Fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9548502-B2
Application number	US-201415022417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2014
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell stack includes a first power generation unit and a second power generation unit. Wave-like first fuel gas flow passages of the first power generation unit and wave-like first fuel gas flow passages of the second power generation unit are set to mutually different phases. The ends of the first fuel gas flow passages form linear flow passage grooves that linearly extend in the wavelength direction from the center of the width of the wave-form amplitude.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack comprising a first power generation unit and a second power generation unit, the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit each comprising a membrane electrode assembly and a metal separator being stacked, the membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode, a wavy fuel gas flow field including a plurality of flow grooves configured to allow a fuel gas to flow along an electrode surface of the anode in a wavy pattern and a wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field including a plurality of flow grooves configured to allow an oxygen-containing gas to flow along an electrode surface of the cathode in a wavy pattern being formed in each of the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit,
wherein, in the first power generation unit, the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field are in a same phase on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly;
in the second power generation unit, the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field are in a same phase on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, but the phase is different from the phase of the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field of the first power generation unit;
the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit are stacked together to form a coolant flow field between a back surface of the wavy fuel gas flow field and a back surface of the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field in the different phases from each other, configured to allow a coolant to flow through the coolant flow field; and
at least one end of the wavy fuel gas flow field and at least one end of the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field are terminated at a central portion of a width of amplitude of a waveform.

2. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein at least one end of the wavy fuel gas flow field and at least one end of the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field form a straight flow groove extending straight in a wavelength direction from the central portion of the width of the amplitude of the waveform.

3. The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein a fuel gas passage configured to allow the fuel gas to flow in a stacking direction of the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit, and an oxygen-containing gas passage configured to allow the oxygen-containing gas to flow in the stacking direction, and a coolant passage configured to allow the coolant to flow in the stacking direction, are formed;
a resin frame member is formed integrally with an outer end of the membrane electrode assembly; and
the resin frame member includes a plurality of linear flow grooves connecting the oxygen-containing gas passage and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field and a plurality of linear flow grooves connecting the fuel gas passage and the wavy fuel gas flow field.

4. A fuel cell stack comprising a first power generation unit and a second power generation unit, the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit each comprising a membrane electrode assembly and a metal separator being stacked, the membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode, a wavy fuel gas flow field including a plurality of flow grooves configured to allow a fuel gas to flow along an electrode surface of the anode in a wavy pattern and a wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field including a plurality of flow grooves configured to allow an oxygen-containing gas to flow along an electrode surface of the cathode in a wavy pattern being formed in each of the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit,
wherein, in the first power generation unit, the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field are in a same phase on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly;
in the second power generation unit, the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field are in a same phase on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, but the phase is different from the phase of the wavy fuel gas flow field and the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field of the first power generation unit;
the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit are stacked together to form a coolant flow field between a back surface of the wavy fuel gas flow field and a back surface of the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field in the different phases from each other, configured to allow a coolant to flow through the coolant flow field; and
a flow field end part of a flow field inlet end or a flow field outlet end of the wavy fuel gas flow field of the first power generation unit including the back surface forming the coolant flow field and a flow field end part of a flow field inlet end or a flow field outlet end of the wavy oxygen-containing gas flow field of the second power generation unit including the back surface forming the coolant flow field, are positioned in alignment with each other as viewed in a stacking direction.

5. The fuel cell stack according to claim 4 , wherein a resin frame member is formed integrally with the membrane electrode assembly, around an outer end of the membrane electrode assembly; and
the flow field inlet end or the flow field outlet end is provided to face the resin frame member.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishida Kentaro
• Sugiura Seiji
• Kimura Yoshihito
• Tanaka Yukihito

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0267

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

• H01M8/0265

  the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections · CPC title

• H01M8/026

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

• H01M2250/20

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