KR20200031328A - Fuel cell, vehicle including the cell, and method for manufacturing the cell - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell comprises: a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; end plates disposed on both side ends of the cell stack respectively; an enclosure disclosed while supporting the cell stack disposed between the end plates; and a protrusion unit having a shape protruding toward the cell stack from each of an inner lateral side closed to the enclosure, extending in a first direction, and disposed on the inner lateral side from an edge of the inner lateral side. Each of a plurality of unit cells of the cell stack includes an accommodation groove accommodating the protrusion unit.

Description

Fuel cell, vehicle including the cell, and method for manufacturing the cell {Fuel cell, vehicle including the cell, and method for manufacturing the cell}

An embodiment relates to a fuel cell, a vehicle including the cell, and a method for manufacturing the cell.

In general, a fuel cell includes a polymer electrolyte membrane, and air is supplied to one side based on the membrane and hydrogen is supplied to the other side to produce electricity. The fuel cell can be used to supply electricity to the vehicle. In such a fuel cell, there is a demand for improved alignment of a cell stack in which a plurality of unit cells are stacked.

An embodiment provides a fuel cell, a vehicle including the cell, and a method of manufacturing the cell, with improved alignment and simple construction, low manufacturing cost, and low component damage.

A fuel cell according to an embodiment includes a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction; End plates disposed on both side ends of the cell stack; An enclosure disposed around the cell stack disposed between the end plates; And a protrusion protruding toward the cell stack from each of the adjacent inner surfaces of the enclosure, extending in the first direction, and spaced apart from the inner edge of the inner surface and disposed on the inner surface, Each of the plurality of unit cells of the cell stack may include an accommodation groove accommodating the protrusion.

For example, the enclosures may include first enclosures having first and second inner surfaces integrally formed adjacent to each other; And second enclosures formed adjacent to each other and integrally formed with the end plate and the first and second inner surfaces, the third and fourth inner surfaces defining a space in which the cell stack is accommodated, and wherein The protrusions may be respectively disposed on adjacent inner surfaces of the first to fourth inner surfaces.

For example, the enclosure includes first and second openings facing each other in the first direction with the spaces interposed therebetween, and the end plates are respectively fixed to the first and second openings of the enclosure. Can be.

For example, the height of the protrusion is greater than the depth of the receiving groove, and the material of the protrusion can have insulation.

For example, the unit cell may include a membrane electrode assembly; Gas diffusion layers disposed on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly; And a separator plate supporting the membrane electrode assembly and the gas diffusion layer, disposed outside each of the gas diffusion layers, and having a plurality of manifolds allowing fluid to flow into and out of the membrane electrode assembly. Grooves may be formed to face the protrusions in each of the membrane electrode assembly and the separation plate.

For example, the separation plate may include a first side portion on which the plurality of manifolds are disposed; It includes a second side adjacent to the first side, the receiving groove may be formed on the outside of each of the first and second sides.

For example, the receiving groove is disposed more on the second side than the first side, and the protrusion is disposed more on the inner side facing the second side than the inner side facing the first side. You can.

For example, the first side portion may include a first region in which the manifold is located; And a second region between the manifolds, and the receiving groove formed in the first side may be formed outside the second region.

For example, the protrusion may be arranged to be inclined based on a direction parallel to the normal of the inner surface of the enclosure.

For example, the protrusions disposed on each of the adjacent inner surfaces equally bisect the inner cabinet between the adjacent inner surfaces, and may be formed to be inclined in a direction parallel to the boundary surface passing through the boundary of the inner surfaces adjacent to each other. .

For example, the fuel cell may further include a fastening part for fastening the protrusion and the enclosure. For example, the fastening portion may have an appearance in the form of a 'seventeen (+)', 'tee (T)', or 'five (O)'.

According to another embodiment, in a vehicle including a fuel cell, the protrusions are disposed on each of the first to fourth inner surfaces, and the protrusions disposed on the inner surfaces facing each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces are It can be tilted in different directions.

A method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to another embodiment includes mounting a first end plate, one of the end plates, on a press jig disposed obliquely relative to a horizontal plane; Fixing one end of the first enclosure to the first end plate; Mounting part of the plurality of unit cells in the first direction to the first enclosure; Attaching the rest of the plurality of unit cells to a guide jig connected to the other end of the first enclosure and having the same shape as the first enclosure; Mounting a second end plate, which is another one of the end plates, to the last mounted unit cell; Pressing the second end plate to the other end of the first enclosure in the first direction; And coupling the second enclosure to the first enclosure.

For example, the angle at which the press jig is inclined relative to the horizontal plane may be 30 ° to 60 °.

For example, in the step of mounting the plurality of unit cells, the plurality of unit cells may be mounted one by one.

For example, a first angle between a first outer surface and a horizontal surface on the opposite side of the second or third inner surface facing the first side among the inner surfaces of the first enclosure may be selected from among the inner surfaces of the first enclosure. It may be greater than a second angle between the second outer surface and the horizontal surface opposite the first or fourth inner surface facing the second side. The first angle may be greater than 45 °, and the second angle may be less than 45 °.

A fuel cell according to an embodiment, a vehicle including the cell, and a method for manufacturing the cell are stacked with a plurality of unit cells having a high degree of alignment, for example, to prevent damage to components such as MEA and GDL, It has low manufacturing cost, simple configuration, and can prevent electrical shorts between the cell stack and the enclosure.

1 shows an external perspective view of a fuel cell according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the end plate and cell stack in the fuel cell shown in FIG. 1.
3 is an exploded cross-sectional view according to an embodiment of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line I-I '.
4A and 4B show exploded and partially coupled perspective views of a cell stack, enclosure, and end plate, respectively.
5 is an enlarged view of a portion 'A' shown in FIG. 3.
6 is an exploded cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 1 taken along line I-I '.
7A to 7C are enlarged views according to various embodiments of a portion 'B' shown in FIG. 3.
8 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 1 taken along line II ′.
9 (a) to (f) show a process perspective view for explaining a fuel cell manufacturing method according to an embodiment.
10 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide jig shown in FIG. 9 (d).
11 is a view for explaining a method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to a first comparative example, respectively.
12 is a view for explaining a method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to a second comparative example, respectively.

Hereinafter, examples will be described to specifically describe the present invention, and the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the invention.

However, the embodiments according to the present invention may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described below. Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art.

In the description of this embodiment, when described as being formed on "on (up) or down (down)" (on or under) of each element (element), the top (top) or bottom (bottom) ( on or under includes both two elements directly contacting each other or one or more other elements being formed indirectly between the two elements.

In addition, when expressed as "up (up)" or "down (down) (on or under)", it may include the meaning of the downward direction as well as the upward direction based on one element.

In addition, relational terms such as "first" and "second," "top / top / top" and "bottom / bottom / bottom" as used hereinafter, may include any physical or logical relationship between such entities or elements, or It can also be used to distinguish one entity or element from another, without necessarily requiring or implying order.

Hereinafter, a fuel cell (100: 100A, 100B) according to an embodiment, a vehicle including the fuel cell (100: 100A, 100B) and a method of manufacturing the fuel cell (100: 100A, 100B), refer to the accompanying drawings. It is explained as follows. For convenience, a fuel cell (100: 100A, 100B) using a Cartesian coordinate system (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis), a vehicle including the same, and a method of manufacturing the same are described, but it can also be described by other coordinate systems. to be. Further, according to the Cartesian coordinate system, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are orthogonal to each other, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis may cross each other.

1 shows an external perspective view of a fuel cell 100 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the end plates 110A and 110B and the cell stack 122 in the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG. 1. For convenience of description, the illustration of the enclosure 300 shown in FIG. 1 is omitted in FIG. 2.

The fuel cell 100 may be, for example, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC: Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell), which is most frequently researched as a power source for driving a vehicle. It is not limited to a specific type of battery.

The fuel cell 100 may include an end plate (or pressurized plate or compressed plate) 110A, 110B, a current collector plate 112, a cell stack 122, and an enclosure 300. You can.

The cell stack 122 may include a plurality of unit cells 122-1 to 122 -N stacked in a first direction (eg, an x-axis direction). Here, N is a positive integer of 1 or more, and may be tens to hundreds. N may be, for example, 100 to 300, preferably 220, but the embodiment is not limited to a specific number of N.

Each unit cell 122-n may generate 0.6 volts to 1.0 volts, and on average 0.7 volts of electricity. Here, 1≤n≤N. Therefore, N may be determined according to the strength of power to be supplied from the fuel cell 100 to the load. Here, when the fuel cell 100 is used in a vehicle, the load may mean a portion that requires electric power from the vehicle.

Each unit cell 122-n includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA: membrane electrode assembly) 210, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) (222, 224), a gasket (232, 234, 236), and It may include a separation plate (or a bipolar plate (bipolar plate) or a separator (separator)) (240: 242, 244).

The membrane electrode assembly 210 has a structure in which a catalytic electrode layer on which both sides of the membrane are subjected to electrochemical reactions is attached, mainly on an electrolyte membrane through which hydrogen ions move. Specifically, the membrane electrode assembly 210 includes a polymer electrolyte membrane (or a proton exchange membrane) 212, a fuel electrode (or a hydrogen electrode or an oxidation electrode) 214, and an air electrode (or an oxygen electrode or a reduction electrode). (216). In addition, the membrane electrode assembly 210 may further include a sub gasket 238.

The polymer electrolyte membrane 212 is disposed between the anode 214 and the cathode 216.

In the fuel cell 100, hydrogen, which is fuel, is supplied to the anode 214 through the first separation plate 242, and air containing oxygen, which is an oxidant, is supplied to the cathode 216 through the second separation plate 244. Can be.

Hydrogen supplied to the anode 214 is decomposed into hydrogen ions (proton, H +) and electrons (electron, e-) by a catalyst, of which only hydrogen ions selectively pass through the polymer electrolyte membrane 212 to form the cathode ( 216), and at the same time, electrons can be transferred to the air electrode 216 through the separation plates 242 and 244, which are conductors. For the above-described operation, a catalyst layer may be applied to each of the anode 214 and the cathode 216. As such, due to the movement of electrons, the flow of electrons through the external conducting wires is generated to generate current. That is, it can be seen that the fuel cell 100 generates electric power by the electrochemical reaction between hydrogen as fuel and oxygen contained in air.

In the cathode 216, hydrogen ions supplied through the polymer electrolyte membrane 212 and electrons delivered through the separators 242 and 244 meet with oxygen in the air supplied to the cathode 216 and water (or 'condensed water') Or 'generated water').

In some cases, the anode 214 may be referred to as an anode, and the cathode 216 may be referred to as a cathode or vice versa, and the anode 214 may be referred to as a cathode and the cathode 216 may be referred to as an anode.

The gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 evenly distribute hydrogen and oxygen, which are reaction gases, and serve to transfer generated electrical energy. To this end, the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 may be disposed on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly 210, respectively. That is, the first gas diffusion layer 222 may be disposed on the left side of the anode 214, and the second gas diffusion layer 224 may be disposed on the right side of the cathode 216.

The first gas diffusion layer 222 serves to diffuse and evenly distribute hydrogen, which is a reaction gas supplied through the first separation plate 242, and may have electrical conductivity. The second gas diffusion layer 224 serves to diffuse and evenly distribute air, which is a reaction gas supplied through the second separation plate 244, and may have electrical conductivity.

Each of the first and second gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 may be a microporous layer in which fine carbon fibers are combined, but the embodiment is not limited to a specific form of the first and second gas layers 222 and 224. Does not.

Gaskets (232, 234, 236) maintain the airtightness and proper tightening pressure of the reactants and cooling water, and distribute stress when stacking the separation plates (242, 244), and serve to independently seal the flow path . As such, the gaskets 232, 234, and 236 maintain airtight / watertightness, so that the flatness of the surface adjacent to the cell stack 122 generating electric power is managed, and uniform surface pressure is applied to the reaction surface of the cell stack 122. Distribution can be made.

The separation plates 242 and 244 may serve to move the reactor bodies and the cooling medium, and to separate each of the plurality of unit cells from other unit cells. In addition, the separation plates 242 and 244 structurally support the membrane electrode assembly 210 and the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224, and may also serve to collect the generated current and transfer it to the current collecting plate 112.

The separation plates 242 and 244 may be disposed outside the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224, respectively. That is, the first separation plate 242 may be disposed on the left side of the first gas diffusion layer 222, and the second separation plate 244 may be disposed on the right side of the second gas diffusion layer 224.

The first separation plate 242 serves to supply hydrogen, which is a reaction gas, to the anode 214 through the first gas diffusion layer 222. The second separation plate 244 serves to supply air, which is a reaction gas, to the air electrode 216 through the second gas diffusion layer 224. In addition, each of the first and second separation plates 242 and 244 may form a channel through which a cooling medium (eg, cooling water) can flow. In addition, the separation plates 242 and 244 may be made of a graphite-based, composite graphite-based, or metal-based material, but the embodiment is not limited to a specific material of the separation plates 242 and 244.

Meanwhile, the end plates 110A and 110B illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be disposed on each side end of the cell stack 122 to support and fix the plurality of unit cells 122. That is, the first end plate 110A may be disposed at one end of both side ends of the cell stack 122, and the second end plate 110B may be disposed at the other end of both side ends of the cell stack 122. For ease of understanding, the dashed lines shown in FIG. 1 represent the invisible end plates 110A, 110B disposed inside the enclosure 300.

The end plates 110A and 110B may have a shape in which a metal insert is surrounded by a plastic injection molding material. The metal inserts of the end plates 110A and 110B may have high stiffness characteristics to withstand the internal surface pressure, and may be implemented by machining a metal material. For example, the end plates 110A and 110B may be formed by combining a plurality of plates, but the embodiment is not limited to a specific configuration of the end plates 110A and 110B.

The current collector plate 112 may be disposed between the inner surfaces 110AI and 110BI of the end plates 110A and 110B facing the cell stack 122 and the cell stack 122. The current collector plate 112 serves to collect electrical energy generated by the flow of electrons in the cell stack 122 and supply it to a load in which the fuel cell 100 is used.

In addition, the first end plate 110A may include a plurality of manifolds (or communication portions) M. Each of the first and second separation plates 242 and 244 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a manifold formed in the same shape at the same position as the manifold M of the first end plate 110A illustrated in FIG. 1, respectively. can do. Here, the manifold M may include an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold. Hydrogen and oxygen, which are reaction gases required by the membrane electrode assembly 210, may be introduced into the cell stack 122 through the inlet manifold M from the outside. The gas or liquid to which the reaction gas supplied humidified and the condensate generated inside the cell is added may be discharged to the outside of the fuel cell 100 through the outlet manifold M. In addition, the cooling medium may be introduced into the cell stack 122 from the outside through the inlet manifold (M) and out to the outside through the outlet manifold (M). As such, the plurality of manifolds M allow the inflow and outflow of fluid to the membrane electrode assembly 210.

Meanwhile, the enclosure 300 may be disposed surrounding the cell stack 122 disposed between the end plates 110A and 110B. According to an embodiment, the enclosure 300 may serve as a fastening member for fastening a plurality of unit cells in the first direction together with the end plates 110A and 110B. That is, the fastening pressure of the cell stack 122 may be maintained by the rigid structure end plates 110A and 110B and the enclosure 300.

Hereinafter, various embodiments 100A and 100B of the fuel cell 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described as follows with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of one embodiment (100A) of the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG. 1 along the line I-I '.

4A and 4B show an exploded perspective view and a partially coupled perspective view of the cell stack 122, the enclosure 300, and the end plates 110A and 110B, respectively. For convenience of description, the illustration of the end plates 110A and 110B is omitted in FIG. 4A, and the illustration of the cell stack 122 in FIG. 4B is omitted.

The fuel cell 100A may include a separation plate 240, an enclosure 300 and protrusions 412, 414, 416, 418. The separation plate 240 may correspond to at least one of the first separation plate 242 or the second separation plate 244 illustrated in FIG. 2.

The protrusions 412 to 418 may have a shape protruding toward the cell stack 122 from each of the adjacent inner surfaces of the enclosure 300.

For example, the enclosure 300 may include first and second enclosures 310 and 320.

The first enclosure 310 may include first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314 integrally formed adjacent to each other. The second enclosure 320 may include third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 that are adjacent to each other and integrally formed. The third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 may define a space in which the cell stack 122 is accommodated along with the end plates 110A and 110B and the first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the first enclosure 310 may have an 'L' shaped appearance, and the second enclosure 320 may have an 'A' shaped appearance, but the embodiment is The first and second enclosures 310 and 320 are not limited to each specific shape.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the enclosure 300 may be divided into two first and second enclosures 310 and 320.

According to another embodiment, although not shown, the enclosure 300 may be divided into four. In this case, the first enclosure 310 may be divided into 1-1 and 1-2 enclosures, and the second enclosure 320 may be divided into 2-1 and 2-2 enclosures. The first-first enclosure has a first inner side 312, the first-2 enclosure has a second inner side 314, the second-first enclosure has a third inner side 322, and the second The -2 enclosure can have a fourth inner side 324.

In addition, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B, first and second inner surfaces adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 ( The protrusions 412 and 414 are disposed on 312 and 314, respectively, and the protrusions on the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324. (416, 418) may be disposed respectively.

According to the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 4B, first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314 adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 On the other hand, the protrusions 412 and 414 are respectively disposed, while the protrusions 416 on the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324, 418) may not be disposed respectively.

According to the third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 4B, the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 The protrusions 416 and 418 are respectively disposed on the first and second inner surfaces 322 and 324 adjacent to each other among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324. ) May not be disposed respectively.

Hereinafter, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 4B, one embodiment of the fuel cell in which the first to fourth protrusions 412 to 418 are disposed on the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324, respectively An example will be described. However, the following description of the fuel cell according to the first embodiment may also be applied to the above-described second or third embodiment.

The protrusions 412 to 418 may be disposed to extend in a first direction (eg, an x-axis direction) in which the unit cells 122-n are stacked. This is to align the plurality of unit cells using the protrusions 412 to 418 when forming the cell stack 122 by stacking the unit cells 122-n in the first direction, as will be described later. This will be described later in detail when described in detail in the manufacturing method of the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG. 9.

In addition, the protrusions 412 to 418 may be disposed on the inner surface spaced apart from the edges of the inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324. That is, the protrusions 412 to 418 may be disposed spaced apart from the inner corner of the enclosure 300. For example, the third inner surface 322 may include an area between the first and second edges 322E1 and 322E2 and the edges 322E1 and 322E2. At this time, the protrusion 416 may be disposed in the region between the edges 322E1 and 322E2, not the edges 322E1 and 322E2 of the third inner surface 322.

As described above, when the protrusions 412 to 418 are present, each of the plurality of unit cells 122-n of the cell stack 122 receives accommodation grooves (or recesses) that accommodate the protrusions 412 to 418 ( H1 to H4). That is, the first protrusion 412 is accommodated in the first receiving groove H1, the second protrusion 414 is received in the second receiving groove H2, and the third protrusion 416 is the third receiving groove ( H3), the fourth protrusion 482 may be accommodated in the fourth receiving groove (H4).

Referring to FIG. 4B, the enclosure 300 may include first and second openings OP1 and OP2 facing each other in a first direction with a space in which the cell stack 122 is disposed. The first end plate 110A may be fixedly disposed in the first opening OP1, and the second end plate 110B may be fixedly disposed in the second opening OP2.

5 is an enlarged view of a portion 'A' shown in FIG. 3.

The height of each of the protrusions 412 to 418 may be greater than the depth of the receiving grooves H1 to H4 in which the protrusions 412 to 418 are accommodated. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the height h1 of the second protrusion 414 may be greater than the depth D1 of the second receiving groove H2. This, as shown in Figure 8 to be described later, after the protrusions 412 to 418 are received in each of the receiving grooves (H1 to H4), the outer surface of the cell stack 122 (for example, 122OS shown in Figure 4b ) And the inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300 are spaced apart from each other. In this case, the material of each of the protrusions 412 to 418 may have insulating properties. For example, each of the protrusions 412 to 418 may be made of plastic.

When the material of the enclosure 300 is metal, the inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300 and the outer surface 122OS of the cell stack 122 may be electrically shorted. To prevent this, the height h1 greater than the depth D1 so that the inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300 can be spatially spaced from the outer surface 122OS of the cell stack 122. To form the protrusions 412 to 418, each of the protrusions 412 to 418 may be implemented with an insulating material. As a result, it can be prevented that the enclosure 300 and the cell stack 122 are electrically shorted to each other.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the receiving groove 240H in the unit cell 122-n is formed to face the protrusions 412 to 418 in the membrane electrode assembly 210 and the separation plates 242 and 244, respectively. You can. The receiving groove 240H illustrated in FIG. 2 may correspond to the receiving grooves H1 to H4 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4A. In addition, the receiving grooves 240H may not be formed in the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 and the gaskets 232, 234 and 236 in the unit cell 122-n.

Hereinafter, only the receiving grooves formed in each of the separation plates 242 and 244 will be described, but the description of the receiving grooves may also be applied to the receiving grooves formed in the membrane electrode assembly 210.

3, the separation plate 240 in the unit cell 122-n may include first and second side parts S1 and S2. The side where the manifold M is disposed among the sides of the separation plate 240 is defined as a first side (S1: S11, S12), and the manifold M is not disposed among the sides of the separation plate 240, The side adjacent to the first side (S1: S11, S12) may be defined as the second side (S2: S21, S22).

As shown in FIG. 3, the receiving grooves H1 to H4 may be formed outside the first and second side parts S1 and S2, respectively. That is, the first receiving groove H1 is formed to accommodate the first protruding portion 412 from the outside of the 2-1 side portion S21, and the second receiving groove H2 is the first-first side portion S11. It is formed to accommodate the second projection 414 on the outside of, the third receiving groove (H3) is formed to accommodate the third projection 416 on the outside of the 1-2 side (S12), the fourth The receiving groove H4 may be formed to accommodate the fourth protrusion 418 from the outside of the 2-2 side part S22.

Also, the first side parts S1: S11 and S12 may include first and second regions A1 and A2. Here, the first area A1 may be defined as an area where the manifold M1 is located, and the second area A2 may be defined as an area between the manifolds M. At this time, the receiving grooves formed in the first side parts S1: S11 and S12 may be formed in the second area A2 rather than the first area A1. Because, since the manifold M is formed in the first region A1 in the first side S1, it is structurally weaker in rigidity or strength than the second region A2. Therefore, when the receiving groove is formed in the second region A2 having strong rigidity and strength, the cell stack 122 may be firmly supported by the protrusions 412 to 418. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the second receiving groove H2 may be formed in the second region A2 of the first-first side S11 of the separation plate 240.

6 is an exploded cross-sectional view of another embodiment 100B of the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line I-I '.

3, the number of protrusions 412, 414, 416, and 418 formed on each of the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300 is the same, and the unit The number of receiving grooves H1, H2, H3, H4 formed in each of the first and second side portions S11, S12, S21, and S22 of the cells 122-n may be the same. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.

According to another embodiment, the receiving groove may be disposed more on the second sides S2: S21 and S22 than on the first sides S1: S11 and S12. In this case, the protrusions 412 to 418 are the second sides S2: S21, S22 than the second and third inner surfaces 314, 322 facing the first sides S1: S11, S12 in the enclosure 300. ) May be disposed on the first and fourth inner surfaces 312 and 324 facing each other. For example, referring to FIG. 6, the number of receiving grooves H2 and H3 formed in each of the 1-1 and 1-2 side parts S11 and S12 is one, and the 1-1 and 1-2 The number of protrusions 414 and 416 disposed on the second and third inner surfaces 314 and 322 facing the side parts S11 and S12, respectively, is one. On the other hand, the number of receiving grooves (H11, H12, H13) formed in the 2-1 side (S21) is three, and the protrusion disposed on the first inner surface 312 facing the 2-1 side (S21) The number of (412-1, 412-2, 412-3) may be three.

Although the difference in the number of protrusions and receiving grooves disposed in the first and second side parts S1 and S2 in FIG. 6 is two, it may be three or more or one.

Since the manifold M, which is a passage for the fluid, is formed on the first side S1, the first side S1 has less rigidity and strength than the second side S2. Accordingly, more receiving grooves may be disposed in the second side S2 having greater rigidity and strength than the first side S1. When the plurality of unit cells are stacked as described below, the first or fourth facing the second side S2 than the second or third inner surfaces 314 and 322 facing the first side S1. This is to impart more lamination load toward the inner surfaces 312 and 324.

7A to 7C show enlarged views of various embodiments (B1, B2, B3) of the 'B' portion shown in FIG. 3.

As described above, since the materials of the protrusions 412 to 418 and the enclosure 300 are different from each other, they cannot be integrated. Therefore, the fuel cell 100 according to the embodiment may further include a fastening part for fastening the enclosure 300 and the protrusions 412 to 418 that are separate elements from each other.

The fastening portion may have various shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the fastening portion 510 may have an external appearance of a 'ten (+)' shape, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the fastening portion 520 may have a 'tee (T). It may have an 'shaped appearance, or the fastening part 530 may have an' O 'shaped appearance as shown in FIG. 7C.

In addition, each of the protrusions 412 to 418 may be disposed to be inclined based on a direction parallel to the normal of each of the inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300. For example, referring to FIG. 7A, the first protrusion 412 may be disposed to be inclined by a first angle θ1 based on a direction parallel to the normal N of the first inner surface 312.

In addition, the protrusions disposed on each of the inner surfaces adjacent to each other may equally divide the internal angles between the adjacent inner surfaces, and may be formed to be inclined in a direction parallel to the first boundary surface passing through the boundary of the inner surfaces adjacent to each other. For example, referring to FIG. 3, first and second protrusions 412 and 414 disposed on the first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314 adjacent to each other are adjacent first and second inner surfaces. The inner angles θ2 between 312 and 314 are equally divided, and may be inclined in a direction parallel to the first boundary surface BS1 passing through the boundary of the inner surface adjacent to each other.

Meanwhile, the fuel cells 100, 100A, and 100B according to the above-described embodiment may be mounted on a vehicle and used.

8 shows a combined cross-sectional view of the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line I-I '. Here, the arrow AR indicates the front of the vehicle. That is, the direction indicated by the arrow AR corresponds to the front of the vehicle.

As described above, the protrusions 412 to 418 may be disposed on each of the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324 of the enclosure 300. Here, in FIG. 8, the same parts as those of the fuel cells 100A and 100B shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

Among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324, protrusions disposed on opposite inner surfaces may be inclined in different directions. That is, the protrusions 412 and 418 disposed on the first and fourth inner surfaces 312 and 324 facing each other incline in different directions, and on the second and third inner surfaces 314 and 322 facing each other. The disposed protrusions 414 and 416 may be inclined in different directions.

For example, when the fuel cell 100 is positioned parallel to the ground, that is, when the second inner surface 314 is parallel to the ground, the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, 324 Among the projections 412 and 418 disposed on the first and fourth inner surfaces 312 and 324 facing each other in the direction AR (for example, -z-axis direction) facing the front of the vehicle, in different directions Can be inclined. For example, the first protrusion 412 may be inclined in the -y axis direction, and the fourth protrusion 418 may be inclined in the + y axis direction.

In addition, the protrusions disposed on the second and third inner surfaces 314 and 322 facing each other in the gravitational direction (for example, the y-axis direction) among the first to fourth inner surfaces 312, 314, 322, and 324. (414, 416) may be inclined in different directions. For example, the second protrusion 414 may be inclined in the + z axis direction, and the third protrusion 416 may be inclined in the -z axis direction.

When the protrusions facing each other are arranged to be inclined in different directions as illustrated in FIG. 8, despite the linear movement or rotational movement of the vehicle in which the fuel cell 100 is mounted, the cell stack in the interior of the enclosure 300 ( Since 122) does not fluctuate, deformation of the 122 may be prevented.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the fuel cell 100 according to the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9 (a) to (f) show a process perspective view for explaining a fuel cell manufacturing method according to an embodiment. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as the aforementioned members, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

First, referring to FIG. 9 (a), the first end plate 110A, which is one of the end plates, is disposed on the first press jig 610 disposed at an inclined angle by a predetermined third angle θ3 based on the horizontal surface HL. To be fitted. The direction in which the first press jig 610 is inclined is not limited to FIG. 9 (a), and may be inclined to any of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis. The third angle θ3 in which the first press jig 610 is inclined relative to the horizontal surface HL may be 30 ° to 60 °, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), one end 310-1 of the first enclosure 310 is fixed to the first end plate 110A.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 9 (c), a portion 122A of the plurality of unit cells 122 is mounted to the first enclosure 310 in the direction of gravity. For example, as described in FIG. 3, the first and second protrusions 412 and 414 disposed on the first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314 adjacent to each other are parallel to the first boundary surface BS. When inclined in the direction of gravity, the protrusions 412 and 414 of the first enclosure 310 are easily inserted into the receiving grooves (eg, H1 and H2) of each unit cell 122-n in the direction of gravity. You can. That is, when each unit cell 122-n in the direction of gravity is placed in the first enclosure 310, the first and second protrusions 412 and 414 of the first enclosure 310 are of the unit cell 122-n. The first and second grooves H1 and H2 may be sequentially stacked by being sliding in the first direction while being accommodated. In this case, a plurality of unit cells may be mounted one by one, or a plurality of unit cells may be mounted one by one. At this time, as shown in Figure 9 (c), some of the plurality of unit cells 122, 122A is mounted to the first enclosure 310, while the other unit 122 of the plurality of unit cells 122 is It may escape from the first enclosure 310. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 (d), after stacking a portion 122A of the plurality of unit cells 122, before stacking the other portion 122B of the plurality of unit cells 122, the first enclosure A guide jig 620 having the same shape as the first enclosure 310 may be connected to the other end 310-2 of the 310.

10 shows an enlarged perspective view of the guide jig 620 shown in FIG. 9 (d).

Referring to FIG. 10, the guide jig 620 has protrusions 412 and 414 on the inner surface of the 620 like the first enclosure 310.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the rest 122B of the plurality of unit cells 122 outside the other end 310-2 of the first enclosure 310 may be mounted on the guide jig 620.

When stacking the plurality of unit cells 122 on the first enclosure 310 and the guide jig 620, the manifold M formed on the separation plate 240 may be considered. According to an embodiment, among the inner surfaces of the first enclosure 310, the first outer surfaces 314O on the opposite side of the second or third inner surfaces 314 and 322 facing the first sides S1: S11 and S12, 322O) and the fourth angle θ4 between the horizontal surface HL is the first or fourth inner surface 312, 324 facing the second side S2: S21, S22 from the inner surface of the first enclosure 310. ) May be greater than a fifth angle θ5 between the second outer surfaces 312O and 324O on the opposite side and the horizontal surface HL.

For example, when stacking a plurality of unit cells 122 by tilting the first enclosure 310 as shown in FIG. 6, the first and second sides S12 and the inner side of the first enclosure 310 are stacked. The fourth angle θ4 between the first outer surface 314O and the horizontal surface HL on the opposite side of the opposing second inner surface 314 is a 2-1 side part S21 among the inner surfaces of the first enclosure 310. And a fifth angle θ5 between the second outer surface 312O and the horizontal surface HL opposite the first inner surface 312 facing each other. For example, the fourth angle θ4 may be greater than 45 °, and the fifth angle θ5 may be less than 45 °, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

As described above, when the fourth angle θ4 is greater than the fifth angle θ5, the second side S2 where the manifold M is not disposed has more stacking load than the first side S1. Can receive Therefore, when the manifold (M), which is a passage for the fluid, is disposed, the first side (S1), which is structurally weaker in strength and rigidity than the second side (S2), is subjected to a stacking load than the second side (S2). Although the plate 240 may be damaged, according to an embodiment, since a load is further applied to the second side S2 than the first side S1, the unit cells can be stably stacked without damaging the separation plate 240. You can.

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 9 (d), the second end plate 110B, which is another one of the end plates, is mounted on the side of the last mounted unit cell 122-N.

Thereafter, the second end plate 110B is pressed in the first direction (eg, the x-axis direction) to the other end 310-2 of the first enclosure 310 as shown in FIG. 9 (e). . The second end plate 110B and the cell stack 122 are pressed in the first direction through the second press jig 612 so that a uniform surface pressure distribution is made on the reaction surface of the cell stack 122.

Subsequently, after mounting other components (for example, a bus bar and a stack voltage monitor (SVM), etc.) (not shown), the second enclosure 320 is mounted as shown in FIG. 9 (f). The fuel cell is completed by being coupled to the first enclosure 310.

The first and second enclosures 310 and 320 may be screwed, and the embodiment is not limited to a specific coupling method of the first and second enclosures 310 and 320. As described with reference to FIG. 3, the protrusions 412 and 414 of the first enclosure 310 can be easily inserted into the receiving grooves (eg, H1 and H2) of the unit cells 122-n so that they are adjacent to each other. The first and second protrusions 412 and 414 disposed on the first and second inner surfaces 312 and 314, respectively, are formed to be inclined in the direction of gravity parallel to the first boundary surface BS. Similarly, the third and fourth protrusions 416 and 418 disposed on each of the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 adjacent to each other in the direction of gravity parallel to the second boundary surface (BS2 shown in FIG. 3). It can be formed obliquely. Here, referring to FIG. 3, the second boundary surface BS2 bisects the interior angle between the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324 and the boundary between the third and fourth inner surfaces 322 and 324. It means the passing side. This is to facilitate coupling of the second enclosure 320 to the first enclosure 310 in the direction of gravity, as shown in FIG. 9 (f).

Thereafter, the equipment used to manufacture the fuel cells, such as the first and second press jigs 610 and 612, is dismantled.

Hereinafter, a fuel cell manufacturing method according to a comparative example and an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11 and 12 are views for explaining a method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to first and second comparative examples, respectively. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as the fuel cells shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

According to the first comparative example shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of unit cells (in a press inclined at 45 ° as shown in FIG. 11 (b) based on the long axes of the separation plate (not shown) and the MEA (not shown) ( 122). The side has a separate restraining device, but a specific physical force is not applied, and thus the operator's skill is required.

In the case of the first comparative example shown in Figs. 11 (a) and (b), the inclined press, that is, the two-point restraint, but in the case of the second comparative example shown in Figs. It is a four-point restraint.

In the current lamination facility, the notch is engraved on the outer side of the separation plate and the MEA, and in the facility, it protrudes with an embossment ((710, 712) or (810 to 816)]. When stacking the plurality of unit cells 122, a certain tolerance is required, and there is a problem that damage to the notch due to excessive restraint may occur.

On the other hand, according to the fuel cell manufacturing method according to the embodiment, after fitting the receiving grooves (H1, H2) of the unit cell (122-n) in the protrusions (412, 414) formed in the first enclosure 310 in the direction of gravity In a manner of sliding in the first direction, a plurality of unit cells 122 are stacked. As described above, when stacking a plurality of unit cells, the protrusions 412 and 414 serve to guide the plurality of unit cells, so that the plurality of unit cells can be stacked with a high degree of alignment. In addition, since a plurality of unit cells are stacked in the direction of gravity, damage to parts (for example, MEA and GDL) can be prevented because a force large enough to deform the separation plate 240 is not applied.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9 (d), the stacked plurality of unit cells 122 and the end plate 110B are pressed as shown in FIG. 9 (e), as shown in FIG. 9 (f). Likewise, when fastening the second enclosure 320 to the first enclosure 310, an appropriate fastening pressure may be applied to the cell stack 122. Therefore, there is no need for a separate fastening member used to fasten the plurality of unit cells 122 together with the end plates 110A and 110B in the first direction to give a constant surface pressure to the cell stack 122. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the fuel cell can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified.

In addition, by making the protrusions made of an insulating material, electrical shorts between the cell stack 122 and the enclosure 300 can be prevented.

The various embodiments described above may be combined with each other as long as they do not depart from the object of the present invention and do not conflict with each other. In addition, among the various embodiments described above, when a component of one embodiment is not described in detail, a description of a component having the same reference number in another embodiment may be applied.

The embodiments have been mainly described above, but this is merely an example, and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains have not been exemplified above in a range that does not depart from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. It will be appreciated that various modifications and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be implemented by modification. And differences related to these modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

100, 100A, 100B: fuel cell 110A, 110B: end plate
112: current collector 122: cell stack
210: membrane electrode assembly 212: polymer electrolyte membrane
214: anode 216: cathode
222, 224: gas diffusion layer 232, 234, 236: gasket
240, 242, 244: separation plate

Claims (18)

A cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction;
End plates disposed on both side ends of the cell stack;
An enclosure disposed around the cell stack disposed between the end plates; And
Each of the adjacent inner surface of the enclosure has a shape protruding toward the cell stack, extending in the first direction, and includes a protrusion disposed on the inner surface spaced from the edge of the inner surface,
Each of the plurality of unit cells of the cell stack includes a receiving groove for receiving the protrusion. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosure
A first enclosure having first and second inner surfaces integrally formed adjacent to each other; And
A second enclosure formed adjacent to each other and integrally formed with the end plate and the first and second inner surfaces and having third and fourth inner surfaces defining a space in which the cell stack is accommodated,
The protruding portions are disposed on adjacent inner surfaces of the first to fourth inner surfaces, respectively. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes first and second openings facing each other in the first direction with the space therebetween,
The end plate is a fuel cell that is fixed to each of the first and second openings of the enclosure. According to claim 1, The height of the protrusion is greater than the depth of the receiving groove,
The material of the protrusion is a fuel cell having insulating properties. The method of claim 2, wherein the unit cell
Membrane electrode assembly;
Gas diffusion layers disposed on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly; And
A separator plate supporting the membrane electrode assembly and the gas diffusion layer, disposed outside each of the gas diffusion layers, and having a plurality of manifolds allowing fluid to flow into and out of the membrane electrode assembly,
The receiving groove is a fuel cell formed opposite to the protrusion in each of the membrane electrode assembly and the separation plate. The method of claim 5, wherein the separation plate
A first side on which the plurality of manifolds are disposed;
A second side adjacent to the first side,
The receiving groove is a fuel cell formed on the outside of each of the first and second sides. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving groove is more disposed on the second side than the first side,
The protruding portion is disposed more on the inner side facing the second side than the inner side facing the first side. The method of claim 6, wherein the first side
A first region in which the manifold is located; And
A second region between the manifolds,
The receiving groove formed in the first side is a fuel cell formed outside the second region. The method of claim 1, wherein the protrusion
A fuel cell inclined based on a direction parallel to the normal of the inner surface of the enclosure. 10. The method of claim 9, The protrusions disposed on each inner surface adjacent to each other
A fuel cell formed by dividing the cabinets between the adjacent inner surfaces evenly, and being inclined in a direction parallel to the boundary surface passing through the borders of the adjacent inner surfaces. The fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising a fastening part for fastening the protrusion and the enclosure. 12. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein the fastening portion has an appearance in the form of a "seven (+)", "T (T)" or "O (O)" letter. A vehicle comprising the fuel cell according to claim 2,
The protrusion is disposed on each of the first to fourth inner surfaces,
A vehicle including a fuel cell inclined in different directions from the first to fourth inner surfaces facing each other. A method for manufacturing the fuel cell according to claim 6,
Mounting a first end plate, which is one of the end plates, on a press jig inclined with respect to a horizontal plane;
Fixing one end of the first enclosure to the first end plate;
Mounting part of the plurality of unit cells in the first direction to the first enclosure;
Attaching the rest of the plurality of unit cells to a guide jig connected to the other end of the first enclosure and having the same shape as the first enclosure;
Mounting a second end plate, which is another one of the end plates, to the last mounted unit cell;
Pressing the second end plate to the other end of the first enclosure in the first direction; And
And coupling the second enclosure to the first enclosure. 15. The method of claim 14, The angle of the press jig inclined relative to the horizontal plane is 30 ° to 60 ° fuel cell manufacturing method. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of mounting the plurality of unit cells
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell in which the plurality of unit cells are mounted one by one. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first angle between the first outer surface and the horizontal surface opposite to the second or third inner surface opposite to the first side of the inner surface of the first enclosure is the inner surface of the first enclosure Among them, a method of manufacturing a fuel cell greater than a second angle between a second outer surface and a horizontal surface opposite to the first or fourth inner surface facing the second side. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first angle is greater than 45 ° and the second angle is less than 45 °.

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