The invention relates to a method for producing a catalyst coated membrane (19) for a fuel cell (10), wherein the catalyst coated membrane (19) has a membrane (11) and a catalyst layer (12, 13) of a catalytic material arranged on at least one of its flat sides, as well as a nonrectangular active area (20), which is restricted in one direction by two outer sides (30) opposite one another. The method comprises a continuous application of the catalytic material to a membrane material (33) while creating a constant coating width (B) such that an area (35) coated with the catalytic material corresponds to at least the active area (20). A provision is that the membrane material (33) be coated with the catalytic material such that a coating direction (D) has an angle with respect to the opposite outer sides (30) of the active area (20) that is not equal to 90° and not equal to 0°.

The present disclosure provides a separator-integrated gasket and a manufacturing method therefor, with which the likelihood of the gasket peeling away from the separator can be reduced while reducing the number of manufacturing steps. The separator-integrated gasket includes gaskets 210, 220 that are provided integrally with a separator 200 forming a fuel cell, wherein the separator 200 is formed from carbon to which a thermoplastic first resin material has been added, and the gaskets 210, 220 are formed from a thermoplastic second resin material that is compatible with the first resin material.

A Solid Oxide Cell stack has an integrated interconnect and spacer, which is formed by bending a surplus part of the plate interconnect 180° to form a spacer part on top of the interconnect and connected to the interconnect at least by the bend.

A design of and the process for forming a rigidly bonded metal supported electro-chemical device stack is provided. The electro-chemical device stack can be a solid oxide fuel cell or solid oxide electrolysis stack. The stack comprises multiple planar cells connected in serial by planar metal interconnects. The cells have metal support layers on both anode and cathode sides. The interconnect has gas channels embedded. Thin ceramic electro-chemical active electrodes and electrolyte are sandwiched between the metal support layers. The cells and interconnects are rigidly bonded to form a rigid body stack. The process comprises the steps of a). forming metal supported electro-chemical device cells with metal supports on both anode and cathode sides, b). sealing the peripherals of porous cell layers with an electrically insulating sealing material such as glass. c). bonding the cells and interconnects through commonly used metal-to-metal bonding methods, such as brazing or laser welding.

A design of and the process for forming a rigidly bonded metal supported electro-chemical device stack is provided. The electro-chemical device stack can be a solid oxide fuel cell or solid oxide electrolysis stack. The stack comprises multiple planar cells connected in serial by planar metal interconnects. The cells have metal support layers on both anode and cathode sides. The interconnect has gas channels embedded. Thin ceramic electro-chemical active electrodes and electrolyte are sandwiched between the metal support layers. The cells and interconnects are rigidly bonded to form a rigid body stack. The process comprises the steps of a). forming metal supported electro-chemical device cells with metal supports on both anode and cathode sides, b). sealing the peripherals of porous cell layers with an electrically insulating sealing material such as glass. c). bonding the cells and interconnects through commonly used metal-to-metal bonding methods, such as brazing or laser welding.

A method of producing a rubber seal includes placing a screen with an opening, above a workpiece including a base portion and a bead base protruding from the base portion and applying a liquid material for forming the rubber seal, onto a top part of the bead base through the opening. In the production, the liquid material is applied onto the top part by moving a squeegee along a surface of the screen in a state where a stopper portion is disposed at a position adjacent to the bead base within an area of the base portion and between the screen and the workpiece.

A method of producing a rubber seal includes placing a screen with an opening, above a workpiece including a base portion and a bead base protruding from the base portion and applying a liquid material for forming the rubber seal, onto a top part of the bead base through the opening. In the production, the liquid material is applied onto the top part by moving a squeegee along a surface of the screen in a state where a stopper portion is disposed at a position adjacent to the bead base within an area of the base portion and between the screen and the workpiece.

An air-cooling fuel cell stack includes fuel cells, wherein each of the fuel cells includes an anode bipolar plate, a cathode bipolar plate, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) between the anode and cathode bipolar plates, and an anode sealing member. The MEA includes an anode side structure, a cathode side structure, and an ion conductive membrane (ICM), and the ICM is sandwiched between the anode side structure and the cathode side structure. The anode sealing member is disposed at a periphery of the anode side structure and sandwiched by the anode bipolar plate and the ICM. The anode sealing member includes a first sealing material and a second sealing material, a Shore hardness of the first sealing material is different from that of the second sealing material, and an arrangement direction of the first and second sealing materials is perpendicular to a compression direction of the plurality of fuel cells.

An air-cooling fuel cell stack includes fuel cells, wherein each of the fuel cells includes an anode bipolar plate, a cathode bipolar plate, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) between the anode and cathode bipolar plates, and an anode sealing member. The MEA includes an anode side structure, a cathode side structure, and an ion conductive membrane (ICM), and the ICM is sandwiched between the anode side structure and the cathode side structure. The anode sealing member is disposed at a periphery of the anode side structure and sandwiched by the anode bipolar plate and the ICM. The anode sealing member includes a first sealing material and a second sealing material, a Shore hardness of the first sealing material is different from that of the second sealing material, and an arrangement direction of the first and second sealing materials is perpendicular to a compression direction of the plurality of fuel cells.

A fuel cell system with reduced leakage and a method of assembling a fuel cell system. Bipolar plates within the system include reactant channels and coolant channels that are fluidly coupled to inlet and outlet flowpaths, all of which are formed within a coolant-engaging or reactant-engaging surface of the plate. One or more seals are also formed on the fluid-engaging surface to help reduce leakage by maintaining fluid isolation of the reactants and coolant as they flow through their respective channels and flowpaths that are defined between adjacently-placed plates. The seal—with its combination of in-plane and out-of-plane dimensions—forms a substantially hollow volume, into which a plug is placed to reduce the tendency of the seal to form a shunted flow of the coolant or reactant around the intended active area of the plate. A fluid port intersection is integrally formed with the seal and is formed to be fluidly cooperative with the volume, and is capable of accepting the introduction of a fluent precursor of the plug material such that upon curing, the precursor material forms a substantially rigid insert that continuously fills both the volume and intersection, thereby increasing the resistance of the plug to movement and the seal to shunted flow. In one form, the geometry of the fluent material injection site is such that it promotes plug anchoring within its intended location, while also providing a manufacturing aid to visually inspect for plug installation, as well as to serve as a bipolar plate stacking alignment locator and verification.