An electrode assembly for a flow battery is disclosed comprising a porous electrode material, a frame surrounding the porous electrode material, at least a distributor tube embedded in the porous electrode material having an inlet for supplying electrolyte to the porous electrode material and at least another distributor tube embedded in the porous electrode material having an outlet for discharging electrolyte out of the porous material. The walls of the distributor tubes are preferably provided with holes or pores for allowing a uniform distribution of the electrolyte within the electrode material. The distributor tubes provide the required electrolyte flow path length within the electrode material to minimize shunt current flowing between the flow cells in the battery stack.

A fuel cell arrangement with a membrane electrode assembly is provided which comprises a cathode, an anode and a membrane arranged between the cathode and the anode, with an active area essentially predetermined by the membrane electrode assembly, and with a sealing structure laterally assigned to the membrane electrode assembly. The sealing structure comprises a sealing tongue extending into or over an edge region outside the active area for axially covering in a gas-tight manner a media channel formed in an adjacent bipolar plate and located in the edge region. A unit cell for a fuel cell stack with such a fuel cell arrangement is also provided.

A fuel cell arrangement with a membrane electrode assembly is provided which comprises a cathode, an anode and a membrane arranged between the cathode and the anode, with an active area essentially predetermined by the membrane electrode assembly, and with a sealing structure laterally assigned to the membrane electrode assembly. The sealing structure comprises a sealing tongue extending into or over an edge region outside the active area for axially covering in a gas-tight manner a media channel formed in an adjacent bipolar plate and located in the edge region. A unit cell for a fuel cell stack with such a fuel cell arrangement is also provided.

A separator is stacked on each of both surfaces of a membrane electrode assembly to form a fuel cell. This separator includes a base part extending in the form of a surface, and a bead continuous with the base part and protruding from the base part in a stacking direction. The bead includes, in plan view, a straight section extending straight and a curved section continuous with the straight section and curved from the straight section. In the separator, the height from the base part to a top part of the curved section is configured to be lower than the height from the base part to a top part of the straight section.

A separator is stacked on each of both surfaces of a membrane electrode assembly to form a fuel cell. This separator includes a base part extending in the form of a surface, and a bead continuous with the base part and protruding from the base part in a stacking direction. The bead includes, in plan view, a straight section extending straight and a curved section continuous with the straight section and curved from the straight section. In the separator, the height from the base part to a top part of the curved section is configured to be lower than the height from the base part to a top part of the straight section.

Embodiments provide a bipolar plate for a battery, which can enhance battery efficiency by reducing a contact resistance in contact with an electrode, and a redox flow battery having the same are provided. According to at least one embodiment, there is provided a bipolar plate including a thermoplastic portion formed on at least a part thereof to be brought into contact with an electrode and having conductivity, wherein the thermoplastic portion having the conductivity is morphologically matched with the electrode.

A redox flow battery and battery system are provided. In one example, the redox flow battery includes a cell stack assembly interposed by two endplates and comprising a plurality of mated membrane frame plates and bipolar frame plates forming, at a mated interface, a plurality of negative and positive flow channels configured to distribute negative and positive electrolyte into a plurality of bipolar plates. In the battery a membrane is coupled to each of the plurality of membrane frame plates and positioned sequentially between two of the bipolar plates included in the plurality of bipolar plates.

A manufacturing method for a fuel cell includes the steps of: (a) preparing a stack and separators in a pair arranged in such a manner as to hold the stack therebetween; (b) forming a separator-bonded stack by bonding the separators in a pair and a sealing part to each other; and (c) warping a membrane electrode assembly with the bonded sealing part in a gap by reducing the temperature of the separator-bonded stack to cause thermal shrinkage of the separators in a pair, thereby moving the sealing part with the bonded separators in a pair inward.

A manufacturing method for a fuel cell includes the steps of: (a) preparing a stack and separators in a pair arranged in such a manner as to hold the stack therebetween; (b) forming a separator-bonded stack by bonding the separators in a pair and a sealing part to each other; and (c) warping a membrane electrode assembly with the bonded sealing part in a gap by reducing the temperature of the separator-bonded stack to cause thermal shrinkage of the separators in a pair, thereby moving the sealing part with the bonded separators in a pair inward.

The invention relates to a method for the media-tight connection of two plate-shaped components (1, 2), in particular two monopolar plates for the production of a bipolar plate, comprising the steps of: placing the first component (1) on a surface of a clamping device, placing the second component (2) on the first component (1), closing the clamping device, setting a first weld seam (3) on the second component (2), wherein a welding depth (t) is selected that is less than a material thickness (s) of the second component (2), with the result that a bend (5) is formed along the first weld seam (3) owing to the welding distortion, via which bend the second component (2) comes into linear contact with the first component (1), setting a connecting weld seam (4) on the first weld seam (3), with the result that the two components (1, 2) are welded to one another along the bend (5).