Floating Flow Guide Plate for PEM Electrolyser
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Proton exchange membrane water electrolysers face challenges in maintaining low electrical contact resistance and corrosion resistance in bipolar plates, which are typically made from expensive materials like graphite or titanium, limiting their economic viability and longevity.
Innovation Solution
The use of a floating flow field plate made from thermoplastic polymers like PPS, PEEK, or PSU, with a central zone of troughs and ridges and lateral zones with semi-circular channels, housed in an outer casing with a compressible material to ensure low electrical contact resistance and watertightness, replacing traditional metal-based bipolar plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bipolar plates made from graphite or titanium are used, then corrosion resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive traditional bipolar plates (graphite or titanium) with a cheaper polymer-based floating flow field plate. The polymer plate, while less durable than metal alternatives, provides sufficient service life for the application at a significantly lower cost, making the overall electrolyzer system more economically viable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction for the floating flow field plate, combining polymer base material with embedded conductive elements or coatings. This composite approach maintains the corrosion resistance function while reducing reliance on expensive pure metal materials, achieving a balance between performance and cost.
2Reliability
If traditional metal bipolar plates are used, then electrical conductivity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a polymer-based plate with integrated conductive features instead of expensive metal plates. The conductive polymer composite or polymer with conductive additives provides adequate electrical conductivity for the application at a fraction of the cost of traditional metal bipolar plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating flow field plate implements local conductivity enhancement by concentrating conductive materials only in critical areas where electrical contact is needed, such as at the plate edges or specific contact zones with the membrane electrode assembly, rather than using expensive conductive materials throughout the entire plate structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If floating flow field plates are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but ensuring watertight sealing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a flexible gasket element within the floating flow field plate structure. This gasket, made from elastomeric material, deforms to conform to the mating surfaces and creates a reliable watertight seal, compensating for any dimensional variations or surface irregularities in the polymer plate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating flow field plate uses composite construction combining rigid polymer structural elements with flexible sealing elements. This multi-material approach allows the plate to maintain structural integrity while the flexible gasket portion ensures reliable watertight sealing across the reaction cavity.
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 solution reduces the operating voltage and enhances the longevity of proton exchange membrane water electrolysers by using cost-effective, corrosion-resistant polymer-based floating flow field plates, maintaining low electrical contact resistance and ensuring a watertight reaction cavity.
Implementation Method 1
The lid of the outer casing, 7, closes the compressible material, 6, which, since it is housed in the outer casing, 5, presses the floating flow field plate, 3, against the unipolar plate, 2, which in turn presses against the PEM, 1, with the contact force needed to ensure there is close contact between the UPP, 2, and the PEM, 1
Implementation Method 2
The flow of reactant enters the cavity through one end of the channels, 8, is distributed by the troughs and/or the ridges in the central zone, 102, coating the active area of the PEM, 1
Implementation Method 3
Both surfaces of the PEM are coated in fine, porous, electroconductive layers. One of the layers contains a water oxidation catalyst, making it an anode, and the other layer contains a proton reduction to hydrogen molecular catalyst, making it a cathode.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention refers to a floating flow field plate (3), characterised by two open channels (8) running along the lateral zones (101) of the surface of the flow field plate (100), by a series of troughs and/or ridges that run along the central zone (102) of the surface of the flow field plate (100), communicating with both channels (8), allowing the flow of fluids between the said channels (8), by at least one slot (9) running around the surface perpendicular to the surface of the flow field plate (100), and by an elastic gasket (4) housed in the slot (9).