Fuel cell assembly equipment and assembly method

Abstract

This invention provides a fuel cell single-cell assembly device and method. The fuel cell single-cell assembly device includes: a robotic arm for transporting and assembling materials, including double-sided adhesive, bipolar plates, carbon paper, and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The double-sided adhesive includes an adhesive body, a first back membrane adhered to a first adhesive surface of the adhesive body, and a second back membrane adhered to a second adhesive surface of the adhesive body. The two sides of the bipolar plates are the cathode and the anode, respectively. A fixing module has an assembly position and is used to fix the materials transported to the assembly position. A membrane-tearing module is used to separate the first and second back membranes of the double-sided adhesive at the assembly position from the adhesive body. A flipping module is used to flip the bipolar plates and / or the double-sided adhesive. Through the cooperation of the robotic arm, the fixing module, the membrane-tearing module, and the flipping module, the materials are assembled to form a single cell. This invention enables batch assembly of single cells, improves the production efficiency of single cells, and ensures the consistency and sealing of single cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more specifically, to a fuel cell single-cell assembly device and assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that directly converts the chemical energy stored in hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. It boasts advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency and low environmental pollution, and has broad application prospects. Fuel cells can be classified into air-cooled fuel cells (or simply air-cooled fuel cells) and liquid-cooled fuel cells based on their cooling method. Air-cooled fuel cells use atmospheric pressure air as the oxidant and employ air cooling, greatly simplifying fuel cell system design and giving them advantages such as simple and compact structure, small size, and high system efficiency. They are widely used in low-power power supply scenarios (such as power supplies for drones, forklifts, patrol vehicles, and portable power sources). Therefore, the research and development of ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure air-cooled fuel cells is of great significance.

[0003] Air-cooled fuel cells are typically stacked structures composed of multiple individual cells, collectively referred to in the industry as fuel cell stacks. Each individual cell mainly consists of a fuel cell bipolar plate, seals, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Each fuel cell bipolar plate has an oxygen supply port and a hydrogen supply port, used to supply oxygen and hydrogen to the cathode and anode of the MEA, respectively. The cathode of an air-cooled fuel cell stack is often open, allowing airflow to supply oxygen to the stack and remove some of the reaction heat. Although the components of a fuel cell are largely commercialized, there is still no standard method for optimizing the design and assembly of air-cooled fuel cell cells according to application requirements, and the following technical challenges remain:

[0004] 1. Poor Sealing Performance. The fuel cell gas (mainly hydrogen) used in the anode needs to be sealed inside the stack. To ensure that the hydrogen supplied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) does not leak laterally, a sealing gasket is placed between the fuel cell anode substrate and the MEA as a sealing structure. The sealing gasket is one of the key factors determining the sealing performance of the fuel cell, and its performance directly affects the power generation efficiency and service life of the battery. Currently, sealing is mainly achieved by dispensing (coating) or cutting silicone gaskets. The thickness of the sealing gasket formed by dispensing (coating) is difficult to control, resulting in poor consistency and weak adhesion. In addition, the dispensing process includes a gel curing time of approximately 24 hours, which leads to a long production cycle for fuel cells. When using cut silicone gaskets for sealing, the surface or line sealing methods used by ordinary silicone gaskets are prone to deformation after compression, resulting in a deterioration in the sealing effect of the fuel cell.

[0005] 2. Poor consistency. The cathode of an air-cooled fuel cell has an open structure, which leads to differences in the anode and cathode structures. Under the condition that there is no standard method for assembling individual air-cooled fuel cell cells, differences will occur between mass-produced cells, resulting in poor consistency of the produced cells (e.g., flatness issues in individual cells).

[0006] 3. Low level of automation. Due to the special nature of air-cooled fuel cells, the existing methods and devices for preparing single cells are mostly semi-automatic or manual, which seriously affects the mass production efficiency of air-cooled fuel cells, and the yield and cost of the cells are low. In addition, because the assembly of sealant for fuel cell products is difficult, the existing sealant removal is usually done manually, which further reduces the production efficiency of single cell products. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a fuel cell single-cell assembly device and assembly method to solve the problems of poor sealing and consistency and low production efficiency of air-cooled fuel cell single cells in the prior art.

[0008] To address the aforementioned problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell single-cell assembly device is provided, comprising: a robotic arm for transporting and assembling materials, the materials including double-sided adhesive, bipolar plates, carbon paper, and membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the double-sided adhesive comprising an adhesive body, a first back membrane adhered to a first adhesive surface of the adhesive body, and a second back membrane adhered to a second adhesive surface of the adhesive body; the two sides of the bipolar plates are respectively a cathode and an anode; the size of the carbon paper is smaller than the size of the second adhesive surface; a fixing module having an assembly position, the fixing module being used to fix the materials transported to the assembly position; a membrane-tearing module for separating the first and second back membranes of the double-sided adhesive at the assembly position from the adhesive body; and a flipping module for flipping the bipolar plates and / or the double-sided adhesive; wherein, through the cooperation of the robotic arm, the fixing module, the membrane-tearing module, and the flipping module, the materials are assembled to form a single cell.

[0009] Furthermore, the fixing module includes a fixing bracket, an adsorption plate, and a gas pump. The adsorption plate is mounted on the fixing bracket, and the surface of the adsorption plate has multiple spaced negative pressure holes. The negative pressure holes are connected to the gas pump through pipelines. The gas pump generates negative pressure at the negative pressure holes to adsorb the material placed at the assembly position of the adsorption plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the surface of the adsorption plate also has positioning holes, which are used to position the material on the surface of the adsorption plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the film-peeling module includes a moving part, a mounting frame, a fixing rod, and an unwinding mechanism; the moving part is used to drive the mounting frame to move; the unwinding mechanism is mounted on the mounting frame; one end of the fixing rod is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame; the unwinding mechanism is used to wrap the tape around the outer circumferential surface of the fixing rod so that the tape on the outer circumferential surface of the fixing rod can bond with the first back film or the second back film; in the state of double-sided adhesive fixation, the moving part drives the fixing rod to move so that the first back film or the second back film is separated from the adhesive.

[0012] Furthermore, the unwinding mechanism includes a turntable and a drive assembly. The turntable is wound with tape around its circumference, and the drive assembly drives the turntable to rotate and move along the axial direction of the fixed rod, so as to spirally wind the tape around the outer circumferential surface of the fixed rod along its axial direction.

[0013] Furthermore, the film-peeling module first peels off the first back film, and the adhesive force between the first back film and the first adhesive surface is less than the adhesive force between the second back film and the second adhesive surface.

[0014] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a clamping module, which is used to clamp the double-sided adhesive. Specifically, after the robot arm bonds the anode to the first adhesive surface, the clamping module presses down on the cathode of the bipolar plate to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface. After the robot arm bonds the membrane electrode to the second adhesive surface, the clamping module presses down on the membrane electrode to ensure that the membrane electrode is fixedly bonded to the second adhesive surface.

[0015] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a bipolar plate vision inspection module, a carbon paper vision inspection module, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) vision inspection module. The bipolar plate vision inspection module is used to inspect the bipolar plates, and a robotic arm bonds the qualified bipolar plates to the first adhesive surface. The carbon paper vision inspection module is used to inspect the carbon paper, and a robotic arm places the qualified carbon paper in the center of the second adhesive surface. The MEA vision inspection module is used to inspect the membrane electrode assembly, and a robotic arm bonds the qualified MEA to the second adhesive surface.

[0016] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes an airtightness testing module, which is used to test the airtightness of the single cell.

[0017] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a double-sided adhesive storage module, a bipolar plate storage module, a carbon paper storage module, a membrane electrode storage module, and a single-cell storage module; wherein, the double-sided adhesive storage module is used to store double-sided adhesive, the bipolar plate storage module is used to store bipolar plates, the carbon paper storage module is used to store carbon paper, the membrane electrode storage module is used to store membrane electrodes, and the single-cell storage module is used to store single cells.

[0018] Furthermore, the bipolar plate storage module includes a bipolar plate compartment and a bipolar plate waste compartment. The bipolar plate compartment stores bipolar plates to be tested, and the bipolar plate waste compartment stores bipolar plates that fail the test. The membrane electrode storage module includes a membrane electrode compartment and a membrane electrode waste compartment. The membrane electrode compartment stores membrane electrodes to be tested, and the membrane electrode waste compartment stores membrane electrodes that fail the test. The carbon paper storage module includes a carbon paper compartment and a carbon paper waste compartment. The carbon paper compartment stores carbon paper to be tested, and the carbon paper waste compartment stores carbon paper that fails the test. The single-cell storage module includes a single-cell qualified compartment and a single-cell waste compartment. The single-cell qualified compartment stores single cells that pass the test, and the single-cell waste compartment stores single cells that fail the test.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling a single fuel cell is provided, applied to the aforementioned fuel cell single cell assembly equipment, comprising the following steps: a first separation step, fixing with double-sided adhesive, and then separating the first back membrane from the adhesive to expose the first adhesive surface; a first bonding step, bonding the anode of the bipolar plate to the first adhesive surface; a flipping step, flipping the bipolar plate and the double-sided adhesive simultaneously and fixing them; a second separation step, separating the second back membrane from the adhesive to expose the second adhesive surface; a placement step, placing carbon paper in the middle of the second adhesive surface; and a second bonding step, bonding the membrane electrode assembly to the second adhesive surface to assemble a single cell.

[0020] Furthermore, the fuel cell single cell assembly equipment also includes a pressing step, which includes: pressing the cathode of the bipolar plate after the first bonding step is completed to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface; and pressing the membrane electrode after the second bonding step is completed to ensure that the membrane electrode is fixedly bonded to the second adhesive surface.

[0021] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes: a bipolar plate visual inspection step, which checks the bipolar plates for conformity before the first bonding step; a carbon paper visual inspection step, which checks the carbon paper for conformity before the placement step; and a membrane electrode visual inspection step, which checks the membrane electrode for conformity before the second bonding step.

[0022] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes: a bipolar plate sorting step, in which unqualified bipolar plates are stored separately after the bipolar plate visual inspection step; a carbon paper sorting step, in which unqualified carbon paper is stored separately after the carbon paper visual inspection step; and a membrane electrode sorting step, in which unqualified membrane electrodes are stored separately after the membrane electrode visual inspection step.

[0023] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes an airtightness testing step: testing the airtightness of the assembled single cell.

[0024] Furthermore, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes a single-cell classification step: after the airtightness test step, the single cells that pass the test and the single cells that fail the test are stored separately.

[0025] Applying the technical solution of this invention, this invention provides a fuel cell single-cell assembly device, comprising: a robotic arm for transporting and assembling materials, the materials including double-sided adhesive, bipolar plates, carbon paper, and membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the double-sided adhesive comprising an adhesive body, a first back membrane adhered to a first adhesive surface of the adhesive body, and a second back membrane adhered to a second adhesive surface of the adhesive body; the two sides of the bipolar plates are respectively a cathode and an anode; the size of the carbon paper is smaller than the size of the second adhesive surface; a fixing module having an assembly position, the fixing module being used to fix the materials transported to the assembly position; a membrane-tearing module for separating the first and second back membranes of the double-sided adhesive at the assembly position from the adhesive body; and a flipping module for flipping the bipolar plates and / or the double-sided adhesive; wherein, through the cooperation of the robotic arm, the fixing module, the membrane-tearing module, and the flipping module, the materials are assembled to form a single cell. The fuel cell assembly equipment proposed in this invention enables mass production and assembly of fuel cell single cells, improving production efficiency. The standardized, assembly-line operation ensures consistency among fuel cell single cells. This invention uses pre-formed double-sided adhesive material to bond and seal the anode and membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The bonding process is simple, provides excellent sealing, and is easy to operate. Compared to conventional dispensing methods, where the thickness of the adhesive pad is difficult to control, leading to poor consistency in the produced fuel cell single cells, the use of double-sided adhesive material with a consistent thickness avoids this problem. Furthermore, the dispensing process includes approximately 24 hours of adhesive curing time, while direct bonding with double-sided adhesive saves this curing time, significantly shortening the production cycle of fuel cell single cells, improving production efficiency, and reducing costs. Compared to sealing with cut silicone pads, double-sided adhesive provides superior sealing, and the adhesive is less prone to deformation under pressure, ensuring the sealing effect of the fuel cell. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the specific structure of the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the specific structure of the fixing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 3A partial structural schematic diagram of the film-peeling module provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 An exploded view of the specific structure of a single fuel cell assembled according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0032] 10. Robotic arm;

[0033] 20. Fixing module; 21. Fixing bracket; 22. Adsorption plate; 221. Negative pressure hole; 222. Positioning hole;

[0034] 30. Film-tearing module; 31. Motion unit; 32. Mounting bracket; 33. Fixing rod; 34. Unwinding mechanism; 341. Turntable; 342. Drive assembly;

[0035] 40. Flip module;

[0036] 50. Clamping module;

[0037] 60. Bipolar plate visual inspection module; 70. Carbon paper visual inspection module; 80. Membrane electrode visual inspection module;

[0038] 90. Air tightness detection module;

[0039] 100. Double-sided adhesive storage module; 110. Bipolar plate storage module; 111. Bipolar plate compartment; 112. Bipolar plate waste compartment; 120. Carbon paper storage module; 121. Carbon paper compartment; 122. Carbon paper waste compartment; 130. Membrane electrode storage module; 131. Membrane electrode compartment; 132. Membrane electrode waste compartment; 140. Single cell storage module; 141. Single cell qualified compartment; 142. Single cell waste compartment;

[0040] 150. Double-sided adhesive tape; 160. Bipolar plate; 170. Carbon paper; 180. Membrane electrode; 190. Membrane electrode thickness detection module. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a fuel cell single-cell assembly device, comprising: a robotic arm 10 for transporting and assembling materials, the materials including double-sided adhesive 150, bipolar plates 160, carbon paper 170, and membrane electrode 180; the double-sided adhesive 150 comprising an adhesive body, a first back membrane adhered to a first adhesive surface of the adhesive body, and a second back membrane adhered to a second adhesive surface of the adhesive body; the two sides of the bipolar plates 160 are the cathode and the anode, respectively; the size of the carbon paper 170 is smaller than the size of the second adhesive surface; a fixing module 20 having an assembly position, the fixing module 20 being used to fix the materials transported to the assembly position; a membrane tearing module 30 being used to separate the first and second back membranes of the double-sided adhesive 150 located at the assembly position from the adhesive body; and a flipping module 40 being used to flip the bipolar plates 160 and / or the double-sided adhesive 150; wherein, through the cooperation of the robotic arm 10, the fixing module 20, the membrane tearing module 30, and the flipping module 40, the materials are assembled to form a single cell.

[0043] Applying the technical solution of this invention, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment proposed in this invention can perform mass production assembly of fuel cell single cells, improving the production efficiency of fuel cell single cells; through the standardized operation of the production line, the consistency of fuel cell single cells is guaranteed; this invention uses molded double-sided adhesive 150 material to bond and seal between the anode and the membrane electrode 180, the bonding step is simple, the sealing performance is good, and it is easy to operate. Compared with the conventional dispensing method for sealing, the thickness of the adhesive pad formed by the dispensing method is difficult to control, resulting in poor consistency of the produced fuel cell single cells. However, using double-sided adhesive 150 material with a uniform thickness will not have this problem. At the same time, the dispensing process includes approximately 24 hours of adhesive curing time, while using double-sided adhesive 150 for direct bonding saves the adhesive curing time, greatly shortening the production cycle of fuel cell single cells, improving production efficiency, and reducing costs; compared with the method of sealing by cutting silicone pads, the double-sided adhesive 150 bonding and sealing provides good sealing performance, and the double-sided adhesive 150 is not easily deformed after being squeezed, ensuring the sealing effect of the fuel cell.

[0044] The working process of the fuel cell single cell assembly equipment proposed in this invention will now be described in detail: The robotic arm 10 transports the double-sided adhesive 150 to the fixing module 20, the fixing module 20 fixes the double-sided adhesive 150, the membrane tearing module 30 separates the first back membrane from the adhesive, exposing the first adhesive surface, the robotic arm 10 bonds the anode of the bipolar plate 160 to the first adhesive surface, the flipping module 40 flips the bipolar plate 160 and the double-sided adhesive 150 at the same time and places them on the fixing module 20 for fixation, the membrane tearing module 30 separates the second back membrane from the adhesive, exposing the second adhesive surface, the robotic arm 10 places the carbon paper 170 in the middle of the second adhesive surface, and the robotic arm 10 bonds the membrane electrode 180 to the second adhesive surface to assemble and form a single cell.

[0045] It should be noted that, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment further includes a digital module. The digital module is used to encode or scan the bipolar plate 160 and the membrane electrode 180 respectively to record the information of each bipolar plate 160 and each membrane electrode 180. The digital module also encodes or scans the single cell to record the information of each single cell. By setting the digital module, information recording and real-time tracking of each bipolar plate 160, each membrane electrode 180 and each single cell are realized. For a single cell, the numbering of which specific bipolar plate 160 and which specific membrane electrode 180 it contains is determined, which facilitates the traceability of materials for a single cell in the future.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the fixing module 20 includes a fixing bracket 21, an adsorption plate 22, and a gas pump. The adsorption plate 22 is mounted on the fixing bracket 21. The surface of the adsorption plate 22 has multiple spaced negative pressure holes 221. The negative pressure holes 221 are connected to the gas pump through pipelines. The gas pump generates negative pressure at the negative pressure holes 221 to adsorb the material placed on the assembly position of the adsorption plate 22. By setting the negative pressure generated at the negative pressure holes 221 to adsorb the material and place it on the assembly position of the adsorption plate 22, the structure of the fixing module 20 is simplified, and the fixing module 20 can reliably fix the material. At the same time, because the adsorption method is used, compared with traditional clamping or pressing methods, the negative pressure fixing of the material causes less damage to the surface of the material (e.g., the first and second back films of the double-sided adhesive 150), making it more suitable for fine processing environments.

[0047] It should be noted that: such as Figure 2 As shown, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the adsorption plate 22 is composed of multiple adsorption plates 22 of increasing size, which are interlocked. The smallest adsorption plate 22 is located in the center, and its size can correspond to the size of the double-sided tape 150 to facilitate flexible adsorption and positioning of the double-sided tape 150. The larger adsorption plates 22 surround the smaller adsorption plates 22. In actual use, the size and number of adsorption plates 22 can be flexibly set according to the size of the material to be adsorbed.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the surface of the adsorption plate 22 also has positioning holes 222, which are used for positioning the material on the surface of the adsorption plate 22. By setting the positioning holes 222, precise positioning of the material on the surface of the adsorption plate 22 is achieved, thereby improving the assembly accuracy.

[0049] It is worth noting that in one specific embodiment of the present invention, the robotic arm 10 is provided with a positioning post. When the robotic arm 10 places the material on the surface of the adsorption plate 22, the positioning post is inserted into the positioning hole 222 and cooperates with it to achieve the function of precise positioning of the material. Of course, a robotic arm 10 with image recognition function can also be used. When the image recognizes the positioning hole 222, the positioning hole 222 is used as the positioning reference, and the material is placed at a set distance relative to the positioning reference to achieve the function of precise positioning of the material.

[0050] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the film-peeling module 30 includes a moving part 31, a mounting frame 32, a fixing rod 33, and an unwinding mechanism 34. The moving part 31 drives the mounting frame 32 to move. The unwinding mechanism 34 is mounted on the mounting frame 32. One end of the fixing rod 33 is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame 32. The unwinding mechanism 34 wraps the adhesive tape around the outer circumferential surface of the fixing rod 33 to bond the tape to the first or second backing film. When the double-sided adhesive 150 is fixed, the moving part 31 drives the fixing rod 33 to move, thereby separating the first or second backing film from the adhesive. This design ensures both the simplicity and miniaturization of the overall structure of the film-peeling module 30, and the efficient and stable separation of the first and second backing films from the adhesive. By setting up the film-peeling module 30, automatic film peeling of the double-sided adhesive 150 is achieved, which is more efficient and does not damage the adhesive compared to manual peeling.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the unwinding mechanism 34 includes a turntable 341 and a drive assembly 342. Adhesive tape is wound circumferentially around the turntable 341. The drive assembly 342 drives the turntable 341 to rotate and move axially along the fixed rod 33, so as to spirally wind the adhesive tape onto the outer circumferential surface of the fixed rod 33 along its axial direction. By setting up the turntable 341 and the drive assembly 342, automatic replenishment of the adhesive tape on the fixed rod 33 is achieved, ensuring that the adhesive force on the fixed rod 33 meets the requirements for film removal.

[0052] It should be noted that when the film is being peeled off, the fixing rod 33 can be bonded and fixed to one corner or one short side of the first back film or the second back film. Driven by the moving part 31, it moves along the long side of the double-sided adhesive 150 to peel off the first back film or the second back film.

[0053] In practical applications, when the tape on the fixing rod 33 fails (i.e. when the adhesive force is insufficient), it is not necessary to remove the failed tape immediately. It is only necessary to control the turntable 341 and the drive component 342 to work and rewrap the tape. When the failed tape is wrapped too thickly on the fixing rod 33, it can be cleaned and removed manually, which further ensures the working efficiency and continuity of the film-tearing module 30.

[0054] Specifically, the film-peeling module 30 first peels off the first back film. The adhesive force between the first back film and the first adhesive surface is less than the adhesive force between the second back film and the second adhesive surface. This design ensures that the adhesive does not separate from the second back film when the first back film separates from the first adhesive surface, thus preventing the adhesive from moving with the film-peeling module 30 during film peeling and causing subsequent assembly steps to fail.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the double-sided adhesive 150 is a double-sided adhesive structure with a hollow annular cavity, that is, both the first adhesive surface and the second adhesive surface are annular adhesive surfaces, so as to achieve a reliable seal between the anode and the membrane electrode. The size of the hollow annular cavity is adapted to the external size of the carbon paper 170 to constrain the position of the carbon paper 170, which not only ensures the flow of gas (e.g., hydrogen) between the carbon paper 170 and the membrane electrode and the anode respectively, but also effectively fixes the position of the carbon paper 170. In actual use, the inner wall of the hollow annular cavity can also be adhesive, and the carbon paper 170 can be further fixed by the adhesive force.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a clamping module 50, which is used to clamp the double-sided adhesive 150. Specifically, after the robotic arm 10 bonds the anode to the first adhesive surface, the clamping module 50 presses down on the cathode of the bipolar plate 160 to ensure a fixed bond between the anode and the first adhesive surface. After the robotic arm 10 bonds the membrane electrode 180 to the second adhesive surface, the clamping module 50 presses down on the membrane electrode 180 to ensure a fixed bond between the membrane electrode 180 and the second adhesive surface. By setting up the clamping module 50, a reliable bond is achieved between the anode and the first adhesive surface, and between the membrane electrode 180 and the second adhesive surface, further ensuring the sealing performance of the single cell.

[0057] It should be noted that in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the pressing module 50 can adopt a common movable pressure plate structure controlled by a robot. By controlling the pressing force and pressing time of the pressure plate, the pressing of the anode to the first adhesive surface and the pressing of the membrane electrode 180 to the second adhesive surface can be achieved.

[0058] like Figure 1As shown, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a bipolar plate vision inspection module 60, a carbon paper vision inspection module 70, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) vision inspection module 80. The bipolar plate vision inspection module 60 inspects the bipolar plate 160, and the robotic arm 10 bonds the qualified bipolar plate 160 to the first adhesive surface. The carbon paper vision inspection module 70 inspects the carbon paper 170, and the robotic arm 10 places the qualified carbon paper 170 in the center of the second adhesive surface. The MEA vision inspection module 80 inspects the MEA 180, and the robotic arm 10 bonds the qualified MEA 180 to the second adhesive surface. This configuration ensures that the bipolar plate 160, carbon paper 170, and MEA 180 used for assembly are all high-quality (i.e., reliable materials that have passed testing), further improving the yield rate of the single cell.

[0059] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell single cell assembly equipment also includes a membrane electrode thickness detection module 190, which is used to detect the thickness of the membrane electrode 180, ensuring that the thickness of the membrane electrode 180 participating in the assembly meets the actual requirements, thereby further improving the yield of the single cell.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes an airtightness testing module 90, which is used to test the airtightness of the single cell. By setting up the airtightness testing module 90, the qualified or unqualified test of the single cell is realized according to the airtightness standard, effectively screening out defective single cells (i.e., single cells that fail the airtightness test).

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a double-sided adhesive storage module 100, a bipolar plate storage module 110, a carbon paper storage module 120, a membrane electrode storage module 130, and a single-cell storage module 140. Specifically, the double-sided adhesive storage module 100 stores double-sided adhesive 150, the bipolar plate storage module 110 stores bipolar plates 160, the carbon paper storage module 120 stores carbon paper 170, the membrane electrode storage module 130 stores membrane electrodes 180, and the single-cell storage module 140 stores single cells. This configuration ensures reliable storage of the double-sided adhesive 150, bipolar plates 160, carbon paper 170, membrane electrodes 180, and single cells, guaranteeing that the robotic arm 10 can retrieve the required materials or single cells at designated locations.

[0062] Specifically, the bipolar plate storage module 110 includes a bipolar plate compartment 111 and a bipolar plate waste compartment 112. The bipolar plate compartment 111 is used to store bipolar plates 160 to be tested, and the bipolar plate waste compartment 112 is used to store bipolar plates 160 that fail the test. The membrane electrode storage module 130 includes a membrane electrode compartment 131 and a membrane electrode waste compartment 132. The membrane electrode compartment 131 is used to store membrane electrodes 180 to be tested, and the membrane electrode waste compartment 132 is used to store membrane electrodes that fail the test. The membrane electrode 180; the carbon paper storage module 120 includes a carbon paper bin 121 and a carbon paper waste bin 122. The carbon paper bin 121 is used to store carbon paper 170 to be tested, and the carbon paper waste bin 122 is used to store carbon paper 170 that fails the test; the single-cell storage module 140 includes a single-cell qualified bin 141 and a single-cell waste bin 142. The single-cell qualified bin 141 is used to store single cells that pass the test, and the single-cell waste bin 142 is used to store single cells that fail the test. This configuration allows for the categorized storage of different types (i.e., whether they are qualified or not) of materials and single cells, facilitating subsequent sorting and inventory.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, a single cell includes a bipolar plate 160, double-sided adhesive tape 150, carbon paper 170, and a membrane electrode 180. The bipolar plate 160 is a titanium metal plate with a corrugated flow channel of equal height and width. The bipolar plate 160, carbon paper 170, and membrane electrode 180 are bonded together as an integral structure by sealing double-sided adhesive tape 150.

[0064] The present invention also provides a method for assembling a single fuel cell, applied to the aforementioned fuel cell single cell assembly equipment, comprising the following steps: a first separation step, fixing the double-sided adhesive 150, and then separating the first back membrane from the adhesive to expose the first adhesive surface; a first bonding step, bonding the anode of the bipolar plate 160 to the first adhesive surface; a flipping step, flipping the bipolar plate 160 and the double-sided adhesive 150 simultaneously and fixing them; a second separation step, separating the second back membrane from the adhesive to expose the second adhesive surface; a placement step, placing the carbon paper 170 in the middle of the second adhesive surface; and a second bonding step, bonding the membrane electrode 180 to the second adhesive surface to assemble a single cell.

[0065] This method involves directly applying a specially designed double-sided adhesive 150 (e.g., the double-sided adhesive structure with a hollow annular cavity described above) to the bipolar plate 160 to form a seal. The overall method is simple and easy to operate, suitable for automated assembly line operation, and offers high assembly precision. It saves time and costs associated with manual pasting and reduces equipment and R&D costs associated with directly injection-molded silicone seals on the MEA (membrane electrode 180) and bipolar plate 160 (i.e., sealing using a cut silicone pad as described in the background art). Actual experimental results demonstrate that using the double-sided adhesive 150 significantly improves the sealing performance, finished product quality, and assembly efficiency of single-cell products. This method produces each single cell as a module, which not only increases production cycle time but also improves the yield rate of single cells, reducing the battery error rate to a low level.

[0066] Specifically, the fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment also includes a clamping step, which includes: after the first bonding step, pressing down the cathode of the bipolar plate 160 to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface; after the second bonding step, pressing down the membrane electrode 180 to ensure that the membrane electrode 180 is fixedly bonded to the second adhesive surface. By setting the clamping step, a reliable bond is achieved between the anode and the first adhesive surface, and between the membrane electrode 180 and the second adhesive surface, further ensuring the sealing performance of the single cell.

[0067] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, after the first bonding step is completed, a clamping force of 1KN is set to press the cathode of the bipolar plate 160 and the pressure is maintained for 1-2 seconds to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface. In the flipping step, after the bipolar plate 160 and the double-sided adhesive 150 are flipped and fixed at the same time, a clamping step can be performed again, with a pressure of 1KN for 1-2 seconds, to further ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface. After the second bonding step is completed, a clamping force of 1KN is set to press the membrane electrode 180 and the pressure is maintained for 1-2 seconds to ensure that the membrane electrode 180 is firmly bonded to the second adhesive surface. Finally, the bipolar plate 160 and the membrane electrode 180 are bonded and sealed into a whole by the double-sided adhesive 150 to form a single cell.

[0068] Specifically, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method further includes: a visual inspection step for the bipolar plate 160, where the bipolar plate 160 is inspected for conformity before the first bonding step; a visual inspection step for the carbon paper 170, where the carbon paper 170 is inspected for conformity before the placement step; and a visual inspection step for the membrane electrode 180, where the membrane electrode 180 is inspected for conformity before the second bonding step. These steps ensure that the bipolar plate 160, carbon paper 170, and membrane electrode 180 used for assembly are all of good quality (i.e., reliable materials that have passed testing), further improving the yield rate of the single cell.

[0069] Specifically, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes: a bipolar plate 160 sorting step, whereby, after the visual inspection step of the bipolar plate 160, the bipolar plates 160 that fail the inspection are stored separately; a carbon paper 170 sorting step, whereby, after the visual inspection step of the carbon paper 170, the carbon paper 170 that fails the inspection is stored separately; and a membrane electrode 180 sorting step, whereby, after the visual inspection step of the membrane electrode 180, the membrane electrode 180 that fails the inspection is stored separately. This setup enables the categorized storage of materials of different types (i.e., whether they are qualified or not), facilitating subsequent sorting and processing.

[0070] Specifically, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes an airtightness testing step: testing the airtightness of the assembled single cell. These steps, based on airtightness standards, automate the detection of whether a single cell is qualified or not, effectively screening out defective single cells (i.e., single cells that fail the airtightness test).

[0071] Specifically, the fuel cell single-cell assembly method also includes a single-cell sorting step: after the airtightness test, single cells that pass the test and those that fail are stored separately. Through these steps, the separate storage of good and defective single cells is achieved.

[0072] In summary, this invention provides a fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment and method. The proposed fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment enables mass production assembly of fuel cell single cells, improving production efficiency. The standardized, assembly-line operation ensures consistency of the fuel cell single cells. This invention uses molded double-sided adhesive 150 material to bond and seal between the anode and membrane electrode 180. The bonding process is simple, provides good sealing, and is easy to operate. Compared to conventional dispensing methods, where the thickness of the adhesive pad is difficult to control, leading to poor consistency in the produced fuel cell single cells, using double-sided adhesive 150 material with a consistent thickness avoids this problem. Furthermore, the dispensing process includes approximately 24 hours of adhesive curing time, while direct bonding with double-sided adhesive 150 saves this curing time, significantly shortening the production cycle of the fuel cell single cell, improving production efficiency, and reducing costs. Compared to sealing with cut silicone pads, using double-sided adhesive 150 provides better sealing, and the double-sided adhesive 150 is less prone to deformation under pressure, ensuring the sealing effect of the fuel cell. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method proposed in this invention is the first application in the fuel cell industry. The method is simple, highly operable, and highly automated. The assembled single-cell products have good sealing performance, high consistency, and low production cost, which have obvious advantages.

[0073] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0074] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0075] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0076] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0077] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0078] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell single-cell assembly device, characterized in that, include: A robotic arm (10) is used to transport and assemble materials, including double-sided tape (150), bipolar plates (160), carbon paper (170), and membrane electrodes (180). The double-sided tape (150) includes a colloid, a first back film adhered to a first adhesive surface of the colloid, and a second back film adhered to a second adhesive surface of the colloid. The two sides of the bipolar plate (160) are a cathode and an anode, respectively. The size of the carbon paper (170) is smaller than the size of the second adhesive surface. A fixing module (20) has an assembly position, the fixing module (20) being used to fix materials transported to the assembly position; A film-peeling module (30) is used to separate the first back film and the second back film of the double-sided adhesive (150) located at the assembly position from the adhesive, respectively. A flipping module (40) is used to flip the bipolar plate (160) and / or the double-sided adhesive (150). In this process, the materials are assembled into a single battery through the cooperation of the robotic arm (10), the fixing module (20), the film-tearing module (30), and the flipping module (40). The fuel cell single cell assembly equipment also includes a clamping module (50), which is used to clamp the double-sided adhesive (150); wherein, after the robot (10) bonds the anode to the first adhesive surface, the clamping module (50) presses down on the cathode of the bipolar plate (160) to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface; after the robot (10) bonds the membrane electrode (180) to the second adhesive surface, the clamping module (50) presses down on the membrane electrode (180) to ensure that the membrane electrode (180) is fixedly bonded to the second adhesive surface.

2. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing module (20) includes a fixing bracket (21), an adsorption plate (22) and a gas pump. The adsorption plate (22) is disposed on the fixing bracket (21). The surface of the adsorption plate (22) has a plurality of spaced negative pressure holes (221). The negative pressure holes (221) are connected to the gas pump through pipelines. The gas pump generates negative pressure at the negative pressure holes (221) to adsorb the material placed at the assembly position of the adsorption plate (22).

3. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surface of the adsorption plate (22) also has positioning holes (222), which are used for positioning the material on the surface of the adsorption plate (22).

4. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-peeling module (30) includes a moving part (31), a mounting frame (32), a fixing rod (33), and an unwinding mechanism (34); the moving part (31) is used to drive the mounting frame (32) to move; the unwinding mechanism (34) is disposed on the mounting frame (32); one end of the fixing rod (33) is fixedly disposed on the mounting frame (32); the unwinding mechanism (34) is used to wrap the tape around the outer peripheral surface of the fixing rod (33) so that the tape on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing rod (33) is bonded to the first back film or the second back film; in the state where the double-sided adhesive (150) is fixed, the moving part (31) drives the fixing rod (33) to move so that the first back film or the second back film is separated from the adhesive.

5. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The unwinding mechanism (34) includes a turntable (341) and a drive assembly (342). The tape is wound around the turntable (341) in the circumferential direction. The drive assembly (342) drives the turntable (341) to rotate and move along the axial direction of the fixed rod (33) so as to spirally wind the tape around the outer circumferential surface of the fixed rod (33) along the axial direction of the fixed rod (33).

6. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-tearing module (30) first tears the first back film, and the adhesive force between the first back film and the first adhesive surface is less than the adhesive force between the second back film and the second adhesive surface.

7. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment further includes a bipolar plate vision inspection module (60), a carbon paper vision inspection module (70), and a membrane electrode vision inspection module (80); the bipolar plate vision inspection module (60) is used to inspect the bipolar plate (160), and the robot (10) will bond the qualified bipolar plate (160) to the first adhesive surface; the carbon paper vision inspection module (70) is used to inspect the carbon paper (170), and the robot (10) will place the qualified carbon paper (170) in the middle of the second adhesive surface; the membrane electrode vision inspection module (80) is used to inspect the membrane electrode (180), and the robot (10) will bond the qualified membrane electrode (180) to the second adhesive surface.

8. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel cell single cell assembly equipment also includes an airtightness detection module (90), which is used to detect the airtightness of the single cell.

9. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment further includes a double-sided adhesive storage module (100), a bipolar plate storage module (110), a carbon paper storage module (120), a membrane electrode storage module (130), and a single-cell storage module (140); wherein, the double-sided adhesive storage module (100) is used to store the double-sided adhesive (150), the bipolar plate storage module (110) is used to store the bipolar plate (160), the carbon paper storage module (120) is used to store the carbon paper (170), the membrane electrode storage module (130) is used to store the membrane electrode (180), and the single-cell storage module (140) is used to store the single cell.

10. The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bipolar plate storage module (110) includes a bipolar plate compartment (111) and a bipolar plate waste compartment (112). The bipolar plate compartment (111) is used to store the bipolar plates (160) to be tested, and the bipolar plate waste compartment (112) is used to store the bipolar plates (160) that fail the test. The membrane electrode storage module (130) includes a membrane electrode compartment (131) and a membrane electrode waste compartment (132). The membrane electrode compartment (131) is used to store the membrane electrodes (180) to be tested, and the membrane electrode waste compartment (132) is used to store the membrane electrodes that fail the test. (180); The carbon paper storage module (120) includes a carbon paper bin (121) and a carbon paper waste bin (122). The carbon paper bin (121) is used to store the carbon paper (170) to be tested, and the carbon paper waste bin (122) is used to store the carbon paper (170) that fails the test. The single battery storage module (140) includes a single battery qualified bin (141) and a single battery waste bin (142). The single battery qualified bin (141) is used to store the single battery that passes the test, and the single battery waste bin (142) is used to store the single battery that fails the test.

11. A method for assembling a single fuel cell, applied to the fuel cell single cell assembly equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: In the first separation step, the double-sided adhesive (150) is fixed, and then the first back film is separated from the adhesive to expose the first adhesive surface; In the first bonding step, the anode of the bipolar plate (160) is bonded to the first adhesive surface. In the flipping step, the bipolar plate (160) and the double-sided adhesive (150) are flipped and fixed simultaneously; The second separation step involves separating the second back film from the colloid, exposing the second adhesive surface. In the placement step, the carbon paper (170) is placed in the middle of the second adhesive surface; In the second bonding step, the membrane electrode (180) is bonded to the second adhesive surface to assemble a single cell.

12. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly equipment further includes a clamping step, which includes: After the first bonding step is completed, the cathode of the bipolar plate (160) is pressed down to ensure that the anode is fixedly bonded to the first adhesive surface; After the second bonding step is completed, press the membrane electrode (180) to ensure that the membrane electrode (180) is fixedly bonded to the second adhesive surface.

13. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly method further includes: The bipolar plate (160) visual inspection step is performed before the first bonding step to check whether the bipolar plate (160) is qualified; The carbon paper (170) visual inspection step involves inspecting the carbon paper (170) for compliance before the placement step. The membrane electrode (180) visual inspection step is performed before the second bonding step to check whether the membrane electrode (180) is qualified.

14. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly method further includes: The bipolar plate (160) sorting step involves storing the bipolar plates (160) that fail the visual inspection step separately. The carbon paper (170) sorting step involves storing the carbon paper (170) that fails the visual inspection step separately. The membrane electrode (180) sorting step involves storing the membrane electrodes (180) that fail the visual inspection step separately.

15. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly method further includes an airtightness testing step: testing the airtightness of the assembled single cell.

16. The fuel cell single-cell assembly method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The fuel cell single-cell assembly method further includes a single-cell classification step: after the airtightness test step, the single cells that pass the test and the single cells that fail the test are stored separately.

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