초록 ▼

A bipolar cooling plate module used in fuel cell stacks contains an anode-side terminal plate and a cathode-side terminal plate, in which at least one of the surfaces of the two terminal plates facing towards one another contains coolant channels. The two terminal plates are fixed to one another by

A bipolar cooling plate module used in fuel cell stacks contains an anode-side terminal plate and a cathode-side terminal plate, in which at least one of the surfaces of the two terminal plates facing towards one another contains coolant channels. The two terminal plates are fixed to one another by an integral sealing element. The sealing element contains a sealing bead that surrounds the coolant distribution structure and seals the gap between the cooling surfaces of the two terminal plates. A compressible two-dimensional conducting element is inserted between the terminal plates, which extends only over the region of the cooling surfaces enclosed by the sealing groove, in which the coolant distribution structure is located. The element has a compression reserve that is sufficient to compensate for the shrinkage in thickness caused by cooling, of the sealing bead.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A bipolar cooling plate module for a fuel cell stack, the bipolar cooling plate module comprising: terminal plates including a cathode-side terminal plate and an anode-side terminal plate, said terminal plates having first plate surfaces facing towards electrodes selected from the group

I claim: 1. A bipolar cooling plate module for a fuel cell stack, the bipolar cooling plate module comprising: terminal plates including a cathode-side terminal plate and an anode-side terminal plate, said terminal plates having first plate surfaces facing towards electrodes selected from the group consisting of a cathode and an anode, said first plate surfaces having first sealing grooves formed therein for accommodating a sealing material for sealing interfaces with said electrodes, said cathode-side terminal plate and said anode-side terminal plate having mutually facing second plate surfaces acting as cooling surfaces with mutually complementary second sealing grooves formed therein for accommodating said sealing material for sealing a gap defined between said cooling surfaces, at least one of said cooling surfaces having a coolant distribution structure of open channels formed therein being enclosed by a respective one of said second sealing grooves; an integral sealing element formed of said sealing material being an injected-molded sealing material encompassing and/or penetrating both off said terminal plates, fixing said terminal plates in position and holding said terminal plates together as a composite, said integral sealing element filling said second sealing grooves on said cooling surfaces and sealing said gap between said cooling surfaces, and further filling said first sealing grooves on said first plate surfaces facing towards the electrodes and sealing said interfaces between said cathode-side terminal plate and the cathode and between said anode-side terminal plate and the anode; and a compressible conducting two-dimensional element lying in said gap defined between said cooling surfaces of said terminal plates, said element having a compression reserve greater than a shrinkage in thickness, due to cooling, of said sealing material in said second sealing grooves, said element extending only over a region of said cooling surfaces of said terminal plates enclosed by said second sealing grooves filled with said sealing material, in which said coolant distribution structure is disposed. 2. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein said integral sealing element encompasses and/or passes through both of said terminal plates and is formed of first, second and third sealing beads connected to one another in a material-locking manner, said first sealing bead filling said first sealing grooves on a surface of said cathode-side terminal plate facing towards the cathode and seals said interface between said cathode-side terminal plate and the cathode, said second sealing bead filling said first sealing groove on a surface of said anode-side terminal plate facing towards the anode and seals said interface between said anode-side terminal plate and the anode, said third sealing bead filling said second sealing grooves on said cooling surfaces and encloses said gap between said cooling surfaces. 3. The cooling plate module according to claim 2, wherein: said cathode-side terminal plate has first bores formed therein passing through said cathode-side terminal plate, said first bores connecting said first sealing groove on said surface facing towards the cathode to said second sealing groove on said cooling surface; said anode-side terminal plate having second bores formed therein passing through said anode-side terminal plate, said second bores connecting said first sealing groove on said surface facing towards the anode to said second sealing groove on said cooling surface; and said first and second bores are filled with said sealing material that connects said third sealing bead to said first and second sealing beads in said material-locking manner and thereby forms said integral sealing element passing through both of said terminal plates. 4. The cooling plate module according to claim 2, wherein said injection-molded integral sealing element encloses edge surfaces of said terminal plates and thereby connects said third sealing bead to said first and second sealing beads in said material-locking manner. 5. The cooling plate module according to claim 2, wherein: said terminal plates have bores formed therein; and said third sealing bead is connected in said material-locking manner to said first and second sealing beads by said bores filled with said sealing material, and by said sealing material enclosing edge surfaces of said terminal plates. 6. The cooling plate module according to claim 2, wherein said first plate surfaces of said terminal plates facing towards the electrodes have reaction media distribution structures that are surrounded by said first and second sealing beads. 7. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein said integral sealing element is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane and a liquid silicone rubber. 8. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conducting compressible two-dimensional element is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a flexible graphite foil, a nonwoven fabric of carbon, a nonwoven fabric containing graphite fibers, a felt containing carbon, a felt containing graphite fibers, carbon paper, graphite fiber paper, a woven fabric of carbon and a woven fabric containing graphite fibers. 9. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein said cooling surfaces of both of said terminal plates have said open channels formed therein for distributing a coolant. 10. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein said first plate surfaces of said terminal plates facing towards the electrodes contain no reactant distribution structures and are combined with the electrodes that are provided on their surfaces facing towards said terminal plates with reactant distribution structures. 11. The cooling plate module according to claim 1, wherein one of said cooling surfaces of said terminal plates has a depression formed therein for accommodating said element, said depression having a depth configured so that said element still projects out from said depression to such an extent that its compression path is sufficient to compensate for the shrinkage, caused by cooling, of said sealing material in said second sealing grooves between said cooling surfaces. 12. A process for producing a bipolar cooling plate module, which comprising the steps of: preforming terminal plates resulting in preformed terminal plates having cooling surfaces and sealing grooves; inserting the preformed terminal plates together with a two-dimensional compressible element resting tightly against and between the cooling surfaces and extending only over a region enclosed by the sealing grooves; injecting a sealing material, filling the sealing grooves, and forming a sealing element; cooling the sealing material, the two-dimensional compressible element having a compression reserve that is at least as large as a shrinkage in thickness, caused by cooling, of the sealing material in the sealing grooves and on incorporation into a fuel cell stack is exhausted by area compression acting there; and demolding the bipolar cooling plate module.