Fuel Cell Separator Resin Member Burr Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of fuel cell separators often results in burrs at the outer ends of seal members, increasing production costs and reducing work efficiency due to the need for additional working steps to remove these burrs.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell separator design where a resin member is provided over the entire perimeter of the separator, with a seal member formed on both surfaces, using molds to prevent burrs and simplify the production process, allowing for efficient and economical manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If melted seal member is supplied into grooves of molds to form seal member integrally on both surfaces of separator body, then positioning accuracy of seal material is improved and number of assembling steps is reduced, but burrs are produced easily along surfaces of molds and additional working steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
A resin member is introduced as an intermediary component between the separator body and the seal member. The resin member covers the outer end of the separator body and extends into the grooves of the molds, serving as a mediator that receives the melted seal material. This intermediary structure prevents the seal material from directly contacting the mold surfaces, thereby eliminating burr formation while maintaining the integrated forming process
Solution Approach 2:
The resin member is pre-formed and positioned on the separator body before the seal member formation process. This preliminary action prepares the structure in advance to receive the melted seal material, ensuring that the seal material flows into the resin member's grooves rather than forming burrs on the mold surfaces. The preliminary placement of the resin member enables the subsequent seal formation to proceed without burr generation
2Strength
If burrs are produced at outer end of seal member, then seal member can be formed integrally with separator, but additional working steps for removing burrs are required increasing production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The resin member acts as an intermediary that enables integral seal formation without burrs. By providing a dedicated receptacle structure with grooves that receives the melted seal material, the resin member ensures complete integration of the seal with the separator body while preventing contact between the seal material and mold surfaces, thereby eliminating the need for burr removal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The resin member structure is designed to self-containedly receive and contain the melted seal material through its groove configuration. This self-service design allows the seal material to automatically form the intended shape within the resin member's grooves without requiring additional finishing operations, making the process self-sufficient and eliminating post-processing steps
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 approach effectively suppresses the production of burrs, improves work efficiency, and reduces production costs by simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring reliable seal integration.
Implementation Method 1
A resin member is provided at an outer end of a fuel cell separator, outside a fluid passage, over the entire perimeter of the fuel cell separator
Implementation Method 2
In this production method, a separator body is held between an upper mold and a lower mold. In this state, melted seal material is injected into each of grooves in the upper mold and the lower mold through separate gates, respectively, to form the seal material integrally and simultaneously on both surfaces of the separator body
Implementation Method 3
seals need to be provided in an air-tight manner or a liquid-tight manner for preventing leakage of the fuel gas, the oxygen-containing gas, and the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A unit cell that constitutes a fuel cell stack is obtained by sandwiching an electrolyte mem-brane/electrode structure with a cathode-side separator and an anode-side separator. A first resin member is provided along the entire periphery of the cathode-side separator in the outer peripheral portion of the cathode-side separator. Surfaces of the cathode-side separator are provided with sealing parts that cover a part of the first resin member and constitute a first sealing member.