PEMFC Sealing Members with Pointed Rib for Gas Tightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polymer electrolyte fuel cells face challenges with large sealing space requirements, high costs, difficult membrane handling, and performance variations due to dimensional errors and pressure losses, leading to issues with gas tightness, durability, and assembly reliability.
Innovation Solution
The use of compact sealing members with a pointed rib and wedge-shaped cross sections that cooperate with the polymer electrolyte membrane to seal the fuel and oxidant gas flow channels, reducing the clamping load and ensuring stable gas tightness while allowing for efficient water discharge and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional O-ring gaskets are used for sealing, then gas tightness is achieved, but sealing space and clamping load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin film-like sealing member with a specific cross-sectional shape that can deform to achieve sealing. This sealing member has a thickness of 0.5-2.0mm and a cross-section featuring a rounded vertex, allowing it to conform to the sealing surface while maintaining gas tightness with minimal sealing space
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the sealing member by specifying a particular cross-sectional shape with a rounded vertex and defined thickness range. This parameter optimization allows the sealing member to achieve effective sealing with reduced dimensions, thereby decreasing sealing space while maintaining gas tightness
2Reliability
If conventional O-ring gaskets are used for sealing, then gas tightness is achieved, but clamping load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thin film-like sealing member with rounded vertex cross-section can deform under minimal clamping force to achieve sealing contact. This flexibility allows effective gas tightness with significantly reduced clamping load compared to conventional rigid O-ring gaskets
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing the thickness parameter to 0.5-2.0mm and the cross-sectional shape with rounded vertex, the sealing member achieves the right balance between flexibility and sealing effectiveness, reducing the force required for clamping while maintaining gas tightness
3Reliability
If the polymer electrolyte membrane size is increased to cover the manifold, then gas tightness is improved, but handling difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the polymer electrolyte membrane by introducing a separate dedicated sealing member. This allows the membrane to be smaller and easier to handle while the sealing member ensures gas tightness at the manifold interface
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member acts as an intermediary element between the membrane and the manifold. It provides the gas tightness function that would otherwise require a larger membrane, thereby enabling smaller membrane dimensions and improved handling while maintaining sealing effectiveness
4Reliability
If dimensional accuracy of gaskets is increased to improve sealing, then gas tightness is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible thin film-like sealing member with rounded vertex cross-section can accommodate dimensional variations through elastic deformation. This flexibility reduces the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances while maintaining gas tightness, thereby lowering manufacturing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
By specifying a thickness range of 0.5-2.0mm and a rounded vertex cross-sectional shape, the patent creates a sealing member that is tolerant of dimensional variations. This parameter optimization allows standard manufacturing processes to produce effective seals without requiring excessive precision, reducing manufacturing cost
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 reduces the sealing space and clamping load, enhances gas tightness, improves assembly reliability, and stabilizes the performance of the fuel cells by minimizing pressure losses and variations, resulting in improved durability and output characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer electrolyte membrane that selectively transports hydrogen ions
Implementation Method 2
compact sealing members with a pointed rib and wedge-shaped cross sections that cooperate with the polymer electrolyte membrane to seal the fuel and oxidant gas flow channels
Data Source
AI summary
A highly reliable polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an anode-side separator plate and a cathode-side separator plate that are provided with an anode-side sealing member and a cathode-side sealing member, respectively. The anode-side and cathode-side sealing members seal the cell in cooperation with a polymer electrolyte membrane at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, thereby preventing gas from leaking out of gas flow channels. One of the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members has a pointed rib that comes in contact with the sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other sealing member comes in contact with the sealing parts surface to surface.