Fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method and fuel-cell-stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9960435-B2
Application number	US-201414901136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method, includes arranging an extension portion extended from a proximal end of a raised piece on one surface of a base material disposed so as to abut at least one of a cathode side separator and the anode side separator, and setting an interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along a lamination direction so that deformation of the raised piece exceeds an elastic deformation region and enters a plastic deformation region, and is also in a region in which the proximal end moved due to the deformation does not come in contact with the cathode side separator or the anode side separator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method, the fuel-cell-stack including
a separator unit comprising an anode side separator and a cathode side separator,
a deformation absorption member disposed between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator, and comprising a thin-board-like base material, and a plurality of raised pieces raised from one surface of the base material in a grid pattern, and
a membrane electrode assembly adjacent to the separator unit, and formed by joining an anode and a cathode so as to face an electrolyte membrane, the method comprising:
arranging an extension portion extended from a proximal end of a raised piece of the raised pieces on the one surface of the base material to be disposed so as to abut at least one of the cathode side separator and the anode side separator, and
setting an interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along a lamination direction so that deformation of the raised piece exceeds an elastic deformation region and enters a plastic deformation region, and is also in a region in which the proximal end moved due to the deformation does not come in contact with the cathode side separator or the anode side separator.

2. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the setting deforms the raised piece via the cathode side separator and the anode side separator which sandwich the raised piece.

3. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein the setting subjects the raised piece to further plastic deformation by a pressure increase accompanying at least one of warming and humidifying that is executed after assembly of the fuel-cell-stack.

4. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein the setting plastically deforms the raised piece at a time of assembly of the fuel-cell-stack.

5. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 4 , wherein the setting subjects the raised piece to further plastic deformation by a pressure increase accompanying at least one of warming and humidifying that is executed after assembly of the fuel-cell-stack.

6. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the setting subjects the raised piece to further plastic deformation by a pressure increase accompanying at least one of warming and humidifying that is executed after assembly of the fuel-cell-stack.

7. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein the raised piece is subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by supplying a heated medium to the separator unit and expanding the separator unit.

8. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein the raised piece is subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by supplying a medium to the membrane electrode assembly to humidify and expand the membrane electrode assembly.

9. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 7 , further comprising
at least one of a thermoplastic and a thermosetting sealing member hermetically sealing outer peripheral edges of at least the separator unit and the membrane electrode assembly, and
the raised piece being subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by expending at least the separator unit following the heating to cure the sealing member.

10. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein the raised piece is subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by supplying a medium to the membrane electrode assembly to humidify and expand the membrane electrode assembly.

11. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 10 , wherein the medium is humidified to a higher dew point than a temperature of a use state.

12. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 10 , further comprising
at least one of a thermoplastic and a thermosetting sealing member hermetically sealing outer peripheral edges of at least the separator unit and the membrane electrode assembly, and
the raised piece being subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by expending at least the separator unit following the heating to cure the sealing member.

13. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 10 , further comprising
at least one of a thermoplastic and a thermosetting sealing member hermetically sealing outer peripheral edges of at least the separator unit and the membrane electrode assembly, and
the raised piece being subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by expending at least the separator unit following the heating to cure the sealing member.

14. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 6 , further comprising
at least one of a thermoplastic and a thermosetting sealing member hermetically sealing outer peripheral edges of at least the separator unit and the membrane electrode assembly, and
the raised piece being subjected to further plastic deformation while reducing the distance of the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator along the lamination direction to within a range of the plastic deformation region, by expending at least the separator unit following the heating to cure the sealing member.

15. The fuel-cell-stack manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein pressure applied to the interval between the anode side separator and the membrane electrode assembly and pressure applied to the interval between the cathode side separator and the other membrane electrode assembly are configured to be higher than pressure applied to the interval between the anode side separator and the cathode side separator in which is disposed the deformation absorption member.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor
• Nhk Spring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuyama Yosuke
• Shiomi Takeshi
• Terada Yusuke
• Tajima Norihiro

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

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

• H01M8/0206 Primary

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0271

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/2404

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/026

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