JP2011048970A - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve sufficient gas sealability in a gas flow passage formed on an electrolyte membrane, while suppressing a problem caused by use of an adhesive in order to ensure gas sealability. <P>SOLUTION: A fuel cell includes: the electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes formed on the electrolyte membrane; a pair of gas separators which are arranged on the respective electrodes and form the gas flow passage between the electrodes; and a wound-round seal which is installed at an outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane and at least part of which is constituted by winding round the electrolyte membrane. The wound-round seal contacts a gas separator directly or via other members, and when a tightening pressure parallel to a laminating direction of the electrolyte membrane and the gas separator is applied, a reaction force is formed between the gas separator or the other members which are neighboring members in direct contact with the wound-round seals, thereby achieving the gas seal characteristics at a contact part with the neighboring members. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell.

  In the fuel cell, it is necessary to sufficiently ensure the sealing performance in the flow path of the fuel gas and the flow path of the oxidizing gas formed on each electrode provided on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane. Further, in a gas manifold that is provided through the inside of the fuel cell in a region outside the region where the electrolyte membrane is disposed, and supplies and discharges gas to and from the fuel gas channel and the oxidizing gas channel, It is necessary to ensure sufficient gas sealing performance. Therefore, in general, in a fuel cell, a seal portion is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane in order to ensure gas sealing performance in a gas flow path on an electrode and a gas manifold.

  Here, when laminating members having high rigidity such as separators, sealing performance is easily ensured by disposing an elastic seal portion such as a gasket between the members having high rigidity. be able to. At that time, for example, when the rigid member and the seal portion are alternately laminated by accurately forming an engagement portion that is an unevenness that determines the location of the seal portion such as the gasket on the surface of the rigid member. The position where the gas seal is performed by each seal portion can be accurately adjusted in the stacking direction.

  On the other hand, when laminating a separator, which is a highly rigid member, and the electrolyte membrane, since the stiffness of the electrolyte membrane is extremely low, the engaging portion for determining the location of the seal portion on the surface of the electrolyte membrane As a result, it becomes difficult to position the seal portion. Therefore, as a method of manufacturing a fuel cell in which a separator and an electrolyte membrane are laminated, for example, a structure in which an outer peripheral portion of an electrolyte membrane on which a seal portion is formed and a predetermined position on a separator surface are bonded with an adhesive is manufactured as a lamination unit. And the method of laminating | stacking the said lamination | stacking unit has been proposed, aligning separators (for example, refer patent document 1). By adopting such a configuration, the position where gas sealing is performed by each sealing portion can be accurately aligned in the stacking direction, and gas sealing performance in the gas flow path and gas manifold formed on the electrode can be ensured. become.

JP 2008-123895 A JP 2009-064699 A JP 2005-243293 A JP 2008-171614 A JP 2008-218197 A JP 2007-157559 A JP 2009-032505 A

  However, when performing gas sealing using an adhesive as described above, gas sealing performance may be reduced due to peeling due to deterioration of the adhesive. In addition, when a thermosetting resin is used as the adhesive, for example, the adhesive shrinks (changes in dimensions) when it is thermally cured, so that the dimensions of the adhesive after curing vary and the surface pressure during lamination varies. May end up. Further, when gas sealing properties are secured using an adhesive, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to disassemble the stacked members when trying to recycle used fuel cells.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and gas formed on an electrolyte membrane while suppressing problems caused by using an adhesive to ensure gas sealability. It aims at realizing sufficient gas sealing performance in a flow path.

  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 fuel cell,
An electrolyte membrane;
A pair of electrodes formed on the electrolyte membrane;
A pair of gas separators disposed on each of the electrodes to form a gas flow path between the electrodes;
A wound seal portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane, at least a part of which is configured by winding the electrolyte membrane;
With
The winding seal portion is in contact with the gas separator directly or via another member, and when a fastening pressure parallel to the stacking direction of the electrolyte membrane and the gas separator is applied, the winding seal portion A fuel cell that realizes a gas sealing property at a contact portion with the adjacent member by generating a reaction force between the gas separator or the other member which is an adjacent member in direct contact with the fuel cell.

  According to the fuel cell described in Application Example 1, when the fastening pressure parallel to the stacking direction is applied, the wound seal portion generates a reaction force with the adjacent member, thereby realizing gas sealing performance. Therefore, problems caused by using an adhesive to achieve gas sealing can be suppressed.

[Application Example 2]
The fuel cell according to Application Example 1, wherein the wound seal portion has elasticity as a whole, and is in direct contact with the gas separator to generate a reaction force with respect to the gas separator. A fuel cell that achieves gas sealing at the contact portion. According to the fuel cell described in the application example 2, the gas seal between the gas passages formed on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and the gas between the gas passage formed on the electrolyte membrane and the outside of the gas passage. The seal can be realized by a seal using a reaction force generated in the wound seal portion without using an adhesive. In addition, since gas sealing is performed by the wound seal portion formed by winding the electrolyte membrane, it is not necessary to prepare a separate member for gas sealing, and handling at the time of assembly is improved.

[Application Example 3]
The fuel cell according to Application Example 2, wherein at least one of the separators is engaged with the winding seal portion on a surface in contact with the winding seal portion, thereby positioning the winding seal portion on the separator. A fuel cell having a positioning engagement portion that defines According to the fuel cell described in Application Example 3, when the fuel cell is assembled, it is not necessary to separately align the structure for the gas seal with respect to the electrolyte membrane, and the separator as a whole structure integrated with the electrolyte membrane is used. It is only necessary to align the positions of the two and the assembly operation can be facilitated.

[Application Example 4]
The fuel cell according to Application Example 1, further, an elastic body disposed between the pair of gas separators closer to the outer periphery of the separator than the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane, and is in contact with the pair of gas separators Accordingly, a fitting seal portion that realizes gas sealing performance at a contact portion with the gas separator is provided, and the fitting seal portion is disposed at a position facing the electrolyte membrane when disposed between the gas separators. A fitting recess, which is a recess into which the turn seal portion is fitted, is formed, and the wound seal portion is fitted into the fitting recess and generates a reaction force with the external seal portion, thereby A fuel cell that realizes gas sealing performance at a contact portion with a seal portion. According to the fuel cell described in the application example 4, the gas seal between the gas flow paths formed on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane can be realized by a reaction force generated between the wound seal portion and the fitting seal portion. . Moreover, the gas seal between the gas flow path formed on the electrolyte membrane and the outside of the gas flow path can be realized by a reaction force generated between the fitting seal portion and the gas separator. Therefore, it is possible to ensure gas sealing performance in the gas flow path on the electrolyte membrane without using an adhesive.

[Application Example 5]
The fuel cell according to Application Example 4, wherein at least one of the separators defines a position of the fitting seal portion on the separator by engaging with the fitting seal portion on a surface in contact with the fitting seal portion. A fuel cell having a positioning engagement portion. According to the fuel cell described in the application example 5, when the fuel cell is assembled, it is not necessary to separately align the structure for the gas seal with respect to the electrolyte membrane, and the separator as a whole structure integrated with the electrolyte membrane is used. It is only necessary to align the positions of the two and the assembly operation can be facilitated.

[Application Example 6]
The fuel cell according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, further comprising a porous body disposed between the electrode and the gas separator, wherein the pore is formed by a space formed therein. A flow path forming porous body that forms a gas flow path, and the gas separator has an opening for supplying and discharging gas to and from the gas flow path on a surface in contact with the flow path forming porous body. And the wound seal portion is disposed so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the flow path forming porous body. According to the fuel cell described in Application Example 6, since the winding seal portion is disposed so as to surround the entire flow path forming porous body, the configuration of the winding seal portion can be simplified.

[Application Example 7]
7. The fuel cell according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, wherein the winding seal portion is formed by winding the membrane end portion of the electrolyte membrane one or more times around an outer periphery of a core material. According to the fuel cell described in Application Example 7, by using the core material, it is possible to increase the strength of the wound seal portion and improve the durability of the fuel cell. Moreover, when the whole winding seal part is configured as an elastic body, the number of times the electrolyte membrane is wound can be suppressed by using an elastic core material.

[Application Example 8]
7. The fuel cell according to any one of application examples 1 to 6, wherein the wound seal portion is formed by winding only the electrolyte membrane. According to the fuel cell described in Application Example 8, a gas seal without using an adhesive can be realized with a simple configuration in which the electrolyte membrane is wound without preparing a special member.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms other than those described above. For example, the present invention can be realized in the form of a method for manufacturing a fuel cell.

It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing schematic structure of the fuel cell of 1st Example. 3 is a plan view showing the shape of a cathode facing plate 31. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a shape of an intermediate plate 33. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a shape of an anode facing plate 32. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the part shown as the area | region X. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the shape of a manifold seal portion 16. FIG. 6 is a process diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a fuel cell including a winding seal portion 60. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where a winding core 61 is disposed on the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane 11. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the winding seal | sticker part 60 was formed. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the mode of temporary fixing. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing a mode that the winding seal | sticker part 60 is engage | inserted. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing a mode that the other separator 30 was laminated | stacked. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing schematic structure of the fuel cell of 2nd Example. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing each part related to a wound seal part 160. 4 is a plan view illustrating a state of a surface of a cathode facing plate 131. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which represents typically a mode that the winding core 161 which wound the electrolyte membrane 111 was engage | inserted.

A. Overall configuration of the fuel cell of the first embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the fuel cell of the first embodiment. The fuel cell of this example is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. In addition, the fuel cell according to this embodiment includes a plurality of cell assemblies 10 that are basic structures in which an electrochemical reaction proceeds, and a stack structure in which the cell assemblies 10 are stacked with separators 30 interposed between the cell assemblies 10. have.

  The cell assembly 10 includes an electrolyte membrane 11 having a pair of electrodes 12 and a pair of gas diffusion layers 13 on the surface, and gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15. In FIG. 1, the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13 are not shown.

  The electrolyte membrane 11 is a proton conductive ion exchange membrane formed of a solid polymer material, for example, a fluorine-based resin including perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid, and exhibits good proton conductivity in a wet state. The electrode 12 (cathode and anode) includes a catalyst that promotes an electrochemical reaction, such as platinum or an alloy of platinum and other metals. In order to form the cathode and the anode, for example, a carbon powder carrying a catalyst metal such as platinum is produced, and a paste is produced using the catalyst-carrying carbon and an electrolyte similar to the electrolyte constituting the electrolyte membrane. The prepared catalyst paste may be applied on the electrolyte membrane. The gas diffusion layer 13 is a carbon porous member, and is formed of, for example, carbon cloth or carbon paper. After the electrodes 12 are formed on both surfaces, the electrolyte membrane 11 is sandwiched between the gas diffusion layers 13 and is integrated by press bonding. The electrolyte membrane 11 further includes a wound seal portion 60 on the outer periphery thereof. The wound seal portion 60 is a structure for realizing gas sealing performance in a gas flow path formed on the electrode 12 in contact with the adjacent separator 30. The configuration of the wound seal portion 60 relates to at least a part of the main part of the present application, and will be described in detail later.

  The gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15 are conductive thin plate members formed of a metal porous body such as expanded metal or foam metal, or a carbon porous body. The expanded metal made from the product is used. The gas flow path forming parts 14 and 15 are arranged so as to come into contact with the gas diffusion layer 13 and the separator 30, and a space formed by a large number of pores formed inside contains a gas to be subjected to an electrochemical reaction. It functions as an in-cell gas flow path. That is, the space formed by the pores of the gas flow path forming portion 14 disposed between the cathode and the separator 30 functions as an in-cell oxidizing gas flow path through which an oxidizing gas containing oxygen passes. In addition, the space formed by the pores of the gas flow path forming portion 15 disposed between the anode and the separator 30 functions as an in-cell fuel gas flow path through which the fuel gas containing hydrogen passes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the separator 30 is sandwiched between the cathode facing plate 31 in contact with the gas flow path forming portion 14, the anode facing plate 32 in contact with the gas flow path forming portion 15, the cathode facing plate 31 and the anode facing plate 32. And an intermediate plate 33. These three plates are thin plate-like members formed of a conductive material, for example, stainless steel or a metal such as titanium or a titanium alloy. The cathode facing plate 31, the intermediate plate 33, and the anode facing plate 32 are overlapped in this order. For example, they are joined by diffusion joining. Each of these three types of plates has a hole having a predetermined shape at a predetermined position. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the shape of the cathode facing plate 31, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the shape of the intermediate plate 33, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the shape of the anode facing plate 32. 2 to 4, a region overlapping with the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13 (hereinafter referred to as a power generation region DA) is surrounded by a one-dot chain line.

  Each of the cathode facing plate 31 and the anode facing plate 32 includes eight holes on the outer periphery thereof. Specifically, in each of the above plates, two holes 40 are formed along one side of the outer periphery that is substantially square. Further, two hole portions 41 are formed along the side opposite to the side where the hole portion 40 is formed in the vicinity. Further, holes 42 and 43 are formed in the vicinity of one of the other two sides, and holes 44 and 45 are formed in the vicinity of the other side. These eight holes overlap each other when the thin plate-like members are stacked to form a stack structure, and form a manifold that guides fluid parallel to the stacking direction inside the fuel cell. The intermediate plate 33 does not have the holes 42 and 45 among the eight holes, but is provided so that a plurality of refrigerant holes 59 to be described later overlap at positions corresponding to the holes 42 and 45. It has been.

The holes 41 provided in each of the plates form an oxidizing gas supply manifold that distributes the oxidizing gas supplied to the fuel cell to the in-cell oxidizing gas flow path (denoted as O ₂ in in the figure). The unit 40 forms an oxidizing gas discharge manifold that guides the oxidizing gas discharged and gathered from the in-cell oxidizing gas flow path to the outside (indicated as O ₂ out in the figure). The hole 44 forms a fuel gas supply manifold that distributes the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell to the fuel gas flow passages in each cell (denoted as H ₂ in in the figure). Then, a fuel gas discharge manifold is formed to guide the fuel gas discharged from each cell fuel gas flow path and gathered to the outside (denoted as H ₂ out in the figure). Further, the hole portion 42 forms a refrigerant supply manifold that distributes a refrigerant such as cooling water supplied to the fuel cell into each separator 30 (denoted as CLT in in the drawing), and the hole portion 45 has each A refrigerant discharge manifold is formed to guide the refrigerant discharged and collected from the separator 30 to the outside (denoted as CLT out in the figure).

  Further, the cathode facing plate 31 is provided along the side (the upper end side in FIG. 2) in the vicinity of the two holes 40 in the power generation area DA, and is formed through the cathode facing plate 31. A gas discharge slit 50 is provided. Similarly, in the power generation area DA, an oxidizing gas supply slit 51 provided along a side near the two holes 41 (a side on the lower end side in FIG. 2) is provided (see FIG. 2).

  Similar to the cathode facing plate 31, the anode facing plate 32 is provided along the side near the two holes 40 (upper side in FIG. 4) in the power generation area DA and penetrates the anode facing plate 32. The fuel gas supply slit 54 is formed. Similarly, in the power generation area DA, a fuel gas discharge slit 53 provided along a side near the two holes 41 (a side on the lower end side in FIG. 4) is provided (see FIG. 4). The fuel gas supply slit 54 and the fuel gas discharge slit 53 are arranged closer to the center of the plate so as not to overlap with the oxidizing gas discharge slit 50 and the oxidizing gas supply slit 51, respectively.

  In the intermediate plate 33, the shape of the hole 40 is different from that of the other plates, and the hole 40 of the intermediate plate 33 has a side on the plate center portion side of the hole 40 protruding toward the plate center portion. The shape is provided with a plurality of protruding portions. The plurality of protrusions of the hole 40 are referred to as communication portions 55. The communication portion 55 is formed so as to overlap the oxidizing gas discharge slit 50 when the intermediate plate 33 and the cathode facing plate 31 are stacked, and communicates the oxidizing gas discharge manifold and the oxidizing gas discharge slit 50. Similarly, the hole 41 is provided with a plurality of communicating portions 56 corresponding to the oxidizing gas supply slit 51 (see FIG. 3). Further, the intermediate plate 33 communicates with each of the hole 44 and the hole 43 and overlaps with the fuel gas supply slit 54 or the fuel gas discharge slit 53 of the anode facing plate 32. Is provided.

  Inside the fuel cell, the oxidizing gas flowing through the oxidizing gas supply manifold formed by the hole 41 passes through the space formed by the communication portion 56 of the intermediate plate 33 and the oxidizing gas supply slit 51 of the cathode facing plate 31. It flows into the in-cell oxidizing gas channel formed in the gas channel forming part 14. The inflowing oxidizing gas passes through the in-cell oxidizing gas flow path while being subjected to an electrochemical reaction, and from the gas flow path forming portion 14, the oxidizing gas discharge slit 50 of the cathode facing plate 31 and the communication portion 55 of the intermediate plate 33. Is discharged to the oxidizing gas discharge manifold formed by the hole 40. Similarly, in the fuel cell, the fuel gas flowing through the fuel gas supply manifold formed by the hole 44 passes through the space formed by the communication portion 58 of the intermediate plate 33 and the fuel gas supply slit 54 of the anode facing plate 32. Then, it flows into the in-cell fuel gas flow path formed in the gas flow path forming portion 15. The fuel gas that has flowed in passes through the in-cell fuel gas flow path while being subjected to an electrochemical reaction. From the gas flow path forming portion 15, the fuel gas discharge slit 53 of the anode facing plate 32 and the communication portion 57 of the intermediate plate 33. Is discharged to the fuel gas discharge manifold formed by the hole 43 through the space formed by the.

  The intermediate plate 33 further includes a plurality of elongated refrigerant holes 59 formed in parallel to each other in a region including the power generation region DA. The end portions of these refrigerant holes 59 overlap with the hole portions 42 and 45 when the intermediate plate 33 is overlapped with other plates, and form an inter-cell refrigerant flow path in the separator 30 for the flow of the refrigerant. That is, inside the fuel cell, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply manifold formed by the hole 42 is distributed to the inter-cell refrigerant flow path formed by the refrigerant holes 59, and the refrigerant discharged from the inter-cell refrigerant flow path is , And is discharged to the refrigerant discharge manifold formed by the hole 45.

  Here, in FIG. 3, the position corresponding to the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the state in which the oxidizing gas is supplied to and discharged from the gas flow path forming unit 14 and the state in which the fuel gas is supplied to and discharged from the gas flow path forming unit 15 are represented by arrows. .

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, the cathode facing plate 31 has irregularities of a predetermined shape that are convex on the surface in contact with the gas flow path forming portion 14, as shown in FIG. . Specifically, a first positioning convex portion 20, a second positioning convex portion 22, and a corner seal convex portion 24 for positioning and arranging the winding seal portion 60 are formed. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing, on an enlarged scale, the portion indicated by region X in FIG.

  The second positioning convex portion 22 is formed in substantially the same length as each side along each of the four sides of the power generation area DA at a position closer to the outer periphery of the separator 30 than the power generation area DA. The first positioning convex portion 20 is substantially the same length as each second positioning convex portion 22 along each side of the second positioning convex portion 22 at a position closer to the outer periphery of the separator 30 than the second positioning convex portion 22. Is formed. A winding seal portion 60 formed on the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane 11 is fitted into the recess formed between the first positioning projection 22 and the second positioning projection 22 as described later. The corner seal projections 24 are provided at positions where the end portions of the recesses formed between the first positioning projections 20 and the second positioning projections 22 are closed in the vicinity of the four corners of the power generation area DA. Each of these convex portions can be formed, for example, by press molding of a flat plate that becomes the cathode facing plate 31. In addition, the height of each convex part is formed lower than the thickness of the cell assembly 10, that is, the distance between adjacent separators in the fuel cell. In particular, the second positioning convex portion 22 is formed lower than the thickness of the gas flow path forming portion 14 (see FIG. 1).

  A manifold seal portion 16 is further disposed between the adjacent separators 30 (see FIG. 1). FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the shape of the manifold seal portion 16. The manifold seal portion 16 has a rectangular frame shape that just overlaps the outer periphery of the separator 30, and is disposed on the separator 30 so that the outer periphery overlaps the separator 30. The manifold seal portion 16 is formed with holes 40 to 45 similar to the separator 30 at the same positions as the separator 30, and the lips 17 projecting on both surfaces so as to surround the peripheries of the holes 40 to 45. Is formed. The manifold seal portion 16 is a member made of an insulating elastic body, for example, rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer, and comes into contact with both of the separators 30 adjacent to each other at the lip 17 and a fastening pressure parallel to the stacking direction of the separators 30 is applied. By applying a reaction force to the separator 30 when added, sealing performance in each manifold formed by the holes 40 to 45 is realized. Specifically, the material constituting the manifold seal portion 16 is, for example, silicon, ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), polyisobutylene (PIB), nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), fluorine rubber, urethane rubber, chlorosulfonated. Examples thereof include polyethylene (CSM), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), acrylic rubber, polysulfide rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber (CO · CEO), and the like.

B. Manufacturing method of fuel cell provided with winding seal part 60:
FIG. 7 is a process diagram showing a method for manufacturing a fuel cell of the present embodiment provided with a winding seal portion 60. When manufacturing the fuel cell of this example, first, the electrolyte membrane 11 provided with the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13 at predetermined positions on both surfaces, the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15, the separator 30, Is prepared (step S100). And the four winding cores 61 are arrange | positioned on the outer periphery of the prepared electrolyte membrane 11, the outer peripheral part of the electrolyte membrane 11 is wound along the winding core 61, and the winding seal | sticker part 60 is formed (step S110). FIG. 8 shows how the four winding cores 61 are arranged on the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane 11 and the electrolyte membrane is wound in step S110. Further, FIG. 9 shows a state where the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 11 is wound around the winding core 61 and the wound seal portion 60 is formed. As shown in FIG. 9, the entire shape of the electrolyte membrane 11 is a rectangular shape in which the wound seal portion 60 is formed on each of the four sides when the wound seal portion 60 is formed. In order to form such a wound seal portion 60, the electrolyte membrane 11 prepared in step S100 extends parallel to the winding direction with respect to each of the four sides as shown in FIG. The shape has a winding part 62. The winding core 61 is made of an elastic body that is sufficiently stable in the internal environment of the fuel cell, and is preferably made of an insulating material. Specifically, for example, a member made of the same rubber or thermoplastic elastomer as the constituent material of the manifold seal portion 16 described above can be used. As described above, the wound seal portion 60 is a structure for realizing gas sealing performance in the in-cell gas flow path formed on the electrode 12 in contact with two adjacent separators 30. Therefore, when the wound seal portion 60 is formed, the electrolyte membrane 11 has a diameter that is slightly larger than the distance between two adjacent separators 30 in the fuel cell (the thickness of the cell assembly 10). Is wound.

  When the winding seal portion 60 is formed by winding the electrolyte membrane 11, the state where the electrolyte membrane 11 is wound is fixed using an adhesive (step S120). As the adhesive, for example, an epoxy adhesive can be used. Note that the adhesion in step S120 is intended to temporarily fix, and by temporarily fixing in this way, the electrolyte membrane 11 is handled in a state in which the electrolyte membrane is wound and the wound seal portion 60 is formed. Can be assembled. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state of temporary fixing, and shows a state in the vicinity of the wound seal portion 60 in the electrolyte membrane 11. In FIG. 10, the description of the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13 provided on the electrolyte membrane 11 is omitted.

  Separately from this, the first positioning projections 20 and the tops of the corner seal projections 24 formed on the separator 30 prepared in step S100 (in the plan view of FIG. 5, the first positioning projections 20 and the corners). The insulating portion 21 is provided on the portion seal convex portion 24 (hatched portion) (step S130). The material constituting the insulating portion 21 may be a material having sufficient insulating properties and sufficiently stable in the internal environment of the fuel cell. For example, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer which is the same material as the manifold seal portion 16 is used. Can be formed. In order to form the insulating portion 21, for example, the above-described material may be formed by applying to the tops of the first positioning convex portion 20 and the corner seal convex portion 24. Or the member which has a shape corresponding to the shape of the top of the 1st positioning convex part 20 and the corner | angular part seal convex part 24 is produced previously, and the produced member is the 1st positioning convex part 20 and the corner | angular part seal convex part. It is good also as sticking on 24 head tops with an adhesive agent.

  Next, the electrolyte membrane 11 in which the wound seal portion 60 is formed is disposed on the separator 30, specifically on the cathode facing plate 31 of the separator 30, together with the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15 (step S140). . As described above, the cathode positioning plate 31 is formed with the first positioning convex portion 20, the second positioning convex portion 22, and the corner seal convex portion 24. In step S140, the first positioning convex portion is formed. The winding seal portion 60 is fitted into the recess between the protrusion 20, the second positioning protrusion 22, and the corner seal protrusion 24. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the winding seal portion 60 is fitted between the first positioning convex portion 20 provided with the insulating portion 21 and the second positioning convex portion 22. In FIG. 11, only the cathode facing plate 31 is shown as the separator 30. The electrolyte membrane 11 is disposed on the separator 30 together with the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15, and the wound seal portion 60 is fitted between the first positioning convex portion 20 and the second positioning convex portion 22, thereby allowing the electrolyte membrane 11 can be held in a state substantially parallel to the surface of the separator 30. Note that both ends of each of the wound seal portions 60 forming the four sides of the electrolyte membrane 11 are pressed against the corner seal convex portions 24 and the ends of the adjacent wound seal portions 60.

  Further, the manifold seal portion 16 is further disposed on the separator 30 (step S150). Here, the cathode facing plate 31 of the separator 30 is provided with a positioning engagement portion (not shown) for positioning the manifold seal portion 16. Therefore, by engaging a predetermined portion of the manifold seal portion 16 with the positioning engagement portion, the manifold seal portion 16 can be disposed on the separator 30 while being relatively positioned with respect to the separator 30. Become.

  Next, another separator 30 is further laminated on the separator 30 in which the electrolyte membrane 11, the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15, and the manifold seal portion 16 are disposed on the surface (step S160). FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which another separator 30 is stacked in step S160, similarly to FIG. In FIG. 12, only the anode facing plate 32 is shown as the other separator 30 stacked. As described above, the diameter of the winding seal portion 60 is formed slightly larger than the distance between the two adjacent separators 30 in the state of being fastened in the fuel cell. As an elastic body. Therefore, the other separator 30 described above is further laminated, and finally a predetermined fastening pressure parallel to the lamination direction is applied, so that the wound seal portion 60 has a contact portion with the separator 30 and a corner portion seal. A reaction force is generated at the contact portion with the convex portion 24, and sufficient gas sealing performance can be realized.

  In this embodiment, since the insulating portions 21 are provided on the tops of the first positioning convex portions 20 and the corner seal convex portions 24, a short circuit between adjacent separators 30 can be suppressed. Specifically, even if the distance between the adjacent separators 30 may be locally reduced due to, for example, non-uniform fastening pressure inside the fuel cell, the first positioning convex portion 20 and the short circuit between the separators 30 via the tops of the corner seal projections 24 can be suppressed. Here, in the present embodiment, the heights of the first positioning protrusions 20 and the corner seal protrusions 24 are normally set so that the insulating parts 21 do not contact the adjacent separators 30. The height of the convex portion may be set so that the insulating portion 21 always contacts 30. In this case, if the insulating portion 21 is formed of an elastic body, the variation in the distance between the adjacent separator 30 and the convex portion is absorbed by the insulating portion 21 so that the distance between the separators 30 is uniform in the plane. Can be

  After the other separators 30 are stacked in step S160, the operations in steps S140 to S160 are repeated a predetermined number of times to produce a stacked body in which the separators 30 and the cell assemblies 10 are alternately stacked (step S170). When the other separators 30 are stacked in step S160, stacking is performed while aligning the positions of the separators 30 to be newly stacked with respect to the already stacked separators 30. Such positioning can be performed, for example, by aligning at least two sides of the outer periphery of each separator 30. Each separator 30 is manufactured with sufficient accuracy, and stacking is performed while aligning the positions of the separators 30 with each other in the stacking direction, so that the sealing position by the wound seal portion 60 disposed while positioning on each separator 30 is determined by the fuel. The entire battery can be aligned in the stacking direction. A seal line SL formed by overlapping the sealing position of the wound seal portion 60 in the stacking direction is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Thus, when the sealing position overlaps in the stacking direction, a desired reaction force corresponding to the fastening pressure is generated in each wound seal portion 60, and sufficient sealing performance can be realized.

  Then, in addition to the obtained laminate, necessary members such as current collectors (terminals), insulating plates (insulators), or end plates are further arranged, and a predetermined pressing force is applied to the entire laminate. However, the fuel cell is completed by fastening the whole (step S180).

  According to the fuel cell of the present embodiment configured as described above, since the wound seal portion 60 formed by winding the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 11 is provided, the physical force of applying pressure through the elastic body is provided. The gas sealing property in the in-cell gas flow path formed on each surface of the electrolyte membrane 11 can be ensured only by a proper seal. Specifically, a gas seal (external seal) between the gas flow path in the cell and the outside of the gas flow path in the cell, and a gas seal (internal seal) between the gas flow paths in the cell through the electrolyte membrane, This can be done only by physical sealing. Therefore, problems caused by using an adhesive for gas sealing, for example, reduction in gas sealing performance due to peeling due to deterioration of the adhesive can be suppressed. Alternatively, when a thermosetting resin is used as the adhesive, there may be a problem that the gas sealability is deteriorated due to variations in surface pressure due to variations in the dimensions of the adhesive after curing. Such a problem can be suppressed by not using, and battery performance can be improved by ensuring a uniform surface pressure.

  Further, in this embodiment, the manifold formed by the holes provided in each separator is sealed by physical sealing using the manifold seal portion 16 disposed between the separators. Gas sealing can be achieved only by physical sealing. In this way, the entire fuel cell is gas-sealed only by physical sealing without using an adhesive or the like, so that when the used fuel cell is to be recycled, the stacked members can be disassembled. The effect that it can be made easy can be produced.

  In the present embodiment, the structure for gas sealing between the gas flow paths in the cell via the electrolyte membrane 11 is formed by winding the end of the electrolyte membrane 11 so as to be integrated with the electrolyte membrane 11. Since the seal portion 60 is used, it is not necessary to prepare the gas seal structure separately from the electrolyte membrane 11. Therefore, the handling property of the members related to the electrolyte membrane and the gas seal is improved. In addition, when assembling the fuel cell, there is no need to separately align the structure for gas sealing with respect to the electrolyte membrane, and it is only necessary to align with the separator as a whole structure integrated with the electrolyte membrane, The assembly operation can be facilitated. In particular, in this embodiment, since the winding seal portion 60 is temporarily fixed with an adhesive, handling during assembly can be further facilitated. Temporary fixing using an adhesive is performed for convenience during assembly. After assembly, for example, after power generation by a fuel cell is started, the adhesiveness of the adhesive is impaired due to deterioration of the adhesive or the like. It does not matter if it is done.

  Furthermore, in the fuel cell of the present embodiment, as the separator, a communication flow path that connects the gas manifold and the gas flow path in the cell is formed inside the separator, and such a communication flow path is a gas flow path on the separator surface. A separator 30 that opens in a region overlapping with the forming portions 14 and 15 is used. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a communication channel on the separator surface in order to connect the gas manifold and the in-cell gas channel, and a winding seal corresponding to each of the four sides so as to surround the entire power generation area DA. The part 60 may be provided. Therefore, the electrolyte membrane may be wound corresponding to the four sides of the power generation area DA, and the configuration of the wound seal portion 60 can be simplified.

  In this embodiment, the winding core 61 is used to form the winding seal portion 60. However, a different configuration may be used, and the winding sealing portion 60 as a whole is necessary for realizing gas sealing performance. What is necessary is just to have elasticity. For example, the winding seal portion 60 may be formed only by winding the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 11 without using the winding core 61. However, in the case of using the winding core 61 that is a member having higher strength than the structure in which the electrolyte membrane is wound as in the present embodiment, the effect of increasing the strength of the wound seal portion 60 and increasing the durability of the fuel cell. Is obtained. Further, in the winding seal portion 60, when the number of windings of the electrolyte membrane is sufficiently increased to ensure sufficient elasticity in the electrolyte membrane portion, the winding core 61 has sufficient elasticity that can contribute to the gas seal. You may form with the rigid body which does not have. Or when using the winding core 61 which has sufficient elasticity for implement | achieving gas-sealability, in the winding sealing part 60, the frequency | count of winding an electrolyte membrane around the winding core 61 can be reduced, for example, winding The electrolyte membrane may be wound only once around the outer periphery of the core 61.

C. Second embodiment:
FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the fuel cell of the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to portions common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The fuel cell according to this embodiment includes a cell assembly 110 instead of the cell assembly 10 and also includes a separator 130 instead of the separator 30. Similar to the fuel cell according to the first embodiment, the cell assembly 110 and the separator 130 are provided. Are alternately stacked. The cell assembly 110 is different from the cell assembly 10 in that the structure provided on the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane 111 for sealing the gas flow path in the cell is different from the cell assembly 10. 160 and a fitting seal portion 164 are provided. The separator 130 is formed by superimposing three plates in the same manner as the separator 30. However, in place of the cathode facing plate 31, unevenness relating to the alignment different in shape from the cathode facing plate 31 is provided. The cathode facing plate 131 is provided. In FIG. 13, only the cathode facing plate 131 and the anode facing plate 32 are shown as the separator 130 adjacent to the cell assembly 110.

  FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the end portion of the electrolyte membrane 111 in the cell assembly 110, as in FIG. In the fuel cell of this embodiment, the winding seal portion 160 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 111 for gas sealing is configured by winding the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 111 around the winding core 161 only once. Has been. Such a winding seal portion 160 is fitted in a fitting groove 165 described later provided in the fitting seal portion 164. The fitting seal portion 164 into which the winding seal portion 160 is fitted has a lip 166 at a portion in contact with each of the two adjacent separators 130. In this lip 166, the gap between both the adjacent separators 130 is provided. With this, gas sealing performance is realized.

  FIG. 14 is a plan view showing each part related to the winding seal part 160. 14A shows the electrolyte membrane 111 in which the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13 are formed on both sides, FIG. 14B shows the winding core 161, and FIG. 14C shows the fitting seal portion 164. Represent. These plan views shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C show a state in which each part is viewed from the direction corresponding to the direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14B, the winding core 161 is formed in a rectangular frame shape that is slightly larger than the power generation area DA. The winding core 161 only needs to be sufficiently stable in the internal environment of the fuel cell, and is made of various materials such as stainless steel and titanium, a conductive metal material, and a non-conductive resin material. Can do. As shown in FIG. 14C, the fitting seal portion 164 is also formed in a rectangular frame shape that is formed to be slightly larger than the power generation area DA. The fitting seal portion 164 is provided with a fitting groove 165 that is a groove-like recess formed so as to surround the power generation region DA on the side facing the power generation region DA. Is formed so that the width in the plane shown in FIG. And the fitting groove 165 provided in the fitting seal part 164 is formed in the magnitude | size which the winding core 161 just fits. (See FIG. 13). In addition, the lip 166 described above is formed in the fitting seal portion 164, and the lip 166 is formed as a rectangular linear convex portion that is connected to each other on both surfaces in contact with the separator. The fitting seal portion 164 can be formed of an insulating elastic body that is sufficiently stable in the internal environment of the fuel cell, for example, a member made of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer similar to the constituent material of the manifold seal portion 16. The fitting seal part 164 having projections and depressions such as the fitting groove 165 and the lip 166 may be formed by injection molding using the above-mentioned material, for example.

  FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the state of the surface of the separator 30 on the side in contact with the gas flow path forming portion 14 in the cathode facing plate 131. As with the cathode facing plate 31 of the first embodiment, the cathode facing plate 131 has holes 40 to 45, an oxidizing gas supply slit 51, and an oxidizing gas discharge slit 50, and four positioning convex portions 120. It has been. The four positioning protrusions 120 are provided in the middle of each side of the power generation area DA and at positions closer to the outer periphery of the cathode facing plate 131 than the outer periphery of the power generation area DA. The position corresponding to the cross section shown in FIG. 13 is shown as a 13-13 cross section in FIG.

  When manufacturing the fuel cell of the present embodiment, first, as in step S100 of FIG. 7, the electrolyte membrane 111 provided with the electrode 12 and the gas diffusion layer 13, the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15, the separator 130 are prepared. Then, instead of steps S110 and S120, a process of forming the winding seal part 160 and fitting the winding seal part 160 into the fitting seal part 164 is performed.

  In order to form the winding seal portion 160, first, the winding core 161 shown in FIG. 14B is shown in FIG. 14A so that the region shown as the power generation region DA overlaps the gas diffusion layer 13. The electrolyte membrane 111 is disposed on one surface. Then, the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 111 is bent so as to be wound around the winding core 161 along the winding core 161. Then, in a state where the electrolyte membrane 111 is wound, the winding core 161 is fitted into the fitting groove 165 of the fitting seal portion 164. FIG. 16 schematically shows a state in which the winding core 161 around which the electrolyte membrane 111 is wound is fitted into the sealing portion 164. When the winding core 161 around which the electrolyte membrane 111 is wound is fitted into the sealing portion 164, the end portion of the electrolyte membrane 111 is bonded to the winding core 161 or other portions of the electrolyte membrane 111 using an adhesive, for example. It is also possible to temporarily fix the electrolyte membrane 111 in a state where the electrolyte membrane 111 is wound around the winding core 161. Alternatively, the fitting operation may be performed by pushing the electrolyte membrane 111 into the fitting groove 165 while winding the electrolyte membrane 111 around the winding core 161 without performing such adhesion. Although not shown in FIG. 13, similarly to step S <b> 130 of FIG. 7, the top of the positioning convex portion 120 included in the separator 130 of the present embodiment is the same as the positioning convex portion 20 of the first embodiment. An insulating part may be provided.

  Thereafter, the electrolyte membrane 111 in which the winding seal portion 160 is formed and integrated with the fitting seal portion 164 is disposed on the cathode facing plate 131 of the separator 130 together with the gas flow path forming portions 14 and 15 (step S140). ). At this time, the four sides forming the outer periphery of the fitting seal portion 164 are arranged so as to contact the four positioning convex portions 120 provided on the cathode facing plate 131. Further, the same manifold seal portion 16 as that in the first embodiment is disposed on the cathode facing plate 131 (step S150), and another separator 130 is stacked (step S160). Thereafter, by repeating the operations of step S140 to step S160 a predetermined number of times, a laminated body in which the separators 130 and the cell assemblies 110 are alternately laminated is produced (step S170). And another member is arrange | positioned (step S180), a fuel cell is completed by fastening the whole, applying a predetermined pressing force with respect to the whole laminated body.

  In this way, when the fastening force is applied, the fitting seal portion 164, which is an elastic body, generates a reaction force with the separator 130, and between the in-cell gas flow path and the outside of the in-cell gas flow path. Gas sealing performance is ensured. Further, the fitting seal portion 164, which is an elastic body, is pressed against the winding core 161 with the electrolyte membrane 111 interposed therebetween to generate a reaction force, whereby the in-cell gas flow formed on each surface of the electrolyte membrane 111 Gas sealing performance between the roads is ensured. Specifically, the gas sealing performance between the gas flow paths in the cell is ensured at the two contact portions Z indicated by arrows Z in FIG.

  According to the fuel cell of the present embodiment configured as described above, the winding seal portion 160 formed by winding the outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane 111, and the fitting seal portion 164 into which the winding seal portion 160 is fitted, Therefore, the gas sealing property in the in-cell gas flow path formed on each surface of the electrolyte membrane 111 can be ensured only by a physical seal in which pressure is applied through an elastic body. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, problems caused by using an adhesive for gas sealing can be suppressed. Further, by using the manifold seal portion 16 in combination, the entire fuel cell can be gas-sealed only by a physical seal as in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the gas seal (external seal) between the in-cell gas flow path and the outside of the in-cell gas flow path is performed at the contact portion between the fitting seal portion 164 and the separator 130, and the electrolyte membrane is interposed therebetween. A gas seal (internal seal) between the gas flow paths in the cell is performed at a contact portion between the winding seal portion 160 and the fitting seal portion 164. Therefore, the internal seal can be secured at the two contact portions Z shown in FIG. 13, and the gas sealing property between the in-cell gas flow paths via the electrolyte membrane can be improved.

  In this embodiment, the structure for realizing the outer seal and the inner seal is constituted by the wound seal portion 160 and the fitting seal portion 164 integrated with the electrolyte membrane 111. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a separate structure from the electrolyte membrane 111. Therefore, the handling property of the members related to the electrolyte membrane and the gas seal is improved. Also, when assembling the fuel cell, there is no need to separately align the structure for gas sealing with respect to the electrolyte membrane, and it is only necessary to align with the separator as a whole structure integrated with the electrolyte membrane, The assembly operation can be facilitated.

  Furthermore, in the fuel cell of the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, as the separator, a communication channel that connects the gas manifold and the in-cell gas channel is formed inside the separator, and such a communication channel is used. However, the separator 30 opened in the area | region which overlaps with the gas flow path formation parts 14 and 15 in the separator surface is used. Therefore, the winding seal part 160 and the fitting seal part 164 may be provided so as to surround the entire power generation area DA, and the configuration of the winding seal part 160 and the fitting seal part 164 can be simplified.

  In addition, various deformation | transformation is possible about the winding seal | sticker part 160 of a present Example. Since the gas sealing property between the winding core 161 and the fitting seal portion 164 via the electrolyte membrane is realized by the elasticity of the fitting seal portion 164, the winding core 161 has even elasticity. It is not necessary. Further, in this embodiment, the winding core 161 has a circular cross section, but the cross section may be formed in a polygonal shape, and a sufficient sealing performance can be obtained by fitting into the fitting groove 165 and generating a reaction force. It only has to be done. In this embodiment, the end of the electrolyte membrane 111 is wound around the winding core 161 only once. However, the winding seal portion 160 may be configured by winding more times. Alternatively, the wound seal portion may be configured by winding the end portion of the electrolyte membrane without using the winding core 161.

  In this embodiment, the electrolyte membrane 111 has a quadrangular shape as shown in FIG. 14, but may have a different shape. For example, like the electrolyte membrane 11 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the vicinity of each corner of the square is cut out and wound around the winding core 161 near each corner of the power generation area DA. The volume of the electrolyte membrane fitted in the fitting groove 165 may be reduced.

  In this embodiment, four protrusions corresponding to each side of the fitting seal portion 164 are provided as the positioning protrusions 120 provided on the cathode facing plate 131. However, positioning protrusions having different shapes may be provided. good. For example, similarly to the first positioning convex portion 20 and the second positioning convex portion 22 in the first embodiment, two linear convex portions parallel to each side forming the outer periphery of the power generation area DA are provided, and these linear convex portions are provided. It is good also as arrange | positioning the fitting seal | sticker part 164 in the linear recessed part formed between parts. As described above, the positioning structure provided in the separator may be any structure as long as the seal structure integrated with the electrolyte membrane can be aligned with the separator with sufficient accuracy.

D. Variation:
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 first and second embodiments, the positioning convex portion as the positioning structure provided on the separator side is provided on the cathode facing plates 31 and 131, but may be configured differently. For example, a positioning protrusion similar to the embodiment may be provided on the anode facing plate 32 side. Or it is good also as providing a positioning convex part in both a cathode opposing plate and an anode opposing plate.

D2. Modification 2:
In the embodiment, in order to ensure the sealing performance in the manifold, the manifold seal portion 16 having a rectangular frame shape whose outer periphery overlaps with the separator is used, but a different configuration may be used. For example, a seal member is individually prepared for each manifold hole formed in each separator, and an engagement portion for positioning around each manifold hole on the separator surface so as to correspond to each seal member. It is good also as providing. Regardless of the shape of the sealing member, if physical sealing is performed in order to ensure sealing performance in the manifold, it is possible to gas-seal the entire fuel cell only by physical sealing by applying the present invention. become.

D3. Modification 3:
In the first and second embodiments, a separator having a communication channel that communicates between the gas manifold and the gas flow channel in the cell is used, and the sealing structure such as the wound seal portions 60 and 160 is used for the entire power generation region DA. However, a different configuration may be used. For example, even when a communication channel that connects the manifold and the gas channel in the cell is provided on the surface of the separator instead of the inside of the separator, the present invention is applied, and the gas seal is formed only by a physical seal. Can be performed. For example, when the winding seal portion 60 similar to that of the first embodiment is provided, the thickness of the gas flow path forming portion is formed after forming the winding seal portion 60 having a shape surrounding the entire power generation area DA as in the embodiment. A groove for forming a communication channel that communicates with a predetermined gas manifold and one of the gas channels in the cell corresponding to the gas manifold is cut into the winding seal portion 60. It may be formed by, for example. Accordingly, the predetermined gas manifold and one in-cell gas flow path can be communicated with each other via the wound seal portion 60, and between the predetermined gas manifold and the other in-cell gas flow path. Then, it is possible to obtain a structure in which the gas sealing property is maintained. In such a case, the in-cell gas flow path can be formed by a concavo-convex shape provided on the surface of the separator in addition to the flow path forming porous body as in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,110 ... Cell assembly 11, 111 ... Electrolyte membrane 12 ... Electrode 13 ... Gas diffusion layer 14, 15 ... Gas flow path formation part 16 ... Manifold seal part 17 ... Lip 20 ... 1st positioning convex part 21 ... Insulation part 22 ... 2nd positioning convex part 24 ... Corner | edge seal convex part 30, 130 ... Separator 31, 131 ... Cathode opposing plate 32 ... Anode opposing plate 33 ... Intermediate | middle plate 40-45 ... Hole part 50 ... Oxidizing gas discharge slit 51 ... Oxidizing gas supply Slit 53 ... Fuel gas discharge slit 54 ... Fuel gas supply slit 55-58 ... Communication part 59 ... Refrigerant hole 60, 160 ... Winding seal part 61, 161 ... Winding core 62 ... Winding part 120 ... Positioning convex part 164 ... Insertion seal Part 165 ... fitting groove 166 ... lip

Claims (10)

A fuel cell,
An electrolyte membrane;
A pair of electrodes formed on the electrolyte membrane;
A pair of gas separators disposed on each of the electrodes to form a gas flow path between the electrodes;
A wound seal portion provided on an outer peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane, at least a part of which is configured by winding the electrolyte membrane;
With
The winding seal portion is in contact with the gas separator directly or via another member, and when a fastening pressure parallel to the stacking direction of the electrolyte membrane and the gas separator is applied, the winding seal portion A fuel cell that realizes a gas sealing property at a contact portion with the adjacent member by generating a reaction force between the gas separator or the other member which is an adjacent member in direct contact with the fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein
The wound seal portion has elasticity as a whole, and directly contacts the gas separator and generates a reaction force against the gas separator, thereby realizing gas sealing performance at the contact portion with the gas separator. . The fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein
At least one of the separators has a positioning engagement portion that defines a position of the winding seal portion on the separator by engaging with the winding seal portion on a surface in contact with the winding seal portion. . The fuel cell according to claim 1, further comprising:
An elastic body disposed between the pair of gas separators and closer to the outer periphery of the separator than the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane, and is in contact with the pair of gas separators so that a gas seal is formed at a contact portion with the gas separator. It has a fitting seal part that realizes
The fitting seal portion is formed with a fitting recess that is a recess into which the wound seal portion is fitted, at a position facing the electrolyte membrane when arranged between the gas separators,
The wound seal portion is fitted into the fitting recess and generates a reaction force with the outer seal portion, thereby realizing gas sealing performance at a contact portion with the outer seal portion. The fuel cell according to claim 4, wherein
At least one of the separators has a positioning engagement portion that defines a position of the fitting seal portion on the separator by engaging with the fitting seal portion on a surface in contact with the fitting seal portion. 6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, further comprising:
A porous body disposed between the electrode and the gas separator, the flow path forming porous body forming the gas flow path by a space formed by pores provided therein;
The gas separator has an opening for supplying and discharging gas to and from the gas channel on the surface in contact with the channel-forming porous body.
The wound seal portion is disposed so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the flow path forming porous body. The fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The wound seal portion is formed by winding the membrane end of the electrolyte membrane one or more times around the outer periphery of a core material. The fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The wound seal portion is formed by winding only the electrolyte membrane. A fuel cell manufacturing method comprising:
A first step of preparing a gas separator having a positioning engagement portion on one surface;
A second step of preparing an electrolyte membrane having a pair of electrodes formed on the surface;
A third step in which at least a part of the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane is formed by winding the electrolyte membrane to form a wound seal portion configured as an elastic body as a whole;
The electrolyte membrane obtained in the second step is disposed on the one surface of the gas separator prepared in the first step while the winding seal portion is engaged with the positioning engagement portion. A third step;
A fourth step of stacking another gas separator on the one surface of the gas separator on which the electrolyte membrane is disposed in the third step;
And a fifth step of applying a fastening pressure between the separators having the electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween and laminated. A fuel cell manufacturing method comprising:
A first step of preparing a gas separator having a positioning engagement portion on one surface;
A second step of preparing an electrolyte membrane having a pair of electrodes formed on the surface;
A third step of forming a wound seal portion constituted by winding at least a part of the electrolyte membrane at the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane;
A fourth step of preparing a fitting seal portion configured as an elastic member, with a fitting recess capable of fitting the wound seal portion;
The winding seal portion is fitted into the fitting concave portion in the fitting seal portion so that the electrolyte membrane and the fitting seal portion are integrated, and the fitting seal portion is engaged with the positioning engagement portion. While, on the one surface of the gas separator prepared in the first step, a fifth step of disposing the electrolyte membrane integrated with the fitting seal portion;
A sixth step of laminating another gas separator on the one surface of the gas separator on which the electrolyte membrane is disposed in the fifth step;
And a seventh step of applying a fastening pressure between the separators laminated with the electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween.

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