Separator, and fuel cell stack comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020006786-A1
Application number	US-201716465217-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separator and a fuel cell stack comprising the same, and according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a separator comprising a plurality of channels including a bottom forming a flow space for a reaction gas to flow and a pair of sidewalls connected to the bottom, and a plurality of ribs provided so as to connect the sidewalls of two adjacent channels, wherein the sidewall of the channel is provided with a water storage part which is recessed inward and has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface connected by a first angle.

First claim

1 . A separator comprising a plurality of channels for a flow of reaction gas, the separator comprising:
a plurality of bottoms; a plurality of pairs of sidewalls, each of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls being connected to a respective one of the plurality of bottoms, and the plurality of channels being defined by the plurality of bottoms and the plurality of pairs of sidewalls; and a plurality of ribs, each of the plurality of ribs connecting two adjacent sidewalls of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls comprises a water storage part that comprises a recess defined by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface that are connected to each other and form a first angle.

2 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the water storage part has a wedge shape.

3 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface form a “V” shape.

4 . The separator according to claim 3 , wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are flat surfaces.

5 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein both sidewalls of one of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls comprise a plurality of water storage parts that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and the plurality of water storage parts are arranged to be symmetrical with respect to a direction of the flow of the reaction gas.

6 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein both sidewalls of one of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls comprise a plurality of water storage parts that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and the plurality of water storage parts are arranged to be asymmetric with respect to a direction of the flow of the reaction gas.

7 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the first angle is an acute angle.

8 . The separator according to claim 7 , wherein a sum of half of the first angle and a contact angle of the first inclined surface or the second inclined surface is 90° or less.

9 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein a first inclined angle of the first inclined surface and a second inclined angle of the second inclined surface with respect to a corresponding sidewall of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls are equal.

10 . The separator according to claim 1 , wherein a first inclined angle of the first inclined surface and a second inclined angle of the second inclined surface with respect to a corresponding sidewall of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls are different from each other.

11 . A fuel cell stack comprising:
a membrane-electrode assembly; a gas diffusion on the membrane-electrode assembly; and a separator at least partially contacting the gas diffusion layer,
wherein the separator comprises a plurality of channels for a flow of reaction gas and comprises:
a plurality of bottoms;
a plurality of pair of sidewalls, each of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls being connected to a respective one of the plurality of bottoms, and the plurality of channels being defined by the plurality of bottoms and the plurality of pairs of sidewalls; and
a plurality of ribs, each of the plurality of ribs connecting two adjacent sidewalls of the plurality of pair of sidewalls and contacting the gas diffusion layer, and
wherein each of the plurality of pairs of sidewalls comprises a water storage part that is configure to store water and comprises a recess defined by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface that are connected to each other and form a first angle.

12 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the water storage part has a wedge shape.

13 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface form a “V” shape.

14 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 13 , wherein the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are flat surfaces.

15 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein movement of the water in the water storage part toward the gas diffusion layer and the membrane-electrode assembly is along the first and second inclined surfaces.

16 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the first angle is an acute angle.

17 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 16 , wherein a sum of half of the first angle and a contact angle of the first inclined surface or a second included surface is 90° or less.

18 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the gas diffusion layer extends between the membrane-electrode assembly and the separator.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01M8/1018

  Polymeric electrolyte materials · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/04291

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/026 Primary

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title

• H01M8/04529

  of the electrolyte · CPC title