IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0830268
(2007-07-30)
|
등록번호 |
US-7585581
(2009-09-22)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
74 |
초록
▼
The present invention relates to fuel cells and components used within a fuel cell. Heat transfer appendages are described that improve fuel cell thermal management. Each heat transfer appendage is arranged on an external portion of a bi-polar plate and permits conductive heat transfer between inner
The present invention relates to fuel cells and components used within a fuel cell. Heat transfer appendages are described that improve fuel cell thermal management. Each heat transfer appendage is arranged on an external portion of a bi-polar plate and permits conductive heat transfer between inner portions of the bi-polar plate and outer portions of the bi-polar plate proximate to the appendage. The heat transfer appendage may be used for heating or cooling inner portions of a fuel cell stack. Improved thermal management provided by cooling the heat transfer appendages also permits new channel field designs that distribute the reactant gases to a membrane electrode assembly. Flow buffers are described that improve delivery of reactant gases and removal of reaction products. Single plate bi-polar plates may also include staggered channel designs that reduce the thickness of the single plate.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A bi-polar plate for use in a fuel cell, the bi-polar plate comprising: a single plate solid metal substrate; a first channel field including a first set of channels disposed on a first face of the bi-polar plate, each channel in the first set of channels formed as a trough i
What is claimed is: 1. A bi-polar plate for use in a fuel cell, the bi-polar plate comprising: a single plate solid metal substrate; a first channel field including a first set of channels disposed on a first face of the bi-polar plate, each channel in the first set of channels formed as a trough into the substrate on the first face; a second channel field including a second set of channels disposed on a second face of the bi-polar plate, each channel in the second set of channels formed as a trough into the substrate on the second face such that the first set of channels in the first channel field have a first channel depth that extends past a second channel depth for the second set of channels in the second channel field by an overlapping channel depth; a thickness between about 0.125 millimeters and about 1 millimeter between the first face and the second face; a first manifold channel that opens to a first manifold on the second face, traverses the substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to communicate gas between the first manifold on the second face and the first channel field on the first face; a second manifold channel that opens to a second manifold on the first face, traverses the substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to communicate gas between the second manifold on the first face and the second channel field on the second face; a first flow buffer formed as a trough into the substrate on the first face and configured to receive a first gaseous flow from a first channel in the first set of channels and a second gaseous flow from a second channel in the first set of channels and to output the first and second gaseous flows in the first set of channels to a third channel in the first set of channels, wherein the flow buffer is configured to reduce a pressure difference between the first and second gaseous flows in the first set of channels before outputting the first and second gaseous flows in the first set of channels to the third channel in the first set of channels; a second flow buffer formed as a trough into the substrate on the second face and configured to receive a first gaseous flow from a first channel in the second set of channels and a second gaseous flow from a second channel in the second set of channels and to output the first and second gaseous flows in the second set of channels to a third channel in the second set of channels, wherein the second flow buffer is configured to reduce a pressure difference between the first and second gaseous flows in the second set of channels before outputting the first and second gaseous flows in the second set of channels to the third channel in the second set of channels; a first sealing landing on the first face that peripherally surrounds each of the first channel field, the first manifold, and the second manifold on the first face, to thereby isolate the first channel field, the first manifold and the second manifold from one another, whereby the first sealing landing extends between a portion of the second manifold channel exposed on the first face and the first channel field to isolate the second manifold channel from the first channel field, and the first sealing landing further extends between a portion of the first manifold channel exposed on the first face and the first manifold to isolate the first manifold channel from the first manifold; and a second sealing landing on the second face that peripherally surrounds each of the second channel field, the second manifold, and the first manifold on the second face, to thereby isolate the second channel field, the second manifold and the first manifold from one another, whereby the second sealing landing extends between a portion of the first manifold channel on the second face and the second channel field to isolate the first manifold channel from the second channel field, and the second sealing landing further extends between a portion of the second manifold channel on the second face and the second manifold to isolate the second manifold channel from the second manifold. 2. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the first flow buffer has a volume between approximately twice and twenty times the volume of a channel in the first channel field. 3. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the overlapping channel depth is greater than 5 mils. 4. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the overlapping channel depth is greater than 10 mils. 5. The bi-polar plate of claim 1 further comprising at least one heat transfer appendage formed as part of the single metal substrate and arranged laterally external to the first and second channel fields and laterally external to the first and second sealing landings. 6. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the first manifold channel opens to a third flow buffer, formed as a trough into the substrate on the first face, positioned opposite to the second flow buffer on the second face, and configured to receive gas from the first manifold channel and provide gas to one or more channels in the first set of channels in the first channel field. 7. The bi-polar plate of claim 1 further comprising: a third manifold channel that opens to a third manifold on the second face, traverses the substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to communicate gas between the third manifold on the second face and the first channel field on the first face; and a fourth manifold channel that opens to a fourth manifold on the first face, traverses the substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to communicate gas between the fourth manifold on the first face and the second channel field on the second face. 8. The bi-polar plate of claim 7, wherein the first sealing landing on the first face additionally peripherally surrounds each of the third manifold and the fourth manifold on the first face, to isolate the first channel field, the third manifold and the fourth manifold from one another, and the first sealing landing isolates and extends between a portion of the fourth manifold channel on the first face and the first channel field, and the first sealing landing further isolates and extends between a portion of the third manifold channel on the first face and the third manifold; and the second sealing landing on the second face additionally peripherally surrounds each of the second channel field, and the third manifold, and the fourth manifold on the second face, to isolate the second channel field, the third manifold and the fourth manifold from one another, and the second sealing landing isolates and extends between a portion of the third manifold channel on the second face and the second channel field, and the second sealing landing isolates and extends between a portion of the fourth manifold channel on the second face and the fourth manifold. 9. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the first flow buffer is configured to receive gas from at least four channels from the first set of channels and output gas to at least five channels from the first set of channels. 10. The bi-polar plate of claim 1, wherein the second flow buffer is configured to receive gas from at least four channels from the second set of channels and output gas to at least five channels from the second set of channels. 11. A bi-polar plate for use in a fuel cell, the bi-polar plate comprising: a single plate solid metal substrate; a first channel field including a first set of channels disposed on a first face of the solid metal substrate, each channel in the first set of channels formed as a trough into the solid metal substrate on the first face; a second channel field including a second set of channels disposed on a second face of the solid metal substrate, each channel in the second set of channels formed as a trough into the solid metal substrate on the second face such that the first set of channels in the first channel field have a first channel depth that extends past a second channel depth for the second set of channels in the second channel field by an overlapping channel depth; a first manifold channel that opens to a first manifold on the second face, traverses the solid metal substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to communicate gas between the first manifold on the second face and the first channel field on the first face; a second manifold channel that opens to a second manifold on the first face, traverses the solid metal substrate from the second face to the first face, and is configured to communicate gas between the second manifold on the first face and the second channel field on the second face; a plurality of flow buffers formed as troughs into the solid metal substrate, each flow buffer being positioned at an end of an associated multiplicity of channels and being configured to transfer gases to or from the associated multiplicity of channels, wherein the flow buffers have a width that is substantially wider than a width of a channel in their associated multiplicity of channels and a depth less than half of a thickness of the bi-polar plate from the first face to the second face, and wherein at least a portion of a first flow buffer formed in the first face is positioned opposite at least a portion of a second flow buffer formed in the second face; a first sealing landing on the first face that peripherally surrounds each of the first channel field and the second manifold thereby isolating the first channel field from the second manifold, and wherein a portion of the first sealing landing extends between the second manifold channel on the first face and the first channel field thereby isolating the second manifold channel from the first channel field; a second sealing landing on the second face that peripherally surrounds each of the second channel field and the first manifold thereby isolating the second channel field from the first manifold, and wherein a portion of the second sealing landing extends between the first manifold channel on the second face and the second channel field thereby isolating the first manifold channel from the second channel field; at least one heat transfer appendage that is an integral part of the solid metal substrate and arranged laterally external to the first and second channel fields and laterally external to the first and second sealing landings, wherein the heat transfer appendage and the metal substrate are formed from a single sheet of material; and a thermal catalyst disposed in direct contact with the heat transfer appendage external to the first and the second channel fields to generate heat with exposure to a heating medium. 12. The bi-polar plate of claim 11 wherein a thickness of the heat transfer appendage is less than the thickness of the bi-polar plate between the first face and the second face. 13. The bi-polar plate of claim 11 wherein each flow buffer has a volume between approximately twice and twenty times a volume of a channel in the associated multiplicity of channels. 14. The bi-polar plate of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the bi-polar plate between the first face and the second face is less than twice the first channel depth. 15. The bi-polar plate of claim 11 wherein the overlapping channel depth is greater than 5 mils. 16. The bi-polar plate of claim 11 wherein the overlapping channel depth is greater than 10 mils. 17. The bi-polar plate of claim 11, wherein the first flow buffer is configured to receive gas from at least four channels from the first set of channels and output gas to at least five channels from the third first set of channels. 18. The bi-polar plate of claim 11, wherein the second flow buffer is configured to receive gas from at least four channels from the second set of channels and output gas to at least five channels from the second set of channels.
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