Energy storage stack assembly process

Why is fuel cell stack assembly important?

Although fuel cell assembly is recognized to play an important role in the high-quality fabrication and good performance of fuel cells and is considered the main source of early failure of fuel cell, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of stack assembly.

Can a fuel cell stack be assembled by hand?

At present, some fuel cell stacks undergo a long manual assembly process, which involves repeated work cycles, and human errors are inevitable. A stack assembled by hand may require a whole day to complete the assembly and testing process. In the fuel cell development cycle, the early prototype stacks can be manually assembled.

How powerful is a fuel cell stack?

Table 1 summarizes the assembly and testing of fuel cell stack available in the literature and commercial market. The powers of fuel cells are currently less than 10 kW in the laboratory and approximately or more than 100 kW in the transport field.

How can a fuel cell stack be reduced to $15/kw net?

The ultimate goal of the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is to reduce the cost of fuel cell stack to $15/kW net through technological innovation and mass production practices . As a significant part of production, increasing the assembly efficiency is important for reducing the cost of fuel cells.

Can a metal-based monolithic fuel cell stack have high power density?

This study presents a novel concept for fabricating a metal-based monolithic, high-temperature fuel cell stack with high power density (5.6 kW/L) using cost-competitive and scalable manufacturing methods.

How to reduce bending of fuel cell stack?

Hence, in order to improve the performance and uniformity of unit cells, measures should be taken to reduce the bending of fuel cell stack. In fuel cells, hydrogen, oxygen and coolant should be isolated in their respective channels by sealing gaskets.