Power generation cell and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024332587-A1
Application number	US-202418588563-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2024
Priority date	Mar 30, 2023
Publication date	Oct 3, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

In power generation cells of a fuel cell stack, a first sealing portion of a first metal separator is an elastically deformable metal sealing portion protruding from the first metal separator in a direction away from a membrane electrode assembly, a second sealing portion of a second metal separator is an elastically deformable resin seal member attached to a surface of the second metal separator that is opposite to a surface facing the membrane electrode assembly, and the resin seal member is in contact with the metal sealing portion.

First claim

1 . A power generation cell comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane, and a cathode and an anode disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, and a first metal separator and a second metal separator disposed on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein each of the first metal separator and the second metal separator includes a flow path through which a fluid flows, the fluid being one of an oxygen-containing gas, a fuel gas and a coolant, each of the first metal separator and the second metal separator includes a sealing portion for preventing leakage of the fluid from a boundary between the first metal separator and the second metal separator in a case where the power generation cell is provided in plural and the plurality of power generation cells are stacked one another in a manner that the first metal separator and the second metal separator are positioned adjacent to each other, the sealing portion of the first metal separator is an elastically deformable metal sealing portion protruding from the first metal separator in a direction away from the membrane electrode assembly, the sealing portion of the second metal separator is an elastically deformable resin seal member attached to a surface of the second metal separator that is opposite to a surface facing the membrane electrode assembly, and the resin seal member is in contact with the metal sealing portion in a state where the plurality of power generation cells are stacked one another.

2 . The power generation cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a resin frame extending to surround an outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein the second metal separator includes a joining section to which the resin frame is joined, and a resin seal member is attached to the joining section.

3 . The power generation cell according to claim 2 , wherein the flow path of the second separator comprises:
a fuel gas passage through which the fuel gas flows in a stacking direction when the plurality of power generation cells are stacked one another; a fuel gas flow field through which the fuel gas flows along the anode; and a tunnel for allowing communication between the fuel gas passage and the fuel gas flow field, and the resin seal member comprises: a passage sealing portion surrounding the fuel gas passage; and a flow path sealing portion surrounding the fuel gas flow field, and the passage sealing portion and the flow path sealing portion are in contact with an outside surface of the tunnel.

4 . The power generation cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the sealing portion extends in the first direction along a surface direction of the electrolyte membrane in a form of a line, and in a second direction intersecting a stacking direction when the plurality of power generation cells are stacked and the first direction, a widthwise size of the resin seal member is larger than a widthwise size of the top end surface of the metal sealing portion.

5 . The power generation cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the top end surface of the metal sealing portion is curved convexly in a protruding direction of the metal sealing portion in the power generation cell before being stacked.

6 . The power generation cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the sealing portion of the second metal separator includes another metal sealing portion that is elastically deformable and protrudes from the second metal separator in a direction away from the membrane electrode assembly, and the resin seal member is attached to a top end surface of the another metal sealing portion.

7 . A fuel cell stack comprising the power generation cell according to claim 1 , wherein the power generation cell is provided in plural and the plurality of the power generation cells are stacked one another.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Arai Fumiya
• Tanaka Yukihito
• Oyama Satoshi
• Ando Keisuke
• Ebato Yutaka
• Iizuka Natsumi
• Okubo Takuro

Classifications

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M8/0282 Primary

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M8/0276 Primary

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

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title