Fuel cell stack and assembly method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019181485-A1
Application number	US-201816012947-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell stack is provided and includes a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked between upper and lower current collectors. The fuel cell stack includes an enclosure that pressurizes and seals the fuel cell assembly in a stacked direction of the fuel cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell stack, comprising:
a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked between upper and lower current collectors, and an enclosure that pressurizes and seals the fuel cell assembly in a stacked direction of the fuel cells, wherein the enclosure includes a housing in which one surface is open, and a cover that closes an opening end of the housing, wherein the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing through the opening end in a surface direction vertical to the stacked direction of the fuel cells, and wherein both side plates of the housing support a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly.

2 . The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing in a state of being pressurized by a press fork, and a fork guide unit is formed at an inside surface of both side plates and allows a release of pressurizing and an extraction of the press fork.

3 . The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes:
both side plates of a first direction supporting the current collectors by a first set of side surfaces of the fuel cell assembly and supporting a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly; both side plates of a second direction connected with both side plates of the first direction and supporting a second set of side surfaces of the fuel cell assembly; and a base plate connected with both side plates of the first direction and both side plates of the second direction and supporting a surface of an insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly.

4 . The fuel cell stack of claim 3 , wherein both side plates of the first direction include:
an inside supporting surface that supports the current collector to which a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly is applied; and a plurality of fork grooves formed at the inside supporting surface to be connected from an opening end to a closing end of the housing along the insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly.

5 . The fuel cell stack of claim 4 , wherein the press fork is formed as one arm weir shape that pressurizes the current collector at both sides and is be inserted into the inside the housing in the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

6 . The fuel cell stack of claim 4 , wherein the fork groove is formed to have a greater depth than a thickness of the press fork.

7 . The fuel cell stack of claim 4 , wherein a current collector terminal is installed at the current collector, and a terminal groove is formed at the inside supporting surface and is formed parallel to the fork groove and into which the current collector terminal is inserted.

8 . A fuel cell stack, comprising:
an enclosure having a housing and a cover which are couple with each other; and a fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of stacked fuel cells are pressurized by a predetermined pressure along a stacked direction in the housing, wherein the cover closes inside of the housing, and wherein the housing supports a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly in a vertical direction to the closing direction of the cover.

9 . The fuel cell stack of claim 8 , wherein the housing has an opening end to which the cover is coupled, and the fuel cell assembly is inserted into the housing in a vertical surface direction to the stacked direction of the fuel cells through the opening end in a state that the fuel cell assembly is pressurized by a press fork along the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

10 . The fuel cell stack of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes both side plates supporting a pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly, and a plurality of fork grooves that allow a release of pressurizing and an extraction to outside of the press force, wherein the fork grooves are disposed at an inside surface of both side plates.

11 . The fuel cell stack of claim 10 , wherein the fork groove is formed to be connected from an opening end to a closing end of the housing along an insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly, and the press fork formed as one arm weir shape pressurizing the fuel cell assembly to be inserted into the inside the housing in the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

12 . An assembly method of a fuel cell stack, comprising:
providing a housing having one surface that is open and a cover coupled to an opening end of the housing, stacking fuel cells between current collectors of both sides, and pressurizing the current collectors by a press fork along a stacked direction of the fuel cells at both sides thereof, and inserting the current collector and a fuel cell assembly of the fuel cells pressurized by the press fork into the housing through the opening end in a vertical direction to the stacked direction of the fuel cells.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
releasing the pressurization of the press fork; inserting the press fork into a fork groove of the inside surface of the housing in a stacked direction of the fuel cells; and extracting the press fork to an outside of the housing through the fork groove.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fork groove has a greater depth than a thickness of the press fork and is formed at an inside surface that corresponds to the current collector.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the press fork pressurizes the current collector by a greater pressurizing force than a predetermined pressurizing force of the fuel cell assembly.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a portion of thickness or an entire thickness of the press fork is inserted into the fork groove along an insertion direction of the fuel cell assembly.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the inside surface of the housing supports the pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the opening end of the housing is closed by the cover after the press fork is extracted out of the housing.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the inside surface of the housing supports the pressurizing reaction force of the fuel cell assembly in a vertical direction to the closing direction of the cover.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Baeck Suk Min
• Kum Young Bum
• Jeong Kwi Seong

Classifications

• H01M8/2404

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/248

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/2475 Primary

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

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0202 Primary

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title