Abstract: The present invention is intended to enable efficient assembly of a fuel cell stack without causing any damage to the conductive separator. In a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode, and conductive separators each having manifold apertures 12 and a flow channel 16 for supplying a gas to the anode or the cathode, manifold aperture connecting portions 15 are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of the flow channel 16, respectively. Each of the manifold aperture connecting portions 15 is recessed below the upper surface of the conductive separator 11. Cover plates are fitted and fixed to the recessed portions, respectively.

Abstract: The polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention is equipped with a cell having an MEA having a hydrogen ion-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane; a platelike anode-side separator positioned on one side of the MEA so that the front surface thereof contacts the anode, with fuel gas passages through which fuel gas flows being formed in the front surface; and a platelike cathode-side separator positioned on the other side of the MEA so that the front surface thereof contacts the cathode, with oxidizing gas passages through which oxidizing gas flows being formed in the front surface; a cell stack in which a plurality of said cells is stacked; and a cooling water flow passage, through which cooling water flows, formed on at least the rear surface of one from among the anode-side separator and the cathode-side separator of at least a prescribed cell in said cell stack; where said fuel gas, oxidizing gas, and cooling water flow thro

Abstract: The invention relates to a separator plate for use in a fuel cell and to a fuel cell. The separator plate has: a passage groove group including a plurality of gas passage grooves 35 formed so as to extend in serpentine form; and a communicating groove 33 configured to provide fluid communication between adjacent portions of the gas passage grooves. Various separator plates have heretofore been disclosed in public by many documents and the blockage of the gas passage grooves caused by condensed water droplets formed therein is deemed to be properly prevented. However, the inventors think that those separator plates have a critical oversight in the behavior of a gas-liquid two phase fluid including a reaction gas and condensed water. That is, the condensed water is likely to concentrate in the vicinity of the gas passage grooves located in the downstream side of such separator plates and therefore these separator plates are liable to blockage.

Abstract: A carbon fiber woven fabric for use as a gas diffusion layer base material in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a surface that is smoothed and further optimized to inhibit non-uniform infiltration of a coating for water-repellent-layer formation, to provide an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly suitable for operation under a high humidification condition. The gas diffusion layer base material may be a carbon fiber woven fabric, wherein a ratio of the area of gap portions where neither warp thread nor weft thread exists: (10/W?Y)(10/Z?X) to the area of portions where warp thread is crossing weft thread: XY mm2 is in the range of about 1/1500 to about 1/5, where the carbon fiber woven fabric has a warp density of Z threads/cm, a weft density of W threads/cm, a warp thickness of X mm and a weft thickness of Y mm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an increased reaction area by forming a gas channel, a proton channel and an electron channel very close to each other inside a catalyst layer. This polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; and a pair of electrodes having catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers, in which the catalyst layer of at least one of the electrodes comprises carbon particles supporting a noble metal catalyst, and the carbon particles include at least two kinds of carbon particles adsorbing a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte in mutually different dispersed states.

Abstract: There are provided measuring units of measuring the amount of fluoride ions in the waste material from a fuel cell which receives a fuel gas and an oxidizing agent gas containing oxygen to undergo electrochemical reaction by which electricity is generated and a life predicting unit of predicting the life of the fuel cell by the use of the amount of fluoride ions thus measured.

Abstract: A highly reliable polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an anode-side separator plate and a cathode-side separator plate that are provided with an anode-side sealing member and a cathode-side sealing member, respectively. The anode-side and cathode-side sealing members seal the cell in cooperation with a polymer electrolyte membrane at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, thereby preventing gas from leaking out of gas flow channels. One of the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members has a pointed rib that comes in contact with the sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other sealing member comes in contact with the sealing parts surface to surface.

Abstract: A preservation method of a polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly (MEA) which is capable of controlling its degradation that may be thereafter caused by the preservation is provided. A method of preserving a polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane, a pair of catalyst layers disposed on both surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane, and a pair of gas diffusion electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the pair of the catalyst layers, the method comprising the steps of causing the polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly to perform a power generation process just after the polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly is manufactured or within a time period in which degradation of the polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly due to influence of a solvent or impurities does not occur (step S1); and thereafter preserving the polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly (step S2).

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode and a cathode with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to the anode; and a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to the cathode, wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the catalyst layer and the separator, and at least one of the anode and the cathode contains a compound represented by the formula (I): R1—O—{(C2H4O)n—(C3H6O)m}—R2??(I) where R1 and R2 are independent of each other and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having not less than 5 and not more than 15 carbon atoms, n and m are integers which satisfy 0?n?5, 0?m?5 and 1?n+m?5, and when neither n nor m is 0, at least one of the ethylene oxide group and at leas

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode and a cathode with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to the anode; and a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to the cathode, wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the catalyst layer and the separator, and at least one of the anode and the cathode contains a compound represented by the formula (I): R1—O—{(C2H4O)n—(C3H6O)m}—R2 ??(I) where R1 and R2 are independent of each other and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having not less than 5 and not more than 15 carbon atoms, n and m are integers which satisfy 0?n?5, 0?m?5 and 1?n+m?5, and when neither n nor m is 0, at least one of the ethylene oxide group and at leas

Abstract: A method for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane type fuel cell including a polymer electrolyte membrane, fuel and air electrodes that sandwich therebetween the polymer electrolyte membrane and that each include a gas diffusion layer and a catalyst layer provided in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane, and separators provided in contact with the gas diffusion layers. A paste containing at least a carbon powder having a catalyst supported thereon is spread over a predetermined support, and the coated support is dried to form the catalyst layer. A cracking occupation area on the electrodes is controlled to a predetermined tolerance by controlling at least one of (1) a thickness of the catalyst layer, (2) a kind of carbon having the catalyst supported thereon, and (3) a drying rate of a solvent of the paste.

Abstract: Provided is a method of preserving a PEFC stack, which is capable of controlling degradation of performance of the PEFC stack during a time period that elapses from when the stack is placed in an uninstalled state until it is placed in an installation position and is practically used. Provided is a preservation assembly of the PEFC stack which is capable of sufficiently inhibiting degradation of performance of the PEFC stack particularly during a time period that elapses from when the stack is placed in the uninstalled state until it is placed in the installation position and is practically used.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to enable efficient assembly of a fuel cell stack without causing any damage to the conductive separator. In a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode, and conductive separators each having manifold apertures 12 and a flow channel 16 for supplying a gas to the anode or the cathode, manifold aperture connecting portions 15 are formed at an inlet-side end and an outlet-side end of the flow channel 16, respectively. Each of the manifold aperture connecting portions 15 is recessed below the upper surface of the conductive separator 11. Cover plates are fitted and fixed to the recessed portions, respectively.

Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes composed of catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers; a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to one of the electrodes; and a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the other electrode, in order to bring a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and a catalyst metal of the catalyst layers containing the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and conductive carbon particles carrying the catalyst metal sufficiently and uniformly into contact with each other, the polymer electrolyte is provided in pores of an agglomerate structure of the conductive carbon particles. Consequently, the reaction area inside the electrodes is increased, and higher performance is exhibited.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an increased reaction area by forming a gas channel, a proton channel and an electron channel very close to each other inside a catalyst layer. This polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; and a pair of electrodes having catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers, in which the catalyst layer of at least one of the electrodes comprises carbon particles supporting a noble metal catalyst, and the carbon particles include at least two kinds of carbon particles adsorbing a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte in mutually different dispersed states.