Fuel cell and method for manufacturing same
AssigneePanasonic Corporation
InventorsTsutomu Kawashima, Hideyo Higashino, Takashi Nakagawa
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Abstract
In a fuel cell of the present invention, a gas diffusion layer (15A, 15C) provided on at least one surface side of a polymer electrolyte membrane (12) is structured with a conductive carbon sheet. Fluid flow passages (16A, 16C) are formed on the surface of the gas diffusion layer (15A, 15C) contacting on a separator (21A, 21C). The roughness of the surface of the gas diffusion layer (15A, 15C) provided with the fluid flow passage is set to be smaller than the roughness of its surface contacting on the catalyst layer (14A, 14C). Thus, it becomes possible to achieve a further improvement in power generation performance, and to suppress a reduction in durability.
Claims8
A fuel cell, comprising:
- a polymer electrolyte membrane having a catalyst layer, a gas diffusion layer, and a separator stacked in order on each of both surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane, wherein
- the gas diffusion layer provided at least on one surface side of the polymer electrolyte membrane is structured with a conductive carbon sheet, fluid flow passages being formed on a surface of the gas diffusion layer contacting on the separator, and a roughness of the surface of the gas diffusion layer having the fluid flow passage formed is smaller than a roughness of a surface of the gas diffusion layer contacting on the catalyst layer.
A method for manufacturing of a fuel cell using a gas diffusion layer having a fluid flow passage formed on a surface of the gas diffusion layer contacting on a separator, comprising:
- disposing a stacked product made up of a conductive carbon sheet and a resin sheet between a pressing member having a projecting portion conforming to a shape of the fluid flow passage and a receiving member;
- pressing the stacked product by the pressing member and the receiving member, to form the fluid flow passage at a surface of the conductive carbon sheet;
- and
- peeling off the resin sheet from the conductive carbon sheet having the fluid flow passage formed, to produce a gas diffusion layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.