Separator plate for an electrochemical system, having a shock absorber arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024145737-A1
Application number	US-202318496714-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2023
Priority date	Oct 28, 2022
Publication date	May 2, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A separator plate for an electrochemical system. The separator plate having a shock absorber arrangement. A bipolar plate comprising two separator plates for an electrochemical system, each having a shock absorber arrangement. An electrochemical cell comprising two separator plates for an electrochemical system, each having a shock absorber arrangement. An assembly for an electrochemical system, comprising at least one separator plate and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The electrochemical system may be a fuel cell system, an electrochemical compressor, a redox flow battery, or an electrolyser.

First claim

1 . A separator plate for an electrochemical system, having
at least one edge which bounds the separator plate laterally in a direction parallel to a flat surface plane of the separator plate; a bead arrangement which extends at a distance from the edge at least in part around a region to be sealed off and projects upwards out of the flat surface plane; and at least one shock absorber arrangement which is arranged at a distance from the bead arrangement and arranged at least in partially along the edge, wherein the edge in the region of the shock absorber arrangement extends upwards at a distance from the flat surface plane so that the shock absorber arrangement projects upwards out of the flat surface plane, wherein the shock absorber arrangement projects further out of the flat surface plane than the bead arrangement in a non-compressed state of the separator plate.

2 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber arrangement has a deformable absorber coating which projects further out of the flat surface plane than the bead arrangement in a non-compressed state of the separator plate.

3 . The separator plate according to claim 2 , wherein the absorber coating forms the region of the separator plate that projects furthest upwards out of the flat surface plane.

4 . The separator plate according to claim 2 , wherein, in a non-compressed state of the separator plate, the shock absorber arrangement projects further out of the flat surface plane than the bead arrangement by at least 0.05 and/or at most 0.5 mm.

5 . The separator plate according to claim 3 , wherein the absorber coating comprises or consists of a polymer.

6 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the bead arrangement has a sealing coating which protrudes less far out of the flat surface plane than the shock absorber arrangement in a non-compressed state of the separator plate.

7 . The separator plate according to claim 6 , wherein the sealing coating comprises or consists of a polymer.

8 . The separator plate according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing coating and the absorber coating comprise or consist of different material compositions.

9 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , the edge comprising an outer edge which bounds an outer circumference of the separator plate, and/or a port edge which bounds a through-opening formed in the separator plate for the passage of a fluid.

10 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber arrangement and/or the edge in the region of the shock absorber arrangement extend at least in part parallel to the flat surface plane of the separator plate.

11 . The separator plate according to claim 2 , wherein the shock absorber arrangement has stiffening structures which point away from the edge and/or point towards the bead arrangement.

12 . The separator plate according to claim 11 , wherein the absorber coating is arranged on the stiffening structures.

13 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein supporting arrangements are arranged along part of the edge, which supporting arrangements project less far upwards out of the flat surface plane of the separator plate than the bead arrangement.

14 . The separator plate according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the shock absorber arrangement and/or the maximum distance of the shock absorber arrangement from the flat surface plane and/or the slope of a flank of the shock absorber arrangement in a non-compressed state varies along the course of the shock absorber arrangement.

15 . A bipolar plate, comprising two separator plates according to claim 1 , which are connected to each other and are arranged in such a way that the undersides thereof face towards each other and the bead arrangements and shock absorber arrangements of the two separator plates point away from each other.

16 . An electrochemical cell, comprising
a first separator plate and a second separator plate according to claim 1 and a membrane electrode assembly, MEA, wherein the separator plates are oriented in such a way that the bead arrangement of the first separator plate points towards the bead arrangement of the second separator plate, and the shock absorber arrangement of the first separator plate points towards the shock absorber arrangement of the second separator plate, wherein the MEA is arranged between the separator plates in such a way that at least the bead arrangements bear against the MEA on both sides, wherein the separator plates and the MEA are compressed together so that the bead arrangements seal off the region to be sealed off, around which the bead arrangements extend at least in part, and the shock absorber arrangements are pre-tensioned against each other by being deflected out of their respective starting position.

17 . An assembly for an electrochemical system, comprising a separator plate,
having at least one edge which bounds the separator plate laterally in a direction parallel to the flat surface plane of the separator plate; having a bead arrangement which extends at a distance from the edge at least in part around a region to be sealed off and projects upwards out of the flat surface plane; the assembly further comprising a membrane electrode assembly (MEM and a shock absorber arrangement, wherein the shock absorber arrangement is arranged at least in part along the edge, at a distance from the bead arrangement, and the edge of the separator plate in the region of the shock absorber arrangement extends upwards at a distance from the flat surface plane so that the shock absorber arrangement projects upwards out of the flat surface plane, wherein the shock absorber arrangement projects further out of the flat surface plane than the bead arrangement in a non-compressed state of the assembly.

18 . The assembly according to claim 17 , wherein, in a non-compressed state of the separator plate, the shock absorber arrangement projects further out of the flat surface plane than the bead arrangement by at least 0.05 and/or at most 0.5 mm.

19 . The assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the shock absorber arrangement is part of the MEA and/or the separator plate.

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Gaugler Bernd
• Speidel André
• Wenzel Stephan

Classifications

• H01M8/0276

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

• H01M8/0273 Primary

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• H01M8/0254

  corrugated or undulated · CPC title

• H01M8/0297

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title