ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM UNIT WITH SEALING ELEMENTS

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrochemical system unit comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells that are arranged in layers side by side, each cell comprising an anode plate, a cathode plate and a sealing element, wherein the sealing element is designed to seal a space between the anode and cathode plate. Said system also comprises at least two electrochemical cells of the electrochemical system unit having different manufacturing types of the sealing elements.

Claims

1. An electrochemical system unit comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells (30) arranged next to one another in layer-like fashion, each of the electrochemical cells having an anode plate (32), a cathode plate (36) and a sealing element (38), wherein the sealing element (38) is configured to seal a space between the anode plate (32) and the cathode plate (36); and at least two electrochemical cells (30) of the electrochemical system unit have different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10b, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38).

2. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anode plate (32) and the cathode plate (36) of at least one electrochemical cell (30) are each designed as a bipolar plate.

3. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) were applied to an electrode plate (32, 36) of the electrochemical cells (30) by means of an injection molding method or a dispensing method.

4. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) were inserted into the electrochemical cells (30).

5. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) were molded on between the cathode plates (36) and anode plates (32) by means of an injection molding method or a dispensing method.

6. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have a production-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b) in different portions of the sealing elements (38).

7. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing element (38) has a production-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b) on an initial portion (40a, 40b) and/or a final portion (40a, 40b) from the manufacture of the respective sealing element (38).

8. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have an initial portion and/or a final portion from the manufacture of the sealing element (38) in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

9. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have a manufacturing-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b), which is caused by at least two different positions of an injection point (12) of an injection molding method in relation to a form of the sealing element (38), in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

10. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have a manufacturing-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b), which is caused by at least two different positions of an initial point (40a, 40b) of a dispensing method in relation to a form of the sealing element (38), in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

11. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are arranged in the electrochemical system unit so as to interact in such a way that production-related irregularities (12, 40a, 40b) are compensated.

12. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are arranged in the electrochemical system unit in such a way that manufacturing-related irregularities (12, 40a, 40b) of the sealing elements (38) are spatially offset from one another.

13. The electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a membrane electrode unit (34) is arranged in the space between the cathode plate (36) and the anode plate (32) of the electrochemical cell (30).

14. A method for producing an electrochemical system unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are caused by varying the initial point (12, 40a, 40b) of the manufacture of the sealing elements (38).

15. (canceled)

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are applied to an electrode plate (32, 36) of the electrochemical cells (30) by an injection molding method or a dispensing method.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are inserted into the electrochemical cells (30).

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) are molded on between the cathode plates (36) and anode plates (32) by an injection molding method or a dispensing method.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein manufacture of the sealing element (38) creates a production-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b) on an initial portion (40a, 40b) and/or a final portion (40a, 40b).

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the manufacture of the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) creates an initial portion and/or a final portion in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least two different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have a manufacturing-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b) caused by at least two different positions of an injection point (12) of an injection molding method in relation to a form of the sealing element (38), in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different manufactured types (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 38a, 38b) of the sealing elements (38) have a manufacturing-related irregularity (12, 40a, 40b) caused by at least two different positions of an initial point (40a, 40b) of a dispensing method in relation to a form of the sealing element (38), in different spatial regions of the sealing element (38).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 and are explained in more detail below and serve for better understanding of the invention.

[0056] In detail:

[0057] FIG. 1 shows sealing elements with different injection points;

[0058] FIG. 2 shows an injection molding tool with different injection points;

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a fuel cell with an adjacent cooling space; and

[0060] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of an electrode of an electrochemical cell with sealing elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The same or similar components are labeled using the same or similar reference sign in the figures, with a repeated description of these components being dispensed with in individual cases.

[0062] FIG. 1 schematically shows four different manufactured types 10a to 10d of the sealing element 38, with the irregularity 12 of the sealing element 38 being present in the form of the injection points 12 in these examples, and these four different manufacturing types 10a to 10d of the sealing element 38 correspondingly having this irregularity at four different portions of the sealing element 38.

[0063] FIG. 1 sketches an injection nozzle 14 for the one manufactured type 10a of the sealing element 38, said injection nozzle being the cause of the injection point 12 when type 10a of the sealing element 38 is manufactured. In this case, the irregularity 12 of this manufactured type 10a of the sealing element 38 may go beyond the pure enlargement of the sealing area in this region and, for example, may be able to be traced back to a change in the material of the sealing element 10a, 38 on account of the greater heat influx at this point.

[0064] FIG. 2 schematically shows an injection molding tool 20, provided in which is for example a depression 24 for the manufacture of a sealing element 38. To manufacture four different manufactured types 10a to 10d of the sealing elements 38, the injection molding tool 20 has four different injection nozzles 22a to 22d, for example. When such an injection molding tool 20 is used for the manufacture of different manufactured types 10a to 10d of sealing elements 38, it is also possible to use a greater number of injection nozzles 22a to 22d, which are arranged accordingly in different portions of the sealing element 38. In the example of the injection molding tool 20 of FIG. 2, it is possible for example, when using two of the injection nozzles 22a, 22b, 22c or 22d in each case, to accordingly manufacture two different manufactured types of sealing elements.

[0065] FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross section through an electrochemical cell 30 with an adjacent cooling space 35, comprising an anode plate 32, a cathode plate 36, a membrane electrode arrangement 34, an anode space 31, a cathode space 33 and sealing elements 38. As a result of an externally acting force, exerted by an assembled fuel-cell stack on the electrode plates 32, 36 of a fuel cell or electrochemical cell 30 constructed thus, the sealing elements 38 are brought into tight contact with both the membrane electrode arrangement 34 and a correspondingly opposing electrode 32, 36, as a result of which the sealing effect of the sealing element 38 arises.

[0066] FIG. 4 schematically shows an electrode 36 of an electrochemical cell 30 which comprises perforations 36a, 36b at an upper and lower end of the electrode 32, 36, which perforations form channels for the supply and removal of fuel, oxidants and coolant in the case of a juxtaposition of electrochemical cells 30, and by means of which sealing elements 38a, 38b, which may be arranged both on an upper side and on a lower side of the electrode 32, 36, are separated from one another.

[0067] Two different manufactured types 38a, 38b of the sealing element 38 have been used in FIG. 4, said manufactured types having the manufacturing-related irregularity 40a and 40b, respectively, in corresponding different portions of the sealing elements 38a, 38b.