Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10439247-B2
Application number	US-201715657629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell stack comprises a stacked body, an end plate and a case configured such that the stacked body is placed therein. The end plate is arranged to cover an end face of the stacked body in a stacking direction and an end face of the case in the stacking direction and is fastened to the end face of the case. A placement groove is formed in at least one surface out of two surfaces of the end plate and the case opposed to each other, such that a seal member is placed in the placement groove. The end plate includes a resin layer formed to continuously cover an inner circumferential wall surface of the fluid flow path hole, a surface of the end plate opposed to the stacked body, and an outer circumferential side end of the placement groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack, comprising:
a stacked body configured to include a plurality of unit cells that are stacked;
an end plate located outside of the stacked body in a stacking direction of the plurality of unit cells and configured to include a fluid flow path hole that is arranged to pass through in the stacking direction; and
a case configured such that the stacked body is placed therein, wherein
the end plate is arranged to cover an end face of the stacked body in the stacking direction and an end face of the case in the stacking direction and is fastened to the end face of the case,
a placement groove is formed in at least one surface out of two surfaces of the end plate and the case that are opposed to each other, such that a seal member used to seal the end plate and the case is placed in the placement groove,
the end plate includes a resin layer formed to continuously cover an inner circumferential wall surface of the fluid flow path hole, a surface of the end plate opposed to the stacked body, and an outer circumferential side end of the placement groove, and
the resin layer extends continuously between:
a first resin layer portion covering the inner circumferential wall surface of the fluid flow path hole,
a second resin layer portion covering the surface of the end plate opposed to the stacked body,
a third resin layer portion covering the outer circumferential side end of the placement groove, and
a fourth resin layer portion abutting the second resin layer portion and the third resin layer portion.

2. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the resin layer is configured to cover an inner surface of the end plate that surrounds the fluid flow path hole.

3. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the end plate and the resin layer are constructed of respective materials that differ from each other.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Taiho Kogyo Co Ltd
• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Shimizu Tatsuhiko
• Hamada Hitoshi
• Tokumasu Tatsuya
• Ota Tadanobu
• Nakamura Yoshiki

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/2485

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title

• H01M8/2483 Primary

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/2465 Primary

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title