An interface densification spray tool for flat tube fuel cell production

Abstract

The application discloses an interface densification spraying tool for flat tube type fuel cell production and belongs to the technical field of fuel cell spraying tools, and solves the problem that the existing fuel cell tool cannot perform coating spraying on the side curved surface of the fuel cell; the interface densification spraying tool comprises a base and a cover plate covering the base, a plurality of containing grooves for containing semi-finished products are arranged on the base, a plurality of vacuum holes in communication with an external vacuum pump are arranged in the middle part of each containing groove, a plurality of profiled through grooves are arranged on the cover plate, the two bevels of each profiled through groove are inclined surface sputtering tables, and the surface of each inclined surface sputtering table is roughened. The interface densification spraying tool can perform coating spraying on the side curved surface of the fuel cell; the slurry sprayed on the inclined surface sputtering table will be sputtered along the inclined surface sputtering table under the impact of air pressure, so that the slurry can be uniformly and fully sprayed to the side of the semi-finished product, and the edge of the connecting body is fully covered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell spraying fixture technology, and specifically to an interface densification spraying fixture for the production of flat tube fuel cells. Background Technology

[0002] Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are highly efficient power generation devices that directly convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy under high-temperature conditions (≥500℃). Due to their high conversion efficiency, wide fuel applicability, and low pollution, the commercial application of SOFCs is imminent.

[0003] Spray coating technology, as a highly efficient and flexible production tool, plays a crucial role in the production of SOFC single cells. This technology can be widely applied to the mass production of components such as functional layers, electrode layers, electrolyte layers, and ceramic connectors. It enables rapid and uniform coating deposition and can adapt to SOFC modules of different shapes and sizes, providing strong support for their industrial production. However, the unique structural characteristics of flat tubular fuel cells—with key components such as the electrolyte and anode / cathode integrated into a tubular structure, and curved, bent surfaces on both sides of the cell—need to prevent the permeation of fuel gas and oxygen. A ceramic connector coating must be designed on the anode side, not only connecting the single cells for stacking but also ensuring the seal between the anode and cathode to prevent gas leakage. Therefore, the interface between the connector and the electrolyte needs to be highly densified to ensure battery performance and safety. Due to the angle limitations of the spray nozzle, coating application on the curved side surfaces is not feasible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides an interface densification spraying fixture for the production of flat tube fuel cells, which solves the problem that existing fuel cell fixtures cannot coat the curved side surfaces of fuel cells.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A surface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells is provided, comprising a base and a cover plate fitted onto the base. The base is provided with multiple receiving slots for accommodating semi-finished batteries, and each receiving slot has multiple vacuum holes in the middle that communicate with an external vacuum pump. The cover plate is provided with contoured through slots that correspond one-to-one with the multiple receiving slots. The cross-section of each contoured through slot is in the shape of an inverted isosceles trapezoid. The two inclined sides of each contoured through slot are inclined sputtering platforms. The surface of each inclined sputtering platform is roughened, and the material of each inclined sputtering platform is a low surface energy material.

[0007] The working principle of this solution is as follows: During the spraying process of the flat-tube semi-finished battery, the slurry sprayed on the inclined sputtering stage will be sputtered along the inclined sputtering stage under the impact of air pressure. This sputtering method can ensure that the slurry is uniformly and completely sprayed onto the sides of the semi-finished battery, thereby achieving full edge coverage of the connector. The inclined sputtering stage is made of a low surface energy material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, which gives the inclined sputtering stage a low coefficient of friction and non-adhesion, facilitating the slurry to leave its surface. At the same time, the roughened surface of the inclined sputtering stage, with its tiny bumps and depressions, helps to disperse the sprayed slurry, making it more evenly distributed on the sides of the semi-finished battery, which helps to improve the overall quality and performance of the coating.

[0008] Furthermore, the tilt angle of each inclined sputtering stage is 30° to 60°.

[0009] Furthermore, the average roughness of each inclined sputtering stage is 1.6 μm to 3.2 μm. Although inclined sputtering stages made of low surface energy materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene are inherently slippery and do not easily allow material to adhere, the increased surface roughness helps the slurry temporarily adhere to the inclined surface during the spraying process. This temporary adhesion ensures that the slurry does not immediately slip or scatter during spraying, thereby achieving a more uniform and controllable coating coverage.

[0010] Furthermore, each inclined sputtering stage is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene oxide, polyoxymethylene, or polycarbonate. The low surface energy material provides excellent non-adhesion, preventing the slurry from adhering to the surface.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes an ejector plate, with ejector pin holes through both sides of each receiving slot. The ejector plate is provided with multiple ejector pins, which correspond one-to-one with the multiple ejector pin holes. Each ejector pin is fitted with the corresponding ejector pin hole with a clearance. The ejector plate ejects the semi-finished battery from each receiving slot through the multiple ejector pins.

[0012] Furthermore, through holes are provided at all four corners of the base, and guide posts are provided at all four corners of the top plate, with each guide post fitting into one of the four through holes with clearance.

[0013] Furthermore, the base has a rectangular plate-like structure, with multiple receiving slots arranged laterally on the base. Slide rails are laterally positioned on both sides of each receiving slot on the upper surface of the base. The lower surface of the cover plate has mounting grooves that engage and slide with the two slide rails. The slide rails engage with and slide in the mounting grooves, facilitating the cover plate's placement on the base.

[0014] Furthermore, an indicator arrow is provided on the upper surface of the cover plate to indicate the direction of engagement between the cover plate and the base.

[0015] Furthermore, two magnetic tabs are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate. The magnetic tabs facilitate the removal of the cover plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the top view projection of both the contoured through-channel and the receiving tank is rectangular, and the semi-finished battery is a flat tube type fuel cell.

[0017] This invention discloses an interface densification spraying fixture for the production of flat tube fuel cells, which has the following advantages:

[0018] This invention can coat the curved side surface of a fuel cell; the slurry sprayed on the inclined sputtering stage will be sputtered along the inclined sputtering stage under the impact of air pressure, thereby ensuring that the slurry is uniformly and fully covered on the side of the semi-finished battery, achieving full edge coverage of the connector. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the interface densification spraying fixture;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the cover plate;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the cover plate;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a top view of the cover plate;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the cross-section along the AA direction;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the inclined sputtering stage;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a top view of the base;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a bottom view of the base;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a curved edge diagram of a single semi-finished battery after spraying.

[0028] Figure 10 Diagram showing the thickness of the bonding layer for spraying on a 30° inclined sputtering stage;

[0029] Figure 11 Diagram showing the thickness of the bonding layer for spraying on a 60° inclined sputtering stage;

[0030] The components are: 1. Magnetic suction plate; 2. Contour groove; 3. Cover plate; 4. Indicator arrow; 5. Base; 6. Through hole; 7. Vacuum partition; 8. Receiving groove; 9. Vacuum hole; 10. Slide rail; 11. Ejector plate; 12. Guide post; 13. Ejector pin; 14. Mounting slide; 15. Angled sputtering stage; 16. Ejector pin hole. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes are obvious as long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the appended claims. All inventions utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] refer to Figures 1 to 8 This embodiment provides an interface densification spraying fixture for the production of flat tube fuel cells, including a base 5, a cover plate 3 covering the base 5, and an ejector plate 11.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The base 5 is provided with multiple receiving slots 8 for accommodating semi-finished batteries. Each receiving slot 8 has multiple through-hole vacuum holes 9 in the middle. A vacuum partition 7 is provided on the bottom surface of the base 5. The vacuum partition 7 is placed on an operating platform with a vacuum pump. While adsorbing itself, it also plays the role of vacuum adsorbing semi-finished batteries through the vacuum holes 9.

[0035] refer to Figures 1-5 The cover plate 3 is provided with contoured through slots 2 corresponding to multiple receiving slots 8. The cross-section of each contoured through slot 2 is in the shape of an inverted isosceles trapezoid. The two inclined sides of each contoured through slot 2 are inclined sputtering platforms 15. The surface of each inclined sputtering platform 15 is roughened.

[0036] The inclined sputtering stage 15 is made of a low surface energy material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene oxide, polyoxymethylene, or polycarbonate, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene. This provides excellent non-adhesion properties for the low surface energy material, preventing the slurry from adhering to the surface.

[0037] The low surface energy material gives the inclined sputtering stage 15 a low coefficient of friction and non-adhesion, which facilitates the removal of the slurry from its surface. At the same time, the roughened inclined sputtering stage 15 has tiny bumps and depressions on its surface that help disperse the sprayed slurry, making it more evenly distributed on the side of the semi-finished battery, which helps to improve the overall quality and performance of the coating.

[0038] Guide posts 12 are provided at each of the four corners of the ejector plate 11, and through holes 6 are provided at each of the four corners of the base 5. The four guide posts 12 are respectively fitted with the four through holes 6. The ejector plate 11 is provided with multiple ejector pins 13, and ejector pin holes 16 are provided through both sides of each receiving slot 8. The multiple ejector pins 13 and the multiple ejector pin holes 16 are in a one-to-one correspondence. Each ejector pin 13 is fitted with the corresponding ejector pin hole 16. The ejector plate 11 ejects the semi-finished battery in each receiving slot 8 through the multiple ejector pins 13.

[0039] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 9 During the spraying process of the flat tube-shaped semi-finished battery, the slurry sprayed on the inclined sputtering stage 15 will be sputtered along the inclined sputtering stage 15 under the impact of air pressure. This sputtering method can ensure that the slurry is sprayed evenly and completely to the side of the semi-finished battery, thereby achieving full edge coverage of the connector.

[0040] Specifically, the average roughness of each inclined sputtering stage 15 is 1.6 μm to 3.2 μm. Although the inclined sputtering stage 15, made of low surface energy materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene, is inherently slippery and does not easily allow material to adhere, the increased surface roughness helps the slurry temporarily adhere to the inclined surface during the spraying process. This temporary adhesion ensures that the slurry does not immediately slip or scatter during spraying, thereby achieving a more uniform and controllable coating coverage.

[0041] As a further embodiment, the base 5 has a cuboid plate structure, and multiple receiving slots 8 on the base 5 are arranged in a transverse direction. Slide rails 10 are transversely arranged on both sides of the receiving slots 8 on the upper surface of the base 5. The lower surface of the cover plate 3 is provided with mounting grooves 14 that engage and slide with the two slide rails 10. The slide rails 10 engage with and slide in the mounting grooves 14, facilitating the cover plate 3 to be placed on the base 5.

[0042] As a further embodiment, an indicator arrow 4 is provided on the upper surface of the cover plate 3 to indicate the direction of engagement between the cover plate 3 and the base 5. Furthermore, two magnetic chucks 1 are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate 3. The magnetic chucks 1 facilitate the removal of the cover plate 3. The top view projections of the contoured through groove 2 and the receiving groove 8 are both rectangular, and the semi-finished battery is a flat-tube type fuel cell. The flat-tube type fuel cell is flat and fits with the contoured through groove 2 and the receiving groove 8 with a clearance.

[0043] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0044] First, prepare the cover plate 3, the base 5, and the ejector plate 11. Place the base 5 on the operating table, ensuring it is stable and accurately positioned.

[0045] Next, place the product to be coated into the receiving groove 8 on the base 5. Ensure that the product completely covers the vacuum adsorption through-hole 6 on the base 5 so that the product can be tightly adhered to the base 5 in the subsequent process.

[0046] Next, install the cover plate 3 onto the base 5 along the slide rail 10 on the base 5. During installation, ensure that the inclined sputtering stage 15 on the lower surface of the cover plate 3 is in close contact with the side of the product to ensure that the curved side surface of the product can be sprayed with the slurry.

[0047] After installing cover plate 3, the spraying process begins. After one coat of spraying, the battery is dried in situ for 2 minutes. This process is repeated 5 times until the spraying is complete. The angle of the inclined plane is adjusted according to process requirements to control the sputtering range and thickness of the slurry. During the spraying process, the slurry is sputtered along the inclined sputtering platform 15 under air pressure, evenly and completely covering the sides of the product, achieving full edge coverage of the connector.

[0048] After the spraying is completed, use the magnetic suction plate 1 to remove the cover plate 3 from the base 5. Then, place the base 5 on the ejector plate 11, ensuring that the guide post of the ejector plate 11 is aligned with the through hole 6 of the base 5. Slowly lower the ejector plate 11 so that the ejector pin 13 extends out of the ejector pin hole 16 of the base 5, ejecting the product in one go.

[0049] Finally, the ejected product is moved to the next stage to complete the entire spraying process.

[0050] The product is a semi-finished battery, and the spraying fixture in this invention can be used by spraying workers to fix the workpiece, or it can be used in the spraying equipment. The size and number of spraying windows on the cover plate 3 and the base 5 can be flexibly changed according to the size of the product to accommodate the spraying of products of different sizes and quantities.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] This embodiment is a further limitation of embodiment 1. The specific improvement is the tilt angle setting of the inclined sputtering stage 15. Other parts not mentioned refer to embodiment 1 or the prior art.

[0053] In this embodiment, the semi-finished battery is 250mm long, 30mm wide, and 4mm high. The dimensions of the receiving groove 8 in the base 5 are 251mm long, 31mm wide, and 4mm high. The dimensions of the contour groove 2 in the cover plate 3 are 251mm long and 30mm wide. The angle between the inclined sputtering stage 15 and the horizontal line is adjusted to 60°, and the edge of the inclined sputtering stage 15 is in close contact with the lower side of the semi-finished battery. The inclined sputtering stage 15 allows the side of the semi-finished battery to be completely sprayed with the slurry, with a spray thickness of 13.1μm. The sprayed connector is dense and free of pores. (Reference) Figure 10 .

[0054] Example 3

[0055] This embodiment is a further limitation of embodiment 1. The specific improvement is the tilt angle setting of the inclined sputtering stage 15. Other parts not mentioned refer to embodiment 1 or the prior art.

[0056] In this embodiment, the angle between the inclined sputtering stage 15 and the horizontal line is 30°, resulting in a spray thickness of 9.3 μm and a long reference. Figure 11 .

[0057] As can be seen from Examples 2 and 3, by adjusting the angle of the inclined sputtering stage 15, the spraying thickness of the slurry can be precisely controlled according to different product sizes, slurry properties and spraying requirements, thereby achieving a more efficient and economical battery manufacturing process.

[0058] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this patent. Various modifications and variations that can be made by a person skilled in the art without inventive effort within the scope described in the claims still fall within the scope of protection of this patent.

Claims

1. A surface densification spraying fixture for manufacturing flat-tube fuel cells, characterized in that, Includes a base (5) and a cover plate (3) covering the base (5). The base (5) is provided with a plurality of receiving slots (8) for accommodating semi-finished batteries. Each receiving slot (8) is provided with a plurality of vacuum holes (9) communicating with an external vacuum pump in the middle. The cover plate (3) is provided with contoured through slots (2) corresponding to multiple receiving slots (8). The cross section of each contoured through slot (2) is in the shape of an inverted isosceles trapezoid. The two inclined sides of each contoured through slot (2) are inclined sputtering platforms (15). The surface of each inclined sputtering platform (15) is roughened, and the material of each inclined sputtering platform (15) is a low surface energy material.

2. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tilt angle of each of the aforementioned inclined sputtering stages (15) is 30° to 60°.

3. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The average roughness of each of the inclined sputtering stages (15) is 1.6 μm to 3.2 μm.

4. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each inclined sputtering stage (15) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene oxide, polyoxymethylene or polycarbonate.

5. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an ejector plate (11), and each of the receiving slots (8) has a pin hole (16) through both sides. The ejector plate (11) is provided with multiple pins (13), and the multiple pins (13) correspond one-to-one with the multiple pin holes (16). Each pin (13) is clearance-fitted with the corresponding pin hole (16). The ejector plate (11) ejects the semi-finished battery in each receiving slot (8) through the multiple pins (13).

6. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 5, characterized in that, The base (5) has through holes (6) at each of its four corners, and the top plate (11) has guide posts (12) at each of its four corners. The four guide posts (12) are respectively fitted with the four through holes (6) with clearance.

7. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (5) has a rectangular plate structure. Multiple receiving slots (8) on the base (5) are arranged in the transverse direction. Slide rails (10) are arranged transversely on both sides of the receiving slots (8) on the upper surface of the base (5). The lower surface of the cover plate (3) is provided with an installation groove (14) that engages and slides with the two slide rails (10).

8. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 7, characterized in that, The upper surface of the cover plate (3) is provided with an indicator arrow (4) for indicating the direction of engagement between the cover plate (3) and the base (5).

9. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat-tube fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two magnetic absorbing pieces (1) are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the cover plate (3).

10. The interface densification spraying fixture for producing flat tubular fuel cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top view projection of the contoured through groove (2) and the receiving groove (8) are both rectangular, and the semi-finished battery is a flat tube type fuel cell semi-finished battery.

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