Electrochemical arrangement and electrochemical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021202963-A1
Application number	US-201816755851-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2017
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical arrangement with two metallic separator plates which each define a plate plane and which are stacked in a stack direction perpendicular to the plate planes. The separator plates comprise sealing elements which are embossed into the separator plate and which are supported against one another for sealing the electrochemical cell which is arranged between the separator plates and which are reversibly deformable in the stack direction up to a distance z 2 . The arrangement further comprises at least one support element which is arranged between the separator plates and which is distanced to the sealing elements of the separator plates in a direction parallel to the plate planes.

First claim

1 . An electrochemical arrangement
with a first and a second metallic separator plate which each define a plate plane and which are stacked in a stack direction perpendicularly to the plate planes; with an electrochemical cell which is arranged between the separator plates; wherein the separator plates each comprise at least one sealing element which is embossed into the separator plate and which rises above the respective plate plane; wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates are supported against one another for sealing at least the electrochemical cell which is arranged between the separator plates; wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates are elastically deformable in the stack direction, so that a distance z of the plate planes of the separator plates to one another is reversibly reducible at least to a distance z 2 by way of an elastic compression of at least one of the sealing elements of the separator plates; and with at least one support element which is arranged between the separator plates and which is distanced to the sealing elements of the separator plates in a direction parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates; wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates and the at least one support element for protection of the sealing elements of the separator plates from an irreversible plastic deformation are configured such that when the distance z of the plate planes of the separator plates to one another is reduced to a distance z of z≤z 2 as a result of a pressing force which acts upon the separator plates in the stack direction, a force F S which is required for compressing or for the further compressing of only the at least one support element by a displacement Δz′ in the stack direction is larger than a force F D which is required for the further compressing of only the at least one sealing element of the separator plates by the displacement Δz′ in the stack direction.

2 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates and wherein the at least one support element are configured such that for z≤z 1 with z 1 >z 2 , given a further reduction of the distance z of the separator plates to one another the force F S which is required for compressing or for the further compressing of only the support element by a displacement Δz″′ in the stack direction grows more rapidly than the force F D which is required for the further compression of only the sealing element by the displacement Δz″′ in the stack direction.

3 . The electrochemical arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element is configured in a manner such that it has an essentially exponential force-displacement curve for z≤z 1 with z 1 >z 2 .

4 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates are configured in a manner such that a reduction of the distance of the separator plates to one another to a value z≤z 3 with z 3 <z 2 effects an irreversible plastic compression with regard to at least one of the sealing elements of the separator plates.

5 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one, more, or each of the support elements of the at least one support element comprises/comprise one or more of at least one cavity and a multitude of pores.

6 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates and wherein the at least one support element are configured such that for z with z 2 <z 1 <z<z 0 the force F D which is required for compressing or for the further compressing of only the at least one sealing element of the separator plates by a displacement Δz″ in the stack direction is larger or equal to the force F S which is required for the compressing or for the further compressing of only the at least one support element by the displacement Δz″ in the stack direction.

7 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one, more, or each of the support elements of the at least one support element comprises/comprise a foamed material.

8 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein each support element which comprises the one or more of the at least one cavity and the multitude of pores is configured in a manner such that the one or more of the at least one cavity and the multitude of pores is/are completely or at least partly collapsible by way of a pressing force which acts upon the separator plates in the stack direction.

9 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the support element which comprises the one or more of the at least one cavity and the pores configured in a manner such that one or more of the at least one cavity and the pores is/are each maximally collapsed given a distance of the separator plates to one another of z≤z 2 .

10 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element comprises at least one first support element which is arranged in a manner such that at least one intermediate space remains between the separator plates and the at least one first support element in the stack direction for z>z 1 with z 1 >z 2 , wherein the at least one intermediate space becomes zero for z≤z 1 .

11 . (canceled)

12 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing elements of the separator plates each comprise a perimeter bead which encloses the electrochemical cell and seals it with respect to an environment of the electrochemical arrangement.

13 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one support element comprises at least one second support element which in a direction parallel to the plate planes of the separator plates is arranged on a side of the perimeter bead which is away from the electrochemical cell.

14 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each support element of the at least one support element at least in regions comprises an electrically insulating material or at least in regions is formed at least in part of an electrically insulating material, wherein the electrically insulating material of each support element of the at least one support element is arranged in a manner such that at each distance z of the metallic separator plates to one another, no electrical contact between the metallic separator plates can be created via this support element.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one, more or each of the support elements of the at least one support element comprises/comprise one or more of a thermoplastic material, a thermoplastic elastomer, a ceramic material a polymer-based support fabric, and a metallic support fabric.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one, more or each of the support elements of the at least one support element is/are one or more of materially connected to at least one of the separator plates, positively connected to at least one of the separator plates, non-positively connected to at least one of the separator plates, materially connected to a frame of the electrochemical cell, and positively connected to the frame of the electrochemical cell.

19 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The electrochemical arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one, more, or each of the support elements of the at least one support element is/are configured in a manner s

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Wenzel Stephan
• Gaugler Bernd
• Guetermann Armin

Classifications

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• C25B9/75

  having bipolar electrodes · CPC title

• H01M8/247

  Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks · CPC title

• C25B11/036

  Bipolar electrodes · CPC title

• H01M8/0271 Primary

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