Method for producing fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022037681-A1
Application number	US-202117389455-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Aug 3, 2020
Publication date	Feb 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell production method configured to suppress the formation of a blister in a thermoplastic sheet. The production method is a method for producing a fuel cell, wherein the method comprises: a first attaching step, a disposing step and a second attaching step in which, after the disposing step, the membrane electrode assembly and the resin frame are attached via the thermoplastic sheet, and the membrane electrode assembly and the gas diffusion layer are attached via the thermoplastic sheet.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly, a gas diffusion layer attached onto one surface of the membrane electrode assembly, a resin frame attached onto one surface of the membrane electrode assembly so that it is spaced from and surrounds an outer periphery of the gas diffusion layer when viewed in plan view, and a thermoplastic sheet disposed between a stacking direction of the gas diffusion layer and the membrane electrode assembly, disposed between a stacking direction of the resin frame and the membrane electrode assembly, and disposed so that it fills a gap between an inner periphery of the resin frame and the outer periphery of the gas diffusion layer when viewed in plan view,
wherein the method comprises: a first attaching step in which the thermoplastic sheet is disposed on and attached to a peripheral edge on one surface of the membrane electrode assembly, a disposing step in which, after the first attaching step, the gas diffusion layer is disposed on a surface opposite to the surface to which the membrane electrode assembly is attached of the thermoplastic sheet so that the gas diffusion layer is disposed on a more inner side than an outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly when the fuel cell is viewed in plan view, and the resin frame is disposed so that it is spaced from and surrounds the outer periphery of the gas diffusion layer, and a second attaching step in which, after the disposing step, the membrane electrode assembly and the resin frame are attached via the thermoplastic sheet, and the membrane electrode assembly and the gas diffusion layer are attached via the thermoplastic sheet, and wherein the membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane and two electrode catalyst layers disposed on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane.

2 . The method for producing the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first attaching step, the membrane electrode assembly and the thermoplastic sheet are attached by at least one attaching method selected from the group consisting of hot pressing, ultrasonic waves and laser.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ichikawa Makoto
• Mitani Naohiro
• Adachi Makoto

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/0202 Primary

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

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title