Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080261104 | FUEL CELL - Auxiliary seals are provided on a surface of a first metal separator, between load receivers and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage, a fuel gas supply passage, an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage, and a fuel gas discharge passage, in relatively wide areas. The cross sectional shape of the auxiliary seal is the same as those of a flow field seal and ring-like seals, and the auxiliary seals are formed independently from the flow field seal and the ring-like seals. | 10-23-2008 |
20080268319 | Fuel cell stack - Each of the fuel cell units making up a fuel cell stack includes a first separator, a second separator, and a third separator. A predetermined number of load receivers are provided integrally on outer ends of the first separator, the second separator, and the third separator. The load receivers of the second separator protrude toward the casing beyond the other load receivers. Resin clips are inserted into the load receivers, such that the first separator, the second separator, and the third separator are fixed together by the resin clips. | 10-30-2008 |
20080292930 | FUEL CELL - A first metal separator of one of adjacent power generation cells and a second metal separator of the other of the adjacent power generation cells are directly stacked together to form a coolant flow field. The first metal separator has a press line protruding toward the coolant flow field, between a fuel gas flow field and an inlet buffer. The second metal separator has a press line protruding toward the coolant flow field, between an oxygen-containing gas flow field and an inlet buffer. The press lines contact each other to limit flow of the coolant into a back surface buffer. | 11-27-2008 |
20090042075 | Fuel Cell Stack - A fuel cell stack includes a first end power generation unit and a first dummy unit, adjacent to a power generation unit provided at one end of a stack body in a stacking direction. The first end power generation unit includes a fourth separator having the same structure as a first separator of the power generation unit, and includes a fifth separator and a sixth separator having the same structure as a second separator and a third separator. In effect, common separators are used for the fifth separator and the sixth separator by changing a pin of a molding die or changing part of a seal die. | 02-12-2009 |
20090042088 | Fuel Cell - A fuel cell according to the present invention includes a power generation unit. The power generation unit is formed by stacking a first metal separator, a first membrane electrode assembly, a second metal separator, a second membrane electrode assembly, and a third metal separator. The number of flow grooves in a first oxygen-containing gas flow field is different from the number of flow grooves in a second oxygen-containing gas flow field. The first oxygen-containing gas flow field and the second oxygen-containing gas flow field have the same length, and the flow grooves in the first oxygen-containing gas flow field and the flow grooves in the second oxygen-containing gas flow field have the same depth. | 02-12-2009 |
20100310958 | FUEL CELL STACK - Coolant supply passages and coolant discharge passages, for example, two respectively thereof, are disposed on upper and lower side portions of a first end plate of a fuel cell stack. Grooves are formed on a surface of the first end plate for establishing communication between each of the coolant supply passages and the coolant discharge passages. Air, which is introduced upwardly of the coolant discharge passages, is discharged to the coolant supply passages. | 12-09-2010 |
20100316924 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell is formed by stacking first cell units and second cell units alternately. An inlet buffer and an outlet buffer are formed on a surface of a first metal separator of the first cell unit. Bosses are provided in the inlet buffer and the outlet buffer of the first metal separator. An inlet buffer and an outlet buffer are formed on a surface of the second metal separator of the first cell unit. Continuous guide ridges are formed in the inlet buffer and the outlet buffer of the second metal separator. The bosses and the continuous guide ridges are provided at positions overlapped with each other in the stacking direction. | 12-16-2010 |
20110070516 | SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL - A fuel cell is formed by sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly between a first separator and a second separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a cathode, an anode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the cathode and the anode. In the membrane electrode assembly, a catalyst area of an electrode catalyst layer of the cathode and an electrode catalyst layer of the anode terminates at a position spaced upwardly from lower ends of an oxygen-containing gas flow field and a fuel gas flow field. | 03-24-2011 |
20110159395 | FUEL CELL STACK - There has been a problem that the cell units cannot bear the load exerted on the units while being stacked since a fuel cell stack including a refrigerant channel formed between cell units each having an even number of electrolyte/electrode structures (MEA) and metal separators which are alternated does not have any structure supporting the separators forming the refrigerant channel in a stacking direction. In order to solve the above problem, in each of a first power generating unit and a second power generating unit, projections formed at the buffer portions of the separators are disposed in the same positions in the stacking direction with the MEA interposed therebetween. Since between the first and second power generating units, the projections of the buffer portions are staggered, the projections of the first and second power generating units are thereby disposed in the same positions in the stacking direction. | 06-30-2011 |
20120129071 | FUEL CELL - A cell unit of a fuel cell includes a second separator. A first oxygen-containing gas flow field is formed on a surface of the second separator. An inlet buffer is connected to an inlet of the oxygen-containing gas flow field, and an outlet buffer is connected to an outlet of the first oxygen-containing gas flow field. The inlet buffer includes a first inlet buffer area having a deep groove and a second inlet buffer area, and the outlet buffer includes a first outlet buffer area having a deep groove and a second outlet buffer area. The first inlet buffer area and the first outlet buffer area have different surface areas. | 05-24-2012 |
20120270137 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell is formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells. Each of the unit cells includes a membrane electrode assembly, and an anode side metal separator and a cathode side metal separator sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly therebetween. In a surface of the cathode side metal separator, metal portions are exposed in at least part of a second flat portion in an area surrounded by seal lines SL of the anode side metal separator. Cutouts are formed on a surface of the cathode side metal separator by cutting at least part of the second flat portion up to the metal portions thereby to expose the metal portions through the cutouts. | 10-25-2012 |