Separator Supporting Structure Insulation Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional separator supporting structures for fuel cells are costly due to the need for extensive insulators on the inner casing surface, and when these insulators are removed for cost reduction, the risk of metal-to-metal contact between protrusions and separators increases, compromising insulation when external loads are applied, causing the fuel cells to tilt.
Innovation Solution
A separator supporting structure featuring a metal lug on the separator with a first insulating portion covering the lug and a second insulating portion extending between the lug and protrusions, ensuring a larger insulation distance even under external loads, thus maintaining insulation while reducing material and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an insulator is provided on the inner surface of the casing to surround the fuel cell stack body, then insulation between the casing and separator is ensured, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the insulator from the inner surface of the casing and relocates it to the separator supporting structure itself. Specifically, the insulator is integrated into the protrusions that support the separator, rather than being applied to the casing interior surface. This extraction reduces the total area requiring insulation while maintaining the critical insulation function where metal-to-metal contact would occur between the separator and casing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies insulation only where it is most needed - at the localized contact points between the separator supporting structure and the separator. Instead of providing uniform insulation across the entire inner surface of the casing, the insulator is concentrated on the protrusions that actually contact the separator, achieving effective insulation with minimal material usage and reduced manufacturing cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If the insulator on the inner surface of the casing is eliminated for cost reduction, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the insulation distance between protrusions and separator cannot be ensured when external load is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates the insulator into the protrusions before assembly, so that the insulation is already in place and properly positioned when the separator is installed. This preliminary integration ensures that even when external loads cause the fuel cells to swing or shift, the insulator remains between the protrusions and separator, maintaining the required insulation distance without requiring additional clearance design.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are constructed as composite structures combining metal (for structural strength and support function) and insulator material (for electrical insulation). This composite construction allows the protrusions to maintain both mechanical integrity under external loads and electrical insulation properties, ensuring the insulation distance is preserved even when the fuel cell stack experiences swelling, shrinking, or tilting during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A separator supporting structure includes a metal lug provided on a separator, a set of protrusions that protrude from an inner surface of a metal casing toward the separator to form a recess into which the lug is inserted, a first insulating portion covering the lug at least in the recess, and a second insulating portion extending from the first insulating portion and between the separator and each of the protrusions.