Fuel cell separator and fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016233522-A1
Application number	US-201415022050-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 1, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are located alternately in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110 by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding. The first grooves 202 extend in the separator central region 121 on the gas surface side of the anode-side separator 120 , while the second grooves 204 extend in the separator central region 121 on the cooling surface side opposite to the as surface side. Terminal first grooves 202 t that are first grooves 202 extending on the outer edge portion 123 side outside the separator central region have lower terminal-side rising height Ht than the other first grooves 202 positioned on the separator central region 121 side.

First claim

1 . A fuel cell in which a plurality of fuel-cell unit cells are stacked, each fuel-cell unit cell having a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between a first separator and a second separator,
wherein each of the fuel-cell unit including a fuel cell separator assembled to a membrane electrode assembly and having a first surface and a second surface as a back surface of the first surface as the first separator, the fuel cell separator comprising: a central region opposed to a power generation-enabled region of the membrane electrode assembly; a planar-shaped outer edge portion extending from the central region to outer edge of the central region; a first surface-side recessed groove part formed in the central region on the first surface; and a second surface-side recessed groove part formed in the central region on the second surface, wherein grooves of the first surface-side recessed groove part and grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part are located alternately on the first surface and the second surface in the central region by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes by press molding on the central region, and wherein a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part in the first surface-side recessed groove part at a boundary position where an end portion of a member other than the membrane electrode assembly can be located has lower rising height from a recessed-groove opening end than the other bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part, the outer edge portion is joined to a site outside the power generation region of the membrane electrode assembly, and in fuel-cell unit cells stacked adjoiningly each other, a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part in the first separator of one of the fuel-cell unit cells is in contact with the second separator of the other fuel-cell unit cell, a surface pressure applied to the bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part located at the boundary position is lower than a surface pressure applied to the other bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part.

2 . The fuel cell in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the boundary position is located on an outer edge portion side of the first surface-side recessed groove part, and a rising height of the bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part on the outer edge portion side of the first surface-side recessed groove part is lower than that of the other bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part.

3 . The fuel cell in accordance with claim 2 , wherein
in the bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part on the outer edge portion side, a rising height of bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned on an outermost edge portion side is lower than that of the other bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned in the central region.

4 . A fuel cell in which a plurality of fuel-cell unit cells are stacked, each fuel-cell unit cell having a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between a first separator and a second separator,
wherein each of the fuel-cell unit including a fuel cell separator assembled to a membrane electrode assembly and having a first surface and a second surface as a back surface of the first surface as the first separator, the fuel cell separator comprising: a central region opposed to a power generation-enabled region of the membrane electrode assembly; a planar-shaped outer edge portion extending from a separator central region opposed to the power generation region of the membrane electrode assembly to outer edge of the separator central region; a first surface-side recessed groove part formed on one surface side in the separator central region on the first surface; and a second surface-side recessed groove part formed on the other surface side in the separator central region on the second surface, wherein grooves of the first surface-side recessed groove part and grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part are located alternately between front and back surfaces of the separator on the first surface and the second surface in the separator central region by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes by press molding on the separator central region, and wherein a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned on an outermost edge portion side in the first surface-side recessed groove part has lower rising height from a recessed-groove opening end than the other bottom walls of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned in the separator central region, the outer edge portion is joined to a site outside the power generation region of the membrane electrode assembly, and in fuel-cell unit cells stacked adjoiningly each other, a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part in the first separator of one of the fuel-cell unit cells is in contact with the second separator of the other fuel-cell unit cell, a surface pressure applied to the bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part located at the boundary position is lower than a surface pressure applied to the other bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part.

5 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Konno Norishige

Classifications

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/026 Primary

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title

• H01M8/2457

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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