Fuel cell and manufacturing method of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10559841-B2
Application number	US-201715622494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

There is provided a fuel cell comprising a cell stacked body and a case configured to surround at least stacked body side faces of the cell stacked body. The case comprises a first case configured to include a first case side wall and a pair of first opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the first case side wall such as to have a draft angle; and a second case configured to include a second case side wall and a pair of second opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the second case side wall such as to have a draft angle. A first edge of each of the first opposed side walls is joined with a second edge of each of the second opposed side walls. This configuration suppresses size expansion of the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell, comprising:
a cell stacked body provided by stacking a plurality of unit cells, the cell stacked body configured to include stacked body side faces arranged along a stacking direction of the plurality of unit cells; and
a case configured to surround at least the stacked body side faces of the cell stacked body, wherein
the case comprises:
a first case configured to include a first case side wall and a pair of first opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the first case side wall such as to have a draft angle, the pair of first opposed side walls configured to be opposed to each other across the cell stacked body; and
a second case configured to include a second case side wall that is opposed to the first case side wall across the cell stacked body, and a pair of second opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the second case side wall such as to have a draft angle, the pair of second opposed side walls configured to be opposed to each other across the cell stacked body; and
a case bottom wall that is located on one side of the cell stacked body in the stacking direction, wherein

a first edge of each of the first opposed side walls on an opposite side that is opposite to the first case side wall is welded at a joint portion with a second edge of each of the second opposed side walls on an opposite side that is opposite to the second case side wall,
a clamping force is applied to the cell stacked body from respective sides in the stacking direction,
the first case further comprises first intersecting wall that is arranged to rise from the circumference of the first case side wall such as to have a draft angle and is configured to intersect with the pair of first opposed side walls, and
the second case further comprises a second intersecting wall that is arranged to rise from the circumference of the second case side wall such as to have a draft angle and is configured to intersect with the pair of second opposed side walls, wherein
a third edge of the first intersecting wall on an opposite side that is opposite to the first case side wall is joined with a fourth edge of the second intersecting wall on an opposite side that is opposite to the second case side wall, and
the first intersecting wall and the second intersecting wall constitute the case bottom wall, wherein
the case bottom wall receives the clamping force and maintains the clamping force.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the pair of first opposed side walls has a length in a first direction in which the first case side wall and the second case side wall are opposed to each other, that is not less than ⅓ and not greater than ⅔ of a total length of the first opposed side wall and the second opposed side wall that are joined with each other in the first direction, and
each of the pair of second opposed side walls has a length in the first direction that is not less than ½ and not greater than ⅔ of the total length of the first opposed side wall and the second opposed side wall that are joined with each other in the first direction.

3. A manufacturing method of the fuel cell according to claim 1 ,
the manufacturing method comprising:
(a) a process of placing the first edge and the second edge to abut with each other in a first abutment portion and joining the first abutment portion by friction stir welding;
(b) a process of placing the third edge and the fourth edge to abut with each other in a second abutment portion and joining the second abutment portion by friction stir welding; and
(c) a process of placing at least the cell stacked body inside of the case, after the process (a) and the process (b).

4. The manufacturing method of the fuel cell according to claim 3 ,
wherein the process (a) performs the friction stir welding by using a first tool configured to include a first shoulder portion in a columnar shape and a first pin protruded from an end surface of the first shoulder portion, and
the process (b) performs the friction stir welding by using a second tool configured to include a second shoulder portion in a columnar shape that has a different diameter from a diameter of the first shoulder portion, and a second pin protruded from an end surface of the second shoulder portion.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 2 ,
wherein each of the pair of first opposed side walls has a length in the first direction that is ½ of a total length of the first opposed side wall and the second opposed side wall that are joined with each other in the first direction, and
each of the pair of second opposed side walls has a length in the first direction that is ½ of the total length of the first opposed side wall and the second opposed side wall that are joined with each other in the first direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Toyota Jidosha Kanushiki Kaisha

Inventors

• Takabatake Yuma
• Nishiumi Hiroaki
• Itoga Michitaro
• Nishikawa Masahiko

Classifications

• H01M8/247 Primary

  Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks · CPC title

• H01M8/2404 Primary

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0232

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/2475 Primary

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title