EP1405359A2 - Formes de plaque a champ d'ecoulement - Google Patents

Formes de plaque a champ d'ecoulement

Info

Publication number
EP1405359A2
EP1405359A2 EP02710172A EP02710172A EP1405359A2 EP 1405359 A2 EP1405359 A2 EP 1405359A2 EP 02710172 A EP02710172 A EP 02710172A EP 02710172 A EP02710172 A EP 02710172A EP 1405359 A2 EP1405359 A2 EP 1405359A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
flow field
channel
channels
field plate
plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP02710172A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
James C. Phillips & Leigh BOFF
Mark C. The Morgan Crucible Company Plc. TURPIN
Alan R. The Morgan Crucible Company Plc. BEGG
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Morgan Crucible Co PLC
Original Assignee
Morgan Crucible Co PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB0103391A external-priority patent/GB2372144B/en
Priority claimed from GB0103390A external-priority patent/GB2372143B/en
Priority claimed from GB0110911A external-priority patent/GB2375064B/en
Priority claimed from GB0110912A external-priority patent/GB2372626B/en
Priority claimed from GB0110910A external-priority patent/GB2375063B/en
Application filed by Morgan Crucible Co PLC filed Critical Morgan Crucible Co PLC
Publication of EP1405359A2 publication Critical patent/EP1405359A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/02—Details
    • H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
    • H01M8/0258—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
    • H01M8/0265—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/02—Details
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24C—ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
    • B24C1/00—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
    • B24C1/04—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods for treating only selected parts of a surface, e.g. for carving stone or glass
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24C—ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
    • B24C3/00—Abrasive blasting machines or devices; Plants
    • B24C3/02—Abrasive blasting machines or devices; Plants characterised by the arrangement of the component assemblies with respect to each other
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/08—Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B9/00—Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
    • C25B9/17—Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof
    • C25B9/19—Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof with diaphragms
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/02—Details
    • H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
    • H01M8/0258—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
    • H01M8/026—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

  • This invention relates to fuel cells and electrolysers, and is particularly applicable to proton exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolysers.
  • Fuel cells are devices in which a fuel and an oxidant combine in a controlled manner to produce electricity directly. By directly producing electricity without intermediate combustion and generation steps, the electrical efficiency of a fuel cell is higher than using the fuel in a traditional generator. This much is widely known.
  • a fuel cell sounds simple and desirable but many man-years of work have been expended in recent years attempting to produce practical fuel cell systems.
  • An elecfrolyser is effectively a fuel cell in reverse, in which electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Both fuel cells and electrolysers are likely to become important parts of the so-called "hydrogen economy". In the following, reference is made to fuel cells, but it should be remembered that the same principles apply to electrolysers.
  • PEM proton exchange membrane
  • PEC polymer electrolyte or solid polymer fuel cells
  • Such cells use hydrogen as a fuel and comprise an electrically insulating (but ionically conducting) polymer membrane having porous electrodes disposed on both faces.
  • the membrane is typically a fluorosulphonate polymer and the electrodes typically comprise a noble metal catalyst dispersed on a carbonaceous powder substrate.
  • This assembly of electrodes and membrane is often referred to as the membrane electrode assembly (MEA).
  • Hydrogen fuel is supplied to one electrode (the anode) where it is oxidised to release electrons to the anode and hydrogen ions to the electrolyte.
  • Oxidant typically air or oxygen
  • the cathode is supplied to the other electrode (the cathode) where electrons from the cathode combine with the oxygen and the hydrogen ions to produce water.
  • a sub-class of proton exchange membrane fuel cell is the direct methanol fuel cell in which methanol is supplied as the fuel. This invention is intended to cover such fuel cells and indeed any other fuel cell using a proton exchange membrane.
  • flow field plates also referred to as separators or bipolar plates.
  • the flow field plates are typically formed of metal or graphite to permit good transfer of electrons between the anode of one membrane and the cathode of the adjacent membrane.
  • the flow field plates have a pattern of grooves on their surface to supply fluid (fuel or oxidant) and to remove water produced as a reaction product of the fuel cell. Flow fields may also be provided to supply coolant fluids.
  • Various methods of producing the grooves have been described, for example it has been proposed to form such grooves by machining, embossing or moulding (WO00/41260), and (as is particularly useful for the present invention) by sandblasting (or other etching using the momentum of moving particles to abrade the surface) through a resist (WO01/04982).
  • An assembled body of flow field plates and membranes with associated fuel and oxidant supply manifolds is often referred to a fuel cell stack.
  • WOOO/41260 describes in detail the advantages and disadvantages of existing flow field plate designs. In particular, it discusses the need to maintain a pressure drop across the plate to reduce or eliminate the accumulation of water; and the drawback of increasing the pressure differential, namely larger parasitic energy demands.
  • WOOO/41260 also discusses the problems of eddy formation near bends in serpentine channels.
  • WOOO/41260 also discusses the drawbacks of conventional milling tools for making such channels, and particularly the tool wear that makes it difficult to reproducibly form narrow channels of a consistent width.
  • the suggestion in WOOO/41260 is that such narrow channels could be produced by moulding or embossing.
  • moulding or embossing the plates limits the materials from which they can be made so that a compromise between fine features and material properties would have to be made.
  • the present invention provides a flow field plate for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell or electrolyser comprising at least one channel extending from a source of fluid to a drain for said fluid, in which the cross-sectional area of said channel at drain or source is less than 95% of the cross-sectional area at source or drain respectively.
  • the cross-sectional area of said channel at drain or source is less than 75% of the cross-sectional area at source or drain respectively.
  • the channel may cross an electrochemically active region in the flow field, with the cross- sectional area of said channel at one side of said electrochemically active region being less than 95%o of the cross-sectional area at another side of the electrochemically active region.
  • Fig. 1 shows schematically in part section a part of a fluid flow plate incorporating gas delivery channels and gas diffusion channels formed by an abrasive air blast technique (sandblasting).
  • Fig. 2 shows schematically a partial plan view of a fluid flow plate incorporating gas delivery channels and gas diffusion channels.
  • Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing illustrating one method of undercutting a channel
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing by way of example limitations of the technique of the method of Fig. 3;
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic drawing showing a further method of performing the method of Fig. 3;
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a still further method of performing the method of Fig.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic drawing showing in partial plan a channel in a flow field plate
  • Fig. 8 is a schematic drawing in partial plan showing a further channel in a flow field plate
  • Fig. 9 is a schematic drawing in partial plan showing a yet further channel in a flow field plate
  • Fig. 10 is a schematic drawing showing in section and alternative construction of flow field plate
  • Fig. 11 is a schematic view of a channel in a flow field plate
  • Fig. 12 is a schematic view of a flow field plate geometry
  • Fig. 13 is a schematic view of a further flow field plate geometry
  • Fig. 14 is a schematic view showing a use of the flow field plate geometry of Fig. 13;
  • Fig. 15 is a schematic view of an abrasive gun for use in the invention.
  • Fig. 16 is a schematic view illustrating the use of a multiple headed gun.
  • abrasive blasting sandblasting
  • a technique such as abrasive blasting may be used in which a template or resist is placed against the surface of a plate, the template or resist having a pattern corresponding to the desired channel geometry.
  • a technique is described in WO01/04982, which is incorporated herein in its entirety as enabling the present invention.
  • the plates may be formed from a graphite/resin composite or other non- porous electrically conductive material that does not react significantly with the reactants used.
  • the type of abrasive blasting much preferred is the use of an air blast. Waterjet machining is generally found to be too aggressive for easy control, but with care and good control equipment would be possible.
  • Fig. 1 shows a flow field plate 101 having a narrow channel 102 formed in its surface. Because of the shadowing effect of the resist used in forming the channel the channel is exposed to sandblast grit coming effectively only from directly above. This leads to a generally semicircular profile to the channel and to a shallow cutting of the channel.
  • the resist casts less of a shadow allowing sandblasting grit from a progressively wider range of angles to strike the surface of the flow field plate, so allowing both deeper cutting of the surface and a progressively flatter bottom to the channel.
  • a pattern of channels of different widths and depths can be applied.
  • Applying such a pattern of channels of varying width and depth has advantages.
  • the purpose behind the channels conventionally applied is to try to ensure a uniform supply of reactant material to the electrodes and to ensure prompt removal of reacted products.
  • the length of the passage material has to travel is high since a convoluted path is generally used.
  • Another system in which the aim is to supply reactant uniformly to a reactant surface and to remove reacted products is the lung.
  • an arrangement of progressively finer channels is provided so that air has a short pathway to its reactant site in the lung, and carbon dioxide has a short pathway out again.
  • the finest channels could simply discharge into wide gas removal channels or, as in the lung, a corresponding network of progressively wider channels could be provided out of the flow field plate.
  • the two networks of progressively finer channels and progressively wider channels could be connected end-to-end or arranged as interdigitated networks, with diffusion through the electrode material providing connectivity. Connection end-to-end provides the advantage that a high pressure will be maintained through the channels, assisting in the removal of blockages.
  • Fig. 2 shows in a schematic plan a portion of a flow field plate having broad primary gas delivery channels 104, which diverge into secondary gas delivery channels 103 which themselves diverge into gas diffusion channels 102.
  • Gas diffusion channels 105 can also come off the primary gas deliver channels 104 if required.
  • the primary and secondary gas delivery channels may each form a network of progressively finer channels as may the gas diffusion channels and the arrangement of the channels may resemble a fractal arrangement.
  • the primary gas delivery channels may have a width of greater than 1mm, for example about 2mm. A typical depth of such a channel is 0.25mm but depth is limited only by the need to have sufficient strength in the flow field plate after forming the channel.
  • the secondary gas delivery channels may have a width of less than 1mm, for example 0.5mm and, using the sandblasting technique may be shallower than the primary gas delivery channels.
  • the gas diffusion channels have a width of less than 0.2mm, for example about lOO ⁇ m and may be shallower still.
  • the flow field plates may be used with a gas diffusion layer, or the gas diffusion channels may be provided in a sufficient density over the surface of the flow field plate to provide sufficient gas delivery that a gas diffusion layer may be omitted.
  • the gas delivery channels deliver gas to the gas diffusion channels which disperse the gas across the face of the flow field plate.
  • the gas diffusion channels act to receive the gas from across the face of the flow field plate and the gas delivery channels deliver the gas for collection.
  • the limit on channel width is a function of the mask thickness used in the sand blast process.
  • Image ProTM materials (Chromaline Corp. US), are very thick at 125 micron. These masks limit track width to about 100 microns. Other mask materials can be spray coated onto the substrate and exposed in situ. These materials are much more resilient and hence can be much thinner.
  • Chromaline SBXTM can be used to etch features down to 10-20 microns wide.
  • Various mask types may be used:- a) adhesively mounted sheet masks b) masks that are applied by painting, spraying, screen printing or any other such method to cover the desired surface of the article and then treated to selectively remove areas c) masks that are applied and re-used d) masks that are directly printed or applied to the surface (e.g. by ink blast printing) the invention is not restricted to any particular form of mask, but types b) and d) lend themselves most readily to mass production.
  • the abrasive material used in the abrasive blast must have a finer particle size than the feature to be formed.
  • finer particle size leads to a lessening in the abrasion rate.
  • the applicants have found it useful to use a relatively coarse abrasive material in the blast (e.g. 50 ⁇ m to 250 ⁇ m diameter silica or alumina grit) to form the wide channels, followed by use of a fine abrasive material (e.g. 5-20 ⁇ m diameter silica or alumina grit) to form the finer features.
  • the coarse and fine materials may be mixed and applied in one step.
  • the invention is not limited to any particular abrasive material.
  • Preferred materials for the plate are graphite, carbon-carbon composites, or carbon-resin composites. However the invention is not restricted to these materials and may be used for any material of suitable physical characteristics, with suitable choice of abrasive.
  • FIG. 3 shows a resist 1 placed against a plate 2.
  • the resist 1 has a thickness d r and has an aperture 3 of width w r .
  • Abrasive materials projected through the aperture 3 has abraded the material of the plate to produce a void 4 of depth d v and width w v .
  • Table 1 gives calculated void widths based on an assumed resist thickness of 0.125mm and varying sizes of aperture and desired depths.
  • sandblasting does not produce a mathematical point sized cutting tool and such would be required to produce a void of the shape shown in Fig. 3.
  • the angle of undercut produced is dependent upon the angle of incidence of the abrasive particles produced by the sandblast, provided that this is not shallower than ⁇ . If the angle of incidence of the abrasive particles produced by the sandblast is shallower than ⁇ then the plate 2 will be in the shadow of the resist and little or no abrasion of the surface by the sandblast will occur. In practice a void shape somewhat as shown in Fig.
  • the void shape can be tailored by directing different strength blasts from different directions, or by directing the blasts for different times from different directions, or by a combination of both.
  • a void as shown in Fig. 5 could be produced by successively blasting from directions 'A' and 'B' to provide voids 4 meeting at neck 8.
  • Figs. 3 to 5 are schematic, and exaggerated in showing the resist as having a great thickness. This means that the degree of undercut is shown as small.
  • a highly undercut void can be achieved.
  • the greater the angle of undercut ⁇ the thinner the overhang 7 to the void 4 will be at its tip.
  • the appropriate angle of undercut ⁇ for a given material will depend upon the strength required for the application.
  • the angle of undercut is greater than 20°, and preferably greater than 30°. More preferably the angle of undercut is greater than 40°. Angles of undercut of less than 60° are preferred for strength, although angles beyond this are possible and indeed advantageous for some geometries.
  • a pair of closely spaced voids 4 may merge at a neck 8 to form a single void connecting adjacent ports 9 and 10 at the surface.
  • a plate 11 has a fluid entry port 12.
  • the fluid entry port 12 connects at the surface of the plate 1 to a channel 13.
  • Channel 13 has edges 14 defining its width at the surface.
  • the channel 13 has a greater width within the body of the plate 1 than at the face of the plate 1 and may have, for example, a cross section as in any of Figs. 3 to 5, in which the mouth of the channel cross-section is narrower than the interior of the channel cross- section within the body of the plate.
  • the maximum width of the channel 13 is shown as lines 15.
  • Such a flow field plate can have shallower channels than a narrow parallel-sided channel of equivalent cross sectional area and this enables thinner flow field plates to be used.
  • Gas channels in typical bipolar plates are of square or rectangular section and are millimetric in size.
  • E.g. BallardTM plates have a 2.5mm square section channel.
  • APSTM plates have a channel that is 0.9mm wide by 0.6 mm deep. Taking a channel of the cross-section of Fig. 3, from basic geometry, the cross-sectional area of the channel will be equal to:- w r * d v + 2*( 1 /-d v (d v /tan ⁇ ))
  • Table 2 below compares channels made to the present invention as shown in Fig. 3 with those of the known BallardTM and APSTM plates.
  • Fig. 8 shows a similar geometry to Fig. 7, but made by piercing the plate at a number of ports 16 and undercutting around these ports to define the channel 13.
  • the channels are interrupted at the face by regions bridging the channel to form a covered channel connecting ports in the face.
  • Fig. 9 shows a similar arrangement but in which adjacent pairs of ports are provided (as in Fig. 6).
  • multiple guns may be used, so that the abrasive materials are directed from a plurality of flow directions in one operation; or a single gun can be used successively from different directions; or multiple guns can be used successively from different directions.
  • a sandblasting head comprising two or more guns mounted to direct their blasts in non-parallel directions (e.g. directions A and B in Fig.3) can be traversed over a flow field plate. As the blast sweeps across it will in effect successively expose the aperture in the resist to blasts from directions A and B. A similar effect could be achieved by successively traversing guns directed in directions A and B.
  • a gun directed normally to the surface of the plate 2 could be used.
  • a gun could either form part of the sandblasting head, comprising two or more guns mounted to direct their blasts in non-parallel directions, or it could be a separate gun used in a separate operation.
  • a further alternative method of achieving undercut channels could be to form the flow field plate from two or more plates.
  • Fig. 10 shows a central non-porous plate 217 and two plates 218 each having channels 219 formed in the side of the plates 218 adjacent the central non-porous plate 227.
  • the channels 219 have ports 220 opening to the side of the plates 218 remote from the central non-porous plate 227.
  • the ports 220 may have fine channels 221 leading from the ports 220 and lying in the side of the plates 218 remote from the central non-porous plate 217.
  • the plates 218 could be made by the sandblasting method described above or indeed by any other method that appears suitable.
  • Plates 217 and 218 are sandwiched together to form a combined flow field plate in which the flow field is buried within the resulting plate on either side of plate 227.
  • the ports 220 serve to conduct fluid to/from the surface of the combined flow field plate and fine channels 221 may serve to conduct fluid across the surface of the combined flow field plate. (Such fine channels 221 in the surface of a flow field plate may also be used with the geometries of Figs. 7 to 9).
  • Gas diffusion channels of less than 0.2mm width are advantageously used to diffuse the gas coming from the channels 13. It is evident that the plate 217 and one plate 218 could be combined to form a flow field on one side only of plate 217. In this case the plate 217 may optionally have a different geometry of flow field (for example, for coolant) formed in the side remote from the plate 217.
  • the advantage to diminishing cross-section channels applies primarily to the hydrogen side of the fuel cell.
  • hydrogen is consumed adjacent the electrochemically active region of the flow field so that less gas leaves the plate than is fed to it.
  • a progressively diminishing channel therefore enables an even pressure drop to be provided across the electrochemically active region of the flow field.
  • the reduction in area required will vary according to the geometry of the fuel cell. A reduction to 95% of the initial cross-sectional area on entering the electrochemically active region of the flow field to leaving this region will give some useful effect, but the invention contemplates a reduction of much more, typically in the region of a reduction to 25-75%) of the initial cross- sectional area on entering the electrochemically active region of the flow field, for example 30- 50%) of the initial cross-sectional area on entering the electrochemically active region of the flow field.
  • Fig. 11 shows schematically a single channel 304 in a flow field plate which tapers from one end 330 to the other end 331.
  • the depth of tapering channel 304 is shown as being constant but it will be appreciated from the foregoing description that this is not necessarily so.
  • the area at end 330 is less than that at the end 331.
  • the channel will in use lie against a membrane electrode (with or without an intervening gas diffusion layer) and the area of the flow field adjacent the electrochemically active part of the membrane electrode will be referred to in the following as the electrochemically active region of the flow field.
  • Fig. 12 shows a flow field geometry that could be used. This combines tapering channels and a branching flow field geometry.
  • Flow field plate 302 has a plurality of tapering channel 304 connecting a fuel gas supply channel 305 to a fuel gas drain channel 306. The channels taper in the electrochemically active area 307. Adjacent channel 304 may be connected by gas diffusion channels 308 which pass from regions of higher to lower pressure.
  • FIG. 13 shows an alternative form of flow field in which flow field plate 402 is annular in form having a fuel supply aperture 403.
  • Branching flow field pattern 404 (part shown) connects fuel supply aperture 403 to a fuel drain 405.
  • Land 406 is configured to receive seals and this configuration may take place either with the formation of the flow field or in a separate step.
  • the oxidant flow field on the underside of flow field plate 402 is the reverse, with oxidant flowing in from the outer edge of the flow field plate 402 to an inner drain 407.
  • Several flow field stacks using such flow field plates may be used in a common housing as shown in Fig. 14.
  • Chamber 410 houses a plurality of fuel cell stacks 411 which have fuel supplied through central apertures 412 and oxidant is supplied to and fills the chamber in the spaces 413 between the stacks. Waste materials from drains 405 and 407 are removed from manifolds either at the same end or opposite ends of the stacks. Of course the whole arrangement can be reversed (oxidant up the middle and fuel at the outside) but for safety reasons the arrangement shown is preferred. With this arrangement it would also be possible to fill the fuel supply aperture 403 with storage means for fuel. This could provide a compact battery-like energy source that could be recharged .
  • the arrangement of Figs. 13 and 14 is not limited to circular flow field plates, although conventional flow field plates are rectangular in form which gives rise to problems with sealing at the corners.
  • a circular or oval geometry for the seals may be advantageous.
  • a circular arrangement is not ideal for applying pressure to the fuel cell stack however, and as shown in Fig. 13 a hexagonal plate could conveniently be used with fixing holes at the corners to receive threaded rods or other means for tightening the stack.
  • FIG. 15 shows an abrasive gun for use in such a technique in which a body 601 has an incoming high pressure gas supply pipe 602 and two abrasive delivery pipes 603 and 604.
  • the blast of air from pipe 602 draws in abrasive from delivery pipes 603 and 604 which may be independently regulated if desired.
  • the blast of air incorporating the abrasive passes down pipe 605 which serves to restrict the divergence of the air blast.
  • a typical divergence in conventional sandblasting would be about 10°, although this can be reduced by lengthening the pipe 605 or placing an aperture downstream of the pipe 605 exit to remove a portion of the blast having most divergence. If desired the blast can be spread by shortening the pipe or placing an impediment at the centre of the air blast to divert it sideways (in the latter case a loss of abrasive momentum would be seen).
  • a multiple headed gun may also be used according to the invention. This is advantageous in forming both undercut and straight-sided channels.
  • Fig. 16 shows a gun 501 with two heads 502 for simplicity, but it should be understood that the invention may be used with one or more heads, and preferably three heads. Each head is mounted on the head such that the angles of incidence, ⁇ A and ⁇ , of the jet of blast material 503 may be varied. To effectively abrade the substrate 506, this angle is limited by the thickness, d r , of the resist 504 and the width of the aperture in the mask, w r as described above. Voids 505 may be formed in the substrate 506 using this multiple head in two ways.
  • the multiple headed gun may simply be traversed across the substrate so that the jets of blast material are directed so as to form an undercut void, 505.
  • the third is preferably directed at 90° to the substrate to ensure that a void with a flat bottom is formed.
  • the multiple headed gun may rotate about an axis 508 out of the plane of (and preferably perpendicular to) the plane of the substrate 506, creating a substantially conical blast. This is particularly advantageous for ensuring that voids or apertures through the substrate are undercut uniformly.
  • a single angled gun rotated about an axis out of the plane of (and preferably perpendicular to) the plane of the substrate 506 would achieve a similar effect but multiple guns mean that the rotational speed of the head may be kept lower.
  • the abrasive particles may interfere with each other. If however the point is below the surface of the substrate then the blast will describe a circle or ellipse on the surface reducing such interference.
  • Machining carbon based materials by an abrasive blast method will produce a lot of carbon dust and means must be provided to deal with this and prevent it becoming an explosive risk.
  • Use of air classifiers, or other such means for separating particles by size and/or weight, in the circulation of abrasive will permit the separation of the carbon and this can be disposed of, for example, by passing through a flame to bum it off. Air classifiers will also allow the separation of fine abrasive particles from coarse and these can be passed to separate guns where required.
  • flow field plates comprising an electrically conductive core and a non- conductive frame (e.g. WO97/50139, WO01/89019, and US 3278336).
  • the flow fields of the present invention may be used in such arrangements, with either the entire flow field being on the conductive core, or being partially on the ⁇ on-conductive frame and partially on the conductive core.
  • the source and/or the drain for fluid may be on the non- conductive frame.
  • the channels may change in cross-sectional area only on the conductive core, and in particular may taper only in that area lying under the electrochemically active region of the membrane electrode assembly.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Fuel Cell (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Non-Metals, Compounds, Apparatuses Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une plaque à champ d'écoulement pour une cellule électrochimique, qui comprend au moins un canal s'étendant d'une source de fluide à un drain dudit fluide, et dans laquelle la section dudit canal au niveau du drain ou de la source représente moins de 95 % de la section au niveau de la source ou du drain respectivement.
EP02710172A 2001-02-12 2002-02-05 Formes de plaque a champ d'ecoulement Withdrawn EP1405359A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (13)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0103391A GB2372144B (en) 2001-02-12 2001-02-12 Fuel cell stack incorporating integral flow field plates and gas diffusion layer
GB0103390A GB2372143B (en) 2001-02-12 2001-02-12 Flow field plate geometries for a fuel cell, including for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
GB0103390 2001-02-12
GB0103391 2001-02-12
GB0110911 2001-05-03
GB0110910 2001-05-03
GB0110911A GB2375064B (en) 2001-05-03 2001-05-03 Abrasive blast machining
GB0110912A GB2372626B (en) 2001-05-03 2001-05-03 Flow field plate geometries
GB0110912 2001-05-03
GB0110910A GB2375063B (en) 2001-05-03 2001-05-03 Abrasive blast machining
GB0103584 2001-08-08
WOPCT/GB01/03584 2001-08-08
PCT/GB2002/000479 WO2002065565A2 (fr) 2001-02-12 2002-02-05 Formes de plaque a champ d'ecoulement

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1405359A2 true EP1405359A2 (fr) 2004-04-07

Family

ID=31999796

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02710172A Withdrawn EP1405359A2 (fr) 2001-02-12 2002-02-05 Formes de plaque a champ d'ecoulement

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1405359A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2004523069A (fr)
KR (1) KR20030081438A (fr)
CN (1) CN1491446A (fr)
CA (1) CA2437891A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2002065565A2 (fr)

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CN100454630C (zh) * 2003-11-28 2009-01-21 田丙伦 一种低压空气呼吸燃料电池堆
JP4656370B2 (ja) * 2004-01-29 2011-03-23 Ｄｉｃ株式会社 固体高分子型燃料電池用セパレータ、その製造方法及び固体高分子型燃料電池
KR100545992B1 (ko) * 2004-03-10 2006-01-25 (주)퓨얼셀 파워 연료전지용 분리판 및 제조방법, 그리고 이러한 분리판을포함하는 연료전지 스택
DE102004056399A1 (de) * 2004-11-23 2006-05-24 Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH Kathodendiffusionsschicht einer Brennstoffzelle
FR2891089B1 (fr) * 2005-09-16 2007-12-07 Renault Sas Plaque pour pile a combustible.
CN100527501C (zh) * 2005-10-20 2009-08-12 中国科学院电工研究所 一种用于燃料电池的流场板
JP4611195B2 (ja) * 2005-12-28 2011-01-12 本田技研工業株式会社 燃料電池
EP1977463B1 (fr) * 2005-12-28 2014-11-05 Ballard Power Systems Inc. Canal de champ d'ecoulement de pile a combustible partiellement bouche a une extremite
JP5015636B2 (ja) * 2007-03-09 2012-08-29 シャープ株式会社 燃料電池
US7718298B2 (en) * 2007-03-12 2010-05-18 Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. Bifurcation of flow channels in bipolar plate flowfields
DE112008004170B4 (de) * 2008-11-17 2020-02-06 Audi Ag Brennstoffzellenplatten-Strömungsfeld
JP5773448B2 (ja) 2009-05-28 2015-09-02 エゼレロン ゲーエムベーハー 酸化物−セラミックの高温管状燃料電池
CN101800317A (zh) * 2010-04-09 2010-08-11 新源动力股份有限公司 一种带有气体流场的质子交换膜燃料电池双极板
CN102299356A (zh) * 2011-07-18 2011-12-28 中国东方电气集团有限公司 液流电池的集流板及液流电池
US9644277B2 (en) 2012-08-14 2017-05-09 Loop Energy Inc. Reactant flow channels for electrolyzer applications
WO2014026287A1 (fr) 2012-08-14 2014-02-20 Powerdisc Development Corporation Ltd. Composants de pile à combustible, empilements et systèmes de piles à combustible modulaires
WO2014056110A1 (fr) * 2012-10-10 2014-04-17 Powerdisc Development Corporation Ltd. Canaux d'écoulement de réactif pour applications d'électrolyseur
CA3123208C (fr) 2012-08-14 2023-10-03 Loop Energy Inc. Canaux d'ecoulement de pile a combustible et champs d'ecoulement
FR2996065B1 (fr) * 2012-09-26 2017-02-24 Commissariat Energie Atomique Composant constituant un interconnecteur d'electrolyseur eht ou de pile a combustible sofc et procedes de realisation associes
CN109075358B (zh) 2016-03-22 2021-10-19 环能源公司 用于热管理的燃料电池流场设计
JP6804332B2 (ja) * 2017-02-27 2020-12-23 ユナイテッド テクノロジーズ コーポレイションＵｎｉｔｅｄ Ｔｅｃｈｎｏｌｏｇｉｅｓ Ｃｏｒｐｏｒａｔｉｏｎ 電気化学装置および腐食を制御する方法
CN109841865A (zh) * 2017-11-29 2019-06-04 吕伟 一种超薄金属双极板及其制备方法和包含其的燃料电池

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US5641586A (en) * 1995-12-06 1997-06-24 The Regents Of The University Of California Office Of Technology Transfer Fuel cell with interdigitated porous flow-field
EP1145351A2 (fr) * 1998-10-29 2001-10-17 3M Innovative Properties Company Champs d'ecoulement a microstructures

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2437891A1 (fr) 2002-08-22
JP2004523069A (ja) 2004-07-29
CN1491446A (zh) 2004-04-21
WO2002065565A3 (fr) 2002-11-21
WO2002065565A2 (fr) 2002-08-22
KR20030081438A (ko) 2003-10-17

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