Fuel cell and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11588169-B2
Application number	US-201916552602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A fuel cell includes a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; a first end plate including a guide through-hole formed therein, the first end plate being disposed on one end of two ends of the cell stack; a second end plate including a guide support hole formed therein, the guide support hole overlapping the guide through-hole in the first direction, the second end plate being disposed on an opposite end of the two ends of the cell stack; and an enclosure surrounding a side portion between the two ends of the cell stack together with the first end plate and the second end plate, the enclosure being formed as a unitary structure. The enclosure includes a body surrounding the side portion of the cell stack and first and second ends coupled to the first end plate and the second end plate, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell, comprising:
a cell stack comprising a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction;
a first end plate comprising a guide through-hole formed therein, the first end plate being disposed on one end of two ends of the cell stack;
a second end plate comprising a guide support hole formed therein, the guide support hole overlapping the guide through-hole in the first direction, the second end plate being disposed on an opposite end of the two ends of the cell stack; and
an enclosure surrounding a side portion between the two ends of the cell stack together with the first end plate and the second end plate, the enclosure being formed as a unitary structure,
wherein the enclosure comprises a body surrounding the side portion of the cell stack and first and second ends coupled to the first end plate and the second end plate, respectively,
wherein the cell stack includes at least one guide receiving recess,
wherein the at least one guide receiving recess is disposed at an outer surface of the side portion of the cell stack with being spaced apart from corners of the cell stack, and
wherein a space interposed between the guide through-hole and the guide support hole which face each other in the first direction does not include a guide member and is empty, the space being between the enclosure and the side portion of the cell stack.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second end plate and the enclosure are integrally formed with each other.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the enclosure further comprises a rigidity-enhancing part disposed between the first and second ends of the body.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein a first distance between the first end of the body and the rigidity-enhancing part is same as a second distance between the second end of the body and the rigidity-enhancing part.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the rigidity-enhancing part is disposed in a strap shape on the body.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 5 , wherein the rigidity-enhancing part is disposed on at least one of an inner surface or an outer surface of the body.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 6 , wherein the body and the rigidity-enhancing part are integrally formed with each other.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an air intake member configured to suction first air that has circulated in an internal space between the enclosure and the cell stack,
wherein any one of the guide support hole and the guide through-hole corresponds to an inlet suctioning second air from an outside into the internal space between the enclosure and the cell stack, and
wherein a remaining one of the guide support hole and the guide through-hole corresponds to an outlet discharging the first air to the air intake member.

9. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the rigidity-enhancing part has a first thickness greater than a second thickness of the body.

10. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the side portion of the cell stack comprises:
a first side portion in which a first manifolds is disposed;
a second side portion in which a second manifold is disposed, the second side portion being disposed opposite the first side portion in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and
a third side portion and a fourth side portion disposed opposite each other in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the enclosure further comprises at least one support through-hole formed therein, the support through-hole penetrating the rigidity-enhancing part and the body and facing at least one of the third side portion or the fourth side portion.

11. The fuel cell according to claim 10 , wherein the guide support hole formed in the second end plate comprises at least one of:
a first guide support hole overlapping a first space, defined between the third side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure, in the first direction; or
a second guide support hole overlapping a second space, defined between the fourth side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure, in the first direction.

12. The fuel cell according to claim 10 , wherein the guide through-hole formed in the first end plate comprises at least one of:
a first guide through-hole overlapping a first space, defined between the third side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure, in the first direction; or
a second guide through-hole overlapping a second space, defined between the fourth side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure, in the first direction.

13. The fuel cell according to claim 10 , wherein an outer surface of the first side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure are spaced apart from each other by a first distance,
wherein an outer surface of the second side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure are spaced apart from each other by a second distance,
wherein an outer surface of the third side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure are spaced apart from each other by a third distance,
wherein an outer surface of the fourth side portion of the cell stack and the enclosure are spaced apart from each other by a fourth distance, and
wherein each of the first distance and the second distance is shorter than the third distance or the fourth distance.

14. The fuel cell according to claim 10 , wherein each of the third side portion and the fourth side portion of the cell stack comprises the guide-receiving recess formed therein, the guide-receiving recess facing an inner surface of the enclosure and extending in the first direction.

15. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one insulating support member disposed between the outer surface of the cell stack and an inner surface of the enclosure.

16. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the side portion of the cell stack comprises:
a first side portion and a second side portion disposed opposite each other in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and
a third side portion and a fourth side portion disposed opposite each other in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the corners of the cell stack comprises:
a first corner between the first side portion and the fourth side portion;
a second corner between the fourth side portion and the second side portion;
a third corner between the second side portion and the third side portion; and
a fourth corner between the third side portion and the first side portion.

17. The fuel cell according to claim 16 , wherein the outer surface at which the at least one guide receiving recess is disposed comprises at least one of
a first outer surface of the fourth side portion disposed between the first corner and the second corner; or
a second outer surface of the third side portion disposed between the third corner and the fourth corner.

18. The fuel cell according to claim 16 , wherein a first manifold is disposed at the first side portion,
wherein a second manifold is disposed at the second side portion, the second manifold and the first manifold being opposite to each other in the second direction, and

wherein the at least one guide receiving recess is not overlapped with the first and second manifolds in the third direction.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Duck Whan
• Heo Yong Suk
• Baeck Suk Min

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

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

• H01M8/2484

  characterised by external manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/2404

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2475 Primary

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