Fuel cell manifold sealing system

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:863614

Grevstad, Paul E ^[1]; Johnson, Carl K ^[2]; Mientek, Anthony P ^[3]

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1. West Hartford, CT
2. Manchester, CT
3. Glastonbury, CT

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.

• DOE Contract Number: E(04-3)-1169
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4212929
• OSTI ID: 863614
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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
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