Apparatus for manufacturing membrane-electrode assembly for fuel cell and membrane-electrode assembly manufactured using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825312-B2
Application number	US-201514846787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell is provided. The apparatus includes a sub-gasket feeding unit that forms first electrode windows, unrolls a first sub-gasket sheet, and supplies the sheet to a transfer line. An electrode membrane loading unit installed over the transfer line forms electrode catalyst layers on both faces of an electrolyte membrane, collects the electrode membrane sheet cut, and loads the sheets onto first electrode windows. A sub-gasket loading unit installed over the transfer line forms second electrode windows, collects a second sub-gasket sheet, and loads the sheets on the electrode membrane sheet. MEA bonding units installed on the transfer line bond the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet mutually stacked while passing the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet between a pair of hot rollers along the transfer line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the apparatus comprising:
a sub-gasket feeding unit configured to consecutively form first electrode windows to space the first windows apart from each other at particular intervals, unroll a first sub-gasket sheet wound in a roll form, and supply the first sub-gasket sheet to a transfer line;
an electrode membrane loading unit installed over the transfer line and configured to form electrode catalyst layers on both faces of an electrolyte membrane, collect the electrode membrane sheet cut in a unit form, and load the electrode membrane sheets onto the first electrode windows of the first sub-gasket sheet;
a sub-gasket loading unit installed over the transfer line and configured to form second electrode windows, collect a second sub-gasket sheet cut in a unit form, and load the second sub-gasket sheets on the electrode membrane sheet;
membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) bonding units installed on upper and lower sides of the transfer line and configured to bond together the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet mutually stacked while passing the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet between a pair of hot rollers along the transfer line; and
an electrostatic generator installed over the transfer line and configured to generate static electricity in the first sub-gasket sheet to attach the second sub-gasket sheet loaded onto the electrode membrane sheet to the first sub-gasket sheet using the static electricity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an MEA rewinder installed in a rear of the MEA bonding units and configured to wind an MEA sheet to which the electrode membrane sheet and the second sub-gasket sheet are bonded on the first sub-gasket sheet by the MEA bonding units in a roll form.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a film rewinder installed on a part of the sub-gasket feeding unit and configured to recover a protection film of the first sub-gasket sheet and wind the protection film in a roll form; and
a film unwinder installed on a part of the MEA rewinder and configured to unroll the protection film of a roll form and supply the unrolled protection film to the MEA sheet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first location sensor, a second location sensor, and a third location sensor installed extraneous to the transfer line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first location sensor is configured to detect an edge location of the first electrode window of the first sub-gasket sheet, the second location sensor is configured to detect an edge location of the electrode membrane sheet, and the third location sensor is configured to detect an edge location of the second electrode window of the second sub-gasket sheet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum suction unit installed in the transfer line and configured to suction the first sub-gasket sheet and the electrode membrane sheet in a vacuum.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode membrane loading unit includes a pair of first grippers configured to suction the electrode membrane sheet in a vacuum.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the pair of first grippers are installed to upwardly tilt both ends of the electrode membrane sheet in opposite directions and are configured to suction both ends of the electrode membrane sheet in a vacuum and apply tension to the electrode membrane sheet.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sub-gasket loading unit includes a pair of second grippers configured to suction the second sub-gasket sheet in a vacuum.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the pair of second grippers are installed to upwardly tilt both ends of the second sub-gasket sheet in opposite directions and are configured to suction both ends of the second sub-gasket sheet in a vacuum and apply tension to the second sub-gasket sheet.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising:
a first sub-gasket feeding unit configured to unroll a first sub-gasket sheet wound in a roll form and supply the first sub-gasket sheet to a transfer line;
a first cutting unit installed on a part of the first sub-gasket feeding unit and configured to consecutively form first electrode windows in the first sub-gasket sheet fed through the first sub-gasket feeding unit to space the first electrode windows apart from each other at particular intervals;
an electrode membrane loading unit installed over the transfer line and configured to form electrode catalyst layers on both faces of an electrolyte membrane, collect an electrode membrane sheet cut in a unit form, and load the electrode membrane sheets onto the first electrode windows of the first sub-gasket sheet;
a second sub-gasket feeding unit installed extraneous to the transfer line and configured to unroll a second sub-gasket sheet wound in a roll form and supply the second sub-gasket sheet to the electrode membrane sheet;
a second cutting unit installed on a part of the second sub-gasket feeding unit and configured to consecutively form second electrode windows in the second sub-gasket sheet fed through the second sub-gasket feeding unit to space the second electrode windows apart from each other at particular intervals;
membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) bonding units installed extraneous to the transfer line and configured to bond together the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet mutually stacked while passing the first sub-gasket sheet, the electrode membrane sheet, and the second sub-gasket sheet between a pair of hot rollers;
an MEA rewinder installed in a rear of the MEA bonding units and configured to wind an MEA sheet to which the electrode membrane sheet and the second sub-gasket sheet are bonded on the first sub-gasket sheet by the MEA bonding units in a roll form;
a film rewinder installed on the part of the first sub-gasket feeding unit and configured to recover a protection film of the first sub-gasket sheet and wind the protection film in a roll form;
a second film rewinder installed on the part of the second sub-gasket feeding unit and configured to recover a protection film of the second sub-gasket sheet and wind the protection film in a roll form; and
a film unwinder installed on a part of the MEA rewinder and configured to unroll the protection film of a roll form and supply the unrolled protection film to the MEA sheet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the electrode membrane loading unit includes a pair of first grippers configured to suction the electrode membrane sheet in a vacuum.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sun Ho

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

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

• H01M8/0286

  Processes for forming seals · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/00

  Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• Y02P70/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic