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Title: Fuel cell manifold sealing system

Abstract

A manifold-to-stack seal and sealing method for fuel cell stacks. This seal system solves the problem of maintaining a low leak rate manifold seal as the fuel cell stack undergoes compressive creep. The seal system eliminates the problem of the manifold-to-stack seal sliding against the rough stack surface as the stack becomes shorter because of cell creep, which relative motion destroys the seal. The seal system described herein utilizes a polymer seal frame firmly clamped between the manifold and the stack such that the seal frame moves with the stack. Thus, as the stack creeps, the seal frame creeps with it, and there is no sliding at the rough, tough to seal, stack-to-seal frame interface. Here the sliding is on a smooth easy to seal location between the seal frame and the manifold.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. West Hartford, CT
  2. Manchester, CT
  3. Glastonbury, CT
Issue Date:
OSTI Identifier:
863614
Patent Number(s):
4212929
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01M - PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
DOE Contract Number:  
E(04-3)-1169
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
fuel; cell; manifold; sealing; manifold-to-stack; seal; method; stacks; solves; maintaining; leak; rate; stack; undergoes; compressive; creep; eliminates; sliding; surface; shorter; relative; motion; destroys; described; utilizes; polymer; frame; firmly; clamped; moves; creeps; tough; stack-to-seal; interface; smooth; easy; location; manifold seal; cell stacks; leak rate; fuel cell; relative motion; seal frame; cell stack; sealing method; stack surface; manifold sealing; compressive creep; manifold-to-stack seal; seal location; rate manifold; cell manifold; undergoes compressive; stack undergoes; frame moves; /429/

Citation Formats

Grevstad, Paul E, Johnson, Carl K, and Mientek, Anthony P. Fuel cell manifold sealing system. United States: N. p., 1980. Web.
Grevstad, Paul E, Johnson, Carl K, & Mientek, Anthony P. Fuel cell manifold sealing system. United States.
Grevstad, Paul E, Johnson, Carl K, and Mientek, Anthony P. Tue . "Fuel cell manifold sealing system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/863614.
@article{osti_863614,
title = {Fuel cell manifold sealing system},
author = {Grevstad, Paul E and Johnson, Carl K and Mientek, Anthony P},
abstractNote = {A manifold-to-stack seal and sealing method for fuel cell stacks. This seal system solves the problem of maintaining a low leak rate manifold seal as the fuel cell stack undergoes compressive creep. The seal system eliminates the problem of the manifold-to-stack seal sliding against the rough stack surface as the stack becomes shorter because of cell creep, which relative motion destroys the seal. The seal system described herein utilizes a polymer seal frame firmly clamped between the manifold and the stack such that the seal frame moves with the stack. Thus, as the stack creeps, the seal frame creeps with it, and there is no sliding at the rough, tough to seal, stack-to-seal frame interface. Here the sliding is on a smooth easy to seal location between the seal frame and the manifold.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}