Single cell of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10483560-B2
Application number	US-201715794307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A single cell of a fuel cell has: a membrane-electrode assembly; and first and second separators holding the membrane-electrode assembly therebetween. The first separator has plural first straight or wavy groove channels that are arranged in parallel to each other in a first in-plane direction. A cross section along the first in-plane direction of each of the plural first groove channels has a first uneven shape. The first uneven shape has a first pitch P1 along the first in-plane direction. The second separator has plural second wavy groove channels that are aligned along the first in-plane direction. A second uneven shape of the plural second groove channels has a second pitch P2 along the first in-plane direction. The first pitch P1 and the second pitch P2 differ from each other, and neither a value of P1/P2 nor a value of P2/P1 is an integer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A single cell of a fuel cell for constituting a stack, the single cell comprising:
a membrane-electrode assembly; and
a first separator and a second separator holding the membrane-electrode assembly therebetween, wherein
the first separator has plural first groove channels that are straight or wavy and that are arranged in parallel to each other in a first in-plane direction,
a cross section along the first in-plane direction of each of the plural first groove channels has a first uneven shape,
the first uneven shape has a first pitch P 1 along the first in-plane direction,
the second separator has plural second groove channels that are wavy and that are arranged along the first in-plane direction,
a cross section along the first in-plane direction of each of the plural second groove channels has a second uneven shape,
the second uneven shape has a second pitch P 2 along the first in-plane direction,
the first pitch P 1 and the second pitch P 2 differ from each other and neither a value of P 1 /P 2 nor a value of P 2 /P 1 is an integer, and
a pattern of the plural first groove channels differs from a pattern of the plural second groove channels such that the first separator and second separator are asymmetrical with respect to the membrane-electrode assembly.

2. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the plural first groove channels and the plural second groove channels are formed in a region opposing the membrane-electrode assembly.

3. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the first pitch P 1 and the second pitch P 2 satisfy 1<P 1 /P 2 <3/2 or 1<P 2 /P 1 <3/2.

4. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plural first groove channels is a straight groove channel.

5. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case where width of a flat section of a first projection on a back side of the first groove channel is set as D 1 , an amplitude of a wavy shape of a second projection on a back side of the second groove channel is set as Aw, and width of a flat section of the second projection is set as D 2 , the amplitude Aw is set to satisfy a relationship expressed by an equation (1) below,
2· P 1−( D 1+ D 2)< Aw< 4· P 1−( D 1+ D 2)  (1)

6. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein
the first groove channel of the first separator is a channel configured to supply oxidation gas to a cathode of the membrane-electrode assembly, and
the second groove channel of the second separator is a channel configured to supply fuel gas to an anode of the membrane-electrode assembly.

7. The single cell of the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the first in-plane direction is a perpendicular direction to the first groove channel.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nonoyama Nobuaki
• Kobayashi Masaya

Classifications

• H01M8/0263

  having meandering or serpentine paths · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/026 Primary

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title

• H01M8/1006

  Corrugated, curved or wave-shaped MEA · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

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