Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Soken, Inc.

Ryo Akagawa

Hiroshi Suzuki

Go Tejima

Tomoaki Nakashima

Junichi Shirahama

Osamu Hamanoi

Masahiro Shiozawa

Hideki Kubo

Ikuyasu Kato

Koichiro Yamashita

Takuya Hashimoto

Nobuo Yodoshi

Katsuya Matsuoka

Kazuo Horibe

A fuel cell stack comprises a stack of three or more fuel cells, each having an assembly in which an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are respectively joined to either side of an electrolytic membrane. The anode electrode is provided nearer to one end, in the stack direction of the fuel cell, than the cathode electrode. Temperature regulating parts for regulating the temperature of the anode electrode of one fuel cell of any two adjacent fuel cells and the cathode electrode of the other fuel cell are disposed at a plurality of positions arranged in the stack direction. The provided temperature regulating parts perform temperature regulation so that the heat dissipating capability of the anode electrode is different in the stack direction from that of the cathode electrode.

Fuel cell stack

A process of disassembling a fuel cellsupplies a fluid to both a fuel gas conduitand an oxidizing gas conduit. Since outlets of the respective gas conduitsandare shielded, the internal pressure or in-passage pressure of the respective gas conduitsandgradually rises and eventually exceeds a specific in-passage pressure level for power generation of the fuel cell. The high in-passage pressure expands a gas diffusion electrodeof a membrane electrode assembly (MEA)and a separator, which define the fuel gas conduit, in opposite directions to make a clearance between the gas diffusion electrodeand the separator. Similarly the high in-passage pressure expands a gas diffusion electrodeof the MEAand a separator, which define the oxidizing gas conduit, in opposite directions to make a clearance between the gas diffusion electrodeand the separator. The supplied fluid then flows out through these clearances into seals between the separatorsandand the MEA. These flows raise the in-passage pressure and release the seals.

Fuel cell disassembly method and fuel cell

Respective heatersthroughreceive power supply and start heating. The heatersthroughkeep heating sealing layersto or over a softening temperature at which the sealing layersare softened or molten. After the sealing layersare softened or molten to weaken the adhesive force between a pair of separatorsand, the heatersthroughare detached from a fuel cell. The worker then completely separates the pair of separatorsandfrom each other with some tool or by hand and removes an MEAfrom the fuel cell

Fuel cell disassembly method

Growing community of inventors

Okazaki, Japan

Ryo Akagawa