Fuel cell and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256495-B2
Application number	US-201214237228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2012
Priority date	Aug 9, 2011
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell includes a pair of interconnectors (ICs); a cell main body provided between the ICs and including an electrolyte, a cathode and an anode formed on respective surfaces of the electrolyte; and a current collection member provided between at least one of the cathode and the anode and the IC for electrically connecting the cathode and/or the anode and the IC. The current collection member has a connector abutment portion which abuts the IC, a cell main body abutment portion abutting the cell main body, and a connection portion connecting the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion, the portions being continuously formed. Between the cell main body and the IC, a spacer is provided so as to separate the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack configured that a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, each of the fuel cells comprising:
a pair of interconnectors facing each other;
one and not more than one cell main body which is provided between the interconnectors facing each other and is formed of ceramic material and which includes an electrolyte, a cathode formed on one surface of the electrolyte, and an anode formed on the other surface of the electrolyte; and
a current collection member which is provided between at least one of the cathode and the anode, and the interconnector, and which electrically connects the cathode and/or the anode, and the interconnector, the fuel cell stack being characterized in that:
the current collection member has a connector abutment portion which abuts the interconnector, a cell main body abutment portion which abuts the cell main body, and a connection portion which connects the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion, the portions being continuously formed;
between the cell main body and the interconnector, a spacer is provided so as to separate the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion from each other; and
the current collection member and the spacer are provided between the cell main body and the interconnector,
wherein the spacer is in direct contact with at least one of the cell main body abutment portion and the connector abutment portion,
wherein (i) the cell main body abutment portion is in direct contact with the cell main body or (ii) a bonding layer is provided between and in direct contact with the cell main body abutment portion and the cell main body.

2. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the connection portion is bent at about 180°, and the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion are provided on opposite sides of the spacer.

3. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer is more flexible than the current collection member with respect to a load which can occur in association with a change in distance between the cell main body and the interconnector.

4. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , which further comprises a clamping member which integrally clamps the interconnector, the cell main body, and the current collection member, wherein, by means of the clamping member and the spacer, the cell main body abutment portion of the current collection member is pressed to abut the cell main body, and/or the connector abutment portion is pressed to abut the interconnector.

5. A fuel cell stack according to claim 4 , wherein the spacer exhibits, in a clamping direction, a thermal expansion coefficient higher than that of the clamping member.

6. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the current collection member is formed of porous metal, metallic mesh, wire, or punching metal.

7. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the cell main body abutment portion of the current collection member is bonded to the surface of the cathode and/or the anode of the cell main body.

8. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the connector abutment portion of the current collection member is bonded to the interconnector.

9. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the current collection member is provided between the anode and the interconnector, and is formed of Ni or an Ni alloy.

10. A fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , the fuel cells being stacked and fixed together by means of a clamping member.

11. A fuel cell stack configured that a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, each of the fuel cells comprising:
a pair of interconnectors facing each other;
one and not more than one cell main body which is provided between the interconnectors facing each other and is formed of ceramic material, and which includes an electrolyte, a cathode formed on one surface of the electrolyte, and an anode formed on the other surface of the electrolyte; and
a current collection member which is provided between at least one of the cathode and the anode, and the interconnector, and which electrically connects the cathode and/or the anode, and the interconnector, the fuel cell stack being characterized in that:
the current collection member has a connector abutment portion which abuts the interconnector, a cell main body abutment portion which abuts the cell main body, and a connection portion which connects the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion, the portions being continuously formed;
between the cell main body and the interconnector, a spacer is provided so as to separate the connector abutment portion and the cell main body from each other, and the spacer is also provided so as to separate the cell main body abutment portion and the interconnector from each other;
the current collection member and the spacer are provided between the cell main body and the interconnector; and
the spacer is provided so as to separate at least one of: (a) the connector abutment portion and the cell main body, and (b) the cell main body abutment portion and the interconnector,
wherein the spacer is in direct contact with at least one of the cell main body abutment portion and the connector abutment portion,
wherein (i) the cell main body abutment portion is in direct contact with the cell main body or (ii) a bonding layer is provided between and in direct contact with the cell main body abutment portion and the cell main body.

12. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the spacer is more flexible than the current collection member with respect to a load which can occur in association with a change in distance between the cell main body and the interconnector.

13. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , which further comprises a clamping member which integrally clamps the interconnector, the cell main body, and the current collection member, wherein, by means of the clamping member and the spacer, the cell main body abutment portion of the current collection member is pressed to abut the cell main body, and/or the connector abutment portion is pressed to abut the interconnector.

14. A fuel cell stack according to claim 13 , wherein the spacer exhibits, in a clamping direction, a thermal expansion coefficient higher than that of the clamping member.

15. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the current collection member is formed of porous metal, metallic mesh, wire, or punching metal.

16. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the cell main body abutment portion of the current collection member is bonded to the surface of the cathode and/or the anode of the cell main body.

17. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the connector abutment portion of the current collection member is bonded to the interconnector.

18. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , wherein the current collection member is provided between the anode and the interconnector, and is formed of Ni or an Ni alloy.

19. A fuel cell stack according to claim 11 , the fuel cells being stacked and fixed together by means of a clamping member.

20. A fuel cell stack configured that a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, each of the fuel cells comprising:
a pair of interconnectors facing each other;
one and not more than one cell main body which is provided between the interconnectors facing each other so as to be a distance away from each of the interconnectors, and is formed of ceramic material and which includes a plate-lik

Assignees

• Hotta Nobuyuki
• Komatsu Daisuke
• Matsui Naoto
• Okazaki Shinobu
• Uematsu Hideki
• Ishikawa Hiroya
• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Hotta Nobuyuki
• Komatsu Daisuke
• Matsui Naoto
• Okazaki Shinobu
• Uematsu Hideki
• Ishikawa Hiroya

Classifications

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2483 Primary

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• H01M8/0297

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title