Fuel cell and method for manufacturing fuel cell

A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, the method comprising:

• preparing an anode gas diffusion layer and a cathode gas diffusion layer, at least one gas diffusion layer of the anode gas diffusion layer and cathode gas diffusion layer including a groove-shaped path for gas flow;
• preparing a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte film, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer, the electrolyte film having a first surface and a second surface disposed at a side opposite to the first surface, the anode catalyst layer being disposed so as to face the first surface of the electrolyte film, the cathode catalyst layer being disposed so as to face the second surface of the electrolyte film;
• forming a laminate by disposing a frame having stiffness higher than stiffness of the at least one gas diffusion layer of the anode gas diffusion layer and the cathode gas diffusion layer such that the frame surrounds a periphery of the membrane electrode assembly, and by at least one of disposing the anode gas diffusion layer on the anode catalyst layer at a side opposite to the electrolyte film such that a protrusion protruding beyond a level of an outer surface of the frame is formed on the anode gas diffusion layer and the cathode gas diffusion layer on the cathode catalyst layer at a side opposite to the electrolyte film such that a protrusion protruding beyond a level of an outer surface of the frame is formed on the cathode gas diffusion layer;
• and
• disposing one of a pair of separators on the anode gas diffusion layer at a side opposite to the membrane electrode assembly and the other of the pair of separators on the cathode gas diffusion layer at a side opposite to the membrane electrode assembly, and deforming at least one of the anode gas diffusion layer and cathode gas diffusion layer to put into contact with the frame by applying a predetermined pressure to the pair of separators so that the pair of separators clamp the laminate, and press the protrusion.

A fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly including
• an electrolyte film having a first surface and a second surface disposed at a side opposite to the first surface,
• an anode catalyst layer disposed so as to face the first surface of the electrolyte film, and
• a cathode catalyst layer disposed so as to face the second surface of the electrolyte film;
• an anode gas diffusion layer disposed on the anode catalyst layer at a side opposite to the electrolyte film;
• a cathode gas diffusion layer disposed on the cathode catalyst layer at a side opposite to the electrolyte film;
• a pair of separators disposed on the anode gas diffusion layer at a side opposite to the membrane electrode assembly and on the cathode gas diffusion layer at a side opposite to the membrane electrode assembly, respectively, the pair of separators being configured to clamp a laminate that includes the membrane electrode assembly, the anode gas diffusion layer, and the cathode gas diffusion layer;
• and
• a frame disposed between the pair of separators and surrounding a periphery of the laminate,
• wherein:
• at least one gas diffusion layer among the anode gas diffusion layer and the cathode gas diffusion layer has stiffness lower than stiffness of the frame and has a protrusion protruding beyond a level of a surface of the frame which faces one of the pair of separators in a state that the laminate is not clamped between the pair of separators under a predetermined pressure, and the one of the pair of separators presses the protrusion and gets the at least one of the gas diffusion layers to be deformed and put into contact with the frame in a state that the laminate is clamped between the pair of separators under the predetermined pressure, and
• the frame includes a projecting portion on a surface facing the at least one gas diffusion layer, and the projecting portion is in contact with the at least one of the gas diffusion layers in a state that the laminate is clamped between the pair of separators under the predetermined pressure.