A method for manufacturing a single cell and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell

Abstract

The present application discloses a method for manufacturing a single cell and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell. After stacking and assembling an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate in sequence to form a preassembled single cell, a first preset pressure is applied to both sides of the preassembled single cell to pre-compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer. This can improve the flatness of the single cell and help avoid the situation where the single cell is thick in the middle and thin around. The electrode plate can be pre-compressed to form an indentation on the gas diffusion layer, and the pre-compression amount can be maintained under the bonding action of the bonding layer, which helps reduce the displacement of the gas diffusion layer during the subsequent compression process. Therefore, the problem of different indentations formed during pre-compression and subsequent compression will not occur, which helps reduce the indentation area of ​​the gas diffusion layer and improve the water and air permeability of the gas diffusion layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a single cell and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] Currently, fuel cell stacks typically consist of multiple individual cells. Each cell typically consists of a cathode plate, a carbon paper layer, a proton exchange membrane, a carbon paper layer, and an anode plate. The carbon paper layer is a porous structure that helps air or hydrogen diffuse evenly across the proton exchange membrane.

[0003] In related technologies, stacking multiple cells compresses the entire stack structure. Therefore, during the preparation of individual cells, the thickness of the carbon paper layer is often larger than the designed dimensions to provide space for compression. However, this results in a cell structure that is thicker in the middle and thinner around the edges. This not only easily causes the carbon paper layer to misalign with the other structural layers of the cell, but also increases the difficulty of stacking the cells.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the problem of uneven thickness of single cells, which makes it difficult to stack the battery stack, is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application aims to provide a method for manufacturing a single cell and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell, so as to solve the problem that the thickness of the single cells is uneven, thereby making it difficult to stack the fuel cell stack.

[0006] The present application adopts the following solutions to solve the above technical problems.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for manufacturing a single battery, comprising:

[0008] Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane;

[0009] stacking the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate in sequence, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a preassembled single cell;

[0010] Applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the preassembled single cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer and form indentations on the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer; wherein the first preset pressure is less than a design pressure; the design pressure is a pressure value that causes the thickness of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to reach their designed thickness in the battery stack;

[0011] The adhesive layer is cured to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate are bonded to form a single cell.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the first preset pressure is 5%-15% of the design pressure.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer are carbon paper, and the first preset pressure is 10% of the design pressure.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of first ridges are provided on a side of the anode plate close to the first gas diffusion layer, with gas flow channels formed between two adjacent first ridges; the first ridges are configured such that, under the action of the first preset pressure, the first ridges compress the first gas diffusion layer, thereby forming first grooves on the first gas diffusion layer;

[0015] And / or, a plurality of second ridges are provided on a side of the cathode plate close to the second gas diffusion layer, and a gas-liquid flow channel is formed between two adjacent second ridges; the second ridges are configured so that under the action of the first preset pressure, the second ridges compress the second gas diffusion layer so as to form a second groove on the second gas diffusion layer.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a fuel cell manufacturing method, comprising:

[0017] Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane;

[0018] The anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate are stacked and assembled in sequence to form a first unit cell, and an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a first preassembled unit cell;

[0019] Applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the first preassembled single cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer; wherein the first preset pressure is less than a design pressure; and the design pressure is a pressure value that causes the thickness of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to reach their designed thickness in the fuel cell stack;

[0020] curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate to form a first unit cell;

[0021] A second unit cell is stacked on the first unit cell.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, the step of stacking the second unit cell on the first unit cell includes:

[0023] stacking an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate in sequence on the cathode plate of the first unit cell, and providing an adhesive layer on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled unit cell;

[0024] Applying a second preset pressure on the second pre-installed single battery; wherein the second preset pressure is less than the first preset pressure;

[0025] The adhesive layer is cured to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate are bonded to form a second unit cell.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the second preset pressure is less than or equal to the sum of the first preset pressure and the gravity acting on the second single battery cell.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, the cathode plate of the first unit cell and the anode plate of the second unit cell are an integrated structure; and the step of stacking the second unit cell on the first unit cell includes:

[0028] A first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate are sequentially stacked on a surface of the cathode plate of the first unit cell on a side where the anode plate is provided, and an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled unit cell;

[0029] A second preset pressure is applied to the second pre-assembled single cell to form a second single cell; wherein the second preset pressure is less than the first preset pressure.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present application, before the step of stacking the second unit battery on the first unit battery, the method further includes:

[0031] Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane;

[0032] stacking the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate in sequence and assembling them to form a second unit cell, and providing an adhesive layer on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled unit cell;

[0033] applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the second preassembled unit cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer;

[0034] curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate to form a second unit cell;

[0035] The second unit cell is stacked onto the first unit cell.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present application, the fuel cell includes a stack, which is made by stacking a plurality of single cells; after the step of stacking a second single cell on the first single cell, the fuel manufacturing method further includes:

[0037] Determining whether the number of stacked single cells reaches a preset number, where the preset number is the number of stacked single cells required to form the battery stack;

[0038] If not, continue stacking the single cells on the second single cell until the number of the single cells reaches the preset number;

[0039] If so, a third preset pressure is applied to both sides of the fuel cell stack, and the third preset pressure is equal to the design pressure.

[0040] The present application provides a method for manufacturing a single cell and a method for manufacturing a fuel cell. In this method, after stacking and assembling an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate in sequence to form a preassembled single cell, a first preset pressure is applied to both sides of the preassembled single cell to pre-compress the first and second gas diffusion layers. This improves the flatness of the single cell and helps prevent the single cell from being thick in the middle and thin around the edges. Furthermore, because the single cell is formed by bonding, the electrode plate can be pre-compressed to form an indentation on the gas diffusion layer. Under the bonding action of the bonding layer, the gas diffusion layer can maintain the pre-compression amount, which helps reduce displacement of the gas diffusion layer during subsequent compression. Therefore, the problem of different indentations formed during pre-compression and subsequent compression is avoided, which helps reduce the indentation area of ​​the gas diffusion layer and improves the water and air permeability of the gas diffusion layer. In this fuel cell manufacturing method, the first single cell is compressed before stacking, and the flat first single cell helps reduce the difficulty of subsequent stacking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a single cell provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2 A manufacturing flow chart of a single cell manufacturing method provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a fuel cell manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a fuel cell manufacturing method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 5 For this application Figure 4 The corresponding manufacturing flow chart of the fuel cell manufacturing method;

[0047] Figure 6 A schematic flow chart of a fuel cell manufacturing method provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 7 For this application Figure 6 The corresponding manufacturing flow chart of the fuel cell manufacturing method;

[0049] Figure 8 A schematic flow chart of a fuel cell manufacturing method provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Description of main component symbols:

[0051] 100 - single cell, 110 - cathode plate, 120 - second gas diffusion layer, 130 - proton exchange membrane, 140 - first gas diffusion layer, 150 - anode plate, 160 - first single cell, 170 - second single cell, 200 - fuel cell, F1 - first preset pressure, F2 - second preset pressure, F3 - third preset pressure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0053] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described in this application as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is given to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use the present application. In the following description, details are listed for the purpose of explanation. It should be understood that one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that the present application can be implemented without using these specific details. In other embodiments, known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles disclosed herein.

[0054] A battery stack is usually made by stacking multiple single cells, and after stacking, the entire stack needs to be compressed to ensure good conductive contact between each layer of the stack structure. Since the gas diffusion layer is compressed according to a predetermined compression rate during the compression process, the thickness of the gas diffusion layer before the compression process will be higher than the design size to compensate for the compression during the compression process. However, other structures of the single cell that are not easy to compress, such as the anode plate, cathode plate, and frame, will be at the design size. In the case where the gas diffusion layer is usually set in the middle position, the single cell will appear thick in the middle and thin around the edges, which will result in low flatness of the single cell.

[0055] If the flatness of the individual cells is not high, it may cause misalignment between the individual cells in the stack, which will increase the difficulty of stacking the stack. In addition, after the individual cells are prepared, the thicker gas diffusion layer is also prone to misalignment with other structural layers, which also increases the difficulty of stacking the stack to a certain extent.

[0056] Based on this, the present application improves the current single cell manufacturing method and fuel cell manufacturing method.

[0057] First, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a process for manufacturing a single cell 100 in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a single cell 100 in the present application is shown. The manufacturing method of the single cell 100 in this embodiment includes:

[0058] Step S110: Provide an anode plate 150, a first gas diffusion layer 140, a second gas diffusion layer 120, a cathode plate 110 and a proton exchange membrane 130.

[0059] Specifically, the anode plate 150 and the cathode plate 110 are made of a conductive material (e.g., metal or graphite). Each of the anode plate 150 and the cathode plate 110 has flow channels to facilitate electrical conduction while evenly distributing the reactant gas on both sides of the proton exchange membrane 130. For example, the flow channels of the anode plate 150 and the cathode plate 110 may be linear, serpentine, or zigzag.

[0060] An anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer are provided on the proton exchange membrane 130. For example, the proton exchange membrane can be a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane, a partially fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, a composite proton exchange membrane, or a non-fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane.

[0061] The first gas diffusion layer 140 serves as the anode gas diffusion layer. When hydrogen gas from the anode plate 150 passes through the anode gas diffusion layer and reaches the anode catalyst layer, it undergoes a catalytic reaction to produce hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions then pass through the proton exchange membrane and enter one side of the cathode plate 110. The second gas diffusion layer 120 serves as the cathode gas diffusion layer. Oxygen passes through the cathode gas diffusion layer and combines with hydrogen ions to form water. This redox reaction generates electricity.

[0062] Step S120: stacking the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 in sequence, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 to form a preassembled single cell.

[0063] Specifically, after stacking the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 in sequence, a preassembled single cell can be assembled, wherein a hydrogen flow field space is formed between the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The first gas diffusion layer 140 is filled in this hydrogen flow field space so that the hydrogen introduced by the anode plate 150 can be evenly distributed on the side of the proton exchange membrane 130 facing the anode plate 150 and reacts through the anode catalyst layer to generate protons; an air (oxygen) flow field space is formed between the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The second gas diffusion layer 120 is filled in this air (oxygen) flow field space so that the air (oxygen) can be evenly distributed on the side of the proton exchange membrane 130 facing the cathode plate 110. The air (oxygen) introduced into the cathode plate 110 can react with the protons passing through the proton exchange membrane 130 to generate water under the action of the cathode catalyst layer. During the above reaction process, the current generated by the single cell 100 can provide current for the external load.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, a sealing ring is provided between the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130, and between the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The sealing ring is disposed around the first gas diffusion layer 140 or the second gas diffusion layer 120 to ensure the airtightness of the hydrogen flow field space and the air flow field space. In some embodiments of the present application, the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130, and the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130 can be bonded together with an adhesive film to ensure the reliability of the single cell 100 composed of the anode plate 150, the proton exchange membrane 130, and the cathode plate 110.

[0065] Step S130 : applying a first preset pressure F1 to both sides of the preassembled unit cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 and form dents on the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 .

[0066] The first preset pressure F1 is lower than the design pressure; the design pressure is the pressure at which the thicknesses of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 reach their designed thicknesses in the fuel cell stack. It should be noted that after compression, the thickness of the individual cells 100 will still be greater than the designed thickness, but will be significantly reduced compared to before compression, which helps reduce the difficulty of stacking the individual cells 100 into a fuel cell stack.

[0067] Specifically, after the unit cell 100 is assembled, the first gas diffusion layer 140 is disposed between the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The first gas diffusion layer 140 is used to electrically connect to the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130, respectively, to connect the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The second gas diffusion layer 120 is disposed between the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130. The second gas diffusion layer 120 is used to electrically connect to the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130, respectively, to connect the cathode plate 110 and the proton exchange membrane 130.

[0068] S140: Curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 to form a single cell 100.

[0069] Specifically, the adhesive layer can be made of a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a heat-sensitive adhesive. In step S120, the adhesive can be applied to the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120. In this case, the adhesive layer does not perform an adhesive function. In step S140, the curing of the heat-sensitive adhesive is triggered by increasing the temperature, or the curing of the pressure-sensitive adhesive is triggered by an external force. The external force can be the first preset pressure F1 in step S130. The cured adhesive layer can maintain the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 in a compressed state and prevent the formation of indentations, which helps reduce the risk of misalignment between the gas diffusion layer and the electrode plate. Current single cells 100 are not directly compressed after manufacturing. Instead, multiple single cells 100 are stacked to form a stack and then compressed once. This can cause misalignment between the gas diffusion layer and other structural layers and can also result in single cells 100 of varying thickness. Such single cells 100 are also prone to misalignment with other single cells 100 during the subsequent stacking process, making stacking more difficult. However, in this embodiment, after the pre-assembled cells are stacked, a first preset pressure F1 is applied to both sides of the pre-assembled cells to pre-compress the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120. This improves the flatness of the cells 100 and helps prevent the cells 100 from being thick in the middle and thin around the edges. Furthermore, because the cells 100 are bonded together, the electrode plates can be pre-compressed to create indentations in the gas diffusion layers. The bonding action of the adhesive layer allows the gas diffusion layers to maintain the pre-compression, thus minimizing displacement of the gas diffusion layers during subsequent compression. This eliminates the problem of different indentations formed during pre-compression and subsequent compression, helps reduce the indentation area of ​​the gas diffusion layers, and improves the water and air permeability of the gas diffusion layers.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second gas diffusion layers 140, 120 are compressed to a pre-compression thickness using a first preset pressure F1. When the stack is subsequently stacked, a third preset pressure F3 is set to compress the first and second gas diffusion layers 140, 120, which are at the pre-compression thickness, to a designed thickness. For example, if the designed thickness is h, the pre-compression thickness can be 0.5h.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, the first preset pressure F1 is 5%-15% of the design pressure. When compressing the diffusion layer to its designed thickness, the closer the compressed thickness approaches the designed thickness, the greater the required pressure. For a typical first gas diffusion layer 140, using 5%-15% of the design pressure as the first preset pressure F1 can achieve a compression of 30%-60% of the designed compression of the first gas diffusion layer 140 or the second gas diffusion layer 120.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first gas diffusion layer 140 is provided with multiple gas flow channels, one end of each of which is connected to the proton exchange membrane 130 and the other end of each of which is connected to the anode plate 150. After hydrogen enters the hydrogen flow field space, it enters the proton exchange membrane 130 through different gas flow channels. The multiple gas flow channels allow the hydrogen to diffuse evenly across the proton exchange membrane 130. In some embodiments, the multiple gas flow channels are evenly distributed.

[0073] In some specific embodiments, the first gas diffusion layer 140 is made of a porous material and has a plurality of holes formed therein. The gas flow path is formed by any one or more holes. After hydrogen enters the hydrogen flow field space, it can flow into the gas flow path along the various holes, thereby improving the uniformity of hydrogen diffusion across the proton exchange membrane 130.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present application, the second gas diffusion layer 120 has the same structure and composition as the first gas diffusion layer 140. The second gas diffusion layer 120 has similar functions to the first gas diffusion layer 140, both of which are to conduct electricity and promote gas diffusion.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 are carbon paper, and the first predetermined pressure F1 is 10% of the design pressure. For carbon paper, using 10% of the design pressure as the first predetermined pressure F1 can achieve 50% of the design compression of the first gas diffusion layer 140 or the second gas diffusion layer 120.

[0076] It should be explained that carbon paper, also known as carbon fiber paper, is a porous carbon / carbon composite material composed of carbon fibers and a carbon matrix. On the one hand, it can function as a conductor between the anode plate 150 and the proton exchange membrane 130 , and on the other hand, it can also promote uniform diffusion of hydrogen.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of first ridges are provided on a side of the anode plate 150 proximal to the first gas diffusion layer 140, with gas flow channels formed between adjacent first ridges. The first ridges are configured to compress the first gas diffusion layer 140 under a first preset pressure F1, thereby forming first grooves in the first gas diffusion layer 140. The first ridges create first grooves in the first gas diffusion layer 140, and the first grooves and first ridges form a retaining structure to prevent misalignment between the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the anode plate 150. During the actual compression process, the first gas diffusion layer and the anode plate do not experience relative displacement.

[0078] In another embodiment of the present application, multiple second ridges are provided on the side of the cathode plate 110 proximal to the second gas diffusion layer 120, with gas-liquid flow channels formed between adjacent second ridges. The second ridges are configured so that, under the action of a first preset pressure F1, they compress the second gas diffusion layer 120, forming second grooves in the second gas diffusion layer 120. Similarly, the second ridges create second grooves in the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the second grooves and second ridges form a retaining structure to prevent misalignment between the second gas diffusion layer 120 and the cathode plate 110. During the actual compression process, the second gas diffusion layer and cathode plate do not experience relative displacement.

[0079] In some embodiments, the step of sequentially stacking and assembling the anode plate 150 , the first gas diffusion layer 140 , the proton exchange membrane 130 , the second gas diffusion layer 120 , and the cathode plate 110 to form the unit cell 100 further includes:

[0080] Step S121: aligning the center of any one layer of the anode plate 150 , the first gas diffusion layer 140 , the proton exchange membrane 130 , the second gas diffusion layer 120 , and the cathode plate 110 with the center of the previous layer before stacking the next layer.

[0081] It is worth noting that the above-mentioned manufacturing process of the single cell 100 manufacturing method is intended to clearly illustrate the implementation verification process of the present application. Under the guidance of the present application, those skilled in the art can also make equivalent modified designs. For example, the stacking order of the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 in step S120 is reversed, that is, the cathode plate 110, the second gas diffusion layer 120, the proton exchange membrane 130, the first gas diffusion layer 140, and the anode plate 150 are stacked and assembled in sequence to form a single cell 100.

[0082] Furthermore, in order to better implement the single cell 100 manufactured by the single cell 100 manufacturing method in the embodiment of the present application, based on the single cell 100 manufacturing method, the present application also provides a fuel cell 200 manufacturing method, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a fuel cell 200 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, wherein the method for manufacturing the fuel cell 200 includes:

[0083] Step S210: Provide an anode plate 150, a first gas diffusion layer 140, a second gas diffusion layer 120, a cathode plate 110 and a proton exchange membrane 130.

[0084] Step S220: stacking and assembling the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 in sequence to form a first preassembled single cell, and setting an adhesive layer on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 to form a first preassembled single cell.

[0085] Step S230: Applying a first preset pressure F1 to both sides of the first pre-assembled single battery cell 160 to compress the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120; wherein the first preset pressure F1 is less than the design pressure; the design pressure is the pressure value at which the thickness of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 reaches their designed thickness in the fuel cell stack;

[0086] Step S240 : curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate 150 , the first gas diffusion layer 140 , the proton exchange membrane 130 , the second gas diffusion layer 120 , and the cathode plate 110 to form a first unit cell 160 .

[0087] The specific contents of step S210 to step S230 may refer to the contents of step S110 to step S130 in the aforementioned embodiment, and are not described here in detail to keep the description concise.

[0088] In some embodiments, a conductive plate may be further provided, and the anode plate 150 may be directly laminated on the conductive plate.

[0089] For example, the conductive plate can be made of a metal material, while the anode plate 150 and the cathode plate 110 can be made of a graphite material. On the one hand, the conductive plate's high conductivity can improve the uniformity of electrons leaving the anode plate 150 or entering the cathode plate 110. On the other hand, applying the first predetermined pressure F1 to the conductive plate can protect the structures on the anode plate 150 or the cathode plate 110.

[0090] Step S250 : stacking the second unit battery 170 on the first unit battery 160 .

[0091] In the fuel cell manufacturing method of this embodiment, the first unit cells 160 are compressed before being stacked. The flat first unit cells 160 are helpful in reducing the difficulty of subsequent stacking.

[0092] Specifically, the second unit cell 170 may be prepared in advance, or may be prepared on the first unit cell 160 .

[0093] It is worth noting that if the fuel cell 200 only includes more layers of cells 100, the third cell, ..., Nth cell, can be stacked after step S250 until the number of layers of cells reaches a predetermined number. N is a positive integer greater than 3. It should be noted that the predetermined number is the number of cells required to form the fuel cell stack.

[0094] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a fuel cell 200 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 A manufacturing flow chart of the corresponding fuel cell 200 manufacturing method; the steps of stacking the second unit cell 170 on the first unit cell 160 include:

[0095] Step S251: stacking the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120 and the cathode plate 110 in sequence on the cathode plate 110 of the first unit cell 160, and providing an adhesive layer on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 to form a second preassembled unit cell.

[0096] Specifically, the cathode plate 110 of the first unit battery 160 and the anode plate 150 of the second unit battery 170 are in contact with each other and form an electrical connection structure.

[0097] Step S252: applying a second preset pressure F2 to the second pre-assembled single battery; wherein the second preset pressure F2 is less than the first preset pressure F1;

[0098] Step S253 : curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate 150 , the first gas diffusion layer 140 , the proton exchange membrane 130 , the second gas diffusion layer 120 , and the cathode plate 110 to form a second unit cell 170 .

[0099] It should be noted that if the second preset pressure F2 is maintained greater than the first preset pressure F1, the first cell 160 will also experience secondary compression during the preparation of the second cell 170. In other words, if N layers of cell 100 are required, the first cell 160 will be compressed N times, potentially damaging its structure. Similarly, if the second preset pressure F2 is maintained equal to the first preset pressure F1, during the preparation of the second cell 170, the first cell 160 will be subjected to the weight of the second cell 170 and the second preset pressure F2. This will still cause secondary compression of the first cell 160. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second preset pressure F2 is set to be lower than the first preset pressure F1. During the manufacturing process, the lower the second preset pressure F2, the less secondary compression the first cell 160 experiences. This helps prevent multiple compressions on the first cell 160, which could damage it. In some embodiments of the present application, the second preset pressure F2 is less than or equal to the sum of the first preset pressure F1 and the weight of the second cell 170.

[0100] Specifically, during the preparation of the second cell 170, the pressure experienced by the first cell 160 will not exceed the first predetermined pressure F1, thus preventing the first cell 160 from undergoing secondary compression. This helps protect the structure of the cell 100. For example, if the first predetermined pressure F1 of the first cell 160 is f1, the gravity acting on the cell 100 is g1, and the second predetermined pressure F2 of the second cell 170 is f2, then during the preparation of the second cell 170, the pressure F experienced by the first cell 160 is calculated as: F = f2 + g1 ≤ f1.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, the cathode plate 110 of the first unit battery 160 and the anode plate 150 of the second unit battery 170 are integrated into one structure, which is beneficial for improving the electrical connection performance between different unit batteries 100 and reducing the difficulty of stacking.

[0102] The step of stacking the second unit battery 170 on the first unit battery 160 includes:

[0103] The first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 are sequentially stacked on the surface of the cathode plate 110 of the first unit cell 160 on the side where the anode plate 150 is provided, and an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 to form a second preassembled unit cell;

[0104] A second preset pressure F2 is applied to the second pre-assembled unit cell 170 to form a second unit cell; wherein the second preset pressure F2 is less than the first preset pressure F1.

[0105] It is understood that after the first unit cell 160 is prepared, the side of its cathode plate 110 facing away from the second gas diffusion layer 120 becomes the anode plate 150 of the second unit cell 170. At this point, the first gas diffusion layer 140 of the second unit cell 170 can be directly stacked on it. This reduces the number of steps required to stack the anode plate 150 of the second unit cell 170, thereby reducing the stacking difficulty.

[0106] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 Before the step of stacking the second unit battery 170 on the first unit battery 160, the method further includes:

[0107] Step S310: providing an anode plate 150, a first gas diffusion layer 140, a second gas diffusion layer 120, a cathode plate 110, and a proton exchange membrane 130, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 to form a second preassembled single cell;

[0108] Step S320: stacking and assembling the anode plate 150 , the first gas diffusion layer 140 , the proton exchange membrane 130 , the second gas diffusion layer 120 , and the cathode plate 110 in sequence to form a second unit cell 170 ;

[0109] Step S330: applying a first preset pressure F1 to both sides of the second pre-assembled unit cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120;

[0110] Step S340: curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer 140 and the second gas diffusion layer 120 in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate 150, the first gas diffusion layer 140, the proton exchange membrane 130, the second gas diffusion layer 120, and the cathode plate 110 to form a second unit cell 170;

[0111] Step S350 : stacking the second unit battery 170 onto the first unit battery 160 .

[0112] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first single cell 160 and the second single cell 170 are prepared separately and then stacked, which is beneficial to improving assembly efficiency.

[0113] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 8 The fuel cell 200 includes a fuel cell stack, which is made by stacking a plurality of single cells 100; after the step of stacking a second single cell 170 on the first single cell 160, the fuel manufacturing method further includes:

[0114] Step S260: determining whether the number of stacked single cells 100 reaches a preset number, where the preset number is the number of stacked single cells 100 required to form a battery stack;

[0115] Step S270: If not, continue stacking the single battery cells 100 on the second single battery cell 170 until the number of the single battery cells 100 reaches a preset number;

[0116] Step S280: If yes, a third preset pressure F3 is applied to both sides of the fuel cell stack, and the third preset pressure F3 is equal to the design pressure.

[0117] Furthermore, in order to better implement the fuel cell 200 manufactured by the fuel cell 200 manufacturing method in the embodiment of the present application, based on the single cell 100 manufacturing method, the present application also provides a fuel cell 200, including a fuel cell 200 manufactured using any of the above embodiments.

[0118] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the detailed description of other embodiments above and will not be repeated here.

[0119] The basic concepts have been described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not limit the present application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and amendments to the present application. Such modifications, improvements, and amendments are suggested in the present application and remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0120] At the same time, this application uses specific terms to describe the embodiments of this application. For example, "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or multiple times in different locations in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this application may be appropriately combined.

[0121] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the presentation of this application and thus facilitate understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments of this application sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the subject matter of this application requires more features than those recited in the claims. In fact, an embodiment may have fewer features than all of the features of a single embodiment disclosed above.

[0122] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are all approximate values ​​of 5, and this approximate value may vary depending on the characteristics required by the individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account the specified significant digits and adopt the general method of retaining digits. Although the numerical domains and parameters used to confirm the breadth of their range in some embodiments of the present application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the setting of such numerical values ​​is as accurate as possible within the feasible range.

[0123] Each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other materials, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, and documents, cited in this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, except for any application history that is inconsistent with or conflicts with this application, and any document (currently or subsequently attached to this application) that limits the broadest scope of the claims of this application. It should be noted that if the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in the accompanying materials are inconsistent with or conflict with this application, the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in this application will control.

[0124] The above is a detailed introduction to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present application. At the same time, those skilled in the art may vary the specific implementation methods and application scopes based on the concept of the present application. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present application.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a single battery, characterized in that: include: Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane; stacking the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate in sequence, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a preassembled single cell; Applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the preassembled single cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer and form indentations on the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer; wherein the first preset pressure is less than a design pressure; the design pressure is a pressure value that causes the thickness of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to reach their designed thickness in the battery stack; curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate to form a single cell; The first preset pressure is 5%-15% of the design pressure.

2. The method for manufacturing a single battery according to claim 1, wherein: The first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer are carbon paper, and the first preset pressure is 10% of the design pressure.

3. The method for manufacturing a single battery according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of first ridges are provided on a side of the anode plate close to the first gas diffusion layer, with gas flow channels formed between two adjacent first ridges; the first ridges are configured such that, under the action of the first preset pressure, the first ridges compress the first gas diffusion layer to form first grooves on the first gas diffusion layer; And / or, a plurality of second ridges are provided on a side of the cathode plate close to the second gas diffusion layer, and a gas-liquid flow channel is formed between two adjacent second ridges; the second ridges are configured so that under the action of the first preset pressure, the second ridges compress the second gas diffusion layer so as to form a second groove on the second gas diffusion layer.

4. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, characterized in that: include: Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane; stacking the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate in sequence, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a first preassembled single cell; Applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the first preassembled single cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer and form indentations on the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer; wherein the first preset pressure is less than a design pressure; the design pressure is a pressure value that causes the thickness of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to reach their designed thickness in the fuel cell stack; curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate to form a first unit cell; A second unit cell is stacked on the first unit cell.

5. The fuel cell manufacturing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step of stacking the second unit battery on the first unit battery comprises: stacking an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate in sequence on the cathode plate of the first unit cell, and providing an adhesive layer on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled unit cell; Applying a second preset pressure on the second pre-installed single battery; wherein the second preset pressure is less than the first preset pressure; The adhesive layer is cured to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate are bonded to form a second unit cell.

6. The fuel cell manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second preset pressure is less than or equal to the sum of the first preset pressure and the gravity acting on the second single battery cell.

7. The fuel cell manufacturing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cathode plate of the first unit cell and the anode plate of the second unit cell are an integrated structure; and the step of stacking the second unit cell on the first unit cell comprises: A first gas diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, a second gas diffusion layer, and a cathode plate are sequentially stacked on a surface of the cathode plate of the first unit cell on a side where the anode plate is provided, and an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled unit cell; A second preset pressure is applied to the second pre-assembled single cell to form a second single cell; wherein the second preset pressure is less than the first preset pressure.

8. The fuel cell manufacturing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: Before the step of stacking the second unit battery on the first unit battery, the method further includes: Providing an anode plate, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer, a cathode plate and a proton exchange membrane; stacking the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate in sequence, and providing adhesive layers on both sides of the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer to form a second preassembled single cell; applying a first preset pressure to both sides of the second preassembled unit cell to compress the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer; curing the adhesive layer to maintain the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer in a compressed state, and bonding the anode plate, the first gas diffusion layer, the proton exchange membrane, the second gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate to form a second unit cell; The second unit battery is stacked on the first unit battery.

9. The fuel cell manufacturing method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that: The fuel cell includes a stack, which is made of a plurality of stacked single cells. After stacking a second single cell on the first single cell, the fuel cell manufacturing method further includes: Determining whether the number of stacked single cells reaches a preset number, where the preset number is the number of stacked single cells required to form the battery stack; If not, continue stacking the single cells on the second single cell until the number of the single cells reaches the preset number; If so, a third preset pressure is applied to both sides of the fuel cell stack, and the third preset pressure is equal to the design pressure.

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