Apparatus for manufacturing seperator for fuel cell and menufacturing method using the same and fuel cell seperator prepared therefrom

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a separator manufactured therefrom. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a separator manufactured therefrom, comprising a laminating unit for forming a composite fabric by laminating a graphite foil onto a carbon fiber fabric having a fabric structure, a cutting unit for cutting the composite fabric to form a plurality of divided plates, and a press unit for forming a separator by press-molding the divided plates.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell separator manufactured therefrom. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, a fuel cell is an energy conversion device that directly converts chemical energy generated by the oxidation of fuel into electrical energy.

[0003] Fuel cells have been developed in various forms and structures depending on the type of fuel used. A representative fuel cell is the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), which uses a polymer membrane with hydrogen ion exchange properties as the electrolyte.

[0004] Due to the advantages of these PEMFCs, such as high efficiency, high current and power densities, short startup times, and rapid response characteristics to load changes, active attempts are being made to apply them in various fields, including power sources for zero-emission vehicles, self-generation, and mobile and military power supplies.

[0005] A PEMFC consists of an anode, a cathode, a polymer electrolyte membrane, two gas diffusion layers (GDLs), multiple gaskets, and two separators.

[0006] Polymer electrolyte membranes act as carriers for hydrogen ions between the anode and cathode, while also preventing contact between oxygen and hydrogen. A membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) is formed when the two electrodes, the anode and cathode, are bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane via hot-pressing.

[0007] The separator is an electrically conductive plate placed on both sides of the membrane-electrode assembly and is referred to as a bipolar plate or flow field plate. A positive channel is formed on one side of the separator, and a negative channel is formed on the other side.

[0008] Separator plates must block the reaction gases, hydrogen and oxygen, from mixing while electrically connecting and supporting the MEA. They must have excellent electrical conductivity and sufficient strength for stack assembly, as well as high corrosion resistance to resist water generated by chemical reactions. To this end, separator plates are typically manufactured using carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and graphite foil to possess the aforementioned characteristics.

[0009] However, conventional carbon fiber reinforced plastics used in separators have no elongation, which makes molding difficult and creates problems in realizing various shapes.

[0010] In other words, carbon fiber reinforced plastics are unidirectional (UD) materials, and when molded as 1-ply, there was a problem in that the flexural strength in the direction perpendicular to the fiber grain was insufficient.

[0011] Accordingly, mechanical strength is secured by laminating at 0 and 90 degrees with 2 or more plies, but in such cases, there was a problem where the alignment of the fibers was distorted and the molding quality was reduced.

[0012] In addition, conventional separators had the problem of poor assemblability because it was difficult to uniformly apply conductive material to ensure conductivity, and it was difficult to align them with other components when assembled into a stack after molding.

[0013] In addition, conventional separator plates and gaskets are manufactured separately and assembled into a stack, requiring a separate assembly process that consumes a significant amount of time. Furthermore, there were problems such as reduced productivity and lowered quality due to the difficulty of aligning the separator plates and gaskets during assembly. The problem to be solved

[0014] The embodiments of the present invention aim to solve the above-mentioned problems and / or limitations by providing an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell separator manufactured therefrom, which can have uniform mechanical properties according to tissue orientation and improve moldability by increasing elongation.

[0015] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell separator manufactured therefrom, which can improve the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator by enabling a conductive material to be uniformly applied to carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

[0016] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator, a manufacturing method thereof, and a fuel cell separator manufactured therefrom, which can be cut regardless of the supply direction of the fuel cell separator, eliminate the post-curing process, and improve productivity by accurately and easily aligning during the manufacturing process.

[0017] In addition, embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, a method for manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell branching plate manufactured therefrom, which can prevent the deterioration of existing assembly quality by integrally forming a gasket on the separator and further improve performance and quality by increasing airtightness.

[0018] However, these tasks are exemplary and do not limit the scope of the invention. means of solving the problem

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator, comprising: a laminating unit for forming a composite fabric by laminating a graphite foil onto a carbon fiber fabric having a fabric structure; a cutting unit for forming a plurality of divided discs by cutting the composite fabric; and a press unit for forming a separator by press-molding the divided discs.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, a supply unit for supplying the carbon fiber fabric and the graphite foil to the laminating unit may be further included.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the supply unit may include: a fabric supply unit that supplies the carbon fiber fabric to the laminating unit; and a foil supply unit that supplies the graphite foil to the laminating unit so that the graphite foil is disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the carbon fiber fabric, respectively.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fabric structure may be composed of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers alternately cross each other in the horizontal and vertical directions, or a twill weave in which they cross each other every two or more threads.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the carbon fiber fabric may comprise: a fabric formed by weaving a plurality of carbon fibers in an alternating manner; and a base material impregnated in the fabric and comprising a conductive filler.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive filler may include at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotube.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the press unit may include: a vacuum chamber in which the dividing disc is received; a molding mold disposed inside the vacuum chamber; and a press that forms the separating disc by applying the molding mold to the dividing disc.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first piercing part disposed between the cutting part and the pressing part to form a reference hole in the divided plate may be further included.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, a gasket molding part having a gasket integrally provided on the separator plate may be further included.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, a second piercing part may be further included, which is disposed between the press part and the gasket forming part and forms a bridge hole in the separator plate.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, a trimming unit for cutting the separator plate from the dividing plate may be further included.

[0030] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, comprising the steps of: laminating a graphite foil onto a carbon fiber fabric having a fabric structure to form a composite fabric; cutting the composite fabric to form a plurality of divided discs; and press-molding the divided discs to form a separator.

[0031] In another embodiment of the present invention, the fabric structure may be composed of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers alternately cross each other in the horizontal and vertical directions, or a twill weave in which they cross each other every two or more threads.

[0032] In another embodiment of the present invention, the carbon fiber fabric may comprise: a fabric formed by interlacing a plurality of carbon fibers; and a base material impregnated in the fabric and comprising a conductive filler.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present invention, the carbon fiber fabric may comprise: a fabric formed by interlacing a plurality of carbon fibers; and a base material impregnated in the fabric and comprising a conductive filler.

[0034] In another embodiment of the present invention, the conductive filler may include at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes.

[0035] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of forming a reference hole in the divided plate, which is performed prior to the step of forming the separator plate, may be further included.

[0036] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of integrally providing a gasket on the separator plate, which is performed after the press part, may be further included.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of forming a bridge hole in the separator plate, which is performed prior to the step of integrally providing the gasket, may be further included.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of cutting and separating the separator plate from the dividing plate may be further included.

[0039] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a fuel cell separator plate manufactured from an apparatus for manufacturing the fuel cell separator plate or a method for manufacturing the fuel cell separator plate.

[0040] Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become clear from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention. Effects of the invention

[0041] According to the means for solving the problem of the present invention described above, the manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator plate according to the embodiments of the present invention, the manufacturing method thereof, and the fuel cell separator plate manufactured therefrom can have uniform mechanical properties according to the structural orientation and can improve moldability by increasing the elongation.

[0042] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus and method of a fuel cell separator plate according to the embodiments of the present invention and the fuel cell separator plate manufactured therefrom, a conductive material can be uniformly coated on a carbon fiber fabric, thereby improving the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator plate.

[0043] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus and method of a fuel cell separator plate according to the embodiments of the present invention and the fuel cell separator plate manufactured therefrom, cutting is possible regardless of the supply direction of the fuel cell separator plate, the post-curing process can be eliminated, and productivity can be improved by accurately and easily aligning during the manufacturing process.

[0044] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus and method of a fuel cell separator plate according to the embodiments of the present invention and the fuel cell separator plate manufactured therefrom, a gasket is integrally formed with the separator plate, thereby preventing the deterioration of existing assembly quality and increasing airtightness, so that performance and quality can be further improved.

[0045] Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0046] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic drawings illustrating the fabric structure of a carbon fiber fabric of a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3a is a drawing illustrating the plain weave fabric structure of a carbon fiber fabric. FIG. 3b is a drawing illustrating the twill weave structure of a carbon fiber fabric. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0047] Hereinafter, the following embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0048] Since the embodiments are capable of various modifications, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The effects and features of the embodiments and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the details described below in conjunction with the drawings. However, the embodiments are not limited to those disclosed below and can be implemented in various forms.

[0049] In the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted to clearly explain the invention, and similar parts throughout the specification have been given similar reference numerals.

[0050] In the following embodiments, terms such as first, second, etc. are used not in a limiting sense, but for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0051] In the following embodiments, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0052] In the following examples, terms such as "include" or "have" mean that the features or components described in the specification are present, and do not preclude the possibility that one or more other features or components may be added.

[0053] In the following embodiments, when a part such as a unit, area, or component is described as being on or above another part, it includes not only cases where it is directly on top of another part, but also cases where another unit, area, or component is interposed in between.

[0054] In the following embodiments, terms such as "connect" or "combine" do not necessarily imply a direct and / or fixed connection or combination of two members unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, nor do they exclude the interposition of another member between the two members.

[0055] In the drawings, the size of components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of explanation. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are depicted arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, so the following embodiments are not necessarily limited to those illustrated.

[0056] The terms "above," "upper," "lower," "lower," etc., used in this specification are used merely to facilitate the description of the relationships between the components illustrated in the drawings and do not limit the direction in which the components are arranged.

[0057] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are schematic diagrams illustrating the fabric structure of a carbon fiber fabric for a fuel cell separator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3a is a diagram illustrating the plain weave fabric structure of the carbon fiber fabric, and FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating the twill weave fabric structure of the carbon fiber fabric. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of a fuel cell separator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a manufacturing apparatus (100) for a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a laminating section (110), a cutting section (120), a first piercing section (130), a press section (140), a second piercing section (150), a gasket forming section (160), and a trimming section (170).

[0059] The manufacturing apparatus (100) of the fuel cell separator of the present embodiment can manufacture a fuel cell separator (10f) by receiving a carbon fiber fabric (10) having a fabric structure.

[0060] Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') may include a fabric formed by interlacing a plurality of carbon fibers (11, 12 or 11', 12') and a base material (not shown) impregnated in each carbon fiber (11, 12, 11', 12') and including a conductive filler (not shown).

[0061] At this time, the fabric may be made of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers (11, 12) alternately cross each other in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3a) and the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3a), or a twill weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers (11', 12') alternately cross each other in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3b) and the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3b) every two or more threads.

[0062] Also, the base material can be made of various resins, for example, and can be impregnated into the surface of the fabric to form a carbon fiber fabric (10, 10').

[0063] In addition, the conductive filler may consist of at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes, for example, and may be applied to the matrix or included in a mixed manner.

[0064] As an optional embodiment, when the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') has a plain weave (see FIG. 3a) or twill weave (see FIG. 3b) fabric structure, the tow may be 1K (Kilo) or 3K (Kilo), and the fiber areal weight may be 120 (g / m2) when the tow is 1K or 204 (g / m2) when the tow is 3K.

[0065] In addition, when the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') has a plain weave or twill weave fabric structure, the resin content may be 25 to 40%, the conductive filler content may be 5 to 20%, and the weave density may be 10 to 22 (Count / inch2).

[0066] The carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') of this embodiment is made of a fabric structure, so it can have uniform mechanical properties and increase elongation according to the direction of the fabric, and when manufactured into a fuel cell separator (10f), it can be cut in various directions and the moldability can be improved by eliminating the post-curing process.

[0067] In addition, the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') of this embodiment may have a conductive material uniformly applied or included before being laminated with a graphite foil, thereby improving the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator (10f).

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the manufacturing apparatus (100) of the fuel cell separator of the present embodiment may include a supply unit (101, 102, 103) that supplies a carbon fiber fabric (10) and a graphite foil (13, 14) to a laminating unit (110).

[0069] The supply unit (101, 102, 103) may include a fabric supply unit (101) and a foil supply unit (102, 103).

[0070] The fabric supply unit (101) may be a roller on which the carbon fiber fabric (10) is wound, and as it is unwound, the carbon fiber fabric (10) may be supplied to the laminating unit (110).

[0071] The foil supply unit (102, 103) may be a plurality of rollers that supply graphite foil (13, 14) to the laminating unit (110) so that graphite foil (13, 14) is placed on the upper and lower surfaces of the carbon fiber fabric (10).

[0072] At this time, the foil supply unit (102, 103) may consist of an upper roller (102) that supplies graphite foil (13) to the upper surface of the carbon fiber fabric (10) and a lower roller (103) that supplies graphite foil (14) to the lower surface of the carbon fiber fabric (10).

[0073] The laminating unit (110) of the present embodiment can form a composite fabric (10a) by receiving a carbon fiber fabric (10) having a fabric structure and a graphite foil (13, 14) from the supply unit (101, 102, 103) and laminating them.

[0074] The laminating section (110) may include an upper pressure roller (111) and a lower pressure roller (112), and forms a composite fabric (10a) by applying pressure to the upper and lower surfaces of the supplied carbon fiber fabric (10) respectively, and to laminate graphite foils (13, 14).

[0075] For example, the upper pressure roller (111) and lower pressure roller (112) of the laminating part (110) may be made of a hot roll press, but are not limited thereto, and various coating rollers capable of pressing and bonding graphite foils (13, 14) in the form of thin films on the upper and lower surfaces of the carbon fiber fabric (10) may be applied.

[0076] The cutting section (120) of the present embodiment receives a composite fabric (10a) from the laminating section (110) and can cut the received composite fabric (10a) to form a plurality of divided plates (10b).

[0077] The cutting section (120) may include a punching machine (121) and a punching base (122). That is, a composite fabric (10a) can be placed and fixed on the punching base (122), and a plurality of divided plates (10b) can be formed by cutting the composite fabric (10a) using the cutting blade (121a) of the punching machine (121).

[0078] At this time, the cutting unit (120) has started a punching machine (121), but is not limited thereto, and various slitting equipment for forming a divided plate corresponding to a unit fuel cell separator plate (10f) may be applied.

[0079] In this embodiment, the composite fabric (10a) supplied to the cutting unit (120) includes a carbon fiber fabric (10) with a fabric structure, and as a result, the composite fabric (10a) has uniform mechanical properties according to the weave direction, so that it can be easily and diversely punched at the cutting unit (120) regardless of the supply direction.

[0080] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the first piercing part (130) of the present embodiment receives a split plate (10b) punched from the cutting part (120) and can form a plurality of reference holes (11a, 11b) in the received split plate (10b).

[0081] The first piercing unit (130) may include a first punching machine (131) and a punching base (132). That is, a split disc (10b) punched from the cutting unit (120) may be placed and fixed on the punching base (132), and a punch (131a) of the first punching machine (131) may be driven to form reference holes (11a, 11b).

[0082] At this time, the reference holes (11a, 11b) may be guide holes for aligning the fuel cell separator (10f) with other components constituting a fuel cell stack (not shown), such as a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA).

[0083] As a result, this embodiment allows for accurate and easy alignment of components during the manufacturing process of a fuel cell stack, thereby improving assembly quality and productivity.

[0084] For example, the reference holes (11a, 11b) may have a diameter of 3 mm, but are not limited thereto and may be formed in various sizes corresponding to the size of the fuel cell stack manufactured by assembling the fuel cell separator plate (10f).

[0085] The press part (140) of the present embodiment receives a divided plate (10c) having reference holes (11a, 11b) formed therein from the first piercing part (130) and can form the shape of a separator plate by press-molding the received divided plate (10c).

[0086] The press unit (140) may include a press base (141), a vacuum chamber (142), a molding mold (143), and a press (144).

[0087] In detail, a divided disc (10c) with reference holes (11a, 11b) processed through the first piercing part (130) is placed and fixed inside a vacuum chamber (142) located on the upper part of a press base (141).

[0088] Then, the press (144) is driven to operate the molding mold (143) placed inside the vacuum chamber (142) and to form the shape of the separator plate on the dividing disc (10c). That is, the shape of the separator plate is formed by pressing both sides of the dividing disc (10c) with the molding mold (143).

[0089] At this time, the press (144) may be a hot press at a high temperature. The molding temperature of the press (144) may be 80 to 200°C and the molding time may be within 500 seconds, but is not limited thereto. The molding temperature and time of the press (144) may be varied in accordance with the molding size of the separator plate that varies with the capacity of the fuel cell stack.

[0090] The second piercing part (150) of the present embodiment receives a split plate (10d) formed with the shape of a separator plate from the press part (140) and can form a plurality of bridge holes (12) in the supplied split plate (10d).

[0091] The second piercing unit (150) may include a second punching machine (151) and a punching base (152). That is, a split disc (10d) supplied from the press unit (140) may be placed and fixed on the punching base (152), and a punch (151a) of the second punching machine (151) may be driven to form a plurality of bridge holes (12).

[0092] At this time, the plurality of bridge holes (12) processed in the split plate (10d) in the second piercing part (150) may be holes for insert molding the gasket (G) described later.

[0093] In addition, the reference holes (11a, 11b) of the first piercing part (130) described above can be used as reference points for processing multiple bridge holes (12) in the second piercing part (150), thereby facilitating the processing of the second piercing part (150) and improving manufacturing quality.

[0094] Meanwhile, the second piercing part (150) can expand the reference holes (11a, 11b) punched in the first piercing part (130).

[0095] The reference holes (11a', 11b') expanded and processed in the second piercing section (150) can be used as guide holes in the assembly process of manufacturing a fuel cell stack (not shown) by assembling the fuel cell separator plate (10f) with other components, thereby improving the assembly quality of the fuel cell stack.

[0096] For example, the reference holes (11a, 11b) in the second piercing part (150) can be expanded to a diameter of up to 5.1 mm, but are not limited thereto and can be expanded to various sizes depending on the size according to the capacity of the fuel cell stack.

[0097] The gasket forming part (160) of the present embodiment receives a divided plate (10e) in which a plurality of bridge holes (12) are processed in the second piercing part (150), and can integrally form a gasket (G) on the received divided plate (10e).

[0098] The gasket forming section (160) may include a pressure molding machine (161), a molding base (162), and an insert mold (163).

[0099] That is, a divided plate (10e) is placed inside an insert mold (163) provided in a molding base (162), and an injection molded product is filled and cured inside the insert mold (163) to integrally mold a gasket (G) on the divided plate (10e).

[0100] At this time, a plurality of bridge holes (12) in the gasket molding part (160) can be used as connecting holes for integrally insert injection of gaskets (G) on both sides of the divided plate (10e) inside the insert mold (163).

[0101] By integrally providing a gasket (G) to the fuel cell separator plate (10f) through the gasket molding part (160), the assembly quality can be prevented from deteriorating during the process of separately manufacturing and assembling the existing gasket, and airtightness can be increased to improve the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator plate (10f) and furthermore the fuel cell stack.

[0102] The trimming section (170) of the present embodiment receives a divided plate (10e) in which a gasket (G) is integrally formed from the gasket forming section (160), and can cut a fuel cell separator plate (10f) used as an actual product from the received divided plate (10e).

[0103] The trimming unit (170) may include a trimming machine (171) and a trimming base (172). That is, a split disc (10e) with a gasket (G) integrally formed thereon is secured to the trimming base (172), and the unnecessary parts other than the fuel cell separator (10f) can be cut off from the split disc (10e) using the cutting blade (171a) of the trimming machine (171).

[0104] At this time, expanded reference holes (11a', 11b') may be formed on both ends of the fuel cell separator plate (10f) processed in the trimming section (170), and these expanded reference holes (11a', 11b') may be used as guide holes for alignment with other components.

[0105] As a result, the assembly quality and assembly quality of the fuel cell stack can be improved as the fuel cell separator plate (10f) of the present embodiment is easy to align with other components during the assembly process of the fuel cell stack.

[0106] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0107] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator plate (10f) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of forming a composite material (10a) (S110), forming a plurality of divided plates (10b) (S120), forming reference holes (11a, 11b) in the divided plates (10b) (S130), molding the separator plate (S140), forming a plurality of bridge holes (12) in the separator plate and expanding the reference holes (11a, 11b) (S150), integrally providing a gasket (G) in the separator plate (S160), and cutting the fuel cell separator plate (10f) from the divided plates (10e) (S170).

[0109] Specifically, the carbon fiber fabric (10) is supplied to the laminating unit (110) through the fabric supply unit (101), and the graphite foil (13, 14) is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the carbon fiber fabric (10) through the foil supply unit (102, 103).

[0110] At this time, the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') may include a fabric formed by weaving a plurality of carbon fibers (11, 12 or 11', 12') in an alternating manner, and a base material (not shown) impregnated in each carbon fiber (11, 12, 11', 12') and including a conductive filler (not shown).

[0111] At this time, the fabric may be made of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers (11, 12) alternately cross each other in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3a) and the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3a), or a twill weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers (11', 12') alternately cross each other in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3b) and the vertical direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3b) every two or more threads.

[0112] Also, the base material can be made of various resins, for example, and can be impregnated into the surface of the fabric to form a carbon fiber fabric (10, 10').

[0113] In addition, the conductive filler may consist of at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes, for example, and may be applied to the matrix or included in a mixed manner.

[0114] As an optional embodiment, when the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') has a plain weave (see FIG. 3a) or twill weave (see FIG. 3b) fabric structure, the tow may be 1K (Kilo) or 3K (Kilo), and the fiber areal weight may be 120 (g / m2) when the tow is 1K or 204 (g / m2) when the tow is 3K.

[0115] In addition, when the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') has a plain weave or twill weave fabric structure, the resin content may be 25 to 40%, the conductive filler content may be 5 to 20%, and the weave density may be 10 to 22 (Count / inch2).

[0116] The carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') of this embodiment is made of a fabric structure, so it can have uniform mechanical properties and increase elongation according to the direction of the fabric, and when manufactured into a fuel cell separator (10f), it can be cut in various directions and the moldability can be improved by eliminating the post-curing process.

[0117] In addition, the carbon fiber fabric (10, 10') of this embodiment may have a conductive material uniformly applied or included before being laminated with a graphite foil, thereby improving the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator (10f).

[0118] Meanwhile, the carbon fiber fabric (10) supplied to the laminating unit (110) and the graphite foils (13, 14) supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the carbon fiber fabric (10) can be pressure-laminated through the upper pressure roller (111) and the lower pressure roller (112) to form a composite fabric (10a).

[0119] And, the composite fabric (10a) formed in the laminating section (110) is supplied to the cutting section (120), and the composite fabric (10a) supplied to the cutting section (120) can be cut or punched to form a plurality of divided plates (10b).

[0120] In this embodiment, the composite fabric (10a) supplied to the cutting unit (120) includes a carbon fiber fabric (10) with a fabric structure, and as a result, the composite fabric (10a) has uniform mechanical properties according to the weave direction, so that it can be easily and diversely punched at the cutting unit (120) regardless of the supply direction.

[0121] Afterwards, the divided disc (10b) cut or punched in the cutting section (120) is supplied to the first piercing section (130) so that a plurality of reference holes (11a, 11b) can be processed.

[0122] At this time, the reference holes (11a, 11b) may be guide holes for aligning the fuel cell separator (10f) with other components constituting a fuel cell stack (not shown), such as a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA).

[0123] As a result, this embodiment allows for accurate and easy alignment of components during the manufacturing process of a fuel cell stack, thereby improving assembly quality and productivity.

[0124] For example, the reference holes (11a, 11b) may have a diameter of 3 mm, but are not limited thereto and may be formed in various sizes corresponding to the size of the fuel cell stack manufactured by assembling the fuel cell separator plate (10f).

[0125] Next, the divided plate (10c) with reference holes (11a, 11b) processed in the cutting section (120) is supplied to the press section (140) so that the shape of the separator plate can be formed.

[0126] The press unit (140) can form the shape of the separator plate by pressing the molding mold (143) on both sides of the split plate (10c).

[0127] At this time, the press part (140) may be a hot press at a high temperature, and the molding temperature may be 80 to 200°C and the molding time may be within 500 seconds, but is not limited thereto, and the molding temperature and time may be varied in accordance with the molding size of the separator plate that varies with the capacity of the fuel cell stack.

[0128] Afterwards, the split plate (10d), in which the shape of the separator plate is formed in the press section (140), is supplied to the second piercing section (150) so that a plurality of bridge holes (12) can be processed.

[0129] At this time, the plurality of bridge holes (12) processed in the split plate (10d) in the second piercing part (150) may be holes for insert molding the gasket (G) described later.

[0130] In addition, the reference holes (11a, 11b) of the first piercing part (130) described above can be used as reference points for processing multiple bridge holes (12) in the second piercing part (150), thereby facilitating the processing of the second piercing part (150) and improving manufacturing quality.

[0131] Meanwhile, the second piercing part (150) can expand the reference holes (11a, 11b) punched in the first piercing part (130).

[0132] The reference holes (11a', 11b') expanded and processed in the second piercing section (150) can be used as guide holes in the assembly process of manufacturing a fuel cell stack (not shown) by assembling the fuel cell separator plate (10f) with other components, thereby improving the assembly quality of the fuel cell stack.

[0133] For example, the reference holes (11a, 11b) in the second piercing part (150) can be expanded to a diameter of up to 5.1 mm, but are not limited thereto and can be expanded to various sizes depending on the size according to the capacity of the fuel cell stack.

[0134] Next, the divided plate (10e) with a plurality of bridge holes (12) processed in the second piercing part (150) is supplied to the gasket forming part (160) to integrally form the gasket (G).

[0135] That is, a divided plate (10e) is placed inside an insert mold (163) provided in a molding base (162), and an injection molded product is filled and cured inside the insert mold (163) to integrally mold a gasket (G) on the divided plate (10e).

[0136] At this time, a plurality of bridge holes (12) in the gasket molding part (160) can be used as connecting holes for integrally insert injection of gaskets (G) on both sides of the divided plate (10e) inside the insert mold (163).

[0137] By integrally providing a gasket (G) to the fuel cell separator plate (10f) through the gasket molding part (160), the assembly quality can be prevented from deteriorating during the process of separately manufacturing and assembling the existing gasket, and airtightness can be increased to improve the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator plate (10f) and furthermore the fuel cell stack.

[0138] Next, the divided plate (10e) with the gasket (G) integrally formed in the gasket forming section (160) is supplied to the trimming section (170) and can be cut into a fuel cell separator plate (10f) to be assembled into an actual fuel cell stack (not shown).

[0139] That is, the trimming section (170) can manufacture the final fuel cell separator (10f) by cutting out unnecessary parts from the split plate (10e) in which the gasket (G) is integrally molded, in addition to the fuel cell separator (10f) that is actually produced.

[0140] According to the manufacturing apparatus (100) of a fuel cell separator plate, the manufacturing method thereof, and the fuel cell separator plate (10f) manufactured therefrom according to one embodiment of the present invention, the moldability can be improved by manufacturing the fuel cell separator plate (10f) using a carbon fiber fabric (10) having uniform mechanical properties and high elongation.

[0141] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus (100) of a fuel cell separator plate and the manufacturing method thereof and the fuel cell separator plate (10f) manufactured therefrom according to one embodiment of the present invention, a conductive material can be uniformly applied to a carbon fiber fabric (10), thereby improving the performance and quality of the fuel cell separator plate (10f).

[0142] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus (100) of a fuel cell separator plate and the manufacturing method thereof and the fuel cell separator plate (10f) manufactured therefrom according to one embodiment of the present invention, cutting can be done regardless of the supply direction of the carbon fiber fabric (10), the post-curing process can be omitted, and alignment can be accurately and easily achieved during the manufacturing process, thereby improving productivity.

[0143] In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator plate, the manufacturing method thereof, and the fuel cell separator plate (10f) manufactured therefrom according to one embodiment of the present invention, a gasket (G) is integrally formed on the fuel cell separator plate (10f) to improve assembly quality and increase airtightness, thereby improving performance and quality.

[0144] As such, the present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawings, but this is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0145] 10: Carbon fiber fabric 11, 12: Carbon fiber 11a, 11b: Reference hole 12: Bridge Hall 13, 14: Graphite foil 100: Manufacturing apparatus for fuel cell separators 101: Fabric Supply Unit 102, 103: Foil supply unit 110: Laminating Department 120: Foundation Department 130: 1st Piercing Section 140: Press section 150: Second piercing section 160: Gasket forming section 170: Trimming section

Claims

Claim 1 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator, comprising: a laminating unit for forming a composite fabric by laminating a graphite foil onto a carbon fiber fabric having a fabric structure; a cutting unit for forming a plurality of divided discs by cutting the composite fabric; and a press unit for forming a separator by press-molding the divided discs. Claim 2 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator, further comprising: a supply unit that supplies the carbon fiber fabric and the graphite foil to the laminating unit in claim 1. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator comprises: a fabric supply unit that supplies the carbon fiber fabric to the laminating unit; and a foil supply unit that supplies the graphite foil to the laminating unit so that the graphite foil is disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the carbon fiber fabric, respectively. Claim 4 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to claim 1, wherein the fabric structure is composed of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers alternately cross each other in the horizontal and vertical directions, or a twill weave in which they cross every two or more fibers. Claim 5 An apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 1, wherein the carbon fiber fabric comprises: a fabric formed by interlacing a plurality of carbon fibers; and a base material impregnated into the fabric and comprising a conductive filler. Claim 6 In claim 5, the apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell separator comprises at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes as the conductive filler. Claim 7 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to claim 1, wherein the press unit comprises: a vacuum chamber in which the dividing disc is received; a molding mold disposed inside the vacuum chamber; and a press that forms the separator by applying the molding mold to the dividing disc. Claim 8 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator plate, further comprising: a first piercing part disposed between the cutting part and the pressing part to form a reference hole in the divided plate in claim 1. Claim 9 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator plate, further comprising: a gasket molding part having a gasket integrally provided on the separator plate in claim 1. Claim 10 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator according to claim 9, further comprising: a second piercing part disposed between the press part and the gasket forming part to form a bridge hole in the separator. Claim 11 A manufacturing apparatus for a fuel cell separator plate, further comprising: a trimming unit for cutting the separator plate from the split plate in claim 1. Claim 12 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, comprising: a step of forming a composite fabric by laminating a graphite foil onto a carbon fiber fabric having a fabric structure; a step of cutting the composite fabric to form a plurality of divided discs; and a step of forming a separator by pressure molding the divided discs. Claim 13 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 12, wherein the fabric structure is composed of a plain weave in which a plurality of carbon fibers alternately cross each other in the horizontal and vertical directions, or a twill weave in which they cross every two or more fibers. Claim 14 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 12, wherein the carbon fiber fabric comprises: a fabric formed by interlacing a plurality of carbon fibers; and a base material impregnated into the fabric and comprising a conductive filler. Claim 15 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 14, wherein the conductive filler comprises at least one of graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes. Claim 16 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 12, further comprising the step of forming a reference hole in the split plate, which is performed prior to the step of forming the separator plate. Claim 17 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 12, further comprising the step of integrally providing a gasket to the separator plate, which is performed after the press part. Claim 18 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 17, further comprising the step of forming a bridge hole in the separator, which is performed prior to the step of integrally providing the gasket. Claim 19 A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 12, further comprising the step of cutting and separating the separator from the above-mentioned split plate. Claim 20 A fuel cell separator manufactured from the manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 or the manufacturing method of claim 12.

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