Elringklinger Ag

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Peter Schenk

Armin Diez

Hans-Rainer Zerfass

Wolfgang Fritz

Tobias Michael Gruhler

Joachim Tachtler

Peter Lamp

Ulrich Werz

Thomas Anhorn

Matthias Baur

Manfred Wier

Frank Schmucker

Reinhold Buck

Willi Brodbeck

Victor Winkovic

Jörg Heller

Hans-Rainer Zerfaß

Hans-Peter Werner

Simon Oberhauser

In order to provide a sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, which are arranged consecutively in a stacking direction, wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing with at least one housing part made of a metallic material, which also has an adequate electrical insulation effect and an adequate mechanical strength at a high operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, it is proposed that the sealing assembly comprises at least one intermediate element made of a metallic material, wherein the intermediate element is soldered to a housing part of a first fuel cell unit at at least one location by means of a metal solder and is secured to a housing part of a second fuel cell unit at at least another location, wherein the intermediate element and/or the housing part of the first fuel cell unit is provided with a coating made of a ceramic material.

Sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack having a coated metallic sheet intermediate element

In a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell units, which are arranged consecutively in a stacking direction, wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing with at least one housing part made of a metallic material, which has an adequate electrical insulation effect and an adequate mechanical strength at a high operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, a sealing assembly is provided and comprises at least one intermediate element made of a metallic material, wherein the intermediate element is soldered to a housing part of a first fuel cell unit at at least one location by a metal solder and is secured to a housing part of a second fuel cell unit at at least another location, wherein the intermediate element and/or the housing part of the first fuel cell unit is provided with a coating made of a ceramic material.

Sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack

Flat gasket comprising a first sheet metal layer consisting of a spring steel and a second sheet metal layer consisting of a ductile steel, the first layer being provided with a sealing bead, and the second layer being provided in an edge area bordering on an edge of the layer with a thickened zone as supporting element for receiving pressing forces; to increase the design possibilities for such a supporting element, the latter is formed by at least one elongate arch of the second layer, which is stamped into the edge area of the second layer and extends approximately parallel to the free edge of the edge area, the arch being compressed in such a way that the metal volume of the supporting element is at least three times the total hollow space volume which the supporting element and two tangential planes abutting on the latter and extending parallel to the plane of the second layer include between them.

Method of manufacturing a flat gasket

In order to achieve good sealing in both a cold and a warm engine by sealing features which are as simple as possible, an at least substantially metallic cylinder head gasket comprises a gasket plate with only one layer of sheet steel extending over the entire gasket plate, and around each combustion chamber opening of the gasket plate, a combustion chamber sealing element forming on at least one side of the gasket an elevation with a gasket sealing surface surrounding the combustion chamber opening in a closed manner for being pressed against an engine component sealing surface. The height profile of the gasket sealing surface corresponds prior to installation of the gasket to the topography of the sealing gap to be sealed off by the gasket when the gasket is installed, and the elevation has a metallic main body whose material is selected and whose cross section is designed such that the main body will not be deformable in its height under the maximum load occurring when the cylinder head gasket is installed and the engine is operating. At least one sealing bead is provided in the gasket plate, which surrounds at least one fluid opening of the gasket in a closed manner and is elastically deformable in its height.

Cylinder head gasket

In order to provide a high temperature resistant adhesive based on water glass which is particularly suited for sticking metal substrates and which remains gas-tight and does not lose its electrical insulating properties even at high operational temperatures, it is proposed that the adhesive should comprise an additive in the form of boron nitride.

High temperature stable adhesive

In a process for manufacturing metal sheet gaskets coated with elastomer, as are often used as cylinder head gaskets or as compressor gaskets in refrigerant circuits, it is proposed that the elastomeric coating be applied to the individual metal sheet in a spray coating process in order to be able to carry out the coating with elastomer in a more cost-efficient manner.

Process for manufacturing metal sheet gaskets coated with elastomer

Cylinder head gasket comprising a gasket plate which has at least one metal layer with elastic properties and in which a through opening is formed which is surrounded by a bead-like embossment formed in this metal layer, wherein the bead-like embossment forms an approximately linear, self-contained sealing zone with increased sealing surface pressure when the gasket is fitted and the metal layer is provided with a first coating consisting of a plastic material which has elastic properties on its side forming this sealing zone at least in the area of this sealing zone as well as to both sides of the latter; to improve the sealing capacity of the cylinder head gasket around the said through opening, the metal layer is coated on its side provided with the first coating with a sealing bead closed upon itself, likewise surrounding the through opening and consisting of a plastic material, this bead being arranged on the side of the sealing zone facing away from the through opening as well as at a radial distance from the sealing zone in relation to the through opening, wherein the ridge of the sealing bead is at a greater distance from the metal layer supporting it than the upper side of the first coating.

Flat gasket, in particular, cylinder head gasket with a gasket plate which has at least one aperture and at least one sheet-metal layer which is provided with a bead surrounding the aperture, as well as with a stopper device preventing any excessive bead deformation; so that the sheet-metal layer does not tear even during dynamic pressure loads on the bead in the bead area which accompany a considerable flattening of the bead, the recess formed by the bead is filled over at least a considerable part of its depth with an elastomeric material which has appreciable flow properties under pressure even at ambient temperature (21&deg; C.), i.e. is plastically deformable to a not inconsiderable extent.

Growing community of inventors

Hohenstein, Germany

Peter Schenk