The present disclosure relates to fuel cells and, more particularly, to assembling fuel cells.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
A fuel cell has been proposed as a clean, efficient, and environmentally responsible power source for various industries, including manufacturing centers, homes, and electric vehicles among other applications. One example of the fuel cell is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell can include a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) that can have a thin, solid polymer membrane-electrolyte having an anode and a cathode with a catalyst on opposite faces of the membrane-electrolyte. The MEA can be generally disposed between a pair of porous conductive materials, also known as gas diffusion media, which distribute gaseous reactants, for example, hydrogen and oxygen or air, to the anode and cathode layers. The hydrogen reactant is introduced at the anode where it reacts electrochemically in the presence of the catalyst to produce electrons and protons. The electrons are conducted from the anode to the cathode through an electrical circuit disposed therebetween. Simultaneously, the protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode where an oxidant, such as oxygen or air, reacts electrochemically in the presence of the electrolyte and catalyst to produce oxygen anions. The oxygen anions react with the protons to form water as a reaction product. The MEA of the PEM fuel cell can be sandwiched between a pair of electrically conductive bipolar plates which serve as current collectors for the anode and cathode layers.
Fuel cell stacks can be used to combine the electrical output of multiple fuel cells, typically configured in series. Multiple fuel cells are combined generally assembled by hand or by partially automated processes to form the fuel cell stack. For example, a number of PEM fuel cells can be layered or stacked to form a continuous column structure, which can be retained, and in some instances further sealed, by a compression retention system applied to the fuel cell stack. These processes can require sequentially aligning each fuel cell as added to the stack (e.g., in an x-y plane), where the sequential addition progresses in a third dimension (e.g., z axis). Poor alignment can lead to a failure of the fuel cell stack. Therefore, each fuel cell should be aligned with high accuracy. Undesirably, this can require extensive labor and production time. In addition, many partially automated processes are not capable of producing fuel cell stacks of varying cell lengths.
There is a continuing need for a system and a method for assembling a fuel cell stack that facilitates aligning a fuel cell during an assembly process. Desirably, the system and the method can reproducibly dispose fuel cells sequentially in forming the fuel cell stack.
In concordance with the instant disclosure, a system and a method for assembling a fuel cell stack that facilitates aligning a fuel cell during an assembly process, and which can facilitate aligning each fuel cell in the fuel cell stack, has been surprisingly discovered. This disclosure deals primarily with manufacturing fuel cell stacks. However, it should be appreciated that the automated stack assembly and method of the present disclosure can also be adapted for other products and industries.
In certain embodiments, methods for assembling a fuel cell stack can involve a holder successively receiving a plurality of fuel cells. Each of the fuel cells can be received at a constant position along a first axis. The holder can index each received fuel cell by a predetermined distance along the first axis, thereby forming the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell can then be compressed after the fuel cell stack is formed.
In certain embodiments, systems for assembling a fuel cell stack can include a plurality of fuel cells, a dispenser, and a holder. The dispenser can be configured to successively transfer the fuel cells to the holder. The holder can be configured to successively receive the fuel cells. Each of the fuel cells can be received at a constant position along a first axis. The holder can also be configured to index each received fuel cell by a predetermined distance along the first axis, thereby forming the fuel cell stack. In addition, the holder can compress the fuel cell stack after the fuel cell stack is formed.
In certain embodiments, methods for assembling a fuel cell stack can include successively transferring a plurality of fuel cells to a holder. The holder can successively receive the fuel cells. Each of the fuel cells can be received at a constant position along a first axis. The holder can index each received fuel cell by a predetermined distance along the first axis, thereby forming the fuel cell stack. A blocker can be disposed on a top of the fuel cell stack. The holder can compress the fuel cell stack by pressing the fuel cell stack against the blocker. A retention system can fasten the fuel cell stack after the fuel cell stack has been compressed.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in the light of the drawings described herein.
The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture, and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as can be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presented is exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can be different in various embodiments, including where certain steps can be simultaneously performed.
The terms “a” and “an” as used herein indicate “at least one” of the item is present; a plurality of such items can be present, when possible. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description are to be understood as modified by the word “about” and all geometric and spatial descriptors are to be understood as modified by the word “substantially” in describing the broadest scope of the technology. The term “about” when applied to numerical values indicates that the calculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” and/or “substantially” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” and/or “substantially” as used herein indicates at least variations that can arise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters.
Although the open-ended term “comprising,” as a synonym of non-restrictive terms such as including, containing, or having, is used herein to describe and claim embodiments of the present technology, embodiments can alternatively be described using more limiting terms such as “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of.” Thus, for any given embodiment reciting materials, components, or process steps, the present technology also specifically includes embodiments consisting of, or consisting essentially of, such materials, components, or process steps excluding additional materials, components or processes (for consisting of) and excluding additional materials, components or processes affecting the significant properties of the embodiment (for consisting essentially of), even though such additional materials, components or processes are not explicitly recited in this application.
Disclosures of ranges are, unless specified otherwise, inclusive of endpoints and include all distinct values and further divided ranges within the entire range. Thus, for example, a range of “from A to B” or “from about A to about B” is inclusive of A and of B. Disclosure of values and ranges of values for specific parameters (such as amounts, weight percentages, etc.) are not exclusive of other values and ranges of values useful herein. It is envisioned that two or more specific exemplified values for a given parameter can define endpoints for a range of values that can be claimed for the parameter. For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have value A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned that Parameter X can have a range of values from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges of values for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping, or distinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value that might be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of 1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X can have other ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, 3-9, and so on.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there can be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms can be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below”, or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
All documents, including patents, patent applications, and scientific literature cited in this detailed description are incorporated herein by reference, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Where any conflict or ambiguity can exist between a document incorporated by reference and this detailed description, the present detailed description controls.
With reference to
In certain examples, each of the fuel cells 104 can include a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell can include a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) that can have a thin, solid polymer membrane-electrolyte having an anode and a cathode with a catalyst on opposite faces of the membrane-electrolyte. The MEA can be generally disposed between a pair of porous conductive materials, also known as gas diffusion media, which distribute gaseous reactants, for example, hydrogen and oxygen or air, to the anode and cathode layers. The hydrogen reactant is introduced at the anode where it reacts electrochemically in the presence of the catalyst to produce electrons and protons. The electrons are conducted from the anode to the cathode through an electrical circuit disposed therebetween. Simultaneously, the protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode where an oxidant, such as oxygen or air, reacts electrochemically in the presence of the electrolyte and catalyst to produce oxygen anions. The oxygen anions react with the protons to form water as a reaction product. The MEA of the PEM fuel cell can be sandwiched between a pair of electrically conductive bipolar plates which serve as current collectors for the anode and cathode layers. Other non-limiting examples of the fuel cells 104 can include the fuel cells 104, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,586,255 to Robb et al, the entire disclosure which is incorporated by reference. However, it should be appreciated that a skilled artisan can employ different technologies and structures for the fuel cells 104, within the scope of this disclosure.
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It should be appreciated that the dispenser 106 has an arm that picks and places the fuel cells 104 on top of the existing stack of cells 102. A non-limiting example of this type of equipment is typically referred to as a “cobot.” The dispenser 106 must be capable of lifting only the top cell 104 from the source 105 without altering the cell 104. The dispenser 106 must then accurately place the cell 104 in the x and y directions then lower it onto the stack of cells 102 in the z direction until it touches the previous top cell 104 (ideally, on the constant position plane 110). The dispenser 106 can also be configured to sense the z location of the topmost cell and adjust accordingly.
It should be further appreciated that the machine or system 100 itself can also be configured to move to ensure the plane 110 is maintained at a fixed point in the z direction.
In particular, the holder 108 can be disposed on the first axis 112, a second axis 114, and a third axis 116. The first axis 112 can be orthogonal to the second axis 114 and the third axis 116. It should be appreciated that in
The constant position 110 along the first axis 112, being the position to which the dispenser 106 can transfer each of the fuel cells 104 to the holder 108, can be predetermined by the user. Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that transferring each of the fuel cells 104 to the holder 108 at the constant position 110 along the first axis 112 can optimize an assembling of the fuel cell stack 102. For instance, if the dispenser 106 is always disposing each of the fuel cells 104 at the substantially same elevation (e.g., the constant position 110 along the first axis 112), it is not necessary for the dispenser 106 to have a new z-coordinate (which corresponds to the first axis 112) for disposing a successive fuel cell 104.
In addition, if the holder 108 remains stationary, when the dispenser 106 transfers each of the fuel cells 104 to the holder 108 to the constant position 110 along the first axis 112, the dispenser 106 can likewise transfer each of the fuel cells 104 at a second constant position along the second axis 114 and a third constant position along the third axis 116. Desirably, this can result in the dispenser 106 no longer having to calculate a new x-coordinate (which corresponds to the second axis 114) and/or a new y-coordinate (which corresponds to the third axis 116) after each of the fuel cells 104 is transferred to the holder 108. Advantageously, this permits for the dispenser 106 to use the same x,y,z coordinates (the constant position 110, the second constant position, and the third constant position) each time the dispenser 106 moves one of the fuel cells 104 from the fuel cell source 105 to the holder 108.
Referring now to
In other instances, the dispenser 106 can include a conveyor system 122, for example, as shown in
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In some embodiments, the system 100 can further include a plurality of retaining bars 128 (shown in
In certain examples, each of the retaining bars 128 can be configured to move between an opened position 134 and closed position 136. The retaining bars 128 may also be connected to one or more actuators (not shown), which in turn cause the movement between the opened position 134 and the closed position 136, e.g., as determined by the controller 152 with which the one or more actuators may be in electrical communication. It should be appreciated that moving between the opened position 134 and the closed position 136 can involve moving each of the retaining bars 128 along the first axis 112, second axis 114, and/or the third axis 116. In the opened position 134, each of the retaining bars 128 can be moved away from the fuel cell stack 102, as shown in
With reference to
The system 100 can include a base 138, a support plate 140, rotatable threaded rods 142, a motor 144, stability rods 146, and a top plate 148. With reference to
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The control unit 152 can in communication with the dispenser 106, the holder 108, and/or the motor 144. The control unit 152 be configured to control and direct the functions of the dispenser 106, holder 108, and the motor 144. Desirably, this can allow the dispenser 106 and the holder 108 to perform operations while remaining in sync. Non-limiting examples of the control unit 152 can include a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile device, a programmable logic controller (PLC), etc. In certain examples, the control unit 152 can be configured to control other processes, such as the blocker 126, the retaining bars 128, and/or the retention system 130. It should be appreciated that a skilled artisan can employ other technologies for the control unit 152, within the scope of this disclosure.
With reference to
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Advantageously, the various systems 100 and methods 200, 300 provided by the present technology can assemble the fuel cell stack 102. In addition, the holder 108 receiving each of the fuel cells 104 at the constant position 110 along the first axis 112 can facilitate a better alignment of the fuel cell stack 102. For instance, the dispenser 106 may not be required to calculate a new z-coordinate after each fuel cell is transferred to the holder 108.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations of some embodiments, materials, compositions, and methods can be made within the scope of the present technology, with substantially similar results.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/071,486, filed on Aug. 28, 2020. The entire disclosure of the above application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63071486 | Aug 2020 | US |