Fuel cell and method of assembling the same
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShiro Akiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure loss in an oxidative gas passage of each of single cells is obtained This pressure loss is compared with predetermined ranks so as to carry out classification according to the ranks. The pressure loss in the oxidative gas passage has a predetermined permissible range comprising a first rank, a second rank , . . . , and an n-th rank respectively. The single cell that is to be measured at the moment is classified into a certain one of the ranks depending on which one of the first to n-th ranks corresponds to the pressure loss in the oxidative gas passage. Classification is similarly carried out as to a pressure loss in a fuel gas passage as well. Those of the single cells which are equivalent in rank are gathered up and combined to fabricate a fuel cell.
Claims19
A method of assembling a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- classifying single cells, which are multiple single cells, in one of a first rank of first single cells and a second rank of second single cells;
- measuring a pressure loss in gas passages of each of the first and second single cells, wherein the pressure losses in the gas passages of the first single cells classified into the first rank are lower than the pressure losses in the gas passages of the second single cells classified into the second rank;
- subdividing the single cells of the first and second ranks to fall within a predetermined allowable tolerance/permissible range;
- the pressure losses in the gas passages of each first single cell in the first rank are substantially equal;
- the pressure losses in the gas passages of each second single cell in the second rank are substantially equal;
- selecting only the first single cells or the second single cells;
- and
- assembling the fuel cell stack with only the first single cells or the second single cells.
A method of assembling a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- classifying single components into one of a first rank and a second rank, wherein multiple single components of one of said first and second ranks are substantially uniform in precision or property that affect fuel stack performance;
- the precision or property of the single components classified into the first rank is different from the precision or property of the single components classified into the second rank;
- the precision or property of the single components in the first rank are substantially equal;
- the precision or property of the single components in the second rank are substantially equal;
- subdividing the first and second ranks to fall within a predetermined allowable tolerance/permissible range;
- and
- selecting only the first single components or the second single components;
- and
- assembling the fuel cell stack with only the first single components or the second single components.
A method of assembling a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- measuring a pressure loss in gas passages of single cells which are multiple single cells;
- and
- classifying the single cells in one of a first position and a second position within a matrix of ranking with respect to the measured pressure loss in the gas passage of each fuel cell, wherein
- pressure losses in the gas passages of each first single cell classified into the first position is lower than the pressure losses in the gas passages of each second single cell classified into the second position;
- the pressure losses in the gas passages of each first single cell in the first position are substantially equal;
- the pressure losses in the gas passages of each second single cell in the second position are substantially equal;
- subdividing the first and second positions to fall within a predetermined allowable tolerance/permissible range;
- and
- selecting only the first single cells or the second single cells;
- and
- assembling the fuel cell stack with only the first single cells or the second single cells.
A method of assembling a fuel cell, comprising:
- measuring deviation in a precision or property that affects fuel cell performance of components included in single cells which are employed in the fuel cell, which are electrically connected to each other in series, the measuring including
- for each of a plurality of single cells before assembly into a fuel cell,
- sealing the single cell in an airtight manner;
- supplying a gas to the single cell by way of an introduction hole;
- determining a pressure loss in the single cell;
- forming a matrix of rankings with respect to pressure loss for the plurality of single cells, a position within the matrix describing pressure loss respectively, for a fuel gas passage versus an oxidative gas passage of each single cell;
- and
- assembling a fuel cell using single fuel cells assigned a same position within the matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.