classifications

• H01M8/0206 Primary

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0247

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M8/0297 Primary

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• H01M8/2404

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title