Polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly forming a cell comprising a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane, each of said anode and said cathode being positioned in a substantially central part of said polymer electrolyte membrane;
• an anode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and a fuel gas flow channel connected to said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging a fuel gas to and from the anode;
• a cathode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and an oxidant gas flow channel connected to said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging an oxidant gas to and from the cathode;
• an anode-side sealing member provided on the anode-side surface of said anode-side separator plate;
• and
• a cathode-side sealing member provided on the cathode-side surface of said cathode-side separator plate, wherein:
• said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched under pressure between said anode-side and cathode-side separator plates to form said cell,
• said anode-side sealing member and said cathode-side sealing member seal the cell, in cooperation with the polymer electrolyte membrane, at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, to prevent the fuel gas and the oxidant gas from leaking out of said fuel gas flow channel and said oxidant gas flow channel,
• said fuel gas flow channel being positioned in a substantially central part of the separator plate, said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures and said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures being positioned in outer parts of the separator plate relative to said fuel gas flow channel,
• said oxidant gas flow channel being positioned in a substantially central part of the separator plate, said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures and said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures being positioned in outer parts of the separator plate relative to said oxidant gas flow channel,
• one of said sealing members has a pointed rib that contacts said sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other of said sealing members contacts said sealing parts surface-to-surface,
• said anode-side sealing member includes a part surrounding said anode and said cathode sealing member includes a part surrounding said cathode,
• the rib of said one of the sealing members is, at said anode or cathode surrounding part, shaped like a wedge of which cross section is thin on the inner side and thick on the outer side, and
• the wedge-shaped rib is provided along the edge of the electrode so that the electrode is surrounded by the wedge-shaped rib.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly forming a cell comprising a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane, each of said anode and said cathode being positioned in a substantially central part of said polymer electrolyte membrane;
• an anode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and a fuel gas flow channel connected to said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging a fuel gas to and from the anode;
• a cathode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and an oxidant gas flow channel connected to said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging an oxidant gas to and from the cathode;
• an anode-side sealing member provided on the anode-side surface of said anode-side separator plate;
• and
• a cathode-side sealing member provided on the cathode-side surface of said cathode-side separator plate, wherein:
• said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched under pressure between said anode-side and cathode-side separator plates to form said cell,
• said anode-side sealing member and said cathode-side sealing member seal the cell, in cooperation with the polymer electrolyte membrane, at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, to prevent the fuel gas and the oxidant gas from leaking out of said fuel gas flow channel and said oxidant gas flow channel,
• said fuel gas flow channel being positioned in a substantially central part of the separator plate, said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures and said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures being positioned in outer parts of the separator plate relative to said fuel gas flow channel,
• said oxidant gas flow channel being positioned in a substantially central part of the separator plate, said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures and said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures being positioned in outer parts of the separator plate relative to said oxidant gas flow channel,
• one of said sealing members has a pointed rib that contacts said sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other of said sealing members contacts said sealing parts surface-to-surface,
• said anode-side sealing member includes a sealing part that surrounds said fuel gas flow channel and said fuel gas manifold apertures to form a closed anode loop, and said cathode-side sealing member includes a sealing part that surrounds said oxidant gas flow channel and said oxidant gas manifold apertures to form a closed cathode loop,
• the rib of the part of said anode or cathode loop surrounding the gas flow channel is shaped like a wedge of which cross section is thin on the inner side and thick on the outer side, and
• the wedge-shaped rib is provided along the edge of the electrode but not around the whole perimeter of the electrode.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly forming a cell comprising a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane;
• an anode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and a fuel gas flow channel connected to said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging a fuel gas to and from the anode;
• a cathode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and an oxidant gas flow channel connected to said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging an oxidant gas to and from the cathode;
• an anode-side sealing member provided on the anode-side surface of said anode-side separator plate;
• and
• a cathode-side sealing member provided on the cathode-side surface of said cathode-side separator plate, wherein:
• said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched under pressure between said anode-side and cathode-side separator plates to form said cell,
• said anode-side sealing member and said cathode-side sealing member seal the cell, in cooperation with the polymer electrolyte membrane, at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, to prevent the fuel gas and the oxidant gas from leaking out of said fuel gas flow channel and said oxidant gas flow channel,
• one of said sealing members has a pointed rib that contacts said sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other of said sealing members contacts said sealing parts surface-to-surface, and
• said anode-side and cathode-side sealing members have a three-layered structure of a resin film, an adhesive layer formed on a separator side of said resin film, and a rubber layer formed on a face of said resin film opposite to said adhesive layer.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly forming a cell comprising a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane;
• an anode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and a fuel gas flow channel connected to said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging a fuel gas to and from the anode;
• a cathode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and an oxidant gas flow channel connected to said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging an oxidant gas to and from the cathode;
• an anode-side sealing member provided on the anode-side surface of said anode-side separator plate;
• and
• a cathode-side sealing member provided on the cathode-side surface of said cathode-side separator plate, wherein:
• said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched under pressure between said anode-side and cathode-side separator plates to form said cell,
• said anode-side sealing member and said cathode-side sealing member seal the cell, in cooperation with the polymer electrolyte membrane, at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, to prevent the fuel gas and the oxidant gas from leaking out of said fuel gas flow channel and said oxidant gas flow channel,
• one of said sealing members has a pointed rib that contacts said sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other of said sealing members contacts said sealing parts surface-to-surface,
• the pair of anode-side and cathode-side sealing members comprises:
• anode-side and cathode-side electrode sealing parts that sandwich the polymer electrolyte membrane around the anode and the cathode;
• anode-side and cathode-side manifold aperture sealing parts that sandwich the polymer electrolyte membrane around the anode-side and cathode-side fuel gas manifold apertures and the anode-side and cathode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures;
• and
• anode-side and cathode-side connection groove sealing parts that sandwich the polymer electrolyte membrane on both sides of respective connection grooves connecting the fuel gas flow channel to the anode-side fuel gas manifold apertures and connecting the oxidant gas flow channel to the cathode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures,
• the anode-side sealing member comprises a first anode-side sealing section that surrounds the fuel gas flow channel and the pair of anode-side fuel gas manifold apertures to form a closed loop,
• the anode-side and cathode-side manifold aperture sealing parts each comprises:
• anode-side oxidant gas manifold aperture sealing parts that surround the anode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures;
• anode-side cooling water manifold aperture sealing parts that surround a pair of anode-side cooling water manifold apertures;
• and
• the first anode-side sealing section comprises:
• the anode-side electrode sealing part, which surrounds the fuel gas flow channel;
• anode-side fuel gas ones of the anode-side manifold aperture sealing parts that surround the outer half of the anode-side fuel gas manifold apertures;
• and
• the anode-side connection groove sealing parts located on both sides of the anode-side connection grooves,
• the anode-side sealing member comprises a second anode-side sealing section that forms a closed loop in combination with the anode-side fuel gas manifold aperture sealing parts of the first anode-side sealing section, and
• the anode-side oxidant gas and cooling water apertures are located outside the closed loop.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a membrane electrode assembly forming a cell comprising a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said polymer electrolyte membrane;
• an anode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and a fuel gas flow channel connected to said pair of fuel gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging a fuel gas to and from the anode;
• a cathode-side separator plate having a pair of fuel gas manifold apertures, a pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures, and an oxidant gas flow channel connected to said pair of oxidant gas manifold apertures for supplying and discharging an oxidant gas to and from the cathode;
• an anode-side sealing member provided on the anode-side surface of said anode-side separator plate;
• and
• a cathode-side sealing member provided on the cathode-side surface of said cathode-side separator plate, wherein:
• said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched under pressure between said anode-side and cathode-side separator plates to form said cell,
• said anode-side sealing member and said cathode-side sealing member seal the cell, in cooperation with the polymer electrolyte membrane, at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, to prevent the fuel gas and the oxidant gas from leaking out of said fuel gas flow channel and said oxidant gas flow channel,
• one of said sealing members has a pointed rib that contacts said sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other of said sealing members contacts said sealing parts surface-to-surface,
• the cathode-side sealing member comprises a first cathode-side sealing section that surrounds the oxidant gas flow channel and the pair of cathode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures to form a closed loop,
• the cathode-side sealing member further comprises:
• cathode-side fuel gas manifold aperture sealing parts that surround the cathode-side fuel gas manifold apertures;
• cathode-side cooling water manifold aperture sealing parts that surround a pair of cathode-side cooling water manifold apertures;
• and
• first cathode-side sealing parts located on both sides of each of a plurality of connection grooves of the anode-side separator plate, which connection grooves connect the anode-side fuel gas manifold apertures to the fuel gas flow channel,
• the first cathode-side sealing section comprises:
• a cathode-side electrode sealing part that surrounds the oxidant gas flow channel;
• and
• cathode-side oxidant gas manifold aperture sealing parts surrounding the outer half of the cathode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures,
• the cathode-side sealing parts are located on both sides of each of a plurality of cathode-side connection grooves that connect the cathode-side oxidant gas manifold apertures to the oxidant gas flow channel,
• a second cathode-side sealing section comprises:
• cathode-side manifold aperture sealing parts;
• and
• second cathode-side sealing parts connecting the cathode-side manifold aperture sealing parts,
• the second sealing section forms a closed loop in combination with the cathode-side oxidant gas manifold aperture sealing parts of the first cathode-side sealing section, and
• the cathode-side fuel gas and cooling water apertures are located outside the closed loop.