Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kiasha

Tomokazu Hayashi

Keiji Hashimoto

Satoshi Futami

Makoto Yoshida

Junichi Shirahama

Yoshinori Yamamoto

Yuichi Yagami

Iwao Myojin

Kousuke Kawajiri

Kotaro Ikeda

Jiro Aizaki

Hikaru Hasegawa

Michihisa Mochizuki

Naohiro Asada

Shunsuke Suzuki

Hiroshi Suzuki

Yasuyuki Asai

Yutaka Hotta

Manabu Takahashi

Hiroo Yoshikawa

Chisato Kato

Yuichi Kato

Tsuyoshi Takahashi

Hiroshi Takamatsu

Mikio Wada

Sogo Goto

Tsutomu Ochi

Shinya Takeshita

Takamasa Kanie

Naotoshi Miyamoto

Fumihiko Inui

Kazunari Moteki

Kyoko Nakai

Takuya Mitsuoka

Keisuke Mizuno

Nobuo Kanai

Yoshitake Suganuma

Koichiro Kawakami

Toshiki Sugimoto

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a fuel cell that ensures developing a high adhesive strength to a separator. One aspect of an embodiment is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell where a pair of separators are mutually bonded with a sealing member. The sealing member includes a thermoplastic resin containing a crystalline polymer as an adhesive layer. The method for manufacturing the fuel cell includes: preparing a stack structure in which the sealing member is disposed between the pair of separators; heating the stack structure at a melting point or higher of the thermoplastic resin; after the heating, holding the stack structure in a temperature range of &#xb1;10&#xb0; C. of a crystallization temperature of the thermoplastic resin to promote a crystallization of the thermoplastic resin; and after the holding, further cooling the stack structure.

Method for manufacturing fuel cell and fuel cell

Provided is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack that can manufacture the fuel cell stack efficiently, can improve the precision for joining and can improve the power generation efficiency. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack repeatedly stacks a separator, an electrode assembly and a separator in this order in accordance with the laminated structure of the fuel cell stack to be manufactured to manufacture the fuel cell stack. When the electrode assembly is stacked on the separator, the method pressurizes the electrode assembly stacked on the separator and applies laser light to the electrode assembly to join the resin frame of the electrode assembly to the separator. When the separator is stacked on the electrode assembly, the method pressurizes the separator stacked on the electrode assembly and applies laser light to the separator to join the separator to the resin frame of the electrode assembly.

Method for manufacturing fuel cell stack

A fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly configured such that electrode catalyst layers are formed on respective surfaces of an electrolyte membrane; gas diffusion layers placed on respective surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly; and a frame placed around periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has a protruding portion that is configured by protruding outside of the gas diffusion layer in a state that the membrane electrode assembly is combined with the gas diffusion layers. The frame has an engagement portion that is configured to engage with the protruding portion. An adhesive layer is formed from an ultraviolet curable adhesive between the protruding portion and the engagement portion.

Fuel cell and method of manufacturing fuel cell

The purpose is to suppress positional misalignment between the diffusion layer and the frame. The manufacturing method of an electrode frame assembly for fuel cell comprises the steps of: (a) placing a frame and a diffusion layer to be stacked on each other; and (b) punching out the diffusion layer and the frame in the stacked state to form in the frame an opening in a shape matching with the punched-out diffusion layer.

Manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of electrode frame assembly for fuel cell

There is provided a power generation body used for a fuel cell. The power generation body comprising a membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane, a first catalyst layer placed on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, a second catalyst layer placed on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane, a first gas diffusion layer placed outside of the first catalyst layer and a second gas diffusion layer placed outside of the second catalyst layer; a frame placed around a circumference of the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly; and an adhesive provided to bond the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly to the frame. The first gas diffusion layer is formed to have an identical size with that of the electrolyte membrane, and the second gas diffusion layer is formed smaller than the electrolyte membrane. The frame has a stepped portion corresponding to a stepped shape formed by the electrolyte membrane and the second gas diffusion layer. The stepped portion has a bonded surface, which includes a surface opposed to the first gas diffusion layer and a surface opposed to either the electrolyte membrane or the second catalyst layer. The bonded surface has higher hydrophilicity than an unbonded surface, which is not bonded to another member, among surfaces of the frame.

Power generation body

A fuel cell is configured to comprise a power generation layer including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode, separators and a gas flow path layer provided between the power generation layer and the separator. The gas flow path layer is structured by a plurality of corrugated elements. Each corrugated element has a corrugated cross section where first convexes that are convex toward the separator and second convexes that are convex toward the power generation layer are alternately arranged. The plurality of corrugated elements are arranged, such that a top surface of the first convex in one corrugated element and a bottom surface of the second convex in an adjacent corrugated element cooperatively form an integral surface, and a plurality of through holes are formed between the respective adjacent corrugated elements. The plurality of corrugated elements include a corrugated element having positions of the first convexes and the second convexes shifted in a positive side of the first direction from those of an adjacent corrugated element, and a corrugated element having positions of the first convexes and the second convexes shifted in a negative side of the first direction from those of an adjacent corrugated element. The volume of a first reaction gas flow path, which is formed along the positions of the second convexes on a separator-side of the gas flow path layer, is less than the volume of a second reaction gas flow path, which is formed along the positions of the first convexes on a power generation layer-side of the gas flow path layer.

Fuel cell including gas flow path layer

In a fuel cell having a cell structure in which a gas flow passage is formed by an expanded metal, a bond portion connecting a mesh of the expanded metal stands partially upright in a position where a bond length is shortened so as to form a part of a strand portion. Hence, in an opening formed by the mesh of the expanded metal, a surface area on which front and rear openings overlap in a direction increases when seen from an direction. Thus, a sectional area of gas flow passages constituted by a continuum in the direction of the openings overlapping in the direction increases. As a result, a gas flow flows without making repeated narrow turns, leading to a reduction in gas pressure loss.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell has a plurality of constituent members that constitute the fuel cell. The constituent members have first positioning portions and a second positioning portion that is provided on an outer peripheral portion, which are used for positioning during stacking.

Fuel cell, fuel cell stack, and method of producing the fuel cell stack

An electrode structureis received in a joint portion of frames. A first gas diffusion layerand a first gas passage forming memberare arranged on a first surface of the electrode structure. A second gas diffusion layerand a second gas passage forming memberare formed on a second surface of the electrode structure. A separatoris joined with a surface of the frameand a surface of the gas passage forming member. A separatoris joined with a surface of the frameand a surface of the gas passage forming member. A water passageis formed between a flat plateof the gas passage forming memberand the separator. The water passagehas a depth set to a value smaller than depth of a gas passage Tof the gas passage forming member. Generated water is introduced from the gas passage Tof the gas passage forming memberto the water passagethrough capillary action via communication holes. The generated water in the water passageis moved to a downstream side of the water passageby pressure caused by oxidization gas. This prevents corrosion of the cathode side electrode catalyst layer and improves durability of the anode side gas passage forming member. As a result, a fuel cell capable of preventing decrease of power generation is provided.

An MEAis arranged between frames. A first gas flow passage forming memberis arranged between an anode electrode layerof the MEAand a first separatorfixed to an upper surface of the frame. A second gas flow passage forming memberis arranged between a cathode electrode layerof the MEAand a second separatorfixed to a lower surface of the frame. The gas flow passage forming membersare each formed by a metal lath. The metal lath is formed by forming a plurality of through holesin a thin metal plate in a mesh-like manner and forming the thin metal plate in a stepped shape. The gas flow passage forming memberseach include a plurality of annular portionsforming the through holes. Each of the annular portionshas a flat surface portionin a first contact portion, which contacts a carbon paper

Gas flow passage forming member, method of manufacturing the gas flow passage forming member, and device for forming the gas flow passage forming member

A membrane electrode assembly () formed by a solid electrolyte membrane () and electrode catalyst layers () is interposed between a pair of frames (). Gas diffusion layers () are laminated onto the surface of the electrode catalyst layers (). A first gas passage forming member () is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer () while a second gas passage forming member () is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer (). Separators () contact surfaces of the frame () and the first and second gas passage forming member (). A plurality of first and second straight grooves () are formed on the first gas passage forming member (), such that the widths (w, w) differ from each other, and cross-sectional areas of the paths for the first and second gas passages (T, T) differ from each other.

Fuel battery

In a separator member to be joined to an adjacent member adjacent thereto with an adhesive in a cell stacking direction, guide paths are provided to guide, in a specific direction, the adhesive applied to a joint surface of the separator member to be joined to the adjacent member. Thus, excessive adhesive is guided to the guide path, and associated disadvantages during joining can be eliminated.

Separator of fuel battery, method of joining separator, and fuel battery

The fuel cell of the invention includes an electrolyte assembly, and a separator having one face as a gas flow path-forming face with a gas flow path formed thereon to allow flow of a reactive gas and the other face, which is reverse to the one face, as a refrigerant flow path-forming face with a refrigerant flow path formed thereon to allow flow of a refrigerant. The gas flow path-forming face of the separator has multiple linear gas flow paths that are arranged in parallel to one another, and a gas flow path connection structure that divides the multiple linear gas flow paths into plural linear gas flow path groups and connects at least part of the plural linear gas flow path groups in series. The refrigerant flow path-forming face has multiple linear refrigerant flow paths that are formed as a reverse structure of the multiple linear gas flow paths on the gas flow path-forming face, and a refrigerant flow path connection structure that is formed as a reverse structure of the gas flow path connection structure on the gas flow path-forming face to connect the multiple linear refrigerant flow paths in parallel.

Fuel cell and fuel cell separator

There is realized a structure particularly suitable for inhibiting deformation of separators having a structure where the shapes of projections and recesses are inverted from each other on the front side and the back side of each separator as in a pressed metal separator. Between adjacent separators, there is formed either a power generation region where MEAs and frame members for holding at least a part of the MEAs are inserted or a refrigerant flow region where neither the MEAs nor the frame members are inserted. A deformation inhibiting region for inhibiting deformation of each separator is formed by a projection provided on the separator. Also, a projection for inhibiting the separator from deforming at the deformation inhibiting region or nearby is formed on each frame member. The projection is projected toward the back side of the deformation inhibiting region, where the deformation inhibiting region is a recess on the back side of the separator.

Cell laminate and fuel cell provided with the same

Growing community of inventors

Seto, Japan

Tomokazu Hayashi