Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha

Daisuke Kanno

Takashi Kondo

Keiji Hashimoto

Daisuke Hayashi

Atsushi Ida

Tomoo Yoshizumi

Shuji Kurita

Yoshihiro Yamagata

Takenori Yamasaki

Norishige Konno

Takashi Kondou

Makoto Yoshida

Yu Morimoto

Masaya Kobayashi

Satoshi Kawabe

Yoshinori Shinozaki

Makoto Sazawa

A fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; a frame member which surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; and a pair of separators with the frame member and the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly sandwiched therebetween. The separators include a manifold hole through which a reaction gas is supplied or discharged. The frame member includes a manifold opening which communicates with the manifold hole, an in-plane opening in which the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly is disposed, a gas flow path which communicates with the in-plane opening and the manifold opening, a seal portion which is welded to the separators around the gas flow path, and an accommodation portion which is provided between the seal portion and the gas flow path to accommodate a material of the frame member caused to flow by welding.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell includes stacked power cells and an end cell. Each power cell includes a first plate and two first separators sandwiching the first plate. The end cell includes a second plate and two second separators sandwiching the second plate. Through holes formed in each plate and each separator form a power generating gas inlet passage extending in the power cells. The end cell has at least one of a 'first structure,' in which a bottom wall of the through hole of the second plate or an upstream one of the second separators is downwardly recessed compared to corresponding portions of the power cells, and a 'second structure,' in which a bottom wall of the through hole of the second plate or a downstream one of the second separators upwardly projects compared to corresponding portions of the power cells.

A fuel cell stack includes: a plurality of power generation cells stacked on top of each other; a dummy cell provided on at least one of both ends of the plurality of power generation cells, the dummy cell being configured not to generate electric power; and a reaction gas supply manifold extending through the plurality of power generation cells and the dummy cell. The dummy cell includes one or more dummy cell reaction gas introduction channels as a reaction gas introduction channel that introduces reaction gas from the reaction gas supply manifold to a center area of the dummy cell. At least one of the dummy cell reaction gas introduction channels is provided so as to connect to a bottom face at a lower side of the reaction gas supply manifold in a direction of gravitational force.

Fuel cell stack and dummy cell

A fuel cell stack includes multiple power generating units and a dummy unit, and respectively providing openings providing reactant-gas supply manifolds. Each power generating unit includes one or more first supply passages extending from the opening to a central region thereof. The dummy unit includes one or more second supply passages extending from the opening to a central region thereof, and a second supply passage port at the highest position in the vertical direction among the second supply passage ports where the second supply passages are connected to the opening is located at a lower position in the vertical direction than a first supply passage port at the highest position in the vertical direction among the first supply passage ports where the first supply passages are connected to the opening.

Fuel cell stack

A power generation cell of a fuel cell stack has a plurality of first introduction flow paths arranged along a direction of gravity to introduce the reaction gas to a power generation region. The dummy cell has a plurality of second introduction flow paths arranged along the direction of gravity to introduce the reaction gas to a central region. The fuel cell stack has at least one of a first configuration in which the flow path width of the second introduction flow path at a lowermost end in the direction of gravity is narrower than the average flow path width of the second introduction flow paths, and a second configuration in which the flow path width of the first introduction flow path at a lowermost end in the direction of gravity is wider than the average flow path width of the first introduction flow paths.

A fuel batteryincludes a cell laminated bodyincluding lamination of a plurality of cellsa current-collecting platedisposed at an end of the cell laminated bodythe current-collecting plate being made of a metal material, and an anti-rust platedisposed between the cell laminated bodyand the current-collecting platethe anti-rust plate being made of a metal material that is different from the metal material of the current-collecting plateThe anti-rust plateincludes a protrusionand the current-collecting plateincludes a fitting holeinto which the protrusionis fitted.

Fuel battery

A separator to be used in a fuel cell includes a gas flow path including a plurality of gas flow path grooves that allow reactive gas to flow; a gas discharge hole used for discharging the reactive gas from the gas flow path; and an outlet flow path part positioned between the gas discharge hole and the gas flow path and used for flowing the reactive gas discharged from the gas flow path into the gas discharge hole. The plurality of gas flow path grooves includes a coupling flow path part coupled to the outlet flow path part. The coupling flow path part includes tilted gas flow path grooves tilted from a direction of gravitational force. A groove width of the tilted gas flow path groove in the coupling flow path part is set such that a force of a wall surface of the tilted gas flow path groove to retain water by means of a surface tension of the water is larger than a force applied to the water by the gravitational force.

Separator including tilted gas flow path grooves that retain water by capillary force and fuel cell using the same

Disclosed is a fuel cell stack which is able to prevent corrosion from occurring in a separator. The fuel cell stack formed by arranging a terminal on both ends of a cell stacked body in which a plurality of cells including a membrane electrode assembly and separators interposing the membrane electrode assembly therebetween is stacked, includes a rust preventive plate which is arranged between a metal separator and a positive electrode terminal on a high potential side of the cell stacked body, and includes a material more noble than that of the separator in the surface.

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Toyota, Japan

Daisuke Kanno