Automatic assembly method with electric pile and electrolytic cell and production line equipment thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic assembly method with an electric pile and an electrolytic bath and production line equipment thereof. To-be-assembled materials are put into corresponding feeding boxes and conveyed to the feeding position of a selected assembly line; the materials in the corresponding feeding boxes are grabbed to the deviation correction position of the visual deviation correction module according to the stacking sequence of the galvanic piles or the materials in the electrolytic cell; the visual deviation rectifying module is used for automatically rectifying deviation of the materials; the negative pressure suction cup places the materials subjected to deviation rectification on an outer positioning tool clamp for stacking till the stacking section number reaches the preset layer number, and stacking is completed; a blind end plate, an insulating plate and a collector plate are installed on the stacked outer positioning tool clamp and conveyed to a press-fitting station; carrying out reactor core press-fitting at a press-fitting station under a set pressure to prepare a press-fitted electric pile or electrolytic cell; and carrying out air tightness detection on the electric pile or the electrolytic cell obtained after press fitting, and identifying qualified products. Visual correction is combined, automatic correction is achieved, the stacking precision is guaranteed, human factors are reduced, and the product quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells and electrolyzers, and more specifically, to an automatic assembly method and production line equipment for both a stack and an electrolyzer. Background Art

[0002] Fuel cells and electrolyzers are chemical devices with a reciprocal process. The core is the place where electrochemical reactions occur and is also the core part of the fuel cell and electrolyzer system devices. The core is composed of multiple single cells stacked in series. The single cell consists of an anode porous electrode, a cathode porous electrode, and an electrolyte. The bipolar plates and membrane electrodes are repeatedly stacked alternately. When the stacking reaches a certain appropriate number, pressure is applied from the outside to press the inlet end plate, blind end plate insulating plate, and current collector plate, and the screw is locked for fastening. Finally, a stack or an electrolyzer is formed. This series of assembly processes directly determines the performance and lifespan of the fuel cell and electrolyzer.

[0003] In the current assembly process of stacks and electrolyzers, most of the key links in the entire assembly process are semi-automatically assembled and detected by manual operation methods, resulting in low automation and low assembly efficiency. Moreover, due to differences in the quality of operators, assembly errors are likely to occur, and the consistency of product quality cannot be guaranteed. At the same time, the existing automated assembly production lines have single functions. The assembly production line is only suitable for assembling and producing fuel cell stacks or electrolyzers and cannot achieve switching assembly production between the two. If it is necessary to meet the production of stacks and electrolyzers, two sets of assembly lines for stacks and electrolyzers need to be invested separately, which leads to excessive occupation of factory space and high equipment costs. Therefore, designing and developing an automatic assembly production line for both stacks and electrolyzers can greatly improve production efficiency and is of great significance for the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic assembly method and production line equipment for both a stack and an electrolyzer. The program for automatically switching the production process of the stack or electrolyzer is realized through the host computer program, so as to achieve the corresponding working mode on the PLC program module. The whole line combines machine vision correction to automatically correct the position of stacked materials, ensuring stacking accuracy and efficiency. Combining press-fitting and on-line airtight detection, unqualified products are sent to the repair station, reducing human factors and improving the consistency of product quality.

[0005] The technical solutions adopted are as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, the present invention provides an automatic assembly method for both a stack and an electrolyzer, and the assembly method includes the following steps:

[0007] Put the stack materials or electrolyzer materials to be assembled into the corresponding feeding boxes;

[0008] The manipulation program switching module selects the stack or electrolyzer assembly, and conveys the corresponding loading box to the loading position of the selected assembly line;

[0009] According to the stacking order of the stack or electrolyzer materials, the materials in the corresponding loading box are grabbed one by one to the rectifying position of the vision rectifying module by using the sucker grabbing method;

[0010] The vision rectifying module automatically rectifies the position of the material placed at the rectifying position;

[0011] The rectified material is placed on the outer positioning tooling fixture by using the sucker grabbing method for stacking until the stacking number reaches the predetermined number of layers, and the stacking of the stack or electrolyzer materials is completed;

[0012] Install the blind end plate, insulating plate and current collector plate on the stacked outer positioning tooling fixture, and convey it to the press-fitting station;

[0013] Perform the stack core press-fitting under the set pressure at the press-fitting station until the pressure remains constant, and the press-fitted stack or electrolyzer is obtained;

[0014] Perform airtightness detection on the press-fitted stack or electrolyzer, and identify the qualified products.

[0015] Further, the vision rectifying module automatically rectifies the position of the material placed at the rectifying position, and the specific method is as follows:

[0016] Collect the images of the three right-angle vertices of the material through the camera to obtain the position coordinates of the three vertices;

[0017] Calculate the center point and angle of the material according to the position coordinates of the three vertices to obtain the current position coordinates of the material;

[0018] Combine the set target position coordinates, calculate the current position deviation of the material and transmit it to the rectifying platform;

[0019] The rectifying platform automatically adjusts the motion parameters to adjust the material to the target position.

[0020] Preferably, the stack materials include the seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plate, and the seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plate are respectively placed in the corresponding loading boxes. During stacking, two negative pressure suckers are used alternately to stack the seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plate.

[0021] Preferably, the electrolyzer materials include the three-in-one membrane electrode, porous transport layer and titanium bipolar plate, and the three-in-one membrane electrode, porous transport layer and titanium bipolar plate are respectively placed in the corresponding loading boxes. During stacking, three negative pressure suckers are used alternately to stack the three-in-one membrane electrode, porous transport layer and titanium bipolar plate.

[0022] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an automatic assembly production line equipment integrating a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer, and the equipment includes:

[0023] A program switching module for automatically switching between two assembly lines of the fuel cell stack and the electrolyzer;

[0024] A loading box for placing fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials;

[0025] A vision alignment module that uses machine vision to detect the position deviation of materials and perform automatic alignment adjustment;

[0026] A stacking module that, according to the assembly line program selected by the program switching module, retrieves the corresponding number of negative pressure suction cups and automatically stacks the materials of the selected assembly line by using the suction cup grasping method;

[0027] A transfer conveyor for transferring the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials;

[0028] A press-fitting module for assembling a blind end plate, an insulating plate, and a current collector plate on the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials and performing press-fitting and fixing of the stack core;

[0029] An airtightness detection module for detecting the airtightness of the assembled fuel cell stack or electrolyzer.

[0030] Preferably, the vision alignment module includes a code scanning component, a camera, an image processing unit, and an alignment platform. The material to be aligned is placed on the alignment platform. The code scanning component identifies the two-dimensional code of the material and uploads the data to the MES management system; the camera collects the position data of the material placement, and after being processed by the image processing unit, the feedback position deviation is obtained, and the alignment platform adjusts the material position according to the position deviation.

[0031] More preferably, the camera includes three cameras, and the vision coordinate system of the camera is consistent with the coordinate system of the alignment platform.

[0032] Preferably, the stacking module includes three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems. When stacking electrolyzer materials, three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately control the stacking sequence and position of the materials; when stacking fuel cell stack materials, two of the suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately control the stacking sequence and position of the materials.

[0033] Preferably, the suction cup is a circular composite flexible negative pressure vacuum suction cup, and 6 circular small suction nozzles for sucking the material frame are arranged at the edge of the suction cup, and a plurality of micro holes are formed in an array arrangement in the middle area of the suction cup.

[0034] Preferably, the press-fitting module is a four-column servo press, which is used to press-fit the stack core to reach a predetermined pressure and displacement.

[0035] Preferably, the airtightness detection module includes a pressure sensor, a flowmeter and a data recorder, which are used to record and analyze the airtightness test results of the fuel cell stack or the electrolyzer.

[0036] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0037] A. The method and the assembly production line of the present invention are compatible with the continuous production operation of the fuel cell stack or the electrolyzer, and combine an automatic vision alignment module and a stacking module. The vision alignment module can position and correct the position of the arbitrarily placed fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials, and then realize the precise stacking at the stacking station, shorten the production cycle, significantly improve the production efficiency, thereby reducing the production cost and ensuring the product quality.

[0038] B. The stacking module adopted by the present invention is station-linked. The negative pressure suction cup grabs the materials and transports them to the station of the vision alignment module. The vision alignment module adjusts the material position according to the positioning error feedback by the vision camera taking pictures. This linkage mode can improve the stacking rhythm of the bipolar plates; through the synchronous reciprocating motion of the station stacking module, the rapid, efficient and precise stacking of the bipolar plates, membrane electrode and porous transport layer can be realized, ensuring the stacking consistency of the components, avoiding the errors caused by human factors, and further improving the product quality.

[0039] C. According to the selected type of assembly line, the present invention automatically calls the corresponding number of negative pressure suction cups to perform work. Through the precise cooperation of the composite negative pressure suction cup and the conveyor line to transport to the predetermined station, the standard operation process of the assembly of the fuel cell stack and the electrolyzer is realized, which is beneficial to the standardization of the production process.

[0040] D. The present invention sequentially stacks the inlet end plate, insulating plate and current collector plate through the clamp, and then uses the dedicated suction cups in their respective areas to grab the corresponding materials for stacking in turn. At the same time, through visual inspection and positioning, the accuracy of the stacking process is ensured. After repeating the stacking process and reaching the corresponding number of sections, finally place the blind end plate to complete the assembly. This automated process greatly improves the assembly efficiency and accuracy, reduces the need for manual operation, and at the same time reduces the production floor area and equipment cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for the specific embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0042] Figure 1It is a block diagram of the automatic assembly method for the stack and electrolyzer provided by the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the fuel cell stack assembly production line provided by the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the electrolyzer assembly production line provided by the present invention;

[0045] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the adsorption end face of the composite suction cup provided by the present invention.

[0046] The meanings of the markings in the figure are as follows:

[0047] 1 - Circular composite flexible negative pressure vacuum suction cup; 2 - Small suction nozzle; 3 - Micro hole. Specific embodiments

[0048] Next, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0049] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention provides an automatic assembly method for both the stack and electrolyzer, including the following steps:

[0050]

S01

[0051]

S02

[0052]

S03

[0053] For the stack materials, it includes a seven-in-one membrane electrode and a bipolar plate, and the seven-in-one membrane electrode and the bipolar plate are respectively placed in the corresponding feeding boxes. When stacking, two negative pressure suction cups are used to stack the seven-in-one membrane electrode and the bipolar plate alternately.

[0054] For the electrolyzer materials, it includes a three-in-one membrane electrode, a porous transport layer, and a titanium bipolar plate. The three-in-one membrane electrode, the porous transport layer, and the titanium bipolar plate are respectively placed in corresponding feeding boxes. During stacking, three negative pressure suction cups are used to alternately stack the three-in-one membrane electrode, the porous transport layer, and the titanium bipolar plate.

[0055]

S04

[0056] The specific method is as follows:

[0057]

S041

[0058]

S042

[0059]

S043

[0060]

S044

[0061]

S05

[0062]

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[0063]

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[0064]

S08

[0065] Such as Figure 2As shown in the figure, the present invention also provides an automatic assembly production line equipment with both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer, including: a program switching module, a loading box, a vision alignment module, a transfer conveyor, a pressing module, and a airtightness detection module. Of course, a belt conveyor equipment is also provided. Among them, the program switching module is used to automatically switch between the two assembly lines of the fuel cell stack and the electrolyzer, realizing the working modes corresponding to the fuel cell stack assembly and the electrolyzer assembly; the loading box is used to place the fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials; the vision alignment module uses machine vision to detect the position deviation of the materials and automatically correct the deviation; the stacking module, according to the assembly line program selected by the program switching module, retrieves the corresponding number of negative pressure suction cups, and uses the suction cup grasping method to automatically stack the materials of the selected assembly line; the transfer conveyor is used to transfer the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials; the pressing module assembles the blind end plates, insulating plates, and current collector plates on the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials, and performs core pressing and fixing; the airtightness detection module is used for the airtightness detection of the assembled fuel cell stack or electrolyzer.

[0066] The vision alignment module adopted includes a code scanning component, a camera, an image processing unit, and an alignment platform. The material to be aligned is placed on the alignment platform. The code scanning component identifies the two-dimensional code of the material and uploads the data to the MES management system; the camera collects the position data of the material placement, and after being processed by the image processing unit, the feedback position deviation is obtained. The alignment platform adjusts the material position according to the position deviation. Three cameras are set for the adopted camera. The three cameras are used to collect the images of the three right-angle vertices of the material. The visual coordinate system of the camera is consistent with the coordinate system of the alignment platform. After the 3D detection and photographing by the camera of the present invention, the feedback position data is compared and adjusted with the set position, and the material is automatically aligned through the X-axis, Y-axis, and rotation angle of the alignment platform.

[0067] The stacking module includes three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems. For the stacking of electrolyzer materials, three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately control the stacking sequence and position of the materials; for the stacking of fuel cell stack materials, two of the suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately and precisely control the stacking sequence and position of the materials. Negative air pressure and positive air pressure are generated in the suction cups to grasp and release the materials. As Figure 4 shown, the suction cup is preferably a circular composite flexible negative pressure vacuum suction cup. There are 6 circular small suction nozzles for sucking the frame of the material arranged at the edge of the suction cup, which are used to suck the frame of the membrane electrode to avoid sagging. An array of small holes is formed in the middle area of the suction cup, and the generated negative pressure can tightly suck the active area of the membrane electrode, and it is not easy to fall off during rotation and movement.

[0068] The press-fitting module uses a four-column servo press to press-fit the stack core to reach the predetermined pressure and displacement. The airtightness detection module includes a pressure sensor, a flowmeter, and a data recorder, which are used to record and analyze the airtightness test results of the fuel cell stack or electrolyzer. The equipment of the assembly production line of the present invention is applicable to the automated assembly of fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers, and is suitable for materials with dimensions of 300-600 mm in length and 100-200 mm in width.

[0069] Example 1

[0070] Combined with Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a process and method for an automatic assembly system of a fuel cell stack with a molded graphite plate, including the following steps:

[0071] (1) Place the seven-in-one membrane electrode and the molded graphite plate into the corresponding feeding boxes. At the same time, manually place the inlet end plate, insulating plate, current collector plate, and single plate in the outer limit fixture. Select the fuel cell stack assembly line program on the program switching module, and transport it to the stacking station by the transfer conveyor line;

[0072] (2) The membrane electrode feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper on the membrane electrode through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the membrane electrode QR code, uploads the data to the MES management system, and then carefully grabs the membrane electrode through a combined negative pressure suction cup and places it at the position of the vision alignment module;

[0073] (3) The vision alignment module takes a camera photo of the placed membrane electrode, feedbacks the error, and adjusts the position of the membrane electrode through the alignment platform; after adjustment, place it on the single plate of the outer positioning fixture under the stacking position;

[0074] (4) At the same time, the molded graphite plate feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper on the molded graphite plate through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the molded graphite plate QR code, uploads the data to the MES management system, and then carefully grabs the molded graphite plate through a combined negative pressure suction cup and places it at the position of the vision alignment module;

[0075] (5) The vision alignment module takes a camera photo of the placed molded graphite plate, feedbacks the error, and adjusts the position of the molded graphite plate; after adjustment, place it on top of the membrane electrode under the stacking position.

[0076] In the above steps (2) and (4), the suction cup used is a circular composite flexible negative pressure vacuum suction cup, which integrates modules such as visual code scanning and selection. Through its unique corrugated design, it can adapt to the minute unevenness or concavity and convexity on the surfaces of bipolar plates and membrane electrodes, providing a more stable adsorption effect and reducing the decrease in adsorption force caused by surface unevenness. During the contact with bipolar plates or membrane electrodes, it can provide a larger contact area, thereby increasing the adsorption force. This is extremely important for ensuring the stability of components during the entire handling process, and the flexible contact characteristic effectively protects the MEA from being damaged.

[0077] In the above steps (3) and (5), three cameras are used in the visual alignment module to collect images of three right-angle vertices of the product, obtain the position coordinates of the three vertices, and calculate the center point and angle of the product. The coordinate systems of the vision and alignment platform are unified. The current position coordinates of the product are calculated through vision algorithms, and the relative position relationship between the current position and the set target position is calculated. If there is a position deviation, the relative position relationship will be calculated to automatically adjust the motion parameters to ensure accurate movement to the target position.

[0078] (6) Repeat steps (2), (3), (4), and (5) in this way to alternately stack membrane electrodes and molded graphite plates until the number of stacked sections of the stack assembly reaches the predetermined number of layers; the automated process provided by the present invention reduces the need for manual operation, greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of assembly, and thus ensures the repeatability of the entire stack assembly process;

[0079] (7) Manually assemble the blind end plate, insulating plate, and current collector plate, and then transport them to the pressing station along with the running transport device;

[0080] (8) The stacked stack is in the outer limit tooling fixture and is transported to the pressing module through the transfer transport device. The pressing uses a four-column servo press. Through the programmed procedure, the press head presses down on the stack at a rate of 0.3 mm / s and a pressure of 10 kN, and waits for the pressure to remain stable;

[0081] (9) Connect the upper manifold, introduce nitrogen pressure to 50 kPa, check the airtightness of the three cavities. Qualified products are sent to the next process, and unqualified products are sent to the repair station; the airtightness detection module is compatible with the flow method and the pressure holding method, and can also be compatible with ordinary atmosphere and nitrogen detection, and can quickly and stably detect the mutual leakage and external leakage of the three cavities of the air-cooled stack.

[0082] (10) For qualified products, put on the flange bolt tie rods, tighten the bolts diagonally with a torque of 4 - 15 Nm until the pressure value display of the four-column servo press ≤ 500 N, and the press head retracts at a rate of 10 - 20 mm / s, and the molded graphite plate stack product is sent offline for activation.

[0083] Example 2

[0084] Combined Figure 2 The present embodiment provides a process and method for an automatic assembly system of a metal bipolar plate stack, including the following steps:

[0085] (1) Place the seven-in-one membrane electrode and the metal bipolar plate into the corresponding loading boxes. At the same time, manually place the intake end plate, insulating plate, current collector plate, and single plate in the outer limit fixture. Select the stack assembly line program on the program switching module and transport them to the stacking station using the transfer conveyor line;

[0086] (2) Transport the membrane electrode loading box to the loading position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper on the membrane electrode through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the membrane electrode QR code and uploads the data to the MES management system. Subsequently, carefully grab the membrane electrode with a compound negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision module;

[0087] (3) The vision alignment module will take a camera photo of the placed membrane electrode, feedback the error and adjust the position of the membrane electrode; after adjustment, place it on the single plate of the outer positioning fixture under the stacking position;

[0088] (4) At the same time, transport the metal bipolar plate loading box to the loading position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper on the metal bipolar plate through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the membrane electrode QR code and uploads the data to the MES management system. Subsequently, carefully grab the metal bipolar plate with a compound negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module;

[0089] (5) The vision alignment module will take a camera photo of the placed metal bipolar plate, feedback the error and adjust the position of the metal bipolar plate; after adjustment, place it on top of the membrane electrode under the stacking position;

[0090] (6) Repeat steps (2), (3), (4), and (5) to alternately stack the membrane electrode and the metal bipolar plate until the stacking number of the stack assembly reaches the predetermined number of layers; this automated process reduces the need for manual operation, greatly improves the assembly efficiency and accuracy, and thus ensures the repeatability of the entire stack assembly process;

[0091] (7) Manually assemble the blind end plate, insulating plate, and current collector plate, and then transport them to the pressing station through the transfer conveyor device;

[0092] (8) The stacked stack is in the outer limit fixture and is transported to the pressing module through the transfer conveyor device. The pressing uses a four-column servo press. Through the programmed procedure, the pressing head presses the stack downward at a rate of 0.4 mm / s and a pressure of 17 kN, and waits for the pressure to stabilize;

[0093] (9) Connect the upper manifold, introduce nitrogen pressure up to 50 kPa, check the airtightness of the three chambers. Qualified products are sent to the next process, and unqualified products are sent to the repair station.

[0094] (10) For qualified products, put on the flange bolt tie rods, tighten the bolts diagonally with a torque of 4 - 10 Nm until the pressure value displayed on the four-column servo press is ≤ 500 N, and retract the press head at a rate of 10 - 20 mm / s. The stack products of the metal plates are sent to be activated.

[0095] Example 3

[0096] Combined with Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a PEM electrolyzer assembly system process and method. The PEM electrolyzer assembly steps are as follows:

[0097] (1) Put the membrane electrode, titanium mesh, and titanium bipolar plate into the corresponding feeding boxes. At the same time, manually place the end plates and insulating plates in the outer limit fixture. Select the electrolyzer assembly line program on the program switching module and transport them to the stacking station by the transfer conveyor line.

[0098] (2) The feeding box of the titanium bipolar plate is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the titanium bipolar plate through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the QR code identification of the titanium bipolar plate and uploads the data to the MES management system. Then, carefully grasp the titanium bipolar plate with a combined negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module.

[0099] (3) The vision alignment module takes a camera photo of the placed titanium bipolar plate, feedbacks the error and adjusts the position of the titanium bipolar plate; after adjustment, place it on the insulating plate of the end plate.

[0100] (4) The feeding box of the titanium mesh is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the titanium mesh through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the QR code identification of the titanium mesh, uploads the data to the MES management system. Then, carefully grasp the titanium mesh with a combined negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module.

[0101] (5) The vision alignment module takes a camera photo of the placed titanium mesh, feedbacks the error and adjusts the position of the titanium mesh; after adjustment, place it on the titanium bipolar plate.

[0102] (6) The feeding box of the membrane electrode is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper on the membrane electrode through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the QR code identification of the membrane electrode and uploads the data to the MES management system. Then, carefully grasp the membrane electrode with a combined negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module.

[0103] (7) The visual alignment module takes pictures of the placed membrane electrode with a camera, feeds back the error and adjusts the position of the membrane electrode; after adjustment, it is placed on the stacked titanium mesh;

[0104] (8) Sequentially repeat the steps from (2) to (7), repeatedly stack the titanium bipolar plates, titanium meshes, and membrane electrodes until the number of stacked sections of the PEM electrolyzer assembly reaches the predetermined number of layers; this automated process reduces the need for manual operation, greatly improves the assembly efficiency and accuracy, and thus ensures the repeatability of the entire stack assembly process;

[0105] (9) After manually placing the end plate and insulating plate, it is transported to the pressing station by the transfer conveyor;

[0106] (10) The stacked electrolyzers are in the outer limit tooling fixture and are transported to the pressing module by the transfer conveyor. The pressing uses a four-column servo press. Through the programmed procedure, the press head presses down on the electrolyzer at a rate of 1 mm / s and a pressure of 20 - 30 kN, and waits for the pressure to stabilize;

[0107] (12) Connect the upper manifold, introduce nitrogen pressure to 50 kPa, check the airtightness of the three chambers. Qualified products are sent to the next process, and unqualified products are sent to the repair station.

[0108] (13) For qualified products, put on the flange bolt tie rods, screw the bolts diagonally with a torque of 4 - 15 Nm until the pressure value displayed on the four-column servo press is ≤ 200 N, and the press head retracts at a rate of 5 - 30 mm / s. The electrolyzer product is sent offline for activation.

[0109] Example 4

[0110] Combined with Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides an alkaline electrolyzer assembly system process and method, and the specific assembly steps are as follows:

[0111] (1) Place the diaphragm, positive / negative electrode meshes, and bipolar plates into the corresponding feeding boxes. At the same time, manually place the end plate and insulating plate in the outer limit tooling fixture, select the electrolyzer assembly line program on the program switching module, and transport it to the stacking station by the transfer conveyor;

[0112] (2) The bipolar plate feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the bipolar plate through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the bipolar plate two-dimensional code, uploads the data to the MES management system, and then carefully grabs the bipolar plate with a composite negative pressure suction cup and places it at the position of the visual alignment module;

[0113] (3) The vision alignment module takes pictures of the placed bipolar plates with a camera, feeds back the error and adjusts the positions of the bipolar plates; after adjustment, place them on the insulating plate of the end plate;

[0114] (4) The positive electrode mesh feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the positive electrode mesh through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the two-dimensional code of the positive electrode mesh and uploads the data to the MES management system. Subsequently, carefully grasp the positive electrode mesh with a compound negative pressure suction cup and place it on the vision alignment module;

[0115] (5) The vision alignment module takes pictures of the placed positive electrode mesh with a camera, feeds back the error and adjusts the position of the positive electrode mesh; after adjustment, place it on the bipolar plate;

[0116] (6) The diaphragm feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the diaphragm through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the two-dimensional code of the diaphragm and uploads the data to the MES management system. Subsequently, carefully grasp the diaphragm with a compound negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module;

[0117] (7) The vision alignment module takes pictures of the placed diaphragm with a camera, feeds back the error and adjusts the position of the diaphragm; after adjustment, place it on the stacked positive electrode meshes;

[0118] (8) The negative electrode mesh feeding box is transported to the feeding position. The robotic arm moves to pick up the sulfuric acid paper of the negative electrode mesh through a negative pressure suction cup. The code scanning component completes the identification of the two-dimensional code of the negative electrode mesh and uploads the data to the MES management system. Subsequently, carefully grasp the negative electrode mesh with a compound negative pressure suction cup and place it at the position of the vision alignment module;

[0119] (9) The vision alignment module takes pictures of the placed negative electrode mesh with a camera, feeds back the error and adjusts the position of the negative electrode mesh; after adjustment, place it on the diaphragm;

[0120] (10) Sequentially repeat the steps from (2) to (9), repeating the bipolar plates, positive electrode meshes, diaphragms, negative electrode meshes, and bipolar plates until the stacked number of alkaline electrolyzer assemblies reaches the predetermined number of layers; this automated process reduces the need for manual operation, greatly improves the assembly efficiency and accuracy, and thus ensures the repeatability of the entire electrolyzer assembly process;

[0121] (11) After manually placing the end plate and insulating plate at the end, transport them to the press-fitting station with the transfer conveyor;

[0122] (12) In the outer limit tooling fixture of the alkaline cell, it is transported to the pressing module through the transfer and conveying device. The pressing is carried out by a four-column servo press. Through the programmed procedure, the pressing head presses the electrolytic cell downward at a rate of 0.5 mm / s and a pressure of 10 - 30 kN until the pressure remains stable.

[0123] (13) Connect the upper manifold, introduce nitrogen pressure to 50 kPa, check the airtightness of the three cavities. Qualified products are sent to the next process, and unqualified products are sent to the repair station.

[0124] (14) For qualified products, put on the flange bolt tie rods, screw the bolts diagonally with a torque of 4 - 15 Nm until the pressure value displayed by the four-column servo press is ≤ 400 N, and the pressing head retracts at a rate of 20 - 30 mm / s. The alkaline electrolytic cell products are taken offline for activation.

[0125] What is not described in this invention applies to the prior art.

[0126] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clear illustration and not limitations on the implementation manners. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all implementation manners here. And the obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An automatic assembly method for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer, characterized in that, The assembly method includes the following steps: Place the stack materials of the fuel cell stack or electrolyzer to be assembled into the corresponding feeding boxes; The control program switching module selects fuel cell stack or electrolyzer assembly, and transports the corresponding feeding box to the feeding position of the selected assembly line; According to the stacking order of the fuel cell stack or electrolyzer materials, use the suction cup grasping method to grab the materials in the corresponding feeding box one by one to the rectifying position of the vision rectifying module; The vision rectifying module automatically rectifies the position of the materials placed at the rectifying position; Use the suction cup grasping method to place the rectified materials on the outer positioning fixture for stacking until the number of stacked sections reaches the predetermined number of layers, completing the stacking of the fuel cell stack or electrolyzer materials; Install the blind end plate, insulating plate and current collector plate on the stacked outer positioning fixture and transport it to the press-fitting station; Perform stack core press-fitting under the set pressure at the press-fitting station until the pressure remains constant, obtaining the press-fitted fuel cell stack or electrolyzer; Perform airtightness detection on the obtained fuel cell stack or electrolyzer after press-fitting to identify qualified products.

2. The automatic assembly method for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific method for the vision rectifying module to automatically rectify the position of the materials placed at the rectifying position is as follows: Collect the images of three right-angle vertices of the materials through a camera to obtain the position coordinates of the three vertices; Calculate the center point and angle of the materials based on the position coordinates of the three vertices to obtain the current position coordinates of the materials; Combine the set target position coordinates, calculate the current position deviation of the materials and transmit it to the rectifying platform; The rectifying platform automatically adjusts the motion parameters to adjust the materials to the target position.

3. The automatic assembly method for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel cell stack materials include a seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plates, and the seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plates are respectively placed in the corresponding feeding boxes. During stacking, two negative pressure suction cups are used alternately to stack the seven-in-one membrane electrode and bipolar plates.

4. The automatic assembly method for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrolyzer materials include a three-in-one membrane electrode, a porous transport layer and a titanium bipolar plate, and the three-in-one membrane electrode, the porous transport layer and the titanium bipolar plate are respectively placed in the corresponding feeding boxes. During stacking, three negative pressure suction cups are used alternately to stack the three-in-one membrane electrode, the porous transport layer and the titanium bipolar plate.

5. An automatic assembly production line equipment for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer, characterized in that, The equipment includes: A program switching module for automatically switching between two assembly lines of fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers; Feeding boxes for placing fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials; A vision rectifying module that uses machine vision to detect the position deviation of materials and perform automatic rectifying adjustment; A stacking module that, according to the assembly line program selected by the program switching module, retrieves the corresponding number of negative pressure suction cups and uses the suction cup grasping method to automatically stack the materials of the selected assembly line; A transfer and transportation device for transporting the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials; A press-fitting module that assembles a blind end plate, an insulating plate and a current collector plate on the stacked fuel cell stack materials or electrolyzer materials and performs stack core press-fitting and fixing; An airtightness detection module for detecting the airtightness of the assembled fuel cell stack or electrolyzer.

6. The automatic assembly production line equipment for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The described vision correction module includes a barcode scanning component, a camera, an image processing unit, and a correction platform. The material to be corrected is placed on the correction platform. The barcode scanning component identifies the QR code of the material and uploads the data to the MES management system. The camera collects the position data of the material placement, and after being processed by the image processing unit, the feedback position deviation is obtained. The correction platform adjusts the position of the material according to the position deviation.

7. The automatic assembly production line equipment for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The camera includes three cameras, which are used to collect the images of three right-angle vertices of the material. The vision coordinate system of the camera is consistent with the coordinate system of the correction platform.

8. The automatic assembly production line equipment for both a fuel cell stack and an electrolyzer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The stacking module includes three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems. When stacking the electrolyzer materials, three suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately control the stacking sequence and position of the materials. When stacking the fuel cell stack materials, two of the suction cups and corresponding rotation systems are used to alternately control the stacking sequence and position of the materials.

9. The automatic assembly production line equipment with both an electrolyzer stack and an electrolytic cell according to claim 8, characterized in that, The suction cup is a circular composite flexible negative pressure vacuum suction cup. There are 6 small suction nozzles in the shape of a circle at the edge of the suction cup for sucking the border of the material, and a plurality of micro-holes are formed in an array in the middle area of the suction cup.

10. The automatic assembly production line equipment with both an electrolyzer stack and an electrolytic cell according to claim 5, characterized in that, The press-fitting module is a four-column servo press, which is used to press-fit the stack core to reach the predetermined pressure and displacement.

11. The automatic assembly production line equipment with both an electrolyzer stack and an electrolytic cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airtightness detection module includes a pressure sensor, a flow meter, and a data recorder, which are used to record and analyze the airtightness test results of the fuel cell stack or the electrolyzer.

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