JP5552971B2 - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of a fuel cell.

  Conventionally, a single cell constituting a fuel cell (hereinafter referred to as “fuel cell”) has a structure in which a membrane electrode assembly (also referred to as “MEA” or “MEGA”) is sandwiched between two separators from both sides. Have. The two separators are electrically insulated by an insulating seal portion provided outside the membrane electrode assembly (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-055350 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-045534 JP 2009-252627 A JP 2008-192403 A JP 2009-266692 A JP 2007-149393 A

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an example of a method for forming an insulating portion seal portion between two separators, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a problem of a conventional fuel cell structure. Each of the drawings shows an enlarged schematic cross section in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the fuel battery cell. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), on the lower mold KD, one separator 20, the membrane electrode assembly 10, and the other separator 20 are laminated in this order, and the upper mold KU is put on the lower mold KD. Press with upper mold KU. The membrane electrode assembly 10 is obtained by forming a catalyst electrode layer 12 and a gas diffusion layer 13 on both surfaces of an electrolyte membrane 11. Then, an insulating sealant is injected into the regions A1 and A2 where the insulating seal portions are formed to form the insulating seal portions R1 and R2. Here, a resin material having a relatively high viscosity is generally used as the insulating sealant.

  However, since it is a resin material, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), simply pressing up and down with a lower mold KD and an upper mold KU and injecting an insulating sealant, FIG. ), The dimensional tolerance of the end position of the insulating seal portion formed when the insulating sealant is cured increases. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, when the outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion R <b> 1 is inside the outer peripheral end of the separator 20, an external force is applied to a portion outside the outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion R <b> 1 of the separator 20. In some cases, the two separators 20 may come into contact with each other and be short-circuited.

  As described above, in the conventional fuel cell structure in which the two separators are electrically insulated by forming an insulating seal portion with an insulating sealant outside the membrane electrode assembly, the two separators There is a problem that the separators are brought into contact with each other at the outer peripheral end to cause a short circuit.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the technique which can prevent the short circuit of separators.

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.
[Form 1]
And the membrane electrode assembly, the first and second separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, the membrane electrode assembly first as a state in contact with the outer peripheral cover the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly with An insulating seal portion sandwiched between second separators, and a fuel cell comprising:
When the first and second separators are viewed in the stacking direction, they are formed such that at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator is inside the outer peripheral end of the first separator. ,
The outer peripheral end of the insulating seal part is formed to be outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator,
The insulating seal portion formed so as to be outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator is formed so as to cover the side surface of the outer peripheral end of the second separator. Fuel cell.
According to the fuel battery cell of aspect 1, since at least a part of the side surface of the outer peripheral end of the second separator that is inside the outer peripheral end of the first separator is covered with the insulating seal portion, The effect of suppressing contact between the first and second separators can be increased, and the effect of suppressing the occurrence of a short circuit can be increased.
[Form 2]
A fuel battery cell according to aspect 2,
The insulating seal portion is formed by curing an insulating seal member injected into a space between the first and second separators on the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. cell.
According to the fuel battery cell of aspect 2, at least a part of the side surface of the outer peripheral end of the second separator can be a fuel battery cell covered with the insulating seal portion.
[Form 3]
A fuel battery cell according to Form 1 or Form 2,
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is further formed inside at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the first separator.
According to the fuel cell of aspect 3, the outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is formed so as to be inside at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the first separator. 1 can be defined by the outer dimension of the separator, and the dimensional accuracy of the fuel cell can be improved.
[Form 4]
A fuel cell according to Aspect 3,
Each of the first separator, the insulating seal part, and the second separator has a plurality of manifold holes,
The manifold hole of the first separator is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion facing the first separator,
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion is formed inside the manifold hole of the second separator facing the insulating seal part.
According to the fuel battery cell of aspect 4, the separator portion around the manifold hole of the second separator is hidden by the insulating seal portion, so that the clearance between the separators can be prevented from being insufficient and the clearance accuracy can be improved. .
[Form 5]
A fuel cell according to Aspect 4,
The insulating seal portion is formed so as to cover a side surface of a manifold hole of the second separator.
According to the fuel cell of aspect 5, since the side surface of the manifold hole of the second separator is covered and hidden by the insulating seal portion, the effect of suppressing contact between the first and second separators can be enhanced, and the short circuit It is possible to increase the effect of suppressing the occurrence.
[Form 6]
A method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to any one of Forms 1 to 5,
The second separator, the membrane electrode assembly, and the first separator are sequentially stacked on the cavity of the lower mold, and the upper mold is placed on the second separator, and the lower mold is disposed. The second separator and the membrane electrode joint are sandwiched by the side mold and the upper mold while holding the outer peripheral end portion of the first separator that is outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator. Pressing between the body and the first separator;
The insulating seal portion is formed by injecting an insulating seal member into a space portion corresponding to the insulating seal portion in the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly between the first and second separators. Process,
A method for producing a fuel battery cell, comprising:
According to the fuel cell manufacturing method of aspect 6, the first separator is sandwiched between the lower mold and the upper mold, and the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly between the first and second separators, By injecting an insulating seal member into the space corresponding to the insulating seal portion to form the insulating seal portion, the contact between the first and second separator separators can be reduced, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a short circuit. It becomes possible to do. Further, by sandwiching the first separator between the lower mold and the upper mold and correcting the distortion of the anode-side separator, it is possible to suppress the clearance between the separators and improve the clearance accuracy.

[Application Example 1]
The membrane electrode assembly, the first and second separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, and the first and second separators are sandwiched between the first and second separators so as to cover the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. An insulating seal provided between 1 and a second separator, and a fuel cell comprising:
When the first and second separators are viewed in the stacking direction, at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator is formed inside with respect to the outer peripheral end of the first separator. The fuel cell characterized by the above-mentioned.
According to the fuel battery cell of Application Example 1, it is possible to reduce the contact between the first and second separator separators, and thus it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit.

[Application Example 2]
A fuel battery cell according to Application Example 1,
The fuel cell, wherein an outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is formed to be outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator.
According to the fuel cell of Application Example 2, since at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator that is inside the outer peripheral end of the first separator is hidden by the insulating seal portion, the first and second It is possible to increase the effect of suppressing the separator contact, and it is possible to increase the effect of suppressing the occurrence of a short circuit.

[Application Example 3]
A fuel battery cell according to Application Example 2,
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is further formed inside at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the first separator.
According to the fuel cell of Application Example 3, since the outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is formed so as to be inside at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the first separator, the outer dimensions of the fuel cell are reduced. It can be defined by the outer dimension of the first separator, and the dimensional accuracy of the fuel cell can be improved.

[Application Example 4]
A fuel battery cell according to Application Example 3,
Each of the first separator, the insulating seal part, and the second separator has a plurality of manifold holes,
The manifold hole of the first separator is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion facing the first separator,
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion is formed inside the manifold hole of the second separator facing the insulating seal part.
According to the fuel cell of Application Example 4, since the separator portion around the manifold hole of the second separator is hidden by the insulating seal portion, insufficient clearance between the separators can be prevented, and clearance accuracy can be improved. it can.

[Application Example 5]
A manufacturing method of a fuel cell according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4,
The second separator, the membrane electrode assembly, and the first separator are sequentially stacked on the cavity of the lower mold, and the upper mold is placed on the second separator, and the lower mold is disposed. The second separator and the membrane electrode joint are sandwiched by the side mold and the upper mold while holding the outer peripheral end portion of the first separator that is outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator. Pressing between the body and the first separator;
The insulating seal portion is formed by injecting an insulating seal member into a space portion corresponding to the insulating seal portion in the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly between the first and second separators. Process,
A method for producing a fuel battery cell, comprising:
According to the fuel cell manufacturing method of Application Example 5, the first separator is sandwiched between the lower mold and the upper mold, and the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly between the first and second separators The contact between the first and second separator separators can be reduced by injecting an insulating seal member into the space corresponding to the insulating seal portion to form the insulating seal portion, so that the occurrence of a short circuit is prevented. It becomes possible to suppress. Further, by sandwiching the first separator between the lower mold and the upper mold and correcting the distortion of the anode-side separator, it is possible to suppress the clearance between the separators and improve the clearance accuracy.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, various forms such as a fuel cell, a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack using the fuel cell, a fuel cell system using the fuel cell, etc. It can be realized by a method for manufacturing a fuel cell.

It is a schematic plan view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the structure of the fuel battery cell as 1st Example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the AA shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of forming an insulation seal part between two separators in 1st Example. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fuel cell as 2nd Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of forming an insulation seal | sticker part between two separators in 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the method of forming an insulation part seal | sticker part between two separators. It is explanatory drawing shown about the problem of the conventional fuel cell structure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order based on examples.
A. First embodiment:
B. Second embodiment:
C. Variations:

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic plan view showing the structure of a fuel cell as a first embodiment of the present invention. 1A shows an anode side separator 120A, and FIG. 1C shows a cathode side separator 120C. FIG. 1B shows the membrane electrode assembly 110 sandwiched between the anode side separator 120A and the cathode side separator 120C. Each figure shows a state viewed from the side (hereinafter referred to as “upper surface side”) of the anode side separator 120A opposite to the side in contact with the membrane electrode assembly 110.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, manifold holes (hereinafter referred to as “oxidizing gas manifold holes”) 121A and 122A corresponding to oxidizing gas are formed at the upper left end and lower right end of the anode separator 120A. Manifold holes (hereinafter referred to as “fuel gas manifold holes”) 123A and 124A corresponding to the fuel gas are formed in the lower left end and the upper right end. In addition, manifold holes (hereinafter referred to as “refrigerant manifold holes”) 125A and 126A corresponding to the refrigerant are formed in the left end central part and the right end central part of the anode separator 120A. Further, inside the fuel gas manifold holes 123A and 124A, a communication for connecting a fuel gas flow path (not shown) formed on the lower surface side of the anode separator 120A and the fuel gas manifold holes 123A and 124A. Holes (hereinafter referred to as “fuel gas communication holes”) 127A and 128A are formed. A refrigerant flow path 130 is formed on the upper surface of the anode separator 120A so as to connect the refrigerant manifold hole 125A and the refrigerant manifold hole 126A. The refrigerant flow path 130 includes a plurality of refrigerant flow path grooves 132. And the refrigerant | coolant diffusion protrusion 134 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 1C, the cathode side separator 120C is formed with oxidizing gas manifold holes 121C and 122C at the upper left end and the lower right end, similarly to the anode side separator 120A. Fuel gas manifold holes 123C and 124C are formed at the upper right end. In addition, refrigerant manifold holes 125C and 126C are formed in the left end center portion and the right end center portion of the cathode separator 120C. In order to connect the oxidizing gas flow passage 150 formed on the upper surface side of the cathode side separator 120C and the oxidizing gas manifold holes 121A and 122A of the anode side separator 120A inside the oxidizing gas manifold holes 121C and 122C. The communication holes (hereinafter referred to as “oxidizing gas communication holes”) 127C and 128C are formed. A plurality of oxidizing gas flow channel grooves 152 are formed in the oxidizing gas flow channel 150.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the insulating seal portion surrounds the periphery of the fuel gas manifold hole 123A and the fuel gas communication hole 127A and the periphery of the fuel gas manifold hole 124A and the fuel gas communication hole 128A. 143 and 144 are formed. Further, the periphery of the region corresponding to the oxidizing gas communication hole 127C of the cathode side separator 120C of another fuel cell overlapped with the oxidizing gas manifold hole 121A (a rectangle indicated by a broken line in the drawing), and the oxidizing gas manifold hole 122A Insulating seal portions 141 and 142 are formed so as to surround the area corresponding to the oxidizing gas communication hole 128C of the cathode side separator 120C of the other fuel cell stacked on the upper side (a rectangle indicated by a broken line in the drawing). ing. In addition, an insulating seal portion 145 is formed so as to surround the refrigerant manifold holes 125A and 126A and the refrigerant flow path 130.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, a membrane electrode assembly 110 is provided between the anode side separator 120A and the cathode side separator 120C. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly 110 is insulated so as to cover the outer peripheral end of the membrane electrode assembly 110 and the outer peripheral end of the cathode separator 120C. A seal portion 146 is formed. Manifold holes 121R to 126R are formed in the insulating seal portion 146 at positions facing the manifold holes 121A to 126A of the anode side separator 120A and the manifold holes 121C to 126C of the cathode side separator 120C, respectively. The membrane electrode assembly 110 is formed by forming the catalyst electrode layer 112 and the gas diffusion layer 113 on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 111 as in the membrane electrode assembly 10 shown in FIG. 6 (see FIG. 2 described later). ).

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which two fuel cells are stacked in order to clarify the cross-sectional structure of the fuel cells. For ease of explanation, the refrigerant flow path and fuel gas flow path of the anode side separator and the oxidizing gas flow path of the cathode side separator are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer dimension of the cathode-side separator 120C is smaller than the outer dimension of the anode-side separator 120A so that the outer peripheral end is inside the outer peripheral end of the anode-side separator 120A. The insulating seal portion 146 provided between the anode-side separator 120A and the cathode-side separator 120C is formed so that the outer peripheral end is outside the outer peripheral end of the cathode-side separator 120C. Thereby, since the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator 120C is hidden inside the insulating seal portion 146, the outer peripheral end of the anode side separator 120A and the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator 120C are prevented from contacting and short-circuiting. Can do. Further, the insulating seal portion 146 is formed so that the outer peripheral end thereof is inside the outer peripheral end of the anode separator 120A. Thereby, since the outer dimension of the fuel cell can be defined by the outer dimension of the anode separator 120A, the dimensional accuracy of the fuel cell can be improved.

  The insulating seal portion 146 can be formed as described below. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a method of forming an insulating seal portion between two separators in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fuel cell, similarly to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, unlike the conventional flat lower mold KD shown in FIG. 6, the lower mold KDP is larger than the outer dimension of the cathode-side separator 120C and larger than the outer dimension of the anode-side separator 120A. It has a small recess (cavity) KA. A cathode-side separator 120C, a membrane electrode assembly 110, and an anode-side separator 120A are arranged in this recess KA in this order, and the same upper die KUP as the conventional upper die KU shown in FIG. The cathode side separator 120C, the membrane electrode assembly 110, and the anode side separator 120A are sandwiched and pressed by the KDP and the upper mold KUP. At this time, since the recess KA of the lower mold KDP is larger than the outer dimension of the cathode separator 120C as described above, the outer peripheral end of the cathode separator 120C and the side wall of the recess KA of the lower mold KDP The cathode separator 120C is arranged so that a gap is formed between them. Further, as described above, the concave portion KA of the lower mold KDP is smaller than the outer dimension of the anode side separator 120A, so that the outer peripheral end portion of the anode side separator 120A is disposed on the convex portion of the lower mold KDP. To do. Accordingly, the outer peripheral end portion of the anode separator 120A can be sandwiched between the lower mold KDP and the upper mold KUP. Then, in the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly 110 between the anode side separator 120A and the cathode side separator 120C, the insulating sealant MSL is injected into the space corresponding to the insulating seal portions 145 and 146 and cured. Thus, the insulating seal portions 145 and 146 can be formed. As the insulating sealant MSL, a relatively viscous resin material can be used.

  As described above, the insulating seal portion can be formed so as to be outside the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator and inside the outer peripheral end of the anode side separator. In addition, by sandwiching and pressing the laminate of the cathode-side separator, membrane electrode assembly, and anode-side separator while holding the outer peripheral end portion of the anode-side separator between the upper mold and the lower mold, the distortion of the anode-side separator is reduced. Therefore, the clearance accuracy between the two separators can be improved.

B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of a fuel cell as a second embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows a state in which two fuel cells are stacked in order to clarify the cross-sectional structure of the fuel cells, as in FIG. For ease of explanation, the refrigerant flow path and fuel gas flow path of the anode side separator and the oxidizing gas flow path of the cathode side separator are omitted.

  The structure of the fuel cell of the second embodiment is different from the structure of the fuel cell of the first embodiment in that it has the following structure in addition to the structure of the first embodiment. That is, the manifold hole (refrigerant manifold hole 125A in the example in the figure) of the anode side separator 120A is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole (refrigerant manifold hole 125Ra in the example in the figure) facing the insulating seal part 146a. Has been. Further, the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion 146a is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125C in the illustrated example) of the second separator 120C opposed to the manifold hole.

  Due to the structure of the fuel cell of the second embodiment, the outer peripheral end of the cathode-side separator 120C is hidden inside the outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion 146a, as in the structure of the fuel battery cell of the first embodiment. It is possible to prevent the outer peripheral end of the separator 120A and the outer peripheral end of the cathode-side separator 120Ca from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. Further, the insulating seal portion 146a is formed so that its outer peripheral end is inside the outer peripheral end of the anode separator 120A. Thereby, since the outer dimension of the fuel cell can be defined by the outer dimension of the anode separator 120A, the dimensional accuracy of the fuel cell can be improved. Further, the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125R in the illustrated example) of the insulating seal portion 146a is formed to be inside the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125Ca in the illustrated example) of the cathode side separator 120C. As a result, it is possible to prevent the separator part around the manifold hole of the anode side separator 120A and the separator part around the manifold hole of the cathode side separator 120Ca from coming into contact with each other and short-circuiting, and the clearance accuracy between the separators can be prevented. Can be improved. Further, the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125A in the illustrated example) of the anode side separator 120A is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125R in the illustrated example) of the insulating seal portion 146a. Thereby, since the dimension of the manifold hole of a fuel cell can be prescribed | regulated by the dimension of the manifold hole of 120 A of anode side separators, the dimensional accuracy of a fuel cell can be improved.

  The insulating seal portion 146a can be formed as described below. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a method of forming an insulating seal portion between two separators in the second embodiment. In addition, FIG. 5 is shown with the schematic cross section of the fuel cell similarly to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lower mold KDPa sandwiches the anode-side separator 120A at the outer peripheral end portion of the anode-side separator 120A and the separator portion around the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125A in the illustrated example). And a recess (cavity) KAa. The recess KAa is formed so that a gap is formed between the outer peripheral end of the cathode separator 120Ca and the manifold hole, and the side wall of the recess KAa. A cathode-side separator 120Ca, a membrane electrode assembly 110, and an anode-side separator 120A are sequentially stacked on the recess KAa, and the same upper die KUP as the conventional upper die KU shown in FIG. The cathode side separator 120Ca, the membrane electrode assembly 110, and the anode side separator 120A are sandwiched and pressed by KDPa and the upper mold KUP. At this time, as described above, the recess KAa of the lower mold KDPa is formed outside the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator 120C, and the recess KAa has a manifold hole ( In the illustrated example, a convex portion KT that is larger than the refrigerant manifold hole 125A) and smaller than the manifold hole of the cathode separator (the refrigerant manifold hole 125Ca in the illustrated example) is formed. Therefore, between the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator 120Ca and the side wall of the recess KAa of the lower mold KDPa, and the manifold hole (the refrigerant manifold hole 125Ca in the example in the figure) of the cathode side separator 120Ca and the convex portion KT in the recess KAa. The cathode-side separator 120Ca is arranged so that a gap is formed between the side walls. Further, as described above, the concave portion KAa of the lower mold KDPa is inside the outer peripheral end of the anode side separator 120A, and the convex portion KT in the concave portion KAa is a manifold hole of the anode side separator 120A (refrigerant in the example shown in the figure). Since it is larger than the manifold hole 125A), the outer peripheral end portion of the anode separator 120A and the separator portion around the manifold hole can be sandwiched between the lower mold KDPa and the upper mold KUP. Then, in the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly 110 between the anode side separator 120A and the cathode side separator 120Ca, the insulating sealant MSL is injected into the space corresponding to the insulating seal portions 145 and 146a and cured. As a result, the insulating seal portions 145 and 146a can be formed. As the insulating sealant MSL, a relatively viscous resin material can be used.

  As described above, the insulating seal portion can be formed so as to be outside the outer peripheral end of the cathode side separator and inside the outer peripheral end of the anode side separator. Further, the manifold hole of the anode-side separator is positioned inside the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion facing the anode hole, and the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion is positioned inside the manifold hole of the cathode-side separator facing the anode hole. Thus, an insulating seal part can be formed. In addition, since the outer peripheral end portion of the anode-side separator and the separator portion around the manifold hole are sandwiched and pressed between the upper die and the lower die, the distortion of the anode-side separator can be corrected. It is possible to improve the clearance accuracy between.

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

  In the above embodiment, the case where the outer dimensions of the anode-side separator and the cathode-side separator are different over the entire circumference is described as an example, but a structure in which a part thereof is different may be used.

  Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated to the case where the external dimension of a cathode side separator was smaller than an anode side separator, the reverse structure may be sufficient.

  Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated the case of the separator in which the flow-path groove | channel was formed, what is called a press type | mold separator, the flat type separator in which the flow-path groove | channel is not formed may be used. In the case of a flat separator, a gas flow path portion using a porous body or the like is formed between the membrane electrode assembly and the separator.

  Also, one separator is a press-type separator, the other separator is a flat-type separator, and the external dimensions of the press-type separator are larger than the external dimensions of the flat-type separator, and the dimensions of the manifold holes of the press-type separator It is good also as a structure where is smaller than the dimension of the manifold hole of a flat type separator.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure thicker than the thickness of the separator with a smaller thickness of the separator with a larger external dimension.

  Various members such as a rubber material and a thermoplastic resin can be used as the member forming the insulating seal portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Membrane electrode assembly 11 ... Electrolyte membrane 12 ... Catalyst electrode layer 13 ... Gas diffusion layer 20 ... Separator 110 ... Membrane electrode assembly 111 ... Electrolyte membrane 112 ... Catalyst electrode layer 113 ... Gas diffusion layer 120A ... Anode side separator 120C ... Cathode side separator 120Ca ... Cathode side separator 121A, 122A ... Oxidizing gas manifold hole 121C, 122C ... Oxidizing gas manifold hole 121R, 122R ... Oxidizing gas manifold hole 123A, 124A ... Fuel gas manifold hole 123C, 124C ... Fuel gas manifold hole 123R, 124R ... Fuel gas manifold holes 125A, 126A ... Refrigerant manifold holes 125C, 126C ... Refrigerant manifold holes 125R, 126R ... Refrigerant manifold holes 125Ca ... Refrigerant manifold holes 127A, 1 28A ... Fuel gas communication hole 127C, 128C ... Oxidizing gas communication hole 130 ... Refrigerant flow path 132 ... Refrigerant flow path groove 134 ... Refrigerant diffusion protrusion 141, 142 ... Insulation seal part 143, 144 ... Insulation seal part 145 ... Insulation seal part 146 Insulating seal part 146a ... Insulating seal part 150 ... Oxidizing gas channel 152 ... Oxidizing gas channel groove KA ... Concave part KAa ... Concave part KD ... Lower mold KU ... Upper mold KUP ... Upper mold KDP ... Lower mold KDPa ... Lower mold KT ... Convex part MSL ... Insulating sealant

Claims (6)

And the membrane electrode assembly, the first and second separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, the membrane electrode assembly first as a state in contact with the outer peripheral cover the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly with An insulating seal portion sandwiched between second separators, and a fuel cell comprising:
When the first and second separators are viewed in the stacking direction, they are formed such that at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator is inside the outer peripheral end of the first separator. ,
The outer peripheral end of the insulating seal part is formed to be outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator,
The insulating seal portion formed so as to be outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator is formed so as to cover the side surface of the outer peripheral end of the second separator. Fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 1,
The insulating seal portion is formed by curing an insulating seal member injected into a space between the first and second separators on the outer periphery of the membrane electrode assembly. cell. The fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral end of the insulating seal portion is further formed inside at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the first separator. The fuel battery cell according to claim 3, wherein
Each of the first separator, the insulating seal part, and the second separator has a plurality of manifold holes,
The manifold hole of the first separator is formed so as to be inside the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion facing the first separator,
The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the manifold hole of the insulating seal portion is formed inside the manifold hole of the second separator facing the insulating seal part. The fuel cell according to claim 4,
The insulating seal portion is formed so as to cover a side surface of a manifold hole of the second separator. A method of manufacturing a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The second separator, the membrane electrode assembly, and the first separator are sequentially stacked on the cavity of the lower mold, and the upper mold is placed on the second separator, and the lower mold is disposed. The second separator and the membrane electrode joint are sandwiched by the side mold and the upper mold while holding the outer peripheral end portion of the first separator that is outside of at least a part of the outer peripheral end of the second separator. Pressing between the body and the first separator;
The insulating seal portion is formed by injecting an insulating seal member into a space portion corresponding to the insulating seal portion in the space excluding the membrane electrode assembly between the first and second separators. Process,
A method for producing a fuel battery cell, comprising:

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