Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nobuaki Kimura

Toshihiko Suenaga

Masajiro Inoue

Harumi Hatano

Masajirou Inoue

Keisuke Andou

Hiroyuki Tanaka

Narutoshi Sugita

Hideaki Kikuchi

Makoto Tsuji

Teruyuki Ohtani

The fuel cell comprises: a membrane electrode assembly having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side diffusion electrode (an anode electrode, and a second diffusion layer) disposed at one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode side diffusion electrode (a cathode electrode, and a first diffusion layer) disposed at the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators which hold the membrane electrode assembly; a projecting portion which extends from the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and which projects from the peripheries of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode; and a seal, provided on the separators, which was liquid sealant at the time of application. The seal makes contact with the projecting portion while the membrane electrode assembly is disposed between the separators.

Fuel cell having sealant for sealing a solid polymer electrolyte membrane

A method for fabricating a seal-integrated separator for a fuel cell is presented, with which seals can be accurately positioned and the assembling time for the fuel cell units may be greatly reduced. The method comprises the steps of: forming a through hole in the separator body; providing a first mold having grooves respectively positioned corresponding to the inner and outer seals disposed on one side of the separator body, a connecting cavity for forming a seal bridge at least partially connecting the inner and outer seals to each other at a position corresponding to the through hole, and at least one gate communicating with each of the grooves, and a second mold having grooves respectively positioned corresponding to the inner and outer seals disposed on the other side of the separator body, and a connecting cavity for forming a seal bridge at least partially connecting the inner and outer seals to each other at a position corresponding to the through hole; holding the separator body between the first mold and the second mold; and injecting melted seal material to form the seals into each of the grooves in the first mold by supplying the melted seal material into the gate and injecting a portion of the melted seal material into each of the grooves in the second mold via the through hole. Through this method, a seal-integrated separator having first to fourth seals which are integrated on both sides of the separator body is fabricated.

Method for fabricating a seal-integrated separator

A liquid thermosetting sealing agent for a polymer electrode membrane fuel cell having separators and a membrane electrode assembly laminated, whose the viscosity at the application is from 1,000 to 9,000 Pa&#xb7;S, can be used to prepare a highly durable seal for a polymer electrode membrane fuel cell, to produce a single cell having a highly durable seal and to recover the fuel cell whose seal becomes abnormality.

Liquid thermosetting sealing agent for polymer electrode membrane fuel cell, single cell formed with sealing agent, its process, and process for regenerating polymer electrode membrane fuel cell

A method for fabricating a seal-integrated separator for a fuel cell is presented, with which seals can be accurately positioned and the assembling time for the fuel cells may be greatly reduced. The method comprises the steps of: providing an upper mold having a groove positioned corresponding to second and fourth seals disposed on one side of a separator body, and a lower mold having a groove positioned corresponding to first and third seals disposed on the other side of the separator body; holding the separator body between the upper mold and the lower mold; and injecting melted seal material to form the seals into each of the grooves in the upper mold and the lower mold through separate gates respectively formed in the upper and lower molds. Through this method, a seal-integrated separator having the first to fourth seals which are integrated on both sides of the separator body is fabricated.

A solid polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a base film and a moisture-proof layer. The moisture-proof layer may be disposed on an outer edge portion of the base film. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention is for use in a fuel cell, and comprises the base film having an electricity-generating region and a non-electricity-generating region, and the moisture-proof layer disposed on at least a part of the non-electricity-generating region. A fuel cell using the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is also provided.

Solid polymer electrolyte membrane and fuel cell comprising same

The fuel cell of the present invention comprises: a membrane electrode assembly having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side diffusion electrode located at one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode side diffusion electrode located at the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode side diffusion electrode comprising an anode electrode, and a first gas diffusion layer, the cathode side diffusion electrode comprising a cathode electrode, and a second gas diffusion layer; a pair of separators which hold the membrane electrode assembly; and a seal, provided onto the separators, which was liquid sealant at the time of application. The sealant makes contact with at least one of end faces of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer, while the membrane electrode assembly is located between the separators.

A method for mounting a seal in a fuel cell comprising: a membrane electrode assembly formed by holding an electrolyte membrane between a first electrode and a second electrode and having a seal mounting portion; a separator plate layered on both surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly so as to form gas passage; and a frame-shaped separator plate held between the membrane electrode assembly and the separator plate so as to seal the gas passage in air tight. The method comprises: preforming the seal into a predetermined shape; setting the seal at the mounting portion of the membrane electrode assembly; and integrally forming the seal with the membrane electrode assembly.

Method for mounting seals for fuel cell and fuel cell

A method for producing a fuel cell unit including a membrane electrode assembly formed by a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of electrodes located at both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a pair of separators which hold the membrane electrode assembly. The method includes the steps of applying liquid sealant to one of a marginal portion of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the marginal portion being not covered by the pair of electrodes when assembled, and a surface of each of the pair of separators, the surface corresponding to the marginal portion of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane; holding the solid polymer electrolyte membrane with the pair of separators to perform temporary assembling; and solidifying the liquid sealant while maintaining a temporary assembling state.

Methods for producing fuel cell units and fuel cell stacks

A sealing structure in a fuel cell comprises a pair of separators including gas passages and a membrane electrode assembly held by the pair of separators and having a polymerized electrolytic membrane and a electrode layer so as to form a fuel cell. The sealing structure seals a sealing portion between the pair of the separators and the polymerized electrolytic membrane. A sealing groove is provided to the sealing portion of one of the separators, and a first seal has a thickness greater than the depth of the sealing groove and a portion which is gradually narrowed toward an end thereof. A protrusion is provided to the sealing portion of the other separator, and a second seal having a constant width is provided to the front surface of the protrusion. The polymerized electrolytic membrane is held by the first seal and the second seal.

Sealing structure for fuel cell

The fuel cell of the present invention comprises: a membrane electrode assembly having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side diffusion electrode (an anode electrode, and a second diffusion layer) disposed at one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode side diffusion electrode (a cathode electrode, and a first diffusion layer) disposed at the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators which hold the membrane electrode assembly; a projecting portion which extends from the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and which projects from the peripheries of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode; and a seal, provided on the separators, which was liquid sealant at the time of application. The seal makes contact with the projecting portion while the membrane electrode assembly is disposed between the separators.

A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side diffusion electrode and a cathode side diffusion electrode located at both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a pair of separators which holds the membrane electrode assembly. The fuel cell also includes a first seal and a second seal. The first seal is disposed between one of the separators and a periphery portion of whichever of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode has the larger surface area so as to surround whichever of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode has the smaller surface area. The second seal is disposed between the separators so as to surround whichever of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode has the larger surface area.

Fuel cell comprising dual seal assembly

A fuel cell is provided where assembly of the seals is facilitated and excellent sealability and miniaturization becomes possible. This is achieved by a fuel cell (N) where an electrode film structure ( ) having an anode electrode (A) provided on one side of a solid polymer electrolyte film ( ), and a cathode electrode (C) provided on the other side thereof is clamped with an anode-side separator ( ) and a cathode-side separator ( ), wherein a groove ( ) is provided in a surface ( ) of each separator ( ) and ( ) corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the anode electrode (A) or the cathode electrode (C), and a seal (S ) having a circular shape in cross-section and with a fin (F) is provided in this groove ( ).

Fuel cell

A seal in a fuel cell for sealing a membrane electrode assembly comprises a pair of catalytic electrode layers, a polymerized electrolytic membrane held between the catalytic layers, and a gas diffusion layer layered on the outer surface of the catalytic electrode layer. The seal is integrally formed with the polymerized electrolytic membrane. The height thereof is greater than that of the gas diffusion layer. The difference between the heights of the polymerized electrolytic membrane and the gas diffusion layer is constant.

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Wako, Japan

Nobuaki Kimura