Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshiyuki Inagaki

Mikio Wada

Yuichi Yagami

Tsuyoshi Takahashi

Koji Katano

Yasuyuki Asai

Kouetsu Hibino

Katsuhiro Kajio

Nobutaka Teshima

Tsutomu Ochi

Haruhisa Niimi

Yixin Zeng

Toshiyuki Suzuki

Akihisa Hotta

Tadahiro Ichioka

Toshihiro Sakai

A fuel cell system includes a cell stack body formed by stacking fuel cells on top of each other, end plates arranged at ends in the cell stacking direction of the cell stack body, and a fluid regulation device mounted in a flow path connected to the cell stack body and regulating conditions of fluid flowing in the flow path. The fluid regulation device is fixed to an end plate only at either of a fluid entrance portion and a fluid exit portion of the fluid regulation device.

Fuel cell system

The present invention includes a mounting structure for mounting a component between a first member and a second member. According to the mounting structure, the component is first placed on a surface of the first member. Then, the second member is fitted with the component by a fitting device, so that the component is positioned relative to the second member. Thereafter, the component is fixed in position relative to the first member by a joint device.

Component mounting structures

(1) In a fuel cell stack structure wherein a stack is formed by stacking cells each of which is formed by sandwiching an MEA between two separators, an adhesive layeris provided between the two separators sandwiching the MEA, without a constant thickness structure or pseudo constant thickness structure provided between the separators. (2) An adhesive layeris provided between adjacent cells, without a bead gasket provided therebetween. (3) The adhesive layershave a Young's modulus of 100 MPa or less.

Fuel stack structure with an adhesive layer

Provided is a fuel cell comprising a cell laminate having a plurality of laminated cells, an end plate arranged on the outer side of the laminating direction of the cell laminate, and a spring module interposed between the cell laminate and the end plate for adjusting a compression load on the cell laminate. The spring module includes a coil spring arranged between an upper plate and a lower plate for separating the upper plate and the lower plate from each other by an elastic force. The end plate includes a plurality of load adjusting screws. The spring module is given a load at a plurality of load inputting portions by the load adjusting screws.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell is provided with a cell laminated body in which a plurality of cells are laminated, an end plate arranged outside the cell laminated body in a laminating direction; and a spring module which is arranged between the cell laminated body and the end plate so as to adjust a compressive load to the cell laminated body. The spring module is provided with coil springs which are arranged between an upper plate and a lower plate so as to separate the upper plate and the lower plate from each other by an elastic force. The spring module is provided with a plurality of load display sections having display shafts which are fixed to the lower plate, inserted into through holes of the upper plate and protrude from the outer surface of the upper plate on an end plate side.

A spring module is mounted to a fuel cell stack. The spring module includes a first member and a second member capable of inclining relative to each other and moving in a direction toward and away from each other, and a plurality of springs independent of each other and disposed in parallel with each other between the first and second members. The spring module is disposed between an end plate and the pile of fuel cells. The first member includes a first casing, and the second member includes a second casing, whereby the sparing module includes a casing assembly housing the springs. The bottom surface of the casings is deformable to be wavy. The spring module may include a shock absorber. The plurality of springs may include a coil spring and a sponge of a low-resilience type.

Fuel cell stack

A fuel cell assembly includes multi-cell modules disposed in series and in a stacking direction, and an external member provided along the plurality of multi-cell modules in the stacking direction, and an external restrainer member provided along the external member in the stacking direction. Each multi-cell module of the plurality of multi-cell modules has, a multi-cell assembly formed by stacking a plurality of cells, and a module frame having a first wall that surrounds the multi-cell assembly and that extends in the cell stacking direction of the multi-cell assembly, and wherein the external restrainer member is provided between an internal surface of the external member and an external surface of the first wall of the module frame of the multi-cell module, and contacts the internal surface of the external member and the external surface of the first wall.

Thermal stress tolerant fuel cell assembly within a housing

A fuel cell () includes a lamination () of a plurality of unit cells (), current collector plates () arranged at both ends of the lamination (), end platesrespectively provided outside the current collector plates () with 5 insulating plates () interposed therebetween, and fastening members () for fastening the end plates () in the laminating direction to apply desired pressing force to the lamination (). A barcode () corresponding to particular information relating to a unit cell () is provided on the exposed side surface of a separator () of the unit cell (). According to this fuel cell (), the barcodecan be easily read requiring no disassembly of the fuel cell (). Moreover, as the information relating to the fuel cell can be obtained from the barcode (), the information that cannot be determined from outer appearance can be obtained, resulting in improved service operations.

Fuel cell component having a retrieval code

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of multi-cell modules stacked and a restraining member. Each multi-cell module includes a plurality of fuel cells including opposite end fuel cells at opposite ends of the plurality of fuel cells layered. The restraining member restrains the multi-cell module in a direction perpendicular to the fuel cell stacking direction at the opposite end fuel cells of each multi-cell module. Each of the opposite end fuel cells has an extended portion formed by extending the opposite end fuel cell outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the fuel cell stacking direction, and each multi-cell module is restrained by the restraining member at the extended portion. A hole is formed in the extended portion and a restraining shaft defining the restraining member extends through the hole. A deformation preventing member may be disposed between the extended portions.

A seal arrangement for a fuel cell structure is provided which includes a seal portion in the form of a gasket between adjacent fuel cells in a stack of fuel cells. In the seal arrangement, a portion of the fuel cell structure that overlaps the gasket as viewed in a direction of lamination of the cells has a constant-thickness structure having a substantially constant thickness. The seal arrangement may further be arranged to seal fuel cell coolant passages and manifolds from fuel cell gas passages.

Seal arrangement for fuel cells

A fuel cell separator is pressed so that one side thereof defines a gas flow channel and that the other side thereof defines a coolant flow channel. A width dand a cross-sectional area Sof the gas flow channel and a width dand a cross-sectional area Sof the coolant flow channel satisfy a relationship: d&#x2267;dor a relationship: S&#x2267;S.

Fuel cell separator

A separator for a fuel cell, where the fuel cell has two separators and an MEA sandwiched by the metal separators. The separator has a portion corresponding to the power generating portion of the MEA and opposing portions located on opposite sides of the power generating portion. The separator has a gas passage at a first surface and a coolant passage at a second, opposite surface. The gas passage has an odd number of straight-extending portions and an even number of U-turn portions and extends between the opposing portions by U-turning twice or more. The coolant passage extends straight between the opposing portions without U-turning.

Separator for a fuel cell

A fuel cell includes a separator including a first member made from metal and a second member made from synthetic resin. The separator has a power generating portion corresponding portion including a gas passage portion and opposing portions located on opposite sides of the power generating portion corresponding portion. A manifold portion is formed in the opposing portions. The manifold portion is offset from the gas passage portion. A gas passage connecting portion is formed in the second member and fluidly connects the manifold portion and the gas passage portion. A gas flow adjusting portion is formed for directing a direction of a gas flow at the gas passage connecting portion to a direction perpendicular to a direction connecting the opposing portions and making a gas flow into and from the gas passage portion uniform in the direction perpendicular to a direction connecting the opposing portions.

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Toyota, Japan

Toshiyuki Inagaki