Voltage monitoring system for a fuel cell stack

• US 6,410,176 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Plug Power Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plug Power Inc.
• Inventors: Mease, Kevin L., Pitts, Larry A., Marvin, Russel H., Carlstrom, Charles M., Genc, Suat
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US09/629,548
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 429/13, 429/12, 429/23
• US Class Current: 429/457
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0247 characterised by the form characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0269 Separators, collectors or interconnectors including a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04552 of the individual fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An assembly includes a fuel cell stack, a circuit board, an elastomeric connector and a frame. The elastomeric connector contacts the stack to provide cell voltages of the stack to the circuit board. The frame holds the circuit board, positions the elastomeric connector between the fuel cell stack and the circuit board and provides the appropriate compression of the connector.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a fuel cell stack to provide cell voltages;

a substrate supporting electrical contacts;

an electrical bridge to provide indications of the cell voltages to the electrical contacts; and

a clamp to hold the electrical bridge in compression against the fuel cell stack to communicate indications of the cell voltages to the electrical contacts.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical bridge comprises:

an elastomeric connector.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the bridge is not directly connected to the substrate.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the clamp holds the bridge in compression against the electrical contacts.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate and electrical contacts comprise a printed circuit board.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate and electrical contacts comprise a flexible circuit substrate.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the clamp comprises:

a frame to hold the circuit board and position the bridge between the fuel cell stack and the substrate.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the frame holds the bridge.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises:

flow plates to hold the frame.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the flow plates are adapted to form a channel to receive the frame.

11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein

the fuel cell stack comprises flow plates,

the flow plates being associated with different fuel cells of the stack, and

the frame is adapted to cause the bridge to contact at least one flow plate associated with each cell and not contact at least one flow plate associated with each cell.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein

each different fuel cell is associated with a different pair of the flow plates, and

the frame is adapted to cause the bridge to, for each fuel cell, contact one of the pair and not contact the other of the pair.

13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the frame comprises:

fingers to extend at least partially around the bridge to hold the bridge.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the fingers form a raised surface to support the bridge to form a groove for receiving the substrate.

15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the fingers form a raised surface to elevate the bridge to position the bridge to contact a selected region of the substrate.

16. The assembly of claim 13, wherein

the fuel cell stack comprises flow plates adapted to extend between the fingers to contact the bridge.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein

the flow plates form a channel to receive the frame.

18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the flow plates comprise:

first flow plates, each first flow plate including an edge to contact the bridge between two of the fingers; and

second flow plates, each second flow plate forming a recessed region to receive one of the fingers.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the first flow plates are interleaved with the second flow plates in the stack.

20. The assembly of claim 7, wherein

the frame is adapted to mount to the stack.

21. The assembly of claim 7, wherein

the frame is adapted to form a snap fit with the stack.

22. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the frame is adapted to compress the bridge against the substrate when the frame is mounted to the stack.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the frame comprises:

members to support the circuit board against a force exerted by the bridge when the bridge is compressed between the stack and the substrate.

24. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the frame comprises:

members to compress the bridge between the stack and the substrate.

25. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the frame comprises:

prongs to clip the bridge to the frame.

26. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the frame comprises:

a latch to lock the frame to the stack.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the latch comprises:

a flexible member having a first position to permit engagement of the frame with the stack and a second position to lock the frame to the stack.

28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the flexible member comprises:

a tab to contact the board to limit deflection of the flexible member.

29. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate supports voltage monitoring circuitry.

30. An assembly comprising:

a fuel cell stack to provide cell voltages;

a circuit board; and

an elastomeric connector located between the fuel cell stack and the circuit board to contact the stack and the board to provide the cell voltages to the board.

31. The assembly of claim 31, further comprising:

a frame to position the elastomeric connector between the board and the stack.

32. The assembly of claim 32, wherein the frame holds the board.

33. The assembly of claim 32, wherein the frame holds the connector.

34. The assembly of claim 32, wherein the frame is adapted to mate with the stack.

35. The assembly of claim 32, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises:

flow plates adapted to mate with the frame.

36. The assembly of claim 36, wherein the flow plates are adapted to form a channel to receive the frame.

37. The assembly of claim 36, wherein

the fuel cell stack comprises flow plates,

the flow plates being associated with different fuel cells of the stack, and

the frame is adapted to cause the elastomeric connector to contact at least one flow plate associated with each cell and not contact at least one flow plate associated with each cell.

38. The assembly of claim 36, wherein the frame comprises:

fingers to extend at least partially around the elastomeric connector to hold the connector.

39. The assembly of claim 39, wherein

the fuel cell stack comprises flow plates adapted to extend between the fingers to contact the elastomeric connector.

40. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the frame is adapted to mount to the stack and compress the elastomeric connector against the circuit board when the frame is mounted to the stack.

41. A method comprising:

compressing an elastomeric connector between a fuel cell stack and a circuit board; and

using the elastomeric connector to communicate cell voltages of the fuel cell stack to the circuit board.

42. The method of claim 42, wherein the compressing comprises:

inserting the elastomeric connector into a frame; and

connecting the frame to the stack to compress the elastomeric connector against the board.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

shaping flow plates of the stack to mate with the frame.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the shaping comprises:

forming a channel to receive the frame.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the shaping comprises:

forming a channel to lock the frame to the stack.

47. A The method of claim 42, wherein the stack comprises flow plates associated with different cells of the stack, the method further comprising:

establishing a profile of the flow plates so that the frame contacts at least one flow plate associated with each cell and does not contact at least one flow plate associated with each cell.

43. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

using the frame to hold the board.

48. An apparatus for providing cell voltages from a fuel cell stack to a circuit board, the apparatus comprising:

a compressible connector to provide indications of the cell voltages to the circuit board; and

a clamp to position the connector between the fuel cell stack and the circuit board.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the clamp is adapted to compress the compressible connector between the circuit board and the stack.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the compressible connector comprises an elastomeric connector.