JPH0638345B2 - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fuel cell in which a plurality of unit cells are laminated via a conductive plate body, and in particular, a part of the laminated unit cells. The present invention relates to a laminated structure capable of drawing out.

[Prior Art] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a laminated structure of a conventional fuel cell disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-220368, in which catalyst support layers 1a and 1b are provided. The unit cells 4 are formed by interposing the electrolyte matrix 3 between the gas diffusion electrodes 2a, 2b thus formed, and the electrically conductive plate 5 having good electrical conductivity which also serves as an interconnector is interposed between the unit cells 4 and laminated. It has been done. On both sides of each conductive plate body 5, there are provided a groove 6 for allowing a fuel gas to flow as indicated by an arrow P in the figure and a groove 7 for allowing an oxidant gas to also pass as indicated by an arrow Q. They are formed in a relationship orthogonal to each other. In order to prevent the internal temperature of the fuel cell from rising due to the heat generated by the electromotive reaction, some of the conductive plates 5, for example, the cooling plates 9a and 9b located at every five positions. The one with the cooling pipe 8 embedded in it is used. As in the case of the conductive plate 5, the groove 6 for flowing the fuel gas as shown by the arrow P and the oxidant gas as shown by the arrow Q also flow on both sides of the plate body 9 with the cooling pipe. The groove 7 for making it go is formed in the relationship orthogonal to each other.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is widely known a fuel cell that obtains DC power by reacting a gas such as hydrogen that is easily oxidized with a gas having an oxidizing power such as oxygen through an electrochemical reaction process. This fuel cell normally has a pair of gas diffusion electrodes 2
A fuel gas containing hydrogen is brought into contact with the outer surface of one electrode while the electrolyte matrix 3 is placed between a and 2b and a load is connected between both electrodes, and an oxidant containing oxygen is provided on the outer surface of the other electrode. A direct current is supplied to the load by contacting the gas. The gas diffusion electrodes 2a, 2b are provided with a catalyst layer 1 carrying platinum or the like in order to facilitate smooth reaction. When used as a practical power generator, the fuel cell described above is used as a unit cell 4, and a plurality of unit cells 4 are connected in series.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional fuel cell has a plurality of unit cells 4 connected in series.
If a malfunction occurs in the fuel cell and the output decreases, there is a problem that the entire stacked fuel cells are affected, and if the output further decreases drastically, operation may not be possible. It had to be taken out of the stacked fuel cells. However, if the upper and lower conductive plates 5 above and below the unit cell 4 have grooves 6 and 7 through which the fuel gas and the oxidant gas flow, the unit cells above and below the unit cell 4 can be pulled out. There was a problem damaging the 4.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and includes a unit battery or a unit battery having the defect even if the output of the unit battery is reduced and the output is lowered. An object of the present invention is to obtain a highly reliable and more economical fuel cell by replacing a battery block composed of a plurality of unit batteries with another sound unit battery or a battery block composed of a plurality of unit batteries.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the fuel cell according to the present invention, in order to make it easy to pull out and replace a unit cell or a cell block composed of a plurality of unit cells, a conductive cell interposed between the unit cells is used. The flexible plate is divided into upper and lower parts, and the divided surface is made flat so that it can be slid.

[Operation] In the fuel cell according to the present invention, even if a unit cell or a cell block including a plurality of unit cells is pulled out, the unit cells above and below the unit cell can be easily damaged without damaging the unit cells or a plurality of unit cells. Can be replaced with another healthy unit battery or a battery block composed of a plurality of unit batteries.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First
In the figure, 1 to 8 are the same as the configuration of the conventional fuel cell described above, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the cooling plates 9 and 10 in which the cooling pipe 8 is embedded, the cooling plate 9
Although the groove 6 through which the fuel gas flows is provided on the upper surface of the above, the groove 7 through which the oxidant gas flows is not provided below the cooling plate 10 and has a flat surface.

The upper surface of the conductive plate member 11 located below the cooling plate 10 is a flat surface, and the groove 7 for allowing the oxidant gas to flow is provided on the lower surface thereof.

Further, each conductive plate body interposed between the unit batteries 4 is composed of two conductive plate bodies 12a and 12b.
A groove 6 for circulating fuel gas is provided on the upper surface of a, and
The lower surface of the conductive plate 12b is a flat surface, and the lower surface of the conductive plate 12b is provided with a groove 7 for allowing an oxidant gas to flow therethrough.

As described above, in the fuel cell according to this embodiment, the lower surface of the cooling plate 10 and the upper surface of the conductive plate body 11, the lower surface of the conductive plate body 12a, and the conductive plate body 12b interposed between the stacked unit cells 4 are disposed. The upper surfaces are each formed as a flat surface.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a battery block composed of a plurality of unit batteries 4 located above the cooling plate 11 is pulled out in the direction of arrow A together with the conductive plate body 12a, the cooling pipe 8, the cooling plates 9, 10 and the like. Therefore, the defective battery block can be replaced with another healthy battery block composed of a plurality of healthy unit batteries without damaging the stacked unit batteries. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, only the defective unit battery 4 is replaced by the conductive plate 12
It is also possible to draw it out in the direction of arrow B together with a and the conductive plate 12b, and it is possible to replace a sound unit battery that is stacked with another sound unit battery without damage.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the conductive plate bodies interposed between the unit cells are vertically divided into two parts, and the divided surfaces are made flat so as to be slidable. Therefore, a unit cell in which a fuel cell malfunction occurs or a battery block composed of a plurality of unit batteries 4 is pulled out, and a battery block composed of a plurality of other healthy unit cells or a unit battery unit in which unit cells are stacked. Since it is possible to replace the battery block with another healthy unit cell or a unit battery without damaging the unit, it is possible to obtain a highly reliable and economical fuel cell.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory views for explaining a replacement operation of a defective battery block or unit battery, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional fuel cell. In the figure, 2a and 2b are gas diffusion electrodes, 3 is an electrolyte matrix, 4 is a unit cell, 5, 11, 12a and 12b.
Is a conductive plate, 8 is a cooling pipe, and 9 and 10 are cooling plates. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fuel cell in which a plurality of unit cells each having an electrolyte matrix interposed between a pair of gas diffusion electrodes are stacked between each unit cell with a conductive plate body interposed therebetween. A fuel cell characterized in that the conductive plates interposed between each are vertically divided into two parts, and the divided surfaces are made flat so that they can be slid.