JP2002367651A - Fuel cell housing case - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a laminated unit cell from slippage, and to prevent cooling water and fuel gas from leakage, even when a distortion force, caused by the distortion of vehicle body or the vibration generated at the vehicle, is added to the fuel cell mounted on a vehicle. SOLUTION: Mounts 86, 88, fixing both ends of lower surface of an end plate 62 at one side, holding a plurality of laminated unit cells 40 of a fuel cell 20, and a mount 82 fixing the central part of the lower surface of an end plate at the other side, are mounted on the fuel cell housing case 10 housing the fuel cells 20, and the fuel cell 20 is fixed to the fuel cell housing case 10 by those three mounts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a case for housing a fuel cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, research and development of vehicles equipped with a fuel cell power generation system capable of utilizing electricity generated when hydrogen and oxygen react with each other are being advanced. 2. Description of the Related Art A fuel cell used in a fuel cell power generation system is generally configured by stacking a number of unit cells. For a fuel cell in which unit cells are stacked, for example, a method has been proposed in which the unit cells are fixed by a pair of end plates provided on both sides in the stacking direction.

[0003]

When a fuel cell is mounted on a vehicle, a torsional force is applied to the fuel cell due to a torsion of the body of the vehicle or a vibration generated by the vehicle.
The stacked unit cells may be displaced, and the cooling water, the fuel gas, and the like may leak.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell housing case that can solve the above-mentioned problems. More specifically, an object of the present invention is to prevent a fuel cell housed in a fuel cell housing case from being twisted.

[0005]

That is, a fuel cell accommodating case according to the present invention comprises a unit cell having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte held between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. A fuel cell housing case for housing a fuel cell having a structure in which a plurality of unit cells are sandwiched by a pair of end plates that are stacked and disposed on both ends in the stacking direction of the unit cells. A first holding portion that holds one end of the lower surface of one end plate; a second holding portion that holds the other end of the lower surface of one end plate;
And a third holding portion for holding a center portion of the lower surface of the other end plate, wherein the three holding portions hold the fuel cell.

According to this, the lower surface of the fuel cell is first,
Since the fuel cell is defined on the triangular surface stretched by the second and third holding portions, it is possible to prevent the fuel cell from being twisted, and thus prevent the leakage of cooling water due to the displacement of the stacked unit cells. can do.

[0007] The fuel cell accommodating case of the present invention may further include a reinforcing member including a position of the third holding portion and reinforcing a bottom surface portion in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

According to this, the structure of the fuel cell housing case can withstand the load of the fuel cell concentrated on the third holding portion.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell housing case 10 for housing a fuel cell 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell housing case 10 is formed of a metal such as aluminum, and is fixed to a vehicle body 30 by frames 12, 14, 16, and 18. The fuel cell housing case 10 houses a fuel cell 20.

The fuel cell 20 is made of a polymer electrolyte membrane (for example, a 100 μm-2
A plurality of unit batteries 40 each formed of a 00 μm ion exchange membrane) and two electrodes (anode electrode and cathode electrode) sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane are stacked via a separator 50, and further stacked. 40, an end plate 60 made of metal, resin, or the like,
62.

The end plate 60 is provided with a pressing mechanism 70 for holding the unit batteries 40 stacked. An example of the pressing mechanism 70 is a bolt that passes through a hole that penetrates the end plate 60. By tightening this bolt, the stacked unit batteries 40 are pressed. The end plate 62 may be provided with a similar pressing mechanism.

The cross section of each unit cell 40 is provided with a cooling water hole, a fuel gas hole, and an oxidizing gas hole (not shown). Each hole has a plurality of unit cells when the unit cells are stacked. The battery 40 penetrates the battery 40, and channels for cooling water, fuel gas, and oxidizing gas are formed.

A reinforcing member 300 may be provided on the bottom plate side of the fuel cell housing case 10 on the end plate 60 side (FIG. 1 shows a case where the reinforcing member 300 is provided). The reinforcing member 300 will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of the fuel cell housing case 10 for housing the fuel cell 20. In this cross section, the fuel cell housing case 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 30 via the frames 16 and 18. The end plate 62 of the fuel cell 20 is fixed to the fuel cell housing case 10 by mounts 86 and 88 at both ends on the lower surface of the end plate 62.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of the structure of the mounts 86 and 88. As shown in FIG. A seat plate 120 is fixed to the fuel cell housing case 10 with bolts 100 and nuts 110. Similarly, the bolt 10 is
2. The seat plate 122 is fixed by the nut 112.
The end plate 62 is connected to the bolt 1 through the seat 130.
By fastening 04, it is fixed to the seat plates 120 and 122. Note that an insulator 140 is provided between the seat plates 120 and 122 and the bolt 104 to ensure insulation between the end plate 62 and the fuel cell housing case 10. Further, the inner surface of the fuel cell housing case 10 may be covered with an insulating material (not shown). Thereby, the insulation between the end plate 62 and the fuel cell 20 is improved.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the fuel cell housing case 10 for housing the fuel cell 20 taken along the line BB '. In this cross section, the fuel cell housing case 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 30 via the frames 12 and 14. The end plate 60 of the fuel cell 20 is fixed to the fuel cell housing case 10 by a mount 82 at the center of the lower surface of the end plate 60. The structural example of the mount 82 is the same as the structural example of the mounts 86 and 88.

As described above, the fuel cells 20 housed in the fuel cell housing case 10 are mounted on the mounts 82, 86, 88.
Are fixed to the fuel cell accommodating case 10 at three places. Thus, the lower surface of the fuel cell 20 is defined on a triangular surface stretched by the mounts 82, 86, 88. Therefore, even if the body 30 or the fuel cell housing case 10 is twisted, the influence of the twisting on the fuel cell 20 is prevented or reduced, and the cooling water due to the displacement of the stacked unit cells 40 is reduced. Of liquid, or leakage of fuel or oxidizing gas.

The bottom surface of the fuel cell housing case 10 where the mount 82 is located is preferably reinforced by a reinforcing member 300 having a structure as shown in FIG. 5, for example. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the mount 82 at this time. Thereby, the fuel cell housing case 10 can be configured to withstand the load of the fuel cell 20 concentrated on the mount 82 portion.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even if the fuel cell housing case 10 and the body 30 are twisted, it is possible to prevent the unit cells 40 on which the fuel cells 20 are stacked from shifting. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell housing case 10 that houses a fuel cell 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of a fuel cell housing case 10 that houses a fuel cell 20.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the structure of the mount 86.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cell housing case 10 that houses the fuel cell 20, taken along line BB '.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a specific example of a reinforcing member 300.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of the structure of the mount 82.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 fuel cell storage case, 12, 14, 16, 18
Frame, 20 fuel cells, 30 bodies, 40 unit cells, 50 separators, 60, 62 end plates, 70 pressure mechanism, 82, 86, 88 mount.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of unit cells each having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte held between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are stacked, and both ends of the unit cells in the stacking direction are stacked. A fuel cell housing case for housing a fuel cell having a structure in which the plurality of unit cells are sandwiched by a pair of end plates respectively installed, wherein one end of the lower surface of one of the end plates is A first holding portion for holding, a second holding portion for holding the other end of the lower surface of one of the end plates, and a third holding portion for holding a central portion of the lower surface of the other end plate. And a fuel cell holding case, wherein the fuel cell is held by the three holding portions. 2. The fuel cell housing case according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member including a position of the third holding portion and reinforcing a bottom surface portion in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.