Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F13/00—Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing
  • F28F13/003—Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F10/00—Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder
  • B22F10/20—Direct sintering or melting
  • B22F10/28—Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F3/00—Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering; Apparatus specially adapted therefor ; Presses and furnaces
  • B22F3/10—Sintering only
  • B22F3/11—Making porous workpieces or articles
  • B22F3/1103—Making porous workpieces or articles with particular physical characteristics
• • 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
  • H01M8/0247—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the form
• • 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
• • 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
  • H01M8/0267—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
• • 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
  • H01M8/0271—Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
• • 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
  • H01M8/0204—Non-porous and characterised by the material
  • H01M8/0206—Metals or alloys
• • 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
• • 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
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
  • Y02P10/25—Process efficiency
• • 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
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• • 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
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
  • Y10T428/12361—All metal or with adjacent metals having aperture or cut
• • 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
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
  • Y10T428/12479—Porous [e.g., foamed, spongy, cracked, etc.]

Definitions

• the technical field of the present invention relates to that of energy production requiring a high compactness of the components used. More particularly, the invention relates to the cellular structures used in this specific technical field.
• the cellular structures find particular application in the field of fuel cells, and more particularly in that of fuel cells comprising a membrane as electrolyte as well as bipolar plates, the latter being made of cellular structures.
• the invention is also applicable to the field of heat exchangers using cellular structures.
• the present invention also relates to the methods of manufacturing such cellular structures.
• a fuel cell is an assembly generally comprising a plurality of elementary cells stacked one on the other.
• an electrochemical reaction is created between two reagents which are introduced continuously into the elementary cells.
• the fuel usually used is hydrogen or methanol, depending on whether one is respectively in the presence of a cell operating with mixtures of the hydrogen / oxygen type and in the presence of a cell operating with mixtures of the methanol / type oxygen.
• the fuel is brought into contact with the anode while the oxidant, in this case oxygen, is brought into contact with the cathode.
• the cathode and the anode are separated by means of an electrolyte of the ion exchange membrane type.
• an oxidation reaction of the fuel, in general hydrogen represented by the following reaction scheme:
• Electrodes-membrane-electrode assemblies are stacked on top of each other, in order to obtain a power greater than that supplied by a single one of these assemblies.
• the junction and the electrical continuity between these assemblies are generally carried out using conductive plates, these plates also being called bipolar plates.
• bipolar plates being of the alveolar structure type, that the cathode of an assembly can be joined with the anode of an adjacent assembly.
• These bipolar plates also make it possible to ensure the highest possible electrical conductivities, so as to avoid ohmic drops detrimental to the performance of the fuel cell.
• Bipolar plates can also perform other functions than that of providing the electrical connection.
• bipolar plates can also be used to evacuate products at the cathode, by integrating elements for removing excess water.
• the bipolar plates can also incorporate a heat exchanger serving to prevent overheating within the stack of electrode-membrane-electrode assemblies.
• bipolar plates may reside in the mechanical strength of the electrode-menbran-electrode assemblies, in particular when the latter are stacked on top of each other. Such an assembly ensures an overall volume of the thin battery, which is entirely compatible with the intended applications, such as for example that relating to an electric vehicle.
• These channels are usually organized so that the reagents injected into these channels wind over a large part of the surface of the electrode.
• the means used to obtain a such a result are horizontal sections spaced by bends descending at 180 °. Note that these sections are also capable of recovering and discharging the water produced at the cathode.
• this particular arrangement of means does not make it possible to obtain a sufficiently large exchange surface to result in an acceptable electrochemical conversion yield for industrial application.
• the bipolar plate comprises a sealed conductive plate, as well as two parts of metal foam ensuring contact with the electrodes. This particular arrangement makes it possible to be exempt from the presence of machined metal elements and therefore expensive.
• an additional drawback lies in the impossibility of easily controlling the internal geometry of the honeycomb structure, this resulting in the inability to vary the geometry of the distribution zone in the desired manner.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the honeycomb structures of the prior art.
• the invention also aims to provide a honeycomb structure of simple design, and for which it is possible to perfectly control the internal geometry of its different honeycomb areas.
• Another object of the present invention is to present a method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure such as that achieving the object of the invention mentioned above.
• the invention firstly relates to a honeycomb structure comprising at least one honeycomb area partially delimited by an associated sealed surface.
• each alveolar zone is formed by a plurality of metallic layers superimposed parallel to the associated sealed surface, each metallic layer comprising a network of passages opening out on either side of said metallic layer.
• the invention provides a honeycomb structure of simple design whose internal geometry of the honeycomb areas is easily adaptable according to the needs encountered.
• the honeycomb structure is indifferently integrated into a fuel cell as a bipolar plate, to a fuel cell as a bipolar plate with integrated exchanger, or even integrated into a heat exchanger.
• each metal layer is produced by carrying out the following operations: - depositing a layer of metal powder; partial solidification by laser of the layer of metallic powder deposited, causing the formation of solidified parts and non-solidified parts, the solidified parts defining the periphery of the passages of the metal layer.
• the metal layers are produced successively, the associated sealed surface constituting a support for the first metal layer to be produced, the solidified and non-solidified parts of any metallic layer produced constituting a support for the next metal layer to be made.
• the networks for passing the metal layers are obtained by eliminating the non-solidified parts of the metal layers.
• provision may be made for the operation of partial solidification by laser of a layer of deposited metal powder is also capable of joining the solidified parts obtained with the solidified parts of the metal layer on which they rest.
• the metal layers are preferably made of a material selected from stainless steels, aluminum and its alloys, nickel and its alloys such as Ni-Cr, and a mixture of at least two of the above elements.
• the metal layers comprise at least one binder such as bronze. This advantageously makes it possible to obtain alloys for which a sintering operation can be carried out at low temperature.
• FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a honeycomb structure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 2 represents a front view of the honeycomb structure of FIG. 1, in contact with two elements to be connected,
• FIG. 3 shows a front view of a honeycomb structure according to another preferred embodiment of the invention
• Figure 4 schematically shows a perspective view of a honeycomb area in manufacturing, after the step of depositing a layer of metal powder
• FIG. 5 schematically represents a perspective view of a cellular zone during manufacturing, after the step of partial solidification of a layer of deposited metallic powder.
• honeycomb structure 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this honeycomb structure being in particular capable of operating with a fuel cell or with a heat exchanger (not shown).
• the honeycomb structure 1 comprises at least one honeycomb area 2a, 2b intended to be traversed by at least one fluid.
• the honeycomb structure 1 comprises two honeycomb zones 2a, 2b, each being intended to cooperate with a respective element 16a, l ⁇ b comprising a contact surface 14a, 14b .
• the elements 16a, 16b visible in FIG. 2 can belong to a heat exchanger or to a fuel cell. Note that it is also possible to propose a honeycomb structure 1 having only one honeycomb area 2a, 2b.
• the alveolar zones 2a, 2b are partially delimited by associated sealed surfaces 4a, 4b.
• the first 4a and the second sealed surface 4b belong to a conductive base plate 6, this base plate 6 also being impermeable to the fluids circulating inside the alveolar zones 2a, 2b.
• Each alveolar zone 2a, 2b is formed by metal layers 8 superimposed parallel to the associated sealed surface 4a, 4b.
• Each metal layer 8 comprises a network of passages 10 opening on either side of the metal layer 8.
• each alveolar zone 2a, 2b the metallic layers 8, which are substantially planar, are therefore stacked one on the other, over a large part of the associated sealed surface 4a, 4b.
• Each metal layer 8 comprises a network of passages comprising a plurality of passages 10, of identical or different shapes, passing through each metal layer 8 along an axis substantially perpendicular to the associated sealed surface 4a, 4b. This particular arrangement of the metal layers 8 therefore leads to the production of voluminal, conductive and porous alveolar zones 2a, 2b.
• Each of the metal layers 8 may have a network of passages 10 identical to or different from the networks of passages 10 formed on the two directly adjacent metal layers 8.
• the structure 1 has a thickness “E” of approximately 6 mm, this thickness corresponding to the thickness “e” of the conductive base plate 6 added to the sum of the heights "ha” and “hb” of the two alveolar zones 2a, 2b.
• the metal layers 8 can be of different thicknesses such as "e '" or "e", these values being preferably less than 0.5 mm, and more specifically between approximately 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.
• the honeycomb structure 1 comprises two honeycomb areas 2a, 2b, each being intended to cooperate with a separate surface 14a, 14b belonging respectively to elements 16a, 16b.
• the elements 16a, 16b can belong to a heat exchanger or to a fuel cell.
• Each alveolar zone 2a, 2b is respectively supplied by a fluid F x in the alveolar zone 2a, and by a fluid F 2 in the alveolar zone 2b. It should be noted that these fluids Fx and F 2 can themselves be mixtures of several fluids, and that the fluids are preferably supplied continuously.
• the arrows A and B symbolize respectively • the supplies of fluids F x and F 2 , respectively exerted in the alveolar zones 2a and 2b.
• the fluids Fi and F 2 circulate in the entire volume of the honeycomb areas 2a, 2b, and diffuse up to the surfaces 14a, 14b with which they must come into contact.
• the arrows C x and C 2 indicate a main direction of diffusion of the fluids Fi and F 2 in each of the alveolar zones 2a, 2b.
• the fluids F x and F 2 pass through passages 10 made in the metal layers 8. With such an arrangement of means, the distribution of the fluids Fi and F 2 over the surfaces to contact is guaranteed to be as homogeneous as possible.
• the evacuation of fluids F x and F 2 is respectively symbolized by the arrows Dj and D 2 .
• the honeycomb structure 1 is intended to be used in a fuel cell.
• the two alveolar zones 2a, 2b are reagent distribution zones, and the surfaces 14a, 14b which these distribution zones have to contact are electrode surfaces 16a, 16b each belonging to an electrode-membrane assembly.
• -electrode (not shown) of a fuel cell.
• the honeycomb structure 1 is then a bipolar plate for a fuel cell.
• the distribution zones constituted by the alveolar zones 2a, 2b can also be used for the evacuation of different products, such as water, formed during electrochemical reactions at the electrodes.
• the alveolar structure may include only one reagent distribution zone. This particular embodiment occurs in cases where only one electrode of a fuel cell is to be supplied with reagent.
• a first honeycomb structure 100 comprising two honeycomb areas 102a, 102b is juxtaposed with a second honeycomb structure 200 comprising a single honeycomb area 202a.
• These honeycomb structures 100,200 can be brought into contact with one another, for example by simple pressing, which forms a structure comprising three distinct honeycomb zones 102a, 102b, 202a, the honeycomb region 102a being located in the middle of the other two. being a heat exchange zone and the other two zones 102b, 202a, located at the ends of the assembly, corresponding to the zones for distributing the reagents to the electrodes.
• the honeycomb structure 1 can also be used in a device of the heat exchanger type, as a heat exchange zone. Its operation is then similar to that of the plates bipolar, and the fluids injected into the alveolar zones 2a, 2b are coolant such as water.
• the alveolar zones 2a, 2b are distribution zones for cooling liquid, this cooling liquid being intended to be distributed over all of the surfaces 14a, 14b to be cooled, then to evacuate from the alveolar structure 1 in a direction represented by the arrows Di and D 2 of FIG. 1.
• the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure 1, such as that described above.
• This manufacturing process consists, starting from the conductive base plate 6, in producing at least one alveolar zone 2a, 2b.
• the first operation consists in depositing a layer of metallic powder 18 on the last metallic layer 8 which has just been deposited. Note that for the production of the first metal layer 8, this first operation consists in depositing a layer of metal powder 18 on the associated sealed surface 4a, 4b.
• the operation consists in partially solidifying, by laser, the layer of metallic powder deposited 18, so as to obtain solidified parts 20 and non-solidified parts 22.
• the non-solidified parts 22 consist of powder particles of the metal powder layer 18.
• the location and the quantities of solidified parts 20 and non-solid parts -solidified 22 are determined according to the network of passages 10 desired on the metal layer 8 in progress. Indeed, the solidified parts 20 define the periphery of the passages 10, while the location of the non-solidified parts 22 corresponds to the desired location for the passages 10 of this metal layer 8.
• any metal layer 8 has solidified parts 20 and non-solidified parts 22, all of these parts 20, 22 constituting a support for depositing the metal layer 8 next .
• the layers of metal powder 18 any type of method known from the prior art can be used.
• the layers of metal powder 18 are deposited mechanically.
• Examples include selective laser sintering (translated from English “selective laser sintering”), direct powder deposition (translated from English “direct powder deposition”), production and manufacturing methods. rapid (translated from English “rapid fabrication and production”), “laser sintering”, or “microsystem production”.
• the methods mentioned above use means of the laser type to locally provide sufficient power to sinter or melt part of the layer of metallic powder 18, at a precise and predetermined position. This operation can be carried out several times, in order to have a plurality of solidified parts 20.
• the alveolar zone 2a, 2b is obtained, consisting of a plurality of solidified parts 20 secured to each other.
• various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the honeycomb structure 1 and the method of manufacturing such a structure which have just been described, only by way of nonlimiting examples.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Fuel Cell (AREA)
• Powder Metallurgy (AREA)
• Inert Electrodes (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)

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• 2002
  • 2002-02-19 FR FR0202074A patent/FR2836282B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-02-17 US US10/503,589 patent/US7115336B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-02-17 EP EP03717404A patent/EP1525633A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-02-17 CN CNB038041359A patent/CN1332465C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-02-17 WO PCT/FR2003/000499 patent/WO2003071626A2/fr active Application Filing
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