JPH09120832A - Manufacture of fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a fuel cell in which gas leak inspection can be easily performed. SOLUTION: A fuel cell C is composed in a rectangular plate form of an electrolyte layer 1 provided with an oxygen electrode 2 on one surface, and a fuel electrode 3 on the other surface, and a fluid passage component member 4 disposed on either of the side facing the oxygen electrode 2 and the side to face the fuel electrode 3 to form a cell inner passage (x). Plural cells C are held by holding members 5 to be disposed in parallel in a lamination condition, having soft conductive material 7 filled between each other, a pair of partition wall members 8 to part a pair of aperture end edge parts are provided on end surface parts where the oxygen electrode 2 or fuel electrode 3 is exposed in the lamination direction to be combined with the holding members 5 to form a cell unit U preliminarily, and plural cell units U are disposed in parallel, having the soft conductive material 7 filled between each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrolyte layer having an oxygen electrode on one surface and a fuel electrode on the other surface, and one of the side facing the oxygen electrode and the side facing the fuel electrode. In, a cell of a rectangular plate-shaped fuel cell is composed of a flow path forming member arranged to form a flow path in the cell, and the cell is formed by the flow path forming member of a pair of facing one of the cells. The end face is an open end face where the in-cell flow channel is open, and the other pair of end faces is configured to be a closed end face where the in-cell flow passage is closed, and the in-cell flow passage in the cell is opened. A pair of holding members arranged at each of the pair of opening end edges is provided with a notch formed in the same or substantially the same depth as the thickness of the cell and into which the opening end is inserted, and the notch is , Put in the notch In each cell, a plurality of the cells are provided with contact surfaces that are in close contact with the closed end surfaces that are adjacent to both ends of the opening end edge, respectively, and the plurality of the cells are opened with the surface where the oxygen electrode or the fuel electrode is exposed facing outward. In the state where the edge is put in the cut portion, held by the holding member,
The cells are juxtaposed in a stacked state in a state of being separated from each other to form an inter-cell flow path, the inter-cell flow path is closed by the pair of holding members on the pair of opening end face sides, and,
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a fuel cell, which is configured to be opened on the pair of closed end surfaces and is filled with a flexible conductive material formed between cells adjacent to each other in the stacking direction so as to allow gas flow.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such a fuel cell, a flow path forming member partitions an internal flow path of a cell, and a pair of holding members partition adjacent cells in the stacking direction to form an inter-cell flow path. The opening of the in-cell flow passage and the opening of the inter-cell flow passage that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are partitioned by a holding member that holds the opening edge of the cell in the cut portion and a holding member adjacent to the holding member, The flexible conductive material connects the cells adjacent in the stacking direction in a conductive state. Then, the gas for the in-cell flow passage is supplied from the opening to the in-cell flow passage,
In addition, the inter-cell flow passage gas is supplied from the opening to the inter-cell flow passage to generate electric power. Incidentally, when the flow path forming member is arranged on the side facing the oxygen electrode, the gas for the flow path inside the cell is an oxygen-containing gas, the gas for the inter-cell flow path is a fuel gas containing hydrogen gas, and vice versa. When the flow path constituent member is arranged on the side facing the fuel electrode, the gas for the intra-cell flow path is the fuel gas and the gas for the inter-cell flow path is the oxygen-containing gas. In the case of manufacturing such a fuel cell, conventionally, a method of arranging all the cells constituting the fuel cell side by side in a stacked state at once has been adopted.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, a partition portion of an in-cell flow passage or an inter-cell flow passage, and a partition between an opening of an in-cell flow passage and an opening of an inter-cell flow passage which are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction. If there is a defective part where gas leaks,
Gas for inter-cell channel and gas for inter-cell channel (that is, oxygen-containing gas and fuel gas) are mixed and burned through the defective portion, and the temperature becomes locally high at the burning point, There is a problem that durability is deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to surely prevent the leakage of gas by performing a gas leakage inspection on each of the partition portions and repairing the leakage portion if there is any. However, in the past, gas leakage inspection was performed after all cells were placed side by side in a stacked state at once, but it was not easy to identify the leaked location when a large number of cells were stacked, and improvement is desired. It was rare.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a fuel cell capable of easily performing a gas leak inspection.

[0005]

According to the structure of claim 1, a plurality of (for example, about 5) cells are held by a holding member in a state in which a flexible conductive material is filled between the cells. And juxtaposed in a stacked state, and on the end face portion where the oxygen electrode or the fuel electrode in the stacking direction is exposed, a pair of partition wall members that partition a pair of open end edges are provided in a state of being stacked on a pair of holding members, Since the cell unit is formed in advance, the gas leakage inspection can be performed on a cell unit basis.

When a gas leakage inspection is carried out in cell unit units, if the partition plates are provided in a state of bridging the pair of partition members, the oxygen electrode or the fuel electrode is exposed at the end of the cell unit in the stacking direction. Similarly to other cells, forming a temporary inter-cell flow path in a state of being closed at the pair of open end faces of the cell and being opened at the pair of closed end faces of the cell, like other cells. You can Then, the gas for the in-cell flow path is supplied to each in-cell flow path from its opening, and the gas for the inter-cell flow path is supplied to each inter-cell flow path and temporary inter-cell flow path from each opening. When the leakage inspection is performed, the gas leakage inspection can be performed on the in-cell passages and the inter-cell passages of all the cells that form the cell unit. At that time, the number of cells constituting the cell unit is small, for example, about 5, so that the location of the leak can be easily identified, and even if the location of the leak exists, the repair can be reliably performed.

Since the cell unit is formed by arranging a plurality of cells side by side in a stacked state by holding them by a holding member while filling the cells with a flexible conductive material between them, the flexible conductive material is arranged in the stacking direction. Since the cells on both sides can be satisfactorily contacted with each other in a wide contact area, the cells adjacent in the stacking direction can be satisfactorily connected to each other in a conductive state.

A plurality of cell units are arranged side by side with the flexible conductive material filled between them to form a fuel cell. Cell units adjacent to each other in the juxtaposed direction are connected in a conductive state by a flexible conductive material. In a fuel cell formed in this way, when performing a gas leak test, it is known from the previous test that there is no leak point for each cell unit, so connection between adjacent cell units in the juxtaposed direction is performed. Since it suffices to inspect only the location, it is easy to identify the location of leakage, and even if there is a location of leakage, it is possible to reliably repair it. Therefore, it has become possible to provide a method for manufacturing a fuel cell, which can easily perform a gas leak inspection.

By the way, as a structure for supplying the gas for the in-cell flow passage to each of the in-cell flow passages and discharging it from the other opening, for example, one of the in-cell flow passages It is necessary to provide a gas passage for an in-cell flow passage that communicates with each opening and a gas passage for an in-cell flow passage that communicates with each of the other openings. Similarly, for each inter-cell flow path,
As a configuration for supplying the gas for inter-cell passage from one opening and discharging from the other opening, for example, an inter-cell passage gas passage communicating with each one of the openings of each inter-cell passage, Also, it is necessary to provide the gas passage for the inter-cell flow path that communicates with each of the other openings.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by forming the cell unit as described above and arranging the cell units side by side to form the fuel cell, the holes of each holding member and the holes of each partition member are formed. Can form a series of passages in the stacking direction, and the passages can function as the gas passages for the in-cell passages, so that it is not necessary to separately provide the gas passages for the in-cell passages. Also, when performing a gas leak inspection of the cell unit, it is necessary to provide a gas passage for the in-cell flow passage for inspection, but according to the configuration of claim 2, the cell unit is formed at the same time. Since the gas passage for the in-cell flow passage is formed and can be used for inspection, when performing the gas leakage inspection, it is only necessary to close both end openings of the gas passage for the in-cell flow passage. Therefore, in addition to the effect obtained by the configuration according to the first aspect, there is an effect that the manufacturing work is further simplified and the work in the gas leakage inspection is further simplified.

By the way, a fuel cell is basically constructed by arranging a plurality of cells side by side in a stacked state with the cells connected in series, and the larger the area of the cell, the larger the capacity of the fuel cell. Can be On the other hand, increasing the area of the cell is limited in terms of manufacturing or cost. Therefore, a plurality of cells are juxtaposed in a row in the surface direction of the cells with the open end faces facing each other to form a cell row, and the plurality of cell rows are juxtaposed in a stacked state with the cells connected in series. As a result, it is possible to increase the capacity of the fuel cell while avoiding an increase in the cell area.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method capable of easily performing a gas leak inspection even in a fuel cell having a large capacity as described above. It was

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cell unit is formed and the cell units are juxtaposed to form the fuel cell, and at the same time, the holes of the end holding members and the end partition members are formed. Since it is possible to form a passage in which the holes are connected in series in the stacking direction, and the passage can function as a gas passage for the in-cell passage, it is not necessary to separately provide a gas passage for the in-cell passage. . Also, when performing a gas leak inspection of the cell unit, the gas passage for the in-cell flow passage is formed at the same time when the cell unit is formed, and the gas passage can be used for inspection. Occasionally, it is only necessary to close the openings at both ends of the gas passage for the in-cell flow passage. Therefore, in addition to the effect obtained by the configuration according to the third aspect, there is an effect that the manufacturing work is further simplified and the work in the gas leakage inspection is further simplified.

By the way, as the number of cells forming the cell row is increased, the capacity can be increased. On the other hand, in the cell row, the gas for the cell internal flow passages is made to flow through the cell internal flow passages while passing through the communication connection parts. However, as the number of cells forming the cell row increases, the column direction increases. The flow path of the in-cell flow path gas from the cell at one end to the cell at the other end becomes longer. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the supply pressure of the gas for the in-cell flow passage as the number of cells forming the cell row increases. According to the configuration of claim 5, the gas for cell internal flow passage is supplied to the cell internal flow passage through the internal gas passage, or the gas for cell internal flow passage is supplied to the internal gas passage from the cell internal flow passage. Can be discharged. That is, in the cell row, the flow passages through which the gas for the flow passage in the cell is made to flow can be divided into a plurality, and each of the divided flow passages can be shortened. Therefore, in addition to the effect obtained by the structure according to claim 3 or 4, the number of cells forming a cell row can be increased as desired without increasing the supply pressure of the gas for cell internal flow passages, It has become possible to increase the capacity of batteries.

By the way, a plurality of cells or a plurality of cell rows are juxtaposed in the surface direction of the cells with their closed end faces facing each other, but a plurality of cells are juxtaposed in a stacked state in a state of being electrically connected in series. As a result, it is possible to increase the capacity of the fuel cell while avoiding an increase in the cell area.

According to the structure described in claim 6, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method capable of easily performing a gas leakage inspection even in a fuel cell having a large capacity as described above. It was

According to the structure of claim 7, since the holding member and the partition member are integrally formed, it is possible to omit the work for providing the partition member when forming the cell unit. . Therefore, claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Alternatively, in addition to the effect obtained by the configuration described in 6, the manufacturing work can be simplified.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the cell C of the fuel cell will be described with reference to FIG. A solid electrolyte layer 1 having an oxygen electrode 2 on one surface and a fuel electrode 3 on the other surface, and a flow path constituent member arranged to form an in-cell flow path x on the side facing the oxygen electrode 2. And the electrically conductive separator 4 as the above, a cell C of a rectangular plate-shaped fuel cell is constituted.

To further explain, on one surface of the solid electrolyte layer 1 having a rectangular plate shape in plan view, an electrolyte layer exposed portion 1a extending over the entire length of the side edge is formed on each of a pair of side edges facing each other in the solid electrolyte layer 1. In this state, the film-like or plate-like oxygen electrode 2 is integrally attached, and the film-like or plate-like fuel electrode 3 is integrally attached to the other surface over the entire surface or almost the entire surface, and the oxygen electrode is formed. A rectangular plate-shaped three-layer plate body for obtaining an electromotive force is formed from 2 and the fuel electrode 3. The conductive separator 4 includes a plate-shaped portion 4a, a pair of strip-shaped protrusions 4b located at both ends of the plate-shaped portion 4a, and a plurality of ridges 4c located between the pair of strip-shaped protrusions 4b. It is integrally formed of a conductive material in a state of being provided. A cell C is formed by attaching the conductive separator 4 to each of the electrolyte layer exposed portions 1a with a pair of strip-shaped protrusions 4b in a state in which the plurality of ridges 4c are in contact with the oxygen electrode 2. There is.

Then, the oxygen electrode 2 and the conductive separator 4 are connected to each other in a conductive state, and the cell internal flow opened between the oxygen electrode 2 and the conductive separator 4 at the pair of end faces facing each other in the cell C. The path x is formed.
That is, in the cell C, the pair of end faces facing each other become open end faces where the in-cell flow channel x is opened by the conductive separator 4, and the other pair of end faces facing each other are set as the in-cell flow channel x.
Is a closed closed end face. In the following description, in the cell C, the open end of the in-cell flow channel x is the open end, the open end face of the in-cell flow path x is the open end face, and the in-cell flow path x is closed. The end faces are abbreviated as closed end faces, respectively. The in-cell flow path x faces the oxygen electrode 2 and functions as an oxygen-containing gas flow path s that allows the oxygen-containing gas to flow therethrough.

The four corners of the conductive separator 4, the solid electrolyte layer 1 and the fuel electrode 3 are cut off to form an inclined shape, whereby both ends of the closed end face of the cell C will be described in detail later. An inclined part Cs is formed in each part.

The solid electrolyte layer 1 is composed of tetragonal ZrO ₂ in which about 3 mol% of Yt is dissolved, and other suitable materials. The oxygen electrode 2 is composed of LaMnO ₃ and other suitable materials. 3 is a cermet of Ni and ZrO ₂ or other suitable material. The conductive separator 4 is made of LaCrO ₃ , which has excellent resistance to oxidation and reduction, and other suitable materials.

Next, a method of manufacturing a fuel cell will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 5 in the figure denotes a rectangular plate-shaped cell holding member arranged at each of the pair of opening edges of the cell C. The cell holding member 5 has a notch 51 into which the opening edge of the cell C is inserted, and a hole 5 that faces the notch 51 and penetrates in the thickness direction of the cell holding member 5.
2 is formed. The cut portion 51 is provided with a pair of abutting surfaces 53 that are brought into close contact with the closed end surfaces adjacent to both ends of the opening edge of the cell C to be inserted into the cut portion 51, respectively. The cell C is formed to have substantially the same depth as the thickness of the cell C. Further, the pair of abutting surfaces 53 are arranged in the cell C when viewed in the thickness direction of the cell holding member 5.
Is formed in an inclined shape that is closer to each other as it is farther from the opening end edge of the cell C, so that both ends of the closed end surface of the cell C can be closely attached to the inclined contact surface 53.
The inclined portion Cs is formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the cell holding member 5
A groove 55 for filling a sealing material, which will be described later, is formed on the inner surface of the notch 51, and a similar groove 56 is formed on the surface of the cell holding member 5 opposite to the surface on which the notch 51 is formed. Has been formed. The grooves 55 and 56 are formed so as to overlap each other when viewed in the thickness direction.

Then, the five cells C are held in the cell holding member 5 and are juxtaposed in a stacked state with the flexible conductive material 7 filled between them, and the fuel electrode 3 in the stacking direction is held. A pair of partition members 8 for partitioning a pair of opening edge portions are provided on the exposed end surface portion in a state of being overlapped with the pair of cell holding members 5 to form a cell unit U.

The partition member 8 is formed so that the outer shape of the cell C when viewed in the stacking direction is similar to the outer shape of the cell holding member 5. A hole 81 is formed in the partition member 8 so as to have the same shape and overlap with the hole 52 of the cell holding member 5 when viewed in the stacking direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, on both sides of the partition wall member 8 in a state of being overlapped with the grooves 55 and 56 of the cell holding member 5 when viewed in the thickness direction,
Grooves 82 and 83 are formed. When forming the cell unit U, the cell holding members 5 adjacent to each other in the grooves 55 and 56 of the cell holding member 5 and the groove 83 of the partition wall member 8 in the stacking direction.
A space and a space between the cell holding member 5 and the partition member 8 which are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are filled with a sealing material as indicated by a broken line 6 in FIG.

When the opening edge of the cell C is inserted into the notch 51 of the cell holding member 5, the cell holding member 5 is pressed against the opening edge of the cell C so that the closed end faces on both sides of the cell C are pressed. The contact surfaces 53 are brought into close contact with the inclined portions Cs.

The flexible conductive material 7 is made of Ni felt-like material excellent in heat resistance and reduction resistance, or other suitable material.
It is formed to allow gas flow. The cell holding member 5 and the partition member 8 are made of a ceramic material having heat resistance and electric insulation. The sealing material is composed mainly of a glass material or a ceramic material, has heat resistance and electrical insulation, and is heated to about 1000 ° C. so that it has an adhesive function and airtightness. is there.

Cell unit U formed as described above
Is heated to about 1000 ° C. in a nitrogen gas atmosphere to be integrated by the adhesive action of the sealing material.

That is, the thin portion 54 having a small thickness of the cell holding member left by forming the cut portion 51 maintains the space between the cells C adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and the thin portion 54 adjoins the adjacent cells. By partitioning both side surfaces between C, an inter-cell flow path y is formed between adjacent cells C, and the flexible conductive material 7 connects the cells C adjacent in the stacking direction in a conductive state. In addition, the thin portion 54 of the cell holding member 5 in which the cell C is inserted, the pair of abutting surfaces 53, and the adjacent cell holding portions are provided around the periphery of the opening end of the cell C in which the in-cell flow path x is opened. By closely contacting the back surface of the member 5 with the seal material interposed, the in-cell flow path x and the inter-cell flow path y are partitioned in an airtight state.

The inter-cell flow path y is closed on both open end faces of the cell C, and is open on both closed end faces of the cell C. Further, the inter-cell flow path y faces the fuel electrode 3 and functions as a fuel gas flow path f for allowing the fuel gas containing hydrogen gas to flow therethrough. In the supply cell in which two holes 52 each of the cell holding member 5 and the hole 81 of the partition member 8 are connected in series in the stacking direction of the cells C, and one of the passages communicates with each in-cell flow path x Flow path gas passage X1
And the other passage is used as a gas passage X2 for the in-cell flow passage for discharge, which communicates with each in-cell flow passage x.

Next, a procedure for inspecting the cell unit U formed as described above for gas leakage will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the partition plate 9 is provided so as to bridge the pair of partition members 8 in a state in which the holes 81 of the partition members 8 are closed. In addition, between the pair of partition members 8, the inter-cell flow path y
Similarly to, a flow path that is closed on both open end surfaces of the cell C and open on both closed end surfaces of the cell C is formed. This flow path is referred to as an additional inter-cell flow path ya. Then, with the cell unit U placed on the base 10, an oxygen-containing gas is supplied from the gas passage X1 for the supply cell flow passage to each cell flow passage x to perform a gas leak inspection. Observing the sealing portions between the cell C and the cell holding member 5 and the partition wall member 8, between the cell holding members 5 and between the cell holding member 5 and the partition wall member 8 using soapy water or the like. By doing so, the leaked portion can be easily inspected. still,
When the gas leakage inspection is completed, the partition plate 9 and the base 10 are removed from the cell unit U.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of cell units U are juxtaposed with the flexible conductive material 7 filled between them, and a pair of current collectors are provided at both ends in the juxtaposition direction. The plate holding member 12 is arranged to form the cell assembly NC. The current collecting plate holding member 12 has an outer shape as viewed in the juxtaposed direction similar to that of the partition member 8, and one of the pair of current collecting plate holding members 12 has a thickness as shown in FIG. A hole 12a penetrating in the direction is formed. When a plurality of cell units U are juxtaposed, the groove 56 of the cell holding member 5
Inside, in the groove 82 of the partition member 8, between the cell holding member 5 and the partition member 8, between the current collector plate holding member 12 and the cell holding member 5, and between the current collector plate holding member 12 and the partition member 8. Between,
Fill with sealing material. Then, the cell assembly NC formed as described above was subjected to 1000 ° in a nitrogen gas atmosphere.
When heated to about C, they are integrated by the adhesive action of the sealing material.

Cell units U adjacent to each other in the juxtaposed direction
By the flexible conductive material 7 filled between the pair of cell holding members 5 of one cell unit U and the flexible conductive material 7 filled between the pair of partition wall members 8 of the other cell unit U, Connected to conductive state. The current collector plate 13 is arranged between the pair of current collector plate holding members 12 in contact with the flexible conductive material 7, and the output power is taken out by the current collector plates 13 on both sides. There is.

Next, the overall structure of the fuel cell will be described with reference to FIGS. The cell assembly NC configured as described above is placed on the base 14, and the square tubular body 15 is placed on the base 14 in a state where the cell assembly NC is installed. The base 14 closes the lower opening of the rectangular tubular body 15 and the lower openings of the gas passage X1 for the supply cell internal flow passage and the discharge cell internal flow passage gas passage X2. Further, the lid body 16 closes the upper opening of the rectangular tubular body 15. That is, the box-shaped body B is formed by the base 14, the rectangular tube-shaped body 15, and the lid body 16.
Is provided inside the box-shaped body B. A pair of side surfaces (hereinafter, abbreviated as open side surfaces) facing the opening (that is, the closed end surface of the cell C) of the inter-cell flow path y of the cells in the cell assembly NC.
Is a state of facing the inside of the box-shaped body B, in other words, the inter-cell flow path y is open to the inside of the box-shaped body B.

Further, one partition plate 17 is used as one of the cell holding member 5, the partition member 8 and the current collecting plate holding member 1 in the laminated state.
The wall surface S formed by the two end surfaces and the inner surface of the box-shaped body B, that is, the inner surface of the base 14, the inner surface of the rectangular tubular body 15, and the inner surface of the lid 16 are connected to each other. , The other partition member 17, the other stacked cell holding member 5, the partition member 8
And the wall surface S formed by the end faces of the current collector holding members 12 and the inner surface of the box-shaped body B, that is, the inner surface of the base 14, the inner surface of the rectangular tubular body 15, and the inner surface of the lid 16. The box-shaped body B is divided into two parts. Since one open side surface of the pair of open side surfaces of the cell assembly NC faces one of the two partition portions and the other open side surface faces the other of the two partition portions, One of the two partition portions is used as the supply inter-cell flow passage gas passage Y1, and the other is used as the discharge inter-cell flow passage gas passage Y2.

An in-cell flow passage gas supply pipe 18 is connected to the supply cell flow passage gas passage X1, and an in-cell flow passage gas discharge pipe 19 is connected to the discharge cell flow passage gas passage X2. It is connected. An inter-cell flow path gas supply pipe 20 is connected to the supply inter-cell flow path gas passage Y1, and an inter-cell flow path gas exhaust pipe 21 is connected to the discharge inter-cell flow path gas passage Y2. I am doing it.

[Second Embodiment] Hereinafter, FIGS. 9 to 12 will be described.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG. The cell C has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a fuel cell will be described. The cell holding member 5 is provided with one end holding member 5A provided with one notch 51 and one notch 51 provided at each of a pair of end edges facing each other in the thickness direction view of the cell holding member 5, and It is configured by the inter-holding member 5B provided with a communication connecting portion 57 for communicating the pair of cut portions 51. To further describe the inter-holding member 5B, the inter-holding member 5B has a
A groove extending between a pair of opposing edges is formed, and the groove forms a pair of notches 51 and a communication connecting portion 57 for communicating them.

Similar to the first embodiment, the notch 51 of the end holding member 5A and the pair of notches 51 of the inter-holding member 5B are provided with a pair of abutting surfaces 53, respectively. As in the first embodiment, the end holding member 5A faces the notch 51 and the end holding member 5A.
A hole 52 penetrating in the thickness direction A is formed. Further, the groove 55 and the groove 56 similar to those of the first embodiment are formed in the end holding member 5A. In the inter-holding member 5B, the groove 55 and the groove 56 similar to those of the first embodiment are formed for each of the pair of cut portions 51. That is, a pair of the groove 55 and the groove 56 is formed in the inter-holding member 5B.

The partition wall member 8 is composed of an end partition wall member 8A which is superposed on the end holding member 5A and an inter-part partition wall member 8B which is superposed on the inter-part holding member 5B.

Two cells C are arranged side by side in a row in the surface direction of the cells C with their respective open end faces facing each other.
The two cells C arranged side by side in a row are provided with notches 5 of the end holding member 5A at the opening edges of the cells C on the outer side in the row direction.
In the state of being put in No. 1 and each of the opening edges on the inner side in the column direction in each of the cells C is put in each of the pair of notches 51 of the inter-holding member 5B, the end-holding member 5A and the inter-holding member 5B By doing so, the cell column nC is formed.

Then, the five cell rows nC are filled with the flexible conductive material 7 between the adjacent cells C in the stacking direction,
The end partition members 8A are arranged side by side in a stacked state and the fuel electrode 3 is exposed in the stacking direction, the end partition member 8A is mounted on the end holding member 5A, and the inter-partition partition member 8B is mounted on the end holding member 5.
The cell units U are formed in the state of being stacked on B respectively.

Similar to the first embodiment, the end partition member 8A.
Is the end holding member 5 having an outer shape as viewed in the stacking direction.
It is formed in a plate shape similar to the outer shape of A, and an inter-partition partition member 8B
The holding member 5 has an outer shape in the stacking direction view.
It is formed in a plate shape similar to the outer shape of B. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the end partition wall member 8A has a hole 81 formed in the same shape as and overlapping with the hole 52 of the end holding member 5A when viewed in the stacking direction. Grooves 82 and 83 similar to those in the first embodiment are formed in the end partition member 8A, and a pair of grooves 82 and 83 similar to those in the first embodiment are formed in the inter-partition partition member 8B. There is. When forming the cell unit U, as shown by a broken line 6 in FIG. 9, the sealing material is filled as in the first embodiment. Then, as in the first embodiment, in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, 10
When heated to about 00 ° C, they are integrated by the adhesive action of the sealing material.

That is, the thin portions 54 of the end holding member 5A and the inter-holding member 5B hold the space between the cells C adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and the thin portions 54 hold both side surfaces between the adjacent cells C. By partitioning the adjacent cell C
An inter-cell flow path y is formed therebetween, and a flexible conductive material 7 connects the cells C adjacent in the stacking direction in a conductive state. Further, in the cell unit U, the in-cell flow passage x of each of the two cells C in the cell row nC is connected and connected by the communication connecting portion 57. The flow path y is partitioned into an airtight state. The inter-cell flow path y is closed on both open end face sides of the cell C, and is open on both closed end face sides of the cell C.

Two passages in which the holes 52 of each of the end holding members 5A and the holes 81 of each of the end partition members 8A are connected in series in the stacking direction are formed, and one of the passages is formed into a gas for the supply cell flow passage gas. It is used as the passage X1, and the other passage is used as the gas passage X2 for the discharge cell internal passage. The cell unit U formed as described above performs a gas leakage inspection as in the first embodiment.

Subsequently, a plurality of the cell units U are juxtaposed with the flexible conductive material 7 filled between them, and the end collector plate holding member 12 is provided at each end of the juxtaposed direction.
A is provided in a state of being overlapped with the end holding member 5A and the end partition wall member 8A, and the intercurrent collecting plate holding member 12B is provided between the end holding member 5B.
The cell integrated body NC is formed by providing the cell integrated body NC in a state where the cell integrated body is overlapped with the partition wall member 8B. The end current collector holding member 12A has the same outer shape in the stacking direction as the end holding member 5A, and the inter-electrode current collector holding member 12B has the outer shape in the stacking direction. A hole 12 penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the end current collector holding member 12A that is formed in the same manner as above
a is formed. When a plurality of cell units U are arranged side by side, the sealing material is filled as in the first embodiment,
As in the first embodiment, the cell assembly NC thus formed is heated to about 1000 ° C. in a nitrogen gas atmosphere to be integrated by the adhesive action of the sealing material.

A collector plate 13 is arranged in contact with the flexible conductive material 7 between the end collector plate holding member 12A and the end collector plate holding member 12B.

Then, as in the first embodiment, the cell assembly NC having the above-described structure is provided with the base 14 and the rectangular tubular body 1.
5 and the lid 16 are provided inside the box-shaped body B, and the inside of the box-shaped body B is divided into two by a pair of partition plates 17, and the gas passage Y1 for the inter-supply flow passage and the discharge are provided. An inter-cell channel gas passage Y2 is formed. Further, an in-cell flow passage gas supply pipe 18 is connected to the supply cell flow passage gas passage X1, and an in-cell flow passage gas discharge pipe 19 is connected to the discharge cell flow passage gas passage X2. I am doing it. An inter-cell flow path gas supply pipe 20 is connected to the supply inter-cell flow path gas passage Y1, and an inter-cell flow path gas exhaust pipe 21 is connected to the discharge inter-cell flow path gas passage Y2. I am doing it.

Therefore, the oxygen-containing gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 18 for the in-cell channel to the gas passage X1 for the in-cell channel for communication communicates with the in-cell channel x of each cell C of each cell row nC. The gas flows through the connecting portion 57, flows out into the gas passage X2 for the in-cell flow passage, and is discharged through the gas discharge pipe 19 for the in-cell flow passage. Further, the fuel gas supplied from the inter-cell flow path gas supply pipe 20 to the inter-cell flow path gas passage Y1 for supply flows through the inter-cell flow paths y, respectively, and the inter-cell flow path gas passage Y2 for discharge is provided. And is discharged through the gas discharge pipe 21 for the inter-cell flow path.

[Third Embodiment] Hereinafter, FIG. 13 to FIG.
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described based on 6.
The cell unit U is formed and the cell integrated body NC is formed in the same manner as in the second embodiment described above except that it is different in the points described below. That is, the inter-holding member 5B is formed with a hole 52 that communicates with the communication connecting portion 57 and that faces the cut portion 51 and that penetrates in the stacking direction.
The partition wall member 8B for space has a hole 81 penetrating in the stacking direction in the state of being overlapped with the hole 52 of the space holding member 5B when viewed in the stacking direction, and the space holding member 5B.
The current collecting plate holding member 12B provided in the state of being overlapped with
It differs from the above-described second embodiment in that a hole 12a penetrating in the thickness direction is formed.

Then, the holes 52 of each of the inter-holding members 5B,
Further, the holes 81 of the inter-partition partition members 8B form the supply internal gas passages I1 communicating with the in-cell flow passages x through the communication connecting portions 57. Also, the end holding member 5
The two passages formed by the holes 52 of each A and the holes 81 of each partition member 8A for the end are connected to the gas passage X for the passage in the discharge cell.
Used as 2.

A fuel cell is constructed with the same overall construction as that of the second embodiment described above except that it is different in the points described below. That is, the gas supply pipe 18 for the in-cell flow passage is connected to the supply internal gas passage I1, and the gas discharge pipe 19 for the in-cell flow passage is connected to each of the two discharge cell flow passage gas passages X2. There is. Therefore, the oxygen-containing gas supplied from the in-cell flow passage gas supply pipe 18 to the supply internal gas passage I1 is directed toward the exhaust cell flow passage gas passages X2 on both sides of the cells of each cell row nC. C through each in-cell flow path x and outflow into each discharge cell flow path gas passage X2,
The gas is discharged through the gas discharge pipe 19 for the in-cell flow path.

[Fourth Embodiment] Hereinafter, FIG. 17 to FIG.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described based on 0.
The cell C has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a fuel cell will be described. The cell holding member 5 is composed of an end holding member 5A and an inter-holding member 5B similar to those of the above-described second embodiment. The partition member 8 is also composed of the end partition member 8A and the inter-part partition member 8B similar to those in the second embodiment.

The three cells C are juxtaposed in a row in the surface direction of the cells C with their respective open end faces facing each other.
Three cells C arranged side by side in a row are inserted into the notch 51 of the end holding member 5A at the outer opening edges of the cells C at both ends in the row direction, and the cells C adjacent to each other in the row direction are adjacent to each other. The cell rows nC are formed by holding the facing opening edges in the pair of notches 51 of the inter-holding member 5B by the end holding member 5A and the inter-holding member 5B.

Then, the five cell rows nC are filled with the flexible conductive material 7 between the cells C adjacent in the stacking direction,
The end partition members 8A are arranged side by side in a stacked state and the fuel electrode 3 is exposed in the stacking direction, the end partition member 8A is mounted on the end holding member 5A, and the inter-partition partition member 8B is mounted on the end holding member 5.
The cell units U are formed in the state of being stacked on B respectively. When forming the cell unit U, although not shown, the sealing material is filled in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Then, as in the first embodiment, in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, 10
When heated to about 00 ° C, they are integrated by the adhesive action of the sealing material.

Subsequently, a plurality of cell units U are juxtaposed in the stacking direction with the flexible conductive material 7 filled between them, and three cell units U are arranged at each stage in the stacking direction. Are arranged side by side with the open side surfaces of the inter-cell flow path y facing each other, thereby forming the three cell aggregates NC side by side.

When a plurality of cell units U are arranged side by side in the stacking direction, the sealing material is filled as in the first embodiment. In addition, when three cell units U are juxtaposed with each other in the stacking direction with their side surfaces where the inter-cell flow path y is open facing each other, the stacking end holding members 5A and The sealing material is filled between the wall surfaces T formed by the end faces of the end partition members 8A.

In each cell assembly NC, similarly to the second embodiment, the end collector plate holding member 12A and the inter-plate collector plate holding member 12B are provided. Further, an end current collector holding member 12A provided in a state of being superposed on the end holding member 5A, and
A hole 12a penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in each of the end current collector holding members 12B provided in a state of being stacked on the space holding member 5B. In each of the cell aggregates NC, between the end current collector holding member 12A and the intercurrent collector holding member 12B, and between the end current collector holding member 12B and the intercurrent collector holding member 1 respectively.
A collector plate 13 is disposed between the flexible conductor 7 and 2B so as to be in contact therewith.

In each cell assembly NC, the hole 52 in each of the inter-holding members 5B and the hole 8 in each of the inter-partition wall members 8B.
1 forms two passages that communicate with the in-cell flow passages x through the communication connecting portions 57, one of which is the supply internal gas passage I1 and the other is the discharge internal gas passage I2. use. Further, of the two passages formed by the holes 52 of each of the end holding members 5A and the holes 81 of each of the end partition members 8A, the one adjacent to the supply internal gas passage I1 is used for the discharge cell internal flow path. The gas passage X2 is used, and the one adjacent to the discharge internal gas passage I2 is used as the supply cell internal flow passage gas passage X1.

Then, as in the first embodiment, the three cell integrated bodies NC configured as described above are placed inside the box-shaped body B composed of the base 14, the rectangular tubular body 15 and the lid 16. While being provided, the inside of the box-shaped body B is divided into two by a pair of partition plates 17 to form a gas passage Y1 for the inter-cell flow passage for supply and a gas passage Y2 for the inter-cell flow passage for discharge. . A gas supply pipe 18 for the in-cell flow passage is provided in each of the gas passage X1 for the in-supply cell flow passage and the supply internal gas passage I1, and each of the in-cell flow passage gas passage X2 and the discharge internal gas passage I2 is provided. Are connected in communication with the gas discharge pipes 19 for the in-cell channels. An inter-cell flow path gas supply pipe 20 is connected to the supply inter-cell flow path gas passage Y1, and an inter-cell flow path gas exhaust pipe 21 is connected to the discharge inter-cell flow path gas passage Y2. I am doing it.

Therefore, in each cell assembly NC, the oxygen-containing gas supplied to the supply internal gas passage I1 flows through the in-cell flow path x of each cell C of each cell row nC, and the inside of the discharge cell. Flow path gas passage X2 and exhaust internal gas passage I
It leaks to each two. In addition, the oxygen-containing gas supplied to the supply cell internal flow passage gas passage X1 flows through the internal cell flow passage x of each cell C of each cell row nC and flows out to the exhaust internal gas passage I2. Also, the gas passage Y for the flow path between the supply cells
The fuel gas supplied to No. 1 sequentially flows through the inter-cell flow path y of each of the cell integrated bodies NC and flows out into the discharge inter-cell flow path gas passage Y2.

Another Embodiment Next, another embodiment will be described. (A) In the above-described first embodiment, the cell holding member 5 is
Although the case where the hole 52 penetrating in the thickness direction is formed has been exemplified, as shown in FIG. 21, the hole 52 may not be formed. In this case, the partition member 8 and the collector holding member 1
In No. 2, the outer shape of the cell C when viewed in the stacking direction is formed in the same plate shape as the outer shape of the cell holding member 5, and the hole 81 of the partition member 8 and the current collecting plate holding member 12 formed in the first embodiment. Hole 12a is not formed. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the cell unit U is formed and the first unit is formed.
As in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, the cell integrated body N
Form C.

A pair of concave grooves M extending over the entire length in the stacking direction are formed on the wall surface S formed by the end faces of the cell holding member 5, the partition wall member 8 and the current collector plate holding member 12 in the stacked state. As described above, the cell holding member 5 is formed with a pair of concave grooves 5m, the partition member 8 is formed with a pair of concave grooves 8m, and the current collector plate holding member 12 is formed with a pair of concave grooves 12m. The partition plate 22 formed in a U-shape is provided such that the pair of edge portions are individually fitted into the pair of concave grooves M, and the inside of one partition plate 22 is provided in the supply cell flow path. It is configured such that it is used as the gas passage X1 for the gas and the inside of the other partition plate 22 is used as the gas passage X2 for the in-cell channel for the discharge.
Then, the cell aggregate NC formed as described above is
Similar to the embodiment, the fuel cell is formed by being provided inside the box-shaped body B.

(B) Each of the above embodiments and FIG.
And in another embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the partition member 8
Although the case where the cell holding member 5 and the cell holding member 5 which overlaps with each other are separately configured has been illustrated, they may be integrally configured.

(C) Each of the above-described embodiments and FIG.
Further, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the case where both the pair of abutting surfaces 53 are formed in an inclined shape is illustrated, but instead of this, only one of them may be formed in an inclined shape. In this case, the contact surface 53 that is not inclined
The inclined portion Cs may not be formed on the closed end surface of the cell C corresponding to. Further, the pair of abutting surfaces 53 may be formed parallel to each other. In this case, the inclined portion Cs does not have to be formed on the closed end surface of the cell C.

(D) In the above-described first embodiment, the number of cells C constituting the cell unit U is not limited to five, and can be changed as appropriate. In each of the second, third, and fourth embodiments described above, the number of cell columns nC forming the cell unit U is not limited to five, and can be changed as appropriate.

(E) A plurality of cell units U in the above-described first, second or third embodiments are juxtaposed in the stacking direction while the flexible conductive material 7 is filled between them, and , In each stacking direction, a plurality of cell units U are juxtaposed in a state in which the side surfaces where the inter-cell flow path y is open face each other, whereby a plurality of cell aggregates NC are arranged.
May be formed side by side.

(F) The number of cells when forming the cell row nC using the end holding member 5A and the inter-holding member 5B is not limited. In addition, the inter-holding member 5B having the holes 52 formed therein,
Alternatively, the inter-holding members 5B in which the holes 52 are not formed may be mixed to form the cell row nC.

(G) Each of the above embodiments and FIG.
22 and another embodiment shown in FIG.
The case where C is provided inside the box-shaped body B in the state where the stacking direction of the cell C is oriented in the vertical direction has been illustrated.
It may be provided inside the box-shaped body B in a state where the stacking direction is directed to the lateral direction.

(H) When performing a gas leak inspection of the cell unit U, the following configuration may be added to the configuration of the above-described embodiment of the invention. In a state where the cell unit U is mounted on the base 10, one side surface of each of the pair of side surface portions of the cell unit U facing the opening portion of the inter-cell flow path y (that is, the closed end surface of the cell C). A box-shaped body having an opening is provided with the opening facing the side surface. The inside of one box-shaped body is used as the gas passage Y1 for the inter-cell channel for supply for inspection that communicates with each of the inter-cell channels y, and the inside of the other box-shaped body is used as the inter-cell channel. y Used as the gas passage Y2 for the inter-cell channel for discharge for inspection, which communicates with each other. And
Fuel gas is supplied to each inter-cell flow path y from the supply inter-cell flow path gas passage Y1.

(I) In the embodiment of the invention described above, the case where the conductive separator 4 is attached to the side of the three-layer plate facing the oxygen electrode 2 to form the cell C has been described as an example. The conductive separator 4 to the three-layer plate-shaped fuel electrode 3
It may be attached to the side facing. In this case, since the in-cell flow path x faces the fuel electrode 3, the in-cell flow path x functions as the fuel gas flow path f. On the other hand, the flow path between cells y
Faces the oxygen electrode 2, so that the inter-cell flow path y functions as the oxygen-containing gas flow path s.

It should be noted that reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cell of a fuel cell according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a cell unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration for performing a gas leakage inspection of the cell unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the fuel cell according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the overall configuration of the fuel cell according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view on arrow EE in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view on arrow in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional side view of a main part of the fuel cell according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a cell unit according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the overall configuration of the fuel cell according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow C-H in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view as seen from the direction of the arrows in FIG.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a cell unit according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the overall configuration of the fuel cell according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a view on arrow in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a view as seen from an arrow in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cell unit according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the overall configuration of the fuel cell according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a view as seen from the arrow direction in FIG.

FIG. 20 is a view on arrow in FIG.

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a cell unit in another embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view showing a cell assembly according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrolyte layer 2 Oxygen electrode 3 Fuel electrode 4 Flow path constituent member 5 Holding member 5A End holding member 5B Inter-holding member 7 Flexible conductive material 8 Partition member 8A End partition member 8B Inter-part partition member 51 Notch 52 hole 53 abutting surface 57 communication connection part 81 hole x cell flow path y cell flow path C cell I1, I2 internal gas passage U cell unit X1, X2 gas flow passage for cell inside

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An electrolyte layer (1) having an oxygen electrode (2) on one surface and a fuel electrode (3) on the other surface, a side facing the oxygen electrode (2) and the fuel electrode (1). A rectangular plate-shaped fuel cell (C) is formed from a flow path forming member (4) arranged to form an in-cell flow path (x) on one of the sides facing 3). The cell (C) is composed of the flow path forming member (4),
One pair of facing end faces of the cell (C) are open end faces where the in-cell flow channel (x) is opened, and the other pair of facing end faces are closed end faces where the in-cell flow channel (x) is closed. And a pair of holding members (5) arranged at each of a pair of opening edges of the cell (C) in which the in-cell flow channel (x) is opened.
And a notch (51) formed in the same or substantially the same depth as the thickness of the cell (C) and into which the opening edge is formed.
Is provided, and the cutout part (51) is in close contact with the closed end faces adjacent to both ends of the opening end edge of the cell (C) to be cut into the cutout part (51), respectively. A plurality of the cells (C) are arranged such that the opening edge is placed in the notch (51) with the surface where the oxygen electrode (2) or the fuel electrode (3) is exposed facing outward. Held by the holding member (5) and juxtaposed in a stacked state in a state of being spaced apart from each other so as to form an inter-cell flow channel (y), and the inter-cell flow channel (y) is formed by the pair of openings. It is configured to be closed on the end face side by the pair of holding members (5) and opened on the pair of closed end face sides, and allows gas flow between the cells (C) adjacent in the stacking direction. Filled with flexible conductive material (7) The method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the cells (C) are held in the holding member (5) in a state of being filled with the flexible conductive material (7) between the cells (C), and are stacked. And a pair of partition wall members (8) for partitioning the pair of opening edge portions on the end surface portion where the oxygen electrode (2) or the fuel electrode (3) is exposed in the stacking direction. It is provided in a state of being stacked on the holding member (5) to form the cell unit (U) in advance, and a plurality of the cell units (U) are filled with the flexible conductive material (7) between them. Method for manufacturing juxtaposed fuel cells. 2. The holding member (5) has a hole (5) which faces the notch (51) and penetrates in the stacking direction.
2) is formed, and a hole (81) penetrating in the stacking direction is formed in the partition member (8) so as to overlap with the hole (52) of the holding member (5) when viewed in the stacking direction, The in-cell flow path (x) is a passage formed by the holes (52) of the holding members (5) and the holes (81) of the partition members (8) in series in the stacking direction. Gas passages (X1) and (X2) for cell flow passages that communicate with each other
The method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein 3. The holding member (5) includes a pair of end holding members (5A) provided with one notch (51) and a pair of the notches (51) facing each other in the stacking direction. A communication connecting portion (5) provided one at each of the end edges and communicating the pair of notches (51).
7) is provided in the inter-holding member (5B), and the partition member (8) is an end partition member (8A) overlaid on the end holding member (5A), and the inter-holding member. The partition wall member (8B) for stacking is stacked on the member (5B), and the plurality of cells (C) are arranged in a line in the surface direction of the cells (C) with the opening end faces facing each other. A plurality of the cells (C) juxtaposed and juxtaposed in a row form the outside opening edge of each cell (C) in the row direction at the notch (51) of the end holding member (5A). Put and
The end holding members (5A) in a state in which the opening end edges of the cells (C) that are adjacent to each other in the column direction are opposed to each other in the pair of cut portions (51) of the inter-holding member (5B). And the in-cell flow passage (x) of each of the cells (C) that are held by the inter-holding member (5B) and are adjacent in the column direction are communicatively connected by the communication connecting portion (57). A method for manufacturing the fuel cell described. 4. The end holding member (5A) is formed with a hole (52) which faces the cut portion (51) and penetrates in the stacking direction, and the end partition member (8A) includes: A hole (81) penetrating in the stacking direction is formed so as to overlap with the hole (52) of the end holding member (5A) when viewed in the stacking direction, and the hole of each of the end holding member (5A) is formed. (52) and the end partition wall member (8A), the holes (81) are formed in series in the stacking direction to form a continuous passage formed in the cell passage (x) Gas passage (X
4. The method for producing a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the fuel cell is formed as 1) or (X2). 5. The inter-holding member (5B) communicates with the communication connecting portion (57), and the cut portion (5).
Hole (52) penetrating in the stacking direction while facing 1)
And a hole (81) penetrating in the stacking direction is formed in the space partition member (8B) so as to overlap with the hole (52) of the space holding member (5B) when viewed in the stacking direction. By the holes (52) of each of the inter-holding members (5B) and the holes (81) of each of the inter-partition partition members (8B), the internal flow of the cells is passed through each of the communication connection parts (57). Internal gas passages (I1), (I
2. The method for producing a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein 2) is formed. 6. A plurality of the cell units (U) are juxtaposed in the stacking direction with the flexible conductive material (7) filled between them, and at each stage in the stacking direction, The method for producing a fuel cell according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein a plurality of cell units (U) are juxtaposed in such a manner that side surfaces where the inter-cell flow passages (y) are open face each other. 7. The holding member (5) and the partition member (8) are integrally formed.
4. The method for producing a fuel cell according to 4, 5, or 6.