Fuel Cell Stack Terminal Plate Recess Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fuel cell stacks experience significant heat radiation from terminal and end plates, leading to decreased temperature at end cells, which degrades power generation performance due to condensation of water.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating recessed insulating members with alternating layers of first and second heat insulating members made of different materials, where the heat insulating members and terminal plates are placed within these recesses to suppress heat radiation, maintaining temperature and power generation performance without requiring a sealing structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If heat insulating members are provided around elastic members to cover them, then heat radiation from elastic members is reduced, but significant heat is still radiated from the outer ends of current collecting plates and end plates, causing insufficient temperature maintenance in end cells

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature of end cellsVSAvoidheat radiation from terminal plates and end plates

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal plate is inserted into a recess formed in the insulating member, creating a nested structure where the terminal plate is housed within the insulating member. This nesting arrangement ensures intimate thermal contact between the terminal plate and insulating member, effectively reducing heat radiation from the outer ends of the terminal plate while maintaining a compact structure without requiring additional sealing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating member is provided with a recess at a specific location (end opened toward the stack body) where heat radiation needs to be suppressed. This localized structural modification concentrates the heat insulation function at the critical outer ends of the terminal plate, rather than uniformly insulating the entire assembly, thereby efficiently preventing heat loss from the most problematic areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of energy

If conventional heat insulating members are used to cover elastic members, then heat radiation from elastic members is reduced, but the structure becomes complex and requires sealing structures to prevent water infiltration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat radiationVSAvoidstructure of heat insulating members

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The functions of heat insulation and structural support are merged into a single insulating member that simultaneously serves both purposes. The recess in the insulating member both provides the insulation function and houses the terminal plate, eliminating the need for separate sealing structures and simplifying the overall assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 configuration effectively reduces heat loss from the outer ends of the fuel cell stack, maintaining the temperature of end cells and ensuring desired power generation performance while simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

Implementation Method 1

significant heat tends to be radiated from the outer ends of the current collecting plates 2a, 2c and the end plates 3a, 3c

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

heat insulating members 5 provided around the elastic members 4 to cover the elastic members 4

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS9269969B2Fuel cell stack

Publication Date: 2016.02.23 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A fuel cell stack includes a terminal plate, an insulating member, and an end plate at one end of a stack body formed by stacking a plurality of power generation cells. A heat insulating member and the terminal plate are placed in a recess of the insulating member. The heat insulating member is formed by stacking metal plates and metal plates together alternately. The metal plate is formed by cutting the outer end of a first metal separator of the power generation cell into a frame shape and the metal plate is formed by cutting the outer end of a second metal separator of the power generation cell into a frame shape.