Patent ID: 8153288
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell formed by stacking an electrolyte electrode assembly and a metal separator in a stacking direction, said electrolyte electrode assembly including a pair of electrodes, and an electrolyte interposed between said electrodes, wherein the metal separator is a thin, press-formed plate and a fluid passage extends through said metal separator in the stacking direction for allowing at least fluid comprising a reactant gas or a coolant to flow through said fluid passage; an opening is provided between a first side of said metal separator and a first side of an adjacent separator, the opening serving as a passage for said fluid flowing from the fluid passage extending in the stacking direction into a flow field extending perpendicular to the stacking direction between the first side of the metal separator and the first side of the adjacent separator; a folded section is provided around said fluid passage, and said folded section is formed by folding said metal separator in the stacking direction, wherein the metal separator is folded in the stacking direction away from the opening such that a sectional area of the opening is enlarged between the first sides at a point nearest to the fluid passage in comparison to a sectional area of the flow field extending perpendicular to the stacking direction at a point further from the fluid passage; wherein three fluid passages are arranged at one end of said metal separator, and three fluid passages are arranged at the other end of said metal separator; and said folded section is provided around each side of only the middle fluid passage among said three fluid passages at each end of said metal separator at an outer marginal region of said metal separator such that no folded sections are provided around any side of the fluid passages other than the middle fluid passage.