Fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9601785-B2
Application number	US-201013379972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2010
Priority date	Jun 25, 2009
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

An oxidant gas conduit communicating with both an oxidant gas inlet communication hole and an oxidant gas outlet communication hole is formed in a surface of a cathode-side metallic separator which forms a fuel cell. Continuous linear guide ridges which protrude from intermediate height sections to the oxidant gas conduit side and form continuous guide conduits are provided on the cathode-side metallic separator. The linear guide ridges are continuously connected to ends of rectilinear conduit ridges which form rectilinear conduits, are provided with bend portions, and are set to lengths which are different from each other in a step-like manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell formed by stacking an electrolyte electrode assembly and a metal separator in the form of a corrugated plate in a stacking direction, the electrolyte electrode assembly including electrodes and an electrolyte interposed between the electrodes, a reactant gas flow field as a passage of a fuel gas or an oxygen-containing gas being formed on one surface of the metal separator, a reactant gas supply passage for the fuel gas or the oxygen-containing gas extending through the fuel cell in the stacking direction, wherein the reactant gas flow field includes a plurality of flow field ridges,
wherein the metal separator includes a buffer region formed between an end of the reactant gas flow field and the reactant gas supply passage;
a plurality of continuous linear guide ridges are formed directly in the metal separator and are disposed and formed in the buffer region to form a continuous guide flow field;
the continuous linear guide ridges include bent portions, and the continuous linear guide ridges protrude toward the reactant gas flow field side; and
a plurality of bosses positioned at least between the adjacent continuous linear guide ridges,
wherein in a given buffer region each one of the plurality of continuous guide ridges has a length that is different than lengths of the other ones of the plurality of the continuous guide ridges, and wherein the lengths of each of the plurality of continuous guide ridges decrease in length in a stepwise manner relative to each other in a direction extending towards the reactant gas supply passage,
wherein the continuous linear guide ridges are continuously connected to ends of only selected ones of the plurality of flow field ridges of the reactant gas flow field at predetermined positions and are angled relative thereto, and wherein the flow field ridges form a plurality of flow grooves in the reactant gas flow field for the reactant gas.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer region includes an outer line forming a polygonal shape, and the continuous linear guide ridges are arranged in parallel to the outer line of the buffer ahead of and behind the bent portions.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least intervals between ends of the continuous linear guide ridges adjacent to the reactant gas supply passage or intervals between ends of the continuous linear guide ridges adjacent to the reactant gas flow field are the same.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous linear guide ridges protrude from an intermediate height area of the buffer region toward the reactant gas flow field side; and
a plurality of bosses protrude from the intermediate height area of the buffer in a direction opposite to the direction toward the reactant gas flow field side.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer region has a trapezoidal shape.

Assignees

• Sugiura Seiji
• Sato Shuji
• Takai Takahiro
• Watanabe Yasuhiro
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugiura Seiji
• Sato Shuji
• Takai Takahiro
• Watanabe Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H01M8/0202

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

• H01M8/0247 Primary

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M10/0585

  of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators · CPC title

• H01M10/14

  Assembling a group of electrodes or separators · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title