JP2008153130A - Single cell for fuel cell and fuel cell provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To quickly increase the temperature of a manifold section by relaxing the thermal conductivity in the cell surface direction or using heat generated by cooling water to reduce the temperature difference in the cell surface. A fuel cell unit cell and a fuel cell including the same are provided.
SOLUTION: Frame members 21 and 22 disposed on both sides of an MEA 10 having an anode electrode 14 disposed on one surface of the electrolyte and a cathode electrode 17 disposed on the other surface; And 22 are provided with separators 23 and 24 disposed on the surface opposite to the surface facing the MEA 10, and the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 are formed of a base material portion 101 formed of a base material and a base material. And a high thermal conductivity portion 102 formed of a thermal conductive material having a high thermal conductivity.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in a single cell for a fuel cell and a fuel cell including the same.

  Conventionally, as a general fuel cell, for example, a membrane-electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode disposed on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode disposed on the other surface ( A cell stack comprising a single cell having a structure in which separators are disposed on both sides of an MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly, hereinafter simply referred to as “MEA”) via a frame-shaped member, and the single cells are stacked. A stack is formed by arranging terminals, insulators, pressure plates, end plates and the like at both ends of the single cell in the stacking direction, and the stack is fastened and fixed in the cell stacking direction. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In such a fuel cell, the thermal conductivity in the cell surface direction is poor, for example, when the temperature of the cooling water rises due to rapid warm-up operation from below freezing point, etc., the temperature of the manifold part is difficult to rise. The temperature difference inside increases. For this reason, when ice is formed in the manifold, the ice formed in the manifold is difficult to melt. Here, when the temperature of the stack rises rapidly due to rapid warm-up operation or the like, the region where the separator cooling water flows (region corresponding to the power generation unit of the MEA) may expand due to this heat. When this is formed, this portion is restrained by ice, and expansion of the manifold portion is suppressed. For this reason, the cell is warped or cracks are likely to occur at the interface between the part where ice is formed and the part where ice is not formed, and if there is a crack, gas may leak from here. . This phenomenon is particularly noticeable when a metal separator is used.

  Furthermore, in a separator used in a fuel cell, a gas flow path is usually formed in a region corresponding to the power generation unit of the MEA, and manifold portions are formed on both sides thereof. For this reason, the region corresponding to the power generation unit of the MEA has a higher bending rigidity because the second moment is increased due to the presence of the gas flow path, but the region where the manifold portion is formed is the region where the manifold portion is formed. Compared with the region corresponding to, the unevenness (embossed) shape is less and the manifold is opened, so that the bending rigidity is lowered and the warp is likely to occur.

  In addition, the gasket for sealing between each member of the cell is usually made of a rubber material, and recently, for the purpose of improving acid resistance, for example, fluorine rubber, EPDM, etc. are used. This material has a large stress relaxation below freezing point, and the elasticity is also lowered. Therefore, for example, when the temperature of the stack rapidly rises due to rapid warm-up operation or the like, expansion due to the heat occurs, and the clearance between the members expands, the followability to the change in the clearance is deteriorated, and the sealing performance is deteriorated. There is also a risk of lowering.

  On the other hand, as a separator for a fuel cell capable of improving strength and dimensional stability, a region corresponding to the power generation unit of the MEA is a conductive region, and an insulating resin region is other than the conductive region. Thus, it has been introduced that the in-plane uniformity of the contact point between the separator and the electrode is improved so that a high voltage can be obtained even when output at a high current density. In this fuel cell separator, the strength and dimensional stability of the separator are improved by forming the insulating resin region from a resin composition obtained by adding a filler to an insulating resin. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  In addition, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a separator is formed by a separator substrate in which a flow path and a manifold are formed and two frames is also introduced. In this polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the gas sealability is improved by using a frame having a three-layer structure in which a resin layer is sandwiched between rubber layers. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3).

In addition, a separator having a structure in which a metal plate is coated with a resin, a separator made of a resin containing metal fibers or carbon fibers, and a laminated material in which the metal plate is sandwiched between a resin thin film layer and a graphite material layer. A separator, a separator in which a ring-shaped spacer having rigidity is inserted around the manifold, and a separator in which a rigid material is coated inside the manifold are introduced. (For example, see Patent Documents 4 to 8).
JP 2006-19204 A JP 2002-358882 A JP 2004-165043 A JP 2005-149749 A JP 2006-49878 A JP 2003-217611 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-201353 JP 2005-243324 A

  However, the fuel cell separator described in Patent Document 2 has a region corresponding to the power generation part of the MEA as a conductive region, and other than the conductive region as an insulating resin region, on both sides of the MEA, There is no structure in which a separator is disposed via a frame-shaped member. In addition, to improve the thermal conductivity in the surface direction of the cell, or to use the heat generated by the temperature rise of the cooling water, etc., to quickly increase the temperature of the manifold part, to alleviate the temperature difference in the cell surface Is not mentioned at all, and even its idea is not disclosed.

  Further, the polymer electrolyte fuel cell described in Patent Document 3 uses a frame having a three-layer structure in which a resin layer is sandwiched between rubber layers, and the rubber layer constitutes a gasket, and the cell For example, to improve the thermal conductivity in the surface direction of the liquid or to increase the temperature of the manifold part quickly by using heat generated by increasing the temperature of the cooling water, etc., to alleviate the temperature difference in the cell plane. It is not mentioned and even the idea is not disclosed.

  Furthermore, Patent Documents 4 to 8 similarly increase the temperature of the manifold part quickly by improving the thermal conductivity in the surface direction of the cell or using the heat generated by raising the temperature of the cooling water. There is no mention of mitigating the in-plane temperature difference, and no idea is disclosed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a single cell for a fuel cell capable of quickly increasing the temperature of the manifold portion and alleviating the temperature difference in the cell plane, and a fuel including the same. An object is to provide a battery.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides an electrolyte-electrode assembly in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of an electrolyte and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface, and on both sides of the electrolyte-electrode assembly. A single cell for a fuel cell comprising: a frame member disposed; and a separator disposed on a surface of each frame member opposite to the surface facing the electrolyte-electrode assembly. The frame-shaped member includes a base material portion formed of a base material and a high heat conductive portion formed of a heat conductive material having a higher heat conductivity than the base material. A single cell is provided.

  The fuel cell single cell having this configuration has a high thermal conductivity in which the frame-shaped member is formed of a base material portion formed of a base material and a heat conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material. Therefore, compared with the conventional frame-shaped member formed only with the base material, the thermal conductivity can be improved. Therefore, for example, when the stack temperature suddenly rises due to rapid warm-up operation, etc., the heat generated in the cell power generation section can be efficiently transferred to the low temperature portion of the cell, and the temperature difference in the cell plane can be quickly mitigated. (The temperature difference can be reduced).

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electrolyte-electrode assembly in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of an electrolyte and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface, and the electrolyte-electrode assembly. A fuel cell unit comprising: a frame-shaped member disposed on each side; and a separator disposed on a surface of each frame-shaped member opposite to the surface facing the electrolyte-electrode assembly. The cell-shaped member includes a base material portion formed of a base material and a sealed space defined by the base material portion, and a low-boiling point material is enclosed in the sealed space. A fuel cell unit cell is provided.

  The fuel cell single cell having this configuration has a configuration in which the low-boiling point material is enclosed in a sealed space in which the frame-shaped member is defined by the base material portion formed of the base material. Even if the temperature of the cell is low, the low boiling point material can be vaporized and the temperature of the low temperature portion of the cell can be increased by this latent heat of vaporization, and the temperature difference in the cell plane can be quickly relaxed (temperature (To reduce the difference). That is, for example, when the temperature of the stack rapidly rises due to rapid warm-up operation, the low boiling point material is vaporized by the heat generated in the cell power generation unit, and the temperature of the low temperature part of the cell is efficiently increased by this latent heat of vaporization. Thus, the temperature difference in the cell plane can be quickly alleviated.

  In addition, the single cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention has a structure in which a low-boiling point material is enclosed in a sealed space in which a frame-shaped member is defined by a base material portion formed of a base material. A high heat conduction part formed of a heat conductive material having a heat conductivity higher than that of the base material can be further provided. In the case of this configuration, the high thermal conductivity portion may be disposed in the base material portion or may be disposed in a sealed space. By doing so, it is possible to have both the function of increasing the temperature of the low temperature part of the cell by the latent heat of vaporization and the function of efficiently transferring the heat generated in the cell power generation unit to the low temperature part of the cell. The temperature difference in the cell plane can be alleviated more quickly.

  The high thermal conductivity portion is a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material mainly constituting the frame-shaped member, and if it is formed of a material that does not support the function of the fuel cell. Although the material is not limited, it can be formed from, for example, a material containing carbon particles or carbon particles. Moreover, the said high heat conductive part may be scattered in the said base material part, and may be disperse | distributed in the base material part. And the heat conductive material whose heat conductivity is higher than the said base material can also be selected from the material whose rigidity is higher than the said base material. By doing in this way, in addition to the said advantage, the rigidity of a frame-shaped member can also be improved.

  And when the manifold is formed in the said frame-shaped member, the said high heat conduction part can also be arrange | positioned at the outer peripheral part of the said manifold at least. By doing in this way, in the cell, since the thermal conductivity of the manifold part, which is a particularly low temperature region, can be improved, the temperature difference in the cell plane can be alleviated more quickly and efficiently.

  Moreover, when the manifold is formed in the said frame-shaped member, the said sealed space can also be formed in the outer peripheral part of the said manifold at least. In this way, the temperature of the manifold portion, which is a particularly low temperature region, can be raised by the above-described latent heat of vaporization, so that the temperature difference in the cell plane can be alleviated more quickly and efficiently. .

  Furthermore, the frame-shaped member can further include a high-rigidity portion formed of a material having higher rigidity than the base material. By doing in this way, in addition to the said advantage, the rigidity of a frame-shaped member can be improved. In this configuration, the high-rigidity portion can be formed at least on the outer periphery of the manifold. By doing in this way, the rigidity of the manifold part which is an area | region where bending rigidity is low and is easy to warp among cells can be improved. Moreover, this highly rigid part can also be comprised from the metal plate inserted (insert) inside the frame-shaped member, for example.

  The fuel cell single cell according to the present invention can also enclose a porous member in the sealed space. By doing in this way, the shape of the low boiling point material enclosed in the sealed space can be maintained by the porous member. Further, the latent heat of vaporization can be efficiently dispersed by the porous member, and the temperature difference in the cell plane can be alleviated more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, it is preferable that a plurality of the porous members are enclosed in the sealed space.

  As the low boiling point material, a material capable of generating latent heat of vaporization by heat generated in the cell power generation unit can be used. For example, a material having a boiling point of −20 ° C. or higher and 0 ° C. or lower can be used. . By selecting such a material as the low boiling point material, for example, it is possible to suppress the formation of ice in the manifold, and even if ice is formed, it is more efficient due to the heat generated in the cell power generation unit. By generating latent heat of vaporization, the ice can be removed quickly and efficiently.

  In addition, the porous member can be made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material. By doing in this way, in addition to the said advantage, the thermal conductivity of a frame-shaped member can also be improved and the temperature difference in a cell surface can be relieve | moderated more rapidly. Furthermore, the porous member can be made of a material having higher rigidity than the base material. By comprising in this way, in addition to the said advantage, the rigidity of a frame-shaped member can also be improved.

  The present invention also provides a fuel cell comprising the fuel cell unit cell according to the present invention described above. A fuel cell having this configuration can quickly relieve the temperature difference in the cell plane even when the temperature of the stack suddenly rises due to rapid warm-up operation or the like.

  The single cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention has a frame-shaped member made of a base material portion and a high thermal conductivity portion made of a heat conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material. The thermal conductivity can be improved, for example, the heat generated in the cell power generation unit when the temperature of the stack rises rapidly during rapid warm-up operation, etc. I can tell you well. For this reason, the temperature difference in a cell surface can be relieved rapidly, and it can suppress that a cell warps by the temperature difference in a cell surface. Moreover, the characteristic of the gasket arrange | positioned around the manifold can be improved, and a sealing performance can also be improved. As a result, a single cell for a fuel cell with high performance and high reliability can be provided.

  In addition, the single cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention has a configuration in which a low-boiling point material is enclosed in a sealed space in which a frame-shaped member is defined by a base material portion formed of a base material. Therefore, even if the temperature in the cell is low, the low boiling point material can be vaporized, and the temperature of the low temperature portion of the cell can be increased by this latent heat of vaporization. For this reason, the temperature difference in a cell surface can be relieved rapidly, and it can suppress that a cell warps by the temperature difference in a cell surface. Moreover, the characteristic of the gasket arrange | positioned around the manifold can be improved, and a sealing performance can also be improved. As a result, a single cell for a fuel cell with high performance and high reliability can be provided.

  Moreover, the fuel cell according to the present invention can quickly relieve the temperature difference in the cell plane when the temperature of the stack rapidly rises due to, for example, rapid warm-up operation. As a result, a high-performance and highly reliable fuel cell can be provided.

  Next, a single cell for a fuel cell according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and a fuel cell including the single cell will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment described below is the illustration for demonstrating this invention, and this invention is not limited only to these embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist thereof.

  The fuel cells described in the following first and second embodiments are solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and can be mounted on, for example, a fuel cell vehicle, but may be used other than the vehicle. .

(Embodiment 1)
1 is an exploded perspective view of a unit cell for fuel cell according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a frame-like member that is a component of the unit cell for fuel cell shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a part of the unit cell for fuel cell according to the first embodiment, and FIG. It is the whole schematic figure in the posture which made the cell lamination direction of the fuel cell provided with the single cell for fuel cells the up-and-down direction. In each of the drawings, the thickness, size, enlargement / reduction ratio, etc. of each member are described without being in agreement with actual ones for easy understanding.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the single cell 25 according to the first embodiment includes an MEA (membrane-electrode assembly) 10, a frame-like member 21 disposed on one surface of the MEA 10, and the other of the MEA 10. A frame-shaped member 22 disposed on the surface of the frame-like member, a separator 23 disposed on the surface of the frame-shaped member 21 opposite to the side where the MEA 10 is disposed, and the MEA 10 of the frame-shaped member 22 disposed. And a separator 24 disposed on a surface opposite to the side on which it is formed.

  The MEA 10 is disposed on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 11 made of an ion exchange membrane, the electrolyte membrane 11, an anode electrode (fuel electrode) 14 made up of the catalyst layer 12 and the diffusion layer 13, and the other of the electrolyte membrane 11. The cathode electrode (oxidant electrode) 17 including the catalyst layer 15 and the diffusion layer 16 is provided on the surface.

The frame-shaped member 21 is disposed on the anode electrode 14 side of the MEA 10, and the frame-shaped member 22 is disposed on the cathode electrode 17 side of the MEA 10. The frame-like members 21 and 22 are hollowed out so that the power generation part of the MEA 10 is exposed to the separators 23 and 24, and manifold parts 40A and 40B are formed on both sides thereof. The manifold section 40A is provided with an inlet side cooling water manifold 41 _IN , an outlet side fuel gas manifold 42 _OUT , and an inlet side air manifold 43 _IN . On the other hand, the manifold section 40B is provided with an outlet side cooling water manifold 41 _OUT , an inlet side fuel gas manifold 42 _IN , and an outlet side air manifold 43 _OUT . The frame-shaped members 21 and 22 are formed with gas flow passage communication portions 47 that communicate the manifold portions 40A and 40B with the gas flow passage portions 53 and 54 formed in the separators 23 and 24, respectively.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 include manifold parts 40A and 40B in which a base part 101 formed of resin as a base material and a base material part. It is formed from the high thermal conductivity portions 102 made of a material that is scattered and has a higher thermal conductivity than the base material.

  In the first embodiment, resin is used as a base material, and carbon particles are used as a material having higher thermal conductivity than the base material. The frame-shaped members 21 and 22 can be obtained, for example, by a method such as molding by mixing carbon particles into a resin (base material). As described above, the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 configured to include the base material portion 101 and the high thermal conductivity portion 102 have improved thermal conductivity compared to the conventional frame-shaped members formed of only the base material. Can be made.

  Here, in the fuel cell 1, for example, the temperature of the cell power generation unit rapidly rises due to rapid warm-up operation or the like, but on the other hand, the manifold units 40 </ b> A and 40 </ b> B are low temperature, and water droplets and the like are frozen in the manifold. Are often formed, and the temperature is difficult to rise. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the heat generated in the cell power generation unit is efficiently transmitted to the manifold units 40A and 40B by disposing the high heat conduction unit 102 in the manifold units 40A and 40B, which are low temperature regions, and the manifold unit 40A. And the temperature of 40B is raised rapidly and the temperature difference in a cell surface is eased efficiently and quickly (a temperature difference is reduced).

The separators 23 and 24 are impermeable, and can be composed of, for example, a stainless plate plated with a conductive metal (for example, nickel plating). These separators 23 and 24 constitute a conductive path between adjacent cells. A gas flow channel portion 53 in which a fuel gas flow channel 53A is formed is formed on the surface of the separator 23 facing the MEA 10 (the surface facing the MEA 10 side). A cooling water passage 55 is formed on the surface of the separator 23 opposite to the surface on which the gas passage portion 53 is formed. Further, a gas flow channel portion 54 in which an oxidizing gas flow channel 54A is formed is formed on the surface of the separator 24 that faces the MEA 10, and is opposite to the surface on which the gas flow channel portion 54 of the separator 24 is formed. A cooling water channel 56 is formed on the surface. The separators 23 and 24 also have the aforementioned inlet-side cooling water manifold 41 _IN , outlet-side fuel gas manifold 42 _OUT , inlet-side air manifold 43 _IN , outlet-side cooling water manifold 41 _OUT , and inlet-side fuel gas. A manifold 42 _IN and an outlet air manifold 43 _OUT are formed.

  The fuel gas channel 53A and the oxidizing gas channel 54A correspond to each other with the MEA 10 interposed therebetween. Further, the cooling water channel 55 formed in the separator 23 and the cooling water channel 56 formed in the separator 24 communicate with each other without being separated in the cell stacking direction.

  The frame-shaped member 21 and the separator 23, and the frame-shaped member 22 and the separator 24 may be bonded and fixed with a sealing adhesive, and the frame-shaped member 21 (22) and the separator 23 (24) are injection-molded. For example, fixing (welding) may be performed without providing a separate adhesive. Further, the frame-shaped member 21 and the frame-shaped member 22 arranged with the MEA 10 interposed therebetween are sealed and fixed by an adhesive 110.

  In the fuel cell 1 having a plurality of single cell 25 structures, frame-like members 21 and 22 are arranged on both sides of the MEA 10, and opposite to the surface of the frame-like members 21 and 22 on which the MEA 10 is arranged. A plurality of structures each having separators 23 and 24 disposed on the side surface are provided, and a terminal 33, an insulator 31, and an end plate 32 are disposed at both ends of the cell stacking direction to form a stack 33. A fastening member 34 (for example, a tension plate, a through bolt, etc.) that extends in the cell stacking direction outside the stack 33 and is fixed with a bolt 35 or a nut.

  In the fuel cell 1 having this configuration, when the temperature of the cell power generation unit suddenly rises due to rapid warm-up operation or the like, the heat generated in the cell power generation unit is distributed to the manifold units 40A and 40B of the frame-shaped members 21 and 22. The high heat conduction portion 102 provided is efficiently transmitted to the manifold portions 40A and 40B. Therefore, the temperature of the manifold portions 40A and 40B rises quickly, the temperature difference in the cell surface is reduced quickly and efficiently, and when ice is formed in the manifold, the ice is also efficiently melted. be able to. For this reason, it can suppress that the curvature of a cell, the crack, etc. which were conventionally produced by the temperature difference in a cell surface arise. Therefore, the fuel cell 1 with high performance and high reliability is obtained.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration of the manifold portions 40A and 40B of the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 has been described as a configuration in which the high heat conduction portions 102 are interspersed in the base material portion 101. Not limited to this, the entire frame-shaped members 21 and 22 may have a configuration in which the high thermal conductivity portions 102 are scattered in the base material portion 101.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 further insert (insert) a high-rigidity member 105 made of a material having higher rigidity than the base material constituting the base material portion 101. It is good also as a structure. By disposing the high-rigidity member 105 in this way, the rigidity of the frame-shaped members 21 and 22 can be improved. The high-rigidity member 105 may be disposed on the manifold portions 40A and 40B of the frame-shaped members 21 and 22, or may be disposed on the entire frame-shaped members 21 and 22, but within the cell plane. By disposing in the manifold portions 40A and 40B having low rigidity, the rigidity in the cell plane can be made uniform, which is more preferable. High rigidity member 105 In this case, examples of the high rigidity member 105 include a metal plate. Further, the high-rigidity member 105 is not limited to a plate shape as shown in FIG. 6, and the shape thereof, for example, a honeycomb shape may be arbitrarily selected as desired as long as it does not adversely affect the power generation of the fuel cell 1. A plurality of metal pieces or the like may be scattered. Further, for example, fillers or the like may be dispersed or interspersed. Furthermore, instead of disposing the high-rigidity member 105, the high thermal conductivity portion 102 may be formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity and higher rigidity than the base material.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a single cell for a fuel cell according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the unit cell for fuel cell according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a frame member that is a component of the unit cell for fuel cell shown in FIG. . In the second embodiment, members similar to those of the single cell for fuel cell described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the main points of the single cell 125 according to the second embodiment differing from the single cell 25 according to the first embodiment are the manifold portions 140A and 140B of the frame-shaped members 121 and 122. Is an outer frame 111 formed of resin as a base material, a plurality of porous members 112 accommodated in a sealed space (inner space) defined by the outer frame 111, and a sealed space defined by the outer frame 111 And the refrigerant 113 accommodated therein.

  The porous member 112 can be made of various materials as desired, such as ceramics and metal. The porous member 112 can maintain the shape of the refrigerant 113, which will be described in detail later, and can efficiently disperse the latent heat of vaporization released from the refrigerant 113 as shown by the arrows in FIG. . Therefore, the temperature of the manifold portions 140A and 140B, which is a particularly low temperature region, can be raised, and the temperature difference in the cell plane can be quickly and efficiently reduced. Further, if the porous member 112 is made of a material having a particularly high thermal conductivity, heat transfer can be performed more efficiently, and the temperature difference in the cell plane can be alleviated more quickly. Furthermore, the rigidity of the frame-shaped members 121 and 122 can be improved by forming the porous member 112 from a material having higher rigidity than the base material.

  As the refrigerant 113, for example, it is desirable to use a material composed of a low boiling point material having a boiling point of about −20 ° C. to 0 ° C. By accommodating the refrigerant 113 in the sealed space defined by the outer frame 111, for example, when the fuel cell 1 is started under a condition below freezing point, the manifold portion 140A and the manifold section 140A The temperature of 140B can be raised.

  Here, as described above, since the manifold portions 140A and 140B are regions where the temperature is particularly low, the gasket 120 disposed in the manifold portions 140A and 140B tends to have a low elastic restoring force, for example. In the single cell 125 according to the second embodiment, the temperatures of the manifold portions 140A and 140B can be quickly increased by the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant 113, and therefore, the elastic restoring force of the gasket 120 can be prevented from decreasing. it can. Therefore, for example, even if the gasket 120 is made of fluorine rubber or EPDM, which has excellent acid resistance, but whose elastic restoring force below freezing point is relatively low, stacking of the stack at the start of the fuel cell 1 The expansion in the direction can be sufficiently followed. For this reason, the characteristic of the gasket 120 provided in the manifold portions 140A and 140B can be improved, and the sealing performance can be improved.

  In addition, in order to ensure the insulation of the manifold portions 140A and 140B, the frame members 121 and 122 may be coated on the surface with a resin such as polyimide or polyamideimide, for example.

  In the second embodiment, the case where the refrigerant 113 is housed in two spaces apart from each other in the sealed space defined by the outer frame 111 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the refrigerant 113 is contained in the sealed space. It is sufficient that at least one place is accommodated. Further, the amount of refrigerant 113 can be determined as desired.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the single cell for fuel cells concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a top view of the frame-shaped member which is a component of the single cell for fuel cells shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view along the III-III line shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of unit cell for fuel cells concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of a fuel cell including a single cell for a fuel cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a posture in which a cell stacking direction is a vertical direction. It is a figure corresponding to the cross section along the III-III line | wire shown in FIG. 2 concerning other embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of single cell for fuel cells concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the frame-shaped member which is a component of the single cell for fuel cells shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fuel cell, 10 ... MEA, 11 ... Electrolyte membrane, 14 ... Anode electrode, 17 ... Cathode electrode, 21, 22, 121, 122 ... Frame-shaped member, 23, 24 ... Separator, 25, 125 ... Single cell, 40A 40B, 140A, 140B ... Manifold part, 101 ... Base material part, 102 ... High heat conduction part, 105 ... High rigidity member, 111 ... Outer frame, 112 ... Porous member, 113 ... Refrigerant, 120 ... Gasket

Claims (16)

An electrolyte-electrode assembly in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of the electrolyte and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface; a frame-like member disposed on both sides of the electrolyte-electrode assembly; A single cell for a fuel cell comprising: a separator disposed on a surface opposite to a surface facing each electrolyte-electrode assembly of each frame-shaped member,
The frame-shaped member includes a base part formed of a base material and a high heat conductive part formed of a heat conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material. . An electrolyte-electrode assembly in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of the electrolyte and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface; a frame-like member disposed on both sides of the electrolyte-electrode assembly; A single cell for a fuel cell comprising: a separator disposed on a surface opposite to a surface facing each electrolyte-electrode assembly of each frame-shaped member,
The frame-shaped member includes a base material portion formed of a base material and a sealed space defined by the base material portion, and a fuel cell in which a low-boiling point material is sealed in the sealed space. Single cell for use.   The single unit cell for a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the frame-like member further includes a high heat conductive portion formed of a heat conductive material having a higher heat conductivity than the base material.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the heat conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material is a material having a higher rigidity than the base material.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to any one of Claims 1, 3, and 4, wherein the high thermal conductivity portion includes carbon particles.   6. The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the high thermal conductivity portions are scattered in the base material portion. 7.   7. The fuel according to claim 1, wherein the frame-shaped member is formed with a manifold, and the high thermal conductivity portion is formed at least on an outer peripheral portion of the manifold. Single cell for batteries.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the frame member is formed with a manifold, and the sealed space is formed at least on an outer peripheral portion of the manifold.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the frame-shaped member further includes a high-rigidity portion formed of a material having higher rigidity than the base material.   The fuel cell single cell according to claim 9, wherein the frame-shaped member is formed with a manifold, and the high-rigidity portion is formed at least on an outer peripheral portion of the manifold.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the high-rigidity portion is made of a metal plate, and the metal plate is inserted inside the frame-shaped member.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a porous member is sealed in the sealed space.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the low boiling point material has a boiling point of -20 ° C or higher and 0 ° C or lower.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the porous member is made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the base material.   The single cell for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the porous member is made of a material having higher rigidity than the base material.   A fuel cell comprising the single cell for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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