KR102596600B1 - Nonlinear porous body for fuel cell and fuel cell including same - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells of the present invention is to improve electric energy production efficiency.
For this purpose, the non-linear porous body for fuel cells of the present invention has a base portion whose vertical cross-section is formed to be curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow, and penetrates the base portion, and along the longitudinal direction of the base portion so that the fluid movement path is non-linear. It includes a fluid penetrating portion made of a non-linear pattern.
Accordingly, when the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells according to the present invention is applied to a fuel cell, the output of the cell is increased by maximizing the reaction area between the gas and the gas diffusion layer, which improves the performance of the overall fuel cell and per unit size. By being able to generate more electrical energy, hydrogen vehicles can be made more compact while reducing manufacturing costs.

Description

Nonlinear porous body for fuel cell and fuel cell including same}

The present invention relates to a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell and a fuel cell containing the same. More specifically, it relates to a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell used to diffuse fluid when installed in a fuel cell and a fuel cell containing the same.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the material described in this section is not prior art to the claims of this application, and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

A fuel cell is a device that directly converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. Common fuel cells include molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), and phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC). : Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell).

The cell, a core component of a fuel cell, consists of an oxygen ion-conducting electrolyte and an oxygen electrode (cathode) and a fuel electrode (anode) located on both sides. Oxygen ions generated by the reduction reaction of oxygen at the oxygen electrode move to the fuel electrode through the electrolyte. Oxygen ions react with hydrogen supplied to the fuel electrode to produce water, electrons are generated in the fuel electrode, and electrons are consumed in the oxygen electrode, so the operating principle of the fuel cell is to connect the two electrodes to generate current.

Here, the separator plate may be located at the oxygen electrode or the fuel electrode. The separator plate allows the incoming gas to diffuse with the oxygen electrode or fuel electrode. The power production efficiency of a fuel cell can be increased only when gases such as oxygen or hydrogen diffuse smoothly between the oxygen electrode and the fuel electrode. Conventional linear porous materials have limitations in increasing the power production efficiency of fuel cells because the flow of gas is simply implemented in a straight line.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2162302

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a nonlinear porous material for fuel cells that can improve electrical energy production efficiency and a fuel cell containing the same.

A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base portion whose vertical cross-section is formed to be curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow; and a fluid penetrating portion that penetrates the base portion and is formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion so that the fluid movement path is non-linear.

A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base portion whose vertical cross-section is formed to be curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow; and a fluid penetrating portion that penetrates the base so that the fluid moves along the longitudinal direction of the base and is at least partially open or not open when viewed from the portion through which the fluid flows.

Meanwhile, the fluid penetrating portion may be formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion so that the fluid movement path is non-linear.

Meanwhile, the overall arrangement of the fluid penetrating portions may be curved or zigzag-shaped along the longitudinal direction of the base portion.

Meanwhile, the shape of each of the fluid penetrating portions may be one of a slot type, a circular shape, an oval shape, and a polygonal shape.

Meanwhile, the shape of each of the fluid penetrating portions may be a combination of two or more of the following shapes: slot-shaped, circular, oval-shaped, and polygonal.

Meanwhile, the fluid penetrating portion may be arranged so that a plurality of holes form a pattern.

Meanwhile, the fluid penetrating portion includes first passage holes spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the base portion; and a second passage hole that is spaced apart from the first passage hole in the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is located between two adjacent first passage holes, wherein the fluid penetrating portion is located between the first passage hole and the first passage hole. The second flow holes may be arranged to alternate along the longitudinal direction of the base portion.

Meanwhile, the first flow hole and the second flow hole may have the same shape.

Meanwhile, the first flow hole and the second flow hole may have different shapes.

Meanwhile, the distance between the first passage hole and the second passage hole in the fluid penetrating portion may be the same along the longitudinal direction of the base portion.

Meanwhile, the distance between the first passage hole and the second passage hole in the fluid penetrating portion may be varied along the longitudinal direction of the base portion.

Meanwhile, in the process of manufacturing the base portion so that its vertical cross-section is curved, the stress may increase from the convex upper side to the concave lower side.

A fuel cell according to one aspect of the present invention includes a membrane-electrode assembly; a gas diffusion layer positioned to contact the membrane-electrode assembly; A separation plate installed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer and supplying gas supplied from the outside to the gas diffusion layer; and a non-linear porous body interposed between the separator plate and the gas diffusion layer, and receiving gas from the separator plate and transferring it to the gas diffusion layer.

Meanwhile, the nonlinear porous body may be installed to contact a gas diffusion layer to which oxygen is supplied.

Unlike conventional linear porous bodies, the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells according to an embodiment of the present invention implements various nonlinear flow paths such as S-shaped, V-shaped, W-shaped, and Z-shaped rather than straight flow paths, thereby allowing air or hydrogen to flow. As it moves through the separation plate, flow may occur in a curved or zigzag shape. Therefore, the reaction density with the gas diffusion layer can be increased by providing a turbulent flow to the reaction gas, such as air or hydrogen, to increase the amount of diffusion of the reaction gas to the gas diffusion layer.

Accordingly, the area where air or hydrogen reacts with the gas diffusion layer can be improved by approximately 10% to 15% compared to a conventional linear porous body. Additionally, the moving speed of the fluid can also be somewhat reduced compared to the conventional linear porous body, so the gas diffusion layer and air or hydrogen can react for a sufficient time.

Therefore, when the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells according to the present invention is applied to a fuel cell, the output of the cell is increased by maximizing the reaction area between gas (hydrogen, oxygen) and the gas diffusion layer, which improves the overall performance of the fuel cell. This makes it possible to generate more electrical energy per unit size, reducing the manufacturing cost of hydrogen vehicles and making them more compact.

In addition, the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells according to the present invention differs only in the arrangement shape of the fluid penetrating portion compared to the conventional linear porous body, and the manufacturing process is carried out almost similarly to the existing process, so the manufacturing cost will not increase. You can.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a fuel cell to which a nonlinear porous material for fuel cells according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view of the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells of FIG. 3 viewed from direction B.
FIG. 5 is a view looking at a plurality of first passage holes in direction A around the nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a first modification to the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells of FIG. 3, and is a view showing a plurality of first flow holes in direction A around the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells, as shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a second modification to the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells of FIG. 3, and is a view showing a plurality of first passage holes in direction A around the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells, as shown in FIG. 5.
Figure 8 is a view viewed from the part where gas flows into a conventional linear porous body.
FIG. 9 is an expanded view of the nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell of FIG. 2.
10 to 12 are diagrams showing fluid penetrating parts of various shapes.
Figure 13 shows the color difference according to the height of the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells through numerical analysis.
Figure 14 is a diagram showing the flow path of fluid in a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell.
Figure 15 is a plan view showing a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a view of the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells of FIG. 15 viewed from top down in direction A.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the flow path of fluid in the nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell of FIG. 16.
Figure 18 is a view of a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention as seen from one side upward.
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the flow path of fluid in the nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell of FIG. 18.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted, and identical or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

Additionally, in various embodiments, components having the same configuration will be described using the same symbols only in the representative embodiment, and in other embodiments, only components that are different from the representative embodiment will be described.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be “connected” to another part, this includes not only “directly connected” but also “indirectly connected” through another member. Additionally, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that it may further include other components, rather than excluding other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Before explaining the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells according to an embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell to which the nonlinear porous material for fuel cells can be applied will be described.

Referring to FIG. 1, the fuel cell 10 includes a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA: Membrane Electrode Assembly, 11a), a gas diffusion layer (GDL: 11b), a separator 12, and a nonlinear porous body 100. Includes.

The membrane-electrode assembly 11a may include an electrolyte membrane capable of moving hydrogen ions and a catalyst layer so that hydrogen ions and oxygen can react. A detailed description of this membrane-electrode assembly 11a will be omitted.

The gas diffusion layer 11b is positioned to contact the membrane-electrode assembly 11a. For example, two gas diffusion layers 11b are installed on both sides of the membrane-electrode assembly 11a, respectively. At this time, one gas diffusion layer (11b) diffuses hydrogen, and the remaining gas diffusion layer (11b) diffuses oxygen.

The gas diffusion layer 11b may be located between the separator 12 and the membrane-electrode assembly 11a to support the catalyst layer. The gas diffusion layer 11b can assist in the diffusion of gas, such as by transferring gas introduced through the separator 12 to the catalyst layer and by allowing water generated from a chemical reaction to move back to the separator 12. Additionally, the gas diffusion layer 11b can transfer electrons generated by an electrochemical reaction to the separator 12.

The gas diffusion layer 11b for this purpose has excellent chemical stability and may be made of a material with high electrical conductivity. For example, the gas diffusion layer 11b may be made of a material such as carbon paper, carbon cloth, or carbon felt, but is not limited thereto.

The separation plate 12 is installed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer 11b, and supplies air or hydrogen, which is a gas supplied from the outside, to the gas diffusion layer 11b.

The nonlinear porous body 100 is interposed between the separator plate 12 and the gas diffusion layer 11b, receives fluid from the separator plate 12, and transfers it to the gas diffusion layer 11b. Here, the fluid may be a gas such as oxygen or hydrogen, for example. In more detail, the nonlinear porous body 100 can receive gas such as oxygen or hydrogen from the separator 12, or receive water generated from the membrane-electrode assembly 11a and flow it to the outside.

In the drawing, there are two nonlinear porous bodies 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Differently, the nonlinear porous body 100 is one, and one nonlinear porous body 100 may be installed to contact the gas diffusion layer 11b to which oxygen is supplied.

In more detail, as described above, there may be two gas diffusion layers 11b, and one nonlinear porous body 100 may be installed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer 11b to diffuse oxygen to improve diffusion of oxygen. there is. That is, the nonlinear porous body 100 may be installed on an oxygen electrode (anode, cathode).

In addition, the gas diffusion layer 11b that diffuses hydrogen may be in close contact with the separator plate 12 on which a linear flow path (not shown) is formed. As hydrogen moves along the flow path, it may pass through the gas diffusion layer 11b and come into contact with the membrane-electrode assembly 11a.

In this way, the nonlinear porous body 100 is installed in the fuel cell 10 to improve the diffusivity of the fluid, so that the membrane-electrode assembly 11a and the fluid react more smoothly, thereby improving electrical energy production efficiency. A detailed description of the nonlinear porous body 100 for this purpose will be described later.

The above-described membrane-electrode assembly 11a, gas diffusion layer 11b, separator 12, and nonlinear porous body 100 may be combined to form one cell 13. This cell 13 can generate electrical energy by allowing hydrogen and oxygen to react. The fuel cell 10 may be a stack of a plurality of cells 13.

Meanwhile, fastening plates 14 are located at both ends of the fuel cell 10 stack, and can maintain the fastened state of the fuel cell 10 stack. For example, the fastening plate 14 can be fastened to the fuel cell 10 by pressing it with bolts and nuts. It is not limited to this.

However, the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention is not necessarily limited to being applied only to the fuel cell 10 having the structure described above.

Hereinafter, the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7 , the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base portion 110 and a fluid penetrating portion 120.

The base portion 110 is formed to have a curved vertical cross-section along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow. This base portion 110 may be a plate of a certain thickness and may have a structure in which convex portions and concave portions are repeatedly formed. It may be the body of the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, and it may be desirable for the curved portion of the base portion 110 to have a uniform height overall.

That is, if the height of the base portion 110 is not uniform overall, it may be difficult for the fluid to spread uniformly throughout the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The fluid penetrating portion 120 penetrates the base portion 110 and is formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110 so that the fluid movement path is non-linear. For example, the overall arrangement of the fluid penetrating portions 120 may be curved or zigzag-shaped along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110. The fluid penetrating portion 120 for this purpose may be one in which a plurality of holes are arranged to form a pattern.

In more detail, the fluid penetrating portion 120 may include, for example, a first passage hole 121 and a second passage hole 122.

The first passage holes 121 are positioned to be spaced apart along the width direction of the base portion 110.

The second passage hole 122 is positioned to be spaced apart from the first passage hole 121 in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110. And, the second passage hole 122 is located between two adjacent first passage holes 121.

That is, the center of one second passage hole 122 may be located parallel to and between two adjacent first passage holes 121. The fluid penetrating portion 120 as described above may be arranged so that the first passage holes 121 and second passage holes 122 alternate along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, direction A may correspond to the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110, and direction B may correspond to the width direction of the base portion 110. Since the fluid penetrating portion 120 is formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110 as described above, the opposite side of the fluid penetrating portion 120 is not visible due to the base portion 110 when viewed from direction A. Even if it is visible, only part of it may be visible. Accordingly, the flow path F of the fluid supplied along direction A may have a non-linear shape such as a curved or zigzag shape while passing through the fluid penetrating portion 120.

More specifically, considering FIGS. 3 and 14, when viewed in the direction penetrating the base portion 110 through the first or second flow hole 121 or 122, two adjacent within the base portion 110 The area between the first flow hole 121 and the second flow hole 122 is curved or bent in a zigzag shape. In addition, when viewed from the direction penetrating the base portion 110 through the first or second passage hole 121 or 122, the position movement of the two adjacent first passage holes 121 within the base portion 110 is linked. Accordingly, the second passage hole 122 may be bent into a curved shape or a zigzag shape.
Meanwhile, the fluid penetrating portion 120 may further include a third passage hole 123.

The third passage hole 123 may be disposed adjacent to the edge of the base portion 110 along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110. A portion of the third passage hole 123 adjacent to the edge of the base portion 110 may have a semicircular shape. Accordingly, the strength at the boundary between the base portion 110 and the fluid penetrating portion 120 may be improved.

In addition, the first passage hole 121, the second passage hole 122, and the third passage hole 123 may have the same shape. Alternatively, the first passage hole 121, the second passage hole 122, and the third passage hole 123 may have different shapes, but are not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, in the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, the fluid penetrating portion 120 allows fluid to flow in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110 and at a right angle to the longitudinal direction. It penetrates the base portion 110 to move along the direction (e.g., up and down direction), and looks at a plurality of first passage holes 121 in direction A around the nonlinear porous body 100 for fuel cells in FIG. 3. When viewed, as shown in FIG. 3, when the fluid penetrating portion 120 has a first S-shaped waveform in the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell, the plurality of first passage holes 121 are individual first passage holes 121 at the tip. ) can be made so that the central area of the individual first flow hole 121 at the tip is not opened while appearing to overlap on both sides.
Differently, as a first modification to the nonlinear porous body 100 for fuel cells of FIG. 3, the second S-shaped waveform (however, the second S-shaped waveform is different from the first S-shaped waveform) in the nonlinear porous body 104 for fuel cells of FIG. In the case of having a fluid penetrating portion 120 (with an amplitude smaller than the waveform), the plurality of first passage holes 121 appear to overlap on both sides of the individual first passage holes 121 at the tip, and the individual first passage holes 121 at the tip are visible. A portion of the central area of the flow hole 121 may be opened.
Additionally, differently from this, as a second modification to the nonlinear porous body 100 for fuel cells of FIG. 3, the third S-shaped waveform (however, the third S-shaped waveform is the second S-shaped waveform) in the nonlinear porous body 108 for fuel cells of FIG. In the case of having a fluid penetrating portion 120 (having a smaller amplitude than the S-shaped waveform), the plurality of first passage holes 121 appear to overlap on both sides of the individual first passage holes 121 at the tip and form the individual first passage holes 121 at the tip. The central area of the first flow hole 121 may be largely opened.

As described above, the fluid penetrating portion 120 may be formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110 so that the fluid movement path is non-linear.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the conventional linear porous body 1 has a straight arrangement of the through holes 3 penetrating the body 2, so when viewed from the place where the gas flows, the through holes ( It is all open up to the end of 3). In such a conventional linear porous body 1, the movement path of the fluid is implemented only linearly, so it may be difficult to increase the reaction area between the gas diffusion layer and the fluid.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 12, each of the above-described fluid penetrating portions 120 may have a shape selected from a slit shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, and a polygonal shape.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the shape of each fluid penetrating portion 120 may be slot-shaped. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the shape of each fluid penetrating part 220 may be square, and as shown in FIG. 11, the shape of each fluid penetrating part 320 may be hexagonal. And, as shown in FIG. 12, the shape of each fluid penetrating portion 420 may be oval. Although not shown in the drawing, each fluid penetrating portion 320 may have a circular shape.

Here, FIGS. 9 to 12 are diagrams showing a state before a flat metal plate is pressed and manufactured into a wave shape. The nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured by pressing, and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

The shapes of each of the first flow hole 121 and the second flow hole 122 as described above may be selected in various ways depending on the design of the nonlinear porous body 100, and are not limited to a specific shape. For example, the shape of each of the fluid penetrating portions 120 may be a combination of two or more of the following shapes: slot-shaped, circular, oval-shaped, and polygonal.

Additionally, the first passage hole 121 and the second passage hole 122 included in the fluid penetrating portion 120 may have the same shape. Alternatively, although not shown in the drawings, the first passage hole 121 and the second passage hole 122 may have different shapes.

Additionally, the distance between the first passage hole 121 and the second passage hole 122 in the fluid penetrating portion 120 may be the same along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110. Differently, although not shown in the drawing, the distance between the first passage hole 121 and the second passage hole 122 in the fluid penetrating portion 120 is variable along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 110. It may also be possible to achieve it.

As described above, the shape and spacing of the fluid penetrating portion 120 may be implemented in various ways depending on the design of the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing process of the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described. First, a flat metal plate is prepared. Holes are created in a metal plate using chemical or mechanical methods. Thereafter, the metal plate with the hole formed can be placed in a wave-shaped frame and pressed with a press to complete manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the base portion 110, which can be manufactured by the above method, may be made so that stress increases from the convex upper side to the concave lower side in the process of manufacturing the vertical cross-section to be curved.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13, the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention is entirely deformed during the pressing process and can become a three-dimensional porous structure. As a result of performing a numerical analysis program on the nonlinear porous material 100 for fuel cells, each color (light green, blue, and red) is shown in blue for areas where the height change is relatively low at the initial position, and changes from light green as it gradually changes from the initial position. It is shown as turning red.

Here, the blue part may be the protrusion 111 of the base part 110, the red part may be the inlet part 112 of the base part 110, and the light green part may be the connection part of the base part 110. It could be (113).

The nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention manufactured by the method described above is in close contact with one surface of the gas diffusion layer 11b (see FIG. 1) of the fuel cell 10, so that hydrogen or air flows into the gas diffusion layer. It can be moved along (11b, see FIG. 1). Although not shown in the drawing, a flat plate (not shown) that allows stable movement of hydrogen or air may be bonded to one surface of the nonlinear porous body 100. A flat plate (not shown) can prevent hydrogen or air from leaking to the outside.

Referring to FIG. 14, the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention has the overall arrangement shape of the fluid penetrating portions 120 curved, so that the fluid flow path F has an S-shape. It can be.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, the nonlinear porous body 200 for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention has the overall arrangement of the fluid penetrating portions 120 bent once in the middle to have a shape similar to the letter V. there is. In this nonlinear porous body 200 for a fuel cell, the fluid flow path can be implemented to bend only once. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17, the fluid flow path F may be V-shaped.

Meanwhile, the overall arrangement of the fluid penetrating portions 120 may be bent several times to have a shape similar to the letter W (see FIG. 9). In this case, the fluid flow path may be W-shaped.

Differently, as shown in FIG. 18, in the nonlinear porous body 300 for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention, the overall arrangement of the fluid penetrating portions 120 is bent several times to have a shape similar to the letter Z. It can be. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 19, the fluid flow path F may be Z-shaped.

In this nonlinear porous body 300 for a fuel cell, the flow path of the fluid is implemented to bend several times, so that the reaction area of the gas diffusion layer 11b (see FIG. 1) and the fluid is larger than that of the nonlinear porous body 200 for a fuel cell (see FIG. 16) of the above-described embodiment. This may increase further.

As described above, the nonlinear porous body for fuel cells (100, 200, 300, 400) according to the present invention is different from the conventional linear porous body and has various nonlinearities such as S-shape, V-shape, W-shape, and Z-shape rather than a straight flow path. By implementing a flow path, air or hydrogen can flow in a curved or zigzag shape as it moves through the nonlinear porous bodies 100, 200, and 300 for fuel cells. Therefore, the reaction density with the gas diffusion layer 11b can be increased by increasing the amount of diffusion of the reaction gas into the gas diffusion layer 11b by providing a turbulent flow to the air or hydrogen flow as the reaction gas.

Accordingly, the area where air or hydrogen reacts with the gas diffusion layer 11b can be improved by approximately 10% to 15% compared to a conventional linear porous body. Additionally, the moving speed of the fluid can also be somewhat reduced compared to the conventional linear porous body, so the gas diffusion layer 11b and air or hydrogen can react for a sufficient time.

Therefore, when the nonlinear porous body 100 for a fuel cell according to the present invention is applied to the fuel cell 10, the reaction area between the gas (hydrogen, oxygen) used for electron exchange and the gas diffusion layer 11b is maximized to form a cell ( The output of 13) is increased, which improves the performance of the overall fuel cell 10 and allows more electrical energy to be generated per unit size, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of hydrogen vehicles and making them more compact.

In addition, the nonlinear porous body 100 for fuel cells according to the present invention differs only in the arrangement shape of the fluid penetrating portion 120 compared to the conventional linear porous body, and the manufacturing process is carried out in a substantially similar manner to the existing process. By doing so, manufacturing costs may not increase.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the drawings and detailed description of the invention referred to so far are merely illustrative of the present invention, which are used only for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the meaning or apply for patent claims. It is not used to limit the scope of the present invention described in the scope. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10: Fuel cell
11a: Membrane-electrode assembly
11b: gas diffusion layer
12: Separator plate
13: cell
14: fastening plate
100, 200, 300: Nonlinear porous body for fuel cells
110: base part
120, 220, 320, 420: Fluid penetrating portion
121: 1st Eurohole
122: 2nd Eurohole
123: 3rd Eurohole
F: Fluid flow path

Claims (18)

A base portion whose vertical cross-section is curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow; and
It includes a fluid penetrating portion that passes through the base portion and is formed in a non-linear pattern along the longitudinal direction of the base portion so that the fluid movement path is non-linear,
The fluid penetrating part,
first passage holes spaced apart along the width direction of the base portion; and
It includes a second passage hole that is spaced apart from the first passage hole along the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is located between two adjacent first passage holes,
When viewed from the direction penetrating the base through the first or second flow holes, the first flow holes and the second flow holes are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the base, and the two adjacent channels within the base are arranged alternately. A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell that bends the area between the first flow hole and the second flow hole into a curved or zigzag shape.
A base portion whose vertical cross-section is curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow; and
A fluid penetrating portion that penetrates the base so that fluid moves along the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is configured to be at least partially open when viewed from the portion through which the fluid flows, or configured not to be open,
The fluid penetrating part,
first passage holes spaced apart along the width direction of the base portion; and
It includes a second passage hole that is spaced apart from the first passage hole along the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is located between two adjacent first passage holes,
When viewed from the direction penetrating the base through the first or second flow holes, the first flow holes and the second flow holes are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the base, and the two adjacent channels within the base are arranged alternately. A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell that bends the area between the first flow hole and the second flow hole into a curved or zigzag shape.
delete delete According to claim 1 or 2,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell in which each of the fluid penetrating portions has a shape selected from slot-shaped, circular, elliptical, and polygonal. According to claim 1 or 2,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell in which the shape of each of the fluid penetrating portions is a combination of two or more of the following shapes: slot-shaped, circular, elliptical, and polygonal. According to claim 1 or 2,
The fluid penetrating portion is a nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell in which a plurality of holes are arranged to form a pattern. delete According to paragraph 1,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell wherein the first flow hole and the second flow hole have the same shape. According to paragraph 1,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell wherein the first flow hole and the second flow hole have different shapes. According to paragraph 1,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell in which the spacing between the first passage hole and the second passage hole in the fluid penetrating portion is the same along the longitudinal direction of the base portion. According to paragraph 1,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell in which the distance between the first passage hole and the second passage hole in the fluid penetrating portion is varied along the longitudinal direction of the base portion. According to paragraph 1,
The fluid penetrating part,
A nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell further comprising a third passage hole disposed adjacent to an edge of the base portion along the longitudinal direction of the base portion. According to clause 13,
The nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell wherein the first passage hole, the second passage hole, and the third passage hole have the same shape. According to clause 13,
The nonlinear porous body for a fuel cell wherein the first passage hole, the second passage hole, and the third passage hole have different shapes. delete Membrane-electrode conjugate;
a gas diffusion layer positioned to contact the membrane-electrode assembly;
A separation plate installed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer and supplying gas supplied from the outside to the gas diffusion layer; and
It includes a non-linear porous body interposed between the separator plate and the gas diffusion layer, and receiving gas from the separator plate and transferring it to the gas diffusion layer,
The nonlinear porous body includes a base portion whose vertical cross-section is curved along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of fluid flow; and
A fluid penetrating portion that penetrates the base so that fluid moves along the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is configured to be at least partially open when viewed from the portion through which the fluid flows, or configured not to be open,
The fluid penetrating part,
first passage holes spaced apart along the width direction of the base portion; and
It includes a second passage hole that is spaced apart from the first passage hole along the longitudinal direction of the base portion and is located between two adjacent first passage holes,
When viewed from the direction penetrating the base through the first or second flow holes, the first flow holes and the second flow holes are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the base, and the two adjacent channels within the base are arranged alternately. A fuel cell characterized in that the second passage hole is bent into a curved shape or zigzag shape in conjunction with the positional movement of the first passage hole.
According to clause 17,
A fuel cell in which the nonlinear porous body is installed to contact a gas diffusion layer to which oxygen is supplied.