Gas flow channel forming body for fuel cell, and fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917310-B2
Application number	US-201414421969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

Gas flow channels are provided between protrusions arranged in parallel on a first surface of a partition wall of a gas flow channel forming body, and water introduction channels are provided in valleys on the opposite side of each protrusion, on a second surface. In order to allow the gas flow channels and the water introduction channels to communicate so that water can pass there through, communication channels is provided to the partition wall. Intermediate structures are correspondingly provided inside the water introduction channels to the communication channels. A set of communication channels is formed by a pair of communication channels positioned at a first interval. A set of communication channels and another set of communication channels adjacent thereto are positioned on each protrusion with a second interval therebetween.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell, comprising:
a partition wall having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a plurality of protrusions provided in parallel on the first surface;
a gas flow channel provided between adjacent two of the protrusions;
a plurality of water introduction channels on the second surface, wherein each water introduction passage is provided in a valley positioned opposite to one of the protrusions;
a plurality of communication channels, each of which is provided in the partition wall to allow the gas flow channel to communicate with the water introduction channel and water to pass therebetween; and
a plurality of intermediate structure bodies, each of which is provided in one of the water introduction channels to be opposed to one of the communication channels, wherein
a set of communication channels is formed by at least a pair of the communication channels arranged at a first interval, and
the set of communication channels and an adjacent set of communication channels are arranged at a second interval in each protrusion.

2. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein each communication channel is formed from a vertex of the protrusion toward a valley of the gas flow channel.

3. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein each set of the communication channels provided in the one of the protrusions is arranged to be displaced from each set of the communication channels provided in an adjacent protrusion.

4. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions, the communication channels, and the intermediate structure bodies are formed by pressing.

5. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein a gap in which capillary action of water works is provided between an adjacent two of the adjacent intermediate structure bodies.

6. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication channels are formed by a slit in which capillary action works, and
a gap between the intermediate structure bodies communicates with the communication channel.

7. The gas flow channel forming body for a fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second interval is larger than the first interval.

8. A fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, two electrode catalyst layers respectively laminated on an anode side surface and on a cathode side surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and gas diffusion layers laminated outside the respective electrode catalyst layers, wherein
the fuel cell includes gas flow channel forming bodies laminated on the respective gas diffusion layers of the membrane electrode assembly,
a single cell is configured by arranging each gas diffusion layer of the membrane electrode assembly between a pair of separators,
the fuel cell is configured by stacking a plurality of the single cells, and
each gas flow channel forming body is formed by the gas flow channel forming body according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hashimoto Keiji
• Kawajiri Kousuke
• Futami Satoshi
• Toyota Auto Body Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashimoto Keiji
• Kawajiri Kousuke
• Futami Satoshi

Classifications

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/242

  comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/2457

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title