Bipolar plate with improved temperature distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949131-B2
Application number	US-202117338572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 4, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a bipolar plate for an electrochemical system, and to an electrochemical system comprising a plurality of bipolar plates. The electrochemical system may be, for example, a fuel cell system, an electrochemical compressor, a redox flow battery, or an electrolyser. The bipolar plate comprising separator plates, an inlet, and an outlet. A separator plate comprising an active region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bipolar plate for an electrochemical system, comprising:
two separator plates;
at least one inlet opening which introduces a cooling medium;
an outlet opening which discharges the cooling medium; and
in at least a first of the separator plates,
an active region having first structures which guide a reaction medium along an outer side of the bipolar plate and second structures which guide the cooling medium along an inner side of the bipolar plate; and
a closed perimeter bead sealing off at least the active region, the perimeter bead extending around the active region and the outlet opening and defining a bead interior,
fourth structures connecting the bead interior of the perimeter bead to the active region such that the cooling medium flows from the bead interior to the active region, and
an interior flank of the perimeter bead sealing off the bead interior of the perimeter bead so that flow of the cooling medium from the bead interior into the outlet opening is prevented outside of the fourth structures,

wherein the active region of at least the first separator plate comprises:
a first section arranged on a side of the respective separator plate near the inlet opening, and
a second section arranged on a side of the respective separator plate near the outlet opening and arranged between the outlet opening and a front section,

wherein the fourth structures leading away from the perimeter bead are arranged between the perimeter bead and the second section such that at least some of the cooling medium flowing through the bead interior is guided past the first section of the active region and flows laterally into the second section.

2. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , wherein the perimeter bead seals off the outlet opening with respect to the bead interior.

3. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , further comprising a first bead arrangement arranged around the outlet opening at least in the first of the two separator plates, wherein a part of the bead arrangement that faces towards the perimeter bead and away from the active region seals off the outlet opening with respect to the bead interior.

4. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , wherein the perimeter bead is configured as an outermost sealing element at least along the longitudinal sides of the respective separator plate and in the region of the coolant outlet opening, and/or
wherein the inlet opening is fluidically connected to the bead interior of the perimeter bead.

5. The bipolar plate according to claim 4 , further comprising at least one third structure leading from the inlet opening to the perimeter bead at least in the first of the two separator plates, the at least one third structure guiding cooling medium from the inlet opening into the bead interior.

6. The bipolar plate according to claim 5 , wherein the third structure is configured as an embossed structure.

7. The bipolar plate according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a second bead arrangement arranged around the inlet opening at least in the first of the two separator plates, the second bead arrangement sealing off the inlet opening, each of two bead flanks of the second bead arrangement having at least one passage which allows the cooling medium to flow through the bead flanks,
wherein the third structure is configured as a flow channel which, on an outer side of the second bead arrangement, adjoins the passage in the bead flank and is fluidically connected to the bead interior of the perimeter bead via a further passage in the bead flank of the perimeter bead.

8. A bipolar plate for an electrochemical system, comprising:
two separator plates;
at least one inlet opening which introduces a cooling medium;
an outlet opening which discharges the cooling medium; and
in at least a first of the separator plates,
an active region having first structures which guide a reaction medium along an outer side of the bipolar plate and second structures which guide the cooling medium along an inner side of the bipolar plate; and
a closed perimeter bead sealing off at least the active region, the perimeter bead extending around the active region and the outlet opening and defining a bead interior,
an interior flank of the perimeter bead sealing off the bead interior of the perimeter bead so that flow of the cooling medium from the bead interior into the outlet opening is prevented outside of the fourth structures, and
fourth structures leading away from the perimeter bead, the fourth structures allowing cooling medium to flow from the bead interior to the active region,

wherein the active region of at least the first separator plate comprises:
a front section arranged on a side of the respective separator plate near the inlet opening,
a rear section arranged on a side of the respective separator plate near the outlet opening and arranged between the outlet opening and the front section, and
a middle section arranged between the front section and the rear section,
wherein the fourth structures leading away from the perimeter bead are arranged between the perimeter bead and the rear section such that at least some or most of the cooling medium flowing through the bead interior is guided past the front section of the active region and flows laterally into the rear section.

9. The bipolar plate according to claim 8 ,
wherein only some of the cooling medium flowing through the bead interior is guided past the front section and some of the cooling medium flowing through the bead interior is introduced laterally already in the front section.

10. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , wherein the second structures comprise channel structures which guide the cooling medium, which define a longitudinal flow direction of the cooling medium, and
wherein connecting channels for the cooling medium are provided in the active region, said connecting channels fluidically connecting adjacent channel structures to one another and enabling a flow direction of the cooling medium at an angle to the longitudinal flow direction.

11. The bipolar plate according to claim 10 , wherein the first structures in the active region on the outer side of the bipolar plate comprise channel structures for guiding the reaction medium, and
wherein the channel structures comprise cross-sectional constrictions in some areas, which on the inner side of the bipolar plate form the connecting channels for the cooling medium.

12. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , wherein, at least in the first separator plate, limiting elements are arranged between the active region and the perimeter bead and are configured to reduce or prevent a flow of reaction medium on the outer side along the perimeter bead and past the active region.

13. The bipolar plate according to claim 12 , wherein the limiting elements form a fluidic connection between the bead interior and the second structure of the inner side of the active region so that the cooling medium can flow from the bead interior towards the second structures.

14. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , wherein the perimeter bead extends in part between the inlet opening and the active region.

15. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , further comprising a further inlet opening for the cooling medium, which is only fluidically connected to the bead interior of the perimeter bead.

16. The bipolar plate according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one welded joint or weld, which connects the separator plates to one another and is arranged between the outlet opening and the perimeter bead.

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Oruc Ahmet
• Gaugler Bernd

Classifications

• H01M8/0267 Primary

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

• H01M8/0256

  Vias, i.e. connectors passing through the separator material · CPC title

• H01M8/0265

  the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• H01M8/2432

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title