Gas separator for fuel cells and fuel cell equipped with gas separator
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/04
H01M-008/02
출원번호
US-0990019
(2006-10-06)
등록번호
US-8518601
(2013-08-27)
우선권정보
JP-2005-296330 (2005-10-11)
국제출원번호
PCT/JP2006/320431
(2006-10-06)
§371/§102 date
20080205
(20080205)
국제공개번호
WO2007/043636
(2007-04-19)
발명자
/ 주소
Ose, Norihiro
Sato, Katsumi
출원인 / 주소
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
대리인 / 주소
Oliff & Berridge, PLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
A gas separator for a fuel cell has a first plate that forms one face; a second plate that forms the other face of the gas separator; and a third plate located between the first plate and the second plate. The third plate has a cooling medium flow path forming hole defining a cooling medium flow pat
A gas separator for a fuel cell has a first plate that forms one face; a second plate that forms the other face of the gas separator; and a third plate located between the first plate and the second plate. The third plate has a cooling medium flow path forming hole defining a cooling medium flow path between the first plate and the second plate and is provided in at least part of an area overlapping an electrolyte layer and electrode layers in lamination. A flow rate regulator is provided in the cooling medium flow path and regulates a flow rate to have a higher flow rate during power generation of the fuel cell. A temperature distribution is determined according to an operating condition of the fuel cell or an environment surrounding the fuel cell.
대표청구항▼
1. A gas separator for a fuel cell, which is assembled by lamination of the gas separator, an electrolyte layer, and electrode layers arranged across the electrolyte layer, the gas separator comprising: a first plate that forms one face of the gas separator;a second plate that forms the other face o
1. A gas separator for a fuel cell, which is assembled by lamination of the gas separator, an electrolyte layer, and electrode layers arranged across the electrolyte layer, the gas separator comprising: a first plate that forms one face of the gas separator;a second plate that forms the other face of the gas separator;a third plate that is located between the first plate and the second plate and has a cooling medium flow path forming hole, which is pierced in a thickness direction of the third plate to define a cooling medium flow path for flow of a cooling medium between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the cooling medium flow path-forming hole overlaps a part of the electrolyte layer and the electrode layers in lamination; anda flow rate regulator that is provided in the cooling medium flow path defined by the cooling medium flow path-forming hole, the flow rate regulator regulates a flow rate of the cooling medium flowing in the cooling medium flow path to have a higher flow rate of the cooling medium in a higher temperature area in a temperature distribution in a plane of the gas separator during power generation of the fuel cell, wherein the temperature distribution is determined according to at least either of an operating condition of the fuel cell and an environment surrounding the fuel cell, wherein:the flow rate regulator has multiple protrusions, which are formed on at least one of the first plate and the second plate to be protruded into the cooling medium flow path and to be arranged and distributed in a two-dimensional manner in the entire cooling medium flow path, the multiple protrusions being provided to be away from one another such that the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution has a higher formation density, andthe flow rate regulator is configured to decrease a substantial sectional flow area of the cooling medium flow path in the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution. 2. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first plate and the second plate are metal thin plates, and the multiple protrusions are formed on at least one of the first plate and the second plate by press working. 3. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, wherein respective apexes of the multiple protrusions are in contact with the first plate or the second plate as an opposed surface. 4. A fuel cell, comprising: an electrolyte layer;electrode layers that are arranged across the electrolyte layer;a gas flow path forming member that is arranged outside each of the electrode layers and forms a gas flow path for supply and discharge of a gas into and from the electrode layer; andthe gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, which is arranged further outside the gas flow path forming member. 5. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 4, wherein the temperature distribution determined according to the operating condition of the fuel cell is based on an uneven distribution of a heating value, which depends upon flow directions of a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas on the plane of the gas separator, and a flow direction of the cooling medium on the plane of the gas separator. 6. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 4, wherein the gas flow path forming member is an electrically conductive porous plate and is arranged to be in contact with either the one face or the other face of the gas separator. 7. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 6, wherein the gas separator for the fuel cell further has: a first through hole that is pierced in a thickness direction of the gas separator and forms a gas supply manifold for flow of a gas supplied to the electrode layer;a second through hole that is pierced in the thickness direction of the gas separator and forms a gas exhaust manifold for flow of the gas discharged from the electrode layer;a gas supply conduit that introduces the gas from the gas supply manifold via inside of the gas separator to a surface of the gas separator facing the gas flow path forming member; anda gas discharge conduit that introduces the gas from the surface of the gas separator facing the gas flow path forming member via the inside of the gas separator to the gas exhaust manifold. 8. A gas separator for a fuel cell, which is assembled by lamination of the gas separator, an electrolyte layer, and electrode layers arranged across the electrolyte layer, the gas separator comprising: a first plate that forms one face of the gas separator;a second plate that forms the other face of the gas separator;a third plate that is located between the first plate and the second plate and has a cooling medium flow path-forming hole, which is pierced in a thickness direction of the third plate to define a cooling medium flow path for flow of a cooling medium between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the cooling medium flow path-forming hole overlaps a part of the electrolyte layer and the electrode layers in lamination; anda flow rate regulator that is provided in the cooling medium flow path defined by the cooling medium flow path-forming hole, the flow rate regulator regulates a flow rate of the cooling medium flowing in the cooling medium flow path to have a higher flow rate of the cooling medium in a higher temperature area in a temperature distribution in a plane of the gas separator during power generation of the fuel cell, wherein the temperature distribution is determined according to at least either of an operating condition of the fuel cell and an environment surrounding the fuel cell, wherein:the flow rate regulator is provided separately from the third plate and includes a base plate that is arranged practically in parallel with the third plate and multiple protrusions that are protruded from at least one face of the base plate to have a higher formation density in the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution, the multiple protrusions being provided to be arranged and distributed in a two-dimensional manner in the entire cooling medium flow path and to be away from one another such that the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution has a higher formation density, andthe flow rate regulator is configured to decrease a substantial sectional flow area of the cooling medium flow path in the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution. 9. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 8, wherein the one face and the other face of the gas separator formed by the first plate and the second plate are flat surfaces. 10. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 8, wherein respective apexes of the multiple protrusions are in contact with the first plate or the second plate as an opposed surface. 11. A fuel cell, comprising: an electrolyte layer;electrode layers that are arranged across the electrolyte layer;a gas flow path forming member that is arranged outside each of the electrode layers and forms a gas flow path for supply and discharge of a gas into and from the electrode layer; andthe gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 8, which is arranged further outside the gas flow path forming member. 12. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 11, wherein the temperature distribution determined according to the operating condition of the fuel cell is based on an uneven distribution of a heating value, which depends upon flow directions of a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas on the plane of the gas separator, and a flow direction of the cooling medium on the plane of the gas separator. 13. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 11, wherein the gas flow path forming member is an electrically conductive porous plate and is arranged to be in contact with either the one face or the other face of the gas separator. 14. The fuel cell in accordance with claim 13, wherein the gas separator for the fuel cell further has: a first through hole that is pierced in a thickness direction of the gas separator and forms a gas supply manifold for flow of a gas supplied to the electrode layer;a second through hole that is pierced in the thickness direction of the gas separator and forms a gas exhaust manifold for flow of the gas discharged from the electrode layer;a gas supply conduit that introduces the gas from the gas supply manifold via inside of the gas separator to a surface of the gas separator facing the gas flow path forming member; anda gas discharge conduit that introduces the gas from the surface of the gas separator facing the gas flow path forming member via the inside of the gas separator to the gas exhaust manifold. 15. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, wherein the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution is downstream of the flow of the cooling medium flow path. 16. The gas separator for the fuel cell in accordance with claim 8, wherein the higher temperature area of the temperature distribution is downstream of the flow of the cooling medium flow path.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
McElroy James F. (Hamilton MA), Fuel cell battery with improved membrane cooling.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.