Fuel Cell Separator Pressure Receiving Member Impact Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fuel cell stacks, misalignment of seal beads between metal separators can lead to reduced sealing performance, and impact loads can cause undesirable deformation of seal beads, compromising sealing efficiency and impact resistance.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell separator member with a pressure receiving member on the surface of the metal separators, positioned along the seal beads, which is lower in height than the seal beads and designed to receive both tightening and impact loads, ensuring proper sealing and distributing impact loads effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seal bead is pressed against the resin frame by tightening load to achieve sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but the seal bead becomes vulnerable to impact load concentration causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
A pressure receiving member is introduced as an intermediary component between the seal bead and the impact load. This member receives and distributes impact loads, preventing direct concentration on the seal bead while maintaining sealing contact with the resin frame through the seal bead's tightening load compression
2Adaptability or versatility
If the positions of seal beads are shifted from each other in surface direction, then moment is applied to metal separators, but the seal surface becomes inclined reducing sealing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure receiving member acts as a mediator that contacts the resin frame to receive moments generated by seal bead position shifts. This prevents moment transmission to the seal bead, keeping the seal surface perpendicular to the stacking direction and maintaining sealing performance
3Manufacturing precision
If the height of pressure receiving member is made lower than seal bead height, then tightening load is reliably applied to seal bead, but the pressure receiving member must still receive impact loads effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure receiving member has different functional zones: a lower height region for receiving impact loads and a higher seal bead region for applying tightening load. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of precise tightening load application and effective impact load resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell separator member of a fuel cell stack includes a metal separator on which a seal bead is formed, and a pressure receiving member provided on a surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator. The pressure receiving member is provided along a seal bead, and the height of the pressure receiving member is lower than the height of the seal bead in the state where the tightening load is applied and no impact load is applied.