A bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Through the integrated design of U-shaped conductive plate and heat sink, the problems of poor heat dissipation effect and large contact resistance in air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells are solved, and more efficient heat dissipation and longer battery life are achieved, simplifying the system structure.

CN116344857BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-12LIAONING GUOKEXIN ENERGY RES CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310061096.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-01-17
Publication Date
2025-08-12
Estimated Expiration
2043-01-17

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing open air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell has large air volume and fast flow rate, resulting in increased membrane dryness and membrane resistance, poor heat dissipation effect, and many bipolar plate components of closed air-cooled batteries and large contact resistance, which affects battery performance and life.

Method used

The integrated design of U-shaped conductive plate and heat sink is adopted to reduce the contact surface and increase the effective heat dissipation area. The curved channel design is adopted to increase the chance of collision between the air and the channel wall, and sealing is achieved through sealing gaskets and positioning buckles to simplify the structure.

Benefits of technology

It improves the battery's heat dissipation efficiency and service life, reduces contact resistance, simplifies the system structure, and is suitable for large-scale promotion and use.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and specifically to a bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell. It comprises a U-shaped conductive plate, a heat sink, a first sealing gasket, and a second sealing gasket; the U-shaped heat conducting plate is formed by bending a thin metal plate, the thin metal plate is provided with a bend, and the two sides of the bend are respectively the cathode side and the anode side. The cathode side and the anode side are folded in half along the bend to form a U-shaped heat conducting plate; the anode side is provided with an anode flow field, the cathode side is provided with a cathode flow field, and the bend is provided with a cooling air through hole; a heat sink is provided in the cavity of the U-shaped heat conducting plate, and the two sides of the heat sink are respectively provided with a first sealing gasket and a second sealing gasket; a positioning lock is provided at the opening of the U-shaped heat conducting plate. The cooling channel of the present invention is a curved channel, which increases the probability of collision between air and the channel wall, increases the effective heat dissipation area, and improves the effective heat dissipation efficiency.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a power generation device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (such as hydrogen) and an oxidant (such as oxygen in the air) directly into electrical energy. Because it operates through an electrochemical reaction, without combustion and heat release, and unconstrained by the Carnot cycle, its energy conversion efficiency is significantly higher than that of conventional heat engines. Furthermore, fuel cells offer advantages such as zero pollution, low noise, and high reliability, holding them in a promising market for applications in transportation, stationary power generation, and portable power generation.

[0003] A fuel cell stack consists of multiple stacked cells. Each cell includes a cathode plate, an anode plate, and a membrane electrode. Hydrogen is introduced into the anode flow field as fuel, and air is introduced into the cathode flow field as an oxidant. Under load, the hydrogen and oxygen react to generate electricity. The energy conversion efficiency of a fuel cell is approximately 50%, with the remaining energy dissipated as heat. Temperature is one of the key factors affecting battery performance; if heat cannot be dissipated in a timely manner, the battery life will be reduced. Therefore, when the fuel cell is operating, a cooling medium is required to remove the heat generated by the reaction.

[0004] Conventional cooling methods for fuel cells include liquid cooling (water cooling) and air cooling (air cooling, wind cooling). A water-cooled stack has a water-cooled flow field plate between each cell, and the stack is cooled by circulating water. This method not only complicates the structure of the stack, but also requires additional operating equipment such as a circulating water pump and a cooling fan, which consumes a lot of energy. An air-cooled stack achieves a cooling effect by having cooling air flow through the inside of the stack. Currently, there are two types of air-cooled stack cooling, one of which is cathode open air cooling, which is the most commonly used air cooling method. The cathode flow channel is both a reaction gas channel and a cooling channel. The cathode air-cooled stack has a simple structure, but the battery control is very complex and inconvenient to operate. Since the heat capacity of air is much lower than that of water, an air flow rate of up to 50 or even 100 times the stoichiometric ratio is required to remove the heat from the stack, such as patent CN208336384U , CN210837956U, CN111477915A, CN208722996U, CN113471468A, CN112103530A, etc.; the other is the cathode closed air cooling method, in which the reaction air and the cooling air are divided into two paths to enter the fuel cell stack, that is, the reaction gas flow channel and the cooling gas flow channel are separated. In this way, the fuel cell stack volume is larger than the first one, but the energy consumption is small, and the control of the fuel cell operation is relatively simple, such as patents CN112436163A, CN209344232U, CN 209607843U, CN110571450A, etc.

[0005] The losses in fuel cells are mainly composed of activation polarization, ohmic polarization, diffusion polarization, etc. The resistance of the bipolar plate is an important component of generating ohmic polarization. The resistance of the bipolar plate mainly includes bulk resistance (body resistance) and surface contact resistance. The more layers of the bipolar plate, the more contact surfaces between the layers, and the greater the contact resistance. Taking water-cooled fuel cells as an example, the bipolar plates are punched out of two thin metal plates and then welded together. Only the surface of the bipolar plate in contact with the membrane electrode has been treated with anti-corrosion to improve conductivity. The inner surface of the intermediate cooling cavity is generally not treated, and the contact resistance itself is large. After the battery has been running for a long time, the internal resistance increases further, and the welds are also prone to corrosion and leakage. Air-cooled fuel cells are also composed of multiple layers of bipolar plate assemblies stacked together. Taking patent CN112436163A as an example, the bipolar plate is the anode plate and the cooling plate welded together, and then stacked together with the cathode plate. There are four contact surfaces: membrane electrode-anode plate, anode plate-heat sink, heat sink-cathode plate, and cathode plate-membrane electrode. The contact resistance of these contact surfaces is much greater than the internal resistance of the bipolar plate component. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the fact that the air cooling channels (flow fields) of commonly used open air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells are straight-through channels, which have the problems of large air volume and fast flow rate in actual use, leading to membrane drying, increased membrane resistance, and poor heat dissipation effect, the present invention proposes to no longer use straight-through flow channels, increase the effective heat dissipation area of the air cooling channels, and improve the effective heat dissipation rate; in view of the problems that the bipolar plates of closed air-cooled batteries have many components and large contact resistance, the present invention proposes an integrated bipolar plate integrated design and preparation method, reducing the contact surface from four to two, reducing contact resistance, reducing losses within the battery, and improving battery performance.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell, characterized in that: the bipolar plate assembly includes a U-shaped conductive plate, a heat sink, a first sealing gasket and a second sealing gasket; the U-shaped heat conducting plate is formed by bending a thin metal plate, the thin metal plate is provided with a bend, the two sides of the bend are respectively the cathode side and the anode side, the cathode side and the anode side are folded along the bend to form a U-shaped heat conducting plate; the anode side is provided with an anode flow field, the cathode side is provided with a cathode flow field, and the bend is provided with a cooling air through hole; a heat sink is provided in the cavity of the U-shaped heat conducting plate, and the first sealing gasket and the second sealing gasket are respectively provided on both sides of the heat sink; a positioning lock is provided at the opening of the U-shaped heat conducting plate.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the U-shaped conductive plate is formed by bending a thin metal plate along the width direction of the membrane electrode, or bending along the length direction of the membrane electrode.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the positioning lock includes an anode side positioning lock and a cathode side positioning lock, and the anode side positioning lock is welded to the cathode side positioning lock; the anode side positioning lock and the cathode side positioning lock also serve as pole ears, and are welded together to increase the conductivity of the outer surface of the U-shaped conductive plate.

[0011] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the outer wall of the U-shaped conductive plate is coated with a conductive anti-corrosion layer.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the heat sink is located in the center of the bipolar plate assembly cavity, overlapping with the membrane electrode effective reaction area, has a larger heat dissipation area, and provides better support for the U-shaped conductive plate.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the heat sink is located at the center of the bipolar plate assembly cavity, coinciding with the membrane electrode effective reaction area. It is made of thin metal plate, has a large heat dissipation area, and provides good support for the U-shaped conductive plate. The heat sink is provided with a heat dissipation channel, which is a curved channel with a zigzag, serpentine, or variable cross-section shape. The cross-section of the heat dissipation channel can be square, corrugated, corrugated, or rounded. The heat sink is provided with fins to increase the probability of air colliding with the heat dissipation channel wall, thereby increasing the effective heat dissipation area.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the U-shaped heat conducting plate is provided with a hydrogen channel and an air channel, the first sealing gasket corresponds to the opening position of the hydrogen channel, and the second sealing gasket corresponds to the opening position of the air channel; the hydrogen channel opening and the membrane electrode vent form a common pipeline for hydrogen, and the air channel opening and the membrane electrode vent form a common pipeline for air; the first sealing gasket and the second sealing gasket respectively seal the hydrogen and air in the common pipeline to prevent leakage.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the conductive plate is made of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy or copper.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the heat sink is made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or copper.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the heat sink can also be made of a mesh or silk material with high thermal conductivity and high air permeability.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] 1. The bipolar plate assembly of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to process, reduces production costs, and is suitable for large-scale promotion and use.

[0020] 2. The present invention uses a single metal plate to bend into a hinged U-shaped conductive plate, and integrates the heat sink gasket into it. This integrated bipolar plate design and preparation method reduces the contact surface from four to two, reducing contact resistance and internal battery losses, improving battery performance and the service life of the bipolar plate, further extending the battery life.

[0021] 3. The bipolar plate assembly of the present invention is used in a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell. It has an independent air passage for the water-cooled battery reaction air, is not restricted by the environment, and can increase the operating pressure, allowing it to operate at a higher level. It also has a simple and practical air-cooled battery cooling system, eliminating components such as the circulating water system pump, radiator, and water tank, simplifying the system structure and improving system integration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a U-shaped conductive plate bent along the width direction of the membrane electrode;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the bipolar plate assembly of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the curved channel of the heat sink of the present invention, a is a zigzag channel; b is a curved serpentine channel; c is a variable cross-section channel;

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross section of the heat sink channel of the present invention, a is a square wave shape; b is a corrugated plate shape; c is a corrugated plate shape; d is a round square shape;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the bipolar plate-membrane electrode assembly of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the structure of a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 The performance of the closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a U-shaped conductive plate bent along the width direction of the membrane electrode;

[0030] Figure 9 The performance of the closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0031] Among them: 1. Anode side; 2. Cathode side; 3. Bending point; 4. Hydrogen channel; 4-1. Anode side hydrogen through hole; 4-2. Cathode side hydrogen through hole; 5. Air channel; 5-1. Anode side air through hole; 5-2. Cathode side air through hole; 6. Anode flow field; 7. Cathode flow field; 8. Anode side positioning lock; 9. Cathode side positioning lock; 10. Positioning hole; 11. Heat sink; 12. Sealing gasket; 13. Second sealing gasket; 14. Membrane electrode; 15. Anode sealing ring; 16. Cathode sealing ring; 17. Fan or air compressor; 17-1. Fresh air; 17-2. Humidified air; 17-3. Wet air after reaction; 17-4. Exhaust air; 18. Humidifier; 19. Closed air-cooled fuel cell stack; 20. Cooling fan; 21. Flow guide cover; 22. Hydrogen inlet; 23. Hydrogen outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but the description of the following embodiments is only used to help understand the principles and core ideas of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, any obvious modifications, equivalent substitutions or other improvements made to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

[0033] Select a thin metal plate and prepare it as Figure 1 The conductive plate shown includes three areas: the anode side 1, the cathode side 2, and the bend 3. It is punched into hydrogen channels 4 (including anode-side hydrogen through-holes 4-1 and cathode-side hydrogen through-holes 4-2), air channels 5 (including anode-side air through-holes 5-1 and cathode-side air through-holes 5-2), anode flow fields 6, cathode flow fields 7, anode-side positioning locks 8, cathode-side positioning locks 9, and positioning holes 10. The bend 3 is provided with cooling air through-holes and serves as an electronically conductive connector for the anode and cathode sides, ensuring that current passes through the outer surface. The outer surface of the U-shaped conductive plate is treated for conductive corrosion protection.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, first, the prefabricated heat sink 11 is placed on the cathode side (or anode side) corresponding to the cathode flow field 7 (anode flow field 6), and two sealing gaskets 12 are placed on both sides of the heat sink 11 respectively. Then, the anode side 1 (or cathode side 2) is bent along the bend 3 to cover the heat sink 11 and the first sealing gasket 12 and the second sealing gasket 13, and the anode side positioning lock 8 and the cathode side positioning lock 9 are used to lock and package it into a bipolar plate assembly.

[0035] The heat sink 11 can be a zigzag fold line channel, a curved serpentine channel, a variable cross-section channel, etc. Figure 33-a, 3-b, and 3-c. The curved cooling air channels increase the probability of air colliding with the channel walls, increasing the effective heat dissipation area and improving heat dissipation efficiency. In contrast, with the traditional parallel, straight flow field, the cooling air hardly collides with the heat dissipation channel and flows directly out of the flow field channel.

[0036] The cross sections of different channels perpendicular to the cooling air flow direction are shown in Figure 4. According to the material of the heat sink 11, the stack structure, the force and other influencing factors, it can be prepared into a square waveform. Figure 4 -a, corrugated board shape ( Figure 4 -b), corrugated plate ( Figure 4 -c) and round square ( Figure 4 -d).

[0037] The material of the U-shaped conductive plate of the present invention is stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy or copper.

[0038] The heat sink of the present invention is made of materials with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum plate, aluminum alloy plate, copper plate, etc.

[0039] Figure 5 The figure shows the bipolar plate-membrane electrode assembly in the fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate assembly is located between the two membrane electrodes 14. The anode sealing ring 15 and the cathode sealing ring 16 are located between the bipolar plate assembly and the two membrane electrodes 14, respectively. A common pipeline for hydrogen is formed corresponding to the hydrogen through hole 4-1 on the anode side and the hydrogen through hole 4-2 on the cathode side, and a common pipeline for air is formed corresponding to the air through hole 5-1 on the anode side and the air through hole 5-2 on the cathode side. The anode sealing ring 15 and the cathode sealing ring 16, as well as the first sealing gasket 12 and the second sealing gasket 13 in the bipolar plate assembly, together play a role in sealing hydrogen and air. In addition to the anode flow field 6 and the cathode flow field 7 obtained by stamping, etching, etc., an external flow field structure can also be used. For example, a flexible graphite flow field, a conductive and gas-conducting metal mesh, etc. are bonded to the corresponding position on the outer surface of the U-shaped conductive plate.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a closed air-cooled fuel cell. Air 17-1 participating in the electrochemical reaction is output by a fan or air compressor 17 and enters a humidifier 18 for humidification. The humidified air 17-2 enters the closed air-cooled fuel cell stack 19. Reaction air 17-3, which contains generated water, enters the humidifier to humidify the new air 17-1. The exiting air 17-4 is exhausted and discharged. Cooling air is provided by a fan 20. As the fan rotates, cooling air is drawn in from outside the stack, flows through the heat sinks within the bipolar plate assembly, removes heat, and is discharged through a shroud 21 and fan 20. The shroud 21 ensures more uniform cooling air flow throughout the stack, improving cell consistency.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] In this embodiment, a U-shaped conductive plate is formed by bending the membrane electrode in the longitudinal direction, and a 0.1 mm thick 316L stainless steel plate is selected to be stamped into a Figure 1 The conductive plate has three areas: the anode side 1, the cathode side 2, and the bend 3, and is punched into hydrogen channels 4 (including hydrogen holes 4-1 on the anode side and hydrogen holes 4-2 on the cathode side), air channels 5 (including air holes 5-1 on the anode side and air holes 5-2 on the cathode side), anode flow fields 6, cathode flow fields 7, anode side positioning locks 8, cathode side positioning locks 9, and positioning holes 10. The bend 3 is a connector with cooling air holes and electronic conduction for the anode and cathode sides to ensure that current passes through the outer surface. Anode flow fields 6 and cathode flow fields 7 with a depth of 0.4 mm and a groove width of 1 mm are prepared on the anode side and cathode side, respectively. The outer surface of the U-shaped conductive plate is silver-plated to improve conductivity and corrosion resistance.

[0043] The prefabricated heat sink 11 is made of 0.1 mm thick aluminum sheet. Figure 3 -a shows a broken line channel, the channel section adopts Figure 4 -b Corrugated board shape, the width and height of the corrugated board are both 1.5mm.

[0044] Place the prefabricated heat sink 11 at the position corresponding to the flow field 7 on the cathode side. First, place the first sealing gasket 12 and the second sealing gasket 13 made of silicone rubber on both sides of the heat sink 11 respectively. Then bend the anode side along the bend 3 to cover the heat sink 11, the first sealing gasket 12 and the second sealing gasket 13, and use the positioning locks 8 and 9 to lock and package the hinge-shaped U-shaped bipolar plate assembly.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, a sealing rubber ring 15 is placed between the anode side of the membrane electrode 14 and the U-shaped bipolar plate assembly (the anode flow field 6 on the upper side of the outer surface); a sealing rubber ring 16 is placed between the cathode side of the other membrane electrode 14 and the bipolar plate assembly (the cathode flow field 7 on the lower side of the outer surface) to assemble into a bipolar plate-membrane electrode assembly.

[0046] Figure 6 Assembled 80 closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks 19, each with an active electrode area of 150cm 2 Then connect the air compressor 17, humidifier 18, fan 20, deflector 21, and air pipelines 17-1, 17-2, 17-3, 17-4, hydrogen pipelines 22, 23, etc. Other details are similar to those of the conventional system and will not be repeated here. The hydrogen pressure is 1.0 bar, the air pressure is 0.8 bar, the air stoichiometric ratio is 2.5, and the fan is used for cooling. The battery performance is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the maximum output is 10.8kW.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] Select 0.1mm thick pure titanium plate to stamp into Figure 8 A long U-shaped conductive plate with three areas: the anode side 1, the cathode side 2, and the bend 3. It is punched into hydrogen channels 4 (including anode side hydrogen through holes 4-1 and cathode side hydrogen through holes 4-2), air channels 5 (including anode side air through holes 5-1 and cathode side air through holes 5-2), anode side positioning locks 8, cathode side positioning locks 9, and positioning holes 10. The bend 3 is a connector with cooling air through holes and serves as electronic conduction for the anode and cathode sides, ensuring that current passes through the outer surface. Hydrogen and air flow fields with a depth of 0.4mm and a groove width of 1mm are prepared on the anode and cathode sides, respectively. The outer surface of the long U-shaped conductive plate is platinum-plated to improve conductivity and corrosion resistance. A soft graphite flow field 6 is placed at the anode flow field position 6, and a soft graphite flow field 7 is placed at the cathode flow field position 7. The anode side positioning locks 8 and cathode side positioning locks 9 also serve as tabs and are welded together to increase the conductivity of the outer surface of the long U-shaped conductive plate.

[0049] The prefabricated heat sink 11 is made of 0.1mm thick copper sheet. Figure 3 -c shows a variable cross-sectional area channel, the channel section adopts Figure 4 -c Corrugated plate shape, the width and height of the corrugated plate are both 1.2mm.

[0050] Place the prefabricated heat sink 11 on the cathode side at the position corresponding to the flow field 7, and place the first and second silicone rubber gaskets 12 and 13 on both sides of the heat sink 11. Bend the anode side from right to left along the bend 3 to cover the heat sink 11, the first and second gaskets 12 and 13. Similar to the lithium battery manufacturing process, multiple corresponding anode side positioning locks 8 and cathode side positioning locks 9 are welded together as tabs to encapsulate the bipolar plate assembly. Conductive conduction occurs through the tabs and the outer surface of the long U-shaped conductive plate.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, an anode soft graphite flow field is placed between the anode side 14 of the membrane electrode and the long U-shaped bipolar plate assembly (the upper side of the outer surface), and a sealing rubber ring 15 is placed at the same time; a cathode soft graphite flow field is placed between the cathode side 14 of the other membrane electrode and the long U-shaped bipolar plate assembly (the lower side of the outer surface), and a sealing rubber ring 16 is placed at the same time to assemble into a bipolar plate-membrane electrode assembly.

[0052] Figure 6 Assemble 50 closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks 19, each with an active electrode area of 150cm 2Then connect the blower 17, humidifier 18, fan 20, deflector 21, as well as air pipeline and hydrogen pipeline. Other details are similar to those of the conventional system and will not be repeated here. The hydrogen pressure is 0.5 bar, the air pressure is 0.3 bar, the air stoichiometric ratio is 3, and the fan is used for cooling. The battery performance is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the maximum output is 3.75kW.

Claims

1. A bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell, characterized in that: The bipolar plate assembly includes a U-shaped conductive plate, a heat sink, a first sealing gasket and a second sealing gasket; The U-shaped conductive plate is formed by bending a thin metal plate, wherein the thin metal plate is provided with a bend, and the two sides of the bend are respectively a cathode side and an anode side, and the cathode side and the anode side are folded along the bend to form a U-shaped conductive plate; The anode side is provided with an anode flow field, the cathode side is provided with a cathode flow field, and the bend is provided with a cooling air through hole; A heat dissipation plate is provided in the cavity of the U-shaped conductive plate, and a first sealing gasket and a second sealing gasket are respectively provided on both sides of the heat dissipation plate; A positioning lock is provided at the opening of the U-shaped conductive plate.

2. A bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The U-shaped conductive plate is formed by bending a thin metal plate in the width direction of the membrane electrode, or bending it in the length direction of the membrane electrode.

3. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning lock buckle comprises an anode side positioning lock buckle and a cathode side positioning lock buckle, and the anode side positioning lock buckle is welded to the cathode side positioning lock buckle.

4. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the U-shaped conductive plate is coated with a conductive anti-corrosion layer.

5. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat sink is located at the center of the bipolar plate assembly cavity and overlaps with the effective reaction area of the membrane electrode.

6. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat dissipation plate is provided with a heat dissipation channel, which is a curved channel with a broken line shape, a serpentine shape or a variable cross-section shape. The cross-section of the heat dissipation channel is a square wave shape, a corrugated plate shape, a corrugated plate shape or a round square shape; the heat dissipation plate is provided with fins.

7. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The U-shaped conductive plate is provided with a hydrogen channel and an air channel. The first sealing gasket corresponds to the opening position of the hydrogen channel, and the second sealing gasket corresponds to the opening position of the air channel.

8. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The U-shaped conductive plate is made of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy or copper.

9. The bipolar plate assembly for a closed air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat sink is made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or copper.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Air-cooled fuel cell stack with strong cooling effect

    CN110571450A

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    CN111477915A

  • Air-cooled fuel cell polar plate structure

    CN112103530A

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    CN112436163A

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    CN113471468A