Manufacturing method for fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763530-B2
Application number	US-201715797526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A manufacturing method for a fuel cell includes: preparing a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; preparing a support frame having an electrical insulating property and an ultraviolet permeability; preparing a separator; bonding the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame to each other via a first ultraviolet curable adhesive; and, after the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame are bonded to each other, bonding the support frame and the separator to each other via a second ultraviolet curable adhesive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method for a fuel cell, the manufacturing method comprising:
preparing a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly in which a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer are formed on each face of an electrolyte membrane such that a peripheral region of one of the faces of the electrolyte membrane is exposed;
preparing a frame-shaped support frame having an electrical insulating property and an ultraviolet permeability, the support frame being larger in outer peripheral shape than the electrolyte membrane, the support frame being smaller in inner peripheral shape than the electrolyte membrane;
preparing a first separator that is larger in outer peripheral shape than the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly;
bonding the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame to each other by bringing the peripheral region of the electrolyte membrane and an inner peripheral side of a first face of the support frame into contact with each other via a first ultraviolet curable adhesive and then irradiating ultraviolet light to the first ultraviolet curable adhesive from a second face of the support frame across from the first face;
after the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame are bonded to each other, bonding the support frame and the first separator to each other by bringing the second face of the support frame and the first separator into contact with each other via a second ultraviolet curable adhesive located outside an outer periphery of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and then irradiating ultraviolet light to the second ultraviolet curable adhesive from the first face of the support frame at a portion outside the outer periphery of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly;
preparing a plurality of assemblies in which the support frame, the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the first separator are bonded to each other;
preparing a second separator that is larger in outer peripheral shape than the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; and
alternately stacking the plurality of assemblies and a plurality of the second separators on top of each other such that each second separator is arranged to the first face of the support frame of a corresponding one of the assemblies,
wherein the support frame has a plurality of holes, a plurality of first protrusions, and a second protrusion, the first protrusions and the second protrusion are elastic, reactant gas or refrigerant flows through the holes, the first protrusions and the second protrusion are formed on the first face such that one of the first protrusions surrounds one of the holes and the second protrusion surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly,
the first separator has a communication hole that communicates with the hole,
the second separator is smaller in outer peripheral shape than the first separator, the second separator has no communication hole that communicates with the hole, and
in alternately stacking the plurality of assemblies and the plurality of second separators, the first protrusions of each assembly of the plurality of assemblies are compressed by the first separator of an adjacent assembly that is one of the plurality of assemblies and that is adjacent to the assembly, and the second protrusion is compressed by the second separator.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein
a material of at least one of the first and second protrusions is a thermoplastic elastomer, and the at least one of the first and second protrusions is formed integrally with the support frame.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the support frame has a hole and elastic first and second protrusions, reactant gas or refrigerant flows through the hole, the first and second protrusions are formed on the first face such that the first protrusion surrounds the hole and the second protrusion surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, and
in alternately stacking the plurality of assemblies and the plurality of second separators, the first and second protrusions are compressed by the second separator.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein
a material of the support frame includes at least one of a polyethylene naphthalate resin, a polyethylene terephthalate resin, a polyether sulphone resin, a polyphenylene sulfide resin and a polypropylene resin.

5. A manufacturing method for a fuel cell, the manufacturing method comprising:
preparing a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly in which a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer are formed on each face of an electrolyte membrane such that a peripheral region of one of the faces of the electrolyte membrane is exposed;
preparing a frame-shaped support frame having an electrical insulating property and an ultraviolet permeability, the support frame being larger in outer peripheral shape than the electrolyte membrane, the support frame being smaller in inner peripheral shape than the electrolyte membrane;
preparing first and second separators that are larger in outer peripheral shape than the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly;
bonding the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame to each other by bringing the peripheral region of the electrolyte membrane and an inner peripheral side of a first face of the support frame into contact with each other via a first ultraviolet curable adhesive and then irradiating ultraviolet light to the first ultraviolet curable adhesive from a second face of the support frame across from the first face;
bonding the first and second separators to each other by welding;

after the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the support frame are bonded to each other and after the first and second separators are bonded to each other, bonding the support frame and the first separator to each other by bringing the second face of the support frame and the first separator into contact with each other via a second ultraviolet curable adhesive located outside an outer periphery of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and then irradiating ultraviolet light to the second ultraviolet curable adhesive from the first face of the support frame at a portion outside the outer periphery of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly;
preparing a plurality of assemblies in which the support frame, the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the first and second separators are bonded to each other; and
stacking the plurality of assemblies on top of each other in the same orientation,
wherein the support frame has a plurality of holes, a plurality of first protrusions, and a second protrusion, the first protrusions and the second protrusion are elastic, reactant gas or refrigerant flows through the holes, the first protrusions and the second protrusion are formed on the first face such that one of the first protrusions surrounds one of the holes and the second protrusion surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly,
the first separator has a communication hole that communicates with the hole, the second separator has a communication hole that communicates with the hole, and in stacking the plurality of assemblies, the first protrusions, and the second protrusion are compressed by the second separator of an adjacent assembly that is one of the plurality of assemblies.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 5 , wherein
a material of at least one of the first and second protrusions is a thermoplastic elastomer, and the at least one of the first and second protrusions is formed integrally with the support fram

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okabe Hiroki

Classifications

• H01M8/2418

  Grouping by arranging unit cells in a plane (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

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

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title