Membrane electrode assembly, electrochemical cell, stack, fuel cell, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10535888-B2
Application number	US-201715706111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 22, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A membrane electrode assembly of an embodiment includes: a first electrode having a first base, and a first catalyst layer provided on the first base, the first catalyst layer including a plurality of first catalyst units with a laminated structure, and the laminated structure including void layers; and an electrolyte membrane being in direct contact with both first surfaces of the first catalyst units facing each other among the first catalyst units, and second surfaces of the first catalyst units on the opposite side from the first base side. A portion is included where the electrolyte membrane exists over a region being at least 80% of a thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A membrane electrode assembly, comprising:
a first electrode having a first base, and a first catalyst layer provided on the first base, the first catalyst layer including a plurality of first catalyst units with a laminated structure, and the laminated structure including void layers; and
an electrolyte membrane being in direct contact with both first surfaces of the first catalyst units facing each other among the first catalyst units, and second surfaces of the first catalyst units on the opposite side from the first base side,
wherein a portion is included where the electrolyte membrane exists over a region being at least 80% of a thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base, and
an average depth of the electrolyte membrane existing among the first catalyst units is not less than 75% of the thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first base is a gas diffusion base.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte membrane includes any one or more selected from the group consisting of: fluororesin having a sulfonate group, tungstic acid, and phosphotungstic acid.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein in not less than 60% of a space among the first catalyst units, the electrolyte membrane among the first catalyst units exists over a region being at least 80% of the thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second electrode having a second base, and a second catalyst layer provided on the second base, the second catalyst layer including a plurality of second catalyst units with a laminated structure, and the laminated structure including void layers,
wherein the electrolyte membrane is in direct contact with both first surfaces of the second catalyst units facing each other among the second catalyst units, and second surfaces of the second catalyst units on the opposite side from the second base side,
a portion is included where the electrolyte membrane among the second catalyst units exists over a region being at least 80% of a thickness of the second catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the second catalyst unit toward the second base,
the second base is a gas diffusion base,
an average depth of the electrolyte membrane existing among the second catalyst units is not less than 75% of the thickness of the second catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the second catalyst units toward the second base, and
in not less than 60% of a space among the second catalyst units, the electrolyte membrane among the second catalyst units exists over a region being at least 80% of the thickness of the second catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the second catalyst units toward the second base.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 , wherein an outer circumference of the first electrode exists more outside than an outer circumference of the second electrode by not less than 1 mm and not more than 50 mm.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a portion is included where the electrolyte membrane exists over a region being at least 85% of the thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a portion is included where the electrolyte membrane exists over a region being at least 90% of the thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an average depth of the electrolyte membrane existing among the first catalyst units is not less than 85% of the thickness of the first catalyst layer from the second surfaces of the first catalyst units toward the first base.

10. An electrochemical cell using the membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 .

11. A stack using the membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 .

12. A stack using the electrochemical cell according to claim 10 .

13. A fuel cell using the membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 .

14. A fuel cell using the electrochemical cell according to claim 10 .

15. A fuel cell using the stack according to claim 12 .

16. A vehicle using the fuel cell according to claim 13 .

17. A vehicle using the fuel cell according to claim 14 .

18. A vehicle using the fuel cell according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Nakano Yoshihiko
• Mei Wu
• Fukazawa Taishi
• Kanai Yuta
• Hiraga Hiroki

Classifications

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/881

  Electrolytic membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/2457

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• H01M4/8626

  characterised by the form · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title