Separator plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023054365-A1
Application number	US-202217820844-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Feb 23, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A separator plate comprising a metal layer. The metal layer having at least one bead and the at least one bead having two bead flanks. At least one of the bead flanks having segments with different angles to the plane of the metal layer.

First claim

1 . A separator plate comprising:
a metal layer having at least one bead, the at least one bead having two bead flanks, one or both bead flanks of the bead having a first portion and a second portion which have different positive angles to the plane of the metal layer adjacent to the bead, the angles in cross-section perpendicular to the bead course, and the angles formed in at least a first segment along the direction of extension of the bead.

2 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion has an angle α and the second portion has an angle β, where α<β.

3 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and/or the second portion extends in a rectilinear or curved manner in the cross-section.

4 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends from a bead foot towards a bead top at an increasing angle α.

5 . The separator plate according to claim 4 , wherein at least two beads extend at a distance from one another in a substantially parallel manner in at least one portion, and the first portions of the flanks of the two beads merge into one another at least in at least one region.

6 . The separator plate according to claim 5 , wherein one of the at least one beads is a sealing bead and another of the at least one beads is a fluid-guiding bead, and mutually facing bead flanks of the sealing bead and of the fluid-guiding bead each having the first portion and the second portion having the different positive angles.

7 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein a first segment of a bead top of the bead is rectilinear or curved in cross-section perpendicular to the direction of extension of the bead.

8 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the bead extends in a wavy manner in its direction of extension, with at least one wave trough and at least one wave peak.

9 . The separator plate according to claim 8 , wherein, for at least one of the wavy beads, the bead has a first segment in at least one wave trough and/or one wave peak.

10 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein, for at least one bead, in cross-section perpendicular to the bead course, in at least a second segment, one or both bead flanks of the bead extends at an angle γ to the plane of the metal layer adjacent to the sealing bead, the angle γ being greater than an angle δ of the at least one bead flank to the plane of the metal layer in the bead course adjacent to the second segment.

11 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein, for at least one bead, in at least a third segment, a distance between bead feet of the bead is greater than a distance between the bead feet in a segment adjacent to the third segment.

12 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein, for at least one bead, the bead is a sealing bead, and one or more bead-like elevations rise out of the plane of the metal layer in the same direction as the sealing bead and the one or more bead-like elevations open into the sealing bead on one of the flanks of the sealing bead.

13 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein, for at least one bead, the bead is a fluid-guiding bead which at one end opens into the bead flank of a sealing bead that rises out of the plane of the metal layer in the same direction as the fluid-guiding bead.

14 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the metal layer has at least one second bead, the at least one second bead, in at least one further segment along the direction of extension of the second bead, for one or both bead flanks of the second bead, the bead foot of the second bead is spaced apart from the bead top of the second bead, in a direction perpendicular to the layer plane of the metal layer, by a distance which is greater in the middle of the further segment than the distance at the edges of the further segment.

15 . The separator plate according to claim 14 , wherein, in cross-section perpendicular to the bead course, one or both bead flanks of the at least one second bead have a length that increases from the edges of the further segment to the middle of the further segment.

16 . The separator plate according to claim 15 , wherein the gradient of the bead flank in the further segment is constant along the direction of extension of the second bead.

17 . The separator plate according to claim 16 , wherein the second bead is the sealing bead.

18 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends from a bead foot towards a bead top in a curved manner in cross-section with a radius R 1 , where R 1 ≤50 mm.

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Speidel Andre
• Stoehr Thomas
• Gruenwald Bernadette
• Kunz Claudia
• Oruc Ahmet
• Gaugler Bernd
• Glueck Rainer

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/0254 Primary

  corrugated or undulated · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/0276

  Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) · CPC title