Fuel Cell Metal Pole Plate Sealing Groove Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel cell assembly process faces challenges in achieving proper alignment and sealing due to the trapezoidal cross-section of sealing rubber grooves, which makes it difficult to ensure the sealing rubber is centered, leading to potential misalignment and reduced sealing performance.
Innovation Solution
A metal pole plate sealing structure with a sealing rubber groove featuring a positioning unit, such as a protrusion formed by stamping, that aids in fixing the sealing rubber body's position, ensuring alignment and effective sealing, even under pressure, by having an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section and strategically placed gaps to accommodate deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the width of the sealing rubber is less than the width of the sealing rubber groove, then sealing performance is improved by preventing material squeeze-out, but alignment between the sealing rubber and groove centre line becomes very difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming a positioning protrusion on the inner surface of the sealing rubber groove before assembly. This protrusion is positioned at a predetermined location to guide and center the sealing rubber during installation, ensuring accurate alignment between the sealing rubber and groove centre line before compression occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning protrusion acts as an intermediary element between the sealing rubber groove and the sealing rubber. It provides a mechanical reference feature that facilitates precise alignment and centering of the sealing rubber within the groove, solving the alignment difficulty caused by the trapezoidal groove cross-section.
2Ease of manufacture
If the sealing rubber groove has a trapezoidal cross section, then ease of manufacture is improved through stamping process, but alignment of the sealing rubber with the groove centre line becomes difficult due to rounded corners and non-rectangular shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining the trapezoidal cross-section of the sealing rubber groove for ease of stamping manufacture, while locally adding a positioning protrusion on the inner surface of the groove. This localized feature provides precise alignment reference without changing the overall trapezoidal shape and manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning protrusion is pre-formed on the inner surface of the sealing rubber groove during the stamping process or as a subsequent step, establishing a reference feature before assembly. This preliminary positioning feature enables accurate alignment of the sealing rubber with the groove centre line despite the trapezoidal cross-section with rounded corners.
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
The solution enhances the alignment and sealing performance of the fuel cell by providing a stable and cost-effective positioning mechanism within the sealing rubber groove, preventing misalignment and ensuring hermetic sealing during assembly.
Implementation Method 1
an inner surface of the sealing rubber groove has a positioning unit which makes it easier to fix an installation position of the sealing rubber body in the sealing rubber groove
Implementation Method 2
during assembly, pressure will cause the rubber to experience elastic deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A metal pole plate sealing structure for a fuel cell is disclosed, as well as a fuel cell using this structure. The metal pole plate sealing structure for a fuel cell includes a metal pole plate, a membrane electrode assembly and a sealing rubber body. The metal pole plate has a sealing rubber groove. The sealing rubber body is accommodated in the sealing rubber groove. The sealing rubber groove, the sealing rubber body and a frame of the membrane electrode assembly cooperate with each other to seal an internal space enclosed when the metal pole plate and the membrane electrode assembly are pressed together. An inner surface of the sealing rubber groove has a positioning unit which makes it easier to fix an installation position of the sealing rubber body in the sealing rubber groove.