Fuel Cell Current Collector Rotation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel cell stack systems face inefficiencies due to excessive torque during fastening, which causes deformation of terminal portions and increased electric resistance, leading to reduced power retrieval efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A current collector design with a terminal portion featuring a protruded portion that contacts the bus bar to prevent rotation, combined with a threaded member set and attaching member, reduces deformation and maintains efficient power output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If threadedly-engaging members (bolt and nut) are used to fasten the bus bar to the terminal portion, then the bus bar can be securely fixed to the terminal portion, but excessive torque during fastening causes deformation of the terminal portion and increased electric resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The protruded portion is pre-formed on the terminal portion main body at a position that will contact the bus bar during fastening. This preliminary structural feature prevents rotation of the terminal portion before the threaded fastening is complete, thereby preventing deformation caused by excessive torque while still allowing secure fixation through the threaded members.
2Strength
If the terminal portion is made more robust to resist deformation, then deformation during fastening is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal portion is segmented into functional elements: the terminal portion main body, the protruded portion for rotation prevention, and the threaded parts for fastening. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function independently, achieving deformation resistance without requiring an overly robust overall structure that would increase complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruded portion acts as an intermediary element between the terminal portion main body and the bus bar. It mediates the fastening process by contacting the bus bar to prevent rotation, thereby protecting the terminal portion main body from excessive torque without requiring the main body itself to be excessively robust.
3Strength
If the protruded portion is positioned to effectively stop rotation, then terminal portion deformation is prevented, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protruded portion is positioned at a specific location on the terminal portion main body where it contacts the bus bar to prevent rotation. This localized feature concentrates the rotation-prevention function at a specific point, making the positioning requirement manageable while ensuring effective torque limitation during fastening.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to suppress an increase in electric resistance when retrieving electric power collected from a fuel cell stack, a current collector for a fuel cell is provided. The current collector includes a current collecting portion for collecting electric power generated by the fuel cell, and a terminal portion for outputting the power collected by the current collecting portion. A bus bar is attached to the terminal portion. The terminal portion includes a terminal portion main body, electrically connected with the current collecting portion, a first threaded part fixed to the terminal portion main body, a second threaded part for threadedly engaging with the first threaded part to fix one end of the bus bar to the terminal portion, and a protruded portion provided in the same surface as a surface where the first threaded part of the terminal portion main body is provided. The protruded portion is disposed at a position where the protruded portion contacts the bus bar to stop a rotation of the terminal portion main body accompanying fastening of the second threaded part, when the one end of the bus bar is fixed to the terminal portion in a state where the other end of the bus bar is fixed to another instrument.