CN1532977A - Thin film assembly of fuel cell - Google Patents
Thin film assembly of fuel cell Download PDFInfo
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- CN1532977A CN1532977A CNA031208606A CN03120860A CN1532977A CN 1532977 A CN1532977 A CN 1532977A CN A031208606 A CNA031208606 A CN A031208606A CN 03120860 A CN03120860 A CN 03120860A CN 1532977 A CN1532977 A CN 1532977A
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- fuel
- electrode
- air
- electrolyte membrane
- fuel cell
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
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Abstract
This invention discloses a film component of a fuel battery including an electrolyte film, a fuel electrode and an air electrode separated by the film and formed by lamina contacting with the fuel and air to generate water and current. At the state that the fuel and air electrodes are set at either side of the film, at least more than one connecting parts are used to fasten them to closely lean on the electrolyte film so that it's not necessary to prepare other pressing devices when processing large area of film components to reduce cost and bend can be avoided.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an energy generation system for obtaining electric energy using a fuel cell, and more particularly, to a membrane module of a fuel cell in which a membrane module of a unit cell constituting a fuel cell reactor is divided into a membrane (mixed with an electrolyte membrane) and electrodes on both sides of the membrane module are mounted.
Background
Most of the energy used by humans comes from fossil fuels. However, the use of fossil fuels causes problems such as air pollution, acid rain, global warming, etc., and has a very bad influence on the environment, and the use efficiency of energy is also low.
Unlike a general battery (2-time battery), a fuel cell used as an alternative to such fossil fuel is essentially considered as a power generation device, in which a fuel (hydrogen or hydrocarbon) is supplied from the outside to a cathode (anode) and oxygen is supplied to an anode (cathode) to cause an electrochemical reaction in a reverse reaction of an electrolysis reaction of water, thereby generating electric current and heat.
The fuel cell directly converts the energy difference between before and after the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen into electric energy without undergoing a combustion (oxidation) reaction of the fuel.
Fuel cells are classified by the type of electrolyte: there are phosphoric acid type fuel cells operating around 200 ℃; an alkaline electrolyte fuel cell operating at a temperature of 60 to 110 ℃; a polymer electrolyte fuel cell operating at a temperature ranging from room temperature to 80 ℃; a molten carbonate electrolyte fuel cell operating at a high temperature in the range of 500 to 700 ℃; and solid oxide fuel cells operating in a high temperature environment of 1000 ℃ or higher.
As shown in fig. 1, the fuel cell described above includes: a fuel cell reactor 10 equipped with a fuel electrode 12 and an air electrode 13 to generate electric power using an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen; supplying said fuel electrode 12 with tetrahydroboron BH in the state of an aqueous solution containing hydrogen4(essentially providing NaBH4) The fuel supply portion 20; an air supply part 30 for supplying air containing oxygen to the air electrode; supplying electrical energy generated by the fuel cell reactor 10And a power output portion 40 to which a load should be applied.
The fuel cell reactor 10 is formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells (single cells) and penetrating the stacked unit cells with long bolts, each unit cell including: an electrolyte membrane 11, a fuel electrode 12 and an air electrode 13 laminated on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 11 at high temperature and high pressure, and separators 14 and 15 laminated on the outer sides of the fuel electrode 12 and the air electrode 13 to circulate fuel and air in contact with the fuel electrode 12 and the air electrode 13, respectively. Collector plates 16, 17 forming collector electrodes are provided on the outer surfaces of the two end unit cells.
The electrolyte membrane 11 can be used by passing H+The polymer material membrane of (2) is, for example, a polymer ion exchange membrane having conductivity in a wet state.
The fuel electrode 12 and the air electrode 13 are composed of a support made of metal nickel and a catalyst layer formed by laminating all the both side surfaces of the support, and the catalyst layer is preferably used after being plated with a metal of hydrogen-containing alloy (MH) system.
The separators 14, 15 are made of a conductive material similar to graphite, which has good conductivity and high corrosion resistance, and a fuel passage Cf for passing fuel and an air passage Co for passing air are formed on respective inner side surfaces of the fuel electrode 12 and the air electrode 13 which are in contact with each other. Further, the separators 14, 15 disposed between the unit cells are provided with the fuel channels Cf on one side and the air channels Co on the other side, and the separators 14, 15 disposed at both side ends of the fuel cell reactor 10 are provided with only the fuel channels Cf or the air channels Co on the inner side.
The current collector plates 16, 17 are electrodes that ultimately receive electric power from the fuel cell reactor 10, and are typically made of copper material.
In the drawing, 21 denotes a fuel supply pipe, 22 denotes a fuel tank, 23 denotes a fuel pump, 31 denotes an air supply pipe, 32 denotes an air pump, and M denotes a membrane module.
The conventional fuel cell reactor as described above generates electric energy using a boron compound as a fuel in the following manner:
fuel channels supplied to the separator plates 14, 15The fuel and air in the channel Cf and the air channel Co electrochemically react with each other in the course of passing through the respective fuel electrode (cathode) and air electrode (anode), and generate water and current between the two electrodes. This will be explained in detail below: at the fuel electrode 13 When the electrolyte membrane 11 transfers ions generated in the oxidation/reduction reaction to be generated on the air electrode 13 Is used for the electrochemical reduction reaction of air (oxygen).
A current is generated between the fuel electrode 13 and the air electrode 14, and the generated current is supplied to the load through the current collecting plates 16, 17 provided at both ends of the fuel cell reactor 10 in which the plurality of unit cells 11 are stacked.
However, although the conventional fuel cell as described above forms the membrane module M by compressing the electrolyte membrane 11 and the fuel electrode 12 and the air electrode 13 on both sides thereof at high temperature and high pressure in order to form one unit cell as shown in fig. 2 and 3, a large-sized pressurizing apparatus is required to manufacture a membrane module having a large area, which increases the production cost. Moreover, when the moisture contents of the cathode and the anode are different during pressing the electrolyte membrane 11 and the both side electrodes 12, 13, a phenomenon in which the membrane module M is bent or deformation of the electrolyte membrane 11 caused at the time of pressing at a high temperature may occur. If such a pressing process is not complete, although it appears that the electrolyte membrane 11 and the both- side electrodes 12, 13 have been bonded, a part may be separated during the starting process due to insufficient pressing force, reducing the power generation efficiency. If the entire membrane module M needs to be replaced when a part of the electrolyte membrane 11 or the electrodes 12, 13 of the membrane module M is damaged at the time of installation or at the time of start-up, maintenance costs increase.
Disclosure of Invention
The technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a film component which can be used for manufacturing a large area without a pressurizing device, thereby reducing the production cost; the bending phenomenon can be improved when the electrolyte membrane and the two side electrodes are installed, so that the electrolyte membrane and the two side electrodes are firmer; when a part of the membrane is failed during installation or starting, only the failed part is replaced, and the maintenance cost of the membrane assembly of the fuel cell can be reduced.
In order to solve the technical problems, the invention adopts the technical scheme that: a membrane module for a fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode and an air electrode laminated to each other with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween and in contact with fuel and air to generate water and current, wherein the fuel electrode and the air electrode are fixed to each other by at least one connecting member in a state where the fuel electrode and the air electrode are disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, and the fuel electrode and the air electrode are abutted against the electrolyte membrane.
The fuel electrode and the air electrode may be closely attached to the electrolyte membrane by providing a separator having a fuel passage and an air passage on outer surfaces of the fuel electrode and the air electrode and tightening the separators by a fastening member.
Gaskets may be interposed between the fuel electrode and the air electrode and between the separators that contact the fuel electrode and the air electrode.
The connecting member is composed of a connecting bolt penetrating through the electrolyte membrane, the fuel electrode, the air electrode or the electrolyte membrane, the fuel electrode, the air electrode and the two side partition plates, and a connecting nut for tightening the connecting bolt on the outer surface.
The membrane assembly of the fuelcell designed by the invention fixes the fuel electrode and the air electrode by utilizing at least more than one connecting part which enables the fuel electrode and the air electrode to be tightly attached to the electrolyte membrane under the condition that the fuel electrode and the air electrode are respectively arranged on two sides of the electrolyte membrane, thereby needing no additional pressurizing device when manufacturing the membrane assembly with large area and reducing the production cost; no additional compression process is needed when the membrane assembly is manufactured, and the membrane assembly can be prevented from bending even if the moisture content of the fuel electrode and the air electrode is different; can prevent the deformation of the electrolyte membrane caused by high temperature, and can uniformly adjust the installation strength when installing, and prevent the efficiency of the fuel cell reactor from being reduced; when a part of the film is failed during installation or starting, only the failed part can be replaced, so that the maintenance cost can be reduced; the electrolyte membrane and the electrodes are provided in a detachable structure, so that the electrodes can be adjusted as needed.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a system diagram of a conventional fuel cell.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a membrane module of a conventional fuel cell.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a membrane module mounting process of a conventional fuel cell.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a membrane module of a fuel cell designed in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a process of mounting a membrane module of a fuel cell designed according to the presentinvention.
In the figure, 110: a connecting bolt; 111: a connecting nut; 121: an electrolyte membrane; 122: a fuel electrode; 123: an air electrode; 121a, 122a, 123 a: a through hole; m: a membrane module.
Detailed Description
The membrane module of the fuel cell of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:
as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the fuel cell reactor according to the present invention is formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells in sequence and tightening the stacked unit cells with long connecting bolts so that the unit cells are closely adjacent to each other. One end of the coupling bolt 110 is provided with a head portion wider than a through hole described below, and the other end is formed with a threaded portion to which a nut is fitted.
Each unit cell includes: the fuel cell module includes an electrolyte membrane 121, a fuel electrode 122 and an air electrode 123 laminated on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 121 and forming a membrane module M together with the electrolyte membrane 121, separators 124 and 125 laminated outside the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 and circulating fuel and air in contact with the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123, respectively, and collector plates (not shown) laminated outside the separators 124 and 125 and forming collector electrodes.
The electrolyte membrane 121 may be used with hydrogen+The polymer material membrane of (2) is, for example, a polymer ion exchange membrane having conductivity in a wet state, and a through hole 121a through which the fastening bolt 110 can be inserted is formed in the periphery of the electrolyte membrane 121.
The fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 are composed of a support and catalyst layers stacked on both sides of the support.
The fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 are composed of a support and a catalyst layer formed by laminating both side surfaces of the support, and the support is preferably made of metallic nickel, and the catalyst layer is preferably used after being plated with a metal of hydrogen-containing alloy (MH) system.
Through- holes 122a, 123a through which the fastening bolts 110 can be passed are formed on the periphery of each support body corresponding to the through-holes 121a of the electrolyte membrane 121.
The separators 124 and 125 are made of a conductive material such as graphite having good conductivity and high corrosion resistance, and a fuel passage Cf for passing fuel and an air passage Co for passing air are formed on the respective inner side surfaces of the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 which are in contact with each other. Further, the separators 124, 125 disposed between the unit cells are provided with the fuel channels Cf on one side and the air channels Co on the other side, and the separators 124, 125 disposed at both side ends of the fuel cell reactor are provided with the fuel channels Cf or the air channels Co only on the inner side.
Through holes 124a, 125a are formed around the separators 124, 125 so as to be able to pass through the fastening bolts 110, corresponding to the through hole 121a of the electrolyte membrane 121 and the through holes 122a, 123a of the supports for the electrodes 122, 123.
Between the separators 124 and 125 and the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 which are in contact with the separators, a rectangular strip gasket is interposed which can seal the outer frames of the fuel passages Cf and the air passages Co of the separators 124 and 125. The gasket (not shown) is also formed with a through hole through which the coupling bolt can be inserted.
The collector plate (not shown) is an electrode for finally obtaining electric energy from the fuel cell reactor, and is usually made of a conductive material such as copper.
Through holes (not shown) through which fastening bolts can be inserted are formed in the periphery of the collector plate so as to correspond to the through holes 121a of the electrolyte membrane 121, the through holes 122a, 123a of the supports for the electrodes 122, 123, and the through holes 124a, 125a of the separators 124, 125.
In the drawing, reference numeral 111 denotes a coupling nut, and the same parts as those in the conventional art are denoted by the same reference numerals.
The installation process of the fuel reactor of the fuel cell designed by the invention is as follows:
after the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123 are provided on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 121, the separators 124, 125 each having the fuel channel Cf and the air channel Co are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the fuel electrode 122 and the air electrode 123, and after repeating this series of steps, a plurality of unit cells are sequentially stacked.
Then, current collecting plates (not shown) are attached to the outer surfaces of the unit cells on both sides, and long connecting bolts 110 are inserted through holes 121a, 122a, 123a, 124a, 125a (not shown) formed in a row in each of the electrolyte membrane 121, the fuel electrode 122, the air electrode 123, and the current collecting plates 124, 125, and the current collecting plates (not shown), and then, the respective parts are tightly attached to each other at one end by the head of the connecting bolt 110 and at the other end by the inserted connecting nut 111.
In this case, it is preferable to sandwich a gasket (not shown) between each of the separators 124 and 125 and the fuel electrode 122 or the air electrode 123 adjacent thereto so that the gasket is appropriately compressed during the process of assembling the coupling bolt 110 to prevent leakage of fuel and air.
In conclusion, a pressurizing device is not needed when the large-area membrane assembly is manufactured, and the production cost can be saved. The membrane module is manufactured by simply tightening the fastening bolts to attach the electrolyte membrane and the electrodes without providing a compression process, and the membrane module can be prevented from being bent even if the water content in the fuel electrode and the air electrode is different from each other. Also, deformation of the electrolyte membrane can be prevented without heating the electrolyte membrane to a high temperature. When the installation work is uneven or insufficient, and the electrolyte membrane and the two side electrodes are separated, the installation strength can be adjusted to be more even and more sufficient, and the efficiency of the fuel cell reactor is prevented from being reduced. Meanwhile, since the electrolyte membrane and the electrode can be separated, the electrode can be adjusted as needed.
Meanwhile, as described above, the mounting holes may be provided and the electrolyte membrane and the fuel electrode and the both side separators and the current collector plates may be mounted using the coupling bolts and the coupling nuts, and although not shown in the drawing, the electrolyte membrane and the fuel electrode, and the both side separators and the current collector plates may be mounted using a tape or a clip as appropriate.
Claims (4)
1. A membrane module for a fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane; the fuel electrode and the air electrode are laminated via an electrolyte membrane and are contacted with fuel and air to generate water and current, and the fuel electrode and the air electrode are fixed by at least one connecting component under the state that the fuel electrode and the air electrode are respectively arranged on two sides of the electrolyte membrane, so that the fuel electrode and the air electrode are abutted against the electrolyte membrane.
2. The membrane module for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a separator having a fuel channel and an air channel is provided on outer surfaces of the fuel electrode and the air electrode, and the separator is tightened by a fastening member to bring the fuel electrode and the air electrode into close contact with the electrolyte membrane.
3. The membrane module for a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein a gasket is interposed between the fuel electrode and the air electrode and between the separators that are in contact with the fuel electrode and the air electrode.
4. The membrane module for a fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection member is composed of a connection bolt penetrating the electrolyte membrane, the fuel electrode, the air electrode or the electrolyte membrane, the fuel electrode, the air electrode, the both side separators, and a connection nut for tightening the connection bolt on the outside.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNB031208606A CN100334762C (en) | 2003-03-25 | 2003-03-25 | Thin film assembly of fuel cell |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNB031208606A CN100334762C (en) | 2003-03-25 | 2003-03-25 | Thin film assembly of fuel cell |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN1532977A true CN1532977A (en) | 2004-09-29 |
| CN100334762C CN100334762C (en) | 2007-08-29 |
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ID=34285468
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNB031208606A Expired - Fee Related CN100334762C (en) | 2003-03-25 | 2003-03-25 | Thin film assembly of fuel cell |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN100334762C (en) |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN2329088Y (en) * | 1997-11-24 | 1999-07-14 | 钟家轮 | Proton exchanging film fuel battery |
| CN1122322C (en) * | 1998-04-17 | 2003-09-24 | 松下电器产业株式会社 | Solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell and method for producing the same |
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2003
- 2003-03-25 CN CNB031208606A patent/CN100334762C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN100334762C (en) | 2007-08-29 |
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Granted publication date: 20070829 |