Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015118593-A1
Application number	US-201414495912-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell stack includes: a cell stack structure formed by stacking a plurality of cells; a pair of current collectors; a pair of end members; and a fastener band wrapped around a cell stack formed by stacking the cell stack structure, the pair of current collectors, and the pair of end members. Each of the pair of end members includes a plurality of plate members. The plate members have a same arched shape in which a height from a surface to contacting a corresponding one of the pair of current collectors gradually increases toward a center portion from both ends, and are disposed in parallel while being apart from each other in a width direction of the fastener band. Adjacent plate members are coupled to each other through a bendable coupling member at part of facing surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell stack comprising:
a cell stack structure formed by stacking a plurality of cells each comprising a membrane electrode assembly and a pair of separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly; a pair of current collectors disposed on outer sides of the pair of separators; a pair of end members disposed on outer sides of the pair of current collectors; and a fastener band wrapped around a cell stack formed by stacking the cell stack structure, the pair of current collectors, and the pair of end members, wherein each of the pair of end members includes a plurality of plate members, wherein the plate members have a same arched shape with a height from a surface to be in contact with corresponding one of the pair of current collectors gradually increasing toward a center portion from both ends, and are disposed in parallel with each other while being apart from each other in a width direction of the fastener band, and wherein adjacent plate members of the plurality of plate members are coupled to each other through a bendable coupling member, at part of facing surfaces of the adjacent plate members.

2 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adjacent plate members are coupled to each other at two portions or more.

3 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adjacent plate members are coupled to each other through a coupling member made of a material that is different from a material of the plate members.

4 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adjacent plate members and the coupling member are formed by integrally molding a same material.

5 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 ,
wherein a width of at least part of contact surfaces of the plate members to be in contact with the fastener band is larger than a width of a plate section supporting the contact surfaces.

6 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fastener band comprises a plate member bent in accordance with a shape of a surface of the cell stack.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Morimoto Takashi
• Yoshimura Mitsuo
• Arai Kenji
• Kuniyoshi Kozue

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/248 Primary

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title