Fuel cell housing, fuel cell and method for manufacturing a fuel cell housing

Abstract

This invention relates to a fuel cell housing having a housing volume for accommodating a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell housing includes: a support member having an outer housing surface, an inner housing surface, a support surface on the outer housing surface, and a through opening from the outer housing surface to the inner housing surface; and a retaining member having a mating support surface for supporting the retaining member on the support surface of the support member and a retaining bolt for retaining the fuel cell stack in a predetermined position within the housing volume, wherein the retaining bolt extends from the outer housing surface through the through opening to the inner housing surface outside the housing volume, and extends beyond the inner housing surface into the housing volume, and an adhesive is provided between the support surface and the mating support surface for adhesive connection between the support member and the retaining member. The invention also relates to a fuel cell having a fuel cell housing according to the invention and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell housing according to the invention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fuel cell housing having a housing volume for accommodating a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell housing includes: a support member having an outer housing surface, an inner housing surface, a support surface on the outer housing surface, and a through opening from the outer housing surface to the inner housing surface; and a retaining member having a mating support surface for supporting the retaining member on the support surface of the support member and a retaining bolt for retaining the fuel cell stack at a predetermined position within the housing volume, wherein the retaining bolt extends from the outer housing surface through the through opening to the inner housing surface and extends beyond the inner housing surface into the housing volume. The invention also relates to a fuel cell having such a fuel cell housing and a method for manufacturing such a fuel cell housing. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell housing is known for use with fuel cells, wherein a fuel cell stack is fixed in a predetermined position, partially spaced apart from the housing wall, within the fuel cell housing or within the housing volume of the fuel cell housing. To retain the fuel cell stack within the housing volume and to prevent the fuel cell stack from sliding and / or tilting within the housing volume, a retaining member is used, having a retaining pin that is at least partially located within the housing volume and holds the fuel cell stack in the desired position. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Within the scope of this invention, a fuel cell housing, a fuel cell, and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell housing are now provided for better retaining this type of fuel cell stack within the fuel cell housing. Other extensions and advantageous configurations of the invention are derived from preferred embodiments, the description, and the drawings. Features described herein in connection with the fuel cell housing are of course also applicable to the fuel cell according to the invention, the method according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the disclosure of various aspects of the invention is always mutually referenced and / or mutually referential.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention, a fuel cell housing is provided, having a housing volume for accommodating and / or surrounding a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell housing has a support member having an outer housing side, an inner housing side, a support surface on the outer housing side, and a through opening from the outer housing side to the inner housing side. The fuel cell housing also has a retaining member having a mating support surface for supporting the retaining member on the support surface of the support member, and a retaining bolt for retaining the fuel cell stack in a predetermined position within the housing volume, wherein the retaining bolt extends from the outer housing side through the through opening to the inner housing side outside the housing volume, and extends beyond the inner housing side into the housing volume. Furthermore, the fuel cell housing has an adhesive between the support surface and the mating support surface for adhesive connection between the support member and the retaining member.

[0005] A robust retaining connection between retaining components and supporting components can be easily achieved using adhesives. Therefore, the fuel cell stack can be held relatively simply, space-savingly, and stably within the fuel cell housing or its volume, and is secured against slippage and / or tilting.

[0006] Preferably, a material-locking connection is established between the retaining member and the supporting member by an adhesive. That is, the material-locking adhesive connection can exist between the adhesive and the retaining member as well as between the adhesive and the supporting member, wherein the adhesive is positioned in a sandwich articulation manner between at least a portion of the supporting member and at least a portion of the retaining member.

[0007] Preferably, the retaining plug extends through or through at least a portion of the through opening, spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the through opening. That is, preferably, there is no mechanical contact between the outer circumferential surface of the retaining plug and the inner circumferential surface of the through opening. The sealing effect for the fluid technology seal of the fuel cell housing relative to its surrounding environment can be achieved by an adhesive and / or by means of an adhesive. "Retaining the fuel cell stack within the housing volume" can be understood in particular as securing the fuel cell stack against slippage and / or tilting within the housing volume. The retaining plug can be configured as a pin, a plug, and especially a column. The retaining member and / or retaining plug are preferably made of metal, especially aluminum.

[0008] The support member can be configured as a housing cover for a fuel cell housing. "The support member has an outer housing surface" can be understood as: the support member is configured as part of the fuel cell housing, having a portion of the fuel cell housing's outer surface pointing away from the fuel cell housing and a portion of the fuel cell housing's inner surface pointing towards the housing volume. Therefore, "support member" can be understood as part of the housing wall of the fuel cell housing. The retaining member can be constructed in a T-shape and / or mushroom shape. Therefore, the retaining pin can be fixed in and / or on a corresponding annular and / or flange-shaped support member of the retaining member, wherein a mating support surface is formed on the corresponding support member. "The mating support surface is configured to support the retaining member on the support surface of the support member" should be understood in particular as: the mating support surface is configured to support the retaining member by means of an adhesive positioned between the retaining member and the support member, or between the support surface and the mating support surface. That is, the support surface can be arranged spaced apart from the mating support surface by an adhesive.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the invention, in the fuel cell housing, the adhesive has a polymer membrane for establishing a material-locking connection between the support member and the retaining member. It has been shown that the polymer membrane can be positioned more simply and cost-effectively on the retaining member and / or support member compared to conventional adhesive layers. Therefore, simplified process control can be achieved, for example, by using a pre-stamped polymer membrane. Thus, the retaining member can be secured to the support member particularly simply, cost-effectively, and stably, by means of the polymer membrane. The polymer membrane can be provided as a single piece or in multiple pieces. That is, the adhesive can have at least one polymer membrane for establishing a material-locking connection between the support member and the retaining member. As mentioned above, "material-locking connection between the support member and the retaining member" can also be understood here as a material-locking connection established by an adhesive or a polymer membrane. In other words, the adhesive can have a polymer membrane through which a material-locking connection is established between the support member and the retaining member. The polymer membrane can involve different manufacturers in terms of application-specific and precise fit, wherein not only the thickness but also the surface configuration can be freely defined in principle. Polymer membranes can be configured as laminated membranes, particularly as inorganically reinforced laminated membranes based on epoxides. Once positioned on the support surface and / or mating support surface, the corresponding other surface, or the corresponding component, can be pressed against it with a defined force. In the case of using polymer membranes and / or in the case of a polymer membrane configuration, the adhesive provides a precise and robust application process to keep the component fixed to the support component in the desired manner. Another advantage of polymer membranes is that the spacing between the support surface and the mating support surface can be reliably pre-defined by the process through their thickness. For example, the use of additional and / or separate spacing retainers can be eliminated. Furthermore, there is no flow path when using polymer membranes, thus virtually eliminating air entrapment. In the fuel cell housing, the polymer membrane is preferably configured annularly between the support surface and the mating support surface. This allows for a simple and material-saving sealing effect at the through opening. The annular polymer membrane may have a circular or elliptical outer circumferential surface and / or inner circumferential surface. Polymer films can have thicknesses in the range of 100 μm to 200 μm, especially in the range of 130 μm to 160 μm.

[0010] Furthermore, the fuel cell housing according to the invention can have a spacing retention device for maintaining a predetermined spacing between the support surface and the mating support surface, wherein the spacing retention device has a higher strength than the adhesive, or at least has a higher strength than the adhesive before the adhesive has hardened. With this spacing retention device, the spacing between the support surface and the mating support surface can be adjusted to a desired degree. Therefore, the thickness of the adhesive layer between the support surface and the mating support surface can also be adjusted to a corresponding or desired degree. The layer thickness or uniformity of the adhesive layer affects the durability and strength of the bond. For reliable bonding, an adhesive layer with a layer thickness or uniform thickness that is as constant as possible is required. With the use of a spacing retention device, this can be achieved in a simple and reliable manner, and therefore a long service life for the bond between the support member and the retaining member can be expected. The at least one spacing retention device can, in principle, be made of any material such as glass, metal, plastic, and / or ceramic. Importantly, the material has a higher strength and / or hardness than the adhesive, at least before the adhesive has dried or hardened. The shape of the spacing retention device can also be chosen arbitrarily in principle. Furthermore, the spacing maintenance device can be provided or is provided in one piece or in multiple pieces.

[0011] Advantageously, in the fuel cell housing according to the invention, at least a portion of the spacing retaining device is encapsulated with adhesive between the support surface and the mating support surface. Therefore, the spacing retaining device can be held in the desired position in a simple and cost-effective manner using adhesive. It is not necessary to separately fix the spacing retaining device to the support member and / or the retaining member. The spacing retaining device is preferably completely encapsulated with adhesive between the support surface and the mating support surface. That is, in the region between the support surface and the mating support surface, i.e., except for the portion of the outer surface of the spacing retaining device that touches the support surface and the mating support surface, the outer surface of the spacing retaining device is preferably completely covered and / or encapsulated with adhesive.

[0012] According to another configurational variation of the invention, in the fuel cell housing, the spacing retaining device may have a plurality of spaced-apart spacing retaining elements between the support surface and the mating support surface. Therefore, during the bonding of the retaining member to the support member, the force of the spacing retaining device can be uniformly distributed on the support member and the retaining member. The spacing retaining elements have lengths, widths, and / or heights in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, particularly in the range of 0.15 mm to 0.2 mm, for example, about 0.16 mm or about 0.17 mm. Spherical spacing retaining elements may have corresponding diameters. Although the shape of the spacing retaining elements can be chosen arbitrarily in principle, it is preferred that the spacing retaining elements be spherically configured, particularly as glass spheres. Furthermore, it is preferred that the spacing retaining device has tens, hundreds, or thousands of spacing retaining elements. The spacing retaining elements do not necessarily have to be arranged spaced apart from each other. In practice, it is possible that some spacing retaining elements are provided spaced apart from each other, while other spacing retaining elements in the same fuel cell housing are adjacent to or in mechanical contact with each other.

[0013] Furthermore, in the fuel cell housing according to the invention, the adhesive can have a plurality of spaced-apart bonding points. Surprisingly, tests within the scope of the invention have demonstrated that adhesive portions with a plurality of spaced-apart bonding points can more reliably receive stress in the adhesive region between the retaining member and the supporting member. For example, critical adhesive loads due to shear or peeling cause maximum stress in the edge regions of the adhesive joint. These stresses in the edge regions are often the main cause of overloading of the adhesive joint or adhesive, and therefore adhesive failure preferably occurs at these locations. By using a plurality of spaced-apart bonding points instead of the common, continuous, and / or circular adhesive joints, the effective edge region can be enhanced and the life of the adhesive joint can be increased. Furthermore, a higher load-bearing capacity of the adhesive joint can be achieved. Thus, a more resistant adhesive joint can be achieved with a reduced adhesive dosage. It is also preferred that the bonding points are arranged circularly and / or annularly. That is, not every individual bond point forms a circle or ring, but rather the bond point itself forms a circle and / or ring or is arranged on a circular band (Kreisbahn), elliptical band, or closed wavy band. Therefore, a circle and / or ring can also be understood as an ellipse, a shape with corners, or a surrounding wavy pattern. This arrangement allows for a material-saving yet stable adhesive connection between the retaining and supporting components. Currently, a "bond point" can be particularly understood as a disc-shaped adhesive surface and / or a hemispherical adhesive protrusion.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell is provided having the aforementioned fuel cell housing and a fuel cell stack having a holding section disposed in the housing volume, wherein a holding bolt is positioned in and / or on the holding section for holding the fuel cell stack in a predetermined position within the housing volume.

[0015] Therefore, the fuel cell according to the invention brings the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to the fuel cell casing according to the invention.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method for manufacturing the aforementioned fuel cell housing is provided. This method comprises the following steps:

[0017] - Position the adhesive on the support surface and / or mating support surface; and

[0018] - Pressing the support member and the retaining member together, for connecting the support member and the retaining member by means of an adhesive.

[0019] Therefore, the method according to the present invention also brings the above-mentioned advantages.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, an adhesive can be hardened by infrared radiation in a method for bonding a support member to a retaining member. A certain curing time is required to establish the highest possible adhesion to the two mating members. Infrared radiation can effectively and efficiently shorten the required curing time without negatively impacting the stability of the subsequent bond. Furthermore, infrared radiation can effectively activate and subsequently accelerate the crosslinking process through thermal activation. Particularly advantageously, curing can be achieved locally through targeted infrared radiation. That is, different, spaced-apart portions of the adhesive can be hardened at different points in time by infrared radiation.

[0021] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the spacing retaining element can be positioned on the support surface and / or mating support surface together with the adhesive in a manner mixed with the adhesive. Therefore, the adhesive and the spacing retaining element can be brought to the desired position in a time-saving manner. The mixture of the adhesive and the spacing retaining element can be prepared before the manufacturing process. Here, better and more thorough mixing can be achieved compared to adding the spacing retaining element to the already applied adhesive afterward. Furthermore, by applying the mixture of the adhesive and the spacing retaining element, time and therefore cost are saved compared to positioning the adhesive and the spacing retaining element separately.

[0022] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the adhesive can be positioned and / or applied to the support surface and / or mating support surface in the form of adhesive points. It has been shown that adhesive points can be applied more simply, for example, by means of a syringe or sprayer, than with continuous adhesive tape. When dispensing continuous adhesive tape, the beginning and end of the circular adhesive tape must transition to each other in such a way that neither bulges nor depressions are created. This is technically challenging in terms of a robust process. This requirement is eliminated in the case of individual adhesive points. Adhesive points can be positioned or applied sequentially or simultaneously. Adhesive points can be applied circumferentially. That is, adhesive points can be formed together in a ring on the support surface and / or bearing surface. The ring can have circular, cornered, and / or wavy ring segments. That is, adhesive points can be positioned and / or applied accordingly. Adhesive points preferably have the same or substantially the same dimensions.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention, the adhesive points are materially locked together when the support member and the retaining member are pressed against each other. That is, the adhesive points are accordingly applied to the support member and / or the retaining member with sufficient adhesive. Thus, simple application of the adhesive is possible, and, nevertheless, the aforementioned sealing function can be achieved by a closed adhesive ring through the subsequent adhesive compound. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Other improvements to the invention can be derived from the following description of various embodiments of the invention, which are schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings. All features and / or advantages derived from the embodiments of the invention, the specification, or the drawings, including structural details and spatial arrangements, are important to the invention not only in themselves but also in different combinations.

[0025] The attached figures schematically illustrate:

[0026] Figure 1 A fuel cell housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A view showing the fuel cell housing in an adhesive state according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 A perspective view of a retaining member according to the invention on the stack cover of a fuel cell stack is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A fuel cell housing according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A support member having adhesive points for illustrating a fuel cell housing according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 A support member having points pressed together and bonded to each other is shown to illustrate a fuel cell housing according to a third embodiment of the invention;

[0032] Figure 7 A support member with adhesive joints is shown to illustrate a fuel cell housing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

[0033] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating the method according to the present invention is shown.

[0034] Components with the same function and mode of operation are respectively given the same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Figure 1 A portion of the fuel cell housing 12 of the fuel cell 30 according to the first embodiment is shown. The fuel cell housing 12 has a housing volume 26 in which the fuel cell stack 11 should be held. For this purpose, the fuel cell housing 12 has a support member 13 in the form of a housing cover for the fuel cell housing 12, the support member having an outer housing side 14, an inner housing side 15, a support surface 16 on the outer housing side 14, and a through opening 17 from the outer housing side 14 to the inner housing side 15. Figure 1 As shown, the support surface 16 is understood as the portion of the outer side 14 of the housing located between the dashed lines or in the projection of the mating support surface 19 of the retaining member 18. The fuel cell housing 12 also includes: a retaining member 18 having a mating support surface 19 for supporting the retaining member 18 on the support surface 16 of the support member 13; and a retaining bolt 20 for retaining the fuel cell stack 11 in the fuel cell housing 12. More specifically, the retaining member 18 has a retaining bolt 20 and an annular and / or flange-shaped support body 27 on which the mating support surface 19 is configured, and the retaining bolt is form-locked and force-locked to or within the support body. The retaining member 18 is thus T-shaped or mushroom-shaped. The retaining bolt 20 extends from the outer side 14 of the housing through the through opening 17 to the inner side 15 of the housing, and extends beyond the inner side 15 into the housing volume 26.

[0036] An adhesive 21 is shown between the support surface 16 and the mating support surface 19 for adhesive bonding between the support member 13 and the retaining member 18. Adhesive 21 is based on... Figure 1 A polymer film 22, provided as an annular structure, is used to establish a material-locking adhesive connection between the support member 13 and the retaining member 18. Figure 1The image shows the retaining member 18 and the supporting member 13 in their unbonded state. Figure 2 The image shows the fuel cell housing 12 in a state where the support 27 of the retaining member 18 is bonded to the support member 13 by an adhesive 21 or by a polymer membrane 22. Figure 3 The perspective view shows the retaining member 18 and the fuel cell stack 11 or its stack cover fixed to the retaining member 18.

[0037] Figure 4 A fuel cell housing 12 according to a second embodiment is shown. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, a spacing retaining device 23 is positioned within the adhesive 21. This spacing retaining device is used to maintain a predetermined spacing between the support surface 16 and the mating support surface 19, wherein the spacing retaining device 23 has a higher strength than the adhesive 21. The spacing retaining device 23 has a plurality of spaced-apart spacing retaining elements 24 between the support surface 16 and the mating support surface 19. More specifically, the spacing retaining device 23 has a plurality of spacing retaining elements 24, which are respectively encapsulated by the adhesive 21 between the support surface 16 and the mating support surface 19. For illustration, in Figure 4 The spacing retaining device 24 is shown in different shapes. In practice, a uniform shape is preferred. Thus, for example, a glass sphere with a diameter of about 0.16 mm can be mixed into the adhesive 21 and applied to the support surface 16 together with the adhesive.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The fuel cell housing 12 according to the third embodiment will be described. There, the adhesive 21 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart adhesive points 25 or in the form of adhesive points 25. According to... Figure 5 and Figure 6 Each adhesive point 25 has such a large amount of adhesive material that the adhesive material at each adhesive point 25 is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the support 27 is connected and forms a closed loop when it is pressed against the retaining member 18, which, according to the illustrated embodiment, is concentrically formed on the outer side 14 of the housing with the through opening 17.

[0039] Reference Figure 7 The fuel cell housing 12 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. There, less adhesive is used at the respective bonding points 25 compared to the third embodiment, so that the bonding points 25 are spaced apart from each other even when the support member 13 and the retaining member 18 are bonded. The adhesive points 25 are applied to the mating support surface 19.

[0040] Next, refer to Figure 8The method for manufacturing the fuel cell housing 12 is described. In the first step S1, an adhesive 21 is first positioned or applied to the support surface 16. Next, in order to establish an adhesive connection between the support member 13 and the retaining member 18 by means of the adhesive 21, the support member 13 and the retaining member 18 are pressed together with a predetermined force for a predetermined time period. Once the adhesive 21 has hardened, the fuel cell stack 11 can be positioned spaced apart from the support member 13 on the retaining pin 20 and held or protected by the retaining pin to prevent slippage in the housing volume 26.

[0041] In addition to the embodiments shown, the present invention also allows for other configurational bases. That is, the present invention should not be considered as limited to the embodiments illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Therefore, to bond the support member 13 to the retaining member 18, the adhesive 21 can be hardened by infrared radiation. Furthermore, the spacing retaining element 24, mixed with the adhesive 21, can be applied together with the adhesive 21 to the support surface 16 and / or the mating support surface 19. Additionally, the adhesive 21 can be positioned on the support surface 16 and / or the mating support surface 19 in the form of adhesive points 25. Moreover, the adhesive points can be material-locked together when the support member 13 and the retaining member 18 are pressed against each other.

Claims

1. A fuel cell housing (12) having a housing volume (26) for accommodating a fuel cell stack (11), said fuel cell housing having: - A support member (13) having an outer side (14) of the housing, an inner side (15) of the housing, a support surface (16) on the outer side (14) of the housing, and a through opening (17) from the outer side (14) of the housing to the inner side (15) of the housing; and - A retaining member (18) having a mating support surface (19) for supporting the retaining member (18) on the support surface (16) of the support member (13) and a retaining bolt (20) for holding the fuel cell stack (11) in a predetermined position in the housing volume (26). - wherein, The retaining bolt (20) extends from the outer side (14) of the housing, through the through opening (17), to the inner side (15) of the housing, and extends beyond the inner side (15) into the housing volume (26). Its features are, An adhesive (21) is provided between the support surface (16) and the mating support surface (19), the adhesive being used for the adhesive connection between the support member (13) and the retaining member (18).

2. The fuel cell housing (12) according to claim 1. Its features are, The adhesive (21) has a polymer film (22) for establishing a material-locking connection between the support member (13) and the retaining member (18).

3. The fuel cell housing (12) according to claim 1 or 2. Its features are, A spacing retaining device (23) is provided to maintain a predetermined spacing between the support surface (16) and the mating support surface (19), wherein the spacing retaining device (23) has a higher strength than the adhesive (21), or at least the spacing retaining device has a higher strength than the adhesive (21) before the adhesive (21) has hardened.

4. The fuel cell housing (12) according to claim 3. Its features are, At least a portion of the spacing retention device (23) is surrounded by the adhesive (21) between the support surface (16) and the mating support surface (19).

5. The fuel cell housing (12) according to claim 3. Its features are, The spacing retention device (23) has a plurality of spacing retention elements (24) spaced apart from each other between the support surface (16) and the mating support surface (19).

6. The fuel cell housing (12) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 5. Its features are, The adhesive (21) has a plurality of adhesive points (25) spaced apart from each other.

7. A fuel cell (30) having a fuel cell housing (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a fuel cell stack (11) with a retaining section (43) arranged in the housing volume (26), wherein In order to hold the fuel cell stack (11) in a predetermined position within the housing volume (26), the retaining bolt (20) is positioned in and / or on the retaining section (43).

8. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell housing (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprising the following steps: - Position the adhesive (21) on the support surface (16) and / or the mating support surface (19); and - Press the support member (13) and the retaining member (18) together for connecting the support member (13) and the retaining member (18) by means of the adhesive (21).

9. The method according to claim 8, Its features are, The adhesive (21) is hardened by infrared radiation to bond the support member (13) to the retaining member (18).

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, Its features are, The spacing retention element (24) of the fuel cell housing (12) is positioned together with the adhesive (21) on the support surface (16) and / or the mating support surface (19) in a manner that is mixed with the adhesive (21).

11. The method according to claim 8 or 9, Its features are, The adhesive (21) is positioned on the support surface (16) and / or the mating support surface (19) in the form of adhesive points (25).

12. The method according to claim 11, Its features are, When the support member (13) and the retaining member (18) are pressed together, the adhesive material locks together with each other.

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