Fuel cell, electrode for fuel cell and a method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsSeiichi Suenaga, Maki Yonetsu, Norihiro Tomimatsu, Hideyuki Ohzu, Yasuhiro Goto, Yoshihiko Nakano
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Abstract
The present invention provides a electrode layer for fuel cells which is improved in the efficiency of a catalyst, the diffusion capability of fuel, the stabilization and the high output. In electrode for fuel cells which consists of current collector layer which consists of a conductive fiber, and a catalyst layer formed on current collector layer, the conductivity of the thickness direction of the layer in a catalyst layer is raised by using the carbon nano fiber which grew perpendicularly to plane of current collector as a catalyst layer.
Claims8
An electrode for a fuel cell, comprising:
- a porous catalytic carrier comprising conductive fibers having two particle diameter distribution peaks of a first particle diameter distribution peak existing at a small particle diameter side and a second particle diameter distribution peak existing at a large particle diameter side;
- catalyst to be carried on said conductive fibers, belonging to said first particle diameter distribution peak;
- and
- a proton conductive material adhered on surfaces of said conductive fibers so as to come into contact with said catalyst.
A fuel cell, which holds a proton conductive film between a pair of electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes comprises:
- a porous catalytic carrier comprising conductive fibers having two particle diameter distribution peaks of a first particle diameter distribution peak existing at a small particle diameter side and a second particle diameter distribution peak existing at a large particle diameter side;
- a catalyst to be carried on said conductive fibers belonging to said first particle diameter distribution peak;
- and
- a proton conductive material adhered on surfaces of said conductive fibers so as to contact said catalyst.
An electrode for a fuel cell including a porous body, which comprises mixture containing conductive material which bears catalyst and proton conductive material, where
- said porous body has two layers which are different in compactness of the porous body.
An electrode for a fuel cell comprising:
- a current collector comprising a conductive porous body;
- and;
- a catalyst layer comprising carbon nano-fibers having not less than 50% of the top end portions placed at an elevation angle of not less than 45° to the surface of said current collector, catalyst particles for an electrode which are carried on the surfaces of these carbon nano-fibers and proton conductor which is formed by contacting said catalyst particles for an electrode on the surfaces of said carbon nano-fibers.
A fuel cell comprising a proton conductive electrolyte film and one pair of electrodes which holds these electrolyte film, wherein
- at least one electrode of said one pair of electrodes comprising a current collector comprising a conductive porous body;
- and
- a catalyst layer comprising carbon nano-fibers having not less than 50% of the top end portions placed at an elevation angle of not less than 45° to the surfaces of said current collector, catalyst particles for an electrode which is carried on surfaces of these carbon nano-fibers and the proton conductor which is formed by contacting said catalyst particles for an electrode on the surfaces of said carbon nano-fibers.
A method for manufacturing an electrode for a fuel cell comprising the steps of;
- carrying a plurality of catalysts for carbon precipitation on the current collector comprising conductive porous body;
- supplying a carbon-containing source gas to a surface of said porous current collector different from the surfaces of said porous current collector carrying the catalysts for carbon precipitation to form carbon nano-fibers where carbon has been precipitated from the catalysts for carbon precipitation;
- carrying the catalytic particles for the electrode on said carbon nano-fibers;
- and
- forming a proton conductive layer on surfaces of said carbon nano-fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.