Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuya Sasamoto

Naoyuki Enjoji

Narutoshi Sugita

Seiji Sugiura

Shuhei Goto

Yoshinori Wariishi

Yuichiro Kosaka

Toshiaki Ariyoshi

Mitsunori Matsumoto

Eri Terada

Takashi Kuwayama

A fuel cell stack is formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells in a stacking direction. Each fuel cell is formed by stacking a membrane electrode assembly and a separator together. The membrane electrode assembly includes a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes, end plates provided at both ends, a fluid passage extending in the stacking direction for allowing one of reactant gases and a coolant to flow through the fluid passage, a connection pipe connecting the fluid passage and an external pipe. The connection pipe has one fluid inlet, two intermediate pipe portions branched from the one fluid inlet, and two fluid outlets. A total intermediate opening cross sectional area is larger than an inlet opening cross sectional area of the one fluid inlet, and the total intermediate opening cross sectional area is larger than a total outlet opening cross sectional area.

Fuel cell stack

A fuel cell stack includes a laminated body in which a plurality of electricity generation cells are laminated and is provided with a reaction gas discharge through hole which discharges a reaction gas used in an electricity generation reaction. An end plate is arranged at one end in the lamination direction of the laminated body and is provided with a reaction gas outlet which communicates with the reaction gas discharge through hole. A drainage structure has an outlet pipe coupled to the reaction gas outlet. A tip end portion of the outlet pipe on the downstream side in the reaction gas discharge flow direction opens downward. Umbrella-shaped protrusion portions are provided within the outlet pipe. These protrusion portions have a shape which tapers toward the upstream side with respect to the reaction gas discharge flow direction, dividing the continuous flow of the discharged liquid and the reaction gas.

Drainage structure for gas outlet region in fuel cell stack

A fuel cell stack includes a stacked body, a first terminal plate, a first insulating plate, a first end plate, and a first insulating collar member. The first insulating collar member includes a first tubular portion and a first flange portion. The first tubular portion is provided in the first fluid manifold hole. The first flange portion is disposed at one end of the first tubular portion. Another end of the first tubular portion projects to an outside of the first fluid manifold hole and is in slidably contact with an inner circumferential surface of the first outer manifold member via an outer circumferential surface sealing member. The first flange portion is in contact with the first insulating plate via an end-face sealing member.

An oxygen-containing gas flow field for supplying an oxygen-containing gas from an oxygen-containing gas supply passage to an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage is formed on a first metal plate. The oxygen-containing gas flow field includes oxygen-containing gas flow grooves as serpentine flow grooves having two turn regions T, T. The oxygen-containing gas flow grooves have substantially the same length. The oxygen-containing gas flow grooves are connected to an inlet buffer and an outlet buffer at opposite ends. The inlet buffer and the outlet buffer have a substantially triangular shape, and are substantially symmetrical with each other.

Fuel cell with triangular buffers for reactant gas and coolant

Fuel cell with triangular buffers

A heat medium passage for controlling the temperature of the electric power generation section is separated from the electric power generation section of a fuel cell including a plurality of separators and electric power generating elements alternately laminated in a lamination direction. A heat plate exchanges heat with at least one of the heat medium passage and a heat medium in the heat medium passage and is connected to the separators to provide electrical conduction between the separators in the lamination direction. An electrical insulator is provided for insulation between the heat medium and the heat plate. Another heat medium passage may be provided on the other side. A temperature control system for the fuel cell may include a burner for supplying the heated heat medium to the heat medium passage and may comprise first and second fluidic passages independently to selectively use the first and second fluidic passage.

Fuel cell and a temperature control system for the fuel cell

A reactant gas humidification apparatus includes a first separator provided on one surface of a water permeable membrane and a second separator provided on the other surface of the water permeable membrane. The first separator has first and second flow fields on both surfaces for supplying an air before reaction as the same reactant gas. Further, the second separator has third and fourth flow fields on both surfaces for supplying an off gas as the same humidifying fluid. The off gas is used for humidifying the air before reaction.

Reactant gas humidification apparatus and reactant gas humidification method

A fuel cell stack is formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells. A heating mechanism is provided for heating an outermost fuel cell by external electrical energy. A power generation circuit including electric heaters corresponding to the fuel cells is provided. Further, a switching mechanism including switches for selectively connecting the fuel cells to the power generation circuit or selectively disconnecting the fuel cells from the power generation circuit is provided.

Fuel cell stack and method of warming up the same

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a heater provided in the fuel cell, a load such as a peripheral component of the fuel cell, a capacitor, and a switch. Power generation of the fuel cell is carried out continuously for supplying electric energy to the load, and charging the capacitor. When charging of the capacitor is completed, the switch is operated such that electric energy discharged from the capacitor is supplied to the heater for warming up the fuel cell by the heater.

Growing community of inventors

Haga-gun, Japan

Kazuya Sasamoto