Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Araco Kabushiki Kaisha

Mikio Wada

Tsuyoshi Takahashi

Yuichi Yagami

Toshiyuki Inagaki

Yasuyuki Asai

Seiji Mizuno

Kouetsu Hibino

Katsuhiro Kajio

Tsutomu Ochi

Haruhisa Niimi

Yixin Zeng

Toshiyuki Suzuki

Tomokazu Hayashi

Ken Nomura

Iwao Myojin

Naoki Yoshioka

Tadahiro Ichioka

Kenichi Kusunoki

Taiki Kuwahara

Provided is a fuel cell stack manufacturing method that can achieve a uniform pitch between fuel cells, that is, unit cells, and can increase the sealing properties between the unit cells. The fuel cell stack manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack including the lamination of a plurality of unit cells. This method includes a conveying step and a stacking step. The conveying step conveys the unit cell with its opposite ends held in a state where a pair of separators forming the unit cell vertically faces each other. The stacking step stacks in the vertical direction the plurality of unit cells with the gasket interposed therebetween. The upper and lower sides of the unit cells in the stacking step are inverted from those of the unit cells in the conveying step.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing fuel cell stack

A fuel cell () includes a lamination () of a plurality of unit cells (), current collector plates () arranged at both ends of the lamination (), end platesrespectively provided outside the current collector plates () with 5 insulating plates () interposed therebetween, and fastening members () for fastening the end plates () in the laminating direction to apply desired pressing force to the lamination (). A barcode () corresponding to particular information relating to a unit cell () is provided on the exposed side surface of a separator () of the unit cell (). According to this fuel cell (), the barcodecan be easily read requiring no disassembly of the fuel cell (). Moreover, as the information relating to the fuel cell can be obtained from the barcode (), the information that cannot be determined from outer appearance can be obtained, resulting in improved service operations.

Fuel cell component having a retrieval code

A seal structure of a fuel cell includes an interrupted back-up disposed at least one of a connecting gas passage and a connecting coolant passage. The back-up located on one side of a separator and a portion of a seal line located on the other side of the separator are disposed such that the back-up and the portion of the seal line are overlapped with each other in a fuel cell stacking direction. The interrupted back-up may be formed in the seal or in the separator.

Seal structure of a fuel cell

A seal arrangement for a fuel cell structure is provided which includes a seal portion in the form of a gasket between adjacent fuel cells in a stack of fuel cells. In the seal arrangement, a portion of the fuel cell structure that overlaps the gasket as viewed in a direction of lamination of the cells has a constant-thickness structure having a substantially constant thickness. The seal arrangement may further be arranged to seal fuel cell coolant passages and manifolds from fuel cell gas passages.

Seal arrangement for fuel cells

A fuel cell separator is pressed so that one side thereof defines a gas flow channel and that the other side thereof defines a coolant flow channel. A width dand a cross-sectional area Sof the gas flow channel and a width dand a cross-sectional area Sof the coolant flow channel satisfy a relationship: d&#x2267;dor a relationship: S&#x2267;S.

Fuel cell separator

In a forming press, a blank is pressed formed into a press-formed workpiece by means of an upper die and a lower die, while a peripheral edge portion of the blank is clamped by means of a die and a blank holder insert of the forming press. Subsequently, a central portion of the press-formed workpiece is partially held by means of the upper die and the lower die so as to draw a peripheral portion of the press-formed workpiece away from the central portion thereof, thereby removing strain from the press-formed workpiece.

Method for removing strain from press-formed workpiece, and forming press

A separator for a fuel cell, where the fuel cell has two separators and an MEA sandwiched by the metal separators. The separator has a portion corresponding to the power generating portion of the MEA and opposing portions located on opposite sides of the power generating portion. The separator has a gas passage at a first surface and a coolant passage at a second, opposite surface. The gas passage has an odd number of straight-extending portions and an even number of U-turn portions and extends between the opposing portions by U-turning twice or more. The coolant passage extends straight between the opposing portions without U-turning.

Separator for a fuel cell

A fuel cell includes a separator including a first member made from metal and a second member made from synthetic resin. The separator has a power generating portion corresponding portion including a gas passage portion and opposing portions located on opposite sides of the power generating portion corresponding portion. A manifold portion is formed in the opposing portions. The manifold portion is offset from the gas passage portion. A gas passage connecting portion is formed in the second member and fluidly connects the manifold portion and the gas passage portion. A gas flow adjusting portion is formed for directing a direction of a gas flow at the gas passage connecting portion to a direction perpendicular to a direction connecting the opposing portions and making a gas flow into and from the gas passage portion uniform in the direction perpendicular to a direction connecting the opposing portions.

Fuel cell

Separators for unit cells of a fuel cell each have a plurality of through holes extending therethrough and a recessed portion formed in a surface thereof. In a fuel cell incorporating such separators, the recessed portion of each separator forms an in-cell oxidative gas passage, together with an adjacent cathode. An oxidative gas, supplied from an external device into the fuel cell, is distributed from an oxidative gas supply manifold formed by holes of the separators, to the in-cell oxidative gas passages. The oxidative gas is then collected in an oxidative gas discharge manifold formed by holes of the separators, and conveyed out of the fuel cell by the discharge manifold. During the passage through each in-cell oxidative gas passage, the oxidative gas flows via an oxidative gas transit manifold formed by holes of the separators.

Growing community of inventors

Nishikamo-gun, Japan

Mikio Wada