Under-membrane sealing ring of AEM hydrogen production galvanic pile

Abstract

The utility model discloses an under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production galvanic pile, which relates to the technical field of AEM hydrogen production and comprises a sealing ring main body, the whole sealing ring body is in a circular ring shape and is made of EPDM materials, at least one side of the sealing ring is provided with two sets of inner sealing lips and outer sealing lips which are concentrically arranged, and the sections of the inner sealing lips and the outer sealing lips are both semicircular. A framework is further arranged in the sealing ring body, the whole framework is in a circular ring shape, and the sealing ring is filled with the framework. A plurality of circular through holes are formed in the framework in a circular array mode, the EPDM penetrates through the through holes in the framework, and then the fusion degree of the framework and the sealing ring body is enhanced. Through the design of the inner sealing lip and the outer sealing lip, quick response can be ensured and effective sealing can be provided when the sealing lip is pressed; the skeleton made of the PEEK material provides high mechanical strength, so that the sealing ring is prevented from being damaged under high pressure; the design of the through holes enhances the combination of the framework and the sealing ring main body, and the stability of the whole structure is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of AEM hydrogen production technology, specifically a sub-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrogen production via water electrolysis uses water as the reactant. Applying direct current to the anode and cathode of the electrolysis unit produces hydrogen and oxygen. The equipment is simple, produces high-purity hydrogen, and can be widely adopted and used. Structurally, water electrolysis units can be categorized into two main types: spaced-gap and zero-gap. The zero-gap type features high current density, high efficiency, and fast response, making it well-suited for use with renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar power). Furthermore, its compact structure allows operation under high pressures of 3-5 MPa, effectively simplifying hydrogen compression and storage.

[0003] For example, patent CN215184077U discloses an open-type air-cooled fuel cell with an annular cathode, including one or more battery cells, which are assembled with current collectors and insulating plates to form a battery stack and jointly define two hydrogen through holes. The battery cells are assembled from bipolar plates, membrane electrode assemblies, and sealing rings. The bipolar plates are annular structures with double-sided flow channels, and the battery stack is formed accordingly in an annular shape. The interior of the battery stack forms an annular embedded air duct.

[0004] The aforementioned patent uses a sealing ring to achieve sealing; however, the disadvantage of the aforementioned patent is that due to issues with processing precision and assembly progress, uneven stress can easily occur at various points on the sealing ring, which can lead to partial structural damage to the sealing ring and a decrease in sealing performance; at the same time, sealing rings made of flexible materials such as EPDM are prone to flow outwards when under pressure, which can cause the sealing ring installation point to lose its seal.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to improve such a structure to overcome the above-mentioned defects. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sub-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A sub-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack includes a sealing ring body. The sealing ring body is generally annular and made of EPDM material. At least one side of the sealing ring has two sets of concentric inner and outer sealing lips, and the cross-sections of the inner and outer sealing lips are both semi-circular. A skeleton is also provided inside the sealing ring body. The skeleton is generally annular and fills the sealing ring. The skeleton has several circular through holes arranged in a circular array. The EPDM material sealing ring body structure passes through the through holes on the skeleton, thereby enhancing the integration between the skeleton and the sealing ring body.

[0009] Furthermore, the skeleton is made of PEEK material.

[0010] Furthermore, the through hole can be rectangular.

[0011] Furthermore, the through hole can be any polygon.

[0012] Furthermore, the through hole can be any one or a combination of any irregular closed shape.

[0013] Furthermore, both the upper and lower surfaces of the skeleton have at least one complete annular groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the skeleton is a circular waveform.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] Double sealing: The design of inner and outer sealing lips ensures a rapid response and provides an effective seal under pressure.

[0017] High-strength support: The PEEK material skeleton provides high mechanical strength to prevent the seal from breaking under high pressure.

[0018] Enhanced integration: The through-hole design strengthens the connection between the skeleton and the sealing ring body, improving the overall structural stability.

[0019] Reliability under extreme conditions: The design of the annular groove and the wave skeleton ensures that the sealing ring can maintain its sealing performance under extreme pressure. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 1.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0022] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the skeleton structure of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 2.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another skeleton structure of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 2.

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the skeleton of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 3.

[0027] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of a section at point C.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the skeleton of the under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack in Example 4. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this utility model provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed utility model, but merely represents selected embodiments of the utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0030] Example 1, please refer to Figure 1-3 A membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack, comprising a sealing ring body 1;

[0031] The main body of the sealing ring 1 is circular in shape and made of EPDM material. The sealing ring 1 has two sets of concentric inner sealing lips 2 and outer sealing lips 3 on at least one side, and the cross-section of the inner sealing lip 2 and the outer sealing lip 3 is semi-circular.

[0032] When this solution is put into use, the inner sealing lip 2 and the outer sealing lip 3 are set together to meet the sealing requirements in the hydrogen production process. When the sealing ring is under pressure, the two inner and outer sealing lips deform first to meet the sealing requirements.

[0033] In this design, a frame 4 is also provided inside the sealing ring body 1.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the skeleton 4 is circular in shape and is made of PEEK material. In this solution, the skeleton 4 is used to fill the sealing ring 1 because the PEEK material skeleton 4 itself has higher mechanical strength than EPDM, which can prevent the sealing ring from being directly crushed when it is under pressure.

[0035] Meanwhile, in this solution, in order to achieve a higher degree of fusion between the skeleton 4 and the sealing ring body 1, the skeleton 4 is provided with a number of circular through holes 5 in a circular array. During production, the EPDM sealing ring body 1 is fused to the surface of the skeleton 4 by insert injection molding. The EPDM passes through the through holes 5 on the skeleton 4, thereby enhancing the degree of fusion between the skeleton 4 and the sealing ring body 1.

[0036] Example 2, as Figure 4-6 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the through hole 5 can be a rectangle, any other polygon, or any other irregular shape;

[0037] Example 3, as Figure 7-8 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and embodiment one is that: the upper and lower surfaces of the skeleton 4 each have at least one complete annular groove 6; this arrangement ensures that when the sealing ring is subjected to great pressure, the sealing ring body 1 on the upper and lower surfaces of the skeleton 4 is crushed and damaged, but the skeleton 4 is not crushed and damaged, at least the EPDM contained in the annular groove 6 can still guarantee the sealing performance of the sealing ring to a certain extent.

[0038] Example 4, as Figure 9 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the skeleton 4 is a circular wave, that is, the skeleton 4 is a circular ring and there are several peaks and valleys on the ring. This setting makes the skeleton 4 have a larger deformation range, so that the sealing ring can not only rely on the elasticity of the material itself to apply axial preload, but also rely on the wave-shaped skeleton 4 to increase the axial preload of the sealing ring.

[0039] When this solution is put into use, the electrode plates of the fuel cell stack compress the sealing ring, causing the sealing ring to deform. At this time, the inner and outer sealing lips deform first to meet the sealing requirements. At the same time, the waveform skeleton 4 deforms, which can avoid excessive local stress caused by the sealing ring during the compression process, and prevent the EPDM of the sealing ring from being squeezed and failing.

[0040] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "left," and "right," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this utility model is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "set" and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A sub-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack, comprising a sealing ring body; characterized in that, The main body of the sealing ring is circular in shape and made of EPDM material. At least one side of the sealing ring has two sets of concentric inner and outer sealing lips, and the cross-section of both the inner and outer sealing lips is semi-circular. The sealing ring body also has a skeleton inside, which is circular in shape and fills the sealing ring. The skeleton has several circular through holes arranged in a circular array. Part of the structure of the EPDM material sealing ring body passes through the through holes on the skeleton, thereby enhancing the fusion between the skeleton and the sealing ring body.

2. The under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is made of PEEK material.

3. The under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole can be rectangular.

4. The under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole can be any polygon.

5. The under-membrane sealing ring of an AEM hydrogen production stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole can be any one or a combination of any irregular closed shape.

6. A sub-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The upper and lower surfaces of the skeleton each have at least one complete annular groove.

7. The under-membrane sealing ring for an AEM hydrogen production stack according to claim 6, characterized in that, The skeleton is a circular wave shape.

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