METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR A FUEL CELL

Abstract

A method for providing a catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane for a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell with at least one functional coating made of a material includes printing directly the material onto the catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane by a non-contact printing method.

Claims

1. A method for producing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising the steps of: providing a frame material which forms a frame of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein the frame encloses an active region of the membrane electrode assembly; and providing a partial region of the frame material with a functional coating produced from a material wherein the material is printed directly onto the frame material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frame material is provided as a continuous material web which passes through a plurality of processing stations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material is an adhesive and wherein the frame material is connected to a component of the membrane electrode assembly by the adhesive.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the material is an adhesive and wherein the adhesive is printed with a thickness of less than 100 μm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a device for providing a catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane for a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell having at least one functional coating; and

[0021] FIGS. 2a-c, in each case, are schematic top views of a component of the membrane electrode assembly during the production of the membrane electrode assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a device for providing a catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10 (CCM) for a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a fuel cell with at least one functional coating made of a material 12. Here, the fuel cell is formed as a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and is used, for example, in a fuel cell system of a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle can be driven by means of the fuel cell system. The PEMFC comprises the aforementioned MEA which is made up of an anode, a cathode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) arranged therebetween. The MEA is arranged in turn between two separator plates, wherein one of the separator plates has channels for the distribution of fuel and the other separator plate has channels for the distribution of oxidant, and wherein the channels face towards the MEA. The channels form a channel structure, a so-called flow field or current field.

[0023] The anode and the cathode are electrodes which are generally formed as gas diffusion electrodes (GDE). They have the function of dissipating the electricity generated during the electrochemical reaction (for example 2H.sub.2+O.sub.22H.sub.2O) and allowing the reducing agents, educts and products to diffuse through. A GDE can comprise at least one gas diffusion coating or gas diffusion layer (GDL). A catalyst coating is applied to a respective main surface of the PEM such that, for example, an anodic catalyst coating is applied to a first of the main surfaces and a cathodic catalyst coating is applied to a second of the main surfaces. The respective catalyst coating is formed from a catalyst material and is also referred to as a catalyst or acts as a catalyst. In this case, the PEM is added to the catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10, since, in this case, we generally speak of a catalyst-coated membrane—CCM for short. In other words, the catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10 is a membrane which is coated with at least one catalyst or catalyst coating.

[0024] The GDE may also have a gas distribution layer which is connected to the gas diffusion layer and which faces towards a separator plate in the PEMFC. The gas diffusion layer and the gas distribution layer mainly differ in their pore sizes and thus in the type of transport mechanism for a reactant (diffusion or distribution).

[0025] Such a fuel cell can create high-power electrical current at relatively low operating temperatures. Real fuel cells are usually stacked into so-called fuel stacks—stacks for short—in order to achieve a high power output, wherein bipolar separator plates, so-called bipolar plates, are used instead of the monopolar separator plates, and monopolar separator plates only form the two terminal ends of the stack. They are sometimes called end plates and may be considerably different from bipolar plates in terms of structure.

[0026] In order to achieve a particularly advantageous production of the MEA and thus of the fuel cell as a whole, the material 12 is printed directly onto the catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10 by means of a non-contact printing method. For this purpose, the device is formed as a printing system or printing machine and comprises at least one print head 14 having a receiving space 16 for the material 12. Furthermore, the print head 14 has a supply line 18, via which the material 12, in particular in its liquid state, can be supplied to the receiving space 16. The print head 14 has a plurality of outlet openings 22, which function as nozzles or individual nozzles, on an underside 20 which faces towards the catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10 during printing. The material 12 can be emitted from the receiving space 16 or from the print head 14 via these individual nozzles and thus applied, for example, to a surface 24 of the CCM (catalyst-coated polymer electrolyte membrane 10) which faces towards the underside 20 during printing. For example, the material 12, in particular in the liquid state, is emitted from the print head 14 via the individual nozzles at a predeterminable pressure, such that, in the present case, individual drops 26 are emitted from the print head 14 and are blasted onto the surface 24 or against the surface 24. The individual drops 26 made of the material 12 strike the surface 24 and thus the CCM and form the at least one functional coating on the surface 24.

[0027] The CCM is provided, for example, as continuous material or web material and is conveyed in a conveying direction, while the material 12 or the functional coating is printed onto the CCM. As a result, an at least substantially continuous production of the functional coating can be achieved, such that a particularly time and cost-effective, at least substantially continuous production of the MEA can be carried out overall.

[0028] The non-contact printing method is understood to mean that the printing system, in particular the print head 14, does not touch the CCM during printing. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the print head 14 is arranged at a distance A from the surface 24 or from the CCM during printing. To produce the functional coating in a particularly precise manner, the distance preferably ranges from 0.5 to 2 millimeters inclusive. In other words, it is preferably provided that the print head 14, in particular its underside 20, is kept at a distance A from the CCM during printing, in particular from the surface 24, wherein this distance ranges from 0.5 to 2 millimeters inclusive.

[0029] The material 12 is, for example, the aforementioned catalyst material from which the catalyst coating of the CCM is formed. As a result, it is possible, for example, to improve or repair defective points detected in advance by means of targeted reprinting of catalyst material. In other words, catalyst material can be printed directly onto the CCM at the defective points in order to repair the defective points. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the material 12 is an adhesive, such that the functional coating is formed as an adhesive coating. By means of the functional coating formed as an adhesive coating, the CCM can then be connected, i.e. glued, to at least one further component of the MEA, for example to the GDL.

[0030] The non-contact printing method is preferably carried out in the manner of an inkjet printing method, and particularly preferably as digital printing. By using the non-contact printing method, damage to the CCM, in particular damage to the catalyst coating, can be avoided since the print head 14 does not touch the CCM.

[0031] A method for the production of the membrane electrode assembly is illustrated below with the aid of FIGS. 2 a-c. In the method, an initially full-surface frame material 28 is provided, which is shown in FIG. 2a. In particular, the frame material 28 is provided as continuous material, i.e. as a continuous material web, which is conveyed, for example, in a conveying direction and passes through a plurality of processing stations. The frame material 28 is thus a different, additional component of the MEA with respect to the CCM and the GDL. In the finished state, the frame material 28 forms a frame 30 which can be seen from FIGS. 2b and c and which encloses an active region of the membrane electrode assembly. This active region is formed, for example, by the CCM, in particular its catalyst coating.

[0032] A region 32 is punched out of the full-surface frame material 28 in one of the work stations in order to produce the frame 30, as can be seen from FIGS. 2b and c. This region 32 is received in the finished membrane electrode assembly by the active region, in particular the CCM. It can be seen from FIG. 2c that at least one partial region of the frame material 28 is provided with a functional coating 34 made of a material, by the material being printed directly onto the frame material 28. In the present case, this partial region is an edge region of the frame 30 delimiting the stamped region 32. In the present case, the material is an adhesive, such that the functional coating 34 is formed as an adhesive coating. By means of the adhesive or the adhesive coating, the frame 30 is connected, i.e. glued, to a further component of the MEA, for example to the CCM and/or the GDL.

[0033] The adhesive is printed onto the frame material 28, for example, at a second processing station. For example, a dispensing of the CCM into the adhesive bed which is still moist takes place at a third processing station. It can be provided that the material for producing the functional coating 34 is printed directly onto the frame material 28 by means of a printing method, in particular a non-contact printing method. The printing method is, for example, a screen printing method or a batch printing method. For example, the printing method is carried out as continuous printing and/or rotary printing. The printing method comprises, for example, a release sheet transfer method and/or an ink-jet method and/or a flexographic printing method and/or a spray coating method.

[0034] By means of punching, for example, a recess, in particular a passage opening, of the frame material 28 is formed, wherein the recess or the passage opening is delimited by the aforementioned edge region. The material or adhesive is printed onto the frame material 28 along the edge region, for example. The material, in particular the adhesive, is preferably printed onto the frame material 28 with a thickness of less than 100 μm (micrometers).