초록 ▼

To provide a fuel cell and an oxidant distributing plate for the fuel cell. A water created in the fuel cell is used to humidify an oxidant gas and/or a fuel flowing in an opposite passage opposite to a MEA. The fuel cell includes a MEA 1, an oxidant distributing plate 3 disposed facing to an oxidan

To provide a fuel cell and an oxidant distributing plate for the fuel cell. A water created in the fuel cell is used to humidify an oxidant gas and/or a fuel flowing in an opposite passage opposite to a MEA. The fuel cell includes a MEA 1, an oxidant distributing plate 3 disposed facing to an oxidant pole for supplying an oxidant gas thereto, and a fuel distributing plate 4 disposed facing to an fuel pole for supplying the fuel thereto. At least one of the oxidant distributing plate 3 and the fuel distributing plate 4 is provided with an opposite passage 31, 41 formed on an opposite surface opposite to the MEA, and a reaction passage 32, 42 formed on a facing surface facing to the MEA, and communicated with the opposite passage 31, 41.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A fuel cell, comprising: a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane having an ion-conducting property, an oxidant pole disposed at one side of the electrolyte membrane in a thickness direction thereof, and a fuel pole disposed at other side of the e

The invention claimed is: 1. A fuel cell, comprising: a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane having an ion-conducting property, an oxidant pole disposed at one side of the electrolyte membrane in a thickness direction thereof, and a fuel pole disposed at other side of the electrolyte membrane in the thickness direction thereof; an oxidant distributing plate disposed facing the oxidant pole that supplies an oxidant gas to the oxidant pole; and a fuel distributing plate disposed facing the fuel pole that supplies a fuel to the fuel pole, wherein at least one of the oxidant distributing plate and the fuel distributing plate is provided with (a) an opposite passage formed on an opposite surface which is opposite to the membrane-electrode assembly, and (b) a reaction passage on a facing surface which faces the membrane-electrode assembly, which is communicated with the opposite passage, and which allows the oxidant gas or the fuel having flowed in the opposite passage to flow in the reaction passage, and wherein a pore rate of the oxidant distributing plate is larger at a downstream area than at an upstream area of the reaction passage. 2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein for at least one of the oxidant distributing plate and the fuel distributing plate, a humidifying element that humidifies the oxidant gas or the fuel flowing in the opposite passage in the fuel cell is provided. 3. The fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the humidifying element includes a part of the fuel distributing plate that is porous and has a transmitting property in a thickness direction thereof. 4. The fuel cell according to claim 1, further including a refrigerant distributing plate disposed at opposite side which is opposite to the membrane-electrode assembly with respect to the oxidant distributing plate and/or the fuel distributing plate for allowing a refrigerant to flow, wherein a humidifying element is formed by making the refrigerant distributing plate porous to have a transmitting property in a thickness direction thereof, so that the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant distributing plate is supplied to the opposite passage of the oxidant distributing plate and/or the fuel distributing plate. 5. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a downstream area of the opposite passage and an upstream area of the reaction passage of the oxidant distributing plate, are formed on the oxidant distributing plate by a front-rear relation. 6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the oxidant distributing plate and/or the fuel distributing plate have/has a hydrophilic property. 7. A fuel cell, comprising: a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane having an ion-conducting property, an oxidant pole disposed at one side of the electrolyte membrane in a thickness direction thereof, and a fuel pole disposed at other side of the electrolyte membrane in the thickness direction thereof; an oxidant distributing plate disposed facing the oxidant pole that supplies an oxidant gas to the oxidant pole; and a fuel distributing plate disposed facing the fuel pole that supplies a fuel to the fuel pole, wherein at least one of the oxidant distributing plate and the fuel distributing plate is provided with (a) an opposite passage formed on an opposite surface which is opposite to the membrane-electrode assembly, (b) a reaction passage which is formed on a facing surface which faces the membrane-electrode assembly, which is communicated with the opposite passage, and which allows the oxidant gas or the fuel having flowed in the opposite passage to flow in the reaction passage, and (c) a porous portion that communicates at least a part of the opposite passage with at least a part of the reaction passage, wherein an active material contained in the oxidant gas or an active material contained in the fuel flowing in the opposite passage is supplied to the reaction passage via pores of the porous portion, and wherein a pore rate of the at least one of the oxidant distributing plate and fuel distributing plate is larger at a downstream area than at an upstream area, of the reaction passage. 8. The fuel cell according to claim 7, wherein the part of the oxidant distributing plate and/or the part of the fuel distributing plate are/is a downstream area of the reaction passage. 9. An oxidant distributing plate for a fuel cell to be disposed facing to an oxidant pole of a membrane-electrode assembly of the fuel cell for supplying an oxidant gas to the oxidant pole, wherein an opposite passage which is formed on an opposite surface opposite to the membrane-electrode assembly and in which the oxidant gas flows; and a reaction passage which is formed on a facing surface which faces to the membrane-electrode assembly, which is communicated with the opposite passage, and which allows the oxidant gas having flowed in the opposite passage to flow in the reaction passage, wherein at least a downstream area of the reaction passage of the oxidant distributing plate is porous, and wherein a pore rate of the oxidant distributing plate is relatively larger at a downstream area than at an upstream area of the reaction passage. 10. The oxidant distributing plate for a fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein the oxidant distributing plate has a hydrophilic property.