Holding apparatus for fuel cell electrolyte membrane
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsKei Ono, Norifumi Horibe, Masaya Yamamoto, Kenichi Toyoshima, Takayuki Terasaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A holding apparatus for a fuel cell electrolyte membrane includes a support having a flat surface part which supports an electrolyte membrane on which catalyst layers are disposed, and which constitutes a membrane electrode assembly. The flat surface part has a frame-shaped recess positioned outside an outer circumference of the catalyst layers, and the recess is connected to an air-sucking section, and attracts the electrolyte membrane by sucking air in the recess.
Claims11
A holding apparatus for fuel cell electrolyte membrane comprising:
- a rectangular support having a flat surface configured to support an electrolyte membrane on which a catalyst layer is disposed, and which constitutes a membrane electrode assembly;
- one continuous recess formed in the flat surface, spaced from a periphery of the flat surface and formed along an entire periphery of the flat surface, the recess circumscribing a flat continuous central portion of the flat surface and located and configured such that an entire surface of the catalyst layer of the electrolyte membrane contacts the flat continuous central portion circumscribed by the recess during use but will not be exposed to the recess;
- and
- an air-sucking section positioned on the rectangular support on a side opposite the flat surface having the recess, the air-sucking section in communication with the recess through an opening between the recess and the air-sucking section, the recess configured to attract the electrolyte membrane surrounding the catalyst layer when the air-sucking section sucks air through the recess.
A holding apparatus for fuel cell electrolyte membrane comprising:
- a rectangular support having a flat surface configured to support an electrolyte membrane on which a catalyst layer is disposed, and which constitutes a membrane electrode assembly;
- one continuous recess formed in the flat surface, spaced from a periphery of the flat surface and formed along the flat surface, the recess located and configured such that an entire surface of the catalyst layer of the electrolyte membrane contacts a flat continuous central portion circumscribed by the recess during use but will not be exposed to the recess;
- an air-sucking section positioned on a surface of the rectangular support opposite the flat surface having the recess, the air-sucking section in communication with the recess through an opening between the recess and the air-sucking section, the recess configured to attract the electrolyte membrane surrounding the catalyst layer when the air-sucking section sucks air through the recess;
- and
- a detecting device which detects clogging of the recess by detecting a pressure differential when air is sucked by the air-sucking section, the detecting device detecting a differential pressure between the air-sucking section and an elbow of the recess that is diagonally opposite from the opening for the air-sucking section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.