Integrated Fuel Cell Stack Housing for Lighter Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fuel cell stacks are heavy, complex, and costly due to numerous components and tight manufacturing tolerances, making assembly labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell stack design where the first end plate serves as both a terminal plate and the bottom plate of the housing, featuring protruding connection elements for attaching a stack enclosure, integrated insulation, and simplified sealing mechanisms, reducing components and weight while allowing easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional fuel cell stack design with separate terminal plates, end plates, and housing is used, then structural stability and electrical insulation are ensured, but weight increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the first end plate with the first terminal plate into a single integrated component, and similarly combines the second end plate with the second terminal plate. This merging eliminates separate insulation plates and reduces the total number of components, directly addressing the contradiction by reducing both weight and device complexity while maintaining the necessary electrical insulation and structural functions through the integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated end plate-terminal plate components perform multiple functions simultaneously: they provide electrical insulation, structural support, sealing surfaces, and current collection. This multi-functionality allows the reduction of component count and weight while maintaining all necessary functions that were previously distributed across separate components
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used for end plates, terminal plates, and housing, then functional requirements are met, but manufacturing cost and assembly work increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the end plate and terminal plate into a single integrated component, the patent reduces the number of precision assemblies required. Instead of assembling multiple separate components with tight tolerances, the integrated design requires fewer assembly steps and reduces the cumulative tolerance stacking, thereby lowering manufacturing cost and assembly effort while maintaining functional precision
3Weight of moving object
If traditional housing with separate bottom plate and side walls is used, then sealing and protection are ensured, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the bottom plate function into the integrated end plate-terminal plate components, eliminating the need for a separate bottom plate. The housing is formed by connecting side walls that seal against these integrated components, reducing the total number of sealing interfaces and structural parts while maintaining sealing performance through the simplified design
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell stack is provided which includes at least a fuel cell stack body with a plurality of unit fuel cells, wherein each unit fuel cell includes a bipolar plate and a membrane electrode assembly, which are alternatingly stacked in a stacking direction, a first and second terminal plate sandwiching the fuel cell stack body, wherein the first and second terminal plate are adapted to collect the electric energy generated by the fuel cell stack body, a first and second end plate which sandwich the first and second terminal plate, and a housing, wherein the housing includes at least a bottom plate, a stack enclosure configured to cover the side faces of the fuel cell stack, and a top plate, wherein the first end plate is configured as the bottom plate of the housing and is provided with at least one protruding connection element which protrudes laterally from the first end plate and is configured to connect the stack enclosure to the first end plate.