Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11870107-B2
Application number	US-201816481185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Fuel cell stacks may include a plurality of fuel cells including a membrane-electrode assembly that includes an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, gas diffusion layers respectively on opposing sides of the membrane-electrode assembly, a first separating plate having a first surface facing the anode electrode so as to be in contact with the gas diffusion layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a second separating plate having a first surface facing the cathode electrode so as to be in contact with the gas diffusion layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface. At least one of the second surface of the first separating plate and the second surface of the second separating plate may include one or more protrusions protruding therefrom outwardly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells,
wherein each of the plurality of fuel cells comprises:
a membrane-electrode assembly comprising an anode electrode and a cathode electrode;
first and second gas diffusion layers on opposing sides of the membrane-electrode assembly, respectively;
a first separating plate comprising a first surface facing the anode electrode and contacting the first gas diffusion layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the first separating plate; and
a second separating plate comprising a first surface facing the cathode electrode and contacting the second gas diffusion layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface of the second separating plate,
wherein at least one of the second surface of the first separating plate and the second surface of the second separating plate comprises one or more protrusions protruding therefrom,
the plurality of fuel cells comprises a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell that is stacked on the first fuel cell and is adjacent to the first fuel cell,
the second surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell and the second surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell face each other,
the second surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell and the second surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell are spaced apart from each other by the one or more protrusions such that a space for a flow of cooling water is defined therebetween,
the second fuel cell further comprises a reaction zone on the first surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell, and the reaction zone comprises a porous body comprising a plurality of holes for a flow of oxidizing gas,
the porous body is bonded onto a bonding portion of the first surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell, and the bonding portion is a flat surface,
the first surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell comprises a second reaction zone comprising a plurality of first channels for a flow of a fuel gas, and the second surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell comprises a second channel between two adjacent ones of the plurality of first channels for the flow of the cooling water, and
wherein the second surface of the second separating plate comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the second surface of the second separating plate comprises the one or more protrusions when the second surface of the second separating plate comprises the one or more protrusions, and the second portion of the second surface of the second separating plate faces the first separating plate opposite the second reaction zone, and
an entirety of the second portion of the second surface of the second separating plate is flat and is devoid of protrusions and channels.

2. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell comprises one or more first protrusions protruding outwardly, and the second surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell comprises one or more second protrusions protruding outwardly to be in contact with the one or more first protrusions.

3. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein the space for the flow of the cooling water has a thickness greater than a sum of heights of one of the one or more first protrusions and one of the one or more second protrusions.

4. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first channels and the second channel extend in a direction of the flow of the fuel gas.

5. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the two adjacent ones of the plurality of first channels are connected through the second channel.

6. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first surface of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell further comprises one or more third protrusions protruding outwardly, and the one or more third protrusions are adjacent to an edge of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell and are spaced apart from the second reaction zone.

7. The fuel cell stack according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more third protrusions are at one side of the second reaction zone and are in a distribution zone configured to distribute the fuel gas to the plurality of first channels of the second reaction zone.

8. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the second channel of the first separating plate is spaced apart from the second surface of the second separating plate of the second fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more first protrusions are adjacent to an edge of the first separating plate of the first fuel cell and are spaced apart from the second channel for the flow of the cooling water.

10. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein a first direction of a flow of a fuel gas in the first separating plate and a second direction of the flow of the oxidizing gas in the second separating plate form a predetermined angle.

11. The fuel cell stack according to claim 6 , wherein the second reaction zone is devoid of the one or more third protrusions.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Hye Mi
• Yang Jae Choon

Classifications

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/0267

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title