CN102142566A - Fuel Cell Flow Field Plate - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a flow field plate of a fuel cell, which comprises a body and a supporting frame. The body is provided with a plurality of flow channels and an opening, wherein the flow channels are collected at the opening. The supporting frame is arranged at the edge of the opening, is annular and surrounds the flow channel, and comprises at least one pair of first supporting walls, wherein the first supporting walls are respectively arranged at two sides of the flow channel.

Description

Fuel Cell Flow Field Plate

technical field

The invention relates to a flow field plate, in particular to a flow field plate of a fuel cell.

Background technique

A fuel cell stack is formed by stacking multiple fuel cells. As shown in FIG. 1 , each fuel cell 10 includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 20, two gas diffusion layers (GDL) 30 and two flow field plates 40 , and each gas diffusion layer 30 is located on both sides of the membrane electrode group 20, and is respectively sandwiched between the flow field plate 40 and the membrane electrode group 20. The flow field plate has a plurality of flow channels 41 for the fuel cell 10 Transport and distribution of fluids.

For the fuel cell 10, the fluid can smoothly enter the flow channel 41 of each flow field plate 40, and perform an electrochemical reaction in the flow channel 41, and the reacted fluid can also flow smoothly from each flow field plate 40. Discharge will affect the stability and reliability of the fuel cell 10 .

When the fuel cells 10 are stacked into a fuel cell stack, due to the transfer of stress during assembly, the inlet and outlet of the flow channel 41 in each flow field plate 40 are easily deformed or collapsed, resulting in the separation of the membrane electrode group 20 and the gas diffusion layer 30 and impede the flow of fluid.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell flow field plate with good stability and reliability.

The invention provides a fuel cell flow field plate. The fuel cell flow field plate includes a body and a supporting frame. The body has a plurality of flow channels and an opening, wherein the flow channels converge at the opening. The support frame is arranged on the edge of the opening, wherein the support frame is annular and surrounds the flow channel, and the support frame includes at least one pair of first support walls, wherein the first support walls are respectively arranged on two sides of the flow channel.

In the present invention, the supporting frames are all ring-shaped, and when the supporting frame is combined with the main body, the first supporting wall is in close contact with the main body, and its extending direction is parallel to the direction of the fuel cell stack, so the stress can be directly caused by The first support wall passes, avoiding deformation of the support frame.

In the fuel cell flow field plate of the present invention, a support frame is respectively added at the inlet and the outlet of the flow channel to increase the structural strength here. When several fuel cells are stacked, the fuel cell flow field plate in each fuel cell can Play its function, support the inlet and outlet of the flow channel, and prevent the separation or collapse of the membrane electrode group and the gas diffusion layer, so that the fluid can pass through the inlet or outlet of the support flow channel smoothly and evenly into another fuel cell , improve the overall stability and reliability.

In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, a specific preferred embodiment will be exemplified below and described in detail with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a known fuel cell;

Fig. 2 shows the schematic diagram of the fuel cell channel plate of the present invention;

3A and 3B show enlarged schematic diagrams of different viewing angles of the fuel cell flow channel plate of the present invention;

4A and 4B are a variation example of the fuel cell flow channel plate of the present invention, which respectively show enlarged schematic diagrams of different viewing angles; and

5A and 5B are another variation example of the fuel cell flow channel plate of the present invention, which respectively show enlarged schematic diagrams from different viewing angles.

[Description of main component symbols]

10 fuel cells;

30 gas diffusion layer (GDL);

100 fuel cell flow field plates;

300 supporting frame;

20 membrane electrode assembly (MEA);

300R rib;

200 body;

301 first support wall;

200S accommodation space;

302 second support wall;

201 runner;

310 corresponds to the runner;

202 opening;

40 flow field plate;

203 card slot;

41 Runner.

Detailed ways

Referring to FIG. 2, the fuel cell flow field plate 100 of the present invention includes a body 200 and a support frame 300. The body 200 has a plurality of flow channels 201 and a plurality of openings 202, wherein the openings 202 are formed at the inlets where the flow channels 201 converge or is the outlet, and the supporting frame 300 is arranged on the edge of the opening 202 and surrounds all the flow channels 201 .

3A, 3B, the support frame 300 is annular, and has a pair of first support walls 301 and a pair of second support walls 302, the first support walls 301 are opposite to each other, and the second support walls 302 are also They are opposite to each other, and the first support wall 301 and the second support wall 302 are connected to each other to form a ring (as shown in FIG. 3A ). The body 200 has two slots 203, which extend from the opening 202 toward the inside of the body 200, and the support frame 300 engages with the slots 203 through the first support wall 301, so as to surround the flow channel 201 (as shown in FIG. 3B ), and The flow channel 201 extends into the support frame 300, wherein the inner surface and the outer surface of the first support wall 301 are in contact with the body 200, so that the support frame 300 can be tightly arranged on the body 200, and the second support wall 302 is in contact with the body 200. The body 200 is flush.

4A, 4B, in a variation, the support frame 300 has a plurality of ribs 300R, disposed on the inner surface of the second support wall 302, and a plurality of corresponding flow channels 310 are formed between adjacent ribs 300R, and The flow channel 201 on the body 200 corresponds to the flow channel 201 and the corresponding flow channel 310 when the support frame 300 engages with the slot 203 .

Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, in another variation, the body 200 has an accommodating space 200S formed on the edge of the opening 202 and corresponding to the flow channel 201, while the slot 203 on the body 200 can be omitted, and the supporting frame 300 can be arranged in the accommodating space 200S in a tightly fitting manner, and the first supporting wall 301 is used to abut against the main body 200, so that the supporting frame 300 can be tightly arranged on the main body 200, and the second supporting wall 302 is flush with the main body 200 .

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the support frame 300 is ring-shaped, and when the support frame 300 is combined with the body 200, the first support wall 301 is in close contact with the body 200, and its extension direction is aligned with the fuel cell stacking direction. parallel, so the stress can be directly transmitted by the first support wall 301 to avoid deformation of the support frame 300 .

The fuel cell flow field plate 100 of the present invention adds a support frame 300 at the inlet and outlet of the flow channel 201 to increase the structural strength here. When several fuel cells are stacked, the fuel cell flow in each fuel cell The field plate 100 can perform its function, support the inlet and outlet of the flow channel 201, and prevent the separation or collapse of the membrane electrode group and the gas diffusion layer, so that the fluid can pass through the inlet or outlet of the support flow channel 201 smoothly, uniformly Enter another fuel cell to improve the overall stability and reliability.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with this technology can make changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention The scope of protection should depend on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A fuel cell flow field plate, characterized in that, comprising: a body having a plurality of flow channels and an opening, wherein the plurality of flow channels converge at the opening; and A support frame is arranged on the edge of the opening, wherein the support frame is annular and surrounds the plurality of flow channels, and the support frame includes at least one pair of first support walls, wherein the at least one pair of first support walls are respectively set on both sides of the plurality of flow channels. 2 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is an outlet or an inlet where the flow channels converge. 3 . 3 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1 , wherein the body has two slots extending from the opening toward the inside of the body, and the supporting frame is engaged with the slots. 4 . 4 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 3 , wherein the support frame engages with the slot through the at least one pair of first support walls. 5 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1 , wherein the inner surface and the outer surface of the at least one pair of first support walls are in contact with the main body. 6 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1 , wherein the support frame has a pair of second support walls connected to the at least one pair of first support walls and flush with the main body. 7. The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 6, wherein the support frame has a plurality of ribs, which are arranged on the second support wall and form a plurality of corresponding flow fields between the adjacent ribs channel connected to the plurality of flow channels. 8 . The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1 , wherein the support frame has a plurality of corresponding flow channels connected to the plurality of flow channels. 9. The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of flow channels extend into the support frame. 10. The fuel cell flow field plate according to claim 1, wherein the main body has an accommodating space formed on the edge of the opening and corresponding to the plurality of flow channels, and the supporting frame is disposed on in this accommodation space.

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