Fuel Cell Separator Elastic Body Protrusion Seal Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel cell designs face challenges in maintaining stable seal performance due to dimensional differences between the reaction membrane, gas diffusion layers, and separators, leading to potential leaks of fuel and oxidizing agents.
Innovation Solution
The fuel cell incorporates a design with a reaction membrane, gas diffusion layers, and separators featuring integrated elastic bodies with protrusions that span entire regions, ensuring tight adhesion and minimizing dimensional differences, along with additional protrusions to prevent fluid leakage, thereby enhancing seal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the reaction membrane size is increased to ensure proper sealing, then seal performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
An elastic body is introduced as a flexible sealing component that can deform to accommodate dimensional variations between the gas diffusion layer and separator. This elastic body with protrusions creates reliable seals without requiring an oversized reaction membrane, thus maintaining seal performance while reducing membrane area and cost.
2Quantity of substance
If the reaction membrane size is reduced to lower cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but seal performance deteriorates due to dimensional differences
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body acts as an intermediary component between the gas diffusion layer and separator. It compensates for dimensional mismatches and ensures proper sealing even when the reaction membrane is reduced in size, thereby maintaining seal reliability while allowing cost reduction through smaller membrane area.
3Reliability
If protrusions are added to the elastic body to improve sealing, then seal performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing protrusions are integrated directly into the elastic body structure, combining the sealing function with the existing elastic body component. This merging approach improves seal performance without requiring separate sealing elements, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable sealing.
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 design achieves stable seal performance by preventing leaks and reducing the need for larger, expensive reaction membranes, while reducing component complexity and facilitating easier assembly.
Implementation Method 1
at the periphery of the gas diffusion layer, there is integrally disposed an elastic body... the elastic body provides a first protrusion that encompasses the perimeter of the passage hole in the plate member, and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to the plate member
Data Source
AI summary
In a fuel cell, an elastic body provides first protrusion T10 that encompasses the perimeter of the passage hole at plate member 40 and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to plate member 40, provides second protrusion S20 that is disposed within the placement region of reaction membrane 10 so as to encompass the perimeter of the gas diffusion layer, and provides third protrusion S30 that is disposed to encompass the region at which first protrusion T10 is disposed and the region at which second protrusion S20 is disposed, and is disposed outside the placement region for the reaction membrane, and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to a separator 30.