Separation plate, manufacturing method therefor, and fuel cell stack comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018175406-A1
Application number	US-201615737942-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separation plate, a manufacturing method therefor, and a fuel cell stack comprising the same, and according to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a separation plate having: a first surface and a second surface in a direction opposite to that of the first surface; a plurality of channel elements protruding from the second surface toward the first surface, wherein each of the channel elements is arranged to have an inlet port and an outlet port along the flowing direction of a fluid flowing on the first surface; and a rib having a height varying along the circumferential direction of a virtual axis connecting the inlet port and the outlet port, wherein at least a partial region of an outer surface of the rib is formed into a cycloid curved surface along the circumferential direction of the virtual axis.

First claim

1 . A separation plate having a first surface and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface, and a plurality of channel elements protruding from the second surface toward the first surface,
wherein the channel elements are each provided to have an inlet port and an outlet port along the flow direction of the fluid flowing on the first surface, and have a rib whose height varies along the circumferential direction of a virtual axis connecting the inlet port and the outlet port, and wherein at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the rib is formed into a cycloid curved surface along the circumferential direction of the virtual axis.

2 . The separation plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the inlet port and the outlet port is provided such that the flow direction cross section is inclined with respect to the virtual axis.

3 . The separation plate according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are provided so that as they are farther from the first surface, each flow direction cross section is closer to each other.

4 . The separation plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of channel elements are arranged apart from each other at a predetermined interval along the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction of the first surface, respectively.

5 . The separation plate according to claim 4 ,
wherein two adjacent channel elements are arranged so that the outlet port of one channel element and the inlet port of the other channel element overlap at least partially along the flow direction of a fluid.

6 . The separation plate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the channel elements are provided such that the virtual axis connecting the inlet port and the outlet port is inclined with respect to the transverse axis and the longitudinal axis of the first surface, respectively.

7 . A fuel cell stack comprising:
a membrane-electrode assembly; a gas diffusion layer provided on one side of the membrane-electrode assembly; and a separation plate having a first surface disposed to face the gas diffusion layer and a second surface in the opposite direction of the first surface, and a plurality of channel elements protruding from the second surface toward the first surface so as to contact the gas diffusion layer, wherein the channel elements are each provided to have an inlet port and an outlet port along the flow direction of a reaction gas flowing on the first surface, and have a rib whose height varies along the circumferential direction of a virtual axis connecting the inlet port and the outlet port, and wherein at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the rib is formed into a cycloid curved surface along the circumferential direction of the virtual axis.

8 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
provided such that water flows into the space formed by outer circumferential surfaces of two adjacent ribs.

9 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the inlet port is formed so that the size of the flow direction cross section is larger than the size of the cross section formed by outer circumferential surfaces of two adjacent ribs.

10 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein at least one of the inlet port and the outlet port is provided such that the flow direction cross section is inclined with respect to the virtual axis.

11 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are provided such that as they are closer to the gas diffusion layer, each flow direction cross section is closer to each other.

12 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the plurality of channel elements are arranged apart from each other at a predetermined interval along the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction of the first surface.

13 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein two adjacent channel elements are arranged such that the outlet port of one channel element and the inlet port of the other channel element overlap at least partially along the flow direction of a fluid.

14 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 7 ,
wherein the channel elements are provided such that the virtual axis connecting the inlet port and the outlet port is inclined with respect to the transverse axis and the longitudinal axis of the separation plate, respectively.

15 . A method for manufacturing a separation plate comprising:
a punching step of punching a metal plate so as to form a plurality of holes to be formed into an inlet port and an outlet port of a channel element; and a stamping step of stamping the metal plate so that the region between the pair of holes to be the inlet port and the outlet port of the channel element is protruded.

16 . The method for manufacturing a separation plate according to claim 15 ,
wherein the holes are formed to have a polygonal shape.

17 . The method for manufacturing a separation plate according to claim 16 ,
wherein the holes are formed to have a rectangular or trapezoidal shape.

18 . The method for manufacturing a separation plate according to claim 16 ,
wherein a pair of regions is formed to have a symmetrical shape based on the region to be protruded.

19 . The method for manufacturing a separation plate according to claim 15 ,
wherein the metal plate has a thickness of 0.2 mm or less, and the protruding height of the region between the pair of holes in the stamping step is 0.2 mm to 0.45 mm.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Kong Chang Sun
• Yang Jae Choon
• Jung Hye Mi

Classifications

• H01M8/0265 Primary

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

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2485

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title