# US 2021/0242472 A1 · Fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer, fuel cell separator 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 2021/0242472 A1 - Document ID: US20210242472A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/049,871 - Filed: 2018-04-28 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-28 - Assignees: Enomoto Co., Ltd.; University of Yamanashi - Applicants: Enomoto Co., Ltd.; University of Yamanashi - Inventors: Hiroshi YANAI; Mitsunori NASU; Masahiro WATANABE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242472A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/026: characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth - H01M 8/0263: having meandering or serpentine paths - H01M 8/0206: Metals or alloys - H01M 8/0234: Carbonaceous material - H01M 8/0239: Organic resins; Organic polymers - H01M 8/0243: in the form of mixtures - H01M 8/0265: the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections - H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - 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 gas supply and diffusion layer includes a sheet-like porous body layer, and a plurality of gas passage grooves formed on one surface of the porous body layer in parallel and formed in a zigzag shape or a wave shape respectively. As viewed in a plan view, a first rectangular region where circumscribes one gas passage groove and a second rectangular region where circumscribes a gas passage groove adjacent to the one gas passage groove overlap along a region in contact each other. An overlapping region where the first rectangular region and the second rectangular region overlap exists at any depth position of the grooves. According to the fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer, it is possible to increase a power generation efficiency of a fuel cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer comprising: a sheet-like porous body layer capable of gas permeating and gas diffusing, and having conductivity; and a plurality of gas passage grooves formed on one surface of the porous body layer in parallel and formed in a zigzag shape or a wave shape from an inflow side to an outflow side of the gas respectively, wherein as viewed in a plan view, in a plurality of rectangular regions R which circumscribe each gas passage groove of the plurality of gas passage grooves, a first rectangular region R1 where circumscribes one gas passage groove and a second rectangular region R2 where circumscribes a gas passage groove adjacent to the one gas passage groove overlap along a region in contact each other, and an overlapping region R3 where the first rectangular region R1 and the second rectangular region R2 overlap exists at any depth position of the plurality of gas passage grooves regardless of the cross-sectional shape of the plurality of gas passage grooves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 1, wherein a width L1 of the overlapping region R3 and a width L of the rectangular region satisfy a relationship of “L1≥0.1×L”. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 1, one or a plurality of gas pressure equalizing grooves is formed on the porous body layer over a entire width along a direction perpendicular to a direction from an inflow side to an outflow side of the gas so as to intersect the plurality of gas passage grooves, and assuming an overlapping region divided by the gas pressure equalizing groove as “a divided overlapping region R4”, the divided overlapping region R4 exists at any depth position of the plurality of gas passage grooves regardless of the cross-sectional shape of the plurality of gas passage grooves. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 3, a depth of the gas passage groove and a depth of the gas pressure equalizing groove are equal to each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 1, the fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer further comprises a microporous layer disposed on other surface of the porous body layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 1, the fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer is a fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer for cathode gas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 6, the cathode gas is air. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fuel cell gas supply and diffusion layer according to claim 6, a width W1 of an inflow side end portion in the gas passage groove and a width W2 of an outflow side end portion in the gas passage groove satisfy a relationship of “W2