Patent ID: 8999592
Filing Date: 2015-04-07
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell including cell units each formed by stacking a first electrolyte electrode assembly, a first metal separator, a second electrolyte electrode assembly, and a second metal separator in a stacking direction, the first and second electrolyte electrode assemblies each including a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte interposed between the electrodes, a coolant flow field for allowing a coolant to flow inside said first and second metal separators being formed between adjacent said first and second electrolyte electrode assemblies, wherein: a resin frame member is formed integrally with an outer circumference of each of the first and second electrolyte electrode assemblies, respectively; a reactant gas supply passage and a reactant gas discharge passage extend through one pair of opposite sides of the resin frame members in the stacking direction as passages of a reactant gas; a pair of coolant supply passages and a pair of coolant discharge passages extend through the other pair of opposite sides of the resin frame members in the stacking direction for allowing the coolant to flow therethrough, the coolant supply passages being positioned adjacent to the reactant gas supply passage or the reactant gas discharge passage, the coolant discharge passages being positioned adjacent to the reactant gas discharge passage or the reactant gas supply passage; the fuel cell has connection channels defined between the electrolyte electrode assemblies and the metal separators for connecting the coolant supply passages and the coolant discharge passages with the coolant flow field; each of the connection channels includes two holes, wherein one said hole is a through hole provided in only one of the adjacent resin frame members and the other hole is provided on one surface of either the first or second metal separator facing the one resin frame member having the through hole, each of said two holes extending in the stacking direction and being physically separated from, and in fluid communication with the coolant supply passages and the coolant discharge passages via the connection channels; and each of the connection channels follows a path formed between the adjacent resin frame members, the connection channels routing the coolant from the coolant supply passages to the coolant flow field along the path and the two holes.