Arrangement for Compressing Fuel Cells in a Fuel Stack
AssigneeWäRtsilä Finland Oy
InventorTimo Mahlanen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Element for compressing a fuel cell stack comprising two spring plates defining a gas-tight cavity filled with a suitable medium. Expansion of the medium upon increase of the temperature gives rise to a force compressing the stack. Additional spring rings can be placed between the spring plates, in order to increase the compressive force.
Claims21
1-10. (canceled)
An arrangement for compressing fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, in which arrangement the compression of fuel cells of the fuel cell stack against each other and the substrate is carried out by means of at least spring force, the fuel cell stack being provided with one or more single spring means for directing mechanical spring force and as the temperature increases, the compression force created by medium of the spring means to the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack, the spring means comprising two spring plates facing each other, and wherein a space between the spring plates is filled with said medium, wherein said spring plates form a mechanical spring for directing mechanical spring force to the fuel cells of the fuel cell stack.
A fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells,
- a substrate, and
- a spring structure for compressing the fuel cells against each other and against the substrate,
- wherein the spring structure comprises two dished spring plates that generate a mechanical spring force,
- and wherein the spring plates are concave towards each other and are sealed to each other to define a cavity therebetween, said cavity containing a thermally expansible fluid under pressure whereby at increasing temperature the pressure in the cavity increases and the spring structure generates a force for compressing the fuel cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.