Fuel cell and manufacturing method thereof
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAtsushi Yamamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A support frame is placed on a second surface of an electrolyte membrane such that a second catalyst layer and a second gas diffusion layer are placed inside an opening of the support frame. When a fuel cell is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the electrolyte membrane, a first region and a second region are present, the first region being a region where the second gas diffusion layer is present, the second region being a region between an outer peripheral edge part of the second gas diffusion layer and an inner peripheral edge part of the opening of the support frame. A bonding power between a first catalyst layer and a first gas diffusion layer in the first region is smaller than a bonding power between the first catalyst layer and the first gas diffusion layer in the second region.
Claims12
A fuel cell comprising:
- an electrolyte membrane;
- first and second catalyst layers;
- first and second gas diffusion layers;
- and
- a support frame, wherein:
- the first catalyst layer is placed on a first surface of the electrolyte membrane;
- the first gas diffusion layer is placed on the first catalyst layer;
- the second catalyst layer smaller than the electrolyte membrane is placed on a second surface of the electrolyte membrane such that the second catalyst layer is placed inwardly from an outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane;
- the second gas diffusion layer smaller than the electrolyte membrane is placed on the second catalyst layer such that the second gas diffusion layer is placed inwardly from the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane;
- the support frame includes an opening larger than the second catalyst layer and the second gas diffusion layer and is placed on the second surface of the electrolyte membrane such that the second catalyst layer and the second gas diffusion layer are placed inside the opening;
- when the fuel cell is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the electrolyte membrane, a first region and a second region are present, the first region being a region where the second gas diffusion layer is present, the second region being a region between an outer peripheral edge part of the second gas diffusion layer and an inner peripheral edge part of the opening of the support frame;
- and
- a bonding power between the first catalyst layer and the first gas diffusion layer in the first region is smaller than a bonding power between the first catalyst layer and the first gas diffusion layer in the second region.
A manufacturing method for manufacturing a fuel cell including an electrolyte membrane, first and second catalyst layers, first and second gas diffusion layers, and a support frame,
- the first catalyst layer being placed on a first surface of the electrolyte membrane,
- the first gas diffusion layer being placed on the first catalyst layer,
- the second catalyst layer smaller than the electrolyte membrane being placed on a second surface of the electrolyte membrane such that the second catalyst layer is placed inwardly from an outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane,
- the second gas diffusion layer smaller than the electrolyte membrane being placed on the second catalyst layer such that the second gas diffusion layer is placed inwardly from the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane,
- the support frame including an opening larger than the second catalyst layer and the second gas diffusion layer and being placed on the second surface of the electrolyte membrane such that the second catalyst layer and the second gas diffusion layer are placed inside the opening,
- when the fuel cell is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the electrolyte membrane, a first region and a second region being present, the first region being a region where the second gas diffusion layer is present, the second region being a region between an outer peripheral edge part of the second gas diffusion layer and an inner peripheral edge part of the opening of the support frame,
- the manufacturing method comprising:
- a step of sequentially placing the first catalyst layer and the first gas diffusion layer on the first surface of the electrolyte membrane;
- a first pressure bonding step of bonding, by pressure, the first gas diffusion layer, the first catalyst layer, and the electrolyte membrane in the first region to each other at a first temperature;
- a second pressure bonding step of bonding, by pressure, the first gas diffusion layer, the first catalyst layer, and the electrolyte membrane in the second region to each other at a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
- and
- a placing step of, after the first and second pressure bonding steps, placing the second catalyst layer, the second gas diffusion layer, and the support frame on a second surface of the electrolyte membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.