# US 8,785,075 B2 · Fuel cell having a stacked electrolyte electrode assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,785,075 B2 - Document ID: US8785075B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/377,242 - Filed: 2007-07-18 - Published: 2010-07-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2006-08-15 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Yukihiko Kiyohiro - Inventors: Yukihiko Kiyohiro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785075B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0247: characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) - H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant - H01M 8/0271: Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes - H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants - H01M 8/04201: {Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes} - H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes - H01M 8/2432: Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration - H01M 8/2457: with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised - H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds - H01M 8/249: comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies - H01M 8/021: Alloys based on iron - H01M 8/0213: Gas-impermeable carbon-containing materials - H01M 2250/10: Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant - H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A separator of a fuel cell includes sandwiching sections for sandwiching electrolyte electrode assemblies, first bridges each having a fuel gas supply channel, and a fuel gas supply unit. A fuel gas supply passage extends through the fuel gas supply unit in a stacking direction. Each of the sandwiching sections has a fuel gas inlet for supplying a fuel gas to a fuel gas channel, a fuel gas discharge channel for discharging the fuel gas consumed in the fuel gas channel, and a circular arc wall contacting an anode, and prevents the fuel gas from flowing straight from the fuel gas inlet to the fuel gas discharge channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell formed by stacking an electrolyte electrode assembly and separators, said electrolyte electrode assembly comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed between said anode and said cathode, said electrolyte electrode assembly being sandwiched between said separators, said separators each comprising: a sandwiching section having a fuel gas channel for supplying a fuel gas along an electrode surface of said anode and an oxygen-containing gas channel for supplying an oxygen-containing gas along an electrode surface of said cathode, separately; a bridge connected to said sandwiching section, and having a fuel gas supply channel for supplying the fuel gas to said fuel gas channel; a fuel gas supply unit connected to said bridge, a fuel gas supply passage for supplying the fuel gas to said fuel gas supply channel extending through said fuel gas supply unit in a stacking direction; and an insulating seal formed around the fuel gas supply passage to seal the fuel gas supply passage from the electrolyte electrode assembly, wherein a fuel gas inlet for supplying the fuel gas to said fuel gas channel, an annular protrusion extending along the side of said fuel gas channel and contacting an outer circumferential region of said anode, a fuel gas discharge channel for discharging the fuel gas after consumption in said fuel gas channel, and a detour path forming wall which contacts said anode, for preventing the fuel gas from flowing straight from said fuel gas inlet to said fuel gas discharge channel are provided in said sandwiching section, and wherein the annular protrusion has a ring shape with a partial cutaway to form the fuel gas discharge channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said sandwiching section includes a plurality of projections protruding on the side of said fuel gas channel to contact said anode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein said fuel gas supply unit has a fuel gas orifice for reducing the flow rate of the fuel gas supplied from a fuel gas supply passage to said fuel gas supply channel, and a diameter of said fuel gas orifice is smaller than a diameter of said fuel gas inlet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the heights of said detour path forming wall, said projections, and said outer annular protrusion are determined such that the pressure loss of the fuel gas in said fuel gas channel becomes smaller than the pressure loss of the fuel gas in said fuel gas supply unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A fuel cell according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust gas channel for discharging the reactant gas supplied to said electrolyte electrode assembly and consumed in reaction as an exhaust gas in the stacking direction of said electrolyte electrode assembly and said separators; and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage for allowing the oxygen-containing gas before consumption to flow in the stacking direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein a fuel gas supply unit is provided hermetically inside said oxygen-containing gas supply passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the fuel gas after consumption is discharged through said fuel gas discharge channel to said oxygen-containing gas supply passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the fuel gas after consumption is discharged through said fuel gas discharge channel to said exhaust gas channel outside said electrolyte electrode assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) A fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein a fuel gas supply unit is provided hermetically inside said exhaust gas channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A fuel cell according to claim 9, wherein the fuel gas after consumption is discharged through said fuel gas discharge channel to said exhaust gas channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A fuel cell according to claim 9, wherein the fuel gas after consumption is discharged through said fuel gas discharge channel to said oxygen-containing gas supply passage outside said electrolyte electrode assembly.