KR102143516B1 - Quality control apparatus of separator for fuel cell stack - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack, wherein the separation plate is transferred to each inspection area in a state where the separation plate and the separation plate are selectively taken out and separated from a loading cartridge. Separation plate loading part for guiding into; A separation plate transfer unit for adsorbing the separation plate selected by the separation plate loading unit and transferring it to each inspection area; A contact resistance tester configured to pressurize the gas diffusion layer divided into at least two regions to measure the contact resistance of the separating plate corresponding to the pressurized gas diffusion layer; An airtightness inspection unit for injecting gas into the separation plate and measuring a leak amount of gas through the injection amount and discharge amount to perform an airtightness inspection of the separation plate; An appearance inspection unit for scanning an image of the separating plate by the photographing apparatus and inspecting an appearance state of the separating plate from the scan data; And a separation plate unloading unit that guides the separation plate inspected by the appearance inspection unit to an unloading area, and selects and separates the normal separation plate and the defective separation plate.

Description

Separation plate inspection device for fuel cell stack {QUALITY CONTROL APPARATUS OF SEPARATOR FOR FUEL CELL STACK}

The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting a separation plate for a fuel cell stack, and more particularly, to inspect a separation plate for a fuel cell stack to perform contact resistance, airtightness, and appearance inspection of the separation plate for a fuel cell stack in one inspection apparatus. It relates to the device.

In general, a fuel cell stack is a device for generating electric energy in which unit cells are repeatedly stacked and stacked as known, and the unit cells are the minimum fuel cell components for generating electric energy by reacting hydrogen and oxygen.

The fuel cell stack includes end plates at both ends and a plurality of separator plates stacked therebetween. The separating plate supplies reaction gas to the unit cells within the fuel cell stack, supplies cooling water for cooling the stack, and serves as a passage for moving current.

Separation plates are generally manufactured by integrally molding rubber gaskets on the upper and lower surfaces of the separator to maintain airtightness in the hydrogen-air period, cooling water-hydrogen, cooling water-air period, and the entire outer direction. Separation plates made of graphite were mainly used, but due to the brittleness of graphite and high manufacturing cost, metal separation plates have been developed and used in recent years.

1 is a view showing an example of a metal separation plate of a fuel cell stack. The separating plate (1) forms a manifold (3) formed at both ends and a channel portion (2) for reaction gas or cooling water therebetween, and a gasket (5) is integrally formed on one or both sides of the upper and lower surfaces to form a reaction gas. And the airtightness of the cooling water is maintained. At both ends of the separating plate 1, a dummy 6 is formed in which a reference hole 7 is formed to be placed in a predetermined position of the separating plate 1 when mounted on a test device.

This fuel cell stack measures the electrical resistance between the separator and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in order to serve as an electrical path through which electrons generated/consumed by electrode reactions pass through each electrode in the stack when the fuel cell is operated. By examining the resistance loss in battery performance, it is determined whether the separator is normal. Therefore, for the fuel cell stack separator, a contact resistance test is performed as an essential procedure.

In addition, in the fuel cell stack, when the reaction gas flow path and the cooling water flow channel are not independent from each other, and the reaction gas directly reacts or hydrogen flows out, there is a risk of ignition as well as the performance of the stack. . Therefore, for the fuel cell stack separator, an airtight test is performed as an essential procedure.

In addition, a visual inspection of reading good and defective products by reading the presence or absence of external defects on the separator is performed as an essential procedure.

However, in such an inspection apparatus, since the operator must manually load or unload the separating plate, the process progress is delayed, and there is a concern that the separating plate may be damaged in the manual process.

In addition, since the contact resistance test, airtightness test, and appearance test devices are each composed of separate facilities, there is a space to separately test the separate test devices, which complicates the configuration of the test devices and reduces the space efficiency. There is a problem in that the time required for inspection by moving the plate to the inspection device is relatively increased.

Publication Patent Publication No. 2016-0008853 (2016.01.25)

Accordingly, the present invention has been conceived to solve the same problems, and an object of the present invention is to continuously inspect the contact resistance, airtightness and appearance inspection apparatus for the separator of the fuel cell stack in one inspection apparatus. By performing the test, it is possible to perform inspection more quickly and easily, and to provide a separator inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack capable of improving inspection efficiency by saving time and space required for inspection.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is to guide the separation plate to the loading area so that the separation plate can be transferred to each inspection area in a state in which the separation plate and the separation plate are selectively taken out and separated from the loading cartridge. A separating plate loading unit for; A separation plate transfer unit for adsorbing the separation plate selected by the separation plate loading unit and transferring it to each inspection area; A contact resistance tester configured to pressurize the gas diffusion layer divided into at least two regions to measure the contact resistance of the separation plate corresponding to the pressurized gas diffusion layer; An airtightness inspection unit for injecting gas into the separating plate, measuring a leak amount of gas through the injection amount and discharge amount of the gas, and performing an airtightness inspection of the separating plate; A visual inspection unit for scanning an image of the separating plate by a photographing apparatus and inspecting an external state of the separating plate from the scan data of the separating plate; And a separation plate unloading unit that guides the separation plate, which has been inspected by the appearance inspection unit, to an unloading area, and selects and separates the normal separation plate and the defective separation plate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the separating plate loading unit is a frame structure having a plurality of layer structures, and in a state in which the loading cartridge is transported and stopped along a conveyor, the separation plate of the interlayer paper, the porous body, and the cathode upwards An elevating device that independently performs an elevating operation in order to transfer the one by one; A separating unit for adsorbing the separating paper transferred by the lifting device and recovering the separating paper to the separating paper collection cartridge; And an image discriminating unit configured to determine the separation plate and the interleaving paper through the scan data by scanning the inside of the loading cartridge as an image above the loading cartridge.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the separation plate transfer unit, a guide rail formed to be elongated in the transfer direction of the separation plate; A plurality of adsorption units which are transported along the guide rail and simultaneously adsorb each of the porous bodies and cathodes stored in the loading cartridge disposed on the base surface of the lifting device; And a vertical guide formed in a vertical guide in the Z-axis direction so that the guide rail and the suction unit can move up and down.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the contact resistance test unit includes: a first pressing unit comprising a first upper jig and a first lower jig; A servo press installed on the first upper jig to apply press pressure to the corresponding first lower jig while moving up and down; And a gas diffusion layer for measuring a contact resistance of a separating plate disposed on a lower surface of the first upper jig and an upper surface of the first lower jig and accommodated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the airtightness inspection unit includes: a second pressing unit composed of a second upper jig and a second lower jig; A servo press installed on the second upper jig to apply press pressure to the corresponding second lower jig while moving up and down; And a plurality of injection holes for injecting gas into the second lower jig to coincide with the gas and cooling water passages of the separating plate, and a discharge hole corresponding to the injection hole and through which the injected gas is discharged. And measuring means for measuring the gas pressure supplied to the gas and the cooling water passage.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second pressing unit is installed in a direction facing each other with respect to the second upper jig and the second lower jig in the middle of the second upper jig and the second lower jig. A separation plate separation unit including a first pressurization separation unit and a second pressurization separation unit is provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the airtightness inspection unit, in a pressurized state in which the second upper jig descends with respect to the second lower jig to apply a pressing force to the separating plate, the thickness of the gasket is measured by measuring the amount of pressing of the separating plate. A displacement sensor is installed so that it can be done.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the appearance inspection unit includes: a separating plate seating portion in which the separating plate is transferred and seated by the separating plate transfer device; A transfer control unit provided with a guide rail for transferring the separation plate seated in the separation plate seating portion; And, a scan installed on the separation plate transfer unit and composed of an upper jig and a lower jig having a transparent portion in which a transparent glass is installed in the center, and scanned by the photographing apparatus while the separation plate is seated between the transparent portions of the upper and lower jig. It includes a transfer jig that precisely transfers the section.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the appearance inspection unit includes: a photographing device for continuously photographing an image of the separating plate; And a lighting device that repeatedly turns on/off lighting based on a trigger signal of the photographing apparatus, and compares the scanned image data of the photographed image of the photographing apparatus with already set image data, and scan image data By judging the shade of the gasket, the external state of the separation plate including the gasket is detected to determine whether it is defective.

According to the separating plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention having the configuration as described above, the contact resistance, airtightness, and appearance inspection apparatus for the separating plate of the fuel cell stack are integrated into one inspection apparatus to simultaneously perform continuous inspection. By performing the inspection, the inspection can be performed more quickly and easily, and the inspection efficiency can be improved by saving time and space required for inspection.

1 is a view showing an example of a metal separator of a conventional fuel cell stack.
2 is a plan view showing an apparatus for inspecting a separator for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
3 is a side view showing a separating plate loading part of the separating plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
4 is a view showing a separation plate transfer unit of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
5 is a perspective view showing a contact resistance tester and an airtightness tester of the apparatus for inspecting a separator for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
6 is a view showing a contact resistance tester of a separator test apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing a stacked state of a separating plate to the jig of the contact resistance test unit of FIG. 6.
8 is a view showing an airtightness inspection unit of the separator inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
9 is a cross-sectional view showing a separation plate separation portion of the airtightness inspection unit of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
10 is a view showing an appearance inspection unit of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
11 is a view showing a control signal structure of a photographing apparatus and a lighting apparatus of an external inspection unit of the apparatus for inspecting a separator for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
12 is a view showing a state of separation and combination of an image captured by the photographing apparatus of FIG. 11.
13 is a perspective view showing a separation plate unloading part of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.
14 is a side view showing a separation plate unloading unit of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail in the text, since various modifications can be made and various forms can be obtained. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form of disclosure, and it should be understood that all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention are included. In describing each drawing, similar reference numerals have been used for similar elements.

These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Fig. 2, the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention includes a separation plate loading unit 100, a separation plate transfer unit 200, a contact resistance inspection unit 300, an airtightness inspection unit 400, It includes the appearance inspection unit 500, the separation plate unloading unit 600, and the separation plate (s) is continuously transferred from the separation plate loading unit 100 to the separation plate unloading unit 600 according to a series of automated processes. In each inspection area, defects of the separating plate s are inspected.

In general, the separating plate (s) may be a metal separating plate (s) having characteristics such as excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. As the base material of the separating plate (s), one selected from stainless steel, titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, nickel alloy, etc. may be used.

In the case of the metal separator, a coating layer made of a transition metal or a carbon material is formed on the surface of the base material, so that insufficient corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of the base material can be supplemented. Particularly, in terms of corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, a discontinuous coating layer formed of nanoparticles containing at least one of gold, platinum, ruthenium, and iridium is formed on the surface of the base material, and an oxide film is formed in the portion where the discontinuous coating layer is not formed. desirable.

As shown in Figure 3, the separation plate loading unit 100, the separation plate (s) from the cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a'loading cartridge') loaded in a predetermined number of the separation plate (s) to be inspected. As a device for separating the separating plate (s) and the separating sheet in order to transfer to the inspection area, the loading cartridge 11 on which the separating plates s are stacked is formed of the separating plate loading unit 100 along the conveyor 700. It is supplied into the frame.

In the loading cartridge 11, a plurality of separation plates (s) are stacked and stored. In order to prevent the gasket formed on one separation plate (s) from being pinched with the gaskets of the other separation plate (s), the separation plates are (s) It is to be kept in a state in which the slip sheets are arranged alternately between them.

On the other hand, the separating plate loading part 100 is a frame structure having a plurality of layered structures separated into an upper part 101 and a lower part 102, and a conveyor 701 for transferring the loading cartridge 11 to the lower part 102 Is installed and a lifting device such as a ball screw to independently perform lifting operation in order to transfer the slip sheets and the separating plate (s) from the loading cartridge 11 transferred along the conveyor 701 to the upper part 101 one by one ) Is installed. It is natural that the loading cartridge 11 has a bottom surface formed therethrough so that the slipper and the separating plate s can be directly raised by the lifting device 110.

In addition, the upper layer 101, while reciprocating along the upper layer 101, through the lifting device 110, the separation plate (s) in the loading cartridge 11 transferred to the loading area of the upper layer 101 Separation part 120 is installed to be separated by adsorption.

The separating unit 120 includes an adsorption unit 121 for adsorbing the separating paper, a support 122 supporting the adsorption unit 121, and a loading cartridge 11 in a state in which the support 122 is supported. And a transfer body 123 for reciprocating in the Y-axis direction between the and the recovery cartridge (not shown).

On the other hand, the conveyor 701 installed on the lower part 102 of the separating plate loading part 100 moves the loading cartridge 11 in the Y-axis direction in the device, so that the loading cartridge 11 is placed on the base surface of the lifting device 110. Is arranged, and the slip separation unit 120 moves linearly and reciprocates along the Y-axis direction, while adsorbing only the slippers in the loading cartridge 11 and collecting them separately.

A sensing device 130 for detecting the loading cartridge 11 when the loading cartridge 11 reaches the base surface of the lifting device 110 and stops at the outside of the base surface of the lifting device 110, and the loading cartridge 11 Alignment device 131 is installed to align it to the correct position.

When the loading cartridge 11 transferred along the conveyor 701 reaches the base surface of the lifting device 110, the control means receiving the signal detected by the sensing device 130 for detecting the loading cartridge 11 is lifted. The device 110 is controlled, and the lifting device 110 lifts and moves the interlayer paper and the separating plate s stacked in the loading cartridge 11 to the upper part 101 one by one by driving a motor.

In the present invention, the lifting device 110 is described as independently lifting and moving the loading cartridge 11 through a motor drive, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and various driving means such as actuators other than the ball screw mentioned herein are used. Can be adopted.

When the interlayer paper and the separating plate (s) stacked on the loading cartridge 11 are moved upward one by one from the lower part 102 to the upper part 101 through the lifting device 110, located on the lifting device 110 When the image discriminating unit 140 made of a photographing device scans the inside of the loading cartridge 11 and transmits the scan data to the control means, the control means determines the separating plate s and the slip sheet. When the discriminated object is sensed as a separating sheet other than the separating plate s, the control means controls the separating sheet by adsorbing the separating sheet onto the adsorption unit 121 of the separating unit 120. On the contrary, when the determined object is detected by the separating plate s rather than the kanji, the control means transmits a control signal to the separating plate transfer unit 200. The separating plate transfer unit 200 receiving the control signal transfers the separating plate s stacked on the upper portion of the loading cartridge 11 to the inspection area.

As shown in Figure 4, the separation plate transfer unit 200 adsorbs the separation plate (s) stored in the loading cartridge 11 disposed in the loading area of the separation plate loading unit 100, the Z axis direction and X It moves in the axial direction. A plurality of adsorption units 210 arranged in a row to adsorb the separating plate s are installed in the separating plate transfer unit 200 to reciprocate along the guide rail 220 in the X-axis direction.

The adsorption unit 210 alternately reciprocates the separation plate loading unit 100, the contact resistance test unit 300, the airtightness test unit 400, the appearance test unit 500, and the separation plate unloading unit 600 for each process. It consists of a plurality to transfer the located separation plate (s) to the next process.

In the embodiment of the present invention, there are four adsorption units 210, the first adsorption unit 211 is a separation plate loading unit while alternately reciprocating the separation plate loading unit 100 and the contact resistance test unit 300 The separation plate (s) located at (100) is to be transferred to the contact resistance test unit (300). The remaining second to fourth adsorption parts 212 to 214 are also transferred to the separating plate s in the same working method.

On the other hand, the lift transfer unit 230 is provided so that the guide rail 220 of the separation plate transfer unit 200 can move up and down in the Z-axis direction. For example, the first adsorption unit 211 of the adsorption unit 210 moves to the separation plate loading unit 100 along the guide rail 220, and the separation plate s located at a position lower than the height of the guide rail 220 ) To be adsorbed, the elevating transfer unit 230 elevates the guide rail 220 in the Z-axis direction. That is, in the guide rail 220, a plurality of adsorption units 210 can simultaneously move linearly in the X-axis direction, and at the same time, they can move up and down in the Z-axis direction along the vertical guide 231 of the lift transfer unit 230. Here, the guide rail 220 may be an LM guide.

The separating plate s is adsorbed from the separating plate loading unit 100 by the adsorption unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 to change the X-axis direction from the separating plate loading unit 100 to the contact resistance test unit 300. Is transported along.

5 and 6, the contact resistance test unit 300 is a frame structure provided with a first pressing unit 310 consisting of a first upper jig 311 and a first lower jig 312, the The first upper jig 311 moves up and down in the Z-axis direction by motor driving, and applies a press pressure to the corresponding first lower jig 312.

The first upper jig 311 and the first lower jig 312, which are the first pressing parts 310, are made of an insulator, and the first lower jig 312 is fixed to the base surface of the frame, and the first lower jig ( The first upper jig 311 corresponding to 312 is moved up and down through the servo press 320 at a position higher than the separating plate transfer unit 200 and presses the first lower jig 312 by the required load.

The guide rail 220 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 is located between the first upper jig 311 and the first lower jig 312, and the adsorption unit 210 is the first upper jig 311 and the first lower It is transported in the X-axis direction along the moving path of the guide rail 220 between the jig 312. That is, since the movement in the Z-axis direction of the first upper jig 311 is performed after the movement in the X-axis direction of the suction unit 210, the suction unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 and the contact resistance test unit 300 are provided. It is natural that the movement of the first upper jig 311 of the first pressing unit 310 does not interfere.

As shown in Figure 7, the contact resistance test unit 300 is located on the lower surface of the first upper jig 311 and the upper surface of the first lower jig 312 so as to measure the contact resistance of the separating plate (s). It includes a gas diffusion layer (GDL, 313).

The gas diffusion layer 313 is formed to simulate the operating environment of the fuel cell stack in which the gas diffusion layer 313 is disposed vertically with the separation plate s interposed therebetween, and may be formed of porous carbon paper. In this case, the gas diffusion layer 313 may be formed to have an area smaller than that of the separating plate s so that contact resistance can be measured for each region in the separating plate s.

The first upper jig 311 of the first pressing unit 310 is moved downward by the servo press 320 by motor driving and is aligned to correspond to the separation plate area, and then separated located on the first lower jig 312 By pressing the plate s, the contact resistance in the pressed region is measured. When the separating plate s is pressurized, the gas diffusion layer 313 mounted on the first upper jig 311 comes into contact with the separating plate s, so that a resistance value can be measured in the region of the pressurized separating plate. The contact resistance of the separating plate s is calculated by supplying current through a cable (not shown) from the current supplying unit (not shown) of the contact resistance testing unit 300 and measuring pressure through a probe (not shown). I can.

On the other hand, the contact resistance may be measured by applying a voltage to the probe and measuring a current value by the probe, and it goes without saying that other conventional various methods may be applied.

The contact resistance test unit 300 is separated by enabling measurement of contact resistance in a desired area within the separation plate s as the gas diffusion layer 313 is formed in a smaller area than the separation plate s under a fuel cell simulation environment. It is possible to improve the measurement accuracy for the contact resistance of the plate (s).

When the contact resistance test of the separating plate s is completed in the contact resistance test unit 300, the corresponding adsorption unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 moves up and down, and the separation plate of the contact resistance test unit 300 ( s) is transferred to the airtightness inspection unit 400.

5 and 8, the airtightness inspection unit 400 injects gas into the separation plate s to perform an airtightness inspection. In general, in the fuel cell stack, the separating plate s and the electrode membrane are connected in series, and in order to fasten them, a pressurized load is applied and an assembly step is essentially performed. At this time, when the partial pressure of each gas falls due to the presence of micro holes in the electrode film of the fuel cell stack, the voltage generated by the fuel cell stack decreases, which leads to a decrease in the output of the fuel cell stack. It is important to perform the inspection.

On the other hand, after the contact resistance test of the separating plate (s) is completed, if a defect occurs because the interfacial contact resistance of the separating plate (s) is out of the allowable level, the corresponding adsorption unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 It can be discharged to a separate loading means (not shown) for discharge through individual operations.

The airtightness inspection unit 400 is a frame structure provided with a second pressing unit 410 consisting of a second upper jig 411 and a second lower jig 412, and the second lower jig 412 is on the base surface of the frame. While being fixed, the separating plate (s) is seated on the upper surface, and the second upper jig (411) descends from the top to pressurize the second lower jig (412). The leak test is performed by injecting.

According to the present invention, a plurality of injection holes 413 for injecting gas into the second lower jig 412 supporting the separation plate s of the fuel cell stack, and the injected gas corresponding to the injection hole 413 A discharge hole 414 to be discharged is formed. Each injection hole 413 is formed to coincide with a gas and cooling water passage independently formed in the separating plate s, that is, a hydrogen passage, an air passage, and a cooling water passage.

Hereinafter, a hole corresponding to the hydrogen passage of the separating plate s among the injection holes 413 formed in the second lower jig 412 is referred to as a first injection hole 413a to aid understanding of the present invention. The hole matching the furnace is referred to as a second injection hole 413b, and the hole matching the cooling water passage is referred to as a third injection hole 413c. The discharge hole 414 may also be referred to as a first discharge hole 414a to a third discharge hole 414c.

A gas supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the inlet of the injection hole 413 and the outlet of the discharge hole 414, and an opening/closing valve is installed in the gas supply pipe of the injection hole 413 to control the supply of gas.

The second upper jig 411 and the second lower jig 412 are in close contact with each other to maintain the airtightness of the separating plate s. The hydrogen passage of the separating plate s, the air passage, and the cooling water passage Gaskets are disposed at the inlet and outlet so that airtightness between the jig and the separating plate s can be easily maintained. At this time, a servo press 4150 for lifting and moving the second upper jig 411 is provided.

A flow meter or the like is mounted on the gas supply pipe of the discharge hole 414 as measuring means for measuring the gas flow rate supplied to the gas and the cooling water passage of the fuel cell stack. The flow rate of the gas supplied through the injection hole 413 and the gas discharged through the discharge hole 414 is measured to measure the amount of gas leakage, and through this, an airtight test of the separating plate s is performed.

As shown in FIG. 9, in a state in which the airtightness is maintained by the press pressure of the second upper jig 411 against the second lower jig 412, the rubber gasket is formed by the second upper jig 411 and the second upper jig 411. 2 There is a case where the separating plate s does not fall off even after the inspection is completed because it is constricted to the surface of the lower jig 412. In general, in the related art, the separating plate s for which the airtightness test was performed is separated using a vacuum adsorber, but there is a case where the separating plate s is not separated only by the adsorption force of the vacuum adsorber. Moreover, when the separating plate (s) is attached to the lower surface of the press plate, it is difficult to separate it using a vacuum adsorber considering the layout of the device, and the separating plate (s) attached to the base surface is also not separated only by the adsorption force of the vacuum adsorber. There are cases that do not occur. To prevent this, the second upper jig 411 and the second lower jig 412 are provided with a separating plate separating portion 420.

The separating plate separating unit 420 is a first pressurized separating unit 421 installed in the middle of the second upper jig 411 and the second lower jig 412 so as to move forward and backward in a direction facing each other for each jig. And a second pressure separation unit 422. The separating plate separating portion 420 faces the channel portion of the separating plate s and is formed to have a size that does not contact the gasket.

The first pressurization separation unit 421 may descend and protrude from the second upper jig 411 or may increase and move forward and retreat to return to the original position, and the second pressurization separation unit 422 is a second lower jig 412 ), it rises and protrudes or descends to return to the original position. Here, it is natural that a driving means such as an actuator that applies a driving force to the first pressure separation unit 421 and the second pressure separation unit 422 is installed.

Therefore, the first pressure separation unit 421 and the second pressure through an automated process from the second upper jig 411 and the second lower jig 412 after completion of the airtightness test in which the separating plate s is pressed Since the separating part 422 separately protrudes to separate the gasket of the separating plate (s) from the contact surface of the jig, the working speed is improved and damage to the gasket that occurs when separating the separating plate (s) can be prevented.

On the other hand, before the start of the airtightness test through the airtightness inspection unit 400 according to the present invention, the second upper jig 411 descends with respect to the second lower jig 412 and separates when in a pressurized state by pressing the separating plate (s). The thickness of the gasket can be measured by measuring the pressed amount of the plate (s).

The thickness of the gasket is measured by a displacement sensor (LVDT, 430), and a tangential force according to the moving distance of the gasket subjected to a pressurized load is measured to determine a gasket's poor adhesion.

After checking the adhesion of the gasket through the measurement of the thickness of the gasket, an airtightness test of the separating plate s is performed. If a defect occurs in the thickness measurement of the gasket or a defect occurs in the airtightness inspection, the corresponding adsorption unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 may be discharged to a separate loading means for discharge through individual operations.

On the other hand, an alignment device is provided outside the first lower jig 312 and the second lower jig 412 so that the separating plate s is arranged in an aligned state at a predetermined inspection position on the base surface of the frame.

When the airtightness inspection of the separating plate (s) is completed in the airtightness inspection unit 400, the corresponding adsorption unit 210 of the separating plate transfer unit 200 is the appearance inspection unit in a state in which the separating plate s is adsorbed from the airtightness inspection unit 400 The separation plate (s) is transferred to 500 to be seated.

As shown in FIG. 10, the visual inspection unit 500 is provided with photographing devices 511 and 512 and a lighting device 520 thereon, photographing an image of the separating plate s, and scanning the photographed image. When the scanned image data is transmitted to the control means, the control means inspects the appearance of the separating plate s from the scanned image data.

The appearance inspection unit 500 compares the scanned image data of the captured image stored by being transmitted to a data storage unit (not shown) in advance and the already set image data, and determines the shade of the scanned image data to determine the separating plate including the gasket. (s) is detected to determine whether it is defective or not.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a control signal structure of a photographing device and a lighting device of a visual inspection unit of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a separation and combination of images captured by the photographing apparatus of FIG. It is a diagram showing the state.

11 shows an image acquisition section for the imaging devices 511 and 512 of the exterior inspection unit 500 and an operating section of the lighting device, wherein the imaging devices 511 and 512 are continuously photographed during the time to inspect the appearance of the separating plate s. And outputting the trigger signal of the photographing apparatuses 511 and 512 to the lighting apparatus 520, but the lighting apparatus 520 repeatedly performs on/off operations while scanning image data by the photographed images of the photographing apparatuses 511 and 512 Is separated by area. The on/off signals of the lighting device 520 are alternately and repeatedly performed, and a delay occurs during a predetermined time in which the trigger operation is performed.

FIG. 12 divides the scanned image data captured by the photographing apparatuses 511 and 512 for each area, and determines whether there is a defect in a state in which the gasket to be inspected and the scanned image data of the separation plate are combined into one.

At this time, the photographing apparatus 511 that photographs an image vertically on the separating plate s can specifically determine whether there is a defect by comparing it with preset image data through the shadow of the image exposed on the plane, and the inclined direction The photographing apparatus 512 for photographing an image in the vertical plane may determine whether or not there is a defect by comparing it with preset image data through the shadow of the image exposed in the vertical plane state.

The appearance inspection unit 500 includes a first separating plate seating portion 530 in which the separating plate s is transferred and seated by a separating plate transfer unit 200, and a separation seated in the first separating plate seating portion 530 The plate (s) includes a transfer jig 540 that is transferred along the guide rail 551 of the transfer control unit.

The transfer jig 540 is composed of an upper jig 541 and a lower jig 542 having a transparent portion (not shown) in which a transparent glass is installed at the center, and is separated between the transparent portions of the upper and lower jigs 541 and 542 In the state in which the plate s is seated, the scanning section of the photographing apparatuses 511 and 512 is precisely transferred.

The upper jig 541 of the transfer jig 540 is moved up and down in the Z-axis direction by a motor drive on the lower jig 542 and applies a press pressure to the corresponding lower jig 542 so that the separation plate (s) is formed. Will be fixed.

When the transfer jig 540 in the state in which the separation plate s is seated is transferred along the scan section and the inspection by the appearance inspection unit 500 is completed, the transfer jig 540 places the separation plate s at the first position. Transfer to the first separating plate seating portion 530.

The separating plate s transferred to the first separating plate seating portion 530 is transferred to the separating plate unloading unit 600 by the separating plate transfer unit 200.

13 and 14 are views showing a separation plate unloading unit 600 of the separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack according to the present invention, wherein the separation plate s is a separation plate unloading unit ( It is seated on the second separating plate seating portion 610 of (600).

The separating plate unloading unit 600 selects and discharges the normal separating plate and the defective separating plate from among the separating plates s that have completed the inspection process for the contact resistance, airtightness and appearance of the separating plate s. The separating plate is stacked on the unloading cartridge 12, and the defective separating plate is collected and processed by a separate takeout cartridge 14.

On the side of the second separating plate seating portion 610, a take-out cartridge 14 for separately processing a defective separating plate in which a problem occurs in the appearance inspection unit 500 is provided.

The upper surface of the separation plate unloading unit 600 is X,Y to transfer the normal separation plate or the defective separation plate seated on the second separation plate mounting unit 610 to the unloading cartridge 12 and the takeout cartridge 14. A transfer device 620 capable of being transferred in the axial direction is provided.

The transfer device 620 includes a separating plate (s) or an adsorption part 621 for adsorbing the separating sheet, a support 622 for supporting the adsorption part 621, and the support 622 in a supported state. It includes an unloading cartridge 12, a separate sheet supply cartridge 13, and a guide transfer unit 623 for reciprocating the take-out cartridge 14 in the X-axis direction.

Such a transfer device 620 is installed to enable reciprocating transfer along a guide rail (not shown) in the Y-axis direction as a whole.

Accordingly, the transfer device 620 stacks the separating plate s on the unloading cartridge 12 while the normal separating plate is adsorbed using the adsorption unit 621.

A side portion of the unloading cartridge 12 is provided with a separation sheet supply cartridge 13 for supplying separation sheets between the separation plates s stacked on the unloading cartridge 12. Therefore, in the state in which the normal separation plate is stacked on the unloading cartridge 12 in the second separation plate seating part 610, the transfer device 620 adsorbs and unloads the separation sheet from the separation sheet supply cartridge 13 on one side. Separation plates (s) stacked on the cartridge 12 are alternately stacked.

The transfer device 620 adsorbs the separating plate s transferred to the seating area of the second separating plate seating portion 610 and stacks it onto the unloading cartridge 12, or the separation sheet supply cartridge 13 The separation plate (s) transferred to the seating area of the second separating plate seating portion 610 may be adsorbed and stacked on the unloading cartridge 12 by adsorbing the separating paper from There will be.

Therefore, the present invention saves time and space required for inspection by integrating the contact resistance, airtightness and appearance inspection device for the separation plate (s) of the fuel cell stack into one inspection device and simultaneously performing the inspection. This makes it possible to improve inspection efficiency.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the description of one embodiment, and those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains unless departing from the description of the claims of the present invention. Various modifications by the implementation should also be interpreted as being within the scope of the present invention.

100: separation plate loading unit 200: separation plate transfer unit
300: contact resistance inspection unit 400: airtight inspection unit
500: appearance inspection unit 600: separation plate unloading unit

Claims (9)

A separating plate loading unit for guiding the separating plate to the loading area so that the separating plate can be transferred to each inspection area in a state where the separation plate and the separating plate are selectively taken out and separated from the loading cartridge;
A separation plate transfer unit for adsorbing the separation plate selected by the separation plate loading unit and transferring it to each inspection area;
A contact resistance tester configured to pressurize the gas diffusion layer divided into at least two regions to measure the contact resistance of the separation plate corresponding to the pressurized gas diffusion layer;
An airtightness inspection unit for injecting gas into the separating plate, measuring a leak amount of gas through the injection amount and discharge amount of the gas, and performing an airtightness inspection of the separating plate;
A visual inspection unit for scanning an image of the separating plate by a photographing apparatus and inspecting an appearance state of the separating plate from the scan data of the separating plate; And,
A separation plate unloading unit for guiding the separation plate inspected by the appearance inspection unit to an unloading area, and selecting and separating the normal separation plate and the defective separation plate,
The airtightness inspection unit,
A second pressing unit consisting of a second upper jig and a second lower jig;
A servo press installed on the second upper jig to apply press pressure to the corresponding second lower jig while moving up and down;
A plurality of injection holes for injecting gas into the second lower jig to coincide with the gas and cooling water passages of the separating plate, and a discharge hole corresponding to the injection hole for discharging the injected gas; And,
And a measuring means for measuring the gas pressure supplied to the gas and cooling water passage.
The method of claim 1,
The separating plate loading part,
A frame structure having a multi-layered structure, in which the loading cartridge is transported along a conveyor and stopped, the lifting operation is performed independently to transport the slippery paper, the porous body, and the separator plate of the cathode upwardly. Device;
A separating unit for adsorbing the separating paper transferred by the lifting device and recovering the separating paper to the separating paper collection cartridge; And,
And an image discriminating unit configured to determine the separating plate and the interleaving sheet through scan data by scanning the inside of the loading cartridge as an image above the loading cartridge.
The method of claim 2,
The separation plate transfer unit,
A guide rail elongated in the transport direction of the separation plate;
A plurality of adsorption units which are transported along the guide rail and simultaneously adsorb each of the porous bodies and cathodes stored in the loading cartridge disposed on the base surface of the lifting device; And,
Separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that it comprises a vertical guide is formed in the Z-axis direction to move the guide rail and the suction unit ascending and descending.
The method of claim 1,
The contact resistance test unit,
A first pressing part made of a first upper jig and a first lower jig;
A servo press installed on the first upper jig to apply press pressure to the corresponding first lower jig while moving up and down; And,
And a gas diffusion layer for measuring a contact resistance of a separator disposed on a lower surface of the first upper jig and an upper surface of the first lower jig and accommodated.
delete The method of claim 1,
The second pressurization unit includes a first pressurization separating unit and a second pressurization separating unit installed in the middle of the second upper jig and the second lower jig so as to move forward and backward in a direction facing each other with respect to the second upper jig and the second lower jig. Separation plate inspection apparatus for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that provided with a separation plate separation unit including a pressure separation unit.
The method of claim 1,
In the airtightness inspection unit, a displacement sensor is installed to measure the thickness of the gasket by measuring the amount of pressing of the separating plate in a pressurized state in which the second upper jig descends with respect to the second lower jig to apply a pressing force to the separating plate. Separation plate inspection device for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that.
A separating plate loading unit for guiding the separating plate to the loading area so that the separating plate can be transferred to each inspection area in a state where the separation plate and the separating plate are selectively taken out and separated from the loading cartridge;
A separation plate transfer unit for adsorbing the separation plate selected by the separation plate loading unit and transferring it to each inspection area;
A contact resistance tester configured to pressurize the gas diffusion layer divided into at least two regions to measure the contact resistance of the separation plate corresponding to the pressurized gas diffusion layer;
An airtightness inspection unit for injecting gas into the separating plate, measuring a leak amount of gas through the injection amount and discharge amount of the gas, and performing an airtightness inspection of the separating plate;
A visual inspection unit for scanning an image of the separating plate by a photographing apparatus and inspecting an appearance state of the separating plate from the scan data of the separating plate; And,
A separation plate unloading unit for guiding the separation plate inspected by the appearance inspection unit to an unloading area, and selecting and separating the normal separation plate and the defective separation plate,
The appearance inspection unit,
A separating plate seating unit in which the separating plate is transported and seated by the separating plate transfer unit;
A transfer control unit provided with a guide rail for transferring the separation plate seated in the separation plate seating portion; And,
It is installed on the separation plate transfer unit, and consists of an upper jig and a lower jig having a transparent portion in which a transparent glass is installed in the center, and the scanning section scanned by the photographing device in a state where the separation plate is seated between the transparent portions of the upper and lower jigs. Separation plate inspection device for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that it comprises a transfer jig for precise transfer.

A separating plate loading unit for guiding the separating plate to the loading area so that the separating plate can be transferred to each inspection area in a state where the separation plate and the separating plate are selectively taken out and separated from the loading cartridge;
A separation plate transfer unit for adsorbing the separation plate selected by the separation plate loading unit and transferring it to each inspection area;
A contact resistance tester configured to pressurize the gas diffusion layer divided into at least two regions to measure the contact resistance of the separation plate corresponding to the pressurized gas diffusion layer;
An airtightness inspection unit for injecting gas into the separating plate, measuring a leak amount of gas through the injection amount and discharge amount of the gas, and performing an airtightness inspection of the separating plate;
A visual inspection unit for scanning an image of the separating plate by a photographing apparatus and inspecting an appearance state of the separating plate from the scan data of the separating plate; And,
A separation plate unloading unit for guiding the separation plate inspected by the appearance inspection unit to an unloading area, and selecting and separating the normal separation plate and the defective separation plate,
The appearance inspection unit,
A photographing device for continuously photographing images of the separating plate; And,
Includes; a lighting device that repeatedly turns on / off the lighting based on the trigger signal of the photographing device,
Fuel, characterized in that the scan image data obtained by scanning the photographed image of the photographing apparatus is compared with the already set image data, but by determining the shade of the scanned image data and detecting the appearance state of the separating plate including the gasket to determine whether there is a defect. Separator plate inspection device for battery stack.

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