JP2009252506A - Fuel cell, method for manufacturing the same, and separator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology to inhibit separators from coming into contact with each other to avoid a short circuit in a fuel cell. <P>SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing the fuel cell includes laminating a plurality of separators having a conductive plate-like member and a laminate plate-like member composed of a laminating resin, the method including an arranging step of arranging a periphery of the laminate plate-like member so as to roll up a periphery of the conductive plate-like member and a heating step of heating the laminating resin after the arrangement step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell manufacturing method, a fuel cell, and a separator.

  A fuel cell is configured by alternately laminating a single cell constituent member including a substantially flat membrane electrode assembly (MEA: Membrane-Electrode Assembly) and a separator (see Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2007-149393 A

  However, in the fuel cell, for example, due to external force or deterioration, stacking shift occurs, and accordingly, adjacent separators may come into contact with each other and short-circuit. As described above, when a short circuit occurs, various problems such as a decrease in power generation efficiency of the fuel cell may occur.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing a short-circuit between separators in a fuel cell.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell in which a plurality of separators are laminated, and at least a disposing step of disposing a laminating resin on a peripheral portion of the separator, and a heating step of heating the laminating resin after disposing the laminating resin, A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising:

  If a fuel cell is manufactured with the said manufacturing method, in a fuel cell, it can suppress that a separator contacts and short-circuits.

[Application Example 2]
In the method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to Application Example 1, the separator includes at least a conductive plate member and a laminate plate member formed of a laminate resin, and the arranging step includes the laminate plate member. The manufacturing method of a fuel cell, characterized in that the peripheral edge portion is a step of arranging the peripheral edge portion of the conductive plate-like member so as to be wound.

  In this way, the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, if it does in this way, laminating resin can be easily arrange | positioned to the peripheral part of a separator.

[Application Example 3]
In the fuel cell manufacturing method according to Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, the method includes a step of preparing a single cell constituent member, and a step of integrating the separator and the single cell constituent member. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell.

  In this way, it is possible to improve the assembly property of the fuel cell and reduce the manufacturing process.

[Application Example 4]
A fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to any one of application examples 1 to 3.

  According to the fuel cell having the above configuration, the separators can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and short-circuiting.

[Application Example 5]
A fuel cell, which is a separator using at least a conductive plate-like member and a laminate plate-like member made of a laminate resin, and a peripheral portion of the laminate plate-like member is the conductive plate-like member The gist is that a plurality of separators arranged so as to entrain the peripheral edge of the member are laminated.

  According to the fuel cell having the above configuration, the separators can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and short-circuiting.

[Application Example 6]
A fuel cell comprising at least a plurality of separators laminated with a conductive plate-like member and a laminate plate that is composed of a laminate resin and the peripheral edge except for the end face is exposed. Is the gist.

  According to the fuel cell having the above configuration, the separators can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and short-circuiting.

[Application Example 7]
A separator, a conductive plate-like member, and a plate-like member made of a laminate resin, wherein the peripheral portion is disposed so as to wind up the peripheral portion of the conductive plate-like member; The gist is to provide.

According to the separator of the said structure, when it laminates | stacks two or more, it can suppress that a separator contacts and short-circuits.
[Application Example 8]
It is a separator, and is a plate-like member made of a conductive plate-like member and a laminate resin, and the gist is that the peripheral portion excluding the end face is provided with an exposed laminate plate-like member.

  According to the separator of the said structure, when it laminates | stacks two or more, it can suppress that a separator contacts and short-circuits.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described method for manufacturing a fuel cell, and can also be realized in the form of another method invention such as a method for manufacturing a separator or a single cell assembly. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described fuel cell, and can be realized by other aspects of the invention such as a single cell assembly.

  Hereinafter, a fuel cell, a method of manufacturing a fuel cell, and a single cell assembly according to the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the drawings.

A. First embodiment:
A1. Configuration of Fuel Cell A schematic configuration of the fuel cell according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the fuel cell 100 in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the single cell assembly 200 constituting the fuel cell 100. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing manufacturing steps of the fuel cell in the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the single cell assemblies 200 are shown apart, but are actually adjacent. Further, FIG. 2 shows a laminate resin 777, a seal member 700, and a single cell constituent member 800 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel cell 100 has a structure in which a plurality of unit cell assemblies 200 are stacked (so-called stack structure). As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel cell 100 stacks a predetermined number of unit cell assemblies 200 (step S102), and fastens the stacked unit cell assemblies 200 so as to apply a predetermined fastening force in the stacking direction (step S102). S104). A direction in which the single cell assemblies 200 are stacked is also referred to as a stacking direction, and a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and along the single cell assembly 200 is also referred to as a plane direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell 100 includes an oxidizing gas supply manifold 110 that is supplied with oxidizing gas, an oxidizing gas discharge manifold 120 that discharges oxidizing gas, and a fuel gas supply manifold 130 that is supplied with fuel gas. A fuel gas discharge manifold 140 for discharging the fuel gas, a cooling medium supply manifold 150 for supplying the cooling medium, and a cooling medium discharge manifold 160 for discharging the cooling medium are provided. Note that air is generally used as the oxidizing gas, and hydrogen is generally used as the fuel gas. Further, both the oxidizing gas and the fuel gas are also called reaction gases. As the cooling medium, water, antifreeze water such as ethylene glycol, air, or the like can be used.

  The fuel cell 100 generates power by supplying the oxidizing gas to the oxidizing gas supply manifold 110 and supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas supply manifold 130. In addition, the cooling medium is supplied to the cooling medium supply manifold 150 in order to suppress the temperature rise of the fuel cell 100 due to heat generated by power generation.

  The configuration of the single cell assembly 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 in addition to FIG. 4 is a front view of the single cell assembly 200 (viewed from the right side in FIG. 2). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. In FIG. 5, a laminate resin 777 to be described later is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the single cell assembly 200 includes a separator 600, a single cell constituent member 800, a seal member 700, and a laminate resin 777.

  The separator 600 includes an anode plate 300, a cathode plate 400, an intermediate plate 500, and a conductive porous member 555.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the shape of the cathode plate 400. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the shape of the anode plate 300. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the shape of the intermediate plate 500. 6, 7, and 8 show the respective plates 400, 300, and 500 as viewed from the right side of FIG. 2. 6 to 8, a region DA indicated by a broken line at the center of each plate 300, 400, 500 is a region where the above-described single cell component member 800 is disposed in the single cell assembly 200 (hereinafter referred to as a power generation region DA). .)

  As shown in FIG. 6, the cathode plate 400 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The cathode plate 400 includes six manifold forming portions 422 to 432, an oxidizing gas supply slit 440, and an oxidizing gas discharge slit 444. The manifold forming portions 422 to 432 are through portions for forming the various manifolds described above when configuring the fuel cell 100, and are respectively provided outside the power generation area DA. The oxidizing gas supply slit 440 is disposed at the end portion (the upper end portion in FIG. 6) of the power generation area DA. The oxidizing gas discharge slit 444 is arranged side by side at the end of the power generation area DA (lower end in FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the anode plate 300 is formed of stainless steel, for example, like the cathode plate 400. Similar to the cathode plate 400, the anode plate 300 includes six manifold forming portions 322 to 332, a fuel gas supply slit 350, and a fuel gas discharge slit 354. The manifold forming portions 322 to 332 are through portions for forming the various manifolds described above when configuring the fuel cell 100, and are provided outside the power generation area DA, similarly to the cathode plate 400. The fuel gas supply slit 350 is arranged at the end (the lower end in FIG. 7) of the power generation area DA so as not to overlap the above-described oxidizing gas discharge slit 444 in the cathode plate 400 when the separator 600 is configured. The fuel gas discharge slit 354 is arranged at the end (the upper end in FIG. 7) of the power generation area DA so as not to overlap the above-described oxidizing gas supply slit 440 in the cathode plate 400 when the separator 600 is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the intermediate plate 500 is formed of a laminate resin, unlike the above-described plates 300 and 400. The intermediate plate 500 has four manifold forming portions 522 to 528 for supplying / discharging the reaction gas (oxidizing gas or fuel gas) as feed-through portions penetrating in the thickness direction, supply flow path forming portions 542 and 546, and Discharge flow path forming portions 544 and 548 are provided. The intermediate plate 500 further includes a refrigerant flow path forming portion 550 through which a cooling medium flows, a refrigerant supply slit 551 communicating with the refrigerant flow path forming portion 550, and a refrigerant discharge as a through portion penetrating substantially in the center of the plate in the thickness direction. And a slit 552. These refrigerant flow path forming section 550, refrigerant supply slit 551, and refrigerant discharge slit 552 form a cooling medium flow path 670 to be described later. The manifold forming portions 522 to 528 are through portions for forming the various manifolds described above when configuring the fuel cell 100, and are provided outside the power generation area DA, similarly to the cathode plate 400 and the anode plate 300. ing.

  The conductive porous member 555 is a porous body that is slightly smaller than the refrigerant flow path forming portion 550, is formed of a conductive material such as stainless steel, and has substantially the same thickness as the intermediate plate 500. The conductive porous member 555 is disposed in the refrigerant flow path forming part 550, and electrically connects the cathode plate 400 and the anode plate 300 and flows the cooling medium when the three plates are overlapped. It becomes.

  Reactive gas supply flow path forming portions 542 and 546 and discharge flow path forming portions 544 and 548 are respectively connected at one end to corresponding manifold forming portions 522 to 528. The other ends of these flow path forming portions 542 to 548 communicate with the corresponding gas supply / discharge slits 350, 354, 440, and 444 when the three plates are joined.

  FIG. 9 is a front view of the separator. The separator 600 joins the above-described anode plate 300 and cathode plate 400 to both sides of the intermediate plate 500 so as to sandwich the intermediate plate 500, and corresponds to the cooling medium supply manifold 150 and the cooling medium discharge manifold 160 in the intermediate plate 500. This is produced by punching the exposed part in the area to be processed. The intermediate plate 500 and the anode plate 300, and the intermediate plate 500 and the cathode plate 400 are joined by stacking three plates and performing hot pressing. As a result, the six manifolds 110 to 160, which are through portions indicated by hatching in FIG. 9, the oxidizing gas supply flow path 650, the oxidizing gas discharge flow path 660, the fuel gas supply flow path 630, and the fuel gas discharge flow path Separator 600 provided with 640 and cooling medium flow path 670 is obtained.

  Returning to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the description of the single cell assembly 200 will be continued. As shown in FIG. 2, the single cell constituent member 800 is disposed in the power generation area DA on the surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side described above, and the area outside the power generation area DA on the same plane (hereinafter referred to as a surrounding area). ) Is provided with a seal member 700. As shown in FIG. 5, the unit cell constituent member 800 is in contact with an MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) 810, an anode side diffusion layer 820 disposed in contact with the anode side surface of the MEA 810, and a cathode side surface of the MEA 810. A cathode-side diffusion layer 830, an anode-side porous body 840, and a cathode-side porous body 850. The anode side porous body 840 is disposed on the anode side of the MEA 810 with the anode side diffusion layer 820 interposed therebetween, and the cathode side porous body 850 is disposed on the cathode side of the MEA 810 with the cathode side diffusion layer 830 interposed therebetween. The cathode-side porous body 850 is in contact with the power generation area DA of the separator 600. The anode-side porous body 840 contacts the surface of the separator 600 of the other unit cell assembly 200 on the anode plate 300 side when the plurality of unit cell assemblies 200 are stacked to form the fuel cell 100.

  The MEA 810 is composed of, for example, an ion exchange membrane made of a fluorine-based resin material or a hydrocarbon-based resin material and having good ionic conductivity in a wet state, and a catalyst layer applied to both surfaces thereof. The catalyst layer is, for example, a layer containing platinum or an alloy made of platinum and another metal.

  The anode side diffusion layer 820 and the cathode side diffusion layer 830 are formed of, for example, carbon cloth woven with yarns made of carbon fibers, carbon paper, or carbon felt.

  The anode side porous body 840 and the cathode side porous body 850 are formed of a porous material having gas diffusibility and conductivity such as a metal porous body. The anode-side porous body 840 and the cathode-side porous body 850 have a higher porosity than the anode-side diffusion layer 820 and the cathode-side diffusion layer 830 described above, and the gas flow resistance therein is the anode-side diffusion layer 820 and the cathode-side diffusion layer. Those below 830 are used and function as a flow path for the reaction gas to flow as will be described later.

  The seal member 700 includes a support part 710 and a rib 720 formed on the support part 710. The seal member 700 is formed of a material having gas impermeability, elasticity, and heat resistance in the operating temperature range of the fuel cell, for example, an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. Specifically, silicon rubber, butyl rubber, acrylic rubber, natural rubber, fluorine rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, styrene elastomer, fluorine elastomer and the like can be used.

  The support portion 710 of the seal member 700 is in contact with the above-described peripheral region on the surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side (FIGS. 2 and 5). A contact surface SU (FIG. 5: bold line) between the support portion 710 of the seal member 700 and the surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side is bonded with a predetermined bonding force. Here, the “predetermined binding force” is a binding force in a state where the single cell assembly 200 is not stacked and fastened, that is, a load in the stacking direction is not applied. Specifically, the bonding force of the contact surface SU is preferably 0.01 N / mm (Newtons per millimeter) or more, more preferably 0.6 N / mm or more per unit length of the seal line.

  As shown by reference numeral BB in FIGS. 4 and 5, the support portion 710 is impregnated into and integrated with the end portion of the single cell constituent member 800. This suppresses leakage of the reaction gas from the cathode side to the anode side of the MEA 810 or from the anode side to the cathode side at the end portion of the single cell constituent member 800.

  As described above, the single cell constituent member 800, the seal member 700, and the separator 600 are integrated, and an integrated assembly in which these are integrated is also referred to as an integrated assembly IAY.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the seal member 700 has a smaller area than the separator 600 in the surface direction. That is, the separator 600 protrudes in the surface direction from the seal member 700.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rib 720 is formed so as to surround the single cell constituent member 800 and the manifolds 110 to 160. When the single cell assembly 200 is stacked and the fuel cell 100 is configured, the rib 720 comes into airtight contact with the anode plate 300 of the separator 600 of the other single cell assembly 200 due to the fastening force in the stacking direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 9, the laminate resin 777 is formed in a frame shape and is fixed to the peripheral portion of the separator 600 (cathode plate 400 or anode plate 300). As the laminate resin 777, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or Kapton film is used.

A2. Operation of Fuel Cell The operation of the fuel cell 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of the reaction gas in the fuel cell. In order to make the drawing easier to see, FIG. 10 shows a state in which two single cell assemblies 200 are stacked. FIG. 10A shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the BB cross section in FIG. 10B, the right half shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the DD cross section in FIG. 9, and the left half shows a cross sectional view corresponding to the CC cross section in FIG.

The oxidant gas supplied to the oxidant gas supply manifold 110 is supplied from the oxidant gas supply manifold 110 to the cathode-side porous body 850 through the oxidant gas supply channel 650 as indicated by arrows in FIG. . The oxidizing gas supply channel 650 is formed by the oxidizing gas supply channel forming portion 542 (FIG. 8) formed in the intermediate plate 500 and the oxidizing gas supply slit 440 (FIG. 6) formed in the cathode plate 400. The The oxidizing gas supplied to the cathode side porous body 850 flows from the upper side to the lower side in FIGS. 4 and 9 inside the cathode side porous body 850 that functions as a flow path for the oxidizing gas. Then, the oxidizing gas is discharged to the oxidizing gas discharge manifold 120 through the oxidizing gas discharge channel 660. The oxidizing gas discharge channel 660 is formed by the oxidizing gas discharge channel forming part 544 (FIG. 8) formed in the intermediate plate 500 and the oxidizing gas discharge slit 444 (FIG. 6) formed in the cathode plate 400. The A part of the oxidizing gas flowing through the cathode side porous body 850 diffuses over the entire cathode side diffusion layer 830 in contact with the cathode side porous body 850 and causes a cathode reaction (for example, 2H ⁺ + 2e ⁻ + (1 / 2) Used for O ₂ → H ₂ O).

The fuel gas supplied to the fuel gas supply manifold 130 is supplied from the fuel gas supply manifold 130 to the anode side porous body 840 through the fuel gas supply flow path 630 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. . The fuel gas supply channel 630 is formed by the fuel gas supply channel forming part 546 (FIG. 8) formed in the intermediate plate 500 and the fuel gas supply slit 350 (FIG. 7) formed in the anode plate 300. The The fuel gas supplied to the anode side porous body 840 flows from the lower side to the upper side in FIGS. 4 and 9 in the anode side porous body 840 functioning as a fuel gas flow path. Then, the fuel gas is discharged to the fuel gas discharge manifold 140 through the fuel gas discharge channel 640. The fuel gas discharge flow path 640 is formed by the fuel gas discharge flow path forming portion 548 (FIG. 8) formed in the intermediate plate 500 and the fuel gas discharge slit 354 (FIG. 7) formed in the anode plate 300. The A part of the oxidizing gas flowing through the anode-side porous body 840 diffuses over the entire anode-side diffusion layer 820 in contact with the anode-side porous body 840, and the anode reaction (for example, H ₂ → 2H ⁺ + 2e ⁻ ).

  The cooling medium supplied to the cooling medium supply manifold 150 is supplied from the cooling medium supply manifold 150 to the cooling medium flow path 670. The cooling medium supplied to the cooling medium flow path 670 flows from one end of the cooling medium flow path 670 to the other end, and is discharged to the cooling medium discharge manifold 160.

  As described above, in the fuel cell 100 of the present embodiment, the laminate resin 777 is formed in a frame shape and disposed on the periphery of the separator 600 (the cathode plate 400 or the anode plate 300) (FIG. 10 and the like). In this case, for example, when the separators 600 approach each other in the case where the unit cell assembly 200 is displaced due to factors such as the fuel cell 100 receiving an external force or the seal member 700 being deteriorated. Even if it exists, the lamination resin 777 is pinched | interposed between the separators 600, and it can suppress that the separators 600 contact directly. As a result, a short circuit due to contact between the separators 600 can be suppressed, and a decrease in power generation efficiency of the fuel cell 100 can be suppressed. Thus, the laminate resin 777 functions as a short-circuit suppressing material for the separator 600.

  Further, in the single cell assembly 200, the MEA 810, the seal member 700, and the separator 600 are integrally formed. Therefore, when the single cell assembly 200 is stacked, the assembling property or the handling property can be improved. it can.

A3. Single cell assembly manufacturing method:
A manufacturing method of the single cell assembly 200 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing manufacturing steps of the single cell assembly in the present embodiment. 12 and 13 are diagrams for explaining one step in manufacturing the single cell assembly.

  First, a mold for integral molding is prepared (step S202). The mold has an upper mold 910 and a lower mold 920 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the lower mold 920 has a shape that matches the outer shape of the separator 600 so that the separator 600 can be disposed. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the lower mold 920 is formed with protruding portions PJ that fit into the manifolds 110 to 160 of the separator 600 when the separator 600 is disposed. The upper mold 910 has a molding material inlet SH formed above the protrusion PJ of the lower mold 920.

  Next, the separator 600 is disposed on the lower mold 920 (step S204). In this embodiment, the separator 600 is disposed in the lower mold 920 with the anode plate 300 side facing downward and the cathode plate 400 side facing upward.

  Next, the cathode-side porous body 850 is disposed on the separator 600 disposed on the lower mold 920 (step S206). The cathode-side porous body 850 is disposed in the power generation area DA (FIG. 6, etc.) on the surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side.

  And MEGA860 is arrange | positioned on the arrange | positioned cathode side porous body 850 (step S208). The MEGA 860 is obtained by integrally bonding an anode side diffusion layer 820 and a cathode side diffusion layer 830 to both surfaces of the above-described MEA 810 by hot pressing in advance.

  An anode-side porous body 840 is placed over the placed MEGA 860 (step S210).

  Thus, when all the single cell constituent members 800 are disposed in the power generation area DA of the separator 600, the single cell constituent member 800, the seal member 700, the separator, and the like are clamped and injection molded at a predetermined mold pressure. An integrated assembly IAY integrated with 600 is produced (step S212).

  FIG. 12B shows a state where the lower mold 920 and the upper mold 910 are clamped. In the clamped state, a space SP having the shape of the seal member 700 of the single cell assembly 200 described above is located above the peripheral region (region outside the power generation region DA) on the surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side. It is formed. As shown in FIG. 12 (b), the space SP includes a surface of the separator 600 on the cathode plate 400 side, an inner wall surface of the upper mold 910, and a single cell constituent member 800 (anode-side porous body 840, MEGA 860, and cathode side). And the end of the porous body 850). Injection molding is performed in this space SP. Specifically, after the liquid rubber as the molding material of the seal member 700 is introduced into the space SP from the above-described inlet SH, the vulcanization process is performed.

  In this injection molding, the molding material is impregnated into the end of the single cell constituent member 800 (region BB in FIGS. 4 and 5), so that the single cell constituent member 800 and the seal member 700 are integrated. The input pressure is controlled. Further, by adding a silane coupling agent to the molding material, a bonding force between the contact surface SU (FIG. 5) of the seal member 700 and the separator 600 is ensured. After injection molding, the mold is opened to obtain an integrated assembly IAY.

  Then, in the integrated assembly IAY, a laminating resin 777 formed in a frame shape is disposed on the periphery of the separator 600 (step S214).

  Thereafter, the placed laminate resin 777 is heated by hot pressing (step S216). In the case of using, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) as the laminate resin, the heating temperature is, for example, about 120 ° C. to 140 ° C. Thus, the laminate resin 777 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the separator 600.

  As described above, according to the manufacturing method of the fuel cell 100 of the present embodiment, the laminate resin 777 as the short-circuit suppressing material is disposed on the peripheral portion of the separator 600 and then fixed to the separator 600 by heating. In this way, when the laminate resin 777 is disposed before heating, the alignment can be easily reset when the laminate resin 777 is displaced from the intended position. Assembling property can be improved.

  Further, according to the method of manufacturing the fuel cell 100 of the present embodiment, the single cell assembly 200 in which the seal member 700, the separator 600, and the single cell constituent member 800 are integrated is manufactured, and the single cell assemblies 200 are stacked and fastened. By doing so, the fuel cell 100 is manufactured, so that the assembly of the fuel cell 100 can be improved and the manufacturing process can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the separator 600 corresponds to the separator in the claims, the laminate resin 777 corresponds to the laminate resin in the claims, and the anode plate 300 or the cathode plate 400 corresponds to the claims. The intermediate plate 500 corresponds to the laminated plate member in the claims, and the single cell constituent member 800 corresponds to the single cell constituent member in the claims.

B. Second embodiment:
A schematic configuration of a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a single cell assembly in the second embodiment. In the single cell assembly 200A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the same components as those of the single cell assembly 200 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the single cell assembly 200 </ b> A according to the second embodiment does not include the laminate resin 777, and the peripheral portion of the intermediate plate 500 </ b> A extends in the stacking direction from the peripheral portions of the cathode plate 400 and the anode plate 300. The cathode plate 400 is arranged and fixed so as to be wound around the peripheral edge of the cathode plate 400.

  In this single cell assembly 200A, as shown in FIG. 14, after the integrated assembly IAY is manufactured, the peripheral portion of the intermediate plate 500A is bent and the peripheral portion of the cathode plate 400 is wound, and the winding portion is hot-pressed. It is manufactured by doing.

  As described above, in the single cell assembly 200 </ b> A of the second embodiment, as a short-circuit suppressing material, the peripheral portion of the intermediate plate 500 </ b> A is arranged to be wound around the peripheral portion of the cathode plate 400 instead of the laminate resin 777. In this way, there is no need to newly use the laminate resin 777, so the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, a laminate resin as a short-circuit suppressing material can be easily disposed on the peripheral edge of the separator 600 without being closely aligned.

C. Third embodiment:
A schematic configuration of a fuel cell according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a single cell assembly in the third embodiment. In the single cell assembly 200B of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the same components as those of the single cell assembly 200 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the single cell assembly 200 </ b> B of the third embodiment, in the separator 600, the cathode plate 400 is formed so that the area in the surface direction is smaller than that of the intermediate plate 500. Therefore, the intermediate plate 500 is configured such that the peripheral edge portion excluding the end face along the stacking direction is exposed to the outside of the separator 600. In this way, even when the separators 600 come close to each other and come into contact with each other, the cathode plate 400 of one separator 600 and the anode plate 300 of the other separator 600 are hardly in contact with each other. Since the intermediate plate 500 and the anode plate 300 of the other separator 600 are in contact with each other, a short circuit due to the contact of the separator 600 can be suppressed.

D. Variations:
In addition, elements other than the elements claimed in the independent claims among the constituent elements in each of the above embodiments are additional elements and can be omitted as appropriate. The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

D1. Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, the single cell constituent member 800 and the separator 600 are integrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the single cell constituent member 800 and the separator 600 are not integrated. Also good. Even if it does in this way, at least one part of the effect of the said Example can be show | played.

D2. Modification 2:
In the second embodiment, the cathode plate 400 has a smaller area in the plane direction than the intermediate plate 500, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the anode plate 300 may have a smaller area in the plane direction than the intermediate plate 500, and both the anode plate 300 and the cathode plate 400 may have a smaller area in the plane direction than the intermediate plate 500. May be. Even if it does in this way, at least one part of the effect of the said Example can be show | played.

D3. Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, the conductive porous member 555 is used as the member disposed in the refrigerant flow path forming portion 550 of the intermediate plate 500, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the conductive porous member 555, a conductive corrugated plate member may be used. Even if it does in this way, at least one part of the effect of the said Example can be show | played.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the fuel cell 100 in 1st Example. 2 is a side view of a single cell assembly 200 constituting the fuel cell 100. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing step of the fuel cell in 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the front view (figure seen from the right side in FIG. 2) of the single cell assembly 200. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the AA cross section in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the shape of the cathode plate. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of an anode plate 300. It is explanatory drawing the shape of the intermediate | middle plate 500. FIG. It is a front view of a separator. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the reactive gas of a fuel cell. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing step of the single cell assembly in 1st Example. It is a figure for demonstrating one process at the time of manufacture of a single cell assembly. It is a figure for demonstrating one process at the time of manufacture of a single cell assembly. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the single cell assembly in 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the single cell assembly in 3rd Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Fuel cell 110 ... Manifold 110 ... Oxidation gas supply manifold 120 ... Oxidation gas discharge manifold 130 ... Fuel gas supply manifold 140 ... Fuel gas discharge manifold 150 ... Coolant supply manifold 160 ... Coolant discharge manifold 200 ... Single cell assembly 200A ... Single cell assembly 200B ... Single cell assembly 300 ... Anode plate 300 ... Plate 322 ... Manifold formation part 350 ... Fuel gas supply slit 354 ... Fuel gas discharge slit 400 ... Cathode plate 400 ... Plate 422 ... Manifold formation part 440 ... Oxidation gas supply slit 444 ... Oxidizing gas discharge slit 500 ... Intermediate plate 522 ... Manifold forming part 542 ... Supply flow path forming part 544 ... Discharge flow path forming part 546 ... Supply Flow path forming section 548 ... Discharge flow path forming section 550 ... Refrigerant flow path forming section 551 ... Refrigerant supply slit 552 ... Refrigerant discharge slit 555 ... Conductive porous member 600 ... Separator 630 ... Fuel gas supply flow path 640 ... Fuel gas discharge flow Channel 650 ... Oxidizing gas supply channel 660 ... Oxidizing gas discharge channel 670 ... Cooling medium channel 700 ... Seal member 710 ... Supporting part 720 ... Rib 777 ... Laminate resin 800 ... Single cell component 810 ... MEA
820 ... Anode-side diffusion layer 830 ... Cathode-side diffusion layer 840 ... Anode-side porous body 850 ... Cathode-side porous body 910 ... Upper die 920 ... Lower die DA ... Power generation region BB ... Sign BB ... Region SH ... Inlet PJ ... Projection shape Part SP ... Space SU ... Contact surface IAY ... Integrated assembly

Claims (8)

A method of manufacturing a fuel cell in which a plurality of separators are stacked,
An arrangement step of arranging a laminate resin on at least a peripheral portion of the separator;
A heating step of heating the laminate resin after placing the laminate resin;
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising: In the manufacturing method of the fuel cell according to claim 1,
The separator includes at least a conductive plate member and a laminate plate member made of a laminate resin,
The arrangement step includes
A method for producing a fuel cell, characterized in that the peripheral portion of the laminate plate-like member is a step of disposing the peripheral portion of the conductive plate-like member. In the manufacturing method of the fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2,
Preparing a single cell component;
Integrating the separator and the single cell constituent member;
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising: A fuel cell,
A fuel cell manufactured by the method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A fuel cell,
A separator using at least a conductive plate-like member and a laminate plate-like member made of a laminate resin, wherein the periphery of the laminate plate-like member entrains the periphery of the conductive plate-like member A fuel cell comprising a plurality of stacked separators. A fuel cell,
A fuel cell comprising: a plurality of separators each including at least a conductive plate-shaped member and a laminate plate-shaped member which is made of a laminate resin and whose peripheral portion excluding an end surface is exposed. . A separator,
A conductive plate member;
A plate-like member made of a laminate resin, and a laminate plate-like member arranged so that a peripheral edge portion is wound around the peripheral edge portion of the conductive plate-like member;
A separator comprising: A separator,
A conductive plate member;
A plate-shaped member made of a laminate resin, and a peripheral plate portion excluding the end face is exposed,
A separator characterized by comprising.

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