Fuel cell separator and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670782-B2
Application number	US-202117559236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Jan 5, 2021
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A fluid flow field of a separator of a fuel cell stack allows a fluid to flow in a separator surface direction. A rubber seal member provides a seal between the fluid passage and the fluid flow field. The tunnel portion intersects the rubber seal member at an intersection. The tunnel portion allows the fluid flow field and the fluid passage to connect to each other. In the rubber seal member, a first portion protrudes from a flat portion in a stacking direction, and a second portion protrudes from a protruding end surface of a tunnel portion in the stacking direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell separator stacked on an membrane electrode assembly, a compression load being applied to the fuel cell separator in a stacking direction, the fuel cell separator comprising:
a fluid flow field configured to allow a fluid that is any of an oxygen-containing gas, a fuel gas, and a coolant to flow in a separator surface direction;
a fluid passage that penetrates, in the stacking direction, an outer area disposed outside the fluid flow field in the separator surface direction and is configured to allow the fluid to flow in the stacking direction;
a rubber seal member configured to provide a seal between the fluid flow field and the fluid passage; and
a tunnel portion that has a hollow shape protruding in the stacking direction from a flat portion provided in the outer area, extends so as to intersect the rubber seal member at an intersection, and forms inside a connection channel configured to connect the fluid flow field and the fluid passage,
wherein the rubber seal member is a member different from the tunnel portion and includes a first portion and a second portion that extend continuously with each other,
the first portion protrudes in the stacking direction from the flat portion, and
the second portion protrudes in the stacking direction from a protruding end surface of the tunnel portion disposed at the intersection.

2. The fuel cell separator according to claim 1 , wherein a protruding height of the first portion from the flat portion is constant in an extending direction of the rubber seal member, and a protruding height of the second portion from the flat portion is constant in the extending direction of the rubber seal member.

3. The fuel cell separator according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the rubber seal members are arranged in parallel in the separator surface direction, as one set.

4. The fuel cell separator according to claim 1 , wherein at the intersection, side surfaces on both sides in a width direction of the tunnel portion are in contact with the rubber seal member.

5. A fuel cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cell separators and a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are stacked in a stacking direction,
wherein a compression load is applied to the fuel cell separators in the stacking direction of the fuel cell separators and the membrane electrode assemblies,
the fuel cell separator comprises:
a fluid flow field configured to allow a fluid that is any of an oxygen-containing gas, a fuel gas, and a coolant to flow in a separator surface direction;
a fluid passage that penetrates, in the stacking direction, an outer area disposed outside the fluid flow field in the separator surface direction and is configured to allow the fluid to flow in the stacking direction;
a rubber seal member configured to provide a seal between the fluid flow field and the fluid passage; and
a tunnel portion that has a hollow shape protruding in the stacking direction from a flat portion provided in the outer area, extends so as to intersect the rubber seal member at an intersection, and forms inside a connection channel configured to connect the fluid flow field and the fluid passage, and
wherein the rubber seal member is a member different from the tunnel portion and includes a first portion and a second portion that extend continuously with each other,
the first portion protrudes in the stacking direction from the flat portion, and
the second portion protrudes in the stacking direction from a protruding end surface of the tunnel portion disposed at the intersection.

6. The fuel cell stack according to claim 5 , wherein in the separator, a protruding height of the first portion from the flat portion is constant in an extending direction of the rubber seal member, and a protruding height of the second portion from the flat portion is constant in the extending direction of the rubber seal member.

7. The fuel cell stack according to claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the rubber seal members are arranged in parallel in the separator surface direction, as one set.

8. The fuel cell stack according to claim 5 , wherein at the intersection, side surfaces on both sides in a width direction of the tunnel portion are in contact with the rubber seal member.

9. The fuel cell stack according to claim 5 , wherein the rubber seal members provided on the plurality of fuel cell separators stacked in the stacking direction are arranged so as to overlap in the stacking direction, and
the rubber seal members adjacent to each other in the stacking direction have different widths in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the rubber seal members.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Kokoku Intech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morikawa Hiroshi
• Ando Keisuke
• Noda Akihiro
• Hirayama Koji
• Mori Keisuke
• Honma Hirotoshi

Classifications

• H01M8/0202 Primary

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M8/0276 Primary

  Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

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