Reinz-dichtungs Gmbh

Dana Canada Corporation

Joachim Scherer

Bernd Gaugler

Claudia Kunz

Raimund Stroebel

Thomas Stoehr

Rainer Glueck

Christian Schleier

Raimund Ströbel

Doug Vanderwees

Michael Bardeleben

Lothar Quick

Bernadette Gruenwald

Dieter Grafl

Andre Speidel

Kurt Hohe

Johann Waldvogel

Ludwig Jörissen

Werner Buntz

Albrecht Sailer

Dominique Tasch

Horst Gehring

Stefan Sommer

Rainer Gluck

Manfred Bruehl

Bernadette Grünwald

Bernadette Grunwald

Rainer GLÜCK

A separator plate for an electrochemical system is described. The separator plate may be used with a bipolar plate and for an electrochemical system comprising a plurality of bipolar plates. The separator plate may have a flow field and guiding structures for guiding a medium through the flow field. The guiding structures of the flow field have a mean height hdetermined perpendicularly to the planar surface plane of the plate. The separator plate may also have a contiguous, lowered transition region where medium flowing from a channel into the flow field, or from the flow field into the channel, flows through the transition region, wherein the transition region has a maximum height hdetermined perpendicularly to the planar surface plane of the plate, where applies: h&#x2264;0.95&#xb7;h.

Separator plate for an electrochemical system

An integrated gas management device (GMD) for a fuel cell has a gas-to-gas humidifier for transferring water from a second gas to a first gas; and a heat exchanger attached to a first end of the humidifier core for cooling the first gas. The GMD may optionally have a thermal isolation plate between the heat exchanger and the first end of the humidifier core. The GMD further has a bypass line to allow the first gas to bypass the humidifier. The first gas may be cathode charge air and the second gas may be cathode exhaust.

Integrated gas management device for a fuel cell system

A separator plate for an electrochemical system is described. The separator plate may have a first individual plate and a second individual plate which is connected to the first individual plate. The first individual plate may have two first channels for leading media, the first channels running next to one another, being shaped in the first individual plate and being separated from one another at least in sections by a web which is formed between the first channels. The second individual plate may have a second channel which is for leading media and is shaped in the second individual plate. The web which is formed between the first channels and the second channel which is shaped in the second individual plate are designed and arranged in a manner such that a projection of the second channel onto the first individual plate perpendicularly to the planar surface plane of the first individual plate crosses the web along a crossing region of the web.

An electrochemical system has at least one endplate, a terminal bipolar plate as well as a sealing device arranged between the endplate and the terminal bipolar plate. The materials of the terminal bipolar plate and the endplate have different coefficients of thermal expansion and with the sealing device being designed in such a way that during temperature changes, the sealing function is also given by a sliding of the endplate and/or the terminal bipolar plate along the sealing device.

Electrochemical system

An electrochemical system is described having an end plate, a stack cover plate adjacent to the end plate and at least one metallic electrical conductor. The stack cover plate has an electrically conductive contacting plate adjacent to the end plate and an electrically conductive separator plate half facing away from the end plate. The contacting plate and the separator plate half are connected to each other electrically and media-tight. The metallic electrical conductor extends to an outside of the electrochemical system. The metallic electrical conductor and the contacting plate are in one piece or the metallic electrical conductor contacts the contacting plate directly. The contacting plate and the separator plate half are bonded to each other.

Electrochemical system for a fuel cell system with an embossed contacting plate

The application relates to a water transfer compound, preferably for use for the humidification of process gases for fuel cells, comprising:&#x2014;a water-permeable and essentially gas-impermeable water transfer layer as well as&#x2014;at least one thermoplastic protection layer which is water- and gas-permeable at least in sections, where&#x2014;the water transfer layer and the thermoplastic protection layer overlap each other at least in sections and comprise a first and a second overlapping area, where&#x2014;the water transfer layer in the first overlapping area is accessible for humid gases through the thermoplastic protection layer and the water transfer compound is thermocompressed in the second overlapping area so that the water transfer layer in the second overlapping area is not accessible for humid gases through the compressed thermoplastic protection layer.

Method for the production of a water transfer compound

An integrated gas management device (GMD) for a fuel cell comprises a gas-to-gas humidifier for transferring water from a second gas to a first gas; a heat exchanger attached to a first end of the humidifier core for cooling the first gas; and/or a water separator attached to a second end of the humidifier core for removing liquid water from the second gas. The GMD may optionally comprise a thermal isolation plate between the heat exchanger and the first end of the humidifier core. The GMD further comprises a bypass line to allow the first gas to bypass the humidifier. The first gas may comprise cathode charge air and the second gas may comprise cathode exhaust.

The present invention relates to a bipolar plate () for electrochemical systems which contains a first plate () with a first flowfield () for media distribution as well as a second plate () with a second flowfield () for media distribution. This first plate in the region of the first flow field at least in regions comprises a plane surface section () from which discrete projections () distanced to one another project arranged in a distributed manner. Furthermore a method for manufacturing this bipolar plate is suggested as well as an electrochemical system which contains this bipolar plate. According to the invention it is possible in an inexpensive manner to manufacture a bipolar plate which permits the construction of fuel cells functioning with a low peripheral consumption (pumps, compressors) and which are safer with regard to their operation.

Bipolar plate and its use, as well as a method for its manufacture and an electrochemical system containing the bipolar plate

The present invention relates to a contact plate for fuel cells with a coherent active area () on at least one side of the contact plate, wherein the active area () consists of a contact surface () which over the whole surface comprises a coating () of an electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant material, and of recesses () so that the recesses () form a channel structure, wherein the coating () furthermore at least in the bottom regions () of the recesses () is omitted. The invention further relates to a corresponding fuel cell or to a fuel cell stack with at least one such contact plate as well as to various methods for manufacturing such contact plates which may serve as bipolar plates as well as monopolar plates or end plates. With the contact plate according to the invention, one achieves an optimally reduced contact resistance with a minimal material expense for the coating ().

Contact plate for fuel cells

The present invention relates to a fuel cell arrangement, containing at least one bipolar plate layer () and an bonding partner&#x2014;preferably an membrane electrode assembly (MEA) (), wherein the bonding partner is bonded onto the bipolar plate layer () with a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a physically bonding adhesive, which are located on a three-dimensional sealing structure of the bipolar plate layer and/or edge region of the bipolar plate layer adjacent thereon.

Fuel cell arrangement and method of manufacturing a fuel cell arrangement

The invention deals with an electrochemical system for compressing gases and/or for producing gases by electrolysis, consisting of an electrochemical compressor stack () having layering of several electrochemical cells, which are separated from one another in each case by bipolar plates ('), wherein the bipolar plates have openings for media supply and media discharge () for the electrochemical cells and the electrochemical cell stack can be placed under mechanical compressive strain in direction () of the layering. The bead arrangements (&#x2032;) are resilient and are provided at least in some regions to seal the openings () and/or an electrochemically active region () of the electrochemical cells.

Electrochemical system with fluid passage integrated within a sealing bead

The present invention relates to a bipolar plate for fuel cells, comprising at least a shaped, at least partially electrically conductive foil (), the bipolar plate having a channel structure () formed by the shaping of the foil (), to convey reactants to electrodes of adjacent fuel cells and to carry away reaction products, and a microstructure () is integrated into the foil () to increase the rigidity of the foil (). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing corresponding bipolar plates.

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Ulm, Germany

Joachim Scherer