Device and method for manufacturing membrane-electrode assembly of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11335933-B2
Application number	US-202016857595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A manufacturing device of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell is provided. The manufacturing device includes an electrolyte membrane feeding unit forming a first and second ionomer bases impregnated at both surfaces of a reinforcing layer and unwinding an electrolyte membrane wound in a roll type supplied in a predetermined transporting path. A first patterning unit is disposed at a rear side of the electrolyte membrane feeding unit and patterns a first ionomer protrusion pattern layer on the first ionomer base and a second patterning unit is disposed at the rear side of the first patterning unit and patterns a second ionomer protrusion pattern layer on the second ionomer base. A transfer unit is disposed at the rear side of the second patterning unit and couples a catalyst electrode layer on the first and second ionomer protrusion pattern layers by a roll laminating method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell using a manufacturing device of the membrane-electrode assembly for the fuel cell including an electrolyte membrane feeding unit, first and second patterning units, and a transfer unit, comprising:
unwinding an electrolyte membrane wound in a roll shape through the electrolyte membrane feeding unit to be supplied to a predetermined transporting path;
patterning a first ionomer protrusion pattern layer of a predetermined shape on a first ionomer base of an electrolyte membrane lower surface through the first patterning unit;
patterning a second ionomer protrusion pattern layer of a predetermined shape on a second ionomer base of an electrolyte membrane upper surface through the second patterning unit; and
coupling, respectively, a catalyst electrode layer of an anode on the first ionomer protrusion pattern layer and a catalyst layer of a cathode on the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer through the transfer unit,
wherein the patterning the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer includes:
rotating the pattern roll partially immersed in an ionomer solution within an ionomer reservoir;
removing the ionomer solution attached to an external circumference surface of the pattern roll through a blade; and
coating the ionomer solution filled in an engrave pattern of the pattern roll on the first ionomer base of the electrolyte membrane lower surface through a pressurize roll rotated while pressurizing the upper surface of the electrolyte membrane via the electrolyte membrane with the pattern roll.

2. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer includes
transferring the electrolyte membrane along the predetermined transporting path through a drying furnace and the first and second ionomer protrusion pattern layer is dried; and
irradiating the infrared ray to the first and second ionomer protrusion pattern layers in the drying furnace.

3. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer includes
applying the ionomer solution to the pattern screen of the electrolyte membrane upper surface side through a spray nozzle, and
coating the ionomer solution on the second ionomer base of the electrolyte membrane upper surface through an aperture pattern of a pattern screen.

4. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer includes applying the ionomer solution using the spray nozzle to the pattern screen by an ultrasonic wave vibration.

5. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling, respectively, the catalyst electrode layer of the anode on the first ionomer protrusion pattern layer and the catalyst layer of the cathode on the second ionomer protrusion pattern layer through the transfer unit includes:
coating, respectively, an upper and lower heteromorphic films with the catalyst electrode layer of the anode and the catalyst electrode layer of the cathode and unwinding the roll shape through a film unwinder to be supplied to the electrolyte membrane upper surface and the electrolyte membrane lower surface; and
passing the electrolyte membrane and the upper and lower heteromorphic films between upper and lower joining rolls to transfer, respectively, the catalyst electrode layer of the upper heteromorphic film on the electrolyte membrane upper surface and the catalyst electrode layer of the lower heteromorphic film on the electrolyte membrane lower surface.

6. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second ionomer protrusion pattern layers includes of one shape selected from the group consisting of: a stripe shape, a hexagon shape, a square shape, and a circular shape formed on the first and second ionomer bases.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Ki Hong

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M4/881

  Electrolytic 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

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• H01M4/8828

  Coating with slurry or ink · CPC title