Manufacturing method of unit cell of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056703-B2
Application number	US-201816151415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a unit cell of a fuel cell, includes: preparing a membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly; preparing a frame member; bringing an inner peripheral edge of the frame member into contact with a first gas diffusion layer by pushing a convex surface and by deforming a curved portion, in a state where a surface of the frame member is in contact with a peripheral region through an adhesive bond; and joining the frame member and the membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly with the adhesive bond, in a state where the inner peripheral edge of the frame member is in contact with the first gas diffusion layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method of a unit cell of a fuel cell, comprising:
preparing a membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly including:
an electrolyte membrane;
a first catalyst layer formed on one surface of the electrolyte membrane so as to expose a peripheral region of the one surface of the electrolyte membrane;
a second catalyst layer formed on another surface of the electrolyte membrane;
a first gas diffusion layer joined to the first catalyst layer so as to expose the peripheral region; and
a second gas diffusion layer joined to the second catalyst layer;

preparing a frame member that has ultraviolet transparency and that is made of resin, the frame member including:
an outer peripheral edge larger than the electrolyte membrane;
an inner peripheral edge smaller than the electrolyte membrane and larger than the first gas diffusion layer; and

a curved portion positioned between the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge, and defined by a convex surface protruding from one surface of the frame member and by a concave surface concaved from another surface of the frame member;
positioning the membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly, and a first part of the frame member between the curved portion and the outer peripheral edge, on a support base, wherein the positioning is performed by inserting a positioning pin formed on the support base into a positioning hole formed in the frame member;
after the positioning of the membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly and the first part of the frame member on the support base, bringing the inner peripheral edge of the frame member into contact with the first gas diffusion layer by pushing the convex surface and by deforming the curved portion while the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, in a state where the another surface of the frame member is in contact with the peripheral region through an adhesive bond that is an ultraviolet curable resin; and
joining the frame member and the membrane-electrode-gas diffusion layer assembly with the adhesive bond by irradiating ultraviolet to the adhesive bond through the frame member, in a state where the inner peripheral edge of the frame member is in contact with the first gas diffusion layer.

2. The manufacturing method of the unit cell of the fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising holding a second part of the frame member between the curved portion and the first part of the frame member positioned, to the support base, before the bringing of the inner peripheral edge of the frame member into contact with the first gas diffusion layer.

3. The manufacturing method of the unit cell of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein in the bringing of the inner peripheral edge of the frame member into contact with the first gas diffusion layer, the convex surface is pushed while the curved portion is heated.

4. The manufacturing method of the unit cell of the fuel cell of claim 3 , wherein in the bringing of the inner peripheral edge of the frame member into contact with the first gas diffusion layer, the convex surface is pushed while the curved portion is heated to a temperature below a melting point of the frame member.

5. The manufacturing method of the unit cell of the fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein
the curved portion includes first and second curved portions respectively provided along first and second sides of the inner peripheral edge adjacent to each other, and
the frame member includes a notch portion continuous to the inner peripheral edge and separating the first and second curved portions from each other.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shibata Kazunori

Classifications

• H01M4/8825

  Methods for deposition of the catalytic active composition · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title