GAS CHANNEL FORMING MEMBER FOR FUEL CELL, AND FUEL CELL

• Main Authors: FUTAMI SATOSHI, HASHIMOTO KEIJI, KAWAJIRI KOSUKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 22.01.2015
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas channel forming member for a fuel cell, capable of increasing the discharge performance of generated water and also capable of suppressing an increase in pressure loss of gas in a gas channel.SOLUTION: A gas channel forming member 31 is interposed between a separator 23 and a membrane electrode assembly 15 comprising a solid polymer electrolyte membrane held by a pair of electrode catalyst layers. The gas channel forming member 31 includes: a plurality of gas channels 32 which are arranged in rows on a surface facing the membrane electrode assembly 15 and through which oxidant gas circulates; a water channel 33 formed between the gas channels 32 adjacent to each other on a surface facing the separator 23 to discharge generated water; and an internal communication path 36 for communicating the gas channels 32 and the water channel 33. The channel cross-sectional area S2 in an exit part 34 including an exit opening 33a of the water channel 33 is formed to be larger than the channel cross-sectional area S1 at an upstream part 35 which is adjacent to the upstream side at the exit part 34 of the water channel 33 in the flow direction of the oxidant gas. 【課題】生成水の排出性能を高めることができるとともに、ガス流路におけるガスの圧力損失の増大を抑制することができる。【解決手段】ガス流路形成部材３１は固体高分子電解質膜が一対の電極触媒層によって挟持されてなる膜電極接合体１５とセパレータ２３との間に介設されている。ガス流路形成部材３１は、膜電極接合体１５に対向する面に列設されて酸化剤ガスが流通する複数のガス流路３２と、セパレータ２３に対向する面において互いに隣接するガス流路３２の間に形成されて生成水を排出する水流路３３と、ガス流路３２と水流路３３とを連通する内側連通路３６と、を備えている。水流路３３の出口開口３３ａを含む出口部３４の流路断面積Ｓ２は、水流路３３の出口部３４における酸化剤ガスの流れ方向の上流側に隣接する上流部３５の流路断面積Ｓ１に比べて大きくされている。【選択図】図２