GAS PASSAGE FORMATION PLATE FOR FUEL BATTERY AND FUEL BATTERY STACK

• Main Authors: FUTAMI SATOSHI, SUGINO YUKI, KANIE YOSHIMASA, KAWAJIRI KOSUKE, OKABE HIROKI, SHIBATA KAZUNORI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 23.02.2017
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress degradation of power generation performance caused by drying of a membrane electrode assembly, while suppressing stay of water in a gas passage.SOLUTION: A gas passage formation plate 22 comprises: a plurality of gas passages 25 each having a recessed groove shape, which are formed on a surface opposite to the membrane electrode assembly 13 and extend in parallel with each other; and a plurality of water passages 26 each having a recessed groove shape, which are formed on the rear faces of inside projections 23 located between two gas passages 25 adjacent to each other, respectively. In each inside projection 23, a plurality of communication parts 27, 28 making the gas passages 25 communicate with the water passages 26 and introducing water in the gas passages 25 into the water passages 26 by using a capillary action, are formed in the extending direction L of the inside projection 23. On the upstream side in a gas flow direction, an enlarged region which opens on a surface opposite to the membrane electrode assembly 13 in the communication part 28 and the opening area of which is made larger than that in the downstream-side communication part 27 is formed so that introduction of water into the water passages 26 using the capillary action by the upstream-side communication part 28 is suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】ガス流路内に水が滞留することを抑制しつつ、膜電極接合体の乾燥に起因した発電性能の低下を抑制することができる。【解決手段】ガス流路形成板２２は、膜電極接合体１３に対向する面に形成され、互いに平行に延びる凹溝状の複数のガス流路２５と、隣り合う２つのガス流路２５の間にそれぞれ位置する内側突条２３の裏面に形成された複数の凹溝状の水流路２６と、を備えている。内側突条２３には、ガス流路２５と水流路２６とを連通するとともに毛管作用を利用してガス流路２５内の水を水流路２６に導入する連通部２７，２８が内側突条２３の延伸方向Ｌにおいて複数形成されている。ガスの流れ方向の上流側には、上流側連通部２８による毛管作用を利用した水流路２６への水の導入が抑制されるように、同連通部２８における膜電極接合体１３に対向する面に開口する開口面積が下流側連通部２７の開口面積よりも拡大された拡大領域が形成されている。【選択図】図１