JP3427915B2 - Method for assembling solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for assembling a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to assemble a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a cell is formed by sealing a carbon plate such as a gas plate and a cooling plate, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane through a seal plate, and the like. Then, several to several tens of these cells were stacked, and a knock pin was inserted into a knocking hole for positioning to assemble the stack, and then fixed by using a pressure plate. By the way, as the number of stacked cells is larger, it is more difficult to insert the knock pin, and the stacked members may be displaced, resulting in incomplete sealing. [0003] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for easily inserting a knock pin, enabling high-precision assembly even when a misalignment occurs in a stacked cell or a cell unit, and completely. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a fuel cell that can be sealed. [0004] A method for assembling a fuel cell according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems comprises laminating a square carbon plate, a seal plate, a catalyst electrode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. In a method for assembling a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a plurality of stacked cells in which a carbon plate and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are sealed via a seal plate, a carbon plate, a seal plate, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are provided. A cell assembly positioning hole is drilled at one pair of diagonal corners, and a stack assembly positioning hole is drilled at the other pair of diagonal corners, and then seal plates are placed on both surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. A cell is formed by laminating a catalyst electrode and a carbon plate via a seal plate, and the cells are superimposed on each of a plurality of layers via a seal plate. A short PTFE knock pin is inserted to form a cell unit, and then a plurality of the cell units are stacked via a seal plate, and a long PTFE knock pin having an end face chamfered in a stacking assembly positioning hole. A method for assembling a fuel cell, comprising forming a stack by inserting and then tightening and fixing the stack using a pressure plate. As described above, in the fuel cell assembling method of the present invention, a plurality of cells in which a seal plate, a catalyst electrode, and a carbon plate are laminated on both surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are polymerized and a pair of cells is formed. A short PTFE knock pin with a chamfered end face is inserted into the cell assembly positioning hole at the corner, so it is slippery, easy to fit, and flexible and elastic, so it can absorb some misalignment, The cell and the cell unit are assembled with high precision. In addition, since a plurality of the cell units assembled in this way are overlapped, a long PTFE knock pin having a chamfered end face is inserted into the stacking positioning hole at the other pair of diagonal corners, so that slippage is improved. Since it is easy to fit, and is flexible and elastic, a stack that can absorb a slight displacement of the cell unit can be assembled with high precision. Further, since the knock pin has an insulating property,
Since each cell does not short-circuit and has heat resistance, the knock pin does not melt due to heat generated by power generation, and since it has excellent material strength, it can securely hold the cell and stack, and the pressure plate When used and tightened, the stack, which is a moderately flexible structure, is fixed and each cell is completely sealed. An embodiment of a method for assembling a fuel cell according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG.
In a pair of diagonal corners of a 120 mm rectangular carbon plate (gas plate and cooling plate) 1, in this example, upper and lower left corners, a cell assembling positioning hole 2 having an inner diameter of 6 mm is formed. Stacking positioning holes 3 having an inner diameter of 7 mm were formed in the other pair of diagonal corners, that is, in the upper left corner and the lower right corner. 4 is a gas inlet manifold, 5 is a gas passage groove, 6 is a gas outlet manifold, 7 is a gas passage groove on the back surface, 8 is its gas inlet manifold, 9 is a gas outlet manifold, and carbon plate 1 is a cooling plate. In this case, a cooling water passage groove, a cooling water inlet manifold, and a cooling water outlet manifold are provided on the surface. FIG. 2 shows a seal plate 10 having a thickness of 0.4 mm which is disposed between the carbon plates 1 and seals the periphery of each manifold. Similarly to the carbon plate 1, cells having an inner diameter of 6 mm are provided at a pair of diagonal corners. The positioning hole 2 for assembling was formed, and the positioning hole 3 for stack assembly having an inner diameter of 7 mm was formed in another pair of diagonal corners. FIG. 3 shows a rectangular solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 for electrolysis having a thickness of 0.14 mm and a side of 120 mm sandwiched between the gas plates 1 with a seal plate 10 interposed therebetween. A cell assembly positioning hole 2 having an inner diameter of 6 mm is formed in a pair of diagonal corners, and a stack assembly positioning hole 3 having an inner diameter of 7 mm is formed in another pair of diagonal corners. Drilled. Next, a catalyst electrode 19 and a carbon plate (gas plate or cooling water plate) 1 are laminated on both surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 via a seal plate 10 to form a cell 12 as shown in FIG. Then, the cells 12 are superposed by a plurality of layers, in this case, 10 layers, respectively, through the seal plate 10, and the end faces are chamfered into the cell assembly positioning holes 2 as shown in FIG. A cell unit 14 is formed by inserting a PTFE knock pin 13 of mm, and a plurality of, in this case, five, cell units 14 are superimposed via the seal plate 10, respectively, as shown in FIG. The stack 16 is formed by inserting a PTFE knock pin 15 having a diameter of 6.7 mm and a length of 400.0 mm with a chamfered end face into the positioning hole 3 for stack assembly, and then a pressing plate as shown in FIG.
17 and fastened by fastening bolts 18. As described above, in the fuel cell assembling method of the embodiment, the seal plates 10 are provided on both surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11.
After stacking 10 cells 12 each having the carbon plate 1 laminated thereon, the cell assembling positioning holes 2 at a pair of diagonal corners,
Since the short PTFE knock pin 13 with a chamfered end face is inserted, it is slippery and easy to fit, and since it is flexible and elastic, it can absorb a slight displacement, and the cell 12
And the cell unit 14 was assembled with high precision. In addition, since five cell units 14 assembled in this manner are overlapped, a long PTFE knock pin 15 whose end face is chamfered is inserted into the stack assembly positioning hole 3 at the other pair of diagonal corners. Slippery and easy to fit,
Moreover, since it is flexible and elastic, a slight displacement of the cell unit 14 can be absorbed, and the stack 16 can be assembled with high precision. Further, since the knock pins 13 and 15 are insulative, each cell 12 is not short-circuited and has heat resistance, so that the knock pins 13 and 15 are not melted by heat generated by power generation, and furthermore, the material strength is increased. Cell 12 and the stack 16 can be securely held, and the pressure plate 17
When tightened with the tightening bolts 18 using, the stack 16 which is a moderately flexible structure is fixed and each cell 12 is completely sealed. As described above, according to the method for assembling a fuel cell of the present invention, it is easy to insert a knock pin, and it is possible to assemble with high accuracy even if a positional shift occurs in a stacked cell or cell unit. And can be completely sealed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing a carbon plate used in a method for assembling a fuel cell according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a seal plate used in the method for assembling a fuel cell according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing a solid polymer electrolyte membrane used in the fuel cell assembling method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cell configured using a carbon plate, a seal plate, a catalyst electrode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. FIG. 5 is a view showing a cell unit formed by stacking 10 layers of the cell of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a stack formed by stacking five cell units of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the stack of FIG. 6 is fastened and fixed using a pressure plate. [Description of Signs] 1 Carbon plate 2 Positioning hole for cell assembly 3 Positioning hole for stack assembly 10 Seal plate 11 Solid polymer electrolyte membrane 12 Cell 13 Short PTFE knock pin 14 Cell unit 15 Long PTFE knock pin 16 Stack 17 Pressure plate 18 Tightening bolt 19 Catalyst electrode

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] A rectangular carbon plate, a seal plate, a catalyst electrode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are laminated, and the carbon plate and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane are connected via the seal plate. In a method of assembling a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a plurality of stacked cells in which a plurality of cells are sealed, a positioning hole for cell assembly is provided at a pair of diagonal corners of a carbon plate, a seal plate, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. At the same time, stacking positioning holes are drilled at the other pair of diagonal corners, and then a catalyst electrode and a carbon plate are laminated on both surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane via seal plates to form a cell. Then, the cells are polymerized through a plurality of layers through seal plates, respectively.
Short PTFE with chamfered end face in positioning hole for cell assembly
A cell unit is constructed by inserting a dowel pin made of the same, then a plurality of the cell units are superimposed via a seal plate, and a long PT having a chamfered end face in a positioning hole for stack assembly.
A method for assembling a fuel cell, comprising: forming a stack by inserting FE knock pins; and then tightening and fixing the stack by using a pressure plate.