Fuel cell microseal and a method of manufacture thereof

    公开(公告)号:US11431002B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-08-30

    申请号:US16392081

    申请日:2019-04-23

    Abstract: A microseal for a metal bead seal joint includes a substantially horizontal surface, first and second substantially vertical surfaces disposed on opposite ends of the substantially horizontal surface, and a contoured surface operatively configured to adhere to a portion of a metal bead. The contoured surface may be disposed opposite the substantially horizontal surface and may be integral to the first and second substantially vertical surfaces. The substantially horizontal surface may be operatively configured to substantially maintain its horizontal surface orientation in both a compression state and a non-compression state.

    Seal material with latent adhesive properties and a method of sealing fuel cell components with same

    公开(公告)号:US10358587B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-07-23

    申请号:US15019100

    申请日:2016-02-09

    Abstract: A composition with latent adhesion, fuel cell stack with a bipolar plate assembly with latent adhesion and a method of assembling a fuel cell stack with a seal that has latent adhesion such that reactant or coolant leakage through the seal is reduced. Bipolar plates within the stack include reactant channels and coolant channels that are fluidly coupled to inlet and outlet flowpaths, all of which are formed within a coolant-engaging or reactant-engaging surface of the plate. One or more thin or low aspect-ratio seals are formed on a metal bead that is integrally formed on a surface of the plate and is used to help reduce leakage by maintaining fluid isolation of the reactants and coolant as they flow through their respective channels and flowpaths that are defined between adjacently placed plates. By proper formulation of the precursor materials that make up the seal, the activation of the adhesive bond formed between the seal and an adjacent surface within the fuel cell can be delayed to allow ample time to aligned and compressively join the cell assemblies in a stack housing. This in turn improves the ability of the seal and its adjacent surface to avoid seal damage and concomitant reactant or coolant leakage.

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