Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho

Kotaro Ikeda

Masaaki Matsusue

Toshiki Sato

Tomokazu Hayashi

Yusuke Watanabe

Hikaru Hasegawa

Makoto Yoshida

Akito Kawasumi

Michihisa Mochizuki

Naohiro Asada

Yumi Inoue

Eiichiro Morozumi

Yukihiro Suzuki

Masafumi Koizumi

Takatoshi Asaoka

Toshiaki Kusakari

Masaki Ando

Hideaki Kume

Yoshihiro Ikogi

Tomoki Tambo

Noriyuki Kobayashi

Jun Suzuki

Takuya Itakura

A fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly configured such that electrode catalyst layers are formed on respective surfaces of an electrolyte membrane; gas diffusion layers placed on respective surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly; and a frame placed around periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has a protruding portion that is configured by protruding outside of the gas diffusion layer in a state that the membrane electrode assembly is combined with the gas diffusion layers. The frame has an engagement portion that is configured to engage with the protruding portion. An adhesive layer is formed from an ultraviolet curable adhesive between the protruding portion and the engagement portion.

Fuel cell and method of manufacturing fuel cell

A method of manufacturing a unit fuel cell includes a step of forming an adhesive layer having ultraviolet curability and heat curability on an outer peripheral edge portion of a side surface of a membrane electrode assembly, a step of disposing a support frame so that an inner peripheral edge portion of the support frame which supports the membrane electrode assembly at an outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly is disposed on an outer portion of the adhesive layer, and a step of disposing a second gas diffusion layer on the side surface of the membrane electrode assembly so that an outer peripheral edge portion of the second gas diffusion layer is disposed on an inner portion of the adhesive layer, and a step of integrating the membrane electrode assembly, the second gas diffusion layer and the support frame by curing the adhesive layer.

Method of manufacturing unit fuel cell which prevents exposure and deformation

A manufacturing method of a fuel cell separator is provided, whereby the adhesion of a carbon film against a titanium base substrate can be improved and favorable corrosion resistance can be obtained at the same time. A fuel cell separator having such improved adhesion and favorable corrosion resistance is also provided. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to an embodiment of the invention includes the steps of: forming a TiOx (1&#x3c;x&#x3c;2) layeron a titanium base substrate; and forming a carbon filmon the TiOx layerby plasma CVD so that a binder layerincluding Ti, O and C is formed between the TiOx layerand the carbon film

Fuel cell separator and manufacturing method of fuel cell separator

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of cells that are stacked in a stacking direction. Each cell includes a power generating body and a pair of separators. The separators respectively are arranged on opposite surfaces of the power generating body in the stacking direction. Each separator includes a first surface and a second surface. A titanium nitride layer is formed on the first surface, and a conductive carbon layer is formed on the titanium nitride layer. A titanium nitride layer is formed on the second surface. Each separator is in contact with the power generating body via the titanium nitride layer and the carbon layer on the first surface and is in contact with one of the separators of an adjacent cell via the titanium nitride layer on the second surface.

Fuel cell stack

A single fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode assembly; gas diffusion layersandthat placed on both side surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly, respectively so that an outer peripheral edge portion remains in one side surface of the membrane electrode assembly; an adhesive layer formed to cover the outer peripheral edge portion; and a support frame fixed on the adhesive layer. The support frame includes: a support frame body made of resin; and coating layers formed to cover both side surfaces of the support frame body, respectively. The support frame is fixed on the adhesive layer so that the support frame is spaced from the gas diffusion layer on the one side surface of the membrane electrode assembly, and the single fuel cell further includes a protecting layer formed to cover an end of the interior portion of the support frame body.

Single fuel cell and method of manufacturing single fuel cell

A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus that performs performance recovery processing for the catalyst layer by decreasing an output voltage of the fuel cell to a predetermined voltage, wherein the control apparatus predicts a timing of an output increase request being made to the fuel cell and determines the necessity and content of the performance recovery processing based on a result of the prediction.

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a control apparatus which performs performance restoration processing for a catalyst layer by decreasing the output voltage of a fuel cell to a predetermined voltage. When an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer during power generation of the fuel cell contains, in addition to a first oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a first oxide film removal voltage, a second oxide film that can be removed by decreasing the output voltage of the fuel cell to a second oxide film removal voltage which is lower than the first oxide film removal voltage, the control apparatus estimates the amount of the second oxide film and performs performance restoration processing with a set voltage being equal to or lower than the second oxide film removal voltage only when it determines that the estimated amount exceeds a predetermined amount A.

A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell including a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrodes, each having a catalyst layer, are arranged on both surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and a control apparatus which controls an output voltage of the fuel cell. If a target voltage of the fuel cell is set so as to be equal to or higher than a catalyst dissolution voltage at which a catalyst in the catalyst layer is dissolved and the amount of an oxide film formed on the catalyst layer is estimated to be less than a first predetermined amount, the control apparatus controls the output voltage of the fuel cell so as to be equal to an oxide film formation voltage, being lower than the catalyst dissolution voltage, until the amount of the oxide film is estimated to be equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount and then controls the output voltage so as to be equal to the target voltage.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, an impedance measuring instrument, and a control device. The control device is connected to the impedance measuring instrument. The impedance measuring instrument measures the impedance of the fuel cell according to the AC impedance method. The control device stores in advance a reference value corresponding to a reference hydrogen concentration. The control device compares the real part Z' of impedance acquired via the impedance measuring instrument against the reference value. When Z&#x2032; is equal to or greater than the reference value, the control device estimates the hydrogen concentration of the fuel cell to be equal to or less than the reference hydrogen concentration.

Apparatus for estimating fuel-cell hydrogen concentration and fuel cell system

In a fuel cell structure having an assembly of an electrolyte layer and an electrode formed on the electrolyte layer, a gas separatoris laminated on the electrolyte layer and the electrode and forms, in combination with the electrode, a gas flow path to make a flow of a reactive gas that is subjected to an electrochemical reaction. A first water guide element is provided between the electrode and the gas separatorand is arranged to enable migration of water from and to the electrode and to continuously guide water in an electrode plane direction. A gas outletis open at one end of the gas flow path to be at least partly overlapped with one end of the first water guide element and discharges the flow of the reactive gas from the gas flow path. The gas outletis designed to have a higher flow resistance of the reactive gas than a flow resistance in the gas flow path. This arrangement effectively improves the water discharge efficiency from the gas flow path formed in the fuel cell structure.

Growing community of inventors

Susono, Japan

Kotaro Ikeda