Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Tadaaki Yamada

Hodaka Tsuge

Takashi Kato

Ayumi Mizuno

Koichiro Sato

You Shimomura

The method of manufacturing the fuel cell includes a step of stacking a gas diffusion layer (for example, an anode diffusion layer and a cathode diffusion layer) and a catalyst layer (for example, an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer) on an electrolyte membrane, performing heat treatment with pressure and heat to form a membrane electrode assembly, a preliminary treatment step of bringing superheated steam into contact with the membrane electrode assembly, and an aging step of applying a voltage having a predetermined waveform between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode of the membrane electrode assembly subjected to the preliminary treatment step.

Method of producing fuel cell

A method of activating a fuel cell includes an energizing step. In the energizing step, a hydrogen gas as an anode gas is supplied to an anode, and an inert gas as a cathode gas is supplied to a cathode to produce a potential difference between the anode and the cathode. In this state, current is applied between the anode and the cathode.

Method of and apparatus for activating fuel cell

In a method of inspecting output of a fuel cell, a reduction step is performed, and thereafter, a measurement step is performed. In the reduction step, reduction treatment is applied to electrode catalyst contained in an anode and a cathode. After the reduction treatment is applied to the electrode catalyst of the anode and the cathode, in the measurement step, measurement current which is smaller than rated current of the fuel cell, is applied to the anode and the cathode to inspect the output of the fuel cell.

Method of inspecting output of fuel cell

In a method of inspecting an output of a fuel cell, an oxidation step is performed, and thereafter, a measurement step is performed. In the oxidation step, oxidation treatment is applied to an electrode catalyst contained in an anode and a cathode. After the oxidation treatment is applied to the electrode catalyst of the anode and the cathode, in the measurement step, a measurement current which is smaller than a rated current of the fuel cell is applied to the anode and the cathode to measure the output of the fuel cell.

In an electric potential difference forming step of a method of inspecting output of a fuel cell, a hydrogen gas as an anode gas is supplied to an anode, and an inert gas as a cathode gas is supplied to the cathode to generate an electric potential difference between the anode and the cathode. In a maintaining step, measurement current which is smaller than rated current of the fuel cell is applied to the anode and the cathode, and the voltage between the anode and the cathode is maintained at less than the reduction potential of the electrode catalyst. In a measurement step, in the state where the measurement current is applied to the anode and the cathode, and voltage between the anode and the cathode is maintained, the cathode gas is changed to a mixed gas, and then, output of the fuel cell is measured.

In a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a potential is swept to obtain a cyclic voltammogram. The activation treatment is completed when any of conditions (a) to (c) is satisfied. (a): the peak number between 0.1 and 0.3 V increases from one to two, and inequalities of I/I&#x2267;1.2 and I/I&#x2267;1.2 are satisfied where I, Iand Iare current values of the two peaks, and the minimum current value between the two peaks, respectively; (b): an oxidation peak within a range of 0.4 to 0.7 V decreases, and a charge amount corresponding to the peak decreases to 20 mC or less; and (c): the ratio I/Iincreases from less than 1 to 1 where Iand Iare current values of a reduction peak within a range of 0.6 to 0.7 V and a reduction peak within a range of 0.7 to 0.8 V, respectively.

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Tochigi-ken, Japan

Tadaaki Yamada