Bipolar Plate Flow Channels for Scalable Electrochemical Cell Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for introducing designed flow fields into electrochemical cells, particularly in bipolar plates, are laborious, costly, and time-consuming, making it difficult to incorporate them into continuous production lines, especially for interdigitated flow field architectures.
Innovation Solution
The use of a blocking material incorporated into or onto a conductive material to create quasi-interdigitated flow channels, which can be fabricated using additive or subtractive processes, allowing for efficient fluid flow distribution similar to interdigitated flow fields without the need for complex machining or moulding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If designed flow fields are incorporated into bipolar plates using traditional machining or moulding methods, then fluid flow distribution efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and production time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters from traditional machining/moulding to additive manufacturing, fundamentally altering how flow fields are created. This enables complex flow field geometries to be manufactured as simple printing processes, resolving the contradiction between flow distribution efficiency and manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical machining and moulding systems with a digital printing system. The flow fields are created by selectively depositing conductive material according to digital designs, eliminating the need for complex mechanical tooling and reducing manufacturing steps
2Reliability
If interdigitated flow fields are fabricated using machining or moulding, then electrochemical cell performance is improved, but fabrication cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary digital design and material deposition of flow field patterns before cell assembly. The conductive material is pre-patterned on bipolar plates according to the desired interdigitated flow field configuration, enabling rapid fabrication without time-consuming post-processing machining or moulding operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital copying of flow field designs directly onto bipolar plates through additive manufacturing. The desired flow field geometry is replicated by selectively depositing conductive material based on digital models, eliminating the need for physical moulds or tooling and significantly reducing fabrication time
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining or moulding methods are used to create flow fields, then flow channel geometry precision is achieved, but production scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical machining and moulding with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables precise flow channel geometry to be achieved through digital control of material deposition, while also allowing for rapid scaling of production by programming the printing process without requiring additional tooling or fixtures
Data Source
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AI summary
Electrochemical cells can include flow channels designed to provide an electrolyte solution more efficiently to an electrode or ionically conductive separator. Such electrochemical cells can include an ionically conductive separator disposed between a first half-cell and a second half-cell, a first bipolar plate in the first half-cell, and a second bipolar plate in the second half-cell. At least one of the first bipolar plate and the second bipolar plate are a composite containing a conductive material and a blocking material. The blocking material defines a plurality of flow channels that are spaced apart from one another and extend laterally through the composite with respect to the ionically conductive separator. The plurality of flow channels are also in fluid communication with one another in the composite. Such electrochemical cells can be incorporated in electrochemical stacks and/or be fluidly connected to a fluid inlet manifold and a fluid outlet manifold.