JP2020047511A - Fuel cell manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To avoid bending of a to-be-conveyed stacked body 105 in a process of transferring a stacked body 105 including a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110, a seal member 130 disposed on the outer periphery thereof, and a pair of separators 120 for sandwiching them from a laminate forming unit 20 to a thermocompression bonding unit 40 in a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus 10.SOLUTION: A transport unit 30 for transporting a stacked body 105 from a stacked body forming unit 20 to a thermocompression bonding unit 40 includes an air blowing unit 35. To the laminated body 105 which is conveyed while being held at both ends by clamps 33, 33, air from the air blowing unit 35 is blown from the back surface. This prevents the stacked body 105 from being bent downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus.

  The fuel cell has a power generation unit that is a membrane electrode assembly in which electrodes are joined to both surfaces of an electrolyte membrane or a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly in which a gas diffusion layer is joined to both surfaces of the membrane electrode assembly. It is constituted by sandwiching between. In a fuel cell unit, a sealing member is generally provided on the outer peripheral portion of the power generation unit, and the sealing member is melted and integrated with a pair of separators.

  A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the above-described fuel cell unit is described in Patent Document 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell described in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of upper and lower separators, a power generation unit that is a membrane electrode assembly or a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly disposed therebetween, and a seal member on the outer periphery thereof. A laminate forming section for forming the laminate, a thermocompression bonding section for hot-pressing the laminate formed by the laminate forming section to melt and integrate the separator and the sealing member, and And a transport unit for transporting from the forming unit to the thermocompression bonding unit. The thermocompression bonding section includes an upper mold and a lower mold, and the laminate is thermocompression-bonded between the two dies.

JP 2017-103069 A

  In general, in a fuel cell, a laminated body composed of a power generation unit that is a membrane electrode assembly or a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and a sealing member disposed on an outer peripheral portion thereof and a pair of separators disposed on both surfaces thereof is , Having a small thickness, low self-holding property, and easy to bend. For this reason, if the laminated body is placed in a horizontal posture in a state where both side edges thereof are gripped, there is a possibility that the central part in the width direction of the laminated body will be bent downward.

  In the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus of the above-described embodiment, when such a downward bending occurs in the stacked body conveyed by the conveying unit, the stacked body is disposed between the upper mold and the lower mold that are the thermocompression bonding sections. When carrying in, a part of the laminated body may abut against the lower mold. If interference occurs between the laminate and the mold due to collision, mold contamination occurs due to deformation of the separator and adhesion of a thermoplastic resin as a sealing member.

  In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to increase the distance between the upper mold and the lower mold during standby in consideration of the amount of possible bending in advance, but as a contradiction, the stroke of the mold becomes longer. Therefore, the time until the thermocompression bonding becomes long, and there is a possibility that productivity may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and in a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus, a stack including a power generation unit, a seal member disposed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and a pair of separators sandwiching them. An object of the present invention is to disclose a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus capable of avoiding bending of a conveyed stacked body in a process of transferring a body from a stacked body forming section to a thermocompression bonding section.

  An apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell according to the present invention includes a power generation unit, which is a membrane electrode assembly or a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, a seal member disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the power generation unit, and sandwiches the power generation unit and the seal member. A laminate forming section for forming a laminate comprising a pair of separators, and a heat press of the laminate formed by the laminate forming section to melt-integrate the separator and the seal member. A thermocompression bonding unit including an upper mold and a lower metal mold, and a transport unit configured to transport the laminate from the laminate formation unit to the thermocompression bonding unit, a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus including: The transporting unit includes a gripper that grips both ends of the stack and an air blowing unit that can blow air toward a back surface of the stack gripped by the gripper.

  In the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the stack (membrane electrode bonding) at the time of transportation is provided by providing the air blowing unit that can blow air toward the back surface side of the stack held by the holding unit. A downward bending is generated in the power generation unit which is the body or the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, a seal member provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof, and a laminate including the power generation unit and a pair of separators sandwiching the seal member. Can be avoided. Thereby, it becomes possible to manufacture a fuel cell with high productivity.

Sectional drawing which shows the fuel cell manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus of the fuel cell in embodiment. The figure which shows the manufacturing apparatus of a fuel cell seen from the upper direction. The side view which looked at the manufacturing apparatus of the fuel cell from the side at the side of the layered product formation part. The figure which shows the state of the laminated body conveyed by the conveyance part. The figure which shows the state in which the laminated body was carried in the thermocompression-bonding part. The figure which shows the state which the laminated body mounted on the lower metal mold | die. The figure which shows the state thermocompression-bonded in a laminated body thermocompression-bonding part.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a fuel cell 100 manufactured by a fuel cell manufacturing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell 100 generates power by an electrochemical reaction using a reaction gas. The reaction gas used by the fuel cell 100 is hydrogen and oxygen. The fuel cell 100 includes a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110, a separator 120a, a separator 120b, and a seal member.

  The membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 is a unit in which a gas diffusion layer 114 and a gas diffusion layer 116 are provided on both surfaces of a membrane electrode assembly 112. The membrane electrode assembly 112 is a member in which an electrolyte membrane is sandwiched between a pair of electrode layers. The gas diffusion layer 114 is a porous layer that is provided on the anode side (+ side in the Z-axis direction) of the membrane electrode assembly 112 and diffuses hydrogen, which is a reaction gas, to the membrane electrode assembly 112. The gas diffusion layer 116 is a porous layer provided on the cathode side (negative side in the Z-axis direction) of the membrane electrode assembly 112 and diffusing oxygen as a reaction gas into the membrane electrode assembly 112.

  The separator 120a is stacked on the surface of the gas diffusion layer 114 from the + side in the Z-axis direction. The separator 120b is stacked on the surface of the gas diffusion layer 116 from the negative side in the Z-axis direction. In the description of the present embodiment, reference numeral “120” is used to generically refer to each of separators 120a and 120b. The separator 120 is mainly composed of a material having sufficient conductivity for collecting generated electricity, and having sufficient durability, heat resistance, and gas impermeability for flowing a reaction gas and cooling water. Is done.

  The seal member 130 is arranged on the outer periphery of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 between the separators 120 and is welded to the separator 120. In the present embodiment, seal member 130 is made of ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM). The seal member 130 may be another rubber material that is cured by thermocompression bonding.

  The fuel cell unit 100 is created by the following steps. That is, the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 and the seal member 130 are bonded and integrated to form the integrated member 103. Next, the integrated member 103 is sandwiched between the separators 120. Then, the fuel cell 100 is formed by thermocompression bonding from the outside to the inside of the separator 120. In the present embodiment, the one in which the integrated member 103 is sandwiched between the separators 120 and is not subjected to thermocompression bonding is referred to as a laminate 105.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment includes a laminate forming unit 20, a transport unit 30, and a thermocompression unit 40, which are provided on a base 11. Have been.

  The laminate forming section 20 forms a laminate 105 in which the integrated member 103 and the separator 120 are laminated. As shown in FIG. 3, the laminate forming section 20 has a base 21. The upper surface of the base 21 is a flat surface. In forming the laminate 105, first, the separator 120b is disposed on the upper surface of the base 21. The integrated member 103 in which the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 and the seal member 130 are bonded and integrated is disposed on the disposed separator 120b (Z axis + direction), and the separator 120a is placed thereon. Deploy.

  The transport units 30 are located on both sides of the laminate forming unit 20 in the X-axis direction. The transport section 30 includes a screw shaft 31 extending in the Y-axis direction, and a moving body 32 whose base is screwed to the screw shaft 31. The moving body 32 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction along the screw shaft 31 by the rotation of the screw shaft 31. The width of the moving body 32 in the Y-axis direction is substantially equal to the width of the base 21 of the stacked body forming section 20 in the Y-axis direction. The moving body 32 has clamps 33, 33 as gripping portions at both ends in the width direction in the Y-axis direction. Each clamp has a lower clamp piece and an upper clamp piece. The distance between the clamps 33 in the Y-axis direction is substantially equal to the width in the Y-axis direction of the stacked body 105 formed and arranged on the upper surface of the base 21 of the stacked body forming section 20.

  The initial position of the transporting unit 30 is substantially the same as that in which the clamps 33 provided on the movable body 32 are located on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the stacked body 105 formed and arranged on the upper surface of the base 21 of the stacked body forming unit 20. A matching position is assumed. At that position, the clamps 33, 33 are in the open position, and the lower clamp piece is located below the laminate 105. After disposing the stacked body 105 as described above, the clamp is closed by a control unit (not shown). As a result, the four corners of the stacked body 105 are held by the lower clamp piece and the upper clamp piece, that is, by the grip part of the transport unit 30. The moving body 32 includes a rotation axis 36 in the Z-axis direction. Each of the clamps 33, 33 is drivingly connected to the rotating shaft 36 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by the rotation of the rotating shaft 36.

  The moving body 32 has an air blowing unit 35 that can blow air at a lower part in the Z-axis direction. Preferably, the air blowing unit 35 is provided at the center of the width of the moving body 32 in the Y-axis direction. The air blowing section 35 has a nozzle, and the nozzle is connected to an air pressure feeding section (not shown). The tip of the nozzle is directed upward in the Z-axis direction. When a control unit (not shown) sends air from the air sending unit to the air blowing unit 35, the sent air is ejected upward from the nozzle tip.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the thermocompression bonding section 40 is located on the rear side of the stacked body forming section 20, that is, on the side of the feed direction in which the moving body 32 of the transport section 30 is sent in the + Y direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the thermocompression bonding section 40 has a lower mold 41 fixed to the base 11. The shape of the lower mold 41 in a plan view is rectangular, and a protrusion 42 substantially equal to the shape of the laminate 105 in a plan view is formed on the upper surface thereof. The upper surface 43 of the protrusion 42 is a flat surface. The width of the lower mold 41 in the X-axis direction is substantially equal to the width of the base 21 of the stacked body forming section 20 in the X-axis direction.

  The screw shaft 31 of the transport unit 30 extends in the Y-axis direction along both sides in the X-axis direction of the lower mold 41 of the thermocompression bonding unit 40. By the rotation of the screw shaft 31, the moving body 32 of the transport unit 30 moves from the initial position, which is the side surface position of the base 21 of the laminate forming unit 20, to the side position of the lower mold 41 of the thermocompression bonding unit 40. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, the thermocompression bonding section 40 has an upper mold 45 at a position above the lower mold 41 in the Z-axis direction and facing the lower mold 41. The planar shape of the upper mold 45 is the same as the lower mold 41. The upper mold 45 has a protrusion 46 formed on the lower side in the Z-axis direction. The shape of the protrusion 46 in plan view is the same as the protrusion 42 of the lower mold 41, and the lower surface 47 of the protrusion 46 is a flat surface.

  The thermocompression bonding section 40 has a column 12 erected on the base 11 and a horizontal member 13 disposed above the column 12. A hydraulic device 48 having, for example, a piston and a cylinder is fixed on the horizontal member 13. The upper mold 45 is connected to a movable member 49 of the hydraulic device 48. When the hydraulic device 48 is operated, the upper mold 45 reciprocates in the Z-axis direction together with the movable member 49.

  FIG. 2 shows only the upper mold 45 constituting the thermocompression bonding section 40 for easy understanding of the drawing. The lower mold 41 and the upper mold 45 are provided with appropriate heating means.

  The operation of the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described. In manufacturing the fuel cell 100, first, the screw shaft 31 is operated to set the movable body 32 of the transport unit 30 to a position on the X-axis direction side of the stacked body forming unit 20. The clamps 33, 33 are set in an open position, in which the upper clamp piece is in an upright position. In this state, the laminated body 105 is formed at the upper surface position of the base 21 of the laminated body forming section 20.

  After forming the laminate 105, the control unit is operated to close the clamp pieces. Thus, the four corners of the stacked body 105 are held by the clamps 33 provided on the moving body 32. This state is shown in FIG. At this point, no air is blown from the air blowing unit 35 provided on the moving body 32.

  The control unit drives the rotating shaft 36 provided in the moving body 32 in the Z-axis direction to move the clamps 33 slightly upward. Simultaneously with the upward movement, the control unit drives the screw shaft 31 to rotate, and moves the moving body 32 toward the thermocompression bonding unit 40. Along with the movement of the moving body 32, the laminated body 105 whose both sides in the X-axis direction are gripped by the clamps 33, 33 as gripping means starts moving toward the thermocompression bonding section 40 in the Y-axis direction.

  The control unit activates the air pressure feeding unit simultaneously with the start of the movement of the moving body 32 to cause the nozzle of the air blowing unit 35 to eject air. This state is shown in FIG. By the ejected air, a biasing force is applied upward from the back side to the laminate 105 transported by the transport unit 30 from the laminate forming unit 20 to the thermocompression bonding unit 40. Thus, the stacked body 105 being conveyed is supported from below, and is effectively prevented from bending downward.

  The stacked body 105 to be conveyed is restrained from bending downward, so that the effective thickness in the Z-axis direction occupied by the stacked body 105 during conveyance is substantially the same as the actual thickness of the stacked body 105. Can be suppressed. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the stacked body 105 thus transported is carried into the thermocompression bonding section 40. By operating the hydraulic device 48, the upper mold 45 is held at the upper position in the drawing, and a gap of a distance h is formed between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 45. . As described above, the stacked body 105 that is being conveyed is restrained from bending downward, and the distance h is set to a distance slightly wider than the actual thickness of the stacked body 105, whereby the stacked body 105 can be carried in between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 45 without causing interference with the lower mold 41.

  When the stack 105 is carried into a predetermined position between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 45, the control unit stops blowing air from the air blowing unit 35. Then, the rotating shaft 36 in the Z-axis direction provided on the moving body 32 is driven to rotate again, and the clamps 33 are lowered to a position where the sandwiched laminated body 105 is placed on the upper surface of the lower mold 41. The state is shown in FIG.

  Next, the hydraulic device 48 fixedly arranged on the horizontal member 13 is operated to bring the upper mold 45 into contact with the laminated body 105 placed on the upper surface of the lower mold 41, and at the same time, The pressure is further lowered until the pressure is applied. FIG. 7 shows this state. By maintaining this state for a predetermined time, the seal member 130 forming the laminate 105 and the separator 120 are welded and integrated. After the welding and integration, the pressurization by the hydraulic device 48 is released, the molds (the upper mold 45 and the lower mold 41) are opened, the clamps 33, 33 are opened, and the laminate 105 is taken out. The stacked body 105 taken out becomes the fuel cell 100 shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the fuel cell manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment, the stacked body 105 conveyed from the stacked body forming unit 20 to the thermocompression bonding unit 40 has an air blowing unit 35 on its back surface in the course of conveyance. From the air. This suppresses downward bending of the stacked body 105. Therefore, the distance between the upper mold 45 and the lower mold 41 when being carried into the thermocompression bonding section 40 can be set to be small. As a result, the stroke of the mold during thermocompression bonding can be shortened, the working time can be shortened, and productivity is improved.

  In the above embodiment, the lower mold 41 of the thermocompression bonding section 40 is a fixed mold and the upper mold 45 is a movable mold. However, the lower mold 41 may be a movable mold and the upper mold 45 may be a fixed mold. Good. Further, both dies may be movable. In addition, the integrated member 103 in which the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 and the sealing member 130 are bonded and described has been described as an integrated member 103. However, the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly 110 is replaced with a pair of electrolyte membranes. An integrated member 103 in which the membrane electrode assembly 112 having no gas diffusion layer, which is a member sandwiched between the electrode layers, and the sealing member 130 are bonded and integrated can also be used.

10 fuel cell manufacturing apparatus,
11 ... base,
12 ... pillars standing on the base,
13 ... horizontal members,
20 ... laminated body forming part,
21 ... Base,
30 ... Conveying unit,
31 ... screw,
32 ... moving object,
33 ... clamp as a gripper,
35 ... Air blowing part
36 ... Rotary axis,
40 ... thermocompression bonding part
41 ... Lower mold,
45 ... upper mold,
48 ... Hydraulic device,
49 ... movable member,
100: fuel cell,
105 ... laminate,
110 ... membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly,
112 ... membrane electrode assembly,
120 ... separator,
130 ... seal member.

Claims (1)

Forming a laminate comprising a power generation unit, which is a membrane electrode assembly or a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly, a seal member arranged on the outer periphery of the power generation unit, and a pair of separators sandwiching the power generation unit and the seal member A stacked body forming section, and an upper mold and a lower mold for heat-pressing the stacked body formed by the stacked body forming section to melt and integrate the separator and the sealing member. A device for manufacturing a fuel cell, comprising: a thermocompression bonding section; and a transport section configured to transport the laminate from the laminate forming section to the thermocompression bonding section,
The fuel, comprising: a gripper that grips both ends of the stack and an air blowing unit that can blow air toward a back surface side of the stack gripped by the gripper. Battery cell manufacturing equipment.

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