Fuel cell with corrosion resistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020185749-A1
Application number	US-201916538410-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Dec 5, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell is provided that includes a cell stack having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction. An enclosure is disposed to surround the cell stack and includes an inlet that suctions external air and an outlet that discharges air that has been suctioned through the inlet and has circulated in the space between the cell stack and the enclosure. An insulating member is disposed to extend in the first direction in the space between an outer surface of the cell stack and an inner surface of the enclosure. The insulating member divides the space into a plurality of spaces and has an aperture formed therein to provide communication between the divided plurality of spaces, and an air intake member configured to suction air discharged from the outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell, comprising:
a cell stack having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; an enclosure disposed to surround at least a part of the cell stack, wherein the enclosure includes an inlet that suctions external air and an outlet that discharges air that has been suctioned through the inlet and has circulated in a space between the cell stack and the enclosure; and an insulating member disposed to extend in the first direction in a space between an outer surface of the cell stack and an inner surface of the enclosure, wherein the insulating member divides the space into a plurality of spaces and includes a groove formed therein to provide communication between the divided plurality of spaces.

2 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is spaced apart from the outer surface of the cell stack and is in contact with the inner surface of the enclosure.

3 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating member includes:
a first edge that is in contact with the outer surface of the cell stack; and a second edge that is in contact with the inner surface of the enclosure, wherein the groove is spaced apart from the outer surface of the cell stack and the inner surface of the enclosure and is disposed between the first edge and the second edge of the insulating member.

4 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the groove includes a plurality of grooves disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction at predetermined intervals.

5 . The fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of grooves disposed in the first direction gradually increase in depth from the inlet and the outlet.

6 . The fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of grooves include:
a first groove; and a second groovelocated farther from the inlet and the outlet than the first groove, wherein the second groove has a larger cross-sectional area than the first groove.

7 . The fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a same depth, and distances between the plurality of grooves gradually decreases from the inlet and the outlet.

8 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the enclosure includes:
a front surface and a rear surface facing each other in the first direction; an inner top surface and an inner bottom surface facing each other in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a first inner side surface and a second inner side surface facing each other in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction.

9 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a first end plate and a second end plate disposed at respective ends of the cell stack, wherein the front surface of the enclosure corresponds to an inner surface of the first end plate, and wherein the rear surface of the enclosure corresponds to an inner surface of the second end plate.

10 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the inlet is disposed at the front surface in a first corner between the first inner side surface and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure, and wherein the outlet is disposed at the rear surface in a second corner between the second inner side surface and the inner top surface of the enclosure.

11 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the inlet is disposed at the front surface adjacent to a first corner between the first inner side surface and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure, and wherein the outlet is disposed at the rear surface adjacent to a second corner between the second inner side surface and the inner top surface of the enclosure.

12 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a humidity sensor disposed on at least one of a third corner between the first inner side surface and the inner top surface of the enclosure or a fourth corner between the second inner side surface and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure.

13 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a humidity sensor disposed adjacent to at least one of a third corner between the first inner side surface and the inner top surface of the enclosure or a fourth corner between the second inner side surface and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure.

14 . The fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the outer surface of the cell stack includes:
an outer top surface and an outer bottom surface facing the inner top surface and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure, respectively; and a first outer side surface and a second outer side surface facing the first inner side surface and the second inner side surface of the enclosure, respectively.

15 . The fuel cell according to claim 14 , wherein the insulating member includes:
a first insulating member disposed between the outer top surface of the cell stack and the inner top surface of the enclosure, the first insulating member having therein the groove; a second insulating member disposed between the outer bottom surface of the cell stack and the inner bottom surface of the enclosure, the second insulating member having therein the groove; a third insulating member disposed between the first outer side surface of the cell stack and the first inner side surface of the enclosure, the third insulating member having therein the groove; and a fourth insulating member disposed between the second outer side surface of the cell stack and the second inner side surface of the enclosure, the fourth insulating member having therein the groove.

16 . A fuel cell, comprising:
a cell stack having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; an enclosure disposed to surround at least a part of the cell stack and including an inlet that suctions external air and an outlet that discharges air that has been suctioned through the inlet and has circulated in a space between an outer surface of the cell stack and an inner surface of the enclosure; and an insulating member disposed to extend in the first direction between the outer surface of the cell stack and the inner surface of the enclosure, wherein the insulating member includes an aperture formed therein to allow the air to flow in a direction that intersects a direction in which the outer surface of the cell stack and the inner surface of the enclosure face each other and intersects the first direction.

17 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising an air intake member configured to suction the air discharged from the outlet.

18 . The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising a fan configured to discharge the air through the outlet.

19 . The fuel cell according to claim 16 , wherein the insulating member includes a plurality of apertures formed therein that vary in size.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Duck Whan
• Nam Gi Young
• Baeck Suk Min
• Ko Hyun Woong
• Kim Ju Han
• Yeon Seung Jun
• Ohm Ki Wook
• Jeong Kwi Seong
• Heo Yong Suk

Classifications

• H01M8/2432

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title

• H01M8/2484

  characterised by external manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/0271

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title