JP2001307756A - Gasket for frames of fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To raise operating efficiency and reliability of a fuel cell, with respect to improvement of sealing performance of collecting electrode frames and cost reduction of a solid polymer type fuel cell, by completely sealing the collecting electrode frames. SOLUTION: In the structure of mounting gasket 2 between the collecting electrode frames 1 of the solid polymer type fuel cell, projecting streak 11 and grooving streak 12 are formed on each mating face of the collecting electrode frames 1, respectively, and the gasket 2 is sandwiched by painting an adhesive 3 on a single side. This securely fixes the collecting electrode frames 1 without slip, mounting safety of the gasket 2 becomes high and certain, and a manufacturing cost can be largely reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collector frame made of carbon constituting a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and more particularly to an improvement in sealing performance of the collector frame and cost reduction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of fuel cell, a large number of collector frames made of carbon are arranged in a case in a row at appropriate intervals, and the gap is filled with a liquid such as fuel gas or water. As a sealing structure, a groove is formed in one mating surface of the collector frame, an O-ring gasket is mounted in the groove, and the other mating surface is sealed by tightening. The one that works, the one that prints an elastic gasket directly on the mating surface, and the other mating surface is tightly closed to seal, or the simplest structure is the mating of the collecting electrode frame. A general sealing method is one in which a sheet-like gasket is sandwiched between the surfaces to achieve sealing.

[0003]

However, in the above-described sealing structure in which a groove is formed in the mating surface of the collector frame and the O-ring gasket is mounted thereon, it takes a lot of time and effort to assemble the O-ring gasket. It can be said that the sealing structure has an uncertain sealing structure with many disadvantages that are likely to be incomplete, and the manufacturing cost cannot be reduced from a certain level. In addition, since the sealing structure in which a gasket is printed and arranged directly on the mating surface is formed by printing using a silk screen printing technique or the like, the gasket material is limited. They generally have problems in sealing performance and durability, and do not provide a stable sealing force. In a simple structure in which a sheet-like gasket is sandwiched between the mating surfaces, the mounting position is likely to be shifted because the portion for engaging the sheet-like gasket is scarce, but the mating surface of the collector frame is bent. It cannot provide a stable sealing force because of its low absorption capacity. Further, if it is broken or bitten, the mating surface may be damaged or even broken.

An object of the present invention is to solve such drawbacks and to improve the operating efficiency and reliability of a fuel cell by completely sealing a collector frame.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of collector frames 1, which are constituents of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, are appropriately placed in a case. When they are arranged in parallel with an interval, a gasket 2 for sealing is mounted between the collector frames 1, and the collector frame 1 and the gasket 2 are provided. A convex protrusion 11 is formed on one mating surface along the mating surface, and a concave groove 12 corresponding to the protrusion 11 is formed on the mating surface of the other collector electrode frame 1. It is characterized in that an adhesive 3 is applied to the mating surface and the flat gasket 2 is sandwiched between the mating surfaces.

[0006] A gasket of the fuel cell frame 1 for the purpose of sealing, which is mounted between a plurality of collector electrode frames 1 for maintaining a gap in a collector electrode frame 1 made of carbon constituting a fuel cell. 2, a convex protrusion 11 is formed on one of the mating surfaces of the collector electrode frame 1 along the mating surface as shown in FIG.
A concave groove 12 corresponding to the protrusion 11 is formed on the other mating surface, and has a thickness of 0.1 as shown in FIG.
A gasket 21 and an extended portion 22 extending from the gasket 21 and separated by a break line or a connecting portion are prepared from a sheet material of about 1.0 mm, and an adhesive 3 is applied to the one mating surface. After the gasket 21 is clamped between the mating surfaces, the breaking line is broken and the extension 22 is removed.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The collector electrode frame 1 and the gasket 2 according to the present invention are provided with a concave and convex strip which can be engaged with each other on their mating surfaces, and this is provided with a flat gasket 2 or an extension 22. The gasket 21 is sandwiched between the mating surfaces to fix the gasket 2 and to achieve a sealing function. The shape of the strip formed here conforms to the mating surface as shown in FIG. A concave groove 12 is provided on the convex protrusion 11 and the mating surface corresponding thereto, or a convex protrusion 11 is formed on the mating surface as shown in FIG. 2 and the groove 12 is formed on both sides thereof. Or a structure in which the groove 12 and the protrusion 11 are formed on the other mating surface, or a convex protrusion 11 is formed on the mating surface as shown in FIG. 3 and the protrusion 11 is formed on the other mating surface. Nijo with a sandwich shape The combination modeling of such allowed to form an Article 11 is possible.

The gasket 2 is formed to have a simple flat cross section or a connection shape having an extended portion 22 with respect to the collector electrode frame 1 thus formed. When inserted and compressed between the mating surfaces on which the irregularities (11 or 12) are formed, the collector electrode frame 1 is deformed and fixed along the irregularities.
A secure fixation without deviation is achieved. On the other hand, the extension 22
In the connection-shaped gasket 21 having
Extension 2 between the mating surfaces formed in 1 or 12)
2 can be attached while maintaining the correct shape of the gasket, and after compressing and fixing, the breaking line connecting the gasket 21 or the connecting portion is cut off and the extension portion 22 is removed to complete the mounting process. I do. Here, a reliable gasket 2 without displacement in the collector electrode frame 1
Alternatively, the fixing of the gasket 21 is achieved, and the compressive stress of the gasket 2 or 21 is maintained and a strong sealing force is exerted due to the reduction of the lateral flow due to the uneven shape.

In order to more accurately mount the uneven gasket formed on the mating surface and the flat gasket 2, locking pieces 13 are scattered on one mating surface as shown in FIG. The flat gasket 2 is supported by the locking pieces 13 (in this case, the flat gasket 2 is supported on the side surface of the gasket 2 in the form of a claw). If it is provided in a height range where the loss is not lost, an effective displacement prevention structure can be obtained. It is also possible to form the surface of the mating surface of the collector electrode frame 1 into a rough surface such as, for example, a matte surface so that the gasket 2 does not slip on the mating surface during compression (not shown). Such a rough surface enhances the adhesion of the gasket 2 and is therefore preferable in terms of sealing performance.

The gasket material used here is preferably a rubber-based resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, and is preferably butyl rubber, a styrene-butadiene copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, or an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer. It is a polymer, an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer or the like, and may be a natural rubber, a butadiene rubber, a silicone rubber, an ethylene propylene rubber or the like.

[0011]

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the sealing performance and reduce the cost of each of the collector frames 1 used in many fuel cells. That is, gasket 2 or 2
1 is formed in a simple flat cross section, so that it does not take much time to assemble it to the collector frame 1, and the mounting safety is high and the manufacturing cost is greatly reduced. Normally, a gasket having a simple flat cross section is formed by punching out a sheet-like material having a constant thickness, so that an inexpensive gasket having extremely excellent moldability can be easily obtained. Further, when the gasket 2 or 21 is mounted, the gasket 2 is deformed and fixed in accordance with the uneven shape, and the respective collector frames 1 are securely fixed without displacement, and the gasket 2 Alternatively, the compressive stress of 21 is maintained and a strong sealing force is exerted. Further, since the gasket material in the form of a sheet is formed in a simple shape and the gasket material is not limited because of its simple shape, the sealing performance and the durability are improved at once, and a stable sealing force is provided. With such a configuration, an accurate interval and a clear passage between the collector frames 1 are maintained, and the passage of fuel gas, water, and the like is smoothed, and the power generation efficiency is maximized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Collector-electrode frame 11 Convex protrusion 12 Concave groove 13 Locking piece 2 Gasket 21 Gasket with extension 22 Extension 3 Adhesive

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A gasket for a fuel cell frame for sealing which is mounted between a plurality of current collector frames that maintain a gap in a current collector frame made of carbon constituting a fuel cell. Forming a convex protrusion along one of the mating surfaces of the collector electrode frame along the mating surface, and forming a concave groove corresponding to the protrusion on the other mating surface; A gasket for a fuel cell frame, characterized in that a flat gasket having a thickness of 0.1 to 1.0 mm is sandwiched between the mating surfaces by applying an adhesive to the gasket. 2. A gasket for a fuel cell frame for the purpose of sealing, which is mounted between a plurality of collector frames that maintain a gap in a collector electrode frame made of carbon constituting a fuel cell. A convex protrusion is formed along one of the mating surfaces of the collector electrode frame along the mating surface, and a concave groove corresponding to the protrusion is formed on the other mating surface. .1 to 1.0 mm
Prepare a gasket from the sheet-like material and an extended portion extended from the gasket and separated by a break line or a connecting portion, apply an adhesive to the one mating surface, and clamp the gasket at the mating surface. A gasket for a fuel cell frame, characterized in that, after stiffening, the breaking line is broken and the extension is removed. 3. A protruding projection is formed on one mating surface of the collector electrode frame along the mating surface, and a concave groove is provided on both sides of the protruding stripe, and the protrusion is formed on the other mating surface. 3. A gasket for a fuel cell frame according to claim 1, wherein a concave groove and a convex are formed corresponding to the concave groove. 4. A convex protrusion is formed on one mating surface of the collector frame along the mating surface, and two convexes having a shape sandwiching the protrusion are formed on the other mating surface. 3. A gasket for a fuel cell frame according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The gasket for a fuel cell frame according to claim 1, wherein said one mating surface has intermittently arranged locking pieces for supporting said flat gasket. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the mating surface of the collector electrode frame is formed flat.
Fuel cell frame gasket.