Fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9496574-B2
Application number	US-201314387557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2013
Priority date	Apr 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane and catalyst layers joined on both sides of the electrolyte membrane and a pair of separators disposed at both sides of the membrane electrode assembly to respectively form gas flow spaces where two types of power generation gases flow. An electrically conductive porous substrate folded in a corrugated shape is disposed in at least one of the gas flow spaces defined on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, and a gas flow space in which the electrically conductive porous substrate is disposed is divided into a plurality of gas flow paths substantially parallel to a flow direction of the power generation gases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell, comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane and catalyst layers joined on both sides of the electrolyte membrane; and
a pair of separators disposed at both sides of the membrane electrode assembly to respectively form gas flow spaces where two types of power generation gases flow, wherein:
an electrically conductive porous substrate and a gas flow path dividing member are disposed in at least one of the gas flow spaces defined on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly,
the electrically conductive porous substrate is folded in a corrugated shape,
the gas flow path dividing member dividing a gas flow space into a plurality of gas flow paths is substantially parallel to a flow direction of the power generation gases, and
folded portions of the electrically conductive porous substrate extending into the gas flow paths further dividing the gas flow paths.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the gas flow path dividing member is formed by forming the separator in an uneven shape.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein a support made of an electrically conductive porous substrate is disposed between the electrically conductive porous substrate and the membrane electrode assembly.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the support is disposed in both of the gas flow spaces.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive porous substrate and the support are made of a metal or are covered with a metal on the surface thereof.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive porous substrate and the support are made of a metal mesh that is rolled in a direction of reducing a plate thickness.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive porous substrate is fixed on the support or the separators or on both of the support and the separators.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein an intermediate layer to reduce a stress on the membrane electrode assembly applied from the support is disposed between the support and the membrane electrode assembly.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Iritsuki Keita
• Fukuyama Yosuke

Classifications

• H01M8/1018

  Polymeric electrolyte materials · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1002 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M8/0245

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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