# US 11,309,547 B2 · Fuel cell separator member and fuel cell stack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,547 B2 - Document ID: US11309547B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/876,178 - Filed: 2020-05-18 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-21 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Suguru Ohmori; Takuro Okubo; Shuhei Goto; Akihito Giga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309547B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0206: Metals or alloys - H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant - H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels - H01M 8/0273: with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame - H01M 8/0276: Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) - H01M 8/248: Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A fuel cell separator member of a fuel cell stack includes a metal separator on which a seal bead is formed, and a pressure receiving member provided on a surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator. The pressure receiving member is provided along a seal bead, and the height of the pressure receiving member is lower than the height of the seal bead in the state where the tightening load is applied and no impact load is applied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell separator member comprising: a metal separator stacked on a membrane electrode assembly in a stacking direction, a tightening load in the stacking direction being applied to the metal separator, a seal bead protruding from a surface of the metal separator where the membrane electrode assembly is positioned being formed on the metal separator, the seal bead being pressed against a resin frame provided on an outer peripheral side of a power generation surface of the membrane electrode assembly by the tightening load to prevent leakage of fluid comprising a reactant gas or a coolant, the fuel cell separator member further comprising a pressure receiving member provided on the surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator and configured to receive an impact load in the stacking direction, wherein the pressure receiving member is provided along the seal bead, and a height of the pressure receiving member in the stacking direction is lower than a height of the seal bead in the stacking direction in a state where the tightening load is applied and the impact load is not applied. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 1, wherein the pressure receiving member is configured to be elastically deformable in the stacking direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 1, wherein: a plurality of passages for the fluid extend through the metal separator in the stacking direction; the seal bead includes a plurality of passage beads surrounding the plurality of the passages, respectively; and the pressure receiving member includes a hole surrounding member provided between each of the plurality of passages and each of the plurality of passage beads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 3, wherein: a reactant gas flow field configured to supply the reactant gas to the power generation surface is formed on the surface of the metal separator; the plurality of passages include a reactant gas passage connected to the reactant gas flow field; the seal bead includes an outer bead surrounding the reactant gas flow field and the reactant gas passage; and the pressure receiving member includes an outer member provided between the outer bead and an outer peripheral end of the metal separator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 4, wherein the outer member extends along and around an outer periphery of the metal separator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 4, wherein the pressure receiving member includes an intermediate member provided between the outer bead and a passage bead surrounding the reactant gas passage, among the plurality of passage beads. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of the pressure receiving member along the stacking direction is a quadrangular shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 1, wherein the seal bead includes: a bead body formed integrally with, and protruding from the surface of the metal separator; and a resin member provided on a protruding end surface of the bead body, and the height of the seal bead in the stacking direction is a length from the surface of the metal separator to a surface of the resin member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fuel cell separator member according to claim 1, wherein the height of the pressure receiving member in the stacking direction is determined to be not less than the height of the seal bead when the seal bead is deformed in the stacking direction at a compression ratio of 20%. ### Claim 10 A fuel cell stack comprising a stack body comprising a plurality of stacked power generation cells each including a membrane electrode assembly and a fuel cell separator member provided on each of both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein: the fuel cell separator member includes a metal separator stacked on the membrane electrode assembly in a stacking direction, a tightening load in the stacking direction being applied to the metal separator; a seal bead protruding from a surface of the metal separator where the membrane electrode assembly is positioned is formed on the metal separator; the seal bead is pressed against a resin frame provided on an outer peripheral side of a power generation surface of the membrane electrode assembly by the tightening load to prevent leakage of fluid comprising a reactant gas or a coolant; the fuel cell separator member further includes a pressure receiving member provided on the surface of the metal separator, separately from the metal separator and configured to receive an impact load in the stacking direction; the pressure receiving member is provided along the seal bead; and a height of the pressure receiving member in the stacking direction is lower than a height of the seal bead in the stacking direction in a state where the tightening load is applied and the impact load is not applied. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein the pressure receiving member is configured to be elastically deformable in the stacking direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein: a plurality of passages for the fluid extend through the metal separator in the stacking direction; the seal bead includes a plurality of passage beads surrounding the plurality of the passages, respectively; and the pressure receiving member includes a hole surrounding member provided between each of the plurality of passages and each of the plurality of passage beads. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fuel cell stack according to claim 12, wherein: a reactant gas flow field configured to supply the reactant gas to the power generation surface is formed on the surface of the metal separator; the plurality of passages include a reactant gas passage connected to the reactant gas flow field; the seal bead includes an outer bead surrounding the reactant gas flow field and the reactant gas passage; and the pressure receiving member includes an outer member provided between the outer bead and an outer peripheral end of the metal separator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The fuel cell stack according to claim 13, wherein the outer member extends along and around an outer periphery of the metal separator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The fuel cell stack according to claim 13, wherein the pressure receiving member includes an intermediate member provided between the outer bead and a passage bead surrounding the reactant gas passage, among the plurality of passage beads. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein a cross sectional shape of the pressure receiving member along the stacking direction is a quadrangular shape. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein the seal bead includes: a bead body formed integrally with, and protruding from the surface of the metal separator; and a resin member provided on a protruding end surface of the bead body, and the height of the seal bead in the stacking direction is a length from the surface of the metal separator to a surface of the resin member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, wherein the height of the pressure receiving member in the stacking direction is determined to be not less than the height of the seal bead when the seal bead is deformed in the stacking direction at a compression ratio of 20%.