CN117317285A

CN117317285A - Plate assembly for electrochemical cell, method for producing the same, and electrochemical cell

Info

Publication number: CN117317285A
Application number: CN202210711373.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: K·皮泰曼尼
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2022-06-22
Filing date: 2022-06-22
Publication date: 2023-12-29

Abstract

The invention relates to a plate assembly (100) for an electrochemical cell, wherein the plate assembly (100) comprises: -a plate body (10) comprising at least two plate elements (11) fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements (11) are connected by a connecting seam (12), the connecting seam (12) being exposed on a surface of the plate body (10); a spacer layer (20) formed on the surface of the plate body (10) such that a bottom of the spacer layer (20) facing the connecting seam (12) is complementary in shape to the plate body (10) at the connecting seam (12); and a seal (30) provided on the plate body (10) such that the spacer layer (20) is located between the seal (30) and the connecting seam (12). The invention also provides an electrochemical cell and a method of producing a plate assembly. By means of the invention, a more reliable seal can be achieved.

Description

Plate assembly for electrochemical cell, method for producing the same, and electrochemical cell

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a plate package for an electrochemical cell, and to an electrochemical cell and a method for producing a plate package.

Background

Electrochemical cells are increasingly gaining attention as power supplies for researchers and the market. For example, as one of electrochemical cells, a fuel cell has been widely used in the fields of electric vehicles, portable power sources, and the like.

In general, a fuel cell may include a plurality of flow field plates and a membrane electrode assembly. The known flow field plates may each have two plate elements. In particular, the two plate elements may be permanently fixed together, for example by welding. In general, fluid channels for the reactant fluid and/or coolant may be formed on at least one side of the flow field plate. In existing fuel cells, seals may be disposed directly on the flow field plates to prevent leakage of the reactant fluid and/or coolant.

However, leakage may still occur at the seal during operation of the electrochemical cell.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate assembly for an electrochemical cell, whereby a more reliable seal is achieved.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plate assembly for an electrochemical cell is presented. The plate assembly includes: a plate body including at least two plate elements fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements are connected by a connecting seam, the connecting seam being exposed on a surface of the plate body; a spacer layer formed on the surface of the plate main body such that a bottom portion of the spacer layer facing the connecting seam is complementary in shape to the plate main body at the connecting seam; and a seal member provided on the panel body such that the barrier layer is located between the seal member and the connecting seam.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the plate body is formed on a surface thereof with two grooves respectively arranged at both sides of the connecting seam, into which a portion of at least one of the barrier layer and the seal protrudes.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the barrier layer is a plastic barrier layer, which is applied directly to the plate body by a moulding process, in particular an injection moulding process.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the surface of the plate body is formed with first and second grooves respectively disposed at both sides of the connection joint. The barrier layer is formed with first and second protrusions at its bottom that extend into the first and second grooves, respectively, to form a form fit.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the barrier layer is formed with a receiving groove for receiving the seal at its top side remote from the connecting seam.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the receiving groove delimits a receiving space having a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the direction of extension of the connecting seam. The receiving space includes a first space distant from the connecting seam and a second space closer to the connecting seam than the first space. The width of the first space is larger than the width of the second space in a width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam and the thickness direction of the plate main body. The receiving groove comprises a shoulder at a transition between the first space and the second space. The sealing member is formed to have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam. The seal includes a first portion distant from the connecting seam and a second portion closer to the connecting seam than the first portion, wherein a width of the first portion is larger than a width of the second portion in the width direction. The first portion is located in the first space and pressed against the shoulder and the second portion is located in the second space.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, in a relaxed state of the sealing member, the second portion is formed to have the same shape as the second space such that the second portion completely fills the second space, and the width of the first portion is smaller than the width of the first space.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the barrier layer is a coating layer, which is applied to the plate body by a coating process, in particular by a powder coating process.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the bottom side of the sealing member facing the connection seam has a first area in direct contact with the barrier layer and second and third areas in direct contact with the panel body. The first region is located between the second region and the third region in a width direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the connecting seam and a thickness direction of the plate main body.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the surface of the plate body is formed with first and second grooves respectively disposed at both sides of the connection joint. The seal is formed with a first projection in the second region and a second projection in the third region, the first projection and the second projection extending into the first recess and the second recess, respectively, to form a form fit.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the entire bottom side of the sealing element facing the connecting seam is in direct contact with the barrier layer.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the surface of the plate body is formed with first and second grooves respectively disposed at both sides of the connection joint. The interlayer covers the surface of the first groove and the surface of the second groove. The sealing member is formed with a first protrusion and a second protrusion at the bottom thereof, which protrude into the first groove and the second groove, respectively, to form a form fit.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the barrier layer is made of a material that is less sensitive to temperature than the seal.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the plate body is formed with a guide groove, and the connection seam is located at the bottom of the guide groove. Both the barrier and the seal are at least partially disposed in the guide groove.

In one exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the electrochemical cell is a fuel cell; and/or the plate body of the plate assembly is configured as a flow field plate.

In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the at least two plate elements are welded to each other, the connection seam comprising a weld; and/or the seal is applied to the barrier layer by an over-molding process.

According to another aspect of the invention, an electrochemical cell comprising a plate assembly according to the invention is presented.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a plate package according to the invention is presented. The production method comprises the following steps:

step S10: providing a plate body comprising at least two plate elements fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements are connected by a connecting seam, the connecting seam being exposed on a surface of the plate body;

step S20: providing a spacer layer on the panel body, wherein the spacer layer is formed on said surface of the panel body such that a bottom of the spacer layer facing the connecting seam is complementary in shape to the panel body at the connecting seam; and

step S30: a seal is provided on the panel body such that the barrier layer is located between the seal and the connecting seam.

According to the invention, a spacer layer is additionally provided between the connecting seam and the sealing element, so that the bottom of the spacer layer is complementary to the shape of the plate body at the connecting seam. In this case, the seal, the spacer layer and the plate body with the connecting seam together form a sandwich structure and a more reliable seal can be achieved.

Even if irregularities occur on the panel body surface at the connecting joints after the at least two panel elements are fixed to each other, the irregularities can be compensated for by the spacers. Therefore, a local void, which may cause leakage, can be prevented from being formed between the seal and the plate main body due to the unevenness.

Drawings

The principles, features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood by describing the present invention in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings include:

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly for an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 1B and 1C schematically illustrate partial cross-sectional views of a barrier and seal of the panel assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a known plate assembly for an electrochemical cell;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 7 schematically shows a flow chart of a method of producing a plate assembly of an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention.

List of reference numerals

100. Board assembly

10. Plate body

11. Plate element

111. First plate element

112. Second plate element

12. Connecting joint

13. Guide groove

14. First groove

15. Second groove

20. Interlayer layer

21. Receiving groove

211. A first space

212. Second space

213. Shoulder part

22. First region

23. Second region

24. Third region

30. Sealing element

31. First part

32. Second part

41. First protrusion

42. Second protrusions

200. Membrane electrode assembly

201. Anode diffusion layer

202. Anode catalyst layer

203. Proton exchange membrane

204. Cathode catalyst layer

205. Cathode diffusion layer

900. Void space

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous technical effects to be solved by the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1A schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly 100 for an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention.

As can be seen from fig. 1A, the plate assembly 100 comprises a plate body 10 comprising at least two plate elements 11 fixed to each other. The at least two plate elements 11 are connected by a connecting seam 12, which connecting seam 12 is exposed on the surface of the plate body 10. Fig. 1A shows a partial sectional view along a sectional plane perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam 12. The thickness direction T of the plate body 10 and the width direction W perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting joint 12 and the thickness direction T of the plate body 10 are schematically shown with arrows in fig. 1A. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A, the at least two plate elements 11 comprise a first plate element 111 and a second plate element 112, the first plate element 111 and the second plate element 112 being fixed to each other by means of a butt connection. Specifically, the first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 are disposed adjacent to each other substantially in the same plane. Here, the first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 are fixed to each other by the connecting seam 12 formed between the edge of the first plate member 111 and the edge of the second plate member 112. In particular, the first plate element 111 and the second plate element 112 may be fixed to each other by welding, for example by butt welding, whereby the connecting seam 12 comprises a weld seam. In other embodiments, the first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 may be secured together by other joining processes, such as adhesive bonding.

The panel assembly 100 also includes a barrier layer 20 and a seal 30. The spacer layer 20 is formed on the surface of the plate body 10 in such a manner that the bottom thereof toward the connecting joint 12 is complementary to the shape of the plate body 10 at the connecting joint 12. The seal 3 is provided on the plate body 10 such that the spacer layer 20 is located between the seal 30 and the connecting seam 12.

In this case, the sealing member 30, the spacer layer 20 and the plate body 10 with the connecting seam 12 together constitute a sandwich structure, and a reliable seal can be achieved.

By contrast, fig. 2 schematically shows a partial cross-sectional view of a known plate assembly for an electrochemical cell.

Similarly, the plate package comprises a plate body 10 comprising at least two plate elements 11, namely a first plate element 111 and a second plate element 112, fixed to each other. The first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 are connected by the connecting seam 12, and the connecting seam 12 is exposed on the surface of the plate body 10. The plate package 100 further comprises a seal 30, said seal 30 being arranged directly on said surface of the plate body 10 at the connecting seam 12.

When the at least two plate members 11 are fixed to each other, the surface of the plate body 10 may be uneven at the connecting joint 12. This unevenness may be caused by various reasons, such as misalignment between the at least two plate members 11 or weld flash defects during welding. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the surface of the first plate member 111 located on the side of the connecting seam 12 may be offset with respect to the surface of the second plate member 112 located on the other side of the connecting seam 12, which may cause unevenness in the surface of the plate main body 10 at the connecting seam 12. In practice, it may be difficult to ensure that the plate body 10 has a flat surface at the connecting seam 12 for arranging the seal 30.

The inventors have noted that due to this unevenness, a local void 900 may be formed between the seal 30 and the plate body 10, which local void 900 may reduce the sealing contact pressure between the seal 30 and the plate body 10, resulting in the possibility of occurrence of leakage, such as leakage of coolant or reaction fluid in an electrochemical cell.

Returning now to fig. 1A, by providing the barrier layer 20 between the connecting seam 12 and the seal 30, the formation of the partial void 900 at the connecting seam 12 may be prevented. Further, the reduction of the seal contact pressure can be prevented.

Typically, the seal 30 is designed and manufactured in terms of shape, material and/or elasticity, etc. for the purpose of being adapted to perform a sealing function. It can be difficult or costly to adapt the seal 30 to the uneven shape at the joint 12. Alternatively, the barrier layer 20 may be designed and manufactured separately from the seal 30. It is therefore advantageous to additionally provide the spacer layer 20 and to make its bottom complementary to the shape of the panel body 10 at the connecting seam 12. In this case, the unevenness may be compensated for by the spacer layer 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the barrier layer 20 is a plastic barrier layer. The plastic barrier layer may be applied directly to the plate body 10 by a moulding process after the first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 have been welded together. In this process, the bottom of the plastic barrier layer can be conveniently formed to be complementary in shape to the panel body 10 at the connecting seam 12. Thus, the plastic barrier layer 20 can advantageously compensate for irregularities at the connecting seam 12. In particular, the plastic barrier layer may be applied directly to the panel body 10 by an injection molding process, which facilitates the plastic barrier layer filling small voids that may be present at the connecting joint 12. In addition, the spacer layer 20 may be formed to have a very thin thickness through an injection molding process. The seal 30 may then be applied to the barrier layer 20 by an over-molding process. The seal 30 may also be provided in other ways, for example as a prefabricated gasket.

Advantageously, the plastic barrier layer may have a relatively small mold shrinkage, particularly a small mold shrinkage as compared to the seal 30. This helps to prevent the formation of local voids 900 at the connecting joint 12 when cooled after the plastic barrier is formed.

Alternatively, the barrier layer 20 is made of a material that is less temperature sensitive in size than the seal 30. This helps achieve a plastic barrier layer having a lower molding shrinkage than the seal 30. In addition, this also helps to prevent the formation of localized voids 900 at the connecting seam 12 when the electrochemical cell is operated at low temperatures.

Preferably, the plate body 10 is formed with a guide groove 13. The connecting seam 12 may be located in the bottom of the guide slot 13. Each of the barrier layer 20 and the seal 30 may be at least partially disposed in the guide groove 13. The seal 30 and the barrier 20 can be reliably placed in the guide groove 13. For example, the barrier layer 20 may be injection molded directly into the guide groove 13, which makes the barrier layer 20 easy to manufacture. However, the guide groove 13 is not necessary for the plate assembly 100.

Preferably, the plate body 10 is formed on its surface with two grooves respectively disposed at both sides of the connecting joint 12, into which a portion of at least one of the barrier layer 20 and the seal member 30 protrudes.

For example, as shown in fig. 1A, the plate body 10 may be formed on a surface thereof with first grooves 14 and second grooves respectively arranged at both sides of the connection joint 12. The barrier layer 20 may be formed with first and second protrusions 41 and 42 at the bottom thereof, the first and second protrusions 41 and 42 being adapted to extend into the first and second grooves 14 and 15, respectively, to form a form fit. This can improve the bonding strength between the spacer layer 20 and the plate body 10. For example, the first groove 14 and the second groove 15 may extend along the connecting seam 12. As shown in fig. 1A, the first groove 14 and the second groove 15 may be located at the bottom of the guide groove 13.

Preferably, the compartment 20 is formed with a receiving groove 21 at its top side facing away from the connecting seam 12 for receiving the seal 30. The seal 30 may be overmolded in the receiving groove 21.

Fig. 1B and 1C schematically illustrate partial cross-sectional views of the spacer layer 20 and the seal 30 of the plate assembly 100 illustrated in fig. 1A.

As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the receiving groove 21 defines a receiving space, which may be formed to have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam 12. The receiving space includes a first space 211 distant from the connecting joint 12 and a second space 212 closer to the connecting joint 12 than the first space 211. The width of the first space 211 is larger than the width of the second space 212 in the width direction W perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting joint 12 and the thickness direction T of the plate body 10. The receiving groove 21 may include a shoulder 213 at a transition position between the first space 211 and the second space 212.

As shown in fig. 1A and 1C, the seal member 30 may be formed to have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam 12. The seal 30 may include a first portion 31 that is distal from the connection seam 12 and a second portion 32 that is closer to the connection seam 12 than the first portion 31. The width of the first portion 31 is larger than the width of the second portion 32 in the width direction W. The first portion 31 may be located in the first space 211 and press against the shoulder 213. The second portion 32 may be located in the second space 212. Thereby, a tighter sealing contact between the barrier layer 20 and the seal 30 may be achieved.

Preferably, in the relaxed state of the seal 30, the second portion 32 is formed to have the same shape as the second space 212 such that the second portion 32 completely fills the second space 212, while the width of the first portion 31 is smaller than the width of the first space 211. Thereby, the second portion 32 fills the second space 212 in a relaxed state of the seal 30. When the electrochemical cell is assembled and the plate assembly 100 is installed therein, the seal 30 will be compressed and the first portion 31 will widen. In the compressed state of the seal 30, the first portion 31 may fill the first space 211. This further facilitates a tighter sealing contact between the barrier layer 20 and the seal 30.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly 100 according to another embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, the plate assembly 100 includes a plate body 10 having a similar structure to the embodiment shown in fig. 1A. The first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 are fixed together by butt welding. In addition, the panel assembly 100 further includes a barrier layer 20 and a seal member 30, wherein the barrier layer 20 is formed on the surface of the panel body 10 in such a manner that it is complementary in shape to the panel body 10 at the connection joint 12 toward the bottom of the connection joint 12, wherein the seal member 30 is disposed on the panel body 10 such that the barrier layer 20 is located between the seal member 30 and the connection joint 12.

The embodiment shown in fig. 3 differs from the embodiment shown in fig. 1A at least in respect of the barrier layer 20. Here, the interlayer 20 is a coating layer that is applied to the plate body 10 through a coating process. In particular, the barrier layer 20 may be applied to the plate body 10 through a powder coating process. The bottom of the spacer layer 20 may be conveniently formed to complement the shape of the plate body 10 at the connecting seam 12 through a coating process. Thus, the barrier layer 20 can advantageously compensate for irregularities at the connecting seam 12. At the same time, the top side of the barrier layer 20 facing away from the connecting seam 12 may have a relatively flat surface without sharp undulations. Although the top side of the spacer layer 20 may not be a completely flat surface, the top side of the spacer layer 20 may be made much flatter than the uneven surface of the plate body 10 at the connecting joint 12 in a manner that is convenient to implement. The seal 30 may then be applied over the barrier layer 20 by an over-molding process.

As shown in fig. 3, the barrier layer 20 may be applied locally to the connecting seam 12. The bottom side of the sealing member 30 facing the connecting seam 12 may have a first region 22 in direct contact with the barrier layer 20 and second and third regions 23 and 24 in direct contact with the panel body 10. The first region 22 may be located between the second region 23 and the third region 24 in the width direction W perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam 12 and the thickness direction T of the panel body 10.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly 100 according to another embodiment of the invention.

The plate assembly 100 shown in fig. 4 is constructed similarly to the plate assembly 100 shown in fig. 3, except that the plate body 10 is formed on the surface thereof with first grooves 14 and second grooves 15 respectively disposed at both sides of the connecting joint 12. Accordingly, the seal 30 is formed with a first protrusion 41 in the second region 23 and a second protrusion 42 in the third region 24, the first protrusion 41 and the second protrusion 42 being adapted to extend into the first recess 14 and the second recess 15, respectively, to form a form fit. For example, the first groove 14 and the second groove 15 may extend along the connecting seam 12 and/or the seal 30.

Thereby, the bonding strength between the seal 30 and the plate body 10 can be improved.

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a plate assembly 100 according to another embodiment of the invention.

The plate assembly 100 shown in fig. 5 is configured similar to the plate assembly 100 shown in fig. 4. The embodiment shown in fig. 5 differs from the embodiment shown in fig. 4 at least in that the barrier layer 20 covers a significantly larger area, so that the bottom side of the seal 30 facing the connecting seam 12 is in full direct contact with the barrier layer 20.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, the barrier 20 covers only a partial area on the bottom of the guide groove 13. However, the barrier 20 may also completely cover the guide groove 13. As shown in fig. 5, the spacer 20 may cover a surface area of the cover plate body 10 other than the guide groove 13.

Preferably, the plate body 10 is formed on the surface thereof with first and second grooves 14 and 15 disposed at both sides of the connection joint 12, respectively. The barrier layer 20 covers the surface of the first recess 14 and the surface of the second recess 15. The sealing member 30 is formed with a first protrusion 41 and a second protrusion 42 on its bottom side facing the connecting seam 12, the first protrusion 41 and the second protrusion 42 being adapted to extend into the first groove 14 and the second groove 15, respectively, to form a form fit. The bonding strength between the sealing member 30 and the plate body 10 can be improved.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plate body 10 of the plate assembly 100 may be configured, for example, as a flow field plate, bipolar plate or current collector plate of an electrochemical cell, particularly a fuel cell.

Fig. 6 schematically illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention.

The electrochemical cell is illustratively configured as a fuel cell, in particular a PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell). The fuel cell may include a plate assembly 100 and a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) 200 stacked one on another. The membrane electrode assembly 200 may include an anode diffusion layer 201, an anode catalyst layer 202, a proton exchange membrane 203, a cathode catalyst layer 204, and a cathode diffusion layer 205. The plate body 10 of the plate assembly 100 may be configured as a bipolar plate. At the bipolar plates, anode and cathode fluids are introduced and the current generated by the cell is collected. Typically, the anode fluid is a fuel gas (hydrogen in this embodiment) and the cathode fluid is an oxidant gas (oxygen-containing air in this embodiment). Of course, other suitable anode fluids and cathode fluids may be used. The introduced anode fluid and cathode fluid are diffused at the anode diffusion layer 201 and the cathode diffusion layer 205 and transferred to the anode catalyst layer 202 and the cathode catalyst layer 204, respectively. Further, an electrochemical reaction occurs in the membrane electrode assembly 200, so that chemical energy is converted into electric energy.

As shown in fig. 6, the bipolar plate may include a first plate member 111 and a second plate member 112 stacked on each other. The first plate member 111 and the second plate member 112 may be welded together so as to be connected to each other by a weld (i.e., by the connecting seam 12). The weld may be exposed on the surface of the bipolar plate (i.e., plate body 10). As described above, at the weld, unevenness may occur due to defects generated during welding of fixing the first and second plate members 111 and 112. For example, in the case where a weld flash defect occurs during welding, the weld may include a protrusion formed of molten metal, which protrudes on the surface of the plate body 10.

The panel assembly 100 also includes a barrier layer 20 and a seal 30. The spacer layer 20 is formed on the surface of the plate body 10 such that the bottom of the spacer layer 20 facing the connecting seam 12 is complementary in shape to the plate body 10 at the connecting seam 12. For example, the barrier layer 20 may be applied to the plate body 10 through a powder coating process. The seal 30 is provided on the panel body 10 such that the barrier layer 20 is located between the seal 30 and the connecting seam 12.

The seal 30 may be sandwiched between the bipolar plate and the proton exchange membrane 203 and compressed to prevent leakage of coolant (e.g., water), anode fluid, and/or cathode fluid.

Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a flow chart of a method of producing a plate assembly 100 for an electrochemical cell according to one embodiment of the invention. The production method may be used to produce the board assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The production method comprises the following steps:

step S10: providing a plate body 10 comprising at least two plate elements 11 fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements 11 are connected by a connecting seam 12, the connecting seam 12 being exposed on a surface of the plate body 10;

step S20: providing a spacer layer 20 on the panel body 10, wherein the spacer layer 20 is formed on the surface of the panel body 10 such that the bottom of the spacer layer 20 is complementary in shape to the panel body 10 at the connecting seam 12; and

step S30: the sealing member 30 is provided on the panel body 10 such that the barrier layer 20 is located between the sealing member 30 and the connecting joint 12.

In step S10, the at least two plate elements 11 may be fixed to each other by welding. Alternatively, in step S10, the first groove 14 and the second groove 15 are provided in the plate body 10. The first recess 14 and the second recess 15 may be formed in the at least two plate elements 11 before the at least two plate elements 11 are fixed together. Alternatively, the first groove 14 and the second groove 15 may also be formed in the plate body 10 after the at least two plate elements 11 are fixed together.

In step S20, the interlayer 20 may be applied to the plate body 10 through a molding process, particularly an injection molding process.

Alternatively, the barrier layer 20 may be applied to the plate body 10 by a coating process, in particular a powder coating process.

In step S30, the seal 30 may be applied to the barrier layer 20 by an over-molding process.

It should be appreciated that the expressions "first", "second", etc. are used herein for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In this context, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless explicitly defined otherwise.

Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The characteristic examples provided in the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, unless stated differently. In a specific implementation, the features may be combined with one another where technically feasible according to the actual requirements. In particular, features from different embodiments may also be combined with one another. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A plate assembly (100) for an electrochemical cell, wherein the plate assembly (100) comprises:

-a plate body (10) comprising at least two plate elements (11) fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements (11) are connected by a connecting seam (12), the connecting seam (12) being exposed on a surface of the plate body (10);

a spacer layer (20) formed on the surface of the plate body (10) such that a bottom of the spacer layer (20) facing the connecting seam (12) is complementary in shape to the plate body (10) at the connecting seam (12); and

and a seal (30) provided on the plate body (10) such that the spacer layer (20) is located between the seal (30) and the connecting joint (12).

2. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein,

the plate body (10) is formed on its surface with two grooves respectively arranged on both sides of the connecting joint (12), into which a part of at least one of the barrier layer (20) and the seal (30) protrudes.

3. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the barrier layer (20) is a plastic barrier layer which is applied directly to the panel body (10) by a moulding process, in particular an injection moulding process.

4. The plate assembly (100) of claim 3, wherein,

the surface of the plate body (10) is formed with a first groove (14) and a second groove (15) respectively arranged on both sides of the connecting joint (12), the spacer layer (20) is formed with a first protrusion (41) and a second protrusion (42) at the bottom thereof, and the first protrusion (41) and the second protrusion (42) respectively extend into the first groove (14) and the second groove (15) to form a form fit.

5. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein,

the barrier layer (20) is formed with a receiving groove (21) for receiving the seal (30) at its top side remote from the connecting seam (12).

6. The plate assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein,

the receiving groove (21) delimits a receiving space having a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam (12), wherein the receiving space comprises a first space (211) distant from the connecting seam (12) and a second space (212) closer to the connecting seam (12) than the first space (211), wherein the width of the first space (211) is larger than the width of the second space (212) in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam (12) and the thickness direction of the plate body (10), wherein the receiving groove (21) comprises a shoulder (213) at a transition position between the first space (211) and the second space (212);

the seal (30) is formed to have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam (12), the seal (30) comprising a first portion (31) distant from the connecting seam (12) and a second portion (32) closer to the connecting seam (12) than the first portion (31), wherein in the width direction the width of the first portion (31) is larger than the width of the second portion (32), wherein the first portion (31) is located in the first space (211) and pressed against the shoulder (213), and the second portion (32) is located in the second space (212).

7. The plate assembly (100) of claim 6, wherein,

in a relaxed state of the seal (30), the second portion (32) is formed to have the same shape as the second space (212) such that the second portion (32) completely fills the second space (212), and the first portion (31) has a smaller width than the first space (211).

8. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the spacer layer (20) is a coating layer which is applied to the plate body (10) by a coating process, in particular by a powder coating process.

9. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 8, wherein,

the bottom side of the seal (30) facing the connecting seam (12) has a first region (22) in direct contact with the spacer layer (20), and a second region (23) and a third region (24) in direct contact with the plate body (10), wherein the first region (22) is located between the second region (23) and the third region (24) in a width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the connecting seam (12) and the thickness direction of the plate body (10).

10. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein,

the surface of the plate body (10) is formed with a first groove (14) and a second groove (15) respectively arranged on both sides of the connecting joint (12), the sealing member (30) is formed with a first protrusion (41) located in the second region (23) and a second protrusion (42) located in the third region (24), and the first protrusion (41) and the second protrusion (42) respectively extend into the first groove (14) and the second groove (15) to form a shape fit.

11. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 8, wherein,

the entire bottom side of the sealing element (30) facing the connecting seam (12) is in direct contact with the barrier layer.

12. The plate assembly (100) according to claim 11, wherein,

the surface of the plate body (10) is formed with a first groove (14) and a second groove (15) respectively arranged at both sides of the connecting joint (12), wherein the spacer layer (20) covers the surface of the first groove (14) and the surface of the second groove (15), the sealing member (30) is formed with a first protrusion (41) and a second protrusion (42) at the bottom thereof, and the first protrusion (41) and the second protrusion (42) respectively extend into the first groove (14) and the second groove (15) to form a form fit.

13. The plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein,

the barrier layer (20) is made of a material that is less sensitive to temperature than the seal (30).

14. The plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein,

the plate body (10) is formed with a guide groove (13), the connecting seam (12) being located at the bottom of said guide groove (13), wherein both the barrier layer (20) and the seal (30) are at least partially arranged in the guide groove (13).

15. The plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein,

the electrochemical cell is a fuel cell; and/or

The plate body (10) of the plate assembly (100) is configured as a flow field plate.

16. The plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein,

-the at least two plate elements (11) are welded to each other, the connecting seam (12) comprising a weld; and/or

The seal (30) is applied to the barrier layer (20) by an over-molding process.

17. An electrochemical cell, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-16.

18. The method of producing a plate assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein the method of producing comprises:

step S10: -providing a plate body (10) comprising at least two plate elements (11) fixed to each other, wherein the at least two plate elements (11) are connected by a connecting seam (12), the connecting seam (12) being exposed on a surface of the plate body (10);

step S20: providing a spacer layer (20) on the plate body (10), wherein the spacer layer (20) is formed on said surface of the plate body (10) such that the bottom of the spacer layer (20) facing the connecting seam (12) is complementary in shape to the plate body (10) at the connecting seam (12); and

step S30: a seal (30) is provided on the plate body (10) such that the barrier layer (20) is located between the seal (30) and the connecting seam (12).