Fuel cell activation method

Abstract

The invention provides an activation method of a fuel cell. The fuel cell has an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode provided on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane. The activation method of a fuel cell includes: supplying hydrogen gas to an anode electrode and supplying inert gas to a cathode electrode; a voltage application step in which a circulating voltage that rises and falls within a predetermined range is applied to the fuel cell; a humidification step in which a humidification gas containing water vapor is supplied to at least one of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; a sealing step in which, after the humidification step, the humidified gas is sealed in the anode electrode or the cathode electrode; and a placement step in which, after the sealing step, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are placed so as to be stacked when viewed from the gravitational direction. According to the activation method of the fuel cell, humidification in the electrode can be uniformly carried out through the placing process, and the fuel cell can be effectively activated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an activation method, and in particular to an activation method of a fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy for more people, research and development related to fuel cells that contribute to energy efficiency has been carried out.

[0003] In order to improve the output of fuel cells before leaving the factory, the following aging treatments have been proposed: Cyclic Voltammetry aging treatment (CV aging treatment) for removing surface deposits of the catalyst to activate the catalyst, Hydrogen Pump aging treatment (HP aging treatment) for wetting the membrane and catalyst layer, and aging treatments that combine these treatments.

[0004] In the aging process of cyclic voltammetry, hydrogen is introduced and a rising and falling cyclic voltage is applied to the fuel cell to increase the activity of the catalyst through redox reactions; and in the hydrogen pump aging process, the ionic polymers in the catalyst layer are hydrated in a short time to generate a large current.

[0005] [Prior art literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] [Patent Document 1]: Japanese Patent No. 6207832

[0008] [Patent Document 2]: Japanese Patent No. 6543658 Summary of the invention

[0009] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In the technology related to fuel cells, after the fuel cell stack is assembled, an aging treatment is required to activate the catalyst. During the aging treatment, the method of improving the performance by wetting the inside of the electrode takes a lot of time, which is difficult to achieve efficiency and difficult to shorten the time. In addition, when the fuel cell generates electricity and ages, the water content in the fuel cell decreases. As a result, when the impurities are removed by the aging treatment of cyclic voltammetry, these impurities are not easily discharged to the outside of the fuel cell.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for activating a fuel cell, which can efficiently wet the inside of an electrode to improve the performance of the fuel cell; and can improve the cleaning effect of impurities, thereby contributing to energy efficiency.

[0012] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0013] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the technical solution of one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for activating a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell has an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode arranged on the surface of one side of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode arranged on the surface of the other side of the electrolyte membrane, and the activation method of the fuel cell includes: a gas supply process, supplying hydrogen to the anode electrode and supplying an inert gas to the cathode electrode; a voltage application process, applying a cyclic voltage that rises and falls within a specified range to the fuel cell; a humidification process, supplying humidified gas containing water vapor to at least either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode; a sealing process, after the humidification process, sealing the humidified gas in the anode electrode or the cathode electrode; and a placement process, after the sealing process, placing the anode electrode and the cathode electrode in a stacked manner when viewed from the direction of gravity.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, after the sealing process, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are placed along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the gravity direction, and in the gravity direction, the surface of the cathode electrode is located above the surface of the anode electrode.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell further comprises a plurality of separators, wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are sandwiched between the plurality of separators. The separator has a flow path. In the sealing step or the placing step, the cathode pressure of the humidified gas sealed in the cathode electrode is higher than the anode pressure of the humidified gas sealed in the anode electrode.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the electrolyte membrane is selected from the group consisting of solid polymers, fluorine-based polymer compounds, and sulfonic acid-based polymer compounds.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the activation method of the fuel cell further includes: providing a cathode side input piping and an anode side input piping, arranged on one side of the fuel cell; and providing a cathode side output piping and an anode side output piping, arranged on the other side of the fuel cell.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the activation method of a fuel cell further includes: providing an input piping heater, which is respectively disposed on the cathode side input piping and the anode side input piping.

[0019] [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The activation method of the fuel cell of the embodiment of the present invention is to place the anode electrode and the cathode electrode in a stacked manner when viewed from the direction of gravity through a placement process, so that the humidification in the electrodes can be performed evenly, thereby effectively activating the fuel cell. In addition, as the cathode pressure on the cathode electrode side becomes higher, the cathode electrode will sink and form a concave portion, so that a large amount of liquid water (condensation water) can be retained in the concave portion, and more water can be transported to the catalyst layer to activate the catalyst layer.

[0021] In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, embodiments are given below with reference to the accompanying drawings for detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the supply of hydrogen and inert gas to a fuel cell.

[0024] Figure 3 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a voltage application process of a fuel cell.

[0025] Figure 4 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the humidification process of a fuel cell.

[0026] Figure 5 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the sealing process and placement process of a fuel cell.

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a fuel cell's cathode electrode containing water.

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of a fuel cell.

[0029] Figure 8 It is a curve diagram showing the improvement of the voltage of the fuel cell as the aging process proceeds.

[0030] Fig. 9 (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the aging treatment time and the voltage of the fuel cell when only the aging treatment is performed.

[0031] Fig. 9 (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage and the elapsed time of the fuel cell after the aging treatment and the standing step.

[0032] Fig.10 Schematic diagram for explaining the mechanism of activating a fuel cell by placing it in a storage process after aging treatment, wherein: Fig.10 (a) is a schematic diagram of the process of activating a fuel cell. Fig.10 (b) is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the fuel cell and the piping. Fig.10 (c) is a schematic diagram showing the change of gas purge flow rate and pipe temperature over time. Fig.10 (d) is a schematic diagram showing the effect of the relative humidity in the fuel cell on the voltage of the fuel cell during the placement process. Fig.10 (e) is a schematic diagram of the humidified gas entering the cathode electrode.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 100: Fuel Cell

[0035] 110: Electrolyte membrane

[0036] 120: Anode electrode

[0037] 120(W): Anode electrode containing water

[0038] 130: Cathode electrode

[0039] 130a: Catalyst layer

[0040] 130b: Gas diffusion layer

[0041] 130c: Concave

[0042] 130(W): Cathode electrode containing water

[0043] 140: Partition

[0044] 142: Flow path

[0045] 150In: Cathode side input piping

[0046] 150Out: Cathode side output piping

[0047] 160In: Anode side input piping

[0048] 160Out: Anode side output piping

[0049] 170: Input pipe heater

[0050] 170OFF: The time to turn off the input pipe heater

[0051] CV: Cyclic Voltage

[0052] GW: Humidified gas

[0053] H2: Hydrogen

[0054] IG: Inert gas

[0055] LR: Horizontal

[0056] UD: Direction of gravity

[0057] S1, S2, S3, S4: Process

[0058] W: Water DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in each embodiment described below, the same reference numerals are used for common parts, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The gravity direction UD and the horizontal direction LR are shown.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 1 The fuel cell 100 includes an electrolyte membrane 110 , an anode electrode 120 provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 110 , and a cathode electrode 130 provided on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane 110 .

[0062] The electrolyte membrane 110, the anode electrode 120, and the cathode electrode 130 constitute a power generation unit. In the fuel cell 100, a plurality of power generation units may be stacked to form a battery stack.

[0063] The material of the electrolyte membrane 110 may be selected from the group consisting of solid polymers, fluorine-based polymer compounds, and sulfonic acid-based polymer compounds.

[0064] The anode electrode 120 is a porous body, and has a catalyst layer (not shown) on a surface facing one side of the electrolyte membrane 110 , and a gas diffusion layer (not shown) stacked on the catalyst layer.

[0065] The cathode electrode 130 is a porous body and has a catalyst layer 130a on a surface facing the electrolyte membrane 110 and a gas diffusion layer 130b stacked on the catalyst layer 130a (see the following). Fig.10 (e)).

[0066] The catalytic electrode layer in the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 can be composed of catalyst particles (electrode catalyst) formed by carrying catalyst metals such as platinum on a catalyst carrier made of carbon such as carbon black, and an ion-conductive polymer binder; in addition, the above-mentioned electrode catalyst can also be composed of catalyst metals such as platinum black without containing a catalyst carrier.

[0067] When the electrode catalyst is composed of platinum, the following reactions may occur on the surface of the electrode catalyst:

[0068] 2Pt+H 2 O+1 / 2O 2 +e - →2Pt(OH - );

[0069] Pt(OH - )+H 3 O + →Pt+2H 2 O.

[0070] Therefore, by supplying water to the surface of the electrode catalyst, the reaction occurring on the surface of the electrode catalyst can be promoted.

[0071] In addition, the gas diffusion layers in the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 may be made of carbon paper or carbon cloth.

[0072] Figure 2 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the supply of hydrogen and inert gas to a fuel cell. Figure 3 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a voltage application process of a fuel cell. Figure 4 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the humidification process of a fuel cell. Figure 5 is for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the sealing process and placement process of a fuel cell. Figure 2 to Figure 5 The gravity direction UD and the horizontal direction LR are shown. Figures 2 to 5A method for activating the fuel cell 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0073] The activation method of the fuel cell 100 may include a gas supplying step, a voltage applying step, a humidifying step, a sealing step, and a placing step.

[0074] First, please refer to Figure 2 In the gas supply process, hydrogen gas H is supplied to the anode electrode 120. 2 , and supply an inert gas IG to the cathode electrode 130. The inert gas IG is, for example, nitrogen N 2 .

[0075] Next, please refer to Figure 3 In the voltage application step, a cyclic voltage CV that increases and decreases within a specified range is applied to the fuel cell 100. Accordingly, cyclic voltammetry can be performed to remove residual solvents (carbon functional groups), oxide films and other attachments attached to the surfaces of the electrode catalysts included in the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130, so as to clean the surfaces of the electrode catalysts.

[0076] When an inert gas IG is supplied to the cathode electrode 130 and a voltage application process is performed, the surface of the electrode catalyst can be cleaned without generating a power generation reaction; therefore, for example, compared with the case where the fuel cell 100 is activated by generating a power generation reaction by supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode electrode 130, the amount of gas consumed can be reduced and the required equipment can be simplified.

[0077] Next, please refer to Figure 4 In the humidification process, humidified gas GW containing water vapor is supplied to at least one of the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130. In the humidification process, water can be supplied to the surface of the electrode catalyst to promote the reaction on the surface of the electrode catalyst. The water vapor in the humidified gas can condense inside the fuel cell 100 and wet the electrolyte membrane 110, so that the electrolyte membrane 110 exhibits good proton conductivity, and the fuel cell 100 can be effectively activated.

[0078] Next, please refer to Figure 5 After the humidification process, a sealing process is performed to seal the humidified gas GW in the anode electrode 120 or the cathode electrode 130 .

[0079] After the sealing step, a placement step is performed to place the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 so as to be stacked when viewed from the gravity direction UD. During the placement step, the humidified gas GW condenses on the anode electrode 120 or the cathode electrode 130 to generate water. Figure 5, an anode electrode 120 (W) containing water and a cathode electrode 130 (W) containing water are shown.

[0080] In previous battery stacks, the length directions of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are set parallel to the direction of gravity, and the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are stacked along the horizontal direction. Therefore, due to the influence of gravity, the in-plane distribution of water in the anode electrode and the cathode electrode will be uneven, thereby reducing the activation effect.

[0081] However, in one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 5 The length directions of the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 are arranged parallel to the horizontal direction LR, and the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 are stacked along the gravity direction UD. Therefore, even under the influence of gravity, water can be evenly distributed in the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130, thereby improving the activation effect.

[0082] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a fuel cell's cathode electrode containing water. Figure 6 The gravity direction UD and the horizontal direction LR are shown.

[0083] like Figure 5 As shown, after the sealing process, the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 are placed along the horizontal direction LR perpendicular to the gravity direction UD, and the surface of the cathode electrode 130 is located above the surface of the anode electrode 120 in the gravity direction UD. Figure 6 During the placement process, water W will be evenly distributed within the surface of the cathode electrode 130. It can be seen that through the placement process, the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 are placed in a stacked manner when viewed from the gravity direction UD, so that the humidification inside the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 can be evenly performed, thereby effectively activating the fuel cell 100.

[0084] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of a fuel cell. Figure 7 The gravity direction UD and the horizontal direction LR are shown. Figure 1 and Figure 7 The fuel cell 100 may further include a plurality of separators 140, wherein the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 are sandwiched between the plurality of separators 140. The separator 140 has a flow path 142. In the sealing process or the placement process, the cathode pressure of the humidified gas GW sealed in the cathode electrode 130 is higher than the anode pressure of the humidified gas GW sealed in the anode electrode 120. Figure 7As shown, due to the pressure difference, a concave portion 130 c capable of accommodating water W is generated on the surface of the cathode electrode 130 at a corresponding position of the flow path 142 .

[0085] The expected activation effect can be achieved by placing the surface of the cathode electrode 130 above the surface of the anode electrode 120. In detail, as an activation effect based on condensed water W by introducing humidified gas GW during aging treatment, it has been found that the catalyst layer of the cathode electrode 130 containing water W is more effective than the catalyst layer of the anode electrode 120 containing water W. The output voltage is not significantly improved by activating only the surface of the anode electrode 120. However, by making the ion polymer in the catalyst layer of the cathode electrode 130 an environment that is easy to absorb water, the resistance to proton and oxygen transmission will be reduced, thereby being able to increase the output voltage.

[0086] In addition, the cathode pressure of the humidified gas GW sealed in the cathode electrode 130 is higher than the anode pressure of the humidified gas GW sealed in the anode electrode 120 to perform the placement process, so that the expected activation effect can be achieved. Figure 7 As shown, due to the pressure difference, a recess 130c capable of accommodating water W is generated in the cathode electrode 130. Since a large amount of water W is retained on the surface of the cathode electrode 130, the water W can wet the catalyst layer of the cathode electrode 130, thereby improving the activation effect.

[0087] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the voltage improvement of the fuel cell as the aging process progresses. Figure 8 The left vertical axis represents: "Overvoltage improvement based on saturation benchmark (%)", the horizontal axis represents "Aging treatment time (minutes, min)", and the right vertical axis represents "Voltage improvement of fuel cell (%)", where the aging treatment time refers to the total time of cyclic voltammetry aging treatment (CV aging treatment) and hydrogen pump aging treatment (HP aging treatment). Figure 8 As shown, with the accumulation of aging treatment time, the voltage output of the fuel cell gradually increases, and after the aging treatment time is 280 minutes, there is a more significant improvement.

[0088] Fig. 9 (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the aging treatment time and the voltage of the fuel cell when only the aging treatment is performed. Fig. 9 (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage and the elapsed time of the fuel cell after the aging treatment and the standing step.

[0089] Fig. 9 (a) shows the case where only aging treatment (cyclic voltammetry aging treatment and hydrogen pump aging treatment) is performed. Fig. 9 (a) shows the voltage of the fuel cell after aging treatment for 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, and 280 min.

[0090] Fig. 9 (b) shows the situation of performing aging treatment and placement process. Fig. 9 (b) shows the voltage of the fuel cell after the aging treatment and the standing time of 15 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min.

[0091] and Fig. 9 Compared with the voltage of the fuel cell that has undergone long-term aging treatment (280 min) in (a), it can be seen that the voltage of the fuel cell that has undergone a placement process for 15 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min is relatively high. This shows that the voltage of the fuel cell 100 can be increased by humidifying the gas GW and the placement process, and the activation effect of the fuel cell 100 can be improved.

[0092] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the mechanism of activating a fuel cell by placing it in a storage process after aging treatment, wherein: Fig.10 (a) is a schematic diagram of the process of activating a fuel cell. Fig.10 (b) is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the fuel cell and the piping. Fig.10 (c) is a schematic diagram showing the change of gas purge flow rate and pipe temperature over time. Fig.10 (d) is a schematic diagram showing the effect of the relative humidity in the fuel cell on the voltage of the fuel cell during the placement process. Fig.10 (e) is a schematic diagram of the humidified gas entering the cathode electrode.

[0093] Please refer to Fig.10 (a), step S1 is to perform cyclic voltammetry aging treatment and hydrogen pump aging treatment. Step S2 is to perform humidification and cooling. Step S3 is to perform a standing step (for example, for 12 hours). Step S4 is to perform performance evaluation.

[0094] Please refer to Fig.10 (b), a cathode side input piping 150In and an anode side input piping 160In are arranged on one side of the fuel cell 100; and a cathode side output piping 150Out and an anode side output piping 160Out are arranged on the other side of the fuel cell 100. In addition, an input piping heater 170 is also provided on the cathode side input piping 150In and the anode side input piping 160In.

[0095] Please refer to Fig.10(c) To cool the piping for providing humidified gas, the input piping heater 170 (such as Fig.10 The time point 170OFF when the input pipe heater is turned off as shown in (c) of FIG. 170 is shown). The airflow removes heat and cools the pipe, thereby increasing the relative humidity (RH) of the pipe.

[0096] Please refer to Fig.10 (d), the horizontal axis is "Relative humidity in the fuel cell [%]", and the vertical axis is "Rise in voltage of the fuel cell [mV]". If the electrode material (catalyst dosage, type of ion polymer, etc.) changes, the improvement effect and the lower limit condition of relative humidity (RH) (currently 50%) may also change. The preferred range of relative humidity (RH) is:

[0097] 50<Piping RH≤100

[0098] 50<RH in battery≤100

[0099] In detail, if the relative humidity (RH) is 50% or less, the activation effect is low;

[0100] If the relative humidity (RH) is 100% or more, condensation will occur, which will hinder the diffusion of water vapor to the catalyst layer (where water is to be transported).

[0101] in addition, Fig.10 (d) shows the curves when the relative humidity (RH) in the pipe is 50% and 90%. It can be seen that the activation effect is significantly increased by making the relative humidity in the pipe higher (90%) than the high relative humidity in the fuel cell 100.

[0102] Fig.10 Arrow ① in (d) represents that by causing condensation water W and placing the fuel cell 100 in a humidified state, over time, the ion polymers in the catalyst layer 130a and the gas diffusion layer 130b in the cathode electrode 130 are wetted in the surface, forming a proton conduction path, and reducing the concentration overvoltage and resistance overvoltage, thereby improving performance (cell voltage). Cooling can cause the porous part of the base layer of the electrode to be filled with liquid water, resulting in that the movement of water from the catalyst layer to the gas diffusion layer side is suppressed, and the wetting of the ion polymers of the electrolyte membrane and the catalyst layer can be carried out efficiently.

[0103] Fig.10Arrow ② in (d) represents that the impurities in the electrode are discharged to the outside together with the liquid water through gas purge after the placement process. The placement process is performed outside the aging device, for example, it can be placed in a storage cabinet. Before the placement process, the introduced gas is preferably a humidified gas. In order to promote uniform diffusion of liquid water in the surface, the cathode electrode 130 of the battery stack can be placed upward, and the anode electrode 120 and the cathode electrode 130 can be placed in a stacked manner when viewed from the gravity direction UD. In addition, in order to keep the liquid water W on the surface of the cathode electrode 130, a recess 130c (such as anode pressure) capable of accommodating water W can be generated on the surface of the cathode electrode 130 by a pressure difference (cathode pressure>anode pressure). Figure 7 shown).

[0104] Please refer to Fig.10 (e) It is important to transport more water to the catalyst layer 130a. Liquid water will not pass through the gas diffusion layer 130b, so it is necessary to transport the humidified gas and water vapor to the catalyst layer 130a together. Since the density of water vapor is low, it condenses in the catalyst layer 130a and turns into liquid water. In order to promote condensation of water, the relative humidity (RH) of the fuel cell 100 can be increased, and the relative humidity (RH) in the piping can also be increased to promote faster condensation.

[0105] Based on the above, in the activation method of the fuel cell 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the following steps are performed:

[0106] Cyclic voltammetry aging treatment (gas supply process and voltage application process),

[0107] Humidification process (for example, using nitrogen N2 containing water vapor for gas purging),

[0108] Sealing step (sealing the humidified gas GW in the anode electrode 120 or the cathode electrode 130),

[0109] A cooling process (cooling water is allowed to flow through the cooling flow path of the fuel cell. The cooling process can be performed simultaneously with the humidification process and the sealing process. In addition, the cooling process is performed after the sealing process, and the wetting effect is higher), and a placement process.

[0110] In the cooling process, cooling water can be passed through the cooling flow path of the fuel cell for rapid cooling. Since the water temperature is controlled at about 70°C to 80°C during the aging process, the water temperature can be switched from 70°C to 80°C to normal temperature water (25°C) for cooling. In addition, a cooling flow path can be set separately.

[0111] After the aging process, gas purging can be performed in the same apparatus to seal the humidified gas into the cathode electrode, thereby saving processing time for the activation method of the fuel cell.

[0112] During the aging process, when the temperature of the fuel cell is relatively high, gaseous water can be easily transported to the catalyst layer by introducing humidified gas (due to diffusion). If the temperature of the fuel cell is low, liquid water will increase and it will not be easy to reach the catalyst layer through the gas diffusion layer.

[0113] (1) During the aging treatment by cyclic voltammetry, impurities (acid components, etc.) desorbed from the surface of the catalyst layer are discharged outside the fuel cell, which can prevent the performance degradation (increase in activation overvoltage) caused by re-attachment to the catalyst layer, making the effect of the aging treatment more irreversible. (2) By actively washing away the residual acid components in the electrode that are considered to have an adverse effect on durability with condensation water, the effect of improving durability can be achieved. The above (1) and (2) can make up for the shortcomings of the aging treatment by cyclic voltammetry (because it is non-power generation aging, it will not be washed with water generated by power generation like normal power generation aging).

[0114] In summary, the activation method of the fuel cell according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following technical effects:

[0115] By placing the anode electrode and the cathode electrode in a stacked manner when viewed from the direction of gravity, the humidification in the electrodes can be uniformly performed, thereby effectively activating the fuel cell. In addition, as the cathode pressure on the cathode electrode side increases, the cathode electrode sinks to form a concave portion, so a large amount of liquid water (condensation water) can be retained in the concave portion, and more water can be transported to the catalyst layer to activate the catalyst layer.

[0116] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for activating a fuel cell, the fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode provided on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane, the method for activating the fuel cell comprising: a gas supplying step of supplying hydrogen to the anode electrode and supplying an inert gas to the cathode electrode; a voltage application step of applying a cyclic voltage that increases and decreases within a specified range to the fuel cell; a humidification step of supplying a humidified gas containing water vapor to at least one of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; a sealing step of sealing the humidified gas in the anode electrode or the cathode electrode after the humidification step; as well as The placing step is to place the anode electrode and the cathode electrode in a stacked state when viewed from the gravity direction after the sealing step.

2. The method for activating a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the sealing process, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are placed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the gravity direction, and In the gravity direction, the surface of the cathode electrode is located above the surface of the anode electrode.

3. The method for activating a fuel cell according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fuel cell further comprises a plurality of separators, The anode electrode and the cathode electrode are sandwiched between the plurality of separators. The separator has a flow path, In the sealing step or the placing step, a cathode pressure for sealing the humidified gas in the cathode electrode is higher than an anode pressure for sealing the humidified gas in the anode electrode.

4. The method for activating a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the electrolyte membrane is selected from the group consisting of solid polymers, fluorine-based polymer compounds, and sulfonic acid-based polymer compounds.

5. The method for activating a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Providing a cathode side input piping and an anode side input piping, which are arranged on one side of the fuel cell; as well as A cathode side output pipe and an anode side output pipe are provided and arranged on the other side of the fuel cell.

6. The method for activating a fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: Input pipe heaters are provided, which are respectively installed on the cathode side input pipe and the anode side input pipe.

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