Fuel cell assembly

• US 20020006539A1
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kuriyama, Nariaki, Isogai, Yuji, Sasahara, Jun, Kubota, Tadahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/44
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0228 in the form of layered or coated products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0234 Carbonaceous material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0247 characterised by the form characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0271 Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0273 with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2483 characterised by internal manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

In a fuel cell assembly typically comprising a plurality of cells each comprising an electrolyte layer (2), a pair of gas diffusion electrode layers (3, 4), and a pair of flow distribution plates (5), each flow distribution plate is provided with a central recess (51, 52) having a number of projections (53, 54) formed therein; and an electrode terminal layer (55, 56) is formed on each projection to establish a connection with an external circuit; each gas diffusion electrode layer defining the passages for fuel and oxidizer gases by covering the central recess, and provided with a porous layer (3a, 4a) typically in the form of a nano-tube carbon film, formed over each flow distribution plate. Because the porous layer is directly formed on each flow distribution plate, the thickness of each gas diffusion electrode layer can be freely controlled, and the overall thickness of the assembly can be minimized so as to allow a compact design.

Claims

1. A fuel cell assembly at least one cell comprising an electrolyte layer (2), a pair of gas diffusion electrode layers (3, 4) interposing the electrolyte layer between them, and a pair of flow distribution plates (5) for defining passages (10, 11) for fuel and oxidizer gases that contact the gas diffusion electrode layers, characterized by that:

each flow distribution plate is provided with a central recess (51, 52) having a number of projections (53, 54) formed therein; and

an electrode terminal layer (55, 56) is formed on each projection to establish an electric connection with an external circuit;

each gas diffusion electrode layer defining the passages for fuel and oxidizer gases by covering the central recess, and provided with a porous layer (3a, 4a) formed over each flow distribution plate so as to cover the electrode terminal layer.

2. A fuel cell assembly according to claim 1, wherein the porous layer comprises a carbon film having a large number of through holes extending across the thickness of the film.

3. A fuel cell assembly according to claim 2, wherein the carbon film comprises a carbon nano-tube film.