Electrochemical device, in particular a fuel cell device

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrochemical device (10), in particular a fuel cell device (14), and to a method for producing such an electrochemical device (10), comprising at least one media-guiding unit (20), the media-guiding unit (20) comprising a support component (22), in particular a plate (26), and at least one supported component (24), in particular a deep-drawn part (28), the at least one supported component (24) being welded to the support component (22). It is proposed to form at least one projection (30) on the support component (22), to which projection the at least one supported component (24) is to be welded.

Description

[0001] R. 414148 -1 -

[0002] Description

[0003] title

[0004] Electrochemical device, in particular fuel cell device

[0005] The present invention relates to an electrochemical device, in particular a fuel cell device, and to a method for manufacturing such an electrochemical device, comprising at least one media guidance unit, wherein the media guidance unit comprises a support component, in particular a plate, and at least one supported component, in particular a deep-drawn part, wherein the at least one supported component is welded to the support component.

[0006] State of the art

[0007] German patent DE 10 2021 214 810 A1 discloses a fuel cell device and a method for manufacturing such a fuel cell device, wherein the fuel cell device comprises a media guide unit formed from a support component, in this case a plate, and supported components, in this case deep-drawn parts. The supported components are welded to the support component. Plastic deformations can occur during welding, which can lead to distortion of the support component. This can result in significant tolerances having to be compensated for during the assembly of such a fuel cell device, which in turn complicates the assembly process.

[0008] Disclosure of the invention

[0009] In contrast, the present electrochemical device with the features of the main claim has the advantage that the support component has at least one web to which the at least one supported component is welded. This allows for a R. 414148 -2-

[0010] A support component is provided which exhibits less or even no distortion after the supported components are welded on. Consequently, fewer tolerances need to be compensated for during the assembly of the electrochemical device, which in turn simplifies the assembly process itself.

[0011] Within the scope of the present invention, an "electrochemical device" can be understood to mean, in particular, a device designed to convert chemical energy into electrical and / or thermal energy, or vice versa. An electrochemical device can, for example, be a fuel cell device, which in particular enables the conversion of a fuel, e.g., hydrogen, into electrical and / or thermal energy, or an electrolysis cell device, which in particular enables the conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy, preferably for storage. Similarly, a high-temperature electrochemical device can, for example, be a high-temperature fuel cell device or a high-temperature electrolysis cell device.

[0012] The features listed in the dependent claims enable advantageous further developments of the electrochemical device according to the main claim. For example, it is advantageous if the at least one web is formed by a plurality of, in particular two, grooves which, with respect to a longitudinal extent of the web, are at least partially incorporated on both sides into the supporting component. This allows for a cost-effective implementation.

[0013] It is also advantageous if at least one web protrudes, particularly with respect to a surface of the supporting component facing the at least one supported component. This also allows for a cost-effective implementation.

[0014] The present method for manufacturing an electrochemical device has the advantage that at least one web is formed on the support component, to which at least one supported component is welded. This reduces or even completely eliminates the distortion of the support component that typically occurs when welding the supported components. Consequently, fewer tolerances need to be compensated for during assembly of the electrochemical device, which in turn simplifies the assembly process itself.

[0015] The features listed in the dependent claims enable advantageous further developments of the method for manufacturing an electrochemical device. This is described in R. 414148 -3-

[0016] An advantage arises if the at least one web is formed by a plurality of, in particular two, grooves, which, with respect to a longitudinal extent of the at least one web, are at least partially incorporated into the supporting component on both sides. This allows for cost-effective manufacturing.

[0017] It is particularly advantageous if at least one web, and especially the numerous grooves, are milled into the supporting component. This allows for particularly cost-effective manufacturing.

[0018] It is also particularly advantageous if the at least one web, especially the at least one projecting web, is formed by casting the supporting component with the at least one web, especially the at least one projecting web. This also allows for particularly cost-effective manufacturing.

[0019] Drawings

[0020] The drawings schematically illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are explained in more detail in the following description. They show

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of an embodiment of an electrochemical device,

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of an embodiment of a media guidance unit of the electrochemical device from Fig. 1 in an area in which a supported component is welded to a support component.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-section of another embodiment of an electrochemical device,

[0024] Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross-section of a media guidance unit of the embodiment of the electrochemical device from Fig. 2 in an area where a supported component is welded to a carrier component. R. 414148 -4-

[0025] Description of the exemplary implementations

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of an embodiment of an electrochemical device 10. The electrochemical device 10 comprises an electrochemical unit 12.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the electrochemical device 10 is a fuel cell device 14 and the electrochemical unit 12 is a fuel cell unit 16. Accordingly, the fuel cell device 14 comprises a fuel cell unit 16.

[0028] The fuel cell unit 16 comprises a fuel cell stack 18, which in turn has a multitude of fuel cells, in this case solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC).

[0029] Alternatively, it would also be possible for the fuel cell unit 16 to comprise a fuel cell stack, which in turn has a large number of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) or proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).

[0030] Alternatively, it would also be possible that the electrochemical device 10 is an electrolysis cell device and the electrochemical unit 12 is an electrolysis cell unit. Accordingly, the electrolysis cell device would then comprise the electrolysis cell unit. Thus, in the case of an electrolysis cell device, it would also be possible for the electrolysis cell unit to comprise an electrolysis cell stack, which in turn has a plurality of electrolysis cells, for example, solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs).

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, a first reactant, in this case a reducing agent, and a second reactant, in this case an oxidizing agent, are supplied to the electrochemical unit 12 via a media guide unit 20. In the electrochemical unit 12, the first reactant, in this case the reducing agent, is then electrochemically reacted with the participation of the second reactant, in this case the oxidizing agent.

[0032] In the case shown, the fuel cell unit 16 acts as an electrochemical unit 12, and energy, in particular electrical and / or thermal energy, is released during the electrochemical conversion. R. 414148 -5-

[0033] Energy produced for feeding into a network, for example an electricity grid, and / or for a consumer.

[0034] The product resulting from the electrochemical reaction, in this case exhaust gas, is again discharged via the media control unit 20 from the electrochemical unit 12, in the case shown from the fuel cell unit 16 as electrochemical unit 12.

[0035] In the case shown, the media control unit 20 is accordingly designed to supply at least one medium to the electrochemical unit 12 and / or to discharge it from the electrochemical unit 12.

[0036] The media guidance unit 20 comprises a support component 22 and a plurality of supported components 24, wherein the supported components 24 are welded to the support component 22. Accordingly, Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of the media guidance unit 20 of the embodiment of the electrochemical device 10 from Fig. 1 in an area where one of the supported components 24 is welded to the support component 22.

[0037] In the case shown, the supporting component 20 is a plate 26 and the supported component 24 is a deep-drawn part 28.

[0038] The present electrochemical device 10 is characterized by the fact that the support component 22, in this case the plate 26, has webs 30 to which the supported components 24, in this case the deep-drawn parts 28, are welded. This results in reduced heat dissipation of the support component 22 at the point where a supported component 24 is to be welded, thereby reducing the energy input required for welding. Furthermore, the webs 30 have lower stiffness, allowing them to act as a kind of spring element and / or deform. Accordingly, the webs 30 can reduce or even completely prevent the distortion of the support component 22 that typically occurs when welding the supported components 24. Thus, a support component 22 can be provided that exhibits less or even no distortion after the supported components 24 have been welded on.Accordingly, this makes it possible to compensate for fewer tolerances during the assembly of the electrochemical device 10, in the case shown especially during the assembly of the electrochemical unit 12 with the media guide unit 20, which in turn simplifies the assembly itself. R. 414148 -6- Within the scope of the present invention, the webs 30 can also be understood as ribs 32.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the webs 30 are formed by a plurality of grooves 34, in this case two each, which are at least partially incorporated on both sides into the support component 22 with respect to the longitudinal extent of the respective web 30. This enables a cost-effective implementation.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the webs 30, or the grooves 34, were milled into the support component 22. This allows for particularly cost-effective manufacturing.

[0041] Alternatively, it is also possible to form the webs 30 or the grooves 34 by casting the support component 22 with the webs 30 or the grooves 34. This also allows for particularly cost-effective production.

[0042] Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-section of a further embodiment of an electrochemical device 10 and Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of the media guidance unit 20 of the further embodiment of the electrochemical device 10 from Fig. 3 in an area in which one of the supported components 24 is welded to the support component 22.

[0043] The embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 differs from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that the webs 30, in this case with respect to a surface 36 of the support component 22 facing the at least one supported component 24, are projecting. Accordingly, the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 consists of projecting webs 38. This allows for a cost-effective implementation.

[0044] For the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the webs 30 and the projecting webs 38, respectively, were formed by casting the support component 22 with the webs 30, or in the case shown, with the projecting webs 38. This also allows for particularly cost-effective manufacturing. R. 414148

[0045] Alternatively, it is also possible to mill the webs 30, in this case the protruding webs 30, into the support component 34. This also allows for a particularly cost-effective manufacturing process.

Claims

R. 414148 -8- Claims 1. Electrochemical device (10), in particular fuel cell device (14), comprising at least one media guide unit (20), wherein the media guide unit (20) comprises a support component (22), in particular a plate (26), and at least one supported component (24), in particular a deep-drawn part (28), wherein the at least one supported component (24) is welded to the support component (22), characterized in that the support component (22) has at least one web (30) to which the at least one supported component (24) is welded.

2. Electrochemical device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one web (30) is formed by a plurality of, in particular two, grooves (34) which are at least partially incorporated on both sides into the support component (22) with respect to a longitudinal extent of the web (30).

3. Electrochemical device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one web (30), in particular with respect to a surface (36) of the support component (22) facing the at least one supported component (24), is formed to protrude.

4. Method for manufacturing an electrochemical device (10), in particular an electrochemical device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one media guidance unit (20), wherein the media guidance unit (20) comprises a support component (22), in particular a plate (26), and at least one supported component (24), in particular a deep-drawn part (28), wherein the at least one supported component (24) is welded to the support component (22), characterized in that the R. 414148 -9- The supporting component (22) shall have at least one web (30) to which the at least one supported component (24) shall be welded.

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one web (30) is formed by a plurality of, in particular two, grooves (34) which are at least partially introduced on both sides into the support component (22) with respect to a longitudinal extent of the at least one web (30).

6. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one web (30), in particular with respect to a surface (36) of the support component (22) facing the at least one supported component (24), is formed to protrude.

7. Method according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the at least one web (30), in particular the plurality of grooves (34), are introduced into the support component (34) by milling.

8. Method according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the at least one web (30), in particular the at least one projecting web (38), is formed by producing the support component (22) with the at least one web (30), in particular with the at least one projecting web (38), by casting.

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