Fuel cell separator and fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248104-A1
Application number	US-201415023825-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 2, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are formed alternately, by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding, in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110 . Terminal first grooves 202 t is extended at an upper edge of the separator central region 121 in which the first grooves 202 and the second grooves 204 are formed. The terminal first grooves 202 t include a depressed corner recess 202 tb made shallower in groove depth in a corner portion of the separator central region 121 on a fuel-gas supply hole side. The depressed corner recess 202 tb connects between the second grooves 204 that extend below the terminal first grooves 202 t , and the outer edge portion 123.

First claim

1 .- 6 . (canceled)

7 . A fuel cell separator being assembled to a membrane electrode assembly, the fuel cell separator having a first surface and a second surface as a back surface of the first surface, the fuel cell separator comprising:
a central region opposed to a power generation-enabled region of the membrane electrode assembly; an outer edge portion extending from the central region to surrounding edge portion of the central region; a first surface-side recessed groove part including a plurality of grooves formed in the central region on the first surface; a second surface-side recessed groove part including a plurality of grooves formed in the central region in the second surface; and an air discharge part formed on an upper end side of the central region in the first surface-side recessed groove part, the air discharge part connecting between the central region and the outer edge portion, and discharging air within the grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part from the central region to the outer edge portion along with the cooling water, wherein the air discharge part is formed at a place where air within the grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part is accumulable on the upper end side of the central region because of changing flow direction of the cooling water passing through the second surface-side recessed groove part.

8 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:
a cooling water supply-side manifold disposed at the outer edge portion on one side of the central region in horizontal direction; and a cooling water introducing part configured to diffuse and introduce cooling water supplied from the cooling water supply-side manifold into the individual grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part with changing flow direction of the cooling water, wherein the air discharge part is formed at a central-region corner portion positioned on the upper end side of the central region and on the side of the cooling water introducing part.

9 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising
a fuel gas supply-side manifold configured to supply fuel gas into the grooves of the first surface-side recessed groove part, the fuel gas supply-side manifold disposed at the upper side of the cooling water supply-side manifold in the outer edge portion.

10 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 8 , wherein
the grooves of the first surface-side recessed groove part and the grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part are formed alternately on the first surface and the second surface in the central region by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding of the central region, and the air discharge part is a bottom-wall recessed part where a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned at the upper end of the central region is recessed.

11 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the grooves of the first surface-side recessed groove part and the grooves of the second surface-side recessed groove part are formed alternately on the first surface and the second surface in the central region by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding of the central region, and the air discharge part is a bottom-wall recessed part where a bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part positioned at the upper end of the central region is recessed.

12 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the cooling water introducing part includes shallow groove portions being scatteredly along path of the first surface-side recessed groove part, wherein the shallow groove portions are partly shallower in depth in the first surface-side recessed groove part and are formed alternately on the first surface and the second surface against the second surface-side recessed groove part.

13 . The fuel cell separator in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the cooling water introducing part includes shallow groove portions being scatteredly along path of the first surface-side recessed groove part, wherein the shallow groove portions are partly shallower in depth in the first surface-side recessed groove part and are formed alternately on the first surface and the second surface against the second surface-side recessed groove part.

14 . A fuel cell comprising stacked plurality of unit cells, each of the unit cells having a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between a first separator and a second separator, each of the unit cells including:
the fuel cell separator of claim 7 as the first separator, wherein in the unit cells adjoiningly stacked, the bottom wall of the first surface-side recessed groove part included in the first separator of one of the unit cells is in contact with the second separator of the other unit cell.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Konno Norishige

Classifications

• H01M8/026 Primary

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0267

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