Device for manufacturing fuel cell stack components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9490489-B2
Application number	US-201314108000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Apr 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing fuel cell stack components integrally bond gas diffusion layers to both surfaces of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) basic material in which a membrane-electrode assembly has sub gaskets. The apparatus includes a frame, an upper die disposed on the frame to be movable in a vertical direction, and a lower die disposed on the frame, and configured to support the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a lower side of the upper die. Bonders are installed at each of the upper die and the lower die and configured to compress the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a high temperature and a high pressure. Steam injectors are disposed at the bonders and configured to inject steam to the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers. An ultra-pure water storage tank configured to stores ultra-pure water for generating the steam by the bonders and supplies the ultra-pure water to the bonders.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing fuel cell stack components for integrally bonding gas diffusion layers to both surfaces of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) basic material, the MEA basic material having an MEA and sub gaskets, the apparatus comprising:
a frame;
an upper die disposed on the frame to be movable in a vertical direction;
a lower die disposed on the frame, and configured to support the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a lower side of the upper die;
bonders disposed at each of the upper die and the lower die and configured to compress the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a high temperature and a high pressure;
steam injectors disposed in the bonders and configured to inject steam to the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers; and
an ultra-pure water storage tank configured to store ultra-pure water for generating steam to the bonders, and to supply the ultra-pure water to the bonders.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-pure water storage tank supplies the ultra-pure water to a high temperature portion of each of the bonders, and the steam injectors injects steam evaporated from the high temperature portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bonders include hot plates configured to compress the gas diffusion layers to both surfaces of the MEA basic material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the steam injectors include a plurality of steam nozzle holes formed in the hot plates.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the ultra-pure water storage tank supplies the ultra-pure water to the hot plates through an ultra-pure water supply line, and the steam injector injects the steam evaporated from the hot plates through the steam nozzle holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein an opening/closing valve operated by an electrical signal is installed in the ultra-pure water supply line.

7. An apparatus for manufacturing fuel cell stack components for integrally bonding gas diffusion layers to both surfaces of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) basic material having an MEA and sub gaskets, the apparatus comprising:
a frame;
an upper die disposed on the frame to be movable in a vertical direction;
a lower die disposed on the frame, and configured to support the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a lower side of the upper die;
bonders disposed at each of the upper die and the lower die, and configured to compress the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers at a high temperature and a high pressure;
steam injectors disposed in the bonders, and configured to inject steam to the MEA basic material and the gas diffusion layers; and
a steam generator connected to the steam injectors, and configured to generate steam by heating ultra-pure water and supply the generated steam to the steam injectors.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the bonders include hotplates to compress the gas diffusion layers to both surfaces of the MEA basic material and the steam injector includes a plurality of steam nozzle holes formed in the hot plates.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the steam generator includes:
a storage tank to store ultra-pure water;
a heater to generate steam by receiving the ultra-pure water stored in the storage tank; and
a steam supply line to supply the steam generated by the heater to the steam nozzle holes of the hot plates.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein an opening/closing valve operated by an electric signal is disposed in the steam supply line.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the steam nozzle holes are formed at areas of the hot plates, except for an area corresponding to a bonding portion of the sub gaskets and the gas diffusion layers.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Sang Yeoul

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02P70/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B32B37/0046

  characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus · CPC title

• Y02E60/521

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/1004

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