# US 11,309,551 B2 · Separator plate for an electrochemical system

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- Number: US 11,309,551 B2
- Document ID: US11309551B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/618,009
- Filed: 2018-05-30
- Published: 2020-05-14
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-30
- Assignees: Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH
- Applicants: Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH
- Inventors: Thomas Stöhr; Claudia Kunz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309551B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
- H01M 8/0265: the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections
- H01M 8/0206: Metals or alloys
- H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
- H01M 8/0271: Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
- H01M 8/0273: with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame
- H01M 8/0276: Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a separator plate for an electro-chemical system. The separator plate comprises: a first passage; an active region with structures for guiding a reaction medium along a first flat face of the separator plate and guiding a coolant along a rear face of the active region on the second flat face of the separator plate; a bead formed in the separator plate for sealing at least the active region; and barrier elements formed in the separator plate, which reduce or prevent a flow of reaction medium on the first flat face of the separator plate along the bead and past the active region. The separator plate fully encloses the first passage and the active region together and that at least one of the barrier elements is at least in parts sunk.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A separator plate for an electrochemical system, in particular for a bipolar plate of an electrochemical system, comprising:
a first through-opening for leading a coolant through the separator plate; an active region with structures for leading a reaction medium along a first flat side of the separator plate and structures for leading a coolant along a rear side of the active region on the second flat side of the separator plate;
a bead which is formed integrally with the separator plate, for sealing at least the active region; and
barrier elements which are formed integrally with the separator plate;
wherein the barrier elements are arranged between the active region and the bead and/or are arranged between a distributing region of the separator plate and the bead, wherein the distributing region is configured for leading the coolant from the through-opening to the rear side of the active region or from the rear side of the active region to the through-opening on the second flat side of the separator plate; and
wherein the barrier elements are formed in a manner such that they reduce or prevent a flow of reaction medium on the first flat side of the separator plate along the bead and past the active region;
wherein the bead completely encompasses both the first through-opening and the active region and that at least one of the barrier elements is recessed at least in regions, in particular for reducing or for preventing a coolant flow on the second flat side of the separator plate in the region of this barrier element between the rear side of the active region and an interior of the bead and/or between a rear side of the distributing region and the interior of the bead.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, with a second through-opening for leading a coolant through the separator plate, wherein the bead also completely encompasses the second through-opening and the first through-opening and the second through-opening are arranged on sides of the active region which lie opposite one another.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, wherein, the recess of one or more of the barrier elements is at least one of:
distanced to the edges of the barrier element,
elongate shaped and is aligned parallel or essentially parallel to the main extension direction of the bead,
reduced by at least by 50 percent in a cross section, defined perpendicularly to the planar surface plane of the separator plate of a connection between the rear side of the active region and the interior of the bead on the second flat side of the separator plate, said connection being formed by the barrier element, and
extends over the complete barrier element at least in one direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the barrier elements reaches or reach up to the active region and up to the bead.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the barrier elements, at least in sections, are aligned transversely to the main extension direction of the bead.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the barrier elements are formed in a manner such that a cross section of the respective barrier element tapers towards the bead and, the respective barrier element defined perpendicularly to the planar surface plane of the separator plate, and the taper is by at least 50 percent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The separator plate according to claim 6, wherein the cross section tapers along a direction parallel to the planar surface plane of the separator plate, and parallel to the main extension direction of the bead.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The separator plate according to claim 6, wherein the tapering is effected in a step-like manner in one or several of the barrier elements.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the barrier elements which are adjacent to one another are connected to one another by way of a connection which is aligned parallel to the main extension direction of the bead.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, with a distributing structure for distributing coolant over the rear side of the active region, wherein the distributing structure is oriented transversely to the flow direction of the coolant along the rear side of the active region and reaches up to an end of the active region which faces the bead.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, with at least one recess which extends transversely to the flow direction of the coolant along the rear side of the active region in a continuous manner from the active region up to the bead.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The separator plate according to claim 10, wherein the barrier elements are arranged in a row parallel to the main extension direction of the bead and wherein the recess which extends continuously from the active region to the bead is arranged at an end of this row which faces the distributing structure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, with a first port bead which completely encompasses the first through-opening and a second port bead which completely encompasses the second through-opening.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The separator plate according to claim 1, which is formed from a metal sheet wherein at least one, more or all of the following elements are embossed into the separator plate:
the bead or beads;
the structures of the active region;
distributing structures of the distributing region;
the barrier elements; and/or
the recesses.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A bipolar plate for an electrochemical system with a first separator plate according to claim 1 and a second separator plate, wherein both separator plates are connected to one another, wherein the first through-openings of the two separator plates are arranged in an aligned manner for forming a first through-opening of the bipolar plate, wherein a cavity enclosed between the two separator plates for leading a coolant through the bipolar plate and wherein the first through-opening of the bipolar plate is in fluid connection with the cavity.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The bipolar plate according to claim 15, wherein the second through-openings of the two separator plates are arranged in an aligned manner for forming a second through-opening of the bipolar plate and wherein the second through-opening of the bipolar plate is in fluid connection with the cavity.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The bipolar plate according to claim 15, wherein the barrier elements of the first separator plate and the barrier elements of the second separator plate are arranged at least regionally in an overlapping manner and wherein the recesses of the barrier elements of the first separator plate and the recesses of the barrier elements of the second separator plate are arranged at least partly offset parallel to the planar surface plane of the bipolar plate or an at least partly over-lapping manner.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The bipolar plate according to claim 16, wherein the cavity which is enclosed between the two separator plates comprises a first part-space and a second part-space, wherein the first part-space is enclosed between the active region of the first separator plate and the active region of the second separator plate, wherein the second part-space is enclosed between the bead of the first separator plate and the bead of the second separator plate, wherein the first through-opening of the bipolar plate and the second through-opening of the bipolar plate are connected via a first fluid connection which comprises the first part-space, and wherein the first through-opening of the bipolar plate and the second through-opening of the bipolar plate are connected via a second fluid connection which comprises the second part-space, wherein a minimal cross section A1,min of the first fluid connection is larger than a minimal cross section A2,min of the second fluid connection, wherein A1,min≥10·A2,min.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

An electrochemical system with a plurality of bipolar plates according to claim 15, which are arranged into a stack, wherein a respective membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is arranged between adjacent bipolar plates of the stack, wherein each of the MEA in the active region of the adjacent bipolar plates comprises an ionomer and at least one gas diffusion layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electrochemical system according to claim 19, wherein each of the MEA comprises a reinforced edge region which at least in regions overlaps with the barrier elements of the bipolar plates, said bipolar plates being adjacent to the MEA.