KR20220071651A - An Anode Bipolar Plate for Fuel Cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel cell anode separator, and more specifically, to a fuel cell anode separator, wherein inclined walls formed in a row with a certain interval from each other form a plurality of rows parallel to each other while having an inclination of a certain angle against the longitudinal direction of an electrode, so that moisture can be forcibly transported to a high temperature part to minimize the stagnation of a condensate and to enable smooth supply of hydrogen, structural damage is prevented by securing rigidity, in addition, drying out of the high temperature part is relieved, and a cooling effect is maintained even when an external air temperature rises.

Description

An Anode Bipolar Plate for Fuel Cell

The present invention relates to a fuel cell anode separator, and more particularly, such that inclined walls formed in a line spaced apart by a predetermined interval form a plurality of rows parallel to each other while having an inclination at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction of the electrode, By making it possible to forcibly transfer moisture to the high-temperature part, it minimizes the stagnation of condensed water and enables the smooth supply of hydrogen, and prevents structural damage by securing rigidity. It relates to a fuel cell anode separator capable of maintaining a cooling effect even when rising.

A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that converts chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy by electrochemically reacting it. can be used

There are several types of fuel cells, but a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with high power density is mainly used, and the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is located inside the membrane electrode The assembly consists of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane that can move hydrogen ions, and a cathode and anode, which are electrode layers coated with a catalyst so that hydrogen and oxygen can react on both sides of the electrolyte membrane.

In addition, the fuel cell can be divided into a water-cooled fuel cell and an air-cooled fuel cell according to a cooling method. When ultra-lightweight fuel cells such as drones are required, an air-cooled fuel cell with a simple structure and light weight is used.

On the other hand, fuel cells can be divided into a dead end method and a hydrogen recirculation method according to the hydrogen supply method. The hydrogen recirculation method continuously circulates hydrogen to supply hydrogen, and the removal of condensate and the hydrogen utilization rate aspect It shows high stability and efficiency, but there is a limit to light weight and miniaturization of the system because it has to form a recirculation pump and a circulation structure.

In addition, the Dead End method stagnates hydrogen in the compartment to supply hydrogen. It is advantageous for light weight and miniaturization, but hydrogen is stagnant, causing rapid performance degradation due to the flooding phenomenon in which condensed water blocks the passage of hydrogen. It is easy to damage the electrode and stack parts due to the occurrence of hot spots, so there is a limit to the stable operation of the fuel cell and the increase in current density.

More specifically, in the air-cooled fuel cell formed in the dead-end method, the flow direction of hydrogen and air is formed to be vertical as shown in the following patent document, and as shown in FIG. ) is generally formed of a cathode separator ( ) with However, in this case, a moisture condensing part is formed on the anode side due to excessive cooling of the air inlet side, and accordingly, moisture cannot be sufficiently discharged when hydrogen is purged. Therefore, this moisture condensing part covers the electrode catalyst to form a dead zone that cannot be operated, and the temperature of the high temperature part (air outlet part) rises rapidly or creates a hot spot due to the increase in current density according to the decrease in the actual reaction area. There is a problem that causes damage.

(Patent Literature)

Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2131702 (Registered on July 2, 2020) "Separator plate for fuel cell and fuel cell stack including same"

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems,

The present invention provides a plurality of rows in parallel with inclined walls spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of rows parallel to each other while having an inclination at a certain angle to the longitudinal direction of the electrode, thereby forcibly transporting moisture to a high-temperature part. Separation of fuel cell anode that minimizes stagnation and enables smooth hydrogen supply, prevents structural damage by securing rigidity, and alleviates dry out in high temperature areas and maintains cooling effect even when external air temperature rises The purpose is to provide a plate.

The present invention has a structure in which the spaced portion between the inclined walls is closed by the inclined wall, so that the entire flow space between the inclined walls has a cooling effect by condensed water without stagnation of the condensed water, thereby preventing flooding and dry out phenomena. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell anode separator that can be made more effectively.

An object of the present invention is to provide an anode separator for a fuel cell that enables effective collection and discharge of condensed water by forming a hydrogen outlet having a cross-sectional area twice that of a hydrogen inlet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell anode separator that prevents stagnation of condensate by forming a space through which condensed water can flow along one side of the anode separator and enables more effective collection and discharge of condensed water. .

The present invention is implemented by an embodiment having the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention includes: an inclined wall protruding toward the anode, a plurality of inclined walls spaced apart from each other and formed in a line; a plurality of spaced portions formed between the inclined walls, wherein the inclined walls are inclined at a predetermined angle from the longitudinal direction of the electrode, and form a plurality of rows to be parallel to each other, so that hydrogen and condensed water flow between the rows It is characterized in that it is configured to form a flow space part.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention, the inclined wall is formed to have an angle of 1 to 89° with the longitudinal direction of the electrode.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention, the spaced part is formed to be closed by the inclined wall on a straight line that is perpendicular to the direction of hydrogen flow.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention includes a hydrogen inlet formed at one end of the separator to inject hydrogen, and a hydrogen outlet formed at the other end of the separator to discharge hydrogen and condensed water. Including, characterized in that the hydrogen outlet portion is formed to have a larger cross-sectional area than the hydrogen inlet portion.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention is formed along one side where the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are formed to form a space in which the condensed water that has failed to be forcedly transferred is transferred to the hydrogen outlet. It is characterized in that it includes a discharge space portion.

The present invention can obtain the following effects by the configuration, combination, and use relationship described below with the present embodiment.

The present invention provides a plurality of rows in parallel with inclined walls spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of rows parallel to each other while having an inclination at a certain angle to the longitudinal direction of the electrode, thereby forcibly transporting moisture to a high-temperature part. It minimizes stagnation and enables smooth hydrogen supply, prevents structural damage by securing rigidity, and in addition, has the effect of alleviating dry out in the high temperature part and maintaining the cooling effect even when the external air temperature rises.

The present invention has a structure in which the spaced portion between the inclined walls is closed by the inclined wall, so that the entire flow space between the inclined walls has a cooling effect by condensed water without stagnation of the condensed water, thereby preventing flooding and dry out phenomena. It has the effect of making it more effective.

It has the effect of minimizing the stagnation of condensate by forming the electrodes apart from each other without communicating vertically with the longitudinal direction of the electrodes.

The present invention has the effect of enabling the effective collection and discharge of condensed water by forming the cross-sectional area of the hydrogen outlet to be more than twice that of the hydrogen inlet.

The present invention has an effect of preventing stagnation of condensate by forming a space through which condensed water can flow along one side of the anode separator and enabling more effective collection and discharge of condensed water.

1 is a view showing the structure of the conventional anode separator (a), the cathode separator (b) and the formation position of the moisture condensing portion (c)
2 is a plan view of a fuel cell anode separator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 2
4 is a view showing an anode separator having a different structure in the prior art and a flooding formation process according thereto;
5 is a view showing an anode separator of another conventional structure and a flooding mitigation process according thereto;
6 is a view showing the problem of FIG. 5

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the fuel cell anode separator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a well-known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

1 to 6 of the fuel cell anode separator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the anode separator protrudes toward the anode, and a plurality of inclined walls are formed in a line at a predetermined interval (1) class; a plurality of spaced portions (2) formed between the inclined walls (1); a flow space portion 3 forming a space in which hydrogen and condensed water are transported between the inclined walls 1 formed in parallel; a hydrogen inlet (4) formed at one end of the separating plate and into which hydrogen is injected; a hydrogen outlet (5) formed at the other end of the separation plate to discharge hydrogen and condensed water; The hydrogen inlet (4) and the hydrogen outlet (5) are formed along one side of the formed discharge space (6) to form a space in which the condensed water that has failed to be forcibly transferred is transferred to the hydrogen outlet (5); include

The conventional anode separator 200 is formed in the form of a flat plate as shown in FIG. 1, and as described in the background art, a moisture condensed portion is formed in which moisture is condensed due to the low temperature on the air inlet side, and the stagnant water condensed portion A flooding phenomenon will occur. In this case, not only the movement of hydrogen is blocked, but a hot spot in which the temperature rises rapidly at the air outlet is generated due to an increase in current density due to a decrease in the reactive electrode, thereby damaging the electrode.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , it is conceivable to form a partition wall 201 on the anode separator 200 to form a flow direction of hydrogen perpendicular to the flow direction of air on the cathode separator 100 side. In this case, the flooding phenomenon can be alleviated compared to FIG. 1, but as the hydrogen flow path is formed longer in the electrode direction, water easily collects in the cold zone and there is a problem that the flooding phenomenon occurs as shown in FIG. 1 . In addition, since the anode separator 200 formed long in the longitudinal direction of the electrode easily deforms according to the stacking of the structure, condensed water may accumulate in the deformed portion, and accordingly, there is a problem that the flooding phenomenon occurs more easily.

In addition, in order to alleviate the stagnant phenomenon caused by condensed water, as shown in FIG. 4 , the partition walls 201 can be formed to be spaced apart from each other to have a pattern shape, and through this, hydrogen and water can flow in a direction perpendicular to the electrode. This can be done to alleviate the flooding phenomenon. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the gas diffusion layer (GDL, 300) is pressed by the protrusion 101 of the cathode separator 100, and deformation occurs and the condensate is stagnated by the cross section. In the high-temperature part (air outlet part), it is difficult to cool and dry-out occurs, and thus the performance of the fuel cell is deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, by forming a space in which condensed water can be forcibly transported together with hydrogen in the longitudinal and inclined directions of the electrode, stagnation of condensed water is minimized and condensed water is transported through It is possible to cool the high temperature part (air outlet part), so that the dry out phenomenon can be alleviated. In addition, even when the external air temperature rises, it is possible to maintain a cooling effect by cooling by transferring the condensate, thereby enabling stable operation.

The inclined wall 1 is configured to protrude from the anode separator 200 toward the anode (electrode), and to partition the movement path of hydrogen. In particular, the inclined wall 1 may be formed to be inclined at an angle of 1 to 89° from the longitudinal direction of the electrode as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3 , and the condensed water condensed at the air inlet (low temperature part) is inclined It allows the air to be transferred to the outlet (high temperature part) side along the flow space part 3 between the walls 1 . In addition, a plurality of the inclined walls 1 may be formed in a line so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and a spaced portion 2 is formed between the inclined walls 1 formed in a line to flow hydrogen and condensed water. can make it go away Therefore, the inclined wall 1 can be formed to form a plurality of rows parallel to each other in a state in which a plurality of the inclined walls 1 are formed in a line to have a fine pattern shape, thereby preventing stagnation of condensate and flooding and Dry out phenomenon can be minimized. In addition, since the inclined wall 1 is formed in the form of fine patterns spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, it is possible to secure the rigidity of the separator, thereby preventing structural damage.

The spaced portion 2 is a space formed between the inclined walls 1 formed in a line to allow the flow of hydrogen and condensed water. Therefore, the spaced part 2 can minimize the flow of hydrogen and condensed water through the flow space 3 to be stagnant, and cooling and dry out prevention through smooth supply of hydrogen and transfer of the high temperature part of the condensed water is possible. can be done effectively. In addition, the spaced portion 2 is closed by the inclined wall 1 in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the hydrogen proceeds, that is, the flow space portion 3 is formed, so that the condensed water toward the high temperature portion is inclined. By allowing it to be transmitted to the entire flow space (3) between the walls (1), it is possible to more effectively block the flooding phenomenon caused by the stagnation of the condensate and the dry out phenomenon caused by the high temperature part. In other words, when a plurality of rows of spaced apart portions 2 are formed to communicate with each other on a straight line that is perpendicular to the moving direction of hydrogen, the condensed water passing through the spaced apart 2 is circulated to the spaced apart 2 of the next row. In this case, the transfer of condensed water between the inclined walls 1 in the direction of hydrogen progress is not performed properly, causing stagnation of the condensed water, resulting in a flooding phenomenon. And if the condensed water is not conveyed properly in the high-temperature part, a dry-out phenomenon occurs as in the prior art. Accordingly, the spaced portion 2 is closed by the inclined wall 1 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which hydrogen proceeds, so that the condensed water passing through the spaced portion 2 follows the direction of hydrogen. (1) By allowing the space between them to flow, it is possible to effectively block the stagnation of condensate and the dry out phenomenon.

The flow space 3 is formed between the inclined walls 1 that are parallel to each other to form a space in which hydrogen and condensed water flow, and the inclined wall 1 has an angle of 1-89°. Accordingly, the flow space 3 is also inclined to have the same angle of 1 to 89°. Accordingly, the condensed water can be transferred to the high temperature section along the flow space 3 so that the stagnation phenomenon can be alleviated, and since the condensed water also flows through the spaced apart 2 , the stagnation phenomenon can be further minimized. Therefore, the flow space portion 3 is formed in a plurality of rows on the entire separator while being parallel to each other in an inclined state, so that hydrogen can be smoothly supplied to all electrodes, and through this, the electrode reaction By maximizing the area, it is possible to increase the power generation efficiency.

The hydrogen inlet 4 is configured to inject hydrogen onto the anode separator, and may be formed at one end of the separator as shown in FIG. 2 .

The hydrogen outlet 5 is configured to discharge hydrogen and condensed water that have been reacted on the electrode to the outside, and may be formed at the other end of the separating plate opposite to the hydrogen inlet 4 . Preferably, the hydrogen outlet 5 has a cross-sectional area twice that of the hydrogen inlet 4, and through this, the condensed water on the separator can be effectively collected and discharged. In addition, the hydrogen outlet 5 is formed to communicate with the discharge space 6 formed on one side of the separation plate to smoothly discharge the condensed water that cannot be forcibly transferred to the high temperature side, thereby preventing the flooding phenomenon caused by the condensate. can be minimized.

The discharge space 6 is formed along one end of the separating plate so that the condensed water that cannot be transferred to the high-temperature part can be discharged. to form Accordingly, when the condensed water generated in the flow space 3 cannot be transferred to the high-temperature part, it is accommodated in the discharge space 6, and the discharge space 6 communicates with the hydrogen outlet 5 and accommodates condensed water. emission can be achieved. Accordingly, the discharge space 6 induces the discharge of the condensed water to alleviate the flooding phenomenon caused by the stagnation of the condensed water.

In the above, the applicant has described various embodiments of the present invention, but these embodiments are only one embodiment that implements the technical idea of the present invention, and any changes or modifications are not allowed as long as the technical idea of the present invention is implemented. should be construed as falling within the scope of

1: inclined wall
2: space separation
3: flow space part
4: hydrogen inlet
5: Hydrogen outlet
6: exhaust space
* Explanation of symbols related to the prior art
100: cathode separator 101: protrusion
200: anode separator 201: bulkhead
300: gas diffusion layer

Claims (5)

an inclined wall protruding toward the anode and spaced apart from each other by a plurality of inclined walls formed in a line; Including; a plurality of spaced apart formed between the inclined wall;
The inclined wall is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction of the electrode, and a plurality of rows are formed to be parallel to each other to form a flow space in which hydrogen and condensed water flow between each row. The method of claim 1, wherein the inclined wall is
A fuel cell anode separator, characterized in that it is formed to have an angle of 1 to 89° with the longitudinal direction of the electrode. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spaced part
A fuel cell anode separator, characterized in that it is formed to be closed by the inclined wall on a straight line that is perpendicular to the direction of hydrogen propagation. According to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell anode separator is
A hydrogen inlet formed at one end of the separator to inject hydrogen, and a hydrogen outlet formed at the other end of the separator to discharge hydrogen and condensed water,
The hydrogen outlet portion is a fuel cell anode separator, characterized in that formed to have a larger cross-sectional area than the hydrogen inlet portion. 5. The fuel cell anode separator according to claim 4, wherein the
and a discharge space formed along one side where the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are formed to form a space through which the condensed water that has failed to be forcedly transferred is transferred to the hydrogen outlet.

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