# US 2021/0280879 A1 · Fuel cell and manufacturing method thereof

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0280879 A1
- Document ID: US20210280879A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/110,390
- Filed: 2020-12-03
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Takuya KURIHARA; Kenji SATO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280879A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/0276: Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/0286: Processes for forming seals
- H01M 8/242: comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence)
- H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A single cell includes a linear sealing portion bonded to a pair of gas separators, the sealing portion being provided between the gas separators. A fuel cell in which a plurality of single cells is laminated includes: a gasket provided between the single cells adjacent to each other; a first manifold communicating with an inside-cell gas passage; and a second manifold communicating with an inter-cell refrigerant passage. The gasket includes a first gasket placed to surround the outer periphery of the first manifold and configured to seal the first manifold, and a second gasket configured to seal the second manifold and an inter-cell refrigerant passage. When the fuel cell is viewed from the laminating direction, the first gasket, the sealing portion, and the second gasket are placed in this order from the first manifold toward the second manifold between the first manifold and the second manifold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell in which a plurality of single cells is laminated, each of the single cells including a membrane electrode assembly, a pair of gas separators provided such that the membrane electrode assembly is sandwiched between the gas separators, and a linear sealing portion provided between the gas separators and bonded to the gas separators, the fuel cell comprising:
a gasket provided between the single cells adjacent to each other;
a first manifold penetrating the fuel cell in a laminating direction of the single cells and communicating with an inside-cell gas passage through which reactant gas flows between the membrane electrode assembly and the gas separators; and
a second manifold provided to be adjacent to the first manifold, the second manifold penetrating the fuel cell in the laminating direction of the single cells and communicating with an inter-cell refrigerant passage through which refrigerant flows between the single cells adjacent to each other, wherein:
the gasket includes
a first gasket placed to surround an outer periphery of the first manifold and configured to seal the first manifold, and
a second gasket configured to seal the second manifold and the inter-cell refrigerant passage; and
when the fuel cell is viewed from the laminating direction, the first gasket, the sealing portion, and the second gasket are placed in order of the first gasket, the sealing portion, and the second gasket from the first manifold toward the second manifold between the first manifold and the second manifold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein:
the each of the single cells includes an insulating sheet joined to an outer peripheral portion of the membrane electrode assembly between the gas separators;
the first manifold and the second manifold are formed to penetrate a part where the insulating sheet and the gas separators are provided in a laminated manner; and
the sealing portion is a part of the insulating sheet.

### Claim 3

A manufacturing method of a fuel cell in which a plurality of single cells is laminated, the manufacturing method comprising:
preparing a membrane electrode assembly;
preparing a pair of gas separators each including
a first manifold hole configured to form a first manifold through which reactant gas circulates, the first manifold penetrating the fuel cell in a laminating direction of the single cells, and
a second manifold hole provided to be adjacent to the first manifold hole, the second manifold hole being configured to form a second manifold through which refrigerant circulates, the second manifold penetrating the fuel cell in the laminating direction of the single cells;
providing a first gasket and a second gasket on a first surface of one of the gas separators, the first gasket being placed to surround an outer periphery of the first manifold hole, the second gasket being configured to seal a refrigerant passage including the second manifold and an inter-cell refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows between the single cells adjacent to each other;
placing, between the gas separators, the membrane electrode assembly and a sealing member placed to be closer to an outer peripheral side of the single cells than the membrane electrode assembly so that a surface of the one of the gas separators, the surface being opposite to a surface on which the first gasket and the second gasket are provided, faces the membrane electrode assembly; and
forming a sealing portion in a linear shape by bonding the sealing member to the gas separators by hot-press so that, when the fuel cell is viewed from the laminating direction, the first gasket, the sealing portion in which the sealing member is bonded to the gas separators, and the second gasket are placed in order of the first gasket, the sealing portion, and the second gasket from the first manifold toward the second manifold between the first manifold and the second manifold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The manufacturing method according to claim 3, comprising:
manufacturing a sheet joining body by use of an insulating sheet as the sealing member such that the insulating sheet is joined to an outer peripheral portion of the membrane electrode assembly; and
in the forming of the sealing portion, the insulating sheet is joined to the gas separators such that the sheet joining body is sandwiched between the gas separators, and hot-press is performed on the insulating sheet and the gas separators.