Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100081016 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes an oxidant gas supply apparatus and a fuel gas supplier. The oxidant gas supply apparatus includes first and second open/close valves disposed respectively in oxidant gas supply and discharge lines, and an oxidant gas flow field having a first volume and formed between the first and second open/close valves. The fuel gas supplier includes third and fourth open/close valves disposed respectively in fuel gas supply and discharge lines, and a fuel gas flow field having a second volume and formed between the third and fourth open/close valves. A ratio of the first volume to the second volume is determined such that substantially all oxygen in the oxidant gas remaining in the oxidant gas flow field is consumed by reaction with the fuel gas remaining in the fuel gas flow field when the oxidant gas flow field and the fuel gas flow field are closed. | 04-01-2010 |
20120178011 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a cell unit. The cell unit includes a first separator, a second separator, and an electrolyte-electrode assembly. The electrolyte-electrode assembly is sandwiched between the first separator and the second separator in a stacking direction. The outer periphery of the electrolyte-electrode assembly is integrally provided with frame members composed of a polymer material. Fluid communication holes are provided as through holes in the stacking direction in each of the frame members. The seal member is sandwiched between the frame members that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction. The first and second separators each have two plates with an identical outer shape. Each of the frame members has a rib projecting in a thickness direction of the frame member, at least around one of an outermost periphery of the frame member and the fluid communication holes. | 07-12-2012 |
20130101916 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, a first separator, and a second separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a resin frame member. The membrane electrode assembly includes a power generation section and a stepped section. The power generation section is located in an interior space of the resin frame member. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode in the power generation section. The stepped section is located on an outer side of the first electrode. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane is provided between the second electrode and the resin frame member in the stepped section. A magnitude of an interference in the stepped section is set to be smaller than a magnitude of an interference in the power generation section. | 04-25-2013 |
20130236808 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly and a separator. The separator includes a water accumulation portion including at least one of a buffer portion, a lowermost channel groove, a channel junction portion, and a bypass channel. The buffer portion is connected to a reactant gas channel through which a reactant gas is to flow along a power generation surface of the membrane electrode assembly. The channel groove is provided in the reactant gas channel and located at a lowest position in the reactant gas channel in a direction of gravity when the membrane electrode assembly and the separator are in an upright position. Channel grooves of the reactant gas channel are joined in the channel junction portion. The membrane electrode assembly includes a water impermeable layer which is disposed outside of a power generation region and which faces the water accumulation portion. | 09-12-2013 |
20130316261 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes an electrolyte-electrode assembly, a frame member, a first separator, and a second separator. The frame member is provided to face a first surface of the second separator and includes a resin wall which forms a periphery of a first reactant gas passage. The resin wall has a thin-walled portion which overlaps with a cooling medium connecting portion in a stacking direction and which protrudes toward the first reactant gas passage in the stacking direction by a first dimension from a surface of the frame member. Another portion of the resin wall protrudes toward the second separator in the stacking direction by a second dimension from the surface of the frame member. The first dimension is smaller than the second dimension. | 11-28-2013 |
20140080030 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly interposed between a cathode-side separator and an anode-side separator. A first gas diffusion layer included in a cathode is designed to have a planar size larger than a planar size of a second gas diffusion layer included in an anode. The anode-side separator has a thin clearance part in a portion that faces an outer peripheral portion of the second gas diffusion layer. | 03-20-2014 |
20150079491 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly and separators, an inner sealing member and an outer sealing member, a coolant channel, a base seal, an inner protrusion and an outer protrusion, and a middle protrusion. The membrane electrode assembly and the separators are stacked in a stacking direction. The inner sealing member and the outer sealing member are disposed between a first separator and a second separator. The base seal is disposed on at least one of separator surfaces between the second separator and a third separator. The inner protrusion and the outer protrusion are provided on the base seal so as to respectively overlap the inner sealing member and the outer sealing member when viewed in the stacking direction and so as to protrude between the second separator and the third separator in the stacking direction. | 03-19-2015 |
20150099208 | RESIN-FRAMED MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR FUEL CELL - A resin-framed membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell includes a stepped membrane electrode assembly and a resin frame member. The stepped membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode. The resin frame member surrounds an outer periphery of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and includes an inner protruding portion that protrudes from an inner peripheral base portion toward the cathode electrode and that has a thickness. The inner protruding portion has an adhesive application portion to which an adhesive is applied so as to surround a part of the inner protruding portion. The part is in contact with the stepped membrane electrode assembly. A thickness of a cathode diffusion layer is larger than a thickness of an anode diffusion layer. | 04-09-2015 |