Fuel cell stack having laminated cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10818938-B2
Application number	US-201715837687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of cells laminated. Each of the cells includes: a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; an insulating member; a first separator including a first gas passage and a first refrigerant passage; first, second, and third manifolds penetrating through the insulating member and the first separator such that a first gas, a second gas, and a refrigerant circulate through the first, second, and third manifolds, respectively; and a second separator including a second gas passage and a second refrigerant passage and configured to sandwich the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the insulating member together with the first separator. In the each of the cells, the insulating member includes a first communication portion, a second communication portion, and a third communication portion, and the first separator has a communication opening via which the third communication portion communicates with the first refrigerant passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
a plurality of cells laminated in the same direction, wherein:
each of the cells includes
a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly in which a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer are formed on either side of an electrolyte membrane such that a peripheral region of one surface of the electrolyte membrane is exposed,
an insulating member joined to the peripheral region of the electrolyte membrane and having an insulating property,
a first separator including a first gas passage through which a first gas circulates, and a first refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant circulates, the first gas passage being provided on a side closer to the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, the first refrigerant passage being provided on an opposite side to the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly,
a first manifold, a second manifold, and a third manifold penetrating through the insulating member and the first separator such that the first gas, a second gas, and the refrigerant circulate through the first manifold, the second manifold, and the third manifold, respectively, and
a second separator including a second gas passage through which the second gas circulates, and a second refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant circulates, the second gas passage being provided on the side closer to the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, the second refrigerant passage being provided on the opposite side to the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, the second separator being smaller than respective outer peripheral shapes of the insulating member and the first separator, so as to be provided away from the first manifold, the second manifold, and the third manifold, the second separator being configured to sandwich the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the insulating member together with the first separator;

the plurality of cells is laminated such that the first refrigerant passage of a first cell of two cells adjacent to each other among the plurality of cells is opposed to the second refrigerant passage of a second cell of the two cells; and
the each of the cells is configured such that
the insulating member includes a first communication portion via which the first manifold communicates with the first gas passage, a second communication portion via which the second manifold communicates with the second gas passage, and a third communication portion communicating with the third manifold, and
a communication opening is formed in the first separator,

wherein the insulating member includes a frame-shaped base material and a sealing portion formed in one surface of the base material, and
wherein an inner peripheral side of the surface of the base material abuts with the peripheral region of the electrolyte membrane, and
the third communication portion is formed on the frame-shaped base material and the third communication portion communicates with the second refrigerant passage through the communication opening.

2. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein:
the each of the cells is configured such that
the first communication portion, the second communication portion, and the third communication portion are formed on the base material, and
the sealing portion includes a first sealing portion, a second sealing portion, and a third sealing portion positioned outside the second separator so as to surround the first manifold, the second manifold, and the third manifold, respectively, and a fourth sealing portion configured to surround the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly so as to seal between the base material and the second separator; and

the plurality of cells is laminated such that the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion of the first cell abut with the first separator of the second cell, the first separator of the second cell being opposed to the second separator of the first cell.

3. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein
at least one of the first sealing portion, the second sealing portion, and the third sealing portion of the first cell among the cells has a shape projecting from the one surface of the base material, has elasticity, and is compressed by the first separator of the second cell.

4. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein:
the fourth sealing portion of the first cell among the cells has a shape projecting from the one surface of the base material, has elasticity, and is compressed by the second separator of the first cell.

5. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein
the each of the cells is configured such that the first communication portion is formed on the base material so as to cross the first sealing portion and the fourth sealing portion from the first manifold, and one end of the first communication portion is opened at an inner peripheral edge of the base material.

6. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein
the each of the cells is configured such that the second communication portion is formed on the base material so as to cross the second sealing portion and the fourth sealing portion from the second manifold, and one end of the second communication portion is opened on the one surface of the base material on an inner side relative to the fourth sealing portion.

7. The fuel cell stack according to claim 2 , wherein
the each of the cells is configured such that the third communication portion is formed on the base material so as to cross the third sealing portion from the third manifold.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okabe Hiroki

Classifications

• H01M8/2483 Primary

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/0267 Primary

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title