Patent ID: 8778554
Filing Date: 2014-07-15
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell including a membrane electrode assembly and separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, the membrane electrode assembly including a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes, a first reactant gas flow field being formed in the fuel cell for supplying one reactant gas along one electrode surface of the membrane electrode assembly, and a second reactant gas flow field being formed in the fuel cell for supplying the other reactant gas along the other electrode surface of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein a first reactant gas passage is formed for supplying the one reactant gas in a stacking direction of the fuel cell and a second reactant gas passage is formed for supplying the other reactant gas in the stacking direction; a buffer connecting the first reactant gas passage and the first reactant gas flow field is provided at least on one surface of the membrane electrode assembly; the buffer includes a first buffer area adjacent to the first reactant gas passage and a second buffer area adjacent to the first reactant gas flow field; the opening dimension of the first buffer area in the stacking direction is larger than the opening dimension of the second buffer area in the stacking direction, the buffer is formed on the resin frame member with a first side substantially parallel with a width of the first reactant gas passage, and a second side substantially parallel with a width of the reactant gas flow field, and a width of the buffer on the second side is substantially the same as the width of the first reactant gas flow field.