JP2005166552A - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high-efficiency hollow fiber-like fuel cell capable of easily keeping the airtightness of a fuel electrode, and having flexibility in its shape even when a stack is assembled. <P>SOLUTION: This fuel cell has a fuel electrode 2 on the inside surface of a hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane 1 and an oxidizer electrode 3 on the outside surface thereof. A fuel 6 and an oxidizer 7 are in contact with the fuel electrode 2 and the oxidizer electrode 3, respectively; a wiring electrode 1 (4) formed of a conductive wire and a wiring electrode 2 (5) are electrically connected to the fuel electrode 2 and the oxidizer electrode 3, respectively; and the wiring electrode 1 (4) is formed throughout at least a part from an opening 8 through a hollow part 9 of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell, and more particularly to a hollow fiber fuel cell using a hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane.

  Fuel cells include low-temperature fuel cells having an operating temperature of 300 ° C. or less, such as solid polymer type, alkaline type, phosphoric acid type, direct methanol type fuel cell, etc. Those using a polymer membrane as an electrolyte, such as batteries and direct methanol fuel cells, have a number of advantages because the electrolyte is not liquid. For example, even if a differential pressure occurs between the fuel gas and oxidant gas (air or oxygen), it can be operated without any problem. By reducing the thickness of the electrolyte membrane to several tens of micrometers or less, output is improved, compactness, and stacking properties At the same time, it is attracting attention for its application to future electric vehicles and household stationary power sources, such as excellent startability and load response.

  In addition to the above application fields, applications as small batteries such as portable devices and portable power supplies are expected. Compared to a secondary battery, a fuel cell can obtain electric power instantly when fuel is supplied, so that the time required for charging can be shortened and it can compete sufficiently in terms of cost.

  In the conventional fuel cell configuration, a catalyst layer serving as a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode (air electrode, oxygen electrode) is arranged on both sides of an electrolyte (planar plate or flat membrane), and further, fuel gas and air (oxygen) A unit called a single cell is manufactured by sandwiching between carbon and metal separator materials in which a gas flow path is formed. A separator is sandwiched between unit cells (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “cells” or “single cells”), and a fuel that enters the fuel electrode and an oxidant that enters the oxidizer electrode when the cells are stacked. In addition to preventing the mixing of the two cells, it also serves as an electronic conductor for connecting the two cells in series. A fuel cell stack is assembled by superimposing a necessary number of such single cells, and further integrated with a device for supplying fuel and oxidant gas, a control device, and the like to form a fuel cell, thereby generating power. .

  However, in such a planar fuel cell configuration, although it is suitable for a design in which a large number of electrodes (fuel electrode, oxidant electrode) are stacked, it cannot respond to the demand for miniaturization. It has become a major drawback. Recently, a design in which only planar single cells are arranged in parallel has also been proposed. In such a case, it is easy to create a small chip, and there are advantages depending on the shape of a small device incorporating a battery. However, it cannot be said that it can flexibly cope with the shapes of various small devices. In particular, there remains a problem of how to seal the fuel electrode and prevent fuel leakage.

As a solution to the above problem, the following cylindrical fuel cell structure has been proposed.
Patent Document 1 describes a fuel cell in which a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode, and an electrolyte membrane are cylindrical. In this battery, a cylindrical porous substrate is disposed so as to be surrounded by the fuel electrode in contact with the fuel electrode, and the fuel electrode is surrounded by the electrolyte membrane in contact with the electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane is disposed so as to be surrounded by the oxidant electrode while being in contact with the oxidant electrode.

  As a fuel cell that does not require the provision of a fuel supply device outside the fuel cell, Patent Document 2 proposes a columnar fuel cell having a fuel source inside the fuel cell. The fuel electrode and the fuel source are in contact with each other to form a fuel electrode structure, and the fuel electrode structure is surrounded and disposed in contact with the electrolyte membrane. It is surrounded and arranged in contact with the agent electrode.

  Further, in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4, fuel cells using a tubular electrolyte membrane are proposed. FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram thereof. A polymer electrolyte membrane is used in the form of a tube, and a catalyst layer is provided on the inner surface and outer surface of the tube to form a fuel electrode and an air electrode, respectively. The electric power is taken out by bringing the conductive wires 200 and 201 into contact with one point on the inner surface and the outer surface. It is possible to easily provide a small fuel cell that can easily maintain the airtightness of the fuel electrode, has good catalyst supportability, has a flexible shape even when the stack is assembled, and has excellent productivity.

Further, in Patent Document 5, a fuel gas introduction pipe is inserted into a closed tubular fuel cell having a cross-sectional structure in which a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are arranged in a concentric manner in order from the inside. A solid oxide fuel cell electrically connected to the fuel electrode has been proposed.
US Pat. No. 6,060,188 (first page) JP 2002-158015 A (2nd page) JP 09-223507 (page 3) JP 2002-260685 A (first page) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-182643 (first page)

  However, in both the cylindrical fuel cell and the tubular fuel cell, the catalyst electrode formed on the polymer electrolyte membrane is extremely thin and has high resistance, and as a result, power that can be taken out as the fuel cell is lost. There was a problem.

  Further, in Patent Document 5, the fuel gas introduction pipe is used for taking out electricity. However, since the fuel gas introduction pipe is used for introduction of fuel into a tubular fuel cell having a closed end, the outer diameter of the fuel gas introduction pipe is large. turn into.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a fuel cell that can easily maintain the airtightness of the fuel electrode, has a flexible shape even when the stack is assembled, and has a low power loss and a high efficiency. is there.

  That is, according to the present invention, in a fuel cell having a fuel electrode on the inner surface of a hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an oxidant electrode on the outer surface, the wiring electrode 1 made of a conductive material is formed on the fuel electrode. The fuel cell is characterized in that it is provided between at least an opening portion and a hollow portion of a hollow fiber shape, and a wiring electrode 2 is provided on the oxidant electrode.

The fuel electrode is supplied with fuel, and the oxidant electrode is supplied with oxidant in contact with each other.
In addition, an oxidant electrode provided on the outer surface of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an outer side of the wiring electrode 2 are further provided with an insulating membrane that is permeable to the oxidant and water. And

  Furthermore, the fuel cell is a fuel cell comprising a bundle of a plurality of the fuel cells, wherein the wiring electrode 1 and the wiring electrode 2 of each fuel cell are connected in series or in parallel.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.
The present invention uses a polymer electrolyte membrane laminated in a conventional flat plate shape in the form of a hollow fiber, and uses the inner surface of the hollow fiber tube as a fuel electrode and the outer surface as an air electrode. It has been found that the above problems can be solved at once by electrically connecting the wiring. That is, the inner part of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane is excellent in airtightness, and is particularly suitable for constituting a fuel electrode. The outer part of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane is, for example, air or oxygen gas. This is particularly suitable for forming an oxidant electrode because it is excellent in supplying a oxidant and removing water generated as a result of power generation.

  If formed into a hollow fiber shape, not only can the size be reduced by thinning the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, but the output power can be reduced by appropriately designing the length and thickness of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane. It can be controlled. Furthermore, since the hollow-fiber polymer electrolyte membrane not only has excellent shape flexibility but also maintains strength, it can solve the problem of the stack material, which is a problem in the design of fuel cells.

  In the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, the wiring electrode formed on the inner side surface is made of a linear conductive material, so that the electrical connection with the inner side electrode is easy and the manufacturing method is easy. Is possible. Since the wiring electrode made of the conductive material is provided from at least the opening to the hollow portion of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane between the hollow portion and the hollow portion, it has a high current collecting effect and enables highly efficient power generation. .

  In the fuel cell of the present invention using the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, it is easy to bundle a plurality of fuel cells. The wiring electrode 1 and the wiring electrode 2 attached to each fuel cell are external to the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane. Therefore, it is possible to control arbitrary output voltage and output current by electrical connection in series connection, parallel connection, or a combination thereof.

  A plurality of bundles are bundled by forming an oxidizer electrode and wiring electrode 2 on the outer surface of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an insulating membrane permeable to oxidant gas and water on the outer periphery. In this case, since the supply path for the oxidant gas is secured on the outer side of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, each fuel cell can efficiently generate power.

  According to the present invention, by using a hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, it is possible to form a shape depending on the device to be applied, and to easily form a lightweight low-temperature fuel cell that is extremely flexible and easy to downsize. Can be configured.

Further, by forming the electrode wiring from at least the hollow portion to the hollow portion in the form of a hollow fiber, it is possible to realize a fuel cell that can extract output power with high efficiency.
In addition, the fuel electrode is formed inside the hollow fiber and the oxidant electrode is formed outside the hollow fiber so that the fuel can be easily injected, the oxidant gas can be supplied efficiently, and the generated water can be removed. In addition, it does not cause fuel leakage, and troublesome problems such as selection of a sealing material do not occur.

  Furthermore, by electrically connecting the fuel cells in series, parallel, or a combination thereof, it is possible to extract a large amount of electric power as a desired voltage and current, thereby realizing a fuel cell capable of mass production at low cost. .

  The fuel cell of the present invention is a fuel cell having a fuel electrode on the inner side of a hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an oxidant electrode on the outer side, wherein the fuel contacts the fuel electrode and the oxidant contacts the oxidant electrode. The wiring electrode 1 made of a conductive wire is electrically connected to the fuel electrode, and the wiring electrode 2 is electrically connected to the oxidant electrode, and the wiring electrode 1 is hollow in the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane. It is characterized by being provided between at least the opening 8 and the hollow portion 9 in the form of a thread.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a specific configuration of a fuel cell will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a fuel cell using the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view along the line AA ′. In particular, the fuel cell configuration is suitable when a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen or methanol gas is used.

  In FIG. 1, the solid electrolyte membrane is a hollow fiber membrane made of a polymer electrolyte, and platinum particles are deposited and fixed on the inner surface by a chemical plating method or platinum coated with carbon particles is applied. There is a particle layer. Hydrogen or methanol is introduced inside the hollow fiber membrane so as to be in contact with the fuel electrode having the catalyst.

Platinum particles are deposited and fixed on the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane by a chemical plating method, and the platinum particles act as a catalyst and constitute an oxidant electrode by being in contact with external air.
As the polymer electrolyte membrane, perfluorocarbon-based, non-perfluoro-based, hybrid-based ion exchange membranes can be applied. In particular, a perfluorosulfonic acid electrolyte membrane, a perfluorocarboxylic acid membrane, a styrene vinylbenzene membrane, a quaternary ammonium anion exchange membrane, or the like can be selected as appropriate. Further, as the electrolyte membrane, for example, a membrane obtained by coordinating phosphoric acid to a benzimidazole polymer or a membrane obtained by impregnating polyacrylic acid with a concentrated potassium hydroxide concentrated solution is also effective. As products, “Nafion” from Du Pont, “Flemion” from Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., “Aciplex” from Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd., etc. are commercially available. The polymer electrolyte membrane used in the present invention only needs to have high proton conductivity, chemical and electrochemical stability, gas barrier properties, and mechanical strength.

  As the catalyst for the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, platinum group metals such as platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium and iridium, iron group metals such as iron, cobalt and nickel, and alloys thereof can be used. At least one of these metals is deposited and fixed on the inner and outer surfaces of the polymer film by chemical plating. These catalysts can also be fixed by applying metal powder to the film surface or pressing. There is also a method in which the catalyst metal is dispersed in the form of fine particles on the surface of the carbon particles and the catalyst-supporting carbon particles are fixed to the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane. Furthermore, as described above, the catalyst-supporting carbon particles can be filled inside the hollow fiber membrane. The fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode preferably have the inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane as the fuel electrode and the outer surface as the oxidant electrode.

  As described above, the types and loadings of the catalyst for the fuel electrode and the air electrode, and the loading method of the catalyst, the technology conventionally used in constructing the solid polymer fuel cell and the solid polymer membrane were used. In constructing the electrode in the water electrolysis method, a conventionally used technique can be employed as it is.

The wiring electrode for power extraction, which is the main point of the present invention, is formed of a conductive material. As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring electrode is in close contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane in the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber. It may be formed. In addition to commonly used conductive metals such as Au, Ag, Al, and Cu, materials such as platinum, iron, and the like are also suitable. Further, conductive carbon mainly composed of a conductive polymer material, conductive graphite, or the like may be used. Furthermore, when the porous particles packed in the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane have a low resistance, the porous particles can be used for wiring.
As will be described later, low melting point metals and alloys such as solder are also used from the viewpoint of forming a current collector inside the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane.

  In particular, the wiring electrode is preferably a linear conductive wire, and the cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a quadrangle, or another polygon. The wiring electrode is electrically connected to each of the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode inside and outside the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, and its diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, and is about several μm to several The diameter is mm.

As the conductive wire, it is also possible to fix the wiring inside using a shape memory alloy or the like as will be described later in view of forming a current collector inside the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane.
The wiring electrode 1 provided on the fuel electrode is provided from at least the hollow fiber-like opening 8 to the hollow part 9 of the hollow fiber-shaped polymer electrolyte membrane, and the length of the wiring electrode is the length of the hollow fiber-shaped polymer electrolyte membrane. The thickness may be ½ or more, preferably 4/5 to 1 or more. The length is preferably about the length in the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane. The wiring electrode may be arranged linearly or curvedly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane. Moreover, the wiring electrode 1 may penetrate the hollow part of a hollow fiber shape.

  In the present invention, the wiring electrode 1 provided on the fuel electrode is provided from at least the opening to the hollow part of the hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane between the hollow part, so that the flexible hollow fiber-like fuel cell is Advantages of reinforcement and desired shape maintenance are obtained.

  The wiring electrode 2 provided on the oxidizer electrode is provided outside the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, and the length of the wiring electrode is ½ or more of the hollow fiber length, preferably 4/5 to 5/5. One or more is sufficient. Further, the wiring electrode 2 may be equal to or longer than the hollow fiber length.

  In addition, since the wiring electrode 2 provided on the oxidizer electrode is provided across the wiring electrode 2 outside the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane as described above, the reinforcement of the flexible hollow fiber fuel cell and the desired The advantage of maintaining the shape is obtained.

The wiring electrode 1 and the wiring electrode 2 may be provided so as to sandwich each electrode as shown in FIG. 1, or may be provided apart from each other as shown in FIG.
The thickness, length, and film thickness of the hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane can be appropriately set according to the output required for the fuel cell, the equipment to be applied, etc. The range is the inner diameter of the hollow fiber-like electrolyte membrane: several tens of μm To several tens of mm, film thickness: several μm to several mm, and length: several mm to several m. In addition, one end of the hollow fiber fuel cell is connected to the fuel storage unit for supplying fuel, and the other end is closed or connected to the fuel storage unit.

  The fuel is in contact with the fuel electrode inside or outside the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane in a gas or liquid state, and these can be fed continuously or continuously. It may be filled in. The oxidizing agent is brought into contact with the oxidizing agent electrode through the oxidizing agent electrode side of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane. Since the electrolyte is a hollow fiber membrane, the inner portion of the hollow fiber membrane is airtight and leak-free, and there is no risk of mixing the fuel and oxidant without using a special channel or separator. Further, since the hollow fiber membrane withstands the differential pressure, the gas pressure can be easily controlled and pressurized.

  Since the small fuel cell of the present invention has a high output density and an operating temperature as low as 100 ° C. or less, long-term durability can be expected, and since it is easy to handle, it is a mobile phone, a camera, a video camera, a notebook type It can be used as a portable device such as a personal computer or a portable power source. The present invention is characterized in that it constitutes a power extraction electrode of a fuel cell using a hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane, such as catalyst selection, catalyst layer formation method, fuel selection, fuel and air supply method, etc. The design of the fuel cell is not limited to these.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The hollow fiber electrolyte electrode assembly of the present invention has a chemical structure on the inner and outer surfaces of a hollow fiber Flemion (trade name, manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) having an inner diameter of 0.3 mm, an outer diameter of 0.5 mm, and a length of 50 mm. A platinum deposition layer was formed by plating, and this was configured as a fuel electrode 2 and an oxidizer electrode 3 having a catalytic function. Thereafter, a gold-plated hard steel wire (Suzuki Metal Industry Co., Ltd.) having a length of 60 mm and a diameter of 80 μm is inserted as a wiring electrode inside the hollow fiber-like joined body (tube), and the wiring electrode 1 (4) on the fuel electrode side It was. A similar copper wire was also used for the outer wiring electrode 2 (5). By applying tension to both wiring electrodes and sandwiching them from both sides by the two wiring electrodes, they are firmly connected to the electrodes on the side surface, thereby becoming an output electrode for the power output of the fuel cell. The wiring electrode 1 and the wiring electrode 2 may be fixed as long as they can be electrically connected to the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, and any fixing method may be used.

  Next, one end of the hollow fiber-shaped Flemion is closed, hydrogen is introduced into the inside from the other end, the inner wall platinum deposit layer is used as the fuel electrode 2, and the platinum deposit layer formed on the outer side is used as the air electrode 3, By connecting the wiring terminals (4, 5), a single cell of the hydrogen fuel cell was configured.

  As a result, a fuel cell having excellent hydrogen confidentiality, excellent oxygen supply, and excellent removal of produced water could be formed. In the case of the hollow fiber fuel cell, since all the side wall surfaces became reaction surfaces, a large current could be obtained.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing another fuel cell using the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention, FIG. 2 (a) is a front view, and FIG. 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view along the line BB ′. .

  In this embodiment, the wiring electrode 1 (14) and the wiring electrode 2 (15) are fixed to the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode, respectively. Similarly to Example 1, the fuel electrode 12 and the oxidant electrode 13 are formed on the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane 11, and then the wiring electrode 1 (14) is formed inside and the wiring electrode 2 (15) is formed outside.

  As an example of the manufacturing method, for example, a conductive wire such as a low melting point metal or alloy is passed through the inside of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, and then softened or melted and attached by heating or induction heating from the outside. Alternatively, for example, when forming a hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, it is possible to form a hollow fiber membrane while also forming wiring by some method.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another fuel cell using the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention, FIG. 3 (a) is a front view, and FIG. 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′. .

With the internal wiring electrode 1 (24) having a spiral structure, the installation area with the fuel electrode 22 inside the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane 21 is increased, electrical connection can be ensured, and voltage drop can be suppressed.
In the manufacturing method, after the fuel electrode 22 and the oxidant electrode 23 are formed, for example, the wiring electrode wire 1 (made of a shape memory alloy material in which the shape memory is spirally memorized with a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane 21 ( 24) can be extended, passed through the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane, and then heated to return to the helical shape. Thereafter, the wiring electrode 2 (25) is connected to the outer side.

  According to this embodiment, since the power extraction wiring can be self-held, the degree of freedom in layout during assembly is increased, and the connection with the fuel electrode is ensured.

4 and 5 show examples of fuel cell systems in which the present invention is implemented.
4 and 5 are schematic views showing another fuel cell using the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the fuel cell system of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of a cell portion in a DD ′ cross section in FIG.

  The fuel cell system includes a fuel storage section 103 and a fuel section casing 102, a cell section casing 100 and a casing with a window (hole on the cell section casing) 101 for supplying an oxidant, the fuel section and the cell section. At least a power connection terminal 105 for connecting output power from each cell, and a power output terminal 106 for extracting power.

  Each cell is composed of a wiring electrode 1 (34) on the inside of the hollow fiber electrolyte electrode assembly 31 and a wiring electrode 2 (35) on the outside. Electric power is generated by using the oxidant atmosphere 37.

The fuel portion is a portion that accumulates a hydrogen storage body such as a hydrogen storage alloy or a carbon-based hydrogen storage body, methanol, or the like.
The fuel supply section connecting the fuel section and the cell section means a supply connection section to a cell such as hydrogen or methanol, and in the case of a fuel reforming type fuel, it may have a fuel reformer. A method of supplying fuel into each hollow fiber electrolyte membrane is possible by using a jig used in a conventional ion exchanger or the like. In this embodiment, the hollow fiber electrolyte membrane on the fuel supply side is open, and the other is closed so that fuel does not leak.

  The casing 101 with a window for supplying the oxidant (hole on the cell unit casing) is sufficient if air is taken into the cell part. With respect to the window for supplying the oxidant, the size, number, and position of the window There is no particular problem with respect to the above.

  In the case of the hollow fiber cell described in Example 1, 100 or more bundles can be bundled in the 1 cm diameter of the cell part. In this case, since the cells are connected in parallel, the output voltage is the same as the output voltage of each cell, but the output current is 100 times that of one cell.

  In the present invention, the oxidant electrode is shown to have the same potential, but if the oxidant electrode of each hollow fiber cell is arranged so as to be insulated, the voltage and current of the output power can be controlled. . Further, the portion 105 connecting the output power from each cell may be performed in the same portion as the fuel supply portion (joining portion) 104 connecting the fuel portion and the cell portion.

  In this example, after forming each cell, the wiring electrode on the oxidant electrode side is formed and then covered with a gas-permeable insulating film, thereby independently controlling the output voltage and output current from each cell. It was possible. Here, the insulating film may be a porous ceramic or an insulating polymer. Furthermore, spacers may be interposed between the cells so as not to contact each other.

6 and 7 show examples of the fuel cell system in which the present invention is implemented.
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the fuel cell system of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of the cell portion in the section EE ′ in FIG.

  The fuel cell system of the present embodiment includes a fuel storage unit 113 and a fuel unit casing 112, a cell unit casing 110, a casing with a window for supplying an oxidant (a hole on the cell unit casing) 111, the fuel unit And at least a fuel joining portion 114 that connects the cell portions, a connection portion 115 that connects output power from each cell, and a power output electrode 116.

  Each cell includes a wiring electrode 1 (44) inside the hollow fiber electrolyte electrode assembly 41, a wiring electrode 2 (45) outside, and a gas-permeable insulating film 48 around the outer periphery. A plurality of the cells are bundled, and electricity is generated by setting the inside of each cell to the fuel atmosphere 46 and the outside to the oxidant atmosphere 47.

Assuming that the voltage generated from each of the n cells in total is V ₀ and the current is I ₀ , when n sets are bundled and s sets in series are connected in t sets (n = st) in parallel, As a whole, an output voltage sV ₀ and an output current tI ₀ are obtained.

  The fuel cell according to the present invention can easily maintain the airtightness of the fuel electrode, has a flexible shape even when the stack is assembled, has a high output density, and has a low operating temperature of 100 ° C. or lower. Since durability can be expected and handling is easy, it can be used as a portable power source such as a mobile phone, a camera, a video camera, and a notebook computer, or a portable power source.

It is the schematic which shows the fuel cell using the hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other fuel cell using the hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other fuel cell using the hollow fiber-like polymer electrolyte membrane of this invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell system of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of a cell portion in a D-D ′ cross section in FIG. 4. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell system of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional structure diagram of a cell portion in the E-E ′ cross section in FIG. 6. It is the schematic of the conventional hollow fiber fuel cell.

Explanation of symbols

1, 11, 21 Hollow fiber electrolyte membrane 2, 12, 22, 32, 42 Fuel electrode 3, 13, 23, 33, 43 Oxidant electrode 4, 14, 24, 34, 44 Wiring electrode 1
5, 15, 25, 35, 45 Wiring electrode 2
6, 16, 26, 36 Fuel 7, 17, 27, 37, 47 Oxidant 8 Opening 9 Hollow part 31, 41, 51 Hollow fiber electrolyte electrode assembly 48 Gas permeable insulating film 56 Fuel 100, 110 Cell Part casing 101, 111 Hole on cell part casing 102, 112 Fuel part casing 103, 113 Fuel storage part 104, 114 Joint part of fuel part and cell part 105, 115 Connection part 106, 116 of output power Terminal 200 Fuel electrode terminal 201 Oxidant electrode terminal

Claims (4)

  In a fuel cell having a fuel electrode on the inner side surface of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an oxidant electrode on the outer side surface, the wiring electrode 1 made of a conductive material is provided in the fuel electrode at least in the hollow fiber shape of the polymer electrolyte membrane. To the hollow portion, and a wiring electrode 2 is provided on the oxidant electrode.   2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein fuel is supplied to the fuel electrode and oxidant is supplied to the oxidant electrode.   An oxidant electrode provided on the outer surface of the hollow fiber polymer electrolyte membrane and an outer side of the wiring electrode 2 are further provided with an insulating membrane that is permeable to the oxidant and water. The fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2.   2. A fuel cell comprising an assembly in which a plurality of fuel cells according to claim 1 are bundled, wherein the wiring electrode 1 and the wiring electrode 2 of each fuel cell are connected in series or in parallel.

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