Bipolar Plate Single Wall with Preassembled Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of bipolar plates with a single wall and integrated flanges for electrolysers is hindered by high mechanical stresses and defects during the moulding and welding processes, leading to costly quality control measures and planarity issues, with existing solutions either being too expensive or resulting in unacceptable deformations.
Innovation Solution
A bipolar plate design featuring a single wall with preassembled U-profiled or quadrangular flanges, where the flanges are formed from the same material and welded using diode-laser techniques, reducing mechanical stresses and defects, and a manufacturing method that simplifies folding, moulding, and welding procedures while ensuring high planarity and preventing fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flanges are formed by folding or moulding the single wall, then the bipolar plate structure is achieved, but high mechanical stresses and defects occur leading to planarity issues and requiring extensive quality control
Solution Approach 1:
The bipolar plate is divided into two separate components: a single wall and a preassembled frame with flanges. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with optimized processes, avoiding the high mechanical stresses that occur when forming flanges directly from the single wall through folding or moulding.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame with flanges is preassembled and pre-welded before being attached to the single wall. This preliminary action allows the flange structure to be formed in advance under controlled conditions, ensuring proper planarity and reducing defects before the final assembly with the single wall.
2Reliability
If extensive quality control measures are implemented to detect defects, then fluid leakage prevention is improved, but production costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The design inherently reduces the risk of defects by separating the flange formation process from the single wall. The preassembled frame structure provides a robust framework that is less prone to manufacturing defects, cushioning against potential fluid leakage issues before quality control inspection even occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces extensive mechanical quality control inspection systems with a design that inherently minimizes defects. By using a preassembled frame structure rather than forming flanges directly on the single wall, the need for costly and time-consuming quality control measures is reduced while maintaining reliability.
3Device complexity
If the single wall is subjected to double folding or moulding to form both flanges, then the bipolar plate is completed, but remarkable distortions and mechanical defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The bipolar plate structure is segmented into a single wall and a separate frame component. The frame contains the flanges that would otherwise require double folding or moulding of the single wall. This segmentation eliminates the need for remarkable distortions while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The preassembled frame acts as an intermediary structure that provides the flange functionality without requiring the single wall to undergo double folding or moulding. This intermediary component protects the single wall from excessive mechanical stresses while achieving the same structural outcome.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces production costs by minimizing defects and eliminating the need for extensive quality checks, while maintaining high-quality bipolar plates with improved planarity and reduced mechanical deformations, making the process more economically viable.
Implementation Method 1
welded using diode-laser techniques
Data Source
AI summary
It is described a bipolar plate consisting of a single wall and a perimetrical sealing frame obtained by folding and provided with a planar abutment surface for the frame-to-wall welding. The wall is further provided with projections on one face thereof preferably obtained by moulding, and with supports on the other face consisting of sheet strips housed in the recesses formed by the concave part of the projections. The projections substantially extend along the entire length of the bipolar plate. The projections and supports are connected to electrodes or current distributors. The projections, the supports, the single wall and the perimetrical frame are made of the same metal or alloy. The electrode or current distributor supported by the projections, the same projections and the supports are welded together by a single pass of arc-welding or preferably laser-welding. The electrode or current distributor connected to the support and the support themselves are mutually welded by a subsequent pass of arc-welding or preferably laser-welding. The welding between wall and perimetrical frame on the abutment surface of the frame is carried out by diode-laser technique, allowing to obtain a robust connection but without a complete melting of the sheet, thereby eliminating the risk of process fluid leakage to the external environment.