• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.90.1-90.1
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• 2010

The design and fabrication of a metallic bipolar plate-gasket assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs) is defined. This bipolar plate-gasket assembly was prepared by inserting a previously prepared bipolar plate in the specially designed gasket mold. For this aim, a proprietary fluoro-silicone based rubber was injected directly into the bipolar plate borders. Gaskets obtained like this showed the chemically / physically stable and the good sealibilty in typically operating PEM fuel cell conditions. And also, this bipolar plate-gasket assembly shows lots of advantages with respect to traditional PEMFCs stack assembling systems: useful application to automative stacking due to easy handling, reduced fabrication time, possibility of quality control and failed elements substitution. This bipolar plate-gasket assembly was evaluated in the short fuel cell stack and met the leakage requirement for normal operation both in short-term and in long-term operation. Especially, it was confirmed that this gasket could be applied successfully even in the high pressure FEM fuel cell systems(over 2.0 bar in absolute pressure).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.97-100
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• 2007

Fuel Cell Stack performance, which is influenced by the maintenance of a constant internal environment, requires high levels of air tightness. Used for analysis, gasket for fuel cell is made of elastic rubber materials and placed over separator, and shape of deformation of a gasket affects the transformation separator and airtightness while fastening structure. Separator as made of steel sheet isn't broken under pressure but can affect gas and cool water flow by the plastic deformation process. Therefore， it is understood that assembly process is well developed in case distribution of stress and shape of deformation is shown uniformly. This study is conducted on the assumption that a fuel cell maintenance is advantageous in that conditions. In this paper, analyses of unit cell and partial model were performed and distribution of stress and shape of deformation of Gasket and separator were analyzed to evaluate the airtightness while fastening structure.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.86-91
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• 2008

The rubber was compounded with carbon black and silica series-filler to examine the effects of the various rubber fillers on a gasket material's suitability and fuel cell stack conclusion. The evaluation of a long term heat resistance and oil resistance of the mixed rubber material was performed considering at the drive environment of PEMFC. Test results of compression set for the most influencing property of gasket showed that it was about less than 15% at long term of up to 1000 h. In this experiment, FEM analysis is carried out about the rubber material's properties depending on each filler and the stress which is produced when a gasket is contracted by using various filler. Sealing force was expected to maximum 2.5 MPa from minimum 0.2 MPa by using FEM (finite element method) at stacking gasket to gasket.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.166-168
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• 2007

고분자 전해질 연료전지는 다수의 단위 cell을 적층하여 stack을 형성하게 되며, 각 단위 cell 은 분리판과 MEA 사이에 gasket을 장착하게 된다. 이때 장착된 gasket은 분리판과 MEA사이의 일정한 gap을 유지하여 가스를 균일하게 분배되도록 할 뿐만 아니라, 가스 유출을 막는 sealing 재(材)로서의 역할을 한다. 따라서 고분자 전해질 연료전지의 성능확보를 위해서는 내구성 및 가스 기밀성이 우수한 gasket 개발이 무엇보다 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 gasket 물성을 만족시킬 수 있는 고분자 전해질 연료전지용 gasket을 개발하고자 하였으며, 이를 검증하기 위하여 가혹 조건에서 실험을 수행하였다. 그 결과 종래의 gasket 보다 열적, 화학적 및 가스기밀성 변에서 우수한 고분자 전해질 연료전지용 gasket을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.95-101
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• 2021

An analysis was conducted to predict the behavior of gasket by applying an optimal-strain energy-density function selected through a uniaxial tensile test and an analysis of the gasket used in an actual hydrogen fuel cell. Among the models compared to predict the materials' properties, the Mooney-Rivlin secondary model showed the behavior most similar to the test results. The maximum stress of the gasket was not significantly different, depending on the location. The maximum surface pressure of the gasket was higher at positions "T" and "Y" than at other positions, owing to the branch-shape effect. In the future, a jig that can measure the surface pressure will be manufactured and a comparative verification study will be conducted between the test results and the analysis results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.60-66
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• 2022

The optimal strain energy function was obtained by comparing the results of the analysis using the strain energy functions obtained by uniaxial tensile and equibiaxial tensile tests on gasket materials used in hydrogen fuel cells, with the results measured using a contact pressure measurement sensor. At this time, even when only the uniaxial tensile test was conducted, Yeoh could obtain the most accurate results even by conducting only the uniaxial tensile test. Using this, an analysis of the cross section of the gasket used in stack confirmed a safe contact pressure and no deformation on the separator. In the future, research will be conducted to verify the gasket durability by reliability evaluation.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.232-237
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• 2007

We examined the properties of compound and made compound of the optimum state using the properties of each material to evaluate suitability of FKM, VMQ, EPDM, NBR with gasket for fuel cell which is in general use with the material of gasket. It could be found from the compound made with setting the optimum state that NBR is worse than FKM in the chemical property of matter for a long term, and VMQ is worse than FKM in the elution of a metal ion, and EPDM is worse than FKM in the permeability of gas. As a result of leak evaluation of gasket for fuel cell with using FKM, it appeared leak in short time when contracting pressure is getting lower and sealing pressure is getting higher. And as a result of the life prediction with using Arrhenius model, we could predict that it is possible to continuously drive for 60,000 hours.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.68-75
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• 2010

The one of the major problems in the development of PEMFC was regarding to the assurance of sealing on stack. The failure on the sealing creates the problems of fuel leakage, mixing, internal combustion, damage on parts and can be a direct reason for the degrading the efficiency of fuel cell. This paper studies on the analytical approach for improving the contacting pressure distribution on the gasket at the evaluation on the sealing of fuel cell stack. So, the assembly analysis on multi layered fuel cell stack was performed. The research on the simplification of finite element model was performed for three dimensional analysis at the multi layered state. The improved contact pressure distribution was obtained through the case studies on gasket for better sealing. In addition, the number of the cell was determined for the effective analysis and the structural characteristics were evaluated based on this research.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.488-494
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• 2011

Gasket plays an important role on sealing of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. Stack requires gaskets in each cell to keep the hydrogen and air/oxygen within their respective regions. The failure of the gasket creates the problems of fuel leakage, mixing, damage on parts and can be a direct reason for the degrading the efficiency of fuel cell. The purpose of this paper researches on how mechanical properties of EPDM gasket in PEMFC are changed after long-term operations. The EPDM (ethylenepropylene-diene monomer) gaskets are obtained from the stack after long-term operations. DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis) is conducted to access the change of mechanical properties of the EPDM gasket. SEM/EDS (scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy) was used to show the surface topography and chemical characterization on the sample surface.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 2007

The present manuscript deals with the prediction of the lifetime of NBR compound based rubber gaskets for use as fuel cells. The material was investigated at 120, 140 and $160^{\circ}C$, with aging times from 3 to 600 h and increasing $H_2SO_4$ concentrations of 5, 6, 7 and 10 vol%. Both material and accelerated acid-heat aging tests were carried out to predict the useful life of the NBR rubber gasket for use as a fuel cell stack. To investigate the effects of acid-heat aging on the performance characteristics of the gaskets, the properties of the NBR rubber, such as crosslink density and elongation at break, were studied. The hardness of the NBR rubber was found to decrease with decreasing acid concentration at both $120\;and\;140^{\circ}C$, but at $160^{\circ}C$, the hardness of the NBR rubber increased abruptly in a very short time at different acid concentrations. The tensile strength and elongation at break were found to decrease with increases in both the $H_2SO_4$ concentration & temperature. The observed experimental results were evaluated using the Arrhenius equation.