Flow Field Plate Assembly to Prevent PTL Intrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochemical cell systems face challenges in preventing the intrusion of porous transport layers into flow fields, leading to increased hydraulic resistance and stress, especially under pressure.
Innovation Solution
A flow field plate assembly with a support lattice and raised features that distribute load across the porous transport layer, preventing its intrusion into flow fields by elevating beam portions and interlocking with the transport layer, thereby reducing hydraulic resistance and stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the porous transport layer is compressed towards the flow field plate, then contact and support are improved, but intrusion into the flow field increases causing higher hydraulic resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The support lattice acts as an intermediary structure between the porous transport layer and the flow field plate. It provides distributed support points (nodes) connected by beams that prevent PTL intrusion into the flow field while maintaining necessary contact and support, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable contact and preventing hydraulic resistance increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The support lattice provides localized support at discrete nodes rather than continuous contact. This local quality approach allows the PTL to be supported where needed while leaving the flow field channels open and unobstructed, preventing intrusion that would increase hydraulic resistance.
2Strength
If the porous transport layer is compressed to ensure contact, then mechanical support is improved, but stress and intrusion into flow fields increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support lattice divides the support function into discrete nodes and beams rather than continuous compression. This segmentation distributes the mechanical support load across multiple contact points, reducing stress concentration on the PTL while maintaining adequate mechanical support.
Solution Approach 2:
The lattice structure provides mechanical support through localized nodes rather than uniform compression. This local quality approach strengthens the PTL support where needed while minimizing overall stress and preventing intrusion into flow field regions.
3Strength
If raised features directly support the porous transport layer, then structural support is provided, but PTL intrusion into flow fields occurs increasing hydraulic resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into discrete nodes connected by beams rather than continuous raised features. This segmentation creates a lattice that provides structural support through distributed points while leaving the flow field channels open, preventing PTL intrusion and the associated increase in hydraulic resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The lattice beams act as intermediaries between the nodes and the PTL, providing structural support while maintaining a geometry that prevents direct intrusion into the flow field channels, thereby reducing hydraulic resistance compared to direct support from raised features.
Data Source
AI summary
Various electrochemical cell systems are provided, including various flow field plate assemblies with reinforcement layers that may be particularly useful in the context of fuel cells and electrolyzer cells. Some flow field plate assemblies have a flow field plate (FF plate) having a floor surface and a plurality of raised features protruding from the floor surface, and a support lattice having a plurality of hub portions and a plurality of beam portions interconnecting the hub portions, with at least some of the hub portions being supported by the raised features of the FF plate, and the raised features of the FF plate may be distributed across the floor surface, and the hub portions of the support lattice and the raised features of the FF plate may space apart the beam portions from the floor surface so as to define a flow field depth.