Fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276879-B2
Application number	US-201314402110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2013
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A fuel battery cell has a membrane electrode assembly, a frame, a pair of separators, and support members. The membrane electrode assembly is formed with an anode and a cathode bonded so as to face an electrolyte membrane. The frame holds the periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. The pair of separators sandwich the frame holding the membrane electrode assembly. The support members protrude along an edge part of the frame so as to pass beyond the frame and support the membrane electrode assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel battery cell comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode bonded so as to face the electrolyte membrane;
a frame holding a periphery of the membrane electrode assembly;
a pair of separators sandwiching the frame holding the membrane electrode assembly, each of the pair of separators including a plurality of concave and convex portions that form flow channels for at least one of hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas, a first surface of the frame being in contact with at least one of the flow channels; and
a support member disposed on the first surface of the frame and protruding from an edge part of the frame so as to extend beyond the frame in a direction toward an interior of the frame and support the membrane electrode assembly,
the support member opposing a first surface of the anode or the cathode that is opposite a second surface of the anode or the cathode that contacts the electrolyte membrane, the support member not being in direct contact with the electrolyte membrane, and
the support member having a rectangular shape and protruding from the edge part of the frame in a direction parallel to the first surface of the frame.

2. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member is one of a plurality of support members, and the plurality of support members is formed along opposing edge parts within the edge part of the frame, the edge part of the frame comprising a rectangular shape.

3. The fuel battery cell according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of support members is formed in parallel with the flow channels.

4. The fuel battery cell according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of support members is adjacent to a surface of the anode or the cathode.

5. The fuel battery cell according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of support members is formed integrally in the frame.

6. The fuel battery cell according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of support members is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly.

7. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member is one of a plurality of support members, and the plurality of support members is formed in parallel with the flow channels.

8. The fuel battery cell according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of support members is adjacent to a surface of the anode or the cathode.

9. The fuel battery cell according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of support members is formed integrally in the frame.

10. The fuel battery cell according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of support members is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly.

11. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member is one of a plurality of support members, and the plurality of support members is adjacent to a surface of the anode or the cathode.

12. The fuel battery cell according to claim 11 , wherein
the plurality of support members is formed integrally in the frame.

13. The fuel battery cell according to claim 11 , wherein
the plurality of support members is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly.

14. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member is formed integrally in the frame.

15. The fuel battery cell according to claim 14 , wherein
the support member is one of a plurality of support members, and the plurality of support members is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly.

16. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member is bonded to the membrane electrode assembly.

17. The fuel battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the frame comprises ribs disposed in a matrix configuration.

18. A fuel battery cell comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode bonded so as to face the electrolyte membrane;
a frame holding a periphery of the membrane electrode assembly;
a pair of separators sandwiching the frame holding the membrane electrode assembly, each of the pair of separators including a plurality of concave and convex portions that form flow channels for at least one of hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas, a first surface of the frame being in contact with at least one of the flow channels; and
a support member disposed on the first surface of the frame and protruding from an edge part of the frame so as to extend beyond the frame in a direction toward an interior of the frame and support the membrane electrode assembly,
the support member opposing a first surface of the anode or the cathode in a stacking direction of the electrolyte membrane, the first surface of the anode or cathode being opposite a second surface of the anode or the cathode that contacts the electrolyte membrane, and
the support member having a rectangular shape and protruding from the edge part of the frame in a direction parallel to the first surface of the frame.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor
• Gore W L & Ass Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oku Takanori
• Abe Mitsutaka
• Nomura Tomoya
• Takane Tomoyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/0273 Primary

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

• H01M8/242

  comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title