Metallic plate with water field sealing structure and sealing groove structure

Abstract

This utility model discloses a metal bipolar plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure. The metal bipolar plate includes an anode plate and a cathode plate; both the anode and cathode plates of the metal bipolar plate are provided with gas field sealing grooves; a water field sealing groove is provided within the gas field sealing groove of the anode plate and / or cathode plate; the gas field sealing groove includes an outer ring sealing groove and a three-cavity sealing groove; the outer ring sealing groove corresponds to the overall outer edge of the flow field region and the three-cavity opening region of the plate, and the three-cavity sealing groove corresponds to the three-cavity opening region of the plate. This utility model utilizes the unique properties of stamped metal bipolar plates and the requirements of the metal bipolar plate support structure to provide a water field sealing groove with a double-trough structure resembling a "W" in the metal gas field sealing groove. After applying adhesive at the double troughs, the metal anode plate and the metal cathode plate are pressed together to form a double-sealed structure, while a hard seal is formed at the crests, increasing the sealing strength and thus improving the robustness and durability of the overall sealing structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to fuel cell electrode plates, specifically to a metal electrode plate water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure. Background Technology

[0002] Fuel cells operate by generating electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to power a vehicle. However, the accumulated heat from the reaction reduces the catalytic effectiveness of the catalyst, necessitating cooling of the water-metal fuel cell's interior to remove heat and maintain a stable internal environment. These three substances must reside in separate spaces within the fuel cell, ensuring isolation and preventing interference between them.

[0003] Existing methods for sealing metal electrode water fields typically involve laser welding. This method utilizes a laser beam to generate high-temperature melting on the workpiece surface, connecting it to another workpiece to separate the water field from the water cavity and the hydrogen-air cavity. Laser welding causes significant damage to the coating and induces stress corrosion, accelerating the corrosion rate of the electrode. Furthermore, the electrode is subjected to high humidity and high pressure for extended periods, resulting in extremely rapid corrosion. Once corrosion causes perforation, the consequences are unimaginable. Another method involves bonding metal electrode plates. This involves designing the adhesive grooves for the metal anode and cathode gas fields to be slightly shallower, leaving a gap of approximately 0.05-0.07 mm when the bipolar plates are bonded. A pre-cut sealing gasket is then bonded at this location using specialized tooling, followed by hot pressing to complete the water field seal. However, this bonding method requires the adhesive grooves for the metal anode and cathode gas fields to be at least 7 mm wide. Additionally, excessive pressure during hot pressing can cause adhesive to flow into the water field channels, clogging them. More importantly, if the adhesive leaks, the effective sealing area will be reduced, leading to seal failure. Therefore, this invention proposes a metal electrode plate water field sealing scheme and a sealing groove structure design.

[0004] It is evident that in existing technologies, water-field welding sealing structures cause significant damage to the coating, especially given the thinness and poor support of the existing metal electrode substrate. Adding weld points in the electrode flow channel area is often considered, but high temperature, high humidity, and acidic environments further accelerate the corrosion of the metal electrode. Therefore, a water-field sealing adhesive groove with a double-trough structure resembling a "W" is proposed. After applying adhesive at the double troughs, the metal anode and cathode plates are pressed together to form a "double-seal" structure. This involves a soft seal formed by adhesive bonding at the troughs and a hard seal between metal parts at the crests. This approach is a good attempt to solve the aforementioned problems and can greatly improve the robustness of the fuel cell bipolar plate seal. Furthermore, addressing the accelerated corrosion problem caused by welding will significantly extend the lifespan of both the metal electrode and the coating itself. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model overcomes the defects of the prior art and provides a metal plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure.

[0006] The technical solution of the utility model is as follows:

[0007] A metal plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure, the metal bipolar plate includes an anode plate and a cathode plate; air field sealing grooves are provided on both the anode plate and the cathode plate of the metal bipolar plate; a water field sealing groove is arranged in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate and / or the cathode plate;

[0008] The air field sealing groove includes an air field outer ring sealing groove and an air field three - cavity sealing groove; the air field outer ring sealing groove corresponds to the overall outer edge of the flow field area and the three - cavity area of the plate, and the air field three - cavity sealing groove corresponds to the three - cavity area of the plate.

[0009] Preferably, the air field outer ring sealing groove of the anode plate and the air field outer ring sealing groove of the cathode plate, as well as the air field three - cavity sealing groove of the anode plate and the air field three - cavity sealing groove of the cathode plate, are all symmetrical structures.

[0010] Preferably, if a water field sealing groove is provided in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate, the water field sealing groove is in contact with the plane formed by stamping the cathode air field sealing groove, forming a "W" - shaped sealing area.

[0011] Preferably, if a water field sealing groove is provided in the air field sealing groove of the cathode plate, the water field sealing groove is in contact with the plane formed by stamping the anode air field sealing groove, forming a "W" - shaped sealing area.

[0012] Preferably, if water field sealing grooves are provided in both the anode air field sealing groove and the cathode air field sealing groove, the water field sealing grooves of the anode air field sealing groove and the water field sealing grooves of the cathode air field sealing groove are in a staggered structure, forming a "pin" - shaped sealing area.

[0013] Preferably, the cross - sectional shape of the water field sealing groove is circular, rectangular, or other regular shapes; the size of the water field sealing groove is 0.5 - 2 mm; the gap range between the water field sealing grooves is 0.5 - 2 mm, and the number of water field sealing grooves is 1 - 10.

[0014] Preferably, a sealing element is arranged inside the water field sealing groove.

[0015] Preferably, overflow glue groove holes are arranged around the water field sealing groove.

[0016] 3]Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the utility model are as follows:

[0017] (1) This utility model utilizes the unique properties of stamped metal plates and the requirements of metal plate support structure to provide a water field sealing glue groove with a double trough structure similar to "W" in the metal gas field sealing glue groove. After applying glue at the double trough, the metal anode plate and the metal cathode plate are pressed together to form a "double seal" structure. That is, a soft seal is formed by glue bonding at the double trough, while a hard seal is formed at the crest, which increases the sealing strength and thus improves the robustness and durability of the overall sealing structure.

[0018] (2) This utility model addresses the problem of glue overflow in the sealing element of the water field sealing groove by arranging glue overflow slots around it. On the one hand, the glue overflow slots provide support to the metal electrode plate, similar to reinforcing ribs; on the other hand, fuel cell stack inspection can be performed in this area to monitor the fuel cell stack voltage. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a planar schematic diagram of the gas and water field sealing grooves and the welding wires in a conventional metal bipolar plate.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the gas and water field sealing grooves of a conventional metal bipolar plate.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the gas and water field sealing groove of the metal bipolar plate in Example 1 of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the gas and water field sealing groove of the metal bipolar plate in Example 2 of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the gas and water field sealing groove of the metal bipolar plate in Example 3 of this utility model.

[0024] The components in the diagram are as follows: Anode plate 1, Cathode plate 2, Gas field outer ring sealing groove 3, Gas field three-chamber sealing groove 4, Water field sealing groove 5, Welding wire 6, Sealing element 7, Glue overflow groove hole 8. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand how to practice this utility model. Although this utility model has been described in conjunction with its preferred embodiments, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0026] See Figures 1-3, A metal bipolar plate water field sealing solution and sealing groove structure design, including a metal bipolar plate. In this embodiment, the metal bipolar plate includes an anode plate 1 and a cathode plate 2. Air field sealing grooves are provided on both the anode plate 1 and the cathode plate 2 of the metal bipolar plate, and a water field sealing groove 5 is arranged in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate 1 and / or the cathode plate 2; the sealing groove includes an outer ring sealing groove 3 and a three-chamber sealing groove 4. The outer ring sealing groove 3 corresponds to the overall outer edge of the flow field area and the three-chamber area of the bipolar plate, and the three-chamber area sealing groove 2 corresponds to the three-chamber area of the bipolar plate.

[0027] The outer ring sealing groove 3 of the anode plate 1 and the outer ring sealing groove 3 of the cathode plate 2, as well as the three-chamber sealing groove 4 of the anode plate 1 and the three-chamber sealing groove 4 of the cathode plate 2, are all symmetrical structures.

[0028] The present utility model can be realized through the following three embodiment structures, and a water field sealing groove 5 is provided in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate / cathode plate. If a water field sealing groove 5 is provided in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate, it can be fitted to the plane formed by stamping the air field sealing groove of the cathode, forming a "w"-shaped sealing area. It can be seen that Figure 3 ; if a water field sealing groove is provided in the air field sealing groove of the cathode plate, it can be fitted to the plane formed by stamping the air field sealing groove of the anode, forming a "w"-shaped sealing area. It can be seen that Figure 4 ; if water field sealing grooves are provided in both the air field sealing groove of the anode and the air field sealing groove of the cathode, the water field sealing groove of the anode and the water field sealing groove of the cathode need to be in a mutually offset structure, forming a "pin"-shaped sealing area, that is, ensuring that one side of the sealing structure is fitted to the plane to ensure the reliability and stability of the sealing element. It can be seen that Figure 5 .

[0029] After the water field sealing groove 5 of the anode and the water field sealing groove 5 of the cathode are mutually fitted, a water field sealing area will be formed. Glue is applied or a sealing gasket is thermally pressed and fitted at this sealing area to form a sealing element 7 between the cathode plate and the anode plate, ensuring the sealing effect of the three-chamber area, and at the same time making the passages of air, hydrogen, and cooling water unobstructed, ensuring the isolation effect of the three-chamber area.

[0030] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the water field sealing groove 5 can be circular, rectangular, or other regular shapes; the size of the water field sealing groove 5 can be 0.5 - 2 mm; the gap range between the water field sealing grooves 5 can be 0.5 - 2 mm, and the number of the water field sealing grooves 5 can be 1 - 10. The above parameter settings for the water field sealing groove 5 are within a reasonable range and are sufficient to meet the requirements of water field sealing.

[0031] In this embodiment, the water field sealing groove 5 has a height limitation. Under ideal assembly conditions, the compression rate of the carbon paper is generally around 15%~20%, and the effective sealing range of the sealant is 25%~35%. The ideal assembly formula for the lower membrane electrode, bipolar plate, and sealant is (sealant height - groove depth) * 2 + membrane electrode frame thickness = membrane electrode carbon paper compressed thickness * 2 + membrane electrode CCM thickness, from which the range of the sealant height after compression can be calculated. The sealant height design for the water field sealing groove 5 should be less than the height of the compressed gas field sealant. The sealing elements for the gas path are generally made of silicone or EPDM. Injection molding is used to achieve gas field sealing in the anode plate gas field groove and the cathode plate gas field groove.

[0032] In this embodiment, a sealing element 7 is provided inside the water field sealing groove 5. To address the issue of adhesive overflow from the sealing element of the water field sealing groove 5, overflow grooves 8 can be further arranged around it. On one hand, the overflow grooves 8 provide support to the metal electrode plates, similar to reinforcing ribs; on the other hand, fuel cell stack inspections can perform fuel cell stack voltage monitoring in this area.

Claims

1. A metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure, characterized in that, The metal bipolar plate includes an anode plate (1) and a cathode plate (2); air field sealing grooves are provided on both the anode plate (1) and the cathode plate (2) of the metal bipolar plate; a water field sealing groove (5) is arranged in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate (1) and / or the cathode plate (2). The air field sealing groove includes an air field outer ring sealing groove (3) and an air field three - cavity sealing groove (4); the air field outer ring sealing groove (3) corresponds to the overall outer edge of the flow field area and the three - cavity area of the plate, and the air field three - cavity sealing groove (4) corresponds to the three - cavity area of the plate.

2. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air field outer ring sealing groove (3) of the anode plate (1) and the air field outer ring sealing groove (3) of the cathode plate (2), as well as the air field three - cavity sealing groove (4) of the anode plate (1) and the air field three - cavity sealing groove (4) of the cathode plate (2) are all symmetric structures.

3. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, If a water field sealing groove (5) is provided in the air field sealing groove of the anode plate, the water field sealing groove (5) is fitted to the plane formed by stamping the air field sealing groove of the cathode to form a "W" - shaped sealing area.

4. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, If a water field sealing groove (5) is provided in the air field sealing groove of the cathode plate, the water field sealing groove (5) is fitted to the plane formed by stamping the air field sealing groove of the anode to form a "W" - shaped sealing area.

5. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, If water field sealing grooves (5) are provided in both the air field sealing groove of the anode and the air field sealing groove of the cathode, the water field sealing grooves of the air field sealing groove of the anode and the water field sealing grooves of the air field sealing groove of the cathode are in a staggered structure, forming a "pin" - shaped sealing area.

6. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross - sectional shape of the water field sealing groove (5) is circular, rectangular, or other regular shapes; the size of the water field sealing groove (5) is 0.5 - 2 mm; the gap range between the water field sealing grooves (5) is 0.5 - 2 mm, and the number of the water field sealing grooves (5) is 1 - 10.

7. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sealing element (7) is arranged inside the water field sealing groove (5).

8. The metal electrode plate with a water field sealing structure and a sealing groove structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Overflow glue groove holes (8) are arranged around the water field sealing groove (5).

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