Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20020064703
Timestamp: 2018-07-18 01:25:08
Document Index: 346583870

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 254', 'arts 154', 'art 154', 'arts 152', 'art 154', 'art 154', 'arts 152', 'art 254', 'art 264', 'art 257', 'art 264', 'art 252', 'art 262', 'arts 254', 'art.\n10']

US20020064703A1 - Seal and fuel cell with the seal - Google Patents
US20020064703A1
US20020064703A1 US09443301 US44330199A US20020064703A1 US 20020064703 A1 US20020064703 A1 US 20020064703A1 US 09443301 US09443301 US 09443301 US 44330199 A US44330199 A US 44330199A US 20020064703 A1 US20020064703 A1 US 20020064703A1
US09443301
US6440597B1 (en )
[0030]FIG. 1 is a part of a first embodiment of an electrochemical fuel cell stack 20 which provides a first embodiment of a seal 50, shown in a cross-section;
[0031]FIG. 2 is a part of a second embodiment of an electrochemical fuel cell stack 120 which includes a second embodiment of a seal 150, shown in a cross-section;
[0032]FIG. 3 shows an electrochemical fuel cell stack 120 a in a cross-section, as a modified example of the second embodiment;
[0033]FIG. 4 is a part of a third embodiment of an electrochemical fuel cell stack 220 which provides a third embodiment of a seal 250, shown in a cross-section;
[0034]FIG. 5 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a base part 254 in the third embodiment of the seal;
[0035]FIG. 6 is a part of a fourth embodiment of an electrochemical fuel cell stack 320 which includes a fourth embodiment of a seal 360, shown in a cross-section;
[0036]FIG. 7 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a seal 360 of the fourth embodiment of the seal;
[0037]FIG. 8 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a modified seal 360 a; and
[0038]FIG. 9 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a modified seal 360 b.
[0040]FIG. 1 shows one unit cell included in the fuel cell stack 20, and the unit cell of the fuel cell stack 20 is made up by laminating an electrolyte membrane 22, two electrodes 24, 26, and a first and second separators 30, 40, and by sealing a path for a fuel gas containing hydrogen, a path for an oxidative gas containing oxygen by the seal 50, and a sealing path for coolant by the seal 60. Incidentally, water can be used as the coolant. The two electrodes which are respectively a fuel electrode 24 and an oxygen electrode 26 sandwich the electrolyte membrane 22. The first and second separators 30, 40 shape a coolant path 44 for the coolant. In order to make the space of the paths for the fuel or oxidative gas, a sealing plate 58 is deposited between the first separator 30 and the seal 50.
In the fuel cell stack 120, the seals 150, 160 consist of the seals 152, 162 and the base parts 154, 164. It is, however, also available that a seal l50 a consists of one base part 154 a and two seal parts 152 a in the modified embodiment (a fuel cell stack 120 a) as illustrated in FIG. 3. In this fuel cell stack 120 a, the base part 154 a, which is plane symmetry and wraps the end part of the two separators 130, 140, is put together closely, and two seal grooves 155 a are shaped on the opposite members of the base part 154 a. The two seal parts 152 a are respectively deposited in two seal grooves 155 a. Since the end part of the separators 130, 140 is covered as shown in FIG. 3, the separators 130, 140 can be prevented from rusting.
With reference to FIG. 5, the seal hole 255 comprises a first seal space 255 a facing a first separator 230 or a second separator 240, a second seal space 255 b facing the electrolyte membrane 222, and a bottom hole 255 c. A distance between a third surface 255 d which is the bottom of the first seal space 255 a and a fourth surface 255 e which is also the bottom of the second seal space 255 b is shorter than the distance between the first and second surfaces 256, 259. A plurality of the bottom holes 255 c are regularly located and connect between the seal spaces 255 a and 255 b. In the same way as the base part 254, a seal hole 265 is provided in the base part 264, and as illustrated in FIG. 4 a first surface 266 and a second surface 269 are deposited. However, since it is not necessary to support the electrodes 224, 226, the same part as the extending part 257 is not shaped in the base part 264. The distance between the first surface 256 and the second surface 259 is substantially the same as the thickness of the seal part 252 which is pressed by a predetermined pressure. In the same way, the distance between the first surface 266 and the second surface 269 is substantially the same as the thickness of the seal part 262 which is pressed by a predetermined pressure. Accordingly, the first and second surfaces 256 (or 266) and 259 (or 269) receive most of the pressure, when an excessive pressure higher than the predetermined value is applied to the seal 250 (or 260). Because the base parts 254, 264 are made of comparatively high coefficient of elasticity material, the fuel cell stack 220 can have a higher stiffness in the laminating direction.
1. A seal in an electrochemical fuel cell for preventing fluid in a space from leaking, said seal comprising a first layer and a second layer having different coefficients of elasticity.
2. The seal according to claim 1, further comprising a third layer, said first, second, third layers being arranged from a higher to a lower coefficient of elasticity.
3. The seal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said layers are made of rubber.
4. The seal according to claim 3, wherein a rubber hardness of a higher coefficient of elasticity layer is equal to or higher than 60 degrees and a rubber hardness of a lower coefficient of elasticity layer is equal to or lower than 60 degrees.
5. A seal in an electrochemical fuel cell for preventing fluid in a space from leaking, wherein a coefficient of elasticity consecutively increases from one side of said seal to another side of said seal.
6. An electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
a first separator and a second separator sandwiching the first and second electrodes; and
a seal as claimed in one of claims 1, 2, and 5 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators.
7. The electrochemical fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein a coefficient of elasticity of a layer of said seal facing said electrolyte membrane is higher than a coefficient of elasticity of a layer of said seal facing said separator.
8. An electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
a coolant path between said first and second separators, coolant flowing in said coolant path; and
a seal as claimed in one of claims 1, 2, and 5 between said first and second separators.
9. A seal in an electrochemical fuel cell for preventing fluid provided in a space from leaking, said seal comprising:
a base part having a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface, the second and third surfaces being opposite to the first surface, the third surface being closer to the first surface than the second surface; and
a seal part on the third surface of the base part and extending beyond a plane defined by the second surface of the base part,
wherein the coefficient of elasticity of the base part is higher than the coefficient of elasticity of the seal part.
10. The seal according to claim 9, wherein said base part and said seal part are made of rubber.
11. The seal according to claim 10, wherein a rubber hardness of said base part is equal to or higher than 60 degrees and a rubber hardness of said seal part is equal to or lower than 60 degrees.
a seal as claimed in claim 9 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators.
a seal as claimed in claim 9 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators,
wherein said first surface of said base part faces at least one of said separators and said seal part extending beyond the plane defined by the second surface of the base part faces said electrolyte membrane.
a seal as claimed in claim 9 between said first and second separators.
15. A seal in an electrochemical fuel cell for preventing fluid in a space from leaking, said seal comprising:
a base part having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, and a fourth surface, the first surface being opposite to the second surface, the third surface being opposite to the fourth surface, and the distance between the first and second surfaces being greater than the distance between the third and forth surfaces; and
a seal part on the third and fourth surfaces and extending beyond a plane defined by the first surface and/or the second surface,
16. An electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
a seal as claimed in claim 15 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators.
a seal as claimed in claim 15 between said first and second separators.
18. A seal in an electrochemical fuel cell for preventing fluid in a space from leaking, said seal comprising a first side having a substantially plane surface and a second side having a first sealing member and a second distinct sealing member, the cross-sectional area of the second sealing member being less than the cross-sectional area of the first sealing member.
19. The seal according to claim 18, wherein the second sealing member is substantially half elliptical or half circular in cross-section.
20. The seal according to claim 18, wherein the second sealing member is substantially trapezoidal or rectangular in cross-section.
21. The seal according to claim 18, wherein the second sealing member extends above the plane defined by the first sealing member.
a seal as claimed in claim 18 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators.
a seal as claimed in claim 21 between said electrolyte membrane and one of said first and second separators.
a seal as claimed in claim 18 between said first and second separators.
a seal as claimed in claim 21 between said first and second separators.
US09443301 1998-12-16 1999-11-19 Seal and fuel cell with the seal Active US6440597B1 (en)
JP10-357649 1998-12-16
US10167449 US6846589B2 (en) 1998-12-16 2002-06-13 Seal and fuel cell with the seal
US10167449 Division US6846589B2 (en) 1998-12-16 2002-06-13 Seal and fuel cell with the seal
US20020064703A1 true true US20020064703A1 (en) 2002-05-30
US6440597B1 US6440597B1 (en) 2002-08-27
US09443301 Active US6440597B1 (en) 1998-12-16 1999-11-19 Seal and fuel cell with the seal
US10167449 Expired - Fee Related US6846589B2 (en) 1998-12-16 2002-06-13 Seal and fuel cell with the seal
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JP2000182639A (en) 2000-06-30 application
CA2292146A1 (en) 2000-06-16 application
US6846589B2 (en) 2005-01-25 grant
US20020150810A1 (en) 2002-10-17 application
US6440597B1 (en) 2002-08-27 grant
DE19960516A1 (en) 2000-07-06 application
CA2292146C (en) 2005-02-08 grant
DE19960516B4 (en) 2011-04-28 grant
JP3951484B2 (en) 2007-08-01 grant
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MIZUNO, SEIJI;REEL/FRAME:010411/0352