Fuel Cell Separator Projections and Gasket Sealing Against Coolant Leaks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The leakage of reactant gas and cooling medium through gaps between metal separators in fuel cell stacks reduces the power generation efficiency, necessitating a solution to suppress such leakage.
Innovation Solution
A gasket is provided between the first and second separators to form a seal, with projections on the separators contacting each other to prevent leakage, and flat surface sections on the projections contacting the frame member to further suppress leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If metal plates are pressed to form separators, then manufacturing precision and structural strength are improved, but leakage flow of reactant gas occurs through gaps between the frame member and separator
Solution Approach 1:
A gasket is introduced as an intermediary sealing member between the separator and the frame member. The gasket fills and seals the gaps that form during assembly, preventing reactant gas from leaking through these interfaces while allowing the metal plate separators to maintain their structural strength and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket is made of a flexible material that can deform to conform to the mating surfaces of the separator and frame member. This flexibility allows the gasket to effectively seal irregular gaps and ensure complete prevention of gas leakage, while the thin film structure minimizes interference with the overall stack assembly.
2Reliability
If projections are added to suppress cooling medium leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged into the existing gasket component rather than adding separate sealing mechanisms. The gasket simultaneously seals both the reactant gas paths and the cooling medium paths, eliminating the need for additional sealing elements and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket serves multiple sealing functions: it seals the interface between the separator and frame member for reactant gas containment, and it also seals the cooling medium flow paths. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall separator structure while ensuring reliable sealing against both gas and liquid leakage.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell stack includes multiple stacked single cells. Each single cell includes a power generating unit, a frame member, a first separator, and a second separator. A gasket is provided between the first separator of a first single cell and the second separator of a second single cell. The first separator of the first single cell includes a first projection, and the second separator of the second single cell includes a second projection. The first projection and the second projection project so as to be in contact with each other, thereby suppressing flow of a cooling medium to the outside of the cooling passage. Aback face of at least one of the first projection and the second projection includes a flat surface section that is in contact with the frame member facing the back face.