FUEL CELL DEVICE

Abstract

A fuel cell device is disclosed, which comprises one or more membrane electrode assemblies and at least one two-sided flow board disposed on one side of the membrane electrode assembly. The two-sided flow board comprises a substrate including one or more flow channels, wherein the flow channels are disposed corresponding to the membrane electrode assemblies. The two-sided flow board also comprises one or more conductive sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the conductive sheets respectively cover the flow channels of the substrate, and are fixed to the substrate. The two-sided flow board further comprises one or more current collection sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the current collection sheets respectively cover the conductive sheets, and are fixed to the conductive sheets.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective and associated diagram showing the essential portion of a fuel cell device according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective and associated diagram showing the essential portion of a fuel cell device according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective and associated diagram showing the essential portion of a fuel cell device according to yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a perspective and exploded diagram showing a two-sided flow board for a fuel cell device according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates the cross-section of the combined two-sided flow board in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C illustrates the cross-section of a modified embodiment of the two-sided flow board in FIG. 4B;

FIG. 4D illustrates the cross-section of a modified embodiment of the two-sided flow board in FIG. 4C; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective and exploded diagram showing the essential portion of a modified embodiment of the fuel cell device in FIG. 2.

Claims

1. A fuel cell device, comprising: at least one membrane electrode assembly disposed between a plurality of two-sided flow boards, wherein each membrane electrode assembly comprises an anode electrode, a proton exchange membrane and a cathode electrode; andsaid two-sided flow boards, wherein each two-sided flow board comprises: a substrate made of a non-conductive material, which includes one or more flow channels, wherein the flow channels are disposed corresponding to the membrane electrode assemblies;one or more conductive sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the conductive sheets respectively cover the flow channels of the substrate, and the conductive sheets are fixed to the substrate; andone or more current collection sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the current collection sheets respectively cover the conductive sheets, and the current collection sheets are fixed to the conductive sheets.

2. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein the current collection sheets are sealed to the conductive sheets by point welding.

3. The fuel cell device of claim 2, wherein a combination of the current collection sheets and the conductive sheets is compressed and sealed to the substrate by using an adhesive.

4. The fuel cell device of claim 3, wherein the adhesive is a Prepreg resin film.

5. The fuel cell device of claim 3, wherein the adhesive is an anticorrosive and/or acid-proof adhesive.

6. The fuel cell device of claim 5, wherein the adhesive is AB glue.

7. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein a substrate of the substrate is selected from a group consisting of a chemical-resistant and non-conductive engineering plastic substrate, a plastic carbon substrate, an FR4 substrate, an FR5 substrate, an epoxy resin substrate, a glass fiber substrate, a ceramic substrate, a polymeric plastic substrate, and a composite substrate.

8. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein a material of the current collection sheets is selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, titanium, gold, graphite, carbon-metal compound, and chemical-resistant metal.

9. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein the current collection sheet is made of a conductive material, and a surface of the current collection sheet is treated to be anticorrosive and/or acid-proof.

10. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein the two-sided flow board further comprises at least one circuit component disposed on the substrate.

11. The fuel cell device of claim 1, further comprising: a substrate including one or more hollow portions, wherein the hollow portions are disposed corresponding to the membrane electrode assemblies.

12. The fuel cell device of claim 11, further comprising at least one circuit component disposed on the substrate.

13. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein each side of the two-sided flow board is composed of a plurality of trenches arranged in parallel and spaced at intervals, so as to form a wavy structure.

14. The fuel cell device of claim 1, wherein each side of the two-sided flow board is composed of a plurality of trenches arranged in parallel and spaced at intervals, so as to form a zigzag structure with trapezoidal and/or square and/or semi-hexagonal and/or semicircular patterns.

15. A fuel cell device, comprising: at least one membrane electrode assembly disposed between a plurality of two-sided flow boards, wherein each membrane electrode assembly comprises an anode electrode, a proton exchange membrane and a cathode electrode; andsaid two-sided flow boards, wherein each two-sided flow board comprises: a substrate made of a non-conductive material, which includes one or more flow channels, wherein the flow channels are disposed corresponding to the membrane electrode assemblies;one or more first current collection sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the first current collection sheets respectively cover the flow channels of the substrate, and the first current collection sheets are fixed to the substrate;one or more conductive sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the conductive sheets respectively cover the first current collection sheets, and the conductive sheets are fixed to the first current collection sheets; andone or more second current collection sheets made of a conductive material, wherein the second current collection sheets respectively cover the conductive sheets, and the second current collection sheets are fixed to the conductive sheets.

16. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein the first and second current collection sheets and the conductive sheets are sealed together by point welding and/or adhering and/or argon welding.

17. The fuel cell device of claim 16, wherein a combination of the first and second current collection sheets and the conductive sheets is compressed and sealed to the substrate by using an adhesive.

18. The fuel cell device of claim 17, wherein the adhesive is a Prepreg resin film.

19. The fuel cell device of claim 17, wherein the adhesive is an anticorrosive and/or acid-proof adhesive.

20. The fuel cell device of claim 19, wherein the adhesive is AB glue.

21. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein a substrate of the substrate is selected from a group consisting of a chemical-resistant and non-conductive engineering plastic substrate, a plastic carbon substrate, an FR4 substrate, an FR5 substrate, an epoxy resin substrate, a glass fiber substrate, a ceramic substrate, a polymeric plastic substrate, and a composite substrate.

22. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein a material of the first and second current collection sheets is selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, titanium, gold, graphite, carbon-metal compound, and chemical-resistant metal.

23. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein the first and second current collection sheets are made of a conductive material, and surfaces of the first and second current collection sheets are treated to be anticorrosive and/or acid-proof.

24. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein the two-sided flow board further comprises at least one circuit component disposed on the substrate.

25. The fuel cell device of claim 15, further comprising: a substrate including one or more hollow portions, wherein the hollow portions are disposed corresponding to the membrane electrode assemblies.

26. The fuel cell device of claim 25 further comprising at least one circuit component disposed on the substrate.

27. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein each side of the two-sided flow board is composed of a plurality of trenches arranged in parallel and spaced at intervals, so as to form a wavy structure.

28. The fuel cell device of claim 15, wherein each side of the two-sided flow board is composed of a plurality of trenches arranged in parallel and spaced at intervals, so as to form a zigzag structure with trapezoidal and/or square and/or semi-hexagonal and/or semicircular patterns.