Separator for fuel cell and fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11450862-B2
Application number	US-201715815875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A separator for a fuel cell, includes a separator plate provided with a flow path groove group through which the reaction gas flows. The flow path groove group includes a single first flow path groove, a plurality of second flow path grooves, and a branch portion that connects an end portion of the first flow path groove to end portions of the second flow path grooves. The branch portion includes a narrow portion having a narrower groove width than a groove width of a remaining portion of the branch portion. A groove depth of the narrow portion is shallower than a groove depth of the remaining portion of the branch portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A separator for a fuel cell, the separator comprising:
a separator plate provided with a flow path groove group through which a reaction gas for the fuel cell flows,
wherein the flow path groove group includes a single first flow path groove, a plurality of second flow path grooves, and at least two narrow portions are provided at an intersection where the single first flow path groove branches to an end portion of each of the plurality of second flow path grooves;
each of the at least two narrow portions is connected to the end portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of second flow path grooves and a groove depth of the at least two narrow portions is shallower than a groove depth of the first flow path and a groove depth of the corresponding one of the plurality of second flow path;
the groove width of the narrow portion increases toward the corresponding one of the second flow path grooves.

2. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein
angles between a direction in which each of the plurality of the second flow path grooves extends and a direction in which the single first flow path groove extends are equal to each other; and
the groove widths of the at least two narrow portions are equal to each other.

3. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of the second flow path grooves has an angle that is formed between a direction in which the second flow path groove extends and a direction in which the single first flow path groove extends, and
the groove width of one of the at least two narrow portions connected to the end portion of the second flow path groove having a larger angle is wider.

4. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two narrow portions are connected to an entrance of the single first flow path groove.

5. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path groove group includes a communication groove that provides communication between a third flow path groove adjacent to the single first flow path groove and the at least two narrow portions.

6. The separator according to claim 5 , wherein a groove width of the communication groove is narrower than the groove width of the at least two narrow portions.

7. The separator according to claim 5 , wherein a groove depth of the communication groove is shallower than the groove depth of the at least two narrow portions.

8. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein the separator plate is a metal plate having a corrugated plate shape corresponding to the flow path groove group.

9. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein at a point at which the end portion of the first flow path groove and the intersection are connected to each other, a bottom surface of the first flow path groove and a bottom surface of the intersection are connected to each other by an inclined surface.

10. The separator according to claim 1 , wherein at a point at which the end portion of one of the plurality of the second flow path grooves and the intersection are connected to each other, a bottom surface of the one of the plurality of second flow path grooves and the bottom surface of the intersection are connected to each other by an inclined surface.

11. A fuel cell comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly that generates power using a reaction gas; and
a pair of separators between which the membrane electrode assembly is interposed,
wherein at least one of the separators further comprises:
a separator plate provided with a flow path groove group through which the reaction gas for the fuel cell flows,
wherein the flow path groove group includes a single first flow path groove, a plurality of second flow path grooves, and at least two narrow portions are provided at an intersection where the single first flow path groove branches to an end portion of each of the plurality of second flow path grooves;
each of the at least two narrow portions is connected to the end portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of second flow path grooves and a groove depth of the at least two narrow portions is shallower than a groove depth of the first flow path and a groove depth of the corresponding one of the plurality of second flow path;
the groove width of the narrow portion increases toward the corresponding one of the second flow path grooves.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Otsu Wataru
• Hoshikawa Naohiro
• Ito Masayuki
• Kato Takahiro

Classifications

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/0254

  corrugated or undulated · CPC title

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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