GDL CUTTING SYSTEM OF FUEL CELL AND CUTTING METHOD

Abstract

A GDL cutting system of a fuel cell includes: a laser-cutting device that forms a gas diffusion layer by radiating a laser on the surface of a GDL fabric panel moving on a conveyer; an adsorbing-conveying device that adsorbs and conveys at least two gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; a first vision sensor that senses an upper side of the gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; and a second vision sensor that senses a lower side of the gas diffusion layers adsorbed and conveyed by the adsorbing-conveying device.

Claims

1. A gas diffusion layer (GDL) cutting system for a fuel cell, comprising: a laser-cutting device that forms a gas diffusion layer by radiating a laser on the surface of a GDL fabric panel moving on a conveyer; an adsorbing-conveying device that adsorbs and conveys at least two gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; a first vision sensor that senses an upper side of the gas diffusion layers cut by the laser-cutting device; and a second vision sensor that senses a lower side of the gas diffusion layers adsorbed and conveyed by the adsorbing-conveying device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a scrap basket disposed at an exit of the conveyer and collecting scraps of the gas diffusion layers separated from the GDL fabric panel.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller that determines whether the cut gas diffusion layers are normal or abnormal according to image signals transmitted from at least one of the first vision sensor and the second vision sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising: a normal product magazine into which normal products of the gas diffusion layers are loaded; a poor product magazine into which abnormal products of the gas diffusion layers are loaded; and a stationery magazine into which stationery to be inserted between the gas diffusion layers is loaded.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein: the adsorbing-conveying device moves a predetermined distance with the GDL fabric panel at the same speed on the conveyer with an adsorbing surface of the adsorbing-conveying device in contact with the upper surfaces of the gas diffusion layers, and the adsorbing-conveying device separates the cut gas diffusion layers from the GDL fabric panel by moving up.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a fabric panel unwinder on which the GDL fabric panel is rolled and that is disposed ahead of the conveyer; a feeding device that continuously supplies the GDL fabric panel rolled on the fabric panel unwinder to an inlet of the conveyer by pulling the GDL fabric panel; and a fabric panel-connecting device disposed between the fabric panel unwinder and the feeding device and connecting a new GDL fabric panel to a previous GDL fabric panel.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein: the fabric panel-connecting device further includes: a first holder disposed to hold the rear end of the previous GDL fabric panel; a second holder disposed to hold the front end of the new GDL fabric panel; and holder actuators that operate the first and second holders so that the first and second holders fix the previous GDL fabric panel and the new GDL fabric panel.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a dirt pan disposed to collect dirt dropping under the conveyer from the GDL fabric panel; and a particle suction device disposed at the exit of the conveyer and filtering granular dirt.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein: the laser-cutting device includes: a laser head including a laser that radiates in a predetermined shape; and an air-spraying nozzle disposed to one side of the laser head and removing dirt by spraying air on the surface of the GDL fabric panel.

10. A method of cutting a gas diffusion layer (GDL) for a fuel cell, comprising steps of: supplying a GDL fabric panel to an inlet of a conveyer; forming the gas diffusion layer by cutting the GDL fabric panel with a laser radiating onto the GDL fabric panel moving on the conveyer; and performing a visual examination of the upper and lower sides of the gas diffusion layer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of: collecting scraps of the gas diffusion layer separated from the GDL fabric panel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein: in the step of cutting the gas diffusion layer with the laser, dirt attached to the GDL fabric panel is removed by spraying air.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein: normal gas diffusion layers and abnormal gas diffusion layers are divided and loaded according to the result of the visual examination.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of: filtering granular dirt at an exit of the conveyer.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein: the step of performing a visual examination of the upper and lower sides of the gas diffusion layer is performed while the gas diffusion layer is being moved.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings are provided for reference in describing exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, but the spirit of the present invention should not be construed only by the accompanying drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a GDL cutting system for a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fabric panel-connecting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a front view of a feeding device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing cutting units cut by a laser from a GDL fabric panel according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing that a GDL fabric panel having cutting units according to an exemplary embodiment to which an adsorbing portion of an adsorbing-conveying device is attached is moved together.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of cutting a GDL of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

[0038] The parts not related to the description of the exemplary embodiments are not shown to make the description clear and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0039] Further, the sizes and thicknesses of the configurations shown in the drawings are provided selectively for the convenience of description, so that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings and the thicknesses are exaggerated to make some parts and regions clear.

[0040] Distinguishing the names of components with the first, and the second, etc. in the following description is for distinguishing them for the same relationship of the components and the components are not limited to the order in the following description.

[0041] Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a GDL cutting system for a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, a GDL cutting system includes a fabric panel unwinder 105, a fabric panel-connecting device 110, a stationery winder 115, a GDL fabric panel (or a GDL material) 300, a feeding device 120, a laser-cutting device 125, a laser-radiating head 129, an air-spraying nozzle 127, a conveyer 130, a dirt pan 147, a scrap basket 145, a particle suction device 150, an adsorbing-conveying device 135, a first vision sensor 140, a second vision sensor 155, a normal product magazine 165, a stationery magazine 170, a poor product magazine 175, and a controller 100.

[0044] The GDL fabric panel 300 is rolled on the fabric panel unwinder 105, the feeding device 120 pulls and supplies the rolled GDL fabric panel 300 to the conveyer 130 at a predetermined speed, and the stationery winder 115 pulls and removes stationery attached to a side of the GDL fabric panel 300.

[0045] The conveyer 130 is operated by a specific driving unit to move the GDL fabric panel 300 to the exit at a predetermined speed, and the laser-cutting device 125 forms cutting units 400 by radiating a laser to the GDL fabric panel 300 moving along the conveyer 130 using the laser-radiating head 129, thereby forming gas diffusion layers 302 in a predetermined shape from the GDL fabric panel 300.

[0046] The air-spraying nozzle 127 removes dirt attached on the surface of the GDL fabric panel 300 by spraying air to the surface of the GDL fabric panel 300 and the dirt drops on and accumulates in the dirt pan 147 under the GDL fabric panel 300.

[0047] The adsorbing-conveying device 135 is attached to the surface of the GDL fabric panel 300 and moved in the conveying direction of the GDL fabric panel 300 behind the laser-cutting device 125, whereby it prevents the scrap and the gas diffusion layer 302 cut from the GDL fabric panel 300 from being wrinkled.

[0048] A plurality of adsorbing-conveying devices 135 is provided to prevent the scrap and the gas diffusion layer 302 cut from the GDL fabric panel 300 from being wrinkled on the conveyer 130, and adsorb and move the gas diffusion layer 302 from the GDL fabric panel 300.

[0049] The scrap basket 145 is disposed at the exit of the conveyer 130 and collects scraps of the gas diffusion layer 302 separated, and the particle suction device 150 sucks and filters granular dirt.

[0050] The first vision sensor 140 senses the shapes of the upper sides (or the upper surfaces) of gas diffusion layers 302 remaining in the GDL fabric panel 300 moving along the conveyer 130 and the second vision sensor 155 senses the shape of the lower sides (or the lower surfaces) of the gas diffusion layers 302 conveyed by the adsorbing-conveying device 135.

[0051] Further, the first vision sensor 140 and the second vision sensor 155 transmit sensing data to the controller 100 and the controller 100 divides abnormal and normal products by controlling the adsorbing-conveying device 135.

[0052] Normal product is loaded in the normal product magazine 165, stationery is loaded in the stationery magazine 170, and the adsorbing-conveying device 135 inserts stationery between gas diffusion layers 302. Further, poor products are loaded in the poor product magazine 175.

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure, the first and second vision sensors 140 and 155 can sense contamination of a surface, detect particles of a predetermined size (0.4 mm) or more, and sense the applied state of carbon slurry, breakage of a cut surface, and the dimensions and positions of cutting sheet.

[0054] Further, the laser radiated from the laser-radiating head 129, which is a FIBER type, has capacity of 50 W and can perform optimal cutting at 20 Khz, 30 W, and 1064 nm.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fabric panel-connecting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, the fabric panel-connecting device 110 includes a die 210, a first holder 200, a second holder 205, a first holder actuator 215, and a second holder actuator 220.

[0057] With the feeding belt 305 stopped, the first holder 200 is operated by the first holder actuator 215 to hold the front end of a new GDL fabric panel 300b supplied from the fabric panel unwinder 105 over the die 210 and the second holder 205 is operated by the second holder actuator 220 to hold the rear end of the previous GDL fabric panel 300a supplied to the feeding device 120 over the die 210.

[0058] A worker bonds the new GDL fabric panel 300b held by the first holder 200 and the previous GDL fabric panel 300a held by the second holder 205 to connect to each other and operates the feeding device 120 so that the new GDL fabric panel 300b is supplied to the conveyer 130.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce waste of GDL fabric panels 300 and more effectively connect GDL fabric panels 300 through the fabric panel-connecting device 110, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a front view of a feeding device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 3, the feeding device 120 includes feeding belts 305 that come into contact with the lower surface and the upper surface of the GDL fabric panel 300, respectively, driving rollers 315 moving the feeding belts 305, and guide rollers 315 and pressing units 320 that keep the feeding belts 305 tight.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the feeding device 120 can stably control the supply speed of the GDL fabric panel 300 by controlling the moving speed of the feeding belts 305 through the driving rollers 310.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing cutting units cut by a laser in a GDL fabric panel according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, cutting portions 400 are formed in the GDL fabric panel 300 by the laser irradiated from the laser-radiating head 129. Cut-off portions cut along the cutting units 400 are used as the gas diffusion layers 302.

[0065] As shown in the figure, four gas diffusion layers 302 are arranged with a predetermined gap (for example, 8 mm) in the width direction of the GDL fabric panel 300. Further, the gas diffusion layers 302 are arranged with a predetermined gap (for example, 10 mm) in the longitudinal direction of the GDL fabric panel 300.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing a GDL fabric panel having cut-off portions according to an exemplary embodiment to which an adsorbing portion of an adsorbing-conveying device 135 is attached is moved together.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5, the adsorbing-conveying device 135 is attached to the gas diffusion layers 302 cut along the cutting units 400 in the GDL fabric panel 300 and moved in the moving direction of the GDL fabric panel 300 together.

[0068] Accordingly, the gas diffusion layers 302 are prevented from being wrinkled and the gas diffusion layers 302 and the scraps can be stably conveyed on the conveyer 130.

[0069] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of cutting a GDL of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 6, when control is started, a GDL fabric panel 300 rolled on the fabric panel unwinder 105 is unrolled in step S600, and the previous GDL fabric panel 300a and a new GDL fabric panel 300b are connected by the fabric panel-connecting device 110 in step S610. The GDL fabric panel 300 is supplied to the conveyer by the feeding device 120 and the conveyer 130 conveys the GDL fabric panel 300 to the exit at a predetermined speed in step S620.

[0071] In step S630, the laser-cutting device 125 forms gas diffusion layers 302 along the cutting units 400 by radiating a laser on the GDL fabric panel 300 at a predetermined speed with a predetermined intensity in a predetermined shape. In step S632, the first vision sensor 140 senses the upper surfaces of the gas diffusion layers 302 and transmits sensing data to the controller 100.

[0072] In step S640, the adsorbing-conveying device 135 adsorbs the cut gas diffusion layers 302 and moves with the GDL fabric panel 300, and separates and conveys the gas diffusion layers 302 from the GDL fabric panel 300 by moving up to a predetermined position. In step S642, the second vision sensor 155 senses the lower surfaces of the gas diffusion layers 302 and transmits sensing data to the controller 100.

[0073] In step S650, the controller 100 divides the gas diffusion layers 302 into normal product or abnormal product on the basis of the data transmitted from the first vision sensor 140 and the second vision sensor 155. In step S652, poor products are loaded into the poor product magazine 175.

[0074] In step S660, the adsorbing-conveying device 135 moves to the stationery magazine 170 with the gas diffusion layers 302 attached thereto and adsorbs stationery under the gas diffusion layers 302.

[0075] That is, the adsorbing-conveying device 135 adsorbs the gas diffusion layers 302 and stationery together. Then, in step S670, the adsorbing-conveying device 135 moves to the normal product magazine 165 and loads the stationery and the gas diffusion layers 302 together.

[0076] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.