Electrochemical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021126275-A1
Application number	US-202017139479-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical device is provided, including: a stack of a plurality of electrochemical units succeeding one another along a stacking direction, each including an electrochemically active membrane electrode arrangement, a bipolar plate, and a sealing system; at least one medium channel extending along the stacking direction through a plurality of electrochemical units; and a flow field via which a medium from the medium channel can flow transversely to the stacking direction to another medium channel. The sealing system includes a flow field sealing arrangement extending around a flow field, and a medium channel sealing arrangement extending around a medium channel. The flow field sealing arrangement is fixed to the membrane electrode arrangement and the medium channel sealing arrangement is fixed to the bipolar plate.

First claim

1 . An electrochemical device, comprising
a stack of a plurality of electrochemical units succeeding one another along a stacking direction, which each comprise an electrochemically active membrane electrode arrangement, a bipolar plate, and a sealing system, at least one medium channel, which extends along the stacking direction through a plurality of the electrochemical units, and at least one flow field by means of which a medium from the medium channel is able to flow transversely to the stacking direction from the medium channel to another medium channel, wherein the sealing system comprises a flow field sealing arrangement, which extends around at least one flow field, and at least one medium channel sealing arrangement, which extends around a medium channel, wherein the flow field sealing arrangement is fixed to the membrane electrode arrangement and the at least one medium channel sealing arrangement is fixed to the bipolar plate.

2 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode arrangement comprises two gas diffusion layers and the flow field sealing arrangement is fixed to at least one of the gas diffusion layers.

3 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the flow field sealing arrangement comprises two flow field sealing elements, each of which is fixed to a respective one of the gas diffusion layers.

4 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the bipolar plate comprises at least two bipolar plate layers and the medium channel sealing arrangement comprises a medium channel sealing element that is fixed to one of the bipolar plate layers or to both bipolar plate layers.

5 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the medium channel sealing element has been produced on one of the bipolar plate layers before the bipolar plate layers were fixed to one another.

6 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the bipolar plate layers are fixed to one another along connecting lines and the connecting lines do not cross the medium channel sealing element, seen along the stacking direction.

7 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the medium channel sealing element has been produced on one of the bipolar plate layers after the bipolar plate layers were fixed to one another.

8 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the medium channel sealing arrangement is produced by means of an injection molding operation.

9 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the medium channel sealing arrangement is produced by means of a screen printing operation.

10 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the medium channel sealing arrangement is arranged on a bead that is formed in a bipolar plate layer of the bipolar plate.

11 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the height of the medium channel sealing arrangement is smaller than the height of the bead.

12 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the medium channel and the flow field are in fluidic connection with one another by means of a flow port and the flow port comprises a medium through-opening, which is formed in the bead.

13 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein one of the bipolar plate layers of the bipolar plate has an edge web running around the flow field and a medium through-opening is formed in the edge web.

14 . The electrochemical device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the flow field sealing arrangement is produced by means of an injection molding operation, a screen printing operation, or a dispenser application operation.

15 . A method for producing an electrochemical device, which comprises
a stack of a plurality of electrochemical units succeeding one another along a stacking direction, which each comprise an electrochemically active membrane electrode arrangement, a bipolar plate, and a sealing system, at least one medium channel, which extends along the stacking direction through a plurality of the electrochemical units, and at least one flow field, by means of which a medium from the medium channel is able to flow transversely to the stacking direction from the medium channel to another medium channel, wherein the sealing system comprises a flow field sealing arrangement, which extends around at least one flow field, and at least one medium channel sealing arrangement, which extends around a medium channel, wherein the method comprises the following:
producing the flow field sealing arrangement on the membrane electrode arrangement;
producing the at least one medium channel sealing arrangement on the bipolar plate.

Assignees

• Elringklinger Ag

Inventors

• Stahl Peter
• Kraft Juergen

Classifications

• H01M8/0286

  Processes for forming seals · CPC title

• H01M8/0271

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

• H01M8/2483 Primary

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• C25B9/77

  having diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B13/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title