Expanded Metal Plate Lattice for Fuel Cell Flow and Conductivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochemical cell designs, particularly fuel cells, face challenges in achieving a rugged construction suitable for mobile applications, balancing mechanical stability, electrical conductivity, and efficient fluid flow, while optimizing manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A plate arrangement using an expanded metal lattice with nodes and webs that are either parallel or slightly inclined to the plates, providing large contact surfaces for force absorption and electrical conduction, and twisted webs for targeted fluid flow, manufactured with variable feed rates to create diverse node configurations for enhanced stability and flow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If node sections are inclined at acute angles to plates, then fluid flow paths are created, but contact surface area for electrical conduction and force absorption is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lattice structure implements local quality by having different node sections serve different functions: some node sections are configured to be substantially parallel to plates to maximize contact surface area for electrical conduction and force absorption, while other node sections are inclined to create fluid flow paths. This spatial differentiation of functions within the same lattice structure resolves the contradiction between maintaining large contact surfaces and enabling fluid flow.
2Ease of manufacture
If expanded metal is used for lattice structure, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but achieving rugged construction suitable for mobile applications becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the geometric parameters of the expanded metal lattice, specifically configuring node sections to be substantially parallel to adjacent plates. This parameter modification enhances the mechanical stability and ruggedness of the structure while maintaining the manufacturing advantages of expanded metal, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability for mobile applications.
3Reliability
If node sections are made parallel to plates, then electrical conductivity and force absorption are improved, but fluid flow efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lattice structure segments the node sections into different functional zones: node sections in contact with plates are configured parallel to maximize electrical conductivity and force absorption, while other node sections are inclined to facilitate fluid flow. This segmentation of functions within the continuous lattice structure resolves the contradiction between electrical conductivity and fluid flow efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A plate arrangement for an electrochemical cell, in particular a fuel cell, includes a lattice for a sandwich-like arrangement between a first plate lying in a base plane and a second plate parallel thereto, and is designed as an expanded metal. The plate arrangement a plurality of nodes and webs that connect the nodes, Rows of nodes are formed which run parallel to one another in a plan view of the lattice and define a longitudinal direction. All nodes have a planar, bent shape with a bending line that is oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction and separates two node sections from one another. At least in a subset of the nodes, one of the node sections is arranged at least approximately parallel to the plates.