Fuel cell

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0133528, filed on Oct. 25, 2019, which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Embodiments relate to a fuel cell.

In general, in a fuel cell for a vehicle, each of a plurality of unit cells generates electric energy using air supplied to one surface of a polymer electrolyte membrane and hydrogen supplied to the opposite surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane, and supplies the generated electric energy to a vehicle system. In order to clamp a plurality of unit cells, a fuel cell may include a clamping device including an end plate and a clamping bar.

In addition, a unit stack module may include a cell stack, in which a plurality of unit cells is stacked on one another, and a clamping device. This stack module may be provided in a singular number or in a plural number. In the case in which a plurality of stack modules is provided, a fuel cell requires a separate device capable of distributing hydrogen, air, and cooling water. Therefore, a fuel cell including a single stack module is preferred for reduction in production cost and simplification of the structure thereof. In addition, in the case of a vehicle in which packaging of the components is greatly restricted, like a car, a high-performance vehicle, or the like, a fuel cell including a single stack module is further preferred to minimize the height thereof.

Meanwhile, various sealing technologies have been developed to protect a cell stack in a fuel cell from external water, dust, or heat.

Accordingly, embodiments are directed to a fuel cell that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

Embodiments provide a fuel cell having excellent sealing performance.

In one embodiment, a fuel cell may include a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction and an enclosure configured to surround side portions of the cell stack. The enclosure includes at least one opening to expose at least one of opposite end portions of the cell stack therethrough. First and second end plates are respectively disposed at the opposite end portions of the cell stack and a gasket is disposed between a target end plate disposed in the at least one opening in the enclosure, among the first and second end plates, and the enclosure. The gasket is configured to seal the cell stack.

For example, the target end plate may include a body including an inner surface that faces the cell stack and an outer surface that is opposite the inner surface.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a partition wall disposed so as to face at least a portion of the outer surface of the body in the first direction, and the partition wall may seal the cell stack together with the enclosure using the gasket.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a connecting portion connecting the body and the partition wall to each other.

For example, the body and the partition wall may be integrally formed with each other. In this case, the body, the partition wall, and the connecting portion may be integrally formed with each other.

Alternatively, for example, the body and the partition wall may be formed separately from each other. In this case, the connecting portion may be integrally formed with the body, and may be formed separately from the partition wall. Alternatively, the connecting portion may be integrally formed with the partition wall, and may be formed separately from the body.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a clamping member configured to clamp the cell stack together with the first and second end plates.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a coupling screw configured to penetrate the partition wall and the clamping member and to be inserted into the interior of the body.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a cap configured to cover the coupling screw.

For example, the body of the target end plate may include an insert portion having first rigidity and a shell portion having second rigidity lower than the first rigidity and configured to surround the insert portion, the body may include a blind hole into which the coupling screw is fastened, and the blind hole may penetrate the shell portion and may extend to the insert portion.

For example, the insert portion may include a metal material, and the shell portion may include an insulating resin.

For example, the outer surface of the body may include a non-manifold region in which no manifold is disposed and to which the partition wall is coupled, and a manifold region in which a manifold is disposed.

For example, the fuel cell may further include a gasket groove disposed in at least one of the enclosure or the partition wall to accommodate the gasket.

For example, the gasket groove may include a first groove disposed in the target end plate, and the first groove may include at least one of a 1-1 st groove disposed in a portion of the partition wall that is opposite the enclosure in a second direction intersecting the first direction, or a 1-2 nd groove extending from the 1-1 st groove and disposed in a portion of the manifold region of the body that is opposite the enclosure in the second direction.

For example, the gasket groove may include a second groove disposed in the enclosure, and the second groove may include at least one of a 2-1 st groove disposed in a portion of the enclosure that is opposite the partition wall in a second direction intersecting the first direction, or a 2-2 nd groove extending from the 2-1 st groove and disposed in a portion of the enclosure that is opposite the manifold region of the body in the second direction.

For example, the partition wall may include an end portion coupled to the enclosure and a first through-hole through which the coupling screw passes.

For example, the cap may include a cover portion configured to cover the coupling screw and a support portion extending from the cover portion in the first direction to be inserted into the first through-hole.

For example, the clamping member may include a first portion disposed on an upper portion of the cell stack and on an upper portion of the target end plate and a second portion bent and extending from the first portion to the outer surface of the body, and the second portion may include a second through-hole through which the coupling screw passes, the second through-hole being opposite a portion of the first through-hole.

For example, the second portion of the clamping member may be accommodated in the space between the body and the partition wall.

For example, the cap may be formed of rubber or a moisture-permeable material.

Arrangements and embodiments may be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a fuel cell according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an end plate and a cell stack of the fuel cell;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an enclosure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded sectional view showing portion “A” in FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner;

FIG. 6 is a plan view and a front view of the fuel cell according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a fuel cell according to another embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an enclosure according to another embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a plan view and a front view of the fuel cell according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 7 ;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the coupling relationships among a connecting portion, a body, and a partition wall;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell according to a first comparative example; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell according to a second comparative example.

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. The examples, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will more fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” or “under” another element, it may be directly on/under the element, or one or more intervening elements may also be present.

When an element is referred to as being “on” or “under”, “under the element” as well as “on the element” may be included based on the element.

In addition, relational terms, such as “first”, “second”, “on/upper part/above” and “under/lower part/below”, are used only to distinguish between one subject or element and another subject or element, without necessarily requiring or involving any physical or logical relationship or sequence between the subjects or elements.

Hereinafter, a fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The fuel cell 100 A or 100 B will be described using the Cartesian coordinate system (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) for convenience of description. However, other different coordinate systems may be used. In the drawings, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system are perpendicular to each other. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis may intersect each other.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the fuel cell 100 A according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of end plates (pressing plates or compression plates) 110 A and 110 B and a cell stack 122 of the fuel cell 100 A, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an enclosure 300 A according to an embodiment, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 5 is a partially exploded sectional view showing portion “A” in FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 6 is a plan view at the portion labeled (a) and a front view in the portion labeled (b) of the fuel cell 100 A according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .

The fuel cell 100 A may be, for example, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (or a proton exchange membrane fuel cell) (PEMFC), which has been studied most extensively as a power source for driving vehicles. However, the embodiment is not limited to any specific form of the fuel cell.

The fuel cell 100 A may include end plates 110 A and 110 B and a cell stack 122 .

The cell stack 122 may include a plurality of unit cells, which are stacked in a first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction). Referring to FIG. 2 , the cell stack 122 may include a plurality of unit cells 122 - 1 to 122 -N, which are stacked in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction). Here, “N” is a positive integer of 1 or greater, and may range from several tens to several hundreds. “N” may range, for example, from 100 to 300, and may preferably be 220. However, the embodiment is not limited to any specific value of “N”.

Each unit cell 122 - n (where 1≤n≤N) may generate 0.6 volts to 1.0 volts of electricity, on average 0.7 volts of electricity. Thus, “N” may be determined in accordance with the intensity of the power to be supplied from the fuel cell 100 A to a load. Here, “load” may refer to a part of a vehicle that requires power.

Each unit cell 122 - n may include a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 210 , gas diffusion layers (GDLs) 222 and 224 , first to third gaskets 232 , 234 and 236 , and separators (or bipolar plates) 242 and 244 .

The membrane electrode assembly 210 has a structure in which catalyst electrode layers, in which electrochemical reaction occurs, are attached to both sides of an electrolyte membrane through which hydrogen ions move. Specifically, the membrane electrode assembly 210 may include a polymer electrolyte membrane (or a proton exchange membrane) 212 , a fuel electrode (a hydrogen electrode or an anode) 214 , and an air electrode (an oxygen electrode or a cathode) 216 . In addition, the membrane electrode assembly 210 may further include a sub-gasket 238 . The polymer electrolyte membrane 210 is disposed between the fuel electrode 214 and the air electrode 216 . Hydrogen, which is the fuel in the fuel cell 100 A, may be supplied to the fuel electrode 214 through the first separator 242 , and air containing oxygen as an oxidizer may be supplied to the air electrode 216 through the second separator 244 .

The hydrogen supplied to the fuel electrode 214 is decomposed into hydrogen ions (protons) (H+) and electrons (e−) by the catalyst. Only the hydrogen ions may be selectively transferred to the air electrode 216 through the polymer electrolyte membrane 212 , and at the same time, the electrons may be transferred to the air electrode 216 through the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 and the separators 242 and 244 , which are conductors. In order to realize the above operation, a catalyst layer may be applied to each of the fuel electrode 214 and the air electrode 216 . The movement of the electrons described above causes the electrons to flow through an external wire, thus generating current. That is, the fuel cell 100 A may generate power due to the electrochemical reaction between hydrogen, which is the fuel, and oxygen contained in the air.

In some cases, the fuel electrode 214 may be referred to as an anode, and the air electrode 216 may be referred to as a cathode. Alternatively, the fuel electrode 214 may be referred to as a cathode, and the air electrode 216 may be referred to as an anode.

The gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 serve to uniformly distribute hydrogen and oxygen, which are reactant gases, and to transfer the generated electric energy. To this end, the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 may be disposed on respective sides of the membrane electrode assembly 210 . That is, the first gas diffusion layer 222 may be disposed on the left side of the fuel electrode 214 , and the second gas diffusion layer 224 may be disposed on the right side of the air electrode 216 . The first gas diffusion layer 222 may serve to diffuse and uniformly distribute hydrogen, supplied as a reactant gas, through the first separator 242 , and may be electrically conductive. The second gas diffusion layer 224 may serve to diffuse and uniformly distribute air supplied as a reactant gas through the second separator 244 , and may be electrically conductive.

The first to third gaskets 232 , 234 and 236 may serve to maintain the airtightness and clamping pressure of the cell stack at an appropriate level with respect to the reactant gases and the coolant, to disperse the stress when the separators 242 and 244 are stacked, and to independently seal the flow paths. As such, since airtightness and watertightness are maintained by the first to third gaskets 232 , 234 and 236 , the flatness of the surfaces that are adjacent to the cell stack 122 , which generates power, may be secured, and thus surface pressure may be distributed uniformly over the reaction surface of the cell stack 122 .

The separators 242 and 244 may serve to move the reactant gases and the cooling medium and to separate each of the unit cells from the other unit cells. In addition, the separators 242 and 244 may serve to structurally support the membrane electrode assembly 210 and the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 and to collect the generated current and transfer the collected current to the current collectors (not shown).

The current collectors may be disposed between the cell stack 122 and the inner surfaces 110 AI and 110 BI of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B that are opposite the cell stack 122 . The current collectors serve to collect electric energy generated by the flow of electrons in the cell stack 122 and to supply the electric energy to a load of a vehicle that uses the fuel cell 100 A.

The separators 242 and 244 may be disposed outside the gas diffusion layers 222 and 224 , respectively. That is, the first separator 242 may be disposed on the left side of the first gas diffusion layer 222 , and the second separator 244 may be disposed on the right side of the second gas diffusion layer 224 . The first separator 242 serves to supply hydrogen as a reactant gas to the fuel electrode 214 through the first gas diffusion layer 222 . To this end, the first separator 242 may include an anode plate (AP), in which channels (passages or flow paths) through which hydrogen flows are formed. The second separator 244 serves to supply air as a reactant gas to the air electrode 216 through the second gas diffusion layer 224 . To this end, the second separator 244 may include a cathode plate (CP), in which channels through which air containing oxygen flows are formed. In addition, each of the first and second separators 242 and 244 may form channels through which a cooling medium (e.g., coolant) flows. In addition, the separators 242 and 244 may be formed of a graphite-based material, a composite graphite-based material, or a metal-based material. However, the embodiment is not limited to any specific material of the separators 242 and 244 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 , the fuel cell 100 A may further include a first end cell heater 112 A, which is disposed between the cell stack 122 and the first end plate 110 A, and a second end cell heater 112 B, which is disposed between the cell stack 122 and the second end plate 110 B.

Each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 100 B may be disposed at a respective one of both ends of the cell stack 122 , and may support and fix the unit cells. That is, the first end plate 110 A may be disposed at one end of the cell stack 122 , and the second end plate 110 B may be disposed at the opposite end of the cell stack 122 .

The first end plate 110 A may include a plurality of manifolds (or communication portions). For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 , the first end plate 110 A may include a plurality of manifolds IN 11 , IN 12 , OUT 11 and OUT 12 .

Reactant gas required for the membrane electrode assembly 210 may be introduced through the first and second inflow communication portions IN 11 and IN 12 , and gas or liquid to which reactant gas, which is humidified and supplied, and condensate water generated in the cell are added may be discharged outside the fuel cell 100 A through the first and second outflow communication portions OUT 11 and OUT 12 .

In addition, the second end plate 110 B may also include a plurality of manifolds (or communication portions). For example, although not illustrated, the second end plate 110 B may include a plurality of manifolds (or communication portions) IN 13 and OUT 13 . A cooling medium may be introduced into the cell stack 122 from the outside through the third inflow communication portion IN 13 , and the cooling medium may be discharged outside from the inside of the cell stack 122 through the third outflow communication portion OUT 13 . Alternatively, unlike the configuration shown in the drawings, the third inflow communication portion IN 13 may be disposed between the first inflow communication portion IN 11 and the second outflow communication portion OUT 12 in the first end plate 110 A, and the third outflow communication portion OUT 13 may be disposed between the second inflow communication portion IN 12 and the first outflow communication portion OUT 11 in the first end plate 110 A.

According to the embodiment, the fuel cell 100 A may further include an insulating plate 140 . The insulating plate 140 is disposed between the cell stack 122 and the clamping member 130 , and serves to electrically insulate the cell stack 122 and the clamping member 130 from each other.

In addition, the fuel cell 100 A may further include an enclosure 300 A and a fourth gasket 150 .

According to one embodiment, the enclosure 300 A may be a four-sided enclosure that covers the side portions of the cell stack 122 and includes first and second openings OP 1 and OP 2 to expose opposite end portions of the cell stack 122 therethrough. In this case, the first end plate 110 A may be disposed in the first opening OP 1 in the enclosure 300 A, and the second end plate 110 B may be disposed in the second opening OP 2 in the enclosure 300 A.

According to another embodiment, the enclosure 300 A may be a five-sided enclosure that covers the side portions of the cell stack 122 and any one of opposite end portions of the cell stack 122 and includes only any one of the first opening OP 1 and the second opening OP 2 . In this case, one of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may be disposed at one end portion of the cell stack 122 that is opposite one of the openings OP 1 and OP 2 in the enclosure 300 A, and the other one of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may be disposed between the opposite end portion of the cell stack 122 and the enclosure 300 A.

Although it is illustrated in FIG. 3 that the enclosure 300 A is formed in a single piece, the embodiment is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment, the enclosure 300 A may be formed such that at least two bodies are coupled to each other. For example, one of the two bodies of the enclosure 300 A may have a “¬” shape, and the other one of the two bodies may have an “L” shape so as to be coupled to the “¬” shaped body. Alternatively, one of the two bodies of the enclosure 300 A may have a “⊏” shape, and the other one of the two bodies may have a “-” shape so as to be coupled to the “⊏” shaped body.

Hereinafter, among the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, the end plate disposed in the opening in the enclosure 300 A will be referred to as a “target end plate”. That is, when the enclosure 300 A is a four-sided enclosure, each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, which is disposed in a respective one of the first and second openings OP 1 and OP 2 , corresponds to the target end plate. Alternatively, when the enclosure 300 A is a five-sided enclosure, among the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, the end plate disposed in any one of the first and second openings OP 1 and OP 2 corresponds to the target end plate.

Hereinafter, the case in which each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B is a target end plate will be described. However, the following description may also be applied to the case in which only one of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B is a target end plate.

In this case, the fourth gasket 150 is disposed between the enclosure 300 A and the target end plate, and thus the cell stack 122 is sealed so as to be protected from at least one of external water, dust, or heat. For example, the fourth gasket 150 may be disposed between the enclosure 300 A and the first end plate 110 A (e.g., a body BA to be described later) and between the enclosure 300 A and the second end plate 110 B (e.g., a body BB to be described later).

Hereinafter, the configuration of the fuel cell 100 A for sealing the cell stack 122 will be described in detail.

The first end plate 110 A may include a body BA, and the second end plate 110 B may include a body BB. In addition, the fuel cell 100 A according to an embodiment may further include partition walls SWA and SWB. In addition, the fuel cell 100 A according to an embodiment may further include connecting portions CA and CB.

The body BA may include an inner surface 110 AI, which faces the cell stack 122 , and an outer surface 110 AO, which is opposite the inner surface 110 AI. The body BB may include an inner surface 110 BI, which faces the cell stack 122 , and an outer surface 110 BO, which is opposite the inner surface 110 BI.

In addition, each of the bodies BA and BB of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may include an insert portion 114 and a shell portion 116 . The insert portion 114 may have first rigidity, and the shell portion 116 may have second rigidity, which is lower than the first rigidity, and may be formed to cover the insert portion 114 . For example, the insert portion 114 may include a metal material, and the shell portion 116 may include an insulating resin, e.g., plastic. The metallic insert portion 114 of each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may have a high rigidity property to withstand internal surface pressure, and may be implemented by machining a metal material.

Alternatively, only the body BA or BB of the target end plate, among the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, may be formed such that the metallic insert portion 114 is surrounded by the injection-molded plastic 116 . When the metallic insert portion 114 has higher rigidity than the shell portion 114 , a coupling screw 160 may be more securely fastened into the metallic insert portion 114 of the target end plate among the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, which will be described later.

Each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may be formed by combining a plurality of plates.

When the enclosure 300 A is a four-sided enclosure including first and second openings OP 1 and OP 2 , the partition wall SWA may face at least a portion of the outer surface 110 AO of the body BA in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction), the partition wall SWB may face at least a portion of the outer surface 110 BO of the body BB in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction), and the partition walls SWA and SWB may seal the cell stack 122 together with the enclosure 300 A using the fourth gasket 150 . To this end, the fourth gasket 150 may be disposed between the bodies BA and BB and the enclosure 300 A and between the partition walls SWA and SWB and the enclosure 300 A.

When the enclosure 300 A is a five-sided enclosure including only the first opening OP 1 , the first end plate 110 A disposed in the first opening OP 1 corresponds to a target end plate. In this case, the partition wall SWA may face at least a portion of the outer surface 110 AO of the body BA in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction), and the partition wall SWA may seal the cell stack 122 together with the enclosure 300 A using the fourth gasket 150 . To this end, the fourth gasket 150 may be disposed between the body BA and the enclosure 300 A and between the partition wall SWA and the enclosure 300 A.

Alternatively, when the enclosure 300 A is a five-sided enclosure including only the second opening OP 2 , the second end plate 110 B disposed in the second opening OP 2 corresponds to a target end plate. In this case, the partition wall SWB may face at least a portion of the outer surface 110 BO of the body BB in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction), and the partition wall SWB may seal the cell stack 122 together with the enclosure 300 A using the fourth gasket 150 . To this end, the fourth gasket 150 may be disposed between the body BB and the enclosure 300 A and between the partition wall SWB and the enclosure 300 A.

Hereinafter, a fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an enclosure 300 B according to another embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a plan view in the portion labeled (a) and a front view in the portion labeled (b) of the fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 7 .

According to an embodiment, the body BA or BB and the partition wall SWA or SWB may be integrally formed with each other. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 , the body BA (e.g., the shell portion 116 ), the partition wall SWA, and the connecting portion CA may be integrally formed with each other, and the body BB (e.g., the shell portion 116 ), the partition wall SWB, and the connecting portion CB may be integrally formed with each other. In this case, the body BA, the partition wall SWA, and the connecting portion CA may be included as the components of the first end plate 110 A, and the body BB, the partition wall SWB, and the connecting portion CB may be included as the components of the second end plate 110 B.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the coupling relationships among the connecting portion CA, the body BA, and the partition wall SWA. Although not illustrated, the following description of the coupling relationships among the connecting portion CA, the body BA, and the partition wall SWA shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B may also be applied to the coupling relationships among the connecting portion CB, the body BB, and the partition wall SWB.

According to another embodiment, the body BA or BB and the partition wall SWA or SWB may be formed separately from each other, unlike the configuration shown in FIG. 5 .

In one example, the connecting portion CA or CB may be integrally formed with the body BA or BB, and may be formed separately from the partition wall SWA or SWB. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A , the connecting portion CA may be integrally formed with the body BA, and may be formed separately from the partition wall SWA. In this case, the connecting portion CA protruding from the body BA may be coupled to the partition wall SWA.

In another example, the connecting portion CA or CB may be integrally formed with the partition wall SWA or SWB, and may be formed separately from the body BA or BB. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B , the connecting portion CA may be integrally formed with the partition wall SWA, and may be formed separately from the body BA. In this case, the connecting portion CA protruding from the partition wall SWA may be coupled to the body BA.

In still another example, the connecting portion CA or CB may be omitted. In this case, the partition wall SWA or SWB may be directly coupled to the body BA or BB.

The outer surface 110 AO or 110 BO of the body BA or BB may include a “non-manifold region” and a “manifold region”. The “non-manifold region” may be a region of the body BA or BB in which no manifold is disposed, and the “manifold region” may be a region of the body BA or BB in which a manifold is disposed.

The partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the non-manifold region of the body BA or BB, but is not coupled to the manifold region of the body BA or BB. The reason for this is to prevent the partition wall SWA or SWB from obstructing the flow of a fluid through the manifold.

For example, in the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the above-described embodiment, the center region CR may correspond to a non-manifold region, and the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 located outside the center region CR may correspond to a manifold region. Therefore, the partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB, but is not coupled to the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 . However, the manifold may be located at any of various positions in the separators and the end plates. Considering this, in the fuel cell 110 A or 100 B according to the embodiment, the partition wall SWA or SWB may be coupled to any of a non-manifold region of the body BA or BB in which no manifold is disposed. That is, unlike the configuration shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 7 and 9 , when the center region CR of the body BA or BB is a manifold region and the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 are non-manifold regions, the partition wall SWA or SWB may be coupled to the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB.

Therefore, for convenience of description, the case in which the center region CR corresponds to a non-manifold region and the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 correspond to a manifold region will be described below by way of example. However, the following description may also be applied to the case in which the center region CR corresponds to a manifold region and the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 correspond to a non-manifold region.

In addition, in the case of the fuel cell 100 A according to an embodiment, a first top surface BTC 1 (refer to FIG. 5 ) of the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B and a second top surface BTP 1 (refer to FIG. 6 ) of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may have a height difference Δh therebetween. That is, the first top surface BTC 1 may be lower than the second top surface BTP 1 by the height difference Δh on the basis of the ground. Similarly, a first bottom surface BTC 2 of the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B and a second bottom surface BTP 2 (refer to FIG. 6 ) of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may have a height difference Δh therebetween. That is, the first bottom surface BTC 2 may be higher than the second bottom surface BTP 2 by the height difference Δh on the basis of the ground.

In the case of the fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , a first top surface BTC 1 of the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B and a second top surface BTP 1 of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may not have a height difference Δh therebetween. That is, the first top surface BTC 1 and the second top surface BTP 1 may have the same height. Similarly, a first bottom surface BTC 2 of the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B and a second bottom surface BTP 2 of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may not have a height difference Δh therebetween. That is, the first bottom surface BTC 2 and the second bottom surface BTP 2 may have the same height.

In addition, according to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , each of an inner surface of an upper portion (hereinafter referred to as an “upper surface”) 300 U and an inner surface of a lower portion (hereinafter referred to as a “lower surface”) 300 L of the enclosure 300 A included in the fuel cell 100 A may not have a stepped portion in a third direction (e.g., the y-axis direction), which intersects the first direction.

According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , each of the upper surface 300 U and the lower surface 300 L of the enclosure 300 B included in the fuel cell 100 B may have a stepped portion.

That is, a first upper surface 300 U 1 of the enclosure 300 B that is in contact with the partition wall SWA or SWB, which is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB, and a second upper surface 300 U 2 of the enclosure 300 B that is in contact with the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may have a stepped portion (i.e. a height difference Δh) therebetween.

In addition, a first lower surface 300 L 1 of the enclosure 300 B that is in contact with the partition wall SWA or SWB, which is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB, and a second lower surface 300 L 2 of the enclosure 300 B that is in contact with the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may have a stepped portion (i.e. a height difference Δh) therebetween. Since the fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment is the same as the fuel cell 100 A according to one embodiment except for the above-described difference, a duplicate description thereof will be omitted. In the case in which a description of the fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment is omitted, the description of the fuel cell 100 A according to one embodiment may be applied thereto.

In addition, the partition wall SWA or SWB may be manufactured in any of various forms.

According to one embodiment, the body BA or BB (e.g., the shell portion 116 ) and the partition wall SWA or SWB may be integrally formed with each other through a single injection-molding process using insert overmolding and molds.

According to another embodiment, the partition wall SWA or SWB may be physically coupled to the body BA or BB by welding the partition wall SWA or SWB to the body BA or BB through a vibration welding or laser welding method. In this case, a conventional body having no partition wall may be recycled to manufacture a fuel cell including the partition walls SWA and SWB.

As a first example, a method of manufacturing the fuel cell 100 A according to one embodiment, in which the body BA or BB (e.g., the shell portion 116 ) and the partition wall SWA or SWB are not integrally formed but are formed separately from each other, will be described below.

Before the partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the body BA or BB, as described above, the first top surface BTC 1 may be lower than the second top surface BTP 1 by the height difference Δh, and the first bottom surface BTC 2 may be higher than the second bottom surface BTP 2 by the height difference Δh on the basis of the ground. Subsequently, when the partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B, the upper surface HS of the partition wall SWA or SWB that is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB and the second top surface BTP 1 of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may be placed on the same horizontal plane, and the lower surface LS of the partition wall SWA or SWB that is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB and the second bottom surface BTP 2 of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may be placed on the same horizontal plane. That is, the height of the upper surface HS and the height of the second top surface BTP 1 become the same, and the height of the lower surface LS and the height of the second bottom surface BTP 2 become the same. Accordingly, the upper surface HS and the second top surface BTP 1 shown in FIG. 6 may hermetically contact the upper surface 300 U having no uneven portion, i.e. no stepped portion, of the enclosure 300 A shown in FIG. 3 . The lower surface LS and the second bottom surface BTP 2 shown in FIG. 6 may bermetically contact the lower surface 300 L having no uneven portion, i.e. no stepped portion, of the enclosure 300 A shown in FIG. 3 .

As a second example, a method of manufacturing the fuel cell 100 B according to another embodiment, in which the body BA or BB and the partition wall SWA or SWB are formed separately from each other, will be described below.

Before the partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the body BA or BB, as described above, the first top surface BTC 1 and the second top surface BTP 1 may have the same height, and the first bottom surface BTC 2 and the second bottom surface BTP 2 may have the same height. Subsequently, when the partition wall SWA or SWB is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB of the first or second end plate 110 A or 110 B, the upper surface HS of the partition wall SWA or SWB that is coupled to the center region CR of the body BA or BB and the second top surface BTP 1 of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of the body BA or BB may have a height difference Δh. That is, the upper surface HS may be higher than the second top surface BTP 1 by the height difference Δh, and the lower surface LS may be lower than the second bottom surface BTC 2 by the height difference Δh on the basis of the ground. However, since the first and second upper surfaces 300 U 1 and 300 U 2 of the enclosure 300 B have a height difference Δh corresponding to the height difference Δh between the upper surface HS and the second top surface BTP 1 , the upper surface HS and the second top surface BTP 1 may hermetically contact the upper surface 300 U having an uneven portion, i.e. a stepped portion, of the enclosure 300 B. In addition, since the first and second lower surfaces 300 L 1 and 300 L 2 of the enclosure 300 B have a height difference Δh corresponding to the height difference Δh between the lower surface LS and the second bottom surface BTP 2 , the lower surface LS and the second bottom surface BTP 2 may bermetically contact the lower surface 300 L having an uneven portion, i.e. a stepped portion, of the enclosure 300 B.

The fuel cell 100 A according to the embodiment may further include a coupling screw 160 . The coupling screw 160 may penetrate each of the partition walls SWA and SWB and the clamping member 130 and may be inserted into and fixed to the interior of each of the bodies BA and BB. To this end, each of the bodies BA and BB may include a blind hole BH formed therein. The coupling screw 160 may be fastened into the blind hole BH. The blind hole BH may penetrate the shell portion 116 and may extend to the insert portion 114 . Each of the partition walls SWA and SWB may include a first through-hole TH 1 through which the coupling screw 160 passes.

If the bodies BA and BB are formed of plastic in order to electrically insulate the enclosure 300 A from the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, or if the blind hole BH, into which the coupling screw 160 is fastened, is formed only in the shell portion 116 , rather than extending to the insert portion 114 of each of the bodies BA and BB, the coupling force between the coupling screw 160 and each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may be reduced.

However, according to the embodiment, the blind hole BH, into which the coupling screw 160 is fastened, extends to the metallic insert portion 114 , thereby increasing the coupling force between the coupling screw 160 and each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B.

In addition, the fuel cell 100 A may further include a cap 170 . Referring to FIG. 6 , the cap 170 may be disposed so as to cover the coupling screw 160 . Therefore, the coupling screw 160 is covered with the cap 170 and thus is not seen from the outside. However, in order to help understand the embodiment, the first through-hole TH 1 is indicated by a solid line in FIGS. 6 and 9 , and an illustration of the coupling screw 160 is omitted from FIGS. 6 and 9 . As such, when the cap 170 is disposed so as to cover the coupling screw 160 , the cap 170 may prevent external foreign substances from being introduced into the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B through a gap between the coupling screw 160 and each of the partition walls SWA and SWB, thereby further improving the sealing structure.

According to the embodiment, the cap 170 may include a support portion 172 and a cover portion 174 . The cover portion 174 serves to cover the coupling screw 160 . The support portion 172 may extend from the cover portion 174 in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction), and may be inserted into the first through-hole TH 1 .

According to the embodiment, the cap 170 may be formed of rubber or a moisture-permeable material. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the cap 170 may be formed of EPDM, VQM, fluorine-based rubber, or the like.

Alternatively, the cap 170 may be formed of a moisture-permeable material such as Gore-Tex. In this case, moisture in the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B is discharged to the outside, whereas external moisture is prevented from being introduced into the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B, thereby maximizing the ventilation effect.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , the front side of the cap 170 may have an elliptical shape, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, according to another embodiment, the front side of the cap 170 may have a circular shape or a polygonal shape.

Since the enclosure 300 A or 300 B needs to be coupled to the upper surface HS and the lower surface LS of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 , the center region CR of the enclosure 300 A or 300 B may be formed to protrude in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) when viewed in plan, which will be described later.

According to the embodiment, the fuel cell 100 A may further include a gasket groove. The gasket groove is disposed in at least one of the enclosure 300 A or the partition walls SWA and SWB, and serves to accommodate the fourth gasket 150 .

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , a gasket groove (hereinafter referred to as a “first groove”) GH 1 , which is disposed in each of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B, may include at least one of a 1-1 st groove GH 11 or 1-2 nd grooves GH 121 and GH 122 . The 1-1 st groove GH 11 may be disposed in a portion of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB that is opposite the enclosure 300 A in a second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), which intersects the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) and the third direction (e.g., the y-axis direction). The 1-2 nd grooves GH 121 and GH 122 may extend from the 1-1 st groove GH 11 , and may be disposed in portions of the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of each of the bodies BA and BB that are opposite the enclosure 300 A in the second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction). For example, each of the partition walls SWA and SWB may include an end portion EP. The first groove GH 1 may be disposed in the end portion EP of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB, and may provide a space for accommodating the fourth gasket 150 , whereby the cell stack 122 may be sealed by the enclosure 300 A and the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , a gasket groove (hereinafter referred to as a “second groove”) GH 2 , which is disposed in the enclosure 300 A, may include at least one of a 2-1 st groove GH 21 or 2-2 nd grooves GH 221 and GH 222 . The 2-1 st groove GH 21 may be disposed in a portion of the enclosure 300 A that is opposite each of the partition walls SWA and SWB of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B in the second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), which intersects the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) and the third direction (e.g., the y-axis direction). The 2-2 nd grooves GH 221 and GH 222 may extend from the 2-1 st groove GH 21 , and may be disposed in portions of the enclosure 300 A that are opposite the peripheral regions PR 1 and PR 2 of each of the bodies BA and BB in the second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction).

As described above, according to the embodiment, the fuel cell 100 A may include only the first groove GH 1 , may include only the second groove GH 2 , or may include both the first groove GH 1 and the second groove GH 2 .

In order to help understand the embodiment, the portion in which the first groove GH 1 or the second groove GH 2 is formed is indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 6 .

In the case in which the fuel cell 100 A includes both the first groove GH 1 and the second groove GH 2 , the depth d 1 of the first groove GH 1 may be greater than or less than the depth d 2 of the second groove GH 2 .

In the case in which the fuel cell 100 A includes only the first groove GH 1 but does not include the second groove GH 2 , the fourth gasket 150 may be attached so as to protrude toward the upper surface 300 U of the enclosure 300 A and may be accommodated in the first groove GH 1 . Alternatively, in the case in which the fuel cell 100 A includes only the second groove GH 2 but does not include the first groove GH 1 , the fourth gasket 150 may be attached so as to protrude toward the upper surface HS of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB and may be accommodated in the second groove GH 2 .

Similar to the configuration in which the fourth gasket 150 is disposed in the first and second grooves GH 1 and GH 2 formed in at least one of the upper surface 300 U of the enclosure 300 A or the upper surface HS of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB, a fifth gasket (not shown) may be disposed in a hole formed in at least one of the lower surface 300 L of the enclosure 300 A or the lower surface LS of each of the partition walls SWA and SWB.

As a result, in the fuel cell 100 A according to the embodiment, the fourth gasket 150 , which is disposed in at least one of the first groove GH 1 or the second groove GH 2 , blocks the gap between the enclosure 300 A and each of the end plates 110 A and 110 B, thereby forming a continuous sealing line (e.g., a watertight line).

The fuel cell 100 A or 100 B may further include a clamping member 130 . The clamping member 130 serves to clamp a plurality of unit cells in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) together with the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the clamping member 130 and the enclosure 300 A may be spaced apart from each other. This is for electrically insulating the clamping member 130 and the enclosure 300 A from each other. For example, the upper surface of the clamping member 130 and the upper surface 300 H of the enclosure 300 A may be spaced a predetermined distance SD apart from each other.

For example, as indicated by a dotted line in FIGS. 6 and 9 , the clamping member 130 may have a bar shape, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, according to another embodiment, the clamping member 130 may be formed in a long bolt shape, a belt shape, or a rigid rope shape to clamp the unit cells. When the clamping member 130 is formed in a bar shape, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , it is possible to reduce the height of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B in the second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), which intersects the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) and the third direction (e.g., the y-axis direction), compared to when the clamping member 130 is formed in a long bolt shape.

An example of fastening the clamping member 130 to the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B will now be described.

The first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B may be disposed on the respective ends of the cell stack 122 , in which a plurality of unit cells is repeatedly stacked. This assembly may be placed in clamping equipment, and an appropriate load may be applied thereto. In this state, the cell stack 122 may be clamped to the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B using the clamping member 130 .

The clamping member 130 may include first and second portions P 1 and P 2 . The first portion P 1 may be disposed on an upper portion of the cell stack 122 and on upper portions of the bodies BA and BB of the target end plates, e.g., the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B. The second portion P 2 may be bent and extend from the first portion P 1 to the outer surfaces 110 AO and 110 BO of the bodies BA and BB. In this case, the second portion P 2 of the clamping member 130 may be accommodated in space between the outer surfaces 110 AO and 110 BO of the bodies BA and BB and the partition walls SWA and SWB.

In addition, according to the embodiment, the second portion P 2 may include a second through-hole TH 2 . The second through-hole TH 2 may be formed so as to allow the coupling screw 160 to pass therethrough, and may be disposed so as to be opposite a portion of the first through-hole TH 1 . As such, since the coupling screw 160 passes through both the first and second through-holes TH 1 and TH 2 , which are opposite each other, the fixing force of the coupling screw 160 may further increase.

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

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell according to a first comparative example, which includes first and second stack modules stacked in the second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction), an enclosure 302 , a manifold block 510 , and a side cover 520 .

The first stack module shown in FIG. 11 includes a cell stack CS 1 , first and second end plates EP 11 and EP 12 , and clamping members 132 and 134 , and the second stack module includes a cell stack CS 2 , first and second end plates EP 21 and EP 22 , and clamping members 136 and 138 . The cell stacks CS 1 and CS 2 , the clamping members 132 , 134 , 136 and 138 , the first end plates EEP 11 and EP 21 , the second end plates EP 12 and EP 22 , and the enclosure 302 perform the same functions as the cell stack 122 , the clamping member 130 , the first end plate 110 A, the second end plate 110 B, and the enclosure 300 A or 300 B of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment, respectively.

Hydrogen and air may be supplied to the cell stacks CS 1 and CS 2 through the manifold block 510 shown in FIG. 11 , and coolant may be supplied to the cell stacks CS 1 and CS 2 through the side cover 520 . In addition, in the case of the fuel cell according to the first comparative example shown in FIG. 11 , high-voltage wiring for series connection (or parallel connection) may be further provided.

Referring to FIG. 11 , a watertight line 600 is formed between the manifold block 510 and the enclosure 302 and between the side cover 520 and the enclosure 302 . In order to form the watertight line 600 , a space having a size of about 100 mm or more, which corresponds to the sum of the first thickness L 1 of the manifold block 510 and the second thickness L 2 of the side cover 520 , may be required unnecessarily.

In addition, in the fuel cell shown in FIG. 11 , a dead space may be eliminated by disposing the U-shaped clamping members 132 to 136 on the cell stacks CS 1 and CS 2 , but it may be difficult to secure a watertight structure when a coupling bolt is fastened thereinto.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell according to a second comparative example, which includes a single stack module, an enclosure 302 , and side covers 530 and 540 .

The stack module shown in FIG. 12 includes a cell stack CS, first and second end plates EP 1 and EP 2 , and clamping members 133 and 135 . The cell stack CS, the clamping members 133 and 135 , the first end plate EP 1 , the second end plate EP 2 , and the enclosure 302 perform the same functions as the cell stack 122 , the clamping member 130 , the first end plate 110 A, the second end plate 110 B, and the enclosure 300 A or 300 B of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment, respectively.

In order to minimize the additional space required for installing the fuel cell in a vehicle, the fuel cell having the configuration shown in FIG. 12 may be used instead of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 11 . In this case, the number of parts constituting the fuel cell may be reduced. However, the fuel cell according to the second comparative example shown in FIG. 12 requires separate side covers 530 and 540 to seal the fuel cell. When the separate side covers 530 and 540 are provided, a space having a size of about 100 mm or more, which corresponds to the sum of the distance L 3 between the side cover 530 and the clamping members 133 and 135 and the distance L 4 between the side cover 540 and clamping members 133 and 135 , may be required unnecessarily.

Unlike the first and second comparative examples described above, the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment includes the partition walls SWA and SWB, the connecting portions CA and CB, and the cap 170 in order to seal the cell stack 122 . In this case, the length of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B may be increased by the first length D 1 in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) by the partition wall SWA or SWB and the connecting portion CA or CB, and may be further increased by the thickness D 2 of the cover portion 174 of the cap 170 in the first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction). That is, the length of each end of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B is increased by the sum of D 1 and D 2 due to a respective one of the first and second end plates 110 A and 110 B and the cap 170 . For example, when D 1 is about 10 mm and D 2 is 6 mm to 8 mm, the total increase in the length of the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B is 32 mm to 36 mm. Thus, it can be seen that the fuel cell according to the embodiment has a smaller length in the first direction than the fuel cells according to the first and second comparative examples. That is, since the partition walls SWA and SWB, which are integrally formed with the bodies BA and BB of the end plates 110 A and 110 B and extend from the bodies BA and BB, or the partition walls SWA and SWB, which are formed separately from the bodies BA and BB and are coupled to the bodies BA and BB, are coupled to the enclosure 300 A or 300 B, the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment does not require separate side covers (refer to 530 and 540 in FIG. 12 ), and thus the length of the fuel cell in the first direction may be reduced.

When the gasket grooves GH 1 and GH 2 are formed in the clamping member 130 , a leak point, at which the sealing is deteriorated, may be generated. However, in the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment, the gasket grooves GH 1 and GH 2 are formed in at least one of the partition walls SWA and SWB, the bodies BA and BB, or the enclosure 300 A or 300 B, and the space between the enclosure 300 A or 300 B and the end plates 110 A and 110 B may be sealed without a leak point by the fourth gasket 150 , as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , thereby exhibiting excellent sealing performance.

In addition, the fuel cell 100 A or 100 B according to the embodiment may further maximize the sealing effect thereof using the cap 170 .

As is apparent from the above description, a fuel cell according to the embodiment may have a reduced length in the direction in which a plurality of cells is stacked, and may have excellent sealing performance.

The above-described various embodiments may be combined with each other without departing from the object of the present disclosure unless they are contrary to each other. In addition, for any element that is not described in detail of any of the various embodiments, reference may be made to the description of an element having the same reference numeral in another embodiment.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, these embodiments are only proposed for illustrative purposes and do not restrict the present disclosure, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments set forth herein. For example, respective configurations set forth in the embodiments may be modified and applied. Further, differences in such modifications and applications should be construed as falling within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.