Drying method of fuel cell and drying apparatus of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11522203-B2
Application number	US-202017029264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A drying method of a fuel cell includes holding the fuel cell having separator plates exposed on the surface of the fuel cell at a predetermined angle, and blowing air to the fuel cell at an angle in a range of 5° or larger and 85° or smaller with respect to the surface of the separator plate of the fuel cell held at the predetermined angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drying method of a fuel cell comprising:
holding the fuel cell having a separator plate exposed on a surface of the fuel cell at a predetermined angle; and
blowing air to the fuel cell at an angle in a range of 5° or larger and 85° or smaller with respect to a surface of the separator plate of the fuel cell held at the predetermined angle.

2. The drying method of a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein:
the predetermined angle is an angle at which an angle formed between the surface of the separator plate and a horizontal direction is an angle other than 0°; and
the fuel cell is inclined such that a portion of the fuel cell where an air blower that blows air to the fuel cell is present is higher than the remaining portion of the fuel cell.

3. The drying method of a fuel cell according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined angle is an angle at which the angle formed between the surface of the separator plate and the horizontal direction is 5° or larger and 45° or smaller.

4. The drying method of a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein an angle at which the air is blown toward the fuel cell is an angle in a range of 5° or larger and 45° or smaller with respect to the predetermined angle.

5. The drying method of a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein an angle at which the air is blown toward the fuel cell is an angle in a range of 10° or larger and 30° or smaller with respect to the predetermined angle.

6. The drying method of a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein, in a situation where the fuel cell has an uneven coolant flow path on the surface of the separator plate that air hits, the air is blown to the separator plate of the fuel cell along the uneven coolant flow path.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuda Yukako

Classifications

• H01M8/0267 Primary

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

• F26B9/10

  in the open air; in pans or tables in rooms; Drying stacks of loose material {on floors which may be covered, e.g. by a roof (ventilating means of stacks for agricultural produce A01F25/08)} · CPC title

• H01M8/04828

  Humidity; Water content · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title