Abstract: A gas channel forming plate is arranged between a membrane electrode assembly and a flat separator base. The gas channel forming plate includes gas channels arranged on a surface that faces the membrane electrode assembly, water channels each formed on the back side of the protrusion between an adjacent pair of the gas channels, communication passages that connect the gas channels and the water channels to each other, and guide portions formed by causing an inner wall surface of a gas channel to protrude inward in the gas channel. The guide portions are formed such that the upstream edge of each communication passage is arranged in a range in which, in the velocity vector of the gas flowing in the gas channel, the directional component directed from the side corresponding to the membrane electrode assembly toward the flat separator base has a positive value.

Abstract: A gas channel forming plate includes protrusions, which extend parallel with each other, gas channels that are respectively located between each adjacent pair of the protrusions, and water channels, which are respectively formed on the back surface of each protrusion. Each protrusion includes first communication portions and second communication portions. Each first communication portion includes a first opening. Each second communication portion includes a second opening. The second communication portions of each protrusion constitute an expanding region, in which the opening area of the second opening in each second communication portion is greater than the opening area of the first opening of each first communication portion, to limit introduction of water to the water channel on the back side of the protrusion using capillary action by the second communication portions.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; a first reactive gas channel that is provided on a first surface side of the electrolyte membrane; a second reactive gas channel that is provided on a second surface side of the electrolyte membrane; and a coolant channel. The coolant channel is configured such that a flow direction of the first reactive gas flowing in the first reactive gas channel is opposite to a flow direction of the second reactive gas flowing in the second reactive gas channel, and a downstream portion of the flow of at least one of the first and second reactive gases, in a plane of the electrolyte membrane, is cooled from the central portion within the plane.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a first separator and a second separator. A second protrusion is formed on a first sealing portion of the first separator. A concave portion is formed in a second sealing portion of the second separator. When fuel cells are stacked together sequentially in the vertical direction without displacing relative to one another, the center of the second protrusion and the center of the concave portion are aligned with each other. Even if the fuel cells are displaced while being stacked together, the upper fuel cell in the vertical direction is moved to decrease the distance between the center of the second protrusion and the center of the corresponding concave portion.

Abstract: A gas channel forming member is located between a separator and a membrane electrode assembly. The gas channel forming member includes gas channels, which are arranged in parallel with each other on a surface that faces the membrane electrode assembly, water channels, which are formed on a surface that faces the separator, and inner communication passages. The water channels are each located between adjacent two of the gas channels. The inner communication passages communicate the gas channels and the water channels with each other. Each water channel is formed such that the flow cross-sectional area in an outlet section including an outlet opening is larger than the cross-sectional area of an upstream section, which is upstream of an adjacent to the outlet section in the flow direction of the oxidant gas.

Abstract: A fuel battery includes unit cells, each of which includes a membrane electrode assembly having tow gas diffusion layers. Gas passage forming bodies are stacked on an outer surface of each of the gas diffusion layers of each of the unit cells so that each of the unit cells includes a fuel gas passage and an oxidant gas passage. Each of the gas passage forming bodies includes water guide passages, each of which is located between adjacent ones of the gas passages. A communication passage is arranged between each of the gas passages and an adjacent one of the water guide pass to guide water from the gas passage to the water guide passage. The communication passage has a higher pressure loss than that of the gas passage.

Abstract: A fuel battery includes an oxidant gas flow passage having a downstream section, in which a gas diffusion porous body is arranged. The fuel battery includes a fuel gas flow passage having a downstream section, in which a gas diffusion porous body is arranged. A cooling medium flow passage is formed between a first separator of each unit cell of the fuel battery and a second separator of a unit cell adjacent to the unit cell. The flowing direction of a cooling medium in the cooling medium flow passage is the same as that of oxidant gas in the oxidant gas flow passage. An upstream section of the cooling medium flow passage is located closer to a surface of a membrane-electrode assembly that faces the oxidant gas flow passage adjacent to the cooling medium flow passage as compared with a downstream section of the cooling medium flow passage.

Abstract: An MEA 15 is arranged between frames 13, 14. A first gas flow passage forming member 21 is arranged between an anode electrode layer 17 of the MEA 15 and a first separator 23 fixed to an upper surface of the frame 13. A second gas flow passage forming member 22 is arranged between a cathode electrode layer 18 of the MEA 15 and a second separator 24 fixed to a lower surface of the frame 14. The gas flow passage forming members 21, 22 are each formed by a metal lath 25. The metal lath is formed by forming a plurality of through holes 26 in a thin metal plate in a mesh-like manner and forming the thin metal plate in a stepped shape. The gas flow passage forming members 21, 22 each include a plurality of annular portions 27 forming the through holes 26. Each of the annular portions 27 has a flat surface portion 28a in a first contact portion 28, which contacts a carbon paper 19, 20.

Abstract: An electrode structure 15 is received in a joint portion of frames 13, 14. A first gas diffusion layer 19 and a first gas passage forming member 21 are arranged on a first surface of the electrode structure 15. A second gas diffusion layer 20 and a second gas passage forming member 22 are formed on a second surface of the electrode structure 15. A separator 23 is joined with a surface of the frame 13 and a surface of the gas passage forming member 21. A separator 24 is joined with a surface of the frame 14 and a surface of the gas passage forming member 22. A water passage 28 is formed between a flat plate 25 of the gas passage forming member 22 and the separator 24. The water passage 28 has a depth set to a value smaller than depth of a gas passage T2 of the gas passage forming member 22. Generated water is introduced from the gas passage T2 of the gas passage forming member 22 to the water passage 28 through capillary action via communication holes 29.

Abstract: A gas passage forming body for a fuel battery includes gas passages and water guide passages. A communication passage is arranged between one of the water guide passages and a gas passage that is adjacent to the water guide passage and is in communication with the adjacent gas passage and water guide passage to permit water to move therethrough. An aid portion is arranged at water drainage ends of two adjacent ones of the water guide passages and aids bonding of water drained from the water drainage ends of the two adjacent ones of the water guide passages. Thus, water drainage from the water guide passages of the gas passage forming body is improved, and water in the gas passages is reduced. As a result, the battery performance of the fuel battery is improved due to an improvement in gas diffusion.

Abstract: Gas flow channels are provided between protrusions arranged in parallel on a first surface of a partition wall of a gas flow channel forming body, and water introduction channels are provided in valleys on the opposite side of each protrusion, on a second surface. In order to allow the gas flow channels and the water introduction channels to communicate so that water can pass there through, communication channels is provided to the partition wall. Intermediate structures are correspondingly provided inside the water introduction channels to the communication channels. A set of communication channels is formed by a pair of communication channels positioned at a first interval. A set of communication channels and another set of communication channels adjacent thereto are positioned on each protrusion with a second interval therebetween.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly (15) formed by a solid electrolyte membrane (16) and electrode catalyst layers (17, 18) is interposed between a pair of frames (13, 14). Gas diffusion layers (19, 20) are laminated onto the surface of the electrode catalyst layers (17, 18). A first gas passage forming member (21) is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer (19) while a second gas passage forming member (22) is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer (20). Separators (23, 24) contact surfaces of the frame (13, 14) and the first and second gas passage forming member (21, 22). A plurality of first and second straight grooves (21c, 21d) are formed on the first gas passage forming member (21), such that the widths (w1, w2) differ from each other, and cross-sectional areas of the paths for the first and second gas passages (T1, T2) differ from each other.

Abstract: An electrode structure 15 is accommodated in a joint portion of frames 13 and 14. A first gas diffusion layer 19 and a first gas passage forming member 21 are laid on a first surface of the electrode structure 15, and a second gas diffusion layer 20 and a second gas passage forming member 22 are laid on a second surface of the electrode structure 15. A separator 23 is joined to surfaces of the frame 13 and the gas passage forming member 21, and a separator 24 is joined to surfaces of the frame 14 and the gas passage forming member 22. A porous layer 26 having continuous pores is located between the gas passage forming member 22 and the separator 24. A drainage promoting member 30 formed of a porous material having continuous pores is provided to communicate with a downstream end of a second gas passage T2 of the second gas passage forming member 22 and to communicate with a downstream end of the continuous pores of the porous layer 26.

Abstract: A cathode-side gas flow path of a cell that forms part of a fuel cell is formed by a first expanded metal arranged on a gas inlet side, and a second expanded metal arranged on a downstream side. The first expanded metal is such that mesh is arranged in a straight line, and gas that flows on a gas diffusion layer side is separated from gas that flows on a separator side. The gas flowrate on the gas inlet side is reduced, so the amount of produced water that is carried away is reduced. As a result, the gas inlet side is inhibited from becoming dry at high temperatures.

Abstract: A fuel battery includes an oxidant gas flow passage having a downstream section, in which a gas diffusion porous body is arranged. The fuel battery includes a fuel gas flow passage having a downstream section, in which a gas diffusion porous body is arranged. A cooling medium flow passage is formed between a first separator of each unit cell of the fuel battery and a second separator of a unit cell adjacent to the unit cell. The flowing direction of a cooling medium in the cooling medium flow passage is the same as that of oxidant gas in the oxidant gas flow passage. An upstream section of the cooling medium flow passage is located closer to a surface of a membrane-electrode assembly that faces the oxidant gas flow passage adjacent to the cooling medium flow passage as compared with a downstream section of the cooling medium flow passage.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly (15) formed by a solid electrolyte membrane (16) and electrode catalyst layers (17, 18) is interposed between a pair of frames (13, 14). Gas diffusion layers (19, 20) are laminated onto the surface of the electrode catalyst layers (17, 18). A first gas passage forming member (21) is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer (19) while a second gas passage forming member (22) is laminated onto the surface of the gas diffusion layer (20). Separators (23, 24) contact surfaces of the frame (13, 14) and the first and seccond gas passage forming member (21, 22). A plurality of first and second straight grooves (21c, 21d) are formed on the first gas passage forming member (21), such that the widths (w1, w2) differ from each other, and cross-sectional areas of the paths for the first and second gas passages (T1, T2) differ from each other.

Abstract: A fuel cell has: an electrolyte; an anode provided on one side of the electrolyte and having a fuel-gas consuming face at which fuel gas is consumed; a cathode provided on the other side of the electrolyte and having an oxidizing-gas consuming face at which oxidizing gas is consumed; and a fuel-gas passage portion forming a passage through which fuel gas is supplied to predetermined regions of the fuel-gas consuming face of the anode. The fuel cell has an operation mode in which almost the entire amount of the supplied fuel gas is consumed at the fuel-gas consuming face of the anode.

Abstract: An electrode structure 15 is received in a joint portion of frames 13, 14. A first gas diffusion layer 19 and a first gas passage forming member 21 are arranged on a first surface of the electrode structure 15. A second gas diffusion layer 20 and a second gas passage forming member 22 are formed on a second surface of the electrode structure 15. A separator 23 is joined with a surface of the frame 13 and a surface of the gas passage forming member 21. A separator 24 is joined with a surface of the frame 14 and a surface of the gas passage forming member 22. A water passage 28 is formed between a flat plate 25 of the gas passage forming member 22 and the separator 24. The water passage 28 has a depth set to a value smaller than depth of a gas passage T2 of the gas passage forming member 22. Generated water is introduced from the gas passage T2 of the gas passage forming member 22 to the water passage 28 through capillary action via communication holes 29.

Abstract: An electrode structure 15 is accommodated in a joint portion of frames 13 and 14. A first gas diffusion layer 19 and a first gas passage forming member 21 are laid on a first surface of the electrode structure 15, and a second gas diffusion layer 20 and a second gas passage forming member 22 are laid on a second surface of the electrode structure 15. A separator 23 is joined to surfaces of the frame 13 and the gas passage forming member 21, and a separator 24 is joined to surfaces of the frame 14 and the gas passage forming member 22. A porous layer 26 having continuous pores is located between the gas passage forming member 22 and the separator 24. A drainage promoting member 30 formed of a porous material having continuous pores is provided to communicate with a downstream end of a second gas passage T2 of the second gas passage forming member 22 and to communicate with a downstream end of the continuous pores of the porous layer 26.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; a first reactive gas channel that is provided on a first surface side of the electrolyte membrane; a second reactive gas channel that is provided on a second surface side of the electrolyte membrane; and a coolant channel. The coolant channel is configured such that a flow direction of the first reactive gas flowing in the first reactive gas channel is opposite to a flow direction of the second reactive gas flowing in the second reactive gas channel, and a downstream portion of the flow of at least one of the first and second reactive gases, in a plane of the electrolyte membrane, is cooled from the central portion within the plane.