JP2734632B2 - Cleaning device for electrode substrate for fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning an electrode substrate for a fuel cell, which is made of a porous carbon plate having a groove formed on one side by cutting.

[Conventional technology]

An electrode substrate used for a fuel electrode or an air electrode of a fuel cell is cut on one side to provide a groove for allowing fuel gas or air to flow through a porous and air-permeable carbon plate. At this time, chips generated at the time of cutting enter the porous material of the electrode base material and impair the air permeability. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the chips in order to improve the gas permeability.

Conventionally, as shown in the sectional view of FIG.
Water 15 is placed in an ultrasonic bath 14 equipped with a cleaning liquid 13 and a cleaning pad 13 filled with a cleaning liquid 12 is seen, and the electrode substrate 1 is disposed therein so that the grooved surface faces downward. To remove chips. In order to carry out the drying process after ultrasonic cleaning of the wet electrode substrate by immersing it in the cleaning liquid, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. The electrode substrate 1 was put in the container, heated and dried over time.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional ultrasonic cleaning and drying process, which removes chips generated during cutting from the electrode base material, the electrode base material is immersed in a liquid and then heated and dried. As a result, the flatness is impaired, so that in the assembly of the fuel cell, inconveniences such as damage to the electrode base material due to the tightening pressure at the time of laminating the electrodes may occur. In addition, frequent replacement of the cleaning liquid and disposal of the waste liquid required a lot of cost, and much time was required for the drying treatment.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and relates to a cleaning device for an electrode substrate for a fuel cell, which can be processed in a short time at low cost without impairing the flatness of the electrode substrate.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device for an electrode base material for a fuel cell, comprising a porous carbon plate having a groove formed on one surface thereof by a cutting process. A grid plate on which an electrode substrate is placed on the upper surface side thereof, and a compressed air hood having a compressed air inlet attached via a gasket to the upper surface of the electrode substrate when the electrode substrate is placed on the grid plate. A suction hood installed on the lower surface of the grid plate, a first wind tunnel connected to the suction hood, a second wind tunnel connected to the first wind tunnel via a filter, A vacuum pump having an exhaust port connected to the wind tunnel.

[Action]

According to the present invention, a porous electrode base material is installed on a lattice plate attached to a fixing device base and arranged on a suction hood, with a groove-cut one side facing down, and a gasket is interposed therebetween. A compressed air hood having a compressed air inlet is attached, and the compressed air is sealed from the compressed air inlet of the compressed air hood, and the operation of exhausting the sealed air by a vacuum pump is performed. The chips accumulated in the inside are blown off with pressure and blown to the suction hood through the lattice plate, and the chips that have escaped are collected by the filter through the first wind tunnel.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on examples. FIG. 1 is a layout view of a fuel cell electrode substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, an electrode substrate 1 containing cutting chips at the time of cutting, which is disposed on the upper part of a grid plate 3 with a cut groove, has a compressed air inlet 8 through a gasket 7 on the upper part thereof. A hood 2 is installed, and a suction hood 6 installed on a base 9 via a grid plate 3 is attached to a lower portion of the hood 2. The lower part of this suction hood 6 is the first wind tunnel
Filter 4 connected to this wind tunnel and second wind tunnel 11 connected to 10
Is sandwiched. The second wind tunnel 11 is connected to the vacuum pump 5, and exhaust from the pump is exhausted from an exhaust port 21 attached to the pump. In the apparatus having such a configuration, when the vacuum pump 5 is operated to supply compressed air to the compressed air hood 2 from the compressed air inlet 8, the electrode base material 1 containing cutting chips in the hole is cut into grooves. Compressed air enters through the porous vents on the back side of the carbon plate, and blows off the cutting chips accumulated in the holes near the cut grooves to clean them. The chips separated from the electrode substrate 1 enter the suction hood 6 together with the compressed air and reach the filter 4 through the first wind tunnel 10, where they are collected and only the remaining compressed air enters the vacuum pump 5 and is exhausted. Exhausted from mouth 21.

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention does not have a step of dipping the electrode base material in a liquid or drying by heat as described above, the flatness after cleaning processing of the chips is not impaired, and the electrode base material is incorporated into a fuel cell as a high quality electrode base material. I can do it. Further, since the chips separated from the electrode base material can be collected by a filter and easily taken out and processed, the trouble and cost of processing and separating the washing waste liquid as in the conventional example can be saved. In addition, as in the conventional example, a long processing time of immersing in a cleaning liquid, applying ultrasonic vibration, and drying in a drying oven can be greatly reduced, and the working efficiency can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a layout view of a cleaning device for removing chips generated during cutting of an electrode substrate of a fuel cell according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional cleaner using an ultrasonic bath. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional drying oven that cleans and dries the electrode substrate by the apparatus shown in FIG. 2: Compressed hood, 3: Lattice plate, 4: Filter, 5: Vacuum pump, 6: Suction hood, 7: Gasket, 8: Compressed air intake, 9: Basin, 10: First wind tunnel, 11: Second Wind tunnel, 21: exhaust vent.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An apparatus for cleaning an electrode base material for a fuel cell, comprising a porous carbon plate having a groove formed on one side thereof by a cutting process, wherein the electrode base material is mounted on a fixing device base and has an electrode base material on an upper surface thereof. A grid plate to be mounted, a compressed air hood having a compressed air inlet attached via a gasket to an upper surface of the electrode base material when the electrode base material is mounted on the grid plate, and a pressure hood installed on the lower surface of the grid plate. A suction hood, a first wind tunnel connected to the suction hood, a second wind tunnel connected to the first wind tunnel via a filter, and an exhaust port connected to the second wind tunnel. An apparatus for cleaning an electrode substrate for a fuel cell, comprising: a vacuum pump.