GB2475334A - Fuel Cell Electrode Plate Processing - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of processing a linked series of metallic plates, in which each plate (9) is connected to an adjacent plate along adjoining edges (8), the method comprising: providing the series of plates as a first fan-folded stack of plates (1); drawing the plates in sequence from the stack; applying a surface treatment to one or more of the plates; and stacking the plates in reverse order to form a second fan-folded stack of plates (5). The plates may be fuel cell electrode plates.

Description

PLM'E PROCESSN$ Lt: 01 i rt5thc. oates, t exarOoh3 tsr use n rjta ce asctrocte oches.

s Bctroba or sor paws for fue: ceLs. e the form of anoce or cathode pea.

rwec to meet stccpeot r qohernients to avok or reroave. arry coritamkaton, and tykaUy srea o different pccsssnq ateps to be apr.iect ostore the oaSes 000 he as.semhhth frito a The oefl stack Varous types ot coatncts anst other sudace treatments be reourec wtucti may nest to be corned out in an erbosed chomber. for e?srrnpe P n a vapour or on te osthon process To eni the hsk of nosradherenoe of coatngs, the surfboes of the isres to be ceded roust first he tree of bec. so amrisnts such as \ C' the pates cannot howervei be oenereda urnec to be oman p cces.ses. whch reacts n a idoant rsb 0 croswcontarmnatori The raw matens. whcfl mac he ci the form ci'; a sheet meta aLso cannot he assumed to be sean, GOwn that vouma procucton of t: oth parts relutres a are number of such pates to be handed n rapid suocesmcn, a soiucon that enahtes conOnucus ceeVtno of metahic. pates througn a batch ttpe process saiy ruquree.

PP tVrrent known processes for appyrq subsce treatments to etectrcde pates inoude hatnsthn ci rdydua pates ens appvinq car 05 surreos Sreetrnerits to the bestes iiidvduay, as for axanlpe chsc4oaed c US 2Cif)5iO2$i73»=. nwhch pressed pates are treated wth a passvafinp seution fchsrwerJ h rinsnç arid drynç steps.

PP A ptobiem whO exsrtng processes k that autcon ted end mip of indtcidua pLates nvrhees compex ritecatiners, A turtrter probem. ifl narti ire ri reabon to fuel ca eeotrode or separator pates, iS that stick pates are thifi arid m be prone to daroape by being handied ""c' A further prothem iS. on a mass-production ssafr: where hundreds of thousands of pates are to be processed, how to hande batches. of r,detes between processes, some o4 which iavrer.uire a break ri e production ins.

A farther robfrro a tw to rmt se on use SIre&uroes no as eSIuhona for euhace C \ 0 \\ oenIavera.

S A fudhe rofrern SI how mmtmSIe the sane requSId for lSIc.e tmatroent anparatus cot urect to ran man' thousands of SIafr SI atd euooerovon.

SIsao oSItect of the tnvsotton to driress one orroore. of the above rnendone.h ororvems U SI ac:n rdaoce: anth the tnverthon there s onndeo methoct of pr setup a toked seles of matetho ntatee, to whoA eeSI plate s nonnecoad to en adacerit oferra hoop adjcantrhp sopee the method oorpnwng: srovattno the acres of hates as a first far'4hded stack of ofares; drawnp the hates sequenoe from the stack: 0 S SuO5ck treamiarh tc ore or more cc toe owes surf staoSIr'g the hates n reverse order to form a second fan$otded chaos SI hates.

SI moe np the metafrc ptatas as a fanfotded stack. probtems rafattop to handIng of todr'Muat plates are sutistarttt&ly reduced, abcs the hahes ority read to be heodted ri the Pd form of readttv tnaneorted batches of datas. Such batches wouth 05 provided ri the form C' \ \C' "" \ N C" SI preferred erubothmenre a pturatt'ty of Uric roetatbo hates to at east the second tanC'r3to stack compose one or more fuet ccl etectrode. hates As appled to the production of fuaf cett sec:tmcte ofates, the irivanittoni has substantial advantages over exiadrip echnmuas.

not least because the problems aesoc.eted \mth a tying the vanous ddterent surSace processing rreatruents repuired for such times SI hates are substantaly reducerS SI order to increase the ethcssnoe of the process fuftoen, each plate may comprtse a Cr0 repular array of km oss eectrooe piatee The surface treatment appled to the piates may comprise one or more of a mearuug.

stamong. spcaytng, mohdmc'3 arid heat treatment process.

ri art esemotar'y cleamog process, the first far'ufoided stack of pistee may be at east nnnal' immeised in a beaning otvent The amount at soivant used dunng the process s rwn nseb os nrneremc the stack. than 55: flO\(5 pbhe, the deanng Each pshe rna be connected to ar ackacent oate storm: km of weakeneri marebe 0 t <N 0 2 \ 0 wkhatanb re satci foktnct and unfctthrm steos. eu1ftcent to subect a stock ci rYatee to a esnee of oc.etoan steps before eeparadn: each theta r: a fina step bef'e assembhi of the mfo a toe oe state The she of weekenect material may be o'nc1ed by a canes of narforat'ons.. Th5 ttrpe of tnkt toO be apped. for exatorcte. dunnq a stampng process as the stack of thates re creparec born a raw sheet metal reeL Aitemabsely. each theta may be connectec to en adiac.ent piare by a hinqe. whmh may be I fi n the form of a temporary oinnp pksoe that is removect once the process p steps ama cmmpietact The hmpe may comonse one or more corresponding tab and elot connections \\ 0 0000 0 0 are stamped fcom a arting materiaL for example a larger sheet of metaL fobowerl by a procesa that ores the plates together to form a stack.

Aooorcno to a eecctnci aspect of the invention there c: provided a carrnctpe of ritallic.

plates for a surfaoe treatment procese. toe cartr4re coniprisrnct a linked serLas of metallic " C' C' C' C' t\ \ " fom'nng a fanobrlded stack.

Acoorrtlrrg to a third aspect of tbe lnvent:on there is provnted an epearatus for epplyng a surface trrnatroenttc:. a canes of metalbo thates. the apparatus cmmpnsnyt a fftst cradle oonfipured te ranve a first fan$ordeh stack of metallic plates, a first rotatable transfer snool asaemnbly configorect to draw the rnetalbo phates front 31) cranIa re sequence: and :5, seconc csadia confiqured to receve in reverse order a second fan$olcted stack 01 the plates qrawn cv tne first transter spool trout tne test tarutcxdert stack.

The first rotatable transfer wool assembly oreferabls comprises a series of amis ecually 3d spaced around the assembly, the spacing oorrespondctg wxh the width of bne plates n the

S

Th 3raqfli3 c flhpt e SeCOrO ntei corIfig$C to pates at the. rtt at'kr ooo nd to th pOteS seconO or&s -_ *-S... -*b-S > S \\\\\ 5'5 S c r fa t ccA1 1 12 \ " Nt > N N N a1 54. The >ress.eethe bQ: sterfl)Thc tor e3rtcsnc piflcIr!CNUR?9 IC) t'S tetes S C.MMtr en:It)c)rrenh rtent ehh wfthr the s.ope cJ the.: nvenhr ac: defined by the S eppended cemS