Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Kawada Industries, Inc.

Seiji Mizuno

Hitoshi Hamada

Tatsuya Kawahara

Masayoshi Iwase

Joji Yoshimura

Shigeyuki Kawatsu

Tsuyoshi Takahashi

Mikio Wada

Takashi Kondo

Takayuki Kikuchi

Masaaki Yamaoka

Nobuaki Nonoyama

Kazuyuki Nakanishi

Hiroaki Nishiumi

Iwao Maeda

Kiyomi Nagamiya

Norishige Konno

Masashi Yamashita

Takahiko Asaoka

Takashi Iseki

Toshiaki Ozaki

Yu Morimoto

Masayoshi Taki

Hiroya Nakaji

Katsuhiko Kinoshita

Naohiro Takeshita

Kazuo Kawahara

Hideki Kubo

Yuka Yamada

Masafumi Koizumi

Katsumi Sato

Yoshimasa Negishi

Yasuhiro Ozawa

Naotaka Aoyama

Yoshiyuki Funaki

Kyouji Kondo

Michiyo Kaneko

A fuel cell includes an exhaust gas flow path provided between a pair of separators that are arranged across a membrane electrode assembly and a resin frame placed therebetween. The exhaust gas flow path includes a first flow path portion extended from a power generation portion toward a manifold portion; a second flow path portion and a third flow path portion extended side by side on a downstream side of the first flow path portion and including downstream ends respectively connected with the manifold portion; and a linkage part connected with a downstream end of the first flow path portion, an upstream end of the second flow path portion and an upstream end of the third flow path portion. An extended region of the downstream end of the first flow path portion is extended toward the upstream end of the third flow path portion in the linkage part.

Fuel cell and fuel cell stack

In a fuel cell, a cathode passage extends from an oxidizing gas supply hole to an oxidizing gas discharge hole. A turn interval at which a flow direction of an oxidizing gas returns to an original direction in an upstream-side passage region is different from the turn interval in a downstream-side passage region. A ratio between the turn interval in the upstream-side passage region and the turn interval in the downstream-side passage region is set to 1.1:1 to 3:1. The upstream-side passage region is overlapped with a most downstream-side passage portion of an anode passage with a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the upstream-side passage region and the most downstream-side passage portion.

Fuel cell

This invention adopts plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using the apparatus including a chamber, a pair of rotary electrode reels including a feed-out reel and a take-up reel, a plasma source, a material gas supplier, and an exhaust unit, and includes applying a negative voltage applied to the rotary electrode reels from the plasma source while a conductive substrate is fed-out from the feed-out reel and is wound on the take-up reel so that the entire surface of the substrate portion between reels contacts the material gas, whereby plasma sheath is formed along the surface of the substrate portion between reels, and the material gas is activated in the plasma sheath and thus contacts the surface of the substrate, thus forming the film on the surface of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for forming film

The present invention provides technology for noble metal plating of titanium surfaces. A process such as the following would be carried out when manufacturing a partially gold-plated separator for a fuel cell, for example. First, a titanium component made of titanium or titanium alloy is prepared for use as the fuel cell separator (S). This titanium component is a titanium component whose surfaces are coated with carbon-containing substance. This titanium component is then subjected to a first heat treatment at a prescribed first temperature of between 300 and 700 degrees Celsius (S). Gold plating of the surfaces of the heat-treated titanium component is then carried out (S). In this way it is possible to more easily carry out gold electrolytic plating of titanium surfaces.

Noble metal plating of titanium components

An improved fuel cell makes uniform partial gas pressure of a fuel gas flowing through a gas passage formed between an electrode and a separator of a fuel cell, activating an electrode reaction in a whole region of the electrode surface along the gas passage. The inlet and outlet for the fuel gas are disposed on a diagonal line of the separator to define a gas passage such that fuel gas smoothly flows even though portions of the passage away from the diagonal line. This may reduce the separator size and improve the volumetric efficiency of the fuel cell and the diffusibility of fuel gas as well as the drainage of water produced by the electrode reaction.

Fuel cell and separator for the same

A fuel cell according to an embodiment of the invention includes a separator on which a gas passage groove is formed. A cross sectional area of a gas passage changes in a direction in which the gas passage groove extends, while each of an opening width of the gas passage groove and a depth of the gas passage groove remains substantially constant.

Separator passage structure of fuel cell

An aspect of the invention for achieving the aforementioned objects relates to a fuel cell including at least one unit cell. The unit cell includes a first separator which is disposed on one side of an MEA, and which includes a first concave groove which constitutes a first gas passage, and a first convex rib whose rear surface constitutes a first refrigerant passage, and on which a first gas cross groove is formed; and a second separator which is disposed on the other side of the MEA, and which includes a second concave groove which constitutes a second gas passage, and a second convex rib whose rear surface constitutes a second refrigerant passage, and on which a second gas cross groove is formed. An integral refrigerant passage whose cross sectional area in a direction in which the integral refrigerant passage extends is equal to or larger than that of the first refrigerant passage and that of the second refrigerant passage is formed by combining the first refrigerant passage and the second refrigerant passage in a cell stacked direction when a plurality of the first separators and a plurality of the second separators are stacked.

A separator for a fuel cell is manufactured by preparing a raw material powder, uniformly mixing the prepared raw material to be formed into a slurry, and charging the raw material powder derived from granulation into a metal mold for heat press forming. The raw material is obtained by adding to carbon powder a binder containing a mixture of phenolic resin and epoxy resin. Therefore the heat press forming step does not cause the binder to generate gas, thus allowing manufacturing of a separator exhibiting sufficient gas-impermeability.

Separator for fuel cell and manufacturing method for the same

The present invention is directed to a fuel reformer device that produces a hydrogen rich gas from a hydrocarbon and steam. The steam reforming reaction that produces the hydrogen rich gas from the hydrocarbon and steam is endothermic. A known technique supplies heat required for the steam reforming reaction by an exothermic oxidation reaction proceeding in parallel with the steam reforming reaction. This known technique may, however, cause an excessive temperature rise in an area of the vigorous oxidation reaction in the fuel reformer device. A reformer unitincluding a Cu&#x2014;Zn catalyst receives a supply of a crude fuel gas containing the air flown through a second fuel supply conduit. The crude fuel gas is subjected to the steam reforming reaction and the oxidation reaction proceeding inside the reformer unit. A resulting hydrogen rich gaseous fuel is discharged to a third fuel supply conduit. The reformer unitincludes an upper stream reaction unitand a lower stream reaction unit. Both the reaction unitsandhave honeycomb structures, wherein the total sectional area of the flow path in the upper stream reaction unitis made smaller than the total sectional area of the flow path in the lower stream reaction unit. This arrangement causes the gas flowing through the reformer unitto have the higher flow velocity on the upstream side than on the downstream side. The higher flow velocity on the upstream side extends the area of the vigorous oxidation reaction to the lower stream portion and enables the heat generated on the upstream side to be effectively transmitted to the lower stream portion. This arrangement thus effectively prevents an excessive temperature rise on the upstream side.

Fuel reformer device

A fuel-cell electrode and a method of manufacturing the fuel-cell electrode achieves a high catalyst utilization ratio and makes it possible to obtain higher output characteristics with a smaller amount of catalyst. The fuel-cell electrode includes a catalytic layer composed of an ion conductive substance, an electron conductive substance and catalytic activation substances. The catalytic activation substances are electrolytically deposited on the electron conductive substance.

Fuel-cell electrode and method of manufacturing the fuel-cell electrode

An electrochemical fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, a first electrode on one side of the electrolyte membrane and a second electrode on another side of the electrolyte membrane, a first separator and a second separator, and a seal. The first and second separators sandwich the first and second electrodes. The seal is provided between the electrolyte membrane and one of the first and second separators for sealing a path of a fuel gas or an oxidative gas, and between the first and second separators for sealing a coolant path. The softer layer in the seal elastically deforms and absorbs a surface roughness of the electrolyte membrane or the electrode. The harder layer supports the electrolyte membrane or the electrode. The seal can respond to and follow a length of the electrolyte membrane or the separator changed by varying temperature.

Seal and fuel cell with the seal

The method of the present invention enhances the adhesive strength of a polymer electrolyte film via an adhesive and thereby manufactures a fuel cell having a high reliability for a gas sealing property. The method provides a pair of separators and applies an adhesive on specific areas of the separators, which are directly joined with the polymer electrolyte film. The adhesive used here is a modified rubber adhesive that is a mixture of epoxy resin and modified silicone and has a modulus of elasticity of not greater than 10 MPa and a durometer A hardness of not greater than 90 after cure. The method subsequently lays the pair of separators upon the joint body and cures the adhesive for bonding the separators directly to the polymer electrolyte film.

Method of manufacturing fuel cells and fuel cells manufactured by the method

The invention improves operability in forming a catalyst electrode, and improves performance of a fuel cell. A catalyst-loaded carbon is dispersed in a mixed solution of an azeotropic solvent and ion exchanged water. An electrolyte solution is added to the dispersed solution. A solvent, such as ethanol or the like, is added to adjust the viscosity and the water content of the solution, thereby providing an electrode catalyst solution. The use of the obtained solution as an ink for forming a catalyst layer through printing improves printing characteristic and drying characteristic.

Fuel cell electrode catalyst solution and production method therefor

A control system for a fuel cell to output an electric energy by a reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas. The control system comprises a humidifier for decreasing the humidification of the fuel cell when the pressure in the fuel cell is high, and for increasing the humidification of the fuel cell when the pressure in the fuel cell is low.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Seiji Mizuno