System for stacking fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12113257-B2
Application number	US-202117347809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A system for stacking fuel cells for a fuel cell stack includes a component part storage region to store the fuel cells, a finished product storage region to store a completed fuel cell stack transferred by an automated guided vehicle, and a plurality of stacking regions disposed between the component part storage region and the finished product storage region, where one side of each stacking region corresponding to the finished product storage region is formed as an entry and exit for the automated guided vehicle for the fuel cell stack, a stacking unit is disposed at each of remaining sides of the stacking region, and the stacking region is supplied with the fuel cells from the component part storage region by the automated guided vehicle to sequentially stack the fuel cells to manufacture the fuel cell stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for stacking fuel cells for a fuel cell stack, comprising:
a component part storage region configured to store the fuel cells;
a finished product storage region configured to store a completed fuel cell stack transferred by at least one automated guided vehicle (AGV); and
a plurality of stacking regions disposed between the component part storage region and the finished product storage region,
wherein a first transfer robot is located at a central portion of each of the plurality of stacking regions,
wherein a first side of each of the plurality of stacking regions corresponding to the finished product storage region is formed as an entry and exit for the at least one automated guided vehicle for the fuel cell stack,
wherein a stacking unit is disposed at a second side, a third side, and a fourth side of each of the plurality of stacking regions, and
wherein each of the plurality of stacking regions is supplied with the fuel cells from the component part storage region by the at least one automated guided vehicle to sequentially stack the fuel cells to manufacture the fuel cell stack.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component part storage region comprises a first tray that is multi-layered to store a plurality of types of fuel cells.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the finished product storage region comprises a second tray that is multi-layered to store the fuel cell stack.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first transfer robot is configured to assemble and package the fuel cell stack stacked in each of the plurality of stacking regions, and transfers the fuel cell stack to the at least one automated guided vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one automated guided vehicle comprises a first automated guided vehicle moving between the component part storage region and the plurality of stacking regions and a second automated guided vehicle moving between the first transfer robot and the finished product storage region.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each stacking unit comprises:
a pair of loading portions each configured to seat the fuel cells supplied from the at least one automated guided vehicle;
a stacking portion disposed between the pair of loading portions, and configured to sequentially stack the fuel cells transferred from the loading portion; and
a transferring portion slidably mounted on a frame disposed above the pair of loading portions, and configured to, while moving between the loading portion and the stacking portion, simultaneously clamp fuel cells loaded in the loading portion and stack the clamped fuel cells in the stacking portion.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each loading portion comprises:
a plurality of loading tables that vertically operate as the fuel cell is stacked;
a vacuum adsorber disposed adjacent to the loading table, and configured to remove a slip sheet of the fuel cell transferred from a corresponding loading table, through vacuum adsorption; and
a vision camera disposed adjacent to the vacuum adsorber, and configured to picture the fuel cell removed with the slip sheet.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each loading table comprises:
a first upper plate on which the fuel cells are stacked;
a plurality of first guider bars installed to penetrate the first upper plate and configured to align the fuel cells stacked on the first upper plate;
a first lower plate disposed below the first upper plate and fixed to the plurality of first guider bars;
a first screw shaft installed at a central portion of a lower surface of the first upper plate, engaged with a first screw housing that is rotatably mounted on the first lower plate through a first bearing housing, and formed with a first bevel gear; and
a first servo-motor engaged with the first bevel gear of the first screw shaft and configured to apply torque to the first screw shaft through the first screw housing to vertically operate the first upper plate.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the loading table further comprises a first height sensor configured to operate forward and backward with respect to a first auxiliary plate fixed to the first upper plate and measure the height of the first upper plate.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the stacking portion comprises:
a rotation plate disposed between the pair of loading portions, and configured to rotate through a rotation portion configured at a central portion of the rotation plate where a penetration hole is formed;
a pair of stacking tables disposed at opposite sides of the rotation plate, and configured to sequentially stack the fuel cells transferred by the transferring portion to a preset quantity of fuel cells and vertically operate as the fuel cells are stacked; and
a tester configured to perform a leakage test for the fuel cells stacked on one of the pair of stacking tables when connected to the one of the pair of stacking tables having stacked the preset quantity of fuel cells by the rotation of the rotation plate.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the rotation portion comprises:
a first rack gear formed at an interior circumference of the penetration hole;
a first drive gear engaged with the first rack gear;
a third servo-motor connected to the first drive gear and configured to transmit driving torque to the first drive gear; and
a reducer connected to the third servo-motor and configured to reduce a rotation speed of third servo-motor.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the pair of stacking tables comprise
a second upper plate on which the fuel cells are stacked;
a plurality of second guider bars installed to penetrate the second upper plate and configured to align the fuel cells stacked on the second upper plate;
a second lower plate disposed below the second upper plate and fixed to the plurality of second guider bars;
a second screw shaft installed at a central portion of a lower surface of the second upper plate, and configured to vertically operate by being engaged with a second screw housing that is rotatably mounted on the second lower plate through a second bearing housing; and
a second servo-motor engaged with a second bevel gear formed at a frontal end portion of the second screw housing, and configured to apply torque to the second screw shaft through the second screw housing to vertically operate the second upper plate.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of stacking tables further comprises a second height sensor configured to operate forward and backward with respect to a second auxiliary plate fixed to the second upper plate, and measure a position of the second upper plate.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the tester is mounted on the frame, and configured to, when the stacking table is positioned to a home position by the rotation of the rotation plate, move downward to the stacking table to be connected to the stacking table and inject gas into the fuel cells stacked on the stacking table.

15. The system of claim 6 , wherein the transferring portion comprises
an LM guide slidably mounted on a rail of the frame;
a horizontal movement block mounted on the LM guide, and configured to be movable by a second rack gear and a second drive gear engaged with the second rack gear;
a fourth servo-motor mounted on the horizontal movement block, and configured to apply a driving torque to the second drive gear; and
a plurality of adsorbers installed on the horizontal movement block, and configured to simultaneously vacuum adsorb the fuel cells loaded in the loading portion and stack the adsorbed fuel cells in t

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Tae Jin

Classifications

• H01M8/248

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/2432

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• B65G57/03

  from above · CPC title