Fuel cell and process for producing the same

• US 20030035990A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Inventors: Washima, Mineo
• Granted Patent: US 6,696,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/31
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1007 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A fuel battery cell is provided which comprises: an internal electrode and an external electrode respectively with predetermined lengths which are coaxially disposed while leaving a predetermined space between the internal electrode and the external electrode; and a composite layer with a predetermined length, comprising an electrolyte layer and internal and external catalyst layers provided respectively on both sides of the electrolyte layer. In this case, the composite layer is disposed in a predetermined space between the internal electrode and the external electrode while providing a gas passage between the composite layer and the internal electrode and providing a gas passage between the composite layer and the external electrode. In the composite layer, the surface of the internal catalyst layer on its gas passage side and the surface of the external catalyst layer on its gas passage side are covered respectively with waterproof layers. The above construction can realize a fuel cell which has a simple structure and can realize improved yield and reduced production cost, and a process for producing a fuel cell which can simplify the production process and can realize improved yield and reduced production cost.

Claims

1. A fuel cell comprising a fuel battery cell, said fuel battery cell comprising:

an internal electrode and an external electrode respectively with predetermined lengths which are coaxially disposed while leaving a predetermined space between the internal electrode and the external electrode; and

a composite layer with a predetermined length, comprising an electrolyte layer and internal and external catalyst layers provided respectively on both sides of the electrolyte layer,

said composite layer being disposed in the predetermined as space between the internal electrode and the external electrode while providing a gas passage between the composite layer and the internal electrode and providing a gas passage between the composite layer and the external electrode.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein

the internal electrode is a hollow or solid internal continuous member having a plurality of grooves on its external surface,

the external electrode is a hollow external continuous member having a plurality of grooves on its internal surface, and

the gas passages are defined by the plurality of grooves in the internal continuous member and the plurality of grooves in the external continuous member.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the internal and external catalyst layers are provided respectively in face contact with both sides of the electrolyte layer.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the internal and external catalyst layers are provided respectively in face contact with a plurality of grooves in the internal and external continuous members.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal and external catalyst layers in the composite layer is covered with a waterproof layer.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fuel battery cell is one of a plurality of fuel battery cells connected to each other or one another either in series or in parallel.

7. A process for producing a fuel cell, comprising the steps of:

providing an internal electrode with a predetermined length;

providing a composite layer with a predetermined length, comprising an electrolyte layer and internal and external catalyst layers provided respectively on both sides of the electrolyte layer;

covering the internal electrode with the composite layer so as to form a gas passage between the internal electrode and the composite layer;

inserting the internal electrode covered with the composite layer into an external electrode with a predetermined length;

reducing the diameter of the external electrode to form a gas passage between the external electrode and the composite layer, and, at the same time, coaxially disposing the internal electrode and the external electrode to form a fuel cell.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein

a hollow or solid internal continuous member having a plurality of grooves on its external surface is used as the internal electrode,

a hollow external continuous member having a plurality of grooves on its internal surface is used as the external electrode, and

the gas passages are defined by the plurality of grooves in the internal continuous member and the plurality of grooves in the external continuous member.

9. The process according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the internal and external catalyst layers in the composite layer is covered with a waterproof layer.