Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Minoru Kaneko

Kunihiro Nakato

Yasuo Miyake

Akira Hamada

Takahiro Isono

A fuel cell comprises a cathode (electrode catalyst layer), an anode (electrode catalyst layer), and a gas diffusion layer provided at least on one of the cathode and anode between a collector and the electrode catalyst layer and containing carbon having an oil absorption larger than that of a catalyst-supporting carbon used in the electrode catalyst layers. As a result, the dropping of the cell voltage due to external factor is suppressed, even if the cell temperature is low (room temperature to 50&#xb0; C.). The water-absorption pressure of the water passage in the gas diffusion layer is higher than those of the electrode catalyst layers. The produced water and moving water in the cathode is absorbed into the water passage in the gas diffusion layer exhausted to the collector side. When a cell temperature is low, the evaporation speed of water from the collectors is lowered. However, the produced water and moving water in the cathode are physically attracted on the basis of the water-absorbing pressure of the gas diffusion layer and discharged toward the collector side, so that the reduction of the cell voltage is prevented.

Fuel cell

The object of the present invention is to provide fuel cell including a cell that is formed by sandwiching solid polymer membrane between an anode and a cathode that generates electricity with stability and high performance by evenly moistening the solid polymer membrane. For this purpose, in a gas diffusion layer , which is positioned adjacent to a cathode catalyst layer , the content of fluororesin in an area on the side of the entrance for the oxidizer is set to be higher than in another area on the side of the exit so that the water repellency in the entrance side area is higher than in the exit side area. As a result, a water permeation suppressing part A, where the water permeability is relatively low, is formed in the area on the entrance side, while a water permeable part B, where the water permeability is relatively high, is formed in the area on the exit side.

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Osaka, Japan

Minoru Kaneko