Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10629922-B2
Application number	US-201616317166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A fuel cell stack FS, in which cell structures 3, each of which includes a frame 2 that is disposed at the periphery of the cell structure 3; and separators 4 that are alternately stacked, includes a sealing member S between a peripheral portion of a frame 2 of a first cell structure 3 on one side of one of the separators and a peripheral portion of the separator 4. In each of the separators 4, a first contacting portion 11 in contact with the sealing member S, second contacting portions 12 in contact with a frame 2 of a second cell structure 3 on the other side thereof, and connecting portions 13 that connect the first contacting portion 11 and the second contacting portions 12 are included so as to form a protruded shape portion. Each of the second contacting portions 12 includes a fixing portion fixing with the frame. According to the above, the displacement of the separator 4 attributable to a load caused by pressure difference or thermal deformation is prevented so that the sealing function is maintained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack, comprising:
a first cell structure including a power generation area and a frame disposed around the power generation area;
a second cell structure including a power generation area and a frame disposed around the power generation area; and
a plurality of separators,
wherein the first and second cell structures, and the separators, are alternately stacked, such that the first cell structure is disposed on a first side of one of the separators and the second cell structure is disposed on a second side of the one of the separators,
wherein the fuel cell stack further comprises a sealing member that seals a gap between a peripheral portion of the frame of the first cell structure and a peripheral portion of the one of the separators, and
the one of the separators includes:
a first contacting portion in contact with the sealing member;
a plurality of second contacting portions in contact with the frame of the second cell structure, wherein a first of the plurality of the second contacting portions is disposed at a first side of the first contacting portion and a second of the plurality of the second contacting portions is disposed at a second side of the first contacting portion; and
a plurality of connecting portions that respectively connect the plurality of second contacting portions to the first contacting portion,
wherein the first contacting portion, the plurality of second contacting portions, and the plurality of connecting portions form a protruded shape portion with a top side comprising the first contacting portion in a cross section transverse to the sealing member, and
each of the second contacting portions comprises a respective fixing portion that fixes the second contacting portion and the frame of the second cell structure.

2. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein angles between each of the second contacting portions and the corresponding connecting portions are greater than 90 degrees.

3. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein angles between each of the second contacting portions and the corresponding connecting portions are a same number of degrees.

4. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein the angles between each of the second contacting portions and the corresponding connecting portions are a same number of degrees.

5. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein a linear expansion coefficient of the frame of the second cell structure is greater than a linear expansion coefficient of the separators.

6. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion of each of the second contacting portions is a welded portion that welds the second contacting portion and the frame of the second cell structure.

7. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the separators comprises a bent portion that is continuously disposed between at least one of the connecting portions and at least one of the second contacting portions to support the frames that are opposed to each other.

8. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the first contacting portion comprises a groove that holds the sealing member.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Ichihara Keiji

Classifications

• H01M8/0271 Primary

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/0297

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0273 Primary

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

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0282

  Inorganic material · CPC title