Die clearance control for thin sheet stainless steel BPP forming
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/0206
H01M-008/10
H01M-008/021
H01M-008/0247
H01M-008/02
출원번호
US-0466244
(2014-08-22)
등록번호
US-9406945
(2016-08-02)
발명자
/ 주소
Xu, Siguang
Lovria, Joseph N.
Dicocco, Elizabeth
출원인 / 주소
GM Global Technology Operations LLC
대리인 / 주소
Quinn Law Group, PLLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
2
초록▼
A bipolar plate used in a fuel cell and a method of making a bipolar plate. The sheet is made generally from a stainless steel, and in a more preferable form from a ferritic stainless steel. In one configuration, a stamping or related metal forming tool operation will introduce a negative clearance
A bipolar plate used in a fuel cell and a method of making a bipolar plate. The sheet is made generally from a stainless steel, and in a more preferable form from a ferritic stainless steel. In one configuration, a stamping or related metal forming tool operation will introduce a negative clearance as a way to move or otherwise reallocate a portion of the material making up the sheet into other portions as a way to reduce stretching, necking, thinning and related thickness deviations associated with the bends formed in the bipolar plate.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of preparing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising: placing a metal sheet between a plurality of dies in a bipolar plate forming apparatus; anddeforming said metal sheet to define said bipolar plate, said bipolar plate including a plurality of substantially planar porti
1. A method of preparing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising: placing a metal sheet between a plurality of dies in a bipolar plate forming apparatus; anddeforming said metal sheet to define said bipolar plate, said bipolar plate including a plurality of substantially planar portions adjacent at least one of a plurality of substantially angled portions to define a plurality of flow channels therebetween, wherein the metal sheet is deformed to define said bipolar plate by closing said plurality of dies together to introduce a negative clearance into at least one of said plurality of substantially planar portions of said bipolar plate to relocate a portion of said metal sheet from said one of said plurality of substantially planar portions into one of said plurality of substantially angled portions of said bipolar plate to reduce necking in one of said plurality of said substantially angled portions. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal sheet comprises a ferritic stainless steel. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said negative clearance is less than about 20%. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said negative clearance is less than about 15%. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein said negative clearance is less than about 10%. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said negative clearance forming does not take place at a beginning of a punch stroke of one of said plurality of dies. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said flow channels comprise at least one wall and at least one land. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said negative clearance is applied to a single-step forming process. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said negative clearance is applied to a multi-step forming process. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially angled portion defined by said bipolar plate comprises a bend radii in said bipolar plate. 11. A method of preparing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising: placing a substantially planar metal sheet into cooperative engagement with a tool, wherein said metal sheet defines a substantially constant thickness throughout the portion of its surface that corresponds to said bipolar plate; andusing at least one shaping step to form said metal sheet into a substantially non-planar shape that defines a plurality of reactant channels therein, said at least one shaping step comprising introducing a negative clearance into a portion of said metal sheet forming a substantially planar portion of said bipolar plate to relocate a portion of said metal sheet to a substantially angled portion of by said bipolar plate to reduce necking in one of said plurality of said substantially angled portions. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one shaping step comprises stamping. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said metal comprises ferritic stainless steel. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein a thickness of said sheet is between about 50 microns and 200 microns. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein said thickness of said sheet is between about 75 microns and about 110 microns. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein said introduction of a negative clearance produces a reduction in thinning of said bipolar plate by at least about 5% of the thickness of said sheet. 17. A method of preparing a fuel cell, said method comprising: arranging a membrane electrode assembly to comprise an anode, a cathode and a membrane disposed between said anode and cathode; andplacing a metal bipolar plate that defines a plurality of reactant flow channels therein in adjacent each of said anode and said cathode of said assembly such that upon operation of said fuel cell, reactants introduced from a fuel source and an oxygen source respectively can be delivered to said anode and said cathode through said reactant flow channels, said bipolar plates formed by: placing a metal sheet in cooperative engagement with a forming apparatus; anddeforming said metal sheet into said bipolar plate by movement of at least a portion of said apparatus, such that said movement introduces a negative clearance into at least a portion of said metal sheet forming a substantially planar portion of said reactant flow channels to relocate a portion of said metal sheet to a substantially angled portion of said reactant flow channels to reduce necking in one of said plurality of said substantially angled portions. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said metal sheet comprises stainless steel. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said stainless steel comprises ferritic stainless steel.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (2)
Yoshimura Joji,JPX ; Nonobe Yasuhiro,JPX ; Yamane Keiji,JPX, Separator for fuel cell, fuel cell incorporating the same, and method of production of the same.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.