A method and apparatus for positioning and cleaning fuel cell plates

Abstract

The application discloses a fuel cell polar plate positioning and cleaning method and a processing and cleaning device, and is applied to the technical field of fuel cell polar plate cleaning. The laser cleaning head is used to clean the surface oil stains and shallow oxides of the welding seam position of the front and back surfaces of the fuel cell polar plate before welding. Before cleaning, according to the detection result of the surface contamination of the polar plate, the cleaning track is processed in sections, the area between the measurement points with a difference within the segmentation threshold is divided together, the laser power is set, different cleaning parameters are set according to the different surface contamination, the polar plate damage problem caused by incomplete cleaning or over cleaning is avoided, and the online cleaning quality detection is carried out after cleaning, so that the effective cleaning of the fuel cell polar plate before welding is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell processing equipment technology, specifically to a fuel cell electrode plate positioning and cleaning method and processing and cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] Before welding the electrode plates, the surface of the weld seam area must be free of oil, oxide layer and other contaminants. Otherwise, welding defects will occur during the welding process. Therefore, before welding the electrode plates, it is necessary to effectively clean the surface of the weld seam area of ​​oil, oxide layer and other contaminants.

[0003] Existing chemical cleaning methods can damage the surface of the electrode plates and require subsequent processing, which affects cleaning efficiency. In addition, chemical cleaning is not very controllable and cannot target different areas of the electrode plates for cleaning, resulting in incomplete cleaning and affecting the quality of subsequent welding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical Objective: To address the shortcomings of existing pre-weld cleaning methods for electrode plates, this invention discloses a fuel cell electrode plate positioning cleaning method and processing and cleaning device that can quickly clean both sides of the electrode plate weld area, achieve high cleaning quality, eliminate the need for subsequent processing, and can individually target cleaning treatment based on the cleanliness level of different areas of the electrode plate.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates includes the following steps: S01. Obtain the pre-weld weld area trajectory of the current placement surface of the fuel cell electrode plate, and confirm the cleaning trajectory based on the pre-weld weld area. S02. Use a surface cleanliness probe to detect the cleanliness of the electrode surface along the cleaning trajectory, and set the cleaning process parameters according to the cleanliness status. S03. Use a laser cleaning head to clean the surface of the electrode plate, and simultaneously inspect the surface cleaning quality. Record any problematic areas after cleaning, and perform a second targeted cleaning after each cleaning cycle. S04. Flip the electrode plate and clean the other side of the electrode plate using the same steps until the cleaning of the weld seam area on both sides of the electrode plate is completed.

[0006] Preferably, in step S02 of the present invention, the process of detecting the cleanliness of the electrode surface includes the following steps: S021. Set the measurement interval along the trajectory direction, and use the surface cleanliness probe to detect the surface cleanliness of the plate in the weld area; S022. Store the cleanliness values ​​of each measurement point on the cleaning trajectory in sequence; S023. Set a segmentation threshold. Use the cleanliness value of the starting measurement point as the base value. When the difference between the cleanliness value of the measurement point after the starting measurement point and the base value exceeds the segmentation threshold, use the cleanliness value of the corresponding measurement point as the segmentation point and use the cleanliness value of the segmentation point as the next base value. Segment the cleaning trajectory in sequence. Divide the cleaning trajectory into several sub-cleaning trajectories through the segmentation points. The segmentation points are assigned to the sub-cleaning trajectories that are used as the base values. S024. Calculate the average cleanliness of each sub-cleaning trajectory and set the corresponding cleaning process parameters based on the average value.

[0007] Preferably, in step S03 of the present invention, the process of recording the problem areas after cleaning and performing secondary positioning cleaning after a single cleaning includes: comparing the detected cleanliness value with the set target value; if it is lower than the target value, marking the corresponding area as a problem area and recording the coordinate value and cleanliness value of the problem area; then setting a merging cleaning threshold; and merging the problem areas whose cleanliness value difference is within the cleaning threshold for cleaning treatment.

[0008] Preferably, in step S04 of the present invention, when cleaning the other side of the electrode after flipping the electrode, the cleaning trajectory is set according to the mirror image of the flipping center of the electrode.

[0009] The present invention also provides a fuel cell electrode plate processing and cleaning device, using the above-mentioned fuel cell electrode plate positioning and cleaning method, including a motion platform and a model fixture for clamping the electrode plate. A pneumatic device is provided on the motion platform to keep the model fixture relatively fixed to the motion platform. A laser cleaning head for cleaning the electrode plate surface and a surface cleanliness probe for detecting cleanliness are provided above the model fixture. A flipping device for clamping and flipping the model fixture is provided on one side of the motion platform.

[0010] Preferably, the model fixture of the present invention is designed according to the size of the fuel cell electrode plate, and the model fixture is arranged along the edge of the electrode plate to clamp and splice the edge of the electrode plate.

[0011] Preferably, the pneumatic device of the present invention is arranged on both sides of the model fixture of the electrode plate along the direction parallel to the flipping axis of the electrode plate. The pneumatic device includes a connecting seat and a clamping block slidably connected to the connecting seat. The connecting seat is fixed on the motion platform, and the clamping block is connected to the drive end of the pneumatic source.

[0012] Preferably, the flipping device of the present invention includes a flipping motor and an electrode clamping mechanism fixed to the drive end of the flipping motor. The flipping motor is mounted on the motion platform with adjustable height. When the electrode clamping mechanism is used to flip the electrode, it first rises to make room for the flipping of the electrode. After the flipping is completed, it lowers to place the electrode on the pneumatic device for clamping and fixing.

[0013] Beneficial Effects: The fuel cell electrode plate positioning and cleaning method and processing and cleaning device provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention uses a laser non-contact cleaning method to clean the electrode plates. Compared with other methods such as chemical cleaning, laser cleaning will not damage the electrode plate surface, does not require post-processing, and has high cleaning quality.

[0014] 2. The present invention integrates an online cleaning quality detection device, which improves the efficiency of electrode plate cleaning by simultaneously performing cleaning and detection.

[0015] 3. Before cleaning, the present invention performs a pre-detection of the surface contamination of the electrode plate, automatically adjusts the process parameters according to the contamination of the electrode plate, and performs online detection of the cleaning quality. If there are cleaning quality problems, a second cleaning can be performed directly, thereby improving the reliability of the cleaning quality.

[0016] 4. Before cleaning, the present invention segments the cleaning trajectory based on the detection results of the surface contamination of the electrode plate, and divides the areas between measurement points with differences within the segmentation threshold together, which facilitates the setting of laser power. Different cleaning parameters are set according to different surface contamination conditions, thereby avoiding electrode plate damage caused by incomplete or excessive cleaning.

[0017] 5. The present invention uses a model fixture designed according to the size of the electrode plate to maintain the connection state of the electrode plate weld. With the help of the pneumatic devices on both sides, the weld position can be kept stable during the cleaning process, thus ensuring the cleaning quality.

[0018] 6. The present invention uses a flipping device to flip the electrode plate and then clean the weld seam on the other surface. The cleaning trajectories on both sides of the electrode plate are mirror images of each other, which makes it easy to plan the cleaning trajectory.

[0019] 7. This invention uses a liftable flipping motor to drive the electrode plate to flip, which can be flipped directly on the motion platform, so that the electrode plate does not need to be repositioned and the back side can be cleaned directly, thus improving cleaning efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the electrode plate processing and cleaning device of the present invention; Among them, 1-motion platform, 2-model fixture, 3-pneumatic device, 4-laser cleaning head, 5-surface cleanliness probe, 6-connecting seat, 7-clamping block, 8-flipping motor, 9-polar plate clamping mechanism. Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described more clearly and completely by way of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but this does not limit the invention to the scope of the described embodiment.

[0023] This invention discloses a method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates, comprising the following steps: S01. Obtain the pre-weld weld area trajectory of the current placement surface of the fuel cell electrode plate, and confirm the cleaning trajectory based on the pre-weld weld area. The cleaning trajectory is programmed according to the trajectory of the weld area before welding. Since the electrode plate welding adopts the lap welding method, both the front and back sides of the electrode plate need to be cleaned. The cleaning trajectories of the front and back sides of the electrode plate are mirror images of each other along the flipping axis. After confirming the cleaning trajectory of one side of the electrode plate, the cleaning trajectory of the other side can be obtained. They can be distinguished during cleaning.

[0024] The machining head trajectory file is generated by the machining system based on the set cleaning line width, scanning method, and scanning line parameters. Since the weld width is generally ≤0.1mm, a cleaning line width of 2-3mm is sufficient to meet the cleaning requirements. The scanning method can be selected as unidirectional scanning, bidirectional scanning, or arc scanning. The machining head scanning trajectory is generated by combining the line spacing and the number of scanning lines.

[0025] S02. Use a surface cleanliness probe to detect the cleanliness of the electrode surface along the cleaning trajectory, and set the cleaning process parameters according to the cleanliness status. Before the formal cleaning process, the surface cleanliness of the electrode plates is pre-tested to understand the condition of the electrode plates so that process parameters can be set.

[0026] The process of testing the cleanliness of the electrode surface includes the following steps: S021. Set the measurement interval along the trajectory direction, and use the surface cleanliness probe to detect the surface cleanliness of the plate in the weld area; S022. Store the cleanliness values ​​of each measurement point on the cleaning trajectory in sequence; S023. Set a segmentation threshold. Use the cleanliness value of the starting measurement point as the base value. When the difference between the cleanliness value of the measurement point after the starting measurement point and the base value exceeds the segmentation threshold, use the cleanliness value of the corresponding measurement point as the segmentation point and use the cleanliness value of the segmentation point as the next base value. Segment the cleaning trajectory in sequence. Divide the cleaning trajectory into several sub-cleaning trajectories through the segmentation points. The segmentation points are assigned to the sub-cleaning trajectories that are used as the base values. S024. Calculate the average cleanliness of each sub-cleaning trajectory and set the corresponding cleaning process parameters based on the average value.

[0027] The correspondence between cleanliness level and cleaning process parameters can be achieved through a pre-set cleaning parameter expert system. This system organically combines database technology and expert system tools. The database serves as the basic sample data obtained from management process experiments. Based on the input cleanliness value, the expert system processes the data and infers appropriate cleaning process parameters. The data processing part uses artificial neural networks to process the sample data. The expert system learns and trains based on the sample data, enabling the network to achieve a given input-output mapping relationship. The inference part, based on the input cleanliness value and the knowledge gained from network learning, provides optimized cleaning parameters, linking cleanliness level with cleaning parameters. During electrode cleaning, relevant data can be directly accessed, and the system can be updated and learned based on the cleaning status, improving the rationality and accuracy of the provided parameters.

[0028] S03. Then, use a laser cleaning head to clean the surface of the electrode plate and simultaneously detect the surface cleaning quality. Record any problematic areas after cleaning and perform a second positioning cleaning after each cleaning cycle. After confirming the cleaning trajectory file and parameter settings, the cleaning process is started. The motion platform with the fixed electrode plate begins to move according to the front processing trajectory, while the laser cleaning head performs cleaning according to the scanning trajectory of the processing head. Since the motion platform uses different cleaning head scanning trajectories when cleaning different areas, this involves the coordinated control of the motion platform and the laser cleaning head. The two use an IO control method, that is, the trajectory file of the cleaning head is numbered, and the IO control port of the cleaning head is modified before the motion platform processes. For example, if the cleaning head trajectory is selected as number 1, then the IO control port is set to 1.

[0029] Simultaneously with the start of the cleaning process, surface cleaning quality detection is initiated. The detection device employs an online surface cleanliness probe, enabling continuous, non-contact online detection of cleaning quality. The movement trajectory of the detection device relative to the motion platform is kept consistent with the cleaning trajectory of the electrode plate, and cleaning quality detection is performed synchronously after cleaning is completed.

[0030] The system collects the cleanliness probe's measurement values ​​in real time and uploads them to the host computer system for control. The host computer system compares the measured values ​​with the reference values. If the measured value is less than the reference value, the system records the current workbench coordinates and the cleanliness measurement value and stores them in the secondary cleaning list.

[0031] The process of recording problem areas after cleaning and performing secondary cleaning after a single cleaning includes: comparing the detected cleanliness value with the set target value; if the value is lower than the target value, the corresponding area is marked as a problem area and the coordinates and cleanliness value of the problem area are recorded; then, a merging cleaning threshold is set, and problem areas with cleanliness value differences within the cleaning threshold are merged for cleaning; referring to the trajectory division method during the initial cleaning in step S02, based on the cleanliness value of the problem area, in sequence, the cleanliness value corresponding to the initial problem area is used as the initial value, and subsequent problem areas with differences within the merging cleaning threshold are merged with the current problem area for cleaning; when the difference exceeds the merging cleaning threshold, the problem areas with differences exceeding the merging cleaning threshold are used as separators, and the problem areas during the secondary cleaning are divided sequentially to generate a list of secondary cleaning motion trajectories. The parameter adjustment of the laser cleaning head can be referenced from the initial cleaning and retrieved from the database.

[0032] S04. After cleaning the weld seam on one side of the electrode plate, flip the electrode plate and clean the other side of the electrode plate according to the same steps until the cleaning of the weld seam area on both sides of the electrode plate is completed. When cleaning the other side of the electrode plate after flipping the electrode plate, the cleaning trajectory is set according to the mirror image of the flipping center of the electrode plate.

[0033] This invention also provides a fuel cell electrode plate processing and cleaning apparatus, using the above-described fuel cell electrode plate positioning and cleaning method, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the processing and cleaning device includes a motion platform 1 and a model fixture 2 for holding the electrode plate. A pneumatic device 3 is provided on the motion platform 1 to keep the model fixture 2 relatively fixed to the motion platform 1. A laser cleaning head 4 for cleaning the surface of the electrode plate and a surface cleanliness probe 5 for detecting the cleanliness are provided above the model fixture 2. A flipping device for flipping the model fixture 2 is provided on one side of the motion platform 1 with the pneumatic device 3.

[0034] To ensure a close fit with the electrode plate and maintain a stable weld joint, the model fixture 2 of this invention is designed according to the size of the fuel cell electrode plate. The model fixture 2 is arranged along the edge of the electrode plate to clamp and splice the edge of the electrode plate, and is clamped by a pneumatic device 3 after assembly with the electrode plate.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the pneumatic device 3 of the present invention is arranged on both sides of the model clamp 2 of the electrode plate along the direction parallel to the flipping axis of the electrode plate. The pneumatic device 3 includes a connecting seat 6 and a clamping block 7 slidably connected to the connecting seat 6. The connecting seat 6 is fixed on the motion platform 1, and the clamping block 7 is connected to the driving end of the pneumatic source. The pneumatic source drives the clamping block 7 to slide along the connecting seat 6 to clamp and fix the model clamp 2, ensuring that the model clamp 2 and the electrode plate remain stable relative to the motion platform 1 during the movement of the motion platform, which facilitates the control of the motion trajectory.

[0036] After cleaning one side of the electrode plate, it needs to be flipped for cleaning the other side. Conventional clamping jigs, when flipped and placed on the pneumatic device 3, cannot guarantee the electrode plate's position is consistent before and after flipping. Therefore, when processing the back side, the electrode plate's position needs to be repositioned, and the motion trajectory designed, increasing workload and affecting cleaning efficiency. To ensure the consistency of the electrode plate's position before and after flipping, a mirrored cleaning trajectory can be used directly for cleaning the back side of the electrode plate, improving cleaning efficiency. The flipping device of this invention includes a flipping motor 8 and an electrode plate clamping mechanism 9 fixed to the drive end of the flipping motor 8. The flipping motor 8 is height-adjustable and mounted on the motion platform 1, driving the electrode plate clamping mechanism... When the electrode plate is held and flipped by the clamping mechanism 9, it first rises to create space for the flipping. After flipping, it descends to place the electrode plate on the pneumatic device 3 for clamping and fixing. The lifting and lowering of the electrode plate clamping mechanism 9 and the flipping motor 8 can be achieved by setting them on a lifting platform. To ensure a smooth lifting process, the lifting platform can be driven by a ball screw, which is a relatively mature existing lifting drive technology. During the flipping process, the electrode plate does not move axially. It is only clamped by the electrode plate clamping mechanism 9 and flipped by the rotation of the flipping motor 8. Then, the clamping blocks of the pneumatic device 3 clamp and fix the electrode plate on the motion platform 1 again, thus ensuring the consistency of the electrode plate position before and after flipping. The electrode plate clamping mechanism 9 can directly use existing gripper cylinders to drive the clamping plate for clamping and flipping. During the flipping process, the model fixture can also maintain the stability of the electrode plate position.

[0037] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates, characterized in that, Including the following steps: S01. Obtain the pre-weld weld area trajectory of the current placement surface of the fuel cell electrode plate, and confirm the cleaning trajectory based on the pre-weld weld area. S02. Use a surface cleanliness probe to detect the cleanliness of the electrode surface along the cleaning trajectory, and set the cleaning process parameters according to the cleanliness status. S03. Use a laser cleaning head to clean the surface of the electrode plate, and simultaneously inspect the surface cleaning quality. Record any problematic areas after cleaning, and perform a second targeted cleaning after each cleaning cycle. S04. Flip the electrode plate and clean the other side of the electrode plate according to the same steps until the cleaning of the weld seam area before double-sided welding of the electrode plate is completed. In step S02, the process of detecting the cleanliness of the electrode surface includes the following steps: S021. Set the measurement interval along the trajectory direction, and use the surface cleanliness probe to detect the surface cleanliness of the plate in the weld area; S022. Store the cleanliness values ​​of each measurement point on the cleaning trajectory in sequence; S023. Set a segmentation threshold. Use the cleanliness value of the starting measurement point as the base value. When the difference between the cleanliness value of the measurement point after the starting measurement point and the base value exceeds the segmentation threshold, use the cleanliness value of the corresponding measurement point as the segmentation point and use the cleanliness value of the segmentation point as the next base value. Segment the cleaning trajectory in sequence. Divide the cleaning trajectory into several sub-cleaning trajectories through the segmentation points. The segmentation points are assigned to the sub-cleaning trajectories that are used as the base values. S024. Calculate the average cleanliness of each sub-cleaning trajectory and set the corresponding cleaning process parameters based on the average value.

2. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S03, the process of recording the problem areas after cleaning and performing secondary positioning cleaning after a single cleaning includes: comparing the detected cleanliness value with the set target value; if it is lower than the target value, marking the corresponding area as a problem area and recording the coordinate value and cleanliness value of the problem area; then setting a merging cleaning threshold; and merging the problem areas whose cleanliness value difference is within the cleaning threshold for cleaning treatment.

3. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S04, when cleaning the other side of the electrode after flipping it, the cleaning trajectory is set according to the mirror image of the flipping center of the electrode.

4. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method employs a cleaning device, which includes a motion platform (1) and a model fixture (2) for holding the electrode plate. A pneumatic device (3) is provided on the motion platform (1) to keep the model fixture (2) relatively fixed to the motion platform (1). A laser cleaning head (4) for cleaning the surface of the electrode plate and a surface cleanliness probe (5) for detecting the cleanliness are provided above the model fixture (2). A flipping device for holding the model fixture (2) and flipping it is provided on one side of the motion platform (1) with the pneumatic device (3).

5. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 4, characterized in that, The model fixture (2) is designed according to the size of the fuel cell electrode plate. The model fixture (2) is arranged along the edge of the electrode plate to clamp and splice the edge of the electrode plate.

6. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pneumatic device (3) is arranged on both sides of the model fixture (2) of the electrode plate along the direction parallel to the flipping axis of the electrode plate. The pneumatic device (3) includes a connecting seat (6) and a clamping block (7) slidably connected to the connecting seat (6). The connecting seat (6) is fixed on the motion platform (1), and the clamping block (7) is connected to the drive end of the pneumatic source.

7. The method for positioning and cleaning fuel cell electrode plates according to claim 4, characterized in that, The flipping device includes a flipping motor (8) and a plate clamping mechanism (9) fixed on the drive end of the flipping motor (8). The flipping motor (8) is mounted on the motion platform (1) with adjustable height. When the plate clamping mechanism (9) is used to clamp the plate and flip it, it first rises to make room for the plate to flip. After the flipping is completed, it lowers to place the plate on the pneumatic device (3) for clamping and fixing.

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