Electrical signal processing system for fuel cell stack
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJeffrey A. Rock, Jeff D. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for processing the electric signals from a plurality of fuel cells in a fuel cell system is disclosed. Groups of the plurality of fuel cells, such as five bipolar plates, are electrically coupled to a conductive compressible connector or a circuit board, where some of the bipolar plates have a plate contactor for providing the electrical contact to either the conductive compressible connector or the circuit board. The system allows for the processing of the electric signals of every cell using fewer electrical components, thereby reducing the amount of space required and the costs associated therewith.
Claims13
An electric signal processing system for a fuel cell stack, said system comprising:
- at least two fuel cells;
- at least three bipolar plates, each of the at least three bipolar plates including a plate contactor that is part of the bipolar plate;
- at least one non-conductive elastomer positioned on top of the at least three bipolar plates directly above the plate contactor;
- and
- at least one circuit board in electrical communication with the plate contactors of the at least three bipolar plates, and seated on and in electrical communication with a bottom bipolar plate including a depression, where the plate contactors are shaped such that electrical contact is made at a specific location on the circuit board and where the non-conductive elastomer is seated within the depression, wherein the non-conductive elastomer presses a contactor region of a top bipolar plate of the at least three bipolar plates down on the circuit board, and the circuit board down on the bottom bipolar plate to minimize electrical contact resistances.
An electric signal processing system for a fuel cell stack, said system comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells;
- at least three bipolar plates, each of the at least three bipolar plates including a plate contactor that is part of the bipolar plate;
- at least one non-conductive elastomer positioned on top of the at least three bipolar plates directly above the plate contactor;
- at least one circuit board in electrical communication with the plate contactors of the at least three bipolar plates, and seated on and in electrical communication with a bottom bipolar plate including a depression, where the plate contactors are shaped such that electrical contact is made at a specific location on the circuit board and where the non-conductive elastomer is seated within the depression, wherein the non-conductive elastomer presses a contactor region of a top bipolar plate down on the circuit board, and the circuit board down on the bottom bipolar plate to minimize electrical contact resistances;
- and
- at least one notched region on at least one of the bipolar plates near an edge of where the circuit board will sit to allow for proper alignment and ease of insertion of the circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.