CELL FOR FUEL CELL, PRODUCTION METHOD FOR THE SAME AND POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL

Abstract

One object of the present invention is to provide a cell, a production method for a fuel cell to produce a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having high electric generating performance, the present invention provides a cell for a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane, conductive porous members in a sheet shape or a plate shape which are laminated so as to sandwich the electrolyte membrane, and contains an ion catalyst at least the electrolyte membrane side, and separators in a sheet shape which are laminated so as to sandwich the electrolyte membrane and conductive porous members and comprises a supplying opening and a discharging opening for fluid, wherein at least one of the conductive porous members is a conductive fiber-containing porous member comprising a binder resin and conductive fibers, and the conductive fiber-containing porous member comprises an orientation layer in which conductive fibers are orientated along a flow direction of the fluid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of the cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the separator.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a third embodiment of the cell for a fuel cell according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the separator.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the separator.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of the fuel cell according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A cell for a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane, conductive porous members in a sheet shape or a plate shape which are laminated so as to sandwich the electrolyte membrane, and contains an ion catalyst at least the electrolyte membrane side, and separators in a sheet shape which are laminated so as to sandwich the electrolyte membrane and conductive porous members and comprises a supplying opening and a discharging opening for fluid, wherein at least one of the conductive porous members is a conductive fiber-containing porous member comprising a binder resin and conductive fibers, and the conductive fiber-containing porous member comprises an orientation layer in which conductive fibers are orientated along a flow direction of the fluid.

2. A cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the conductive fiber-containing porous member comprises a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer; the catalyst layer is positioned at the electrolyte membrane side and contains an ion catalyst, conductive material, and a binder resin;the gas diffusion layer is positioned at the separator side and contains conductive material; andthe gas diffusion layer comprises the orientation layer.

3. A cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the conductive fiber-containing porous member comprises a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer; the catalyst layer is positioned at the electrolyte membrane side and contains an ion catalyst, conductive material, and a binder resin;the gas diffusion layer is positioned at the separator side and contains conductive material; andthe catalyst layer comprises the orientation layer.

4. A cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the orientation layer contains an ion catalyst.

5. A cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of the conductive fibers contained in the orientation layer is in a range from 50 to 10,000.

6. A cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the orientation layer further contains conductive material other than the conductive fibers, and a mass ratio (a/b) between an amount (a) of the other conductive fibers and the conductive material and an amount (b) of the binder resin in the orientation layer is in a range from 0.5 to 3.0.

7. A method for producing a cell for a fuel cell comprising forming conductive porous members in a sheet shape or a plate shape which contains an ion catalyst at least an electrolyte membrane side on both sides of the electrolyte membrane; and laminating separators in a sheet shape which comprises a fluid supplying opening and a discharging opening for fluid, wherein at least one of the conductive porous members is a conductive fiber-containing porous member comprising a conductive fiber-containing layer which is obtained by using a conductive fiber-containing slurry comprising conductive fibers, a binder resin, and dispersing medium and orientating the conductive fibers in one direction, and laminating the separators on the conductive fiber-containing porous member such that the conductive fibers in the conductive fiber-containing layer are oriented along a flow direction of the fluid.

8. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising the cell for a fuel cell according to claim 1.