Split gasket, fuel cell, and method of manufacturing fuel cell

Abstract

A technique is provided for obtaining sufficient bonding strength in a split gasket made by bonding multiple pieces together with a photocurable adhesive. [Solution] The split gasket disclosed herein comprises a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joint formed by hardening a photocurable adhesive located between the first region and the second region and joining the first region and the second region, and a cutout portion is formed in at least one of the first region and the second region to allow curing light to reach the joint.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a split gasket, a fuel cell including the split gasket, and a method for manufacturing the fuel cell. [Background technology]

[0002] The sheet-like substrate used in manufacturing gaskets is expensive, and in order to improve yield, a technique is known in which a single gasket is manufactured by combining multiple pieces together.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sealing structure using a gasket in which a gasket formed as multiple divided bodies is interposed between two surfaces to be sealed, the sealing structure using a gasket comprising: a recess provided on one of the surfaces to be sealed and in a portion corresponding to the gap between the divided bodies; and a sealing member filled in the recess and deforming according to the shape of the gap between the divided bodies.

[0004] Patent document 2 also discloses a split gasket in which multiple gasket pieces are combined and attached to a sealing surface, characterized in that the end surfaces of the gasket pieces are processed as joining surfaces, and the joining surfaces of the end surfaces of these gasket pieces are joined to each other to assemble them into a single unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-97896 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-177420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a single segmented gasket is manufactured by bonding multiple segments with an adhesive. When a segmented gasket is applied to a fuel cell, a photocurable adhesive is typically used as the adhesive for bonding the segments. In this case, to ensure the flatness of the surface of the segmented gasket, it is desirable to sandwich the segmented gasket, which is made by bonding multiple segments via the photocurable adhesive, between a pair of separators, flatten the photocurable adhesive, and then irradiate the photocurable adhesive with curing light. However, with conventional techniques, the curing light is attenuated by the separators and does not sufficiently reach the photocurable adhesive, which has resulted in the problem of not being able to obtain a segmented gasket in which multiple segments are sufficiently bonded to each other.

[0007] The object of the present disclosure, made in view of the above circumstances, is to provide a technique for obtaining sufficient bonding strength in a split gasket formed by bonding multiple pieces together with a photocurable adhesive. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A split gasket according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a split gasket comprising a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joint formed by hardening a photocurable adhesive located between the first region and the second region and joining the first region and the second region, wherein a cutout portion is formed in at least one of the first region and the second region to allow curing light to reach the joint.

[0009] A fuel cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a fuel cell comprising at least one pair of separators and a split gasket, wherein the split gasket includes a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joint formed by hardening a photocurable adhesive located between the first region and the second region and joining the first region and the second region, and wherein a notch is formed in at least one of the first region and the second region to allow curing light to reach the joint.

[0010] A method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of forming a cutout in at least one of a first piece constituting a first region of a split gasket and a second piece constituting a second region of the split gasket, placing the first piece and the second piece opposite each other to form a gap for interposing a photocurable adhesive therebetween, pouring the photocurable adhesive into the gap, sandwiching the first piece and the second piece opposed to each other with the gap formed between a pair of separators, and irradiating the photocurable adhesive with curing light through the cutout to form a joint formed by the photocurable adhesive curing.

[0011] A fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is a fuel cell comprising at least a pair of separators and a split gasket, wherein the split gasket includes a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joint formed by hardening a photocurable adhesive located between the first region and the second region and joining the first region and the second region, and one of the pair of separators has a hole formed at a position opposite the joint that allows curing light to reach the joint and is filled and hardened with the photocurable adhesive.

[0012] A method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of: opposing a first piece constituting a first region of a split gasket to a second piece constituting a second region of the split gasket to form a gap for interposing a photocurable adhesive; forming a hole in one of a pair of separators at a position opposite the gap; sandwiching the first piece and the second piece opposed to each other with the gap formed between the pair of separators; flowing the photocurable adhesive into the gap through the hole; and irradiating the photocurable adhesive through the hole with curing light to form a hole filled with and cured by the photocurable adhesive. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present disclosure, sufficient bonding strength can be obtained in a split gasket formed by bonding multiple pieces together with a photocurable adhesive. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle to which a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a two-piece split gasket that can be applied to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a four-split type split gasket that can be applied to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a split gasket according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a split gasket according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a first piece and a second piece are opposed to each other. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a split gasket according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a first piece and a second piece are opposed to each other. [Figure 9] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a split gasket according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a first piece and a second piece are opposed to each other. [Figure 10] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a split gasket according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a first piece and a second piece are opposed to each other. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of each member constituting a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of each member constituting a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0016] <1. First embodiment> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0017] (1-1. Vehicles) 1, a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a fuel cell stack 2, an inverter 3, a load 4, and a control device 5. In the vehicle 1, under the control of the control device 5, electric power generated by the fuel cell stack 2 is supplied to the load 4 via the inverter 3. The vehicle 1 also includes known equipment (not shown) that is mounted on a fuel cell vehicle, such as a hydrogen tank, an anode gas supply device, a cathode gas supply device, a refrigerant supply device, and a DC / DC converter.

[0018] The fuel cell stack 2 is constructed by stacking several tens to several hundreds of fuel cell units 10, which serve as unit cells (described later), in the stacking direction. Each fuel cell unit 10 has the function of generating electricity by causing anode gas and cathode gas to react with each other. The fuel cell stack 2 may be equipped with a known voltage sensor 6 that can measure the voltage applied to the fuel cell stack 2 and the voltage of each fuel cell unit 10. The fuel cell stack 2 may also be equipped with a known current sensor 7 that can measure the current flowing through the fuel cell unit 10. The fuel cell unit 10 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a known polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC: Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell) or the like.

[0019] The inverter 3 has a function of converting DC power obtained by boosting the voltage using, for example, a DC / DC converter (not shown) into AC power suitable for driving the load 4. The inverter 3 is not particularly limited as long as it exhibits the above-mentioned function, and for example, a known inverter including a three-phase bridge circuit can be applied.

[0020] The load 4 includes, for example, a known electric motor capable of outputting power for driving the drive wheels of the vehicle 1. The electric motor is, for example, a known three-phase AC electric motor. Note that the load 4 may also be other electrical equipment mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0021] The control device 5 is a known ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the electric vehicle, and includes one or more processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), and one or more memories such as semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories communicatively connected to the processors. The control device 5 may further include a known BMU (Battery Management Unit) that monitors and controls the state of the battery. The control device 5 may be configured to be able to communicate with other known EUCs and various sensors (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0022] (1-2. Fuel Cell) 2, the overall configuration of a fuel cell 10 applicable to the fuel cell stack 2 provided in the vehicle 1 will be briefly described. The fuel cell 10 is configured by stacking, in this order, a flat separator 11, a first gasket 12, a subgasket 13, a separator 14 with flow channels, and a second gasket 15, for example. The fuel cell 10 also includes a membrane electrode assembly 16 sandwiched between the pair of separators 11, 14.

[0023] The flat separator 11 is a rectangular flat separator. One of the anode gas and the cathode gas flows through the surface of the flat separator 11 facing the membrane electrode assembly 16. The flat separator 11 is appropriately formed with a cooling water manifold through-hole and a gas manifold through-hole. For example, in the flat separator 11, the cooling water manifold through-hole is formed at the end of the long side of the flat separator 11. Also, in the flat separator 11, the gas manifold through-hole is formed at the end of the short side of the flat separator 11. The flat separator 11 can be, for example, a metal separator made of known aluminum or stainless steel, or a carbon separator made of known carbon-based material.

[0024] The first gasket 12 has an outer shape corresponding to the flat separator 11. The first gasket 12 is appropriately formed with a cooling water manifold through-hole and a gas manifold through-hole corresponding to the flat separator 11. For example, in the first gasket 12, the cooling water manifold through-hole is formed at the end of the long side of the first gasket 12 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11. Also, in the first gasket 12, the gas manifold through-hole is formed at the end of the short side of the first gasket 12 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11. Note that the first gasket 12 can be made of a sealing material such as a synthetic resin material, for example, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), etc. However, there is no particular limitation as long as it is a material that can transmit curing light, which will be described later.

[0025] The subgasket 13 has an outer shape corresponding to the flat separator 11 and the first gasket 12. The subgasket 13 is appropriately formed with cooling water manifold through holes and gas manifold through holes corresponding to the flat separator 11 and the first gasket 12. For example, in the subgasket 13, the cooling water manifold through holes are formed at the end of the long side of the subgasket 13 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11 and the first gasket 12. Furthermore, in the subgasket 13, the gas manifold through holes are formed at the end of the short side of the subgasket 13 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11 and the first gasket 12. Furthermore, the subgasket 13 has a storage space formed in its center in which the membrane electrode assembly 16 is disposed. The subgasket 13 can be made of a sealing material such as a synthetic resin material, for example, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), etc., but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can transmit the curing light described below.

[0026] Here, the membrane electrode assembly 16 attached to the accommodation space formed in the subgasket 13 is a known or arbitrary membrane electrode assembly in which an electrolyte layer (not shown) is sandwiched between a pair of catalyst layers (not shown) and a pair of gas diffusion layers (not shown).

[0027] The separator 14 with channels has an uneven shape that forms gas channels and cooling water channels. The other of the anode gas and the cathode gas flows through the side of the separator 14 facing the membrane electrode assembly 16, and cooling water flows through the side of the separator 14 opposite the membrane electrode assembly 16. The separator 14 with channels has cooling water manifold through holes and gas manifold through holes appropriately formed therein, corresponding to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, and the subgasket 13. For example, in the separator 14 with channels, the cooling water manifold through holes are formed at the end of the long side of the separator 14 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, and the subgasket 13. Furthermore, for example, in the separator 14 with flow channels, the through-holes for the gas manifold are formed at the end of the short side of the separator 14 with flow channels so as to correspond to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, and the subgasket 13. Note that the separator 14 with flow channels can be, for example, a metal separator made of known aluminum or stainless steel, or a carbon separator made of known carbon-based material.

[0028] The second gasket 15 has an outer shape corresponding to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, the subgasket 13, and the separator with channels 14. The second gasket 15 has cooling water manifold through holes and gas manifold through holes appropriately formed therein, corresponding to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, the subgasket 13, and the separator with channels 14. For example, in the second gasket 15, the cooling water manifold through holes are formed at the end of the long side of the second gasket 15 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, the subgasket 13, and the separator with channels 14. Also, for example, in the second gasket 15, the gas manifold through holes are formed at the end of the short side of the second gasket 15 so as to correspond to the flat separator 11, the first gasket 12, the subgasket 13, and the separator with channels 14. The second gasket 15 can be made of a sealing material such as rubber, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can be used in a fuel cell.

[0029] The overall configuration of the fuel cell 10 applicable to the vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been briefly described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the subgasket 13 may be omitted as appropriate. In this case, an accommodation space for arranging the membrane electrode assembly 16 is appropriately formed in the center of the first gasket 12.

[0030] A split gasket 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described in detail below, can be applied to at least one of the first gasket 12 and the subgasket 13 in the fuel cell 10. Furthermore, a fuel cell 1000 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described in detail below, is a fuel cell 10 to which the split gasket 100 is applied. For simplicity, the following description will omit the subgasket 13 and use the split gasket 100 as the first gasket 12, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0031] (1-3. Split type gasket) 3, the split gasket 100 includes a first region 101 and a second region 102 that is different from the first region 101. That is, the first region 101 is a region that constitutes at least a portion of the split gasket 100, and the second region 102 is a region that constitutes another portion that is different from the at least one portion described above.

[0032] In the case of the two-split type shown in FIG. 3 , the split gasket 100 is composed of one first region 101 and one second region 102. In this case, the first region 101 and the second region 102 each have an L-shape with one side constituting the short side of the split gasket 100 and the other side constituting the long side of the split gasket 100, and may include one or more manifold through holes 113. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the shape and number of the first region 101 and the second region 102 can be appropriately determined depending on the division mode of the split gasket 100. For example, in the case of the four-split type shown in FIG. 4 , the split gasket 100 is composed of two first regions 101 and two second regions 102. In this case, each of the two first regions 101 has a rectangular shape constituting the short side of the split gasket 100, and may include one or more manifold through holes 113. Furthermore, the two second regions 102 may each have a rectangular shape that forms the long side of the split gasket 100. Compared to conventional techniques in which portions corresponding to manifold through holes and the like are cut out from a roll of gasket material and then discarded, the split gasket 100 can significantly reduce waste and improve yield at production sites. Note that in Figures 3 and 4, the split gasket 100 is shown without the cutout portion 112, which will be described later.

[0033] The segmented gasket 100 includes a joint 105 located between the first region 101 and the second region 102, joining the first region 101 and the second region 102. The joint 105 is formed by curing a photocurable adhesive, as will be described in detail below. The two-segment type shown in FIG. 3 has two joints 105, and the four-segment type shown in FIG. 4 has four joints 105. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the number of joints 105 can be any number depending on the manner in which the segmented gasket 100 is divided. The photocurable adhesive is a known or arbitrary adhesive that reacts highly sensitively to the wavelength range of curing light generated by an irradiation device (not shown) and polymerizes and hardens. Examples of the photocurable adhesive include an ultraviolet-curable adhesive and a visible-light-curable adhesive, but the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0034] Here, it is preferable that the segmented gasket 100 ensures high sealing properties so that gas inside the fuel cell 1000 does not leak when stacked as shown in FIG. 7 . It is also preferable that the segmented gasket 100 ensures high pressure resistance so that it does not come loose due to pressure from inside the fuel cell 1000. Furthermore, it is preferable that the segmented gasket 100 has a high flatness on the surface on which the photocurable adhesive is applied to ensure uniform surface pressure on the fuel cell 1000. As a countermeasure for this, it is preferable to sandwich the segmented gasket 100 between a pair of separators 120, 140 and then cure the photocurable adhesive. However, when sandwiching the segmented gasket 100 between a pair of separators 120, 140, the photocurable adhesive may overflow, or unevenness may occur on the applied surface depending on the viscosity of the photocurable adhesive.

[0035] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the first region 101 preferably includes a first region-side end 106 that is joined to the second region 102 via a joint 105. The second region 102 preferably includes a second region-side end 107 that is joined to the first region 101 via the joint 105. Furthermore, the first region-side end 106 and the second region-side end 107 preferably have concave-convex shapes that interlock with each other via the joint 105. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, during the manufacturing process of the split gasket 100, the first piece 103 corresponding to the first region 101 and the second piece 104 corresponding to the second region 102 are preferably positioned to face each other across a gap 108 that has a shape corresponding to the concave-convex shape described above in a plan view of the split gasket 100. In FIG. 6, the dashed lines indicate the locations where the photocurable adhesive is dispensed. As a result, when the photo-curable adhesive flows into gap 108 and is cured by curing light, an uneven joint 105 is formed, ensuring high sealing properties and high pressure resistance. Furthermore, when split gasket 100 is sandwiched between a pair of separators 120, 140, uneven gap 108 serves as an escape area for the photo-curable adhesive, preventing it from spilling out and ensuring the flatness of the applied surface.

[0036] 5 and 6, one convex portion 109 is formed at the first region side end 106, and one concave portion 110 that engages with the one convex portion 109 is formed at the second region side end 107, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, multiple convex portions 109 may be formed at the first region side end 106, and multiple concave portions 110 that engage with the multiple convex portions 109 may be formed at the second region side end 107. Furthermore, the convex-concave relationship between the first region side end 106 and the second region side end 107 may be reversed. Note that in FIG. 8, the dashed line indicates the location where the photocurable adhesive is dispensed.

[0037] 9, in addition to the concave-convex shape described above, the first region-side end portion 106 and the second region-side end portion 107 may have a first guide portion 111a and a second guide portion 111b that guide the engagement of the first region-side end portion 106 and the second region-side end portion 107, respectively. Specifically, the first region-side end portion 106 may include the first guide portion 111a, and the second region-side end portion 107 may include the second guide portion 111b that fits into the first guide portion 111a. Furthermore, the gap between the first guide portion 111a and the second guide portion 111b may be formed smaller than the gap 108 that will ultimately become the joint portion 105. This makes it easy to align the first piece 103 corresponding to the first region 101 and the second piece 104 corresponding to the second region 102 when constructing the split gasket 100. The shapes of the first guide portion 111a and the second guide portion 111b are not particularly limited as long as they allow easy alignment of the first piece 103 and the second piece 104. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the first guide portion 111a may have a protrusion whose protrusion direction intersects with the protrusion direction of the convex portion 109 of the first region side end portion 106, and the second guide portion 111b may have a shape that fits into this protrusion. Note that "intersecting" does not necessarily mean being perpendicular, as long as they intersect to an extent that makes it easy to align the first piece 103 and the second piece 104.

[0038] Here, when manufacturing the fuel cell 1000, a photocurable adhesive is poured into the gap 108 located between the first piece 103 corresponding to the first region 101 and the second piece 104 corresponding to the second region 102. Then, as shown in FIG. 7 , the split gasket 100 is sandwiched between a pair of separators 120, 140, and curing light is irradiated onto the photocurable adhesive. As a result, a joint 105 formed by the curing of the photocurable adhesive is formed at the location corresponding to the gap 108. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a route through which the curing light can pass in the split gasket 100 in advance, so that the photocurable adhesive can be cured even after the split gasket 100 is sandwiched between the pair of separators 120, 140.

[0039] 5 to 10, the split gasket 100 has a notch 112 formed in at least one of the first region 101 and the second region 102, which allows the curing light to reach the joint 105. This allows the curing light to reach the curable adhesive through the notch 112, even after the split gasket 100 is sandwiched between the pair of separators 120, 140, ensuring sufficient joint strength.

[0040] From the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the split gasket 100, the notch 112 is preferably formed on the side closer to the manifold through hole 113 between the joint side of the first region 101 and the joint side of the second region 102, which are opposed to each other across the joint 105, as shown in Figures 5, 6, 8, and 9. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the position of the notch 112 may be any position as long as it allows the curing light to reach the joint 105. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the notch 112 may be formed on the side farther from the manifold through hole 113 between the joint side of the first region 101 (the side of the gap 108 in the first piece 103) and the joint side of the second region 102 (the side of the gap 108 in the second piece 104), which are opposed to each other across the joint 105.

[0041] From the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the split gasket 100, it is preferable that the length of the cutout 112 along the extension direction of the joint 105 is equal to or shorter than the length along the extension direction of the joint 105. Furthermore, it is preferable that the shape of the cutout 112 is triangular when the split gasket 100 is viewed in plan. In this case, one end of the hypotenuse of the triangle may be connected to one side of the triangle along the longitudinal direction of the split gasket 100, and the other end of the hypotenuse of the triangle may be connected to the other side of the triangle along the extension direction of the joint 105. However, the shape of the cutout 112 is not limited to triangular as long as it allows the curing light to reach the curable adhesive, and it may be rectangular, for example.

[0042] (1-4. Fuel Cell Manufacturing Method) A manufacturing method for the fuel cell 1000 according to the first embodiment will be briefly described below with reference to Fig. 11. Here, a two-split type will be described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can also be applied to a four-split type, etc. as appropriate.

[0043] In the first step (S10), a first piece 103 that constitutes the first region 101 of the split gasket 100 and a second piece 104 that constitutes the second region 102 of the split gasket 100 are formed. The first piece 103 and the second piece 104 are appropriately molded so that they can be combined with each other to form a single gasket. It is preferable to form the aforementioned uneven shape on the end of the first piece 103 that corresponds to the first region side end 106 and the end of the second piece 104 that corresponds to the second region side end 107.

[0044] In the second step (S11), a notch 112 is formed in at least one of the first piece 103 that constitutes the first region 101 of the split gasket 100 and the second piece 104 that constitutes the second region 102 of the split gasket 100. However, the second step can be performed in any order as long as it is performed before the sixth step. The method for forming the notch 112 is not particularly limited, and for example, a known cutting method can be applied.

[0045] In the third step (S13), the first piece 103 and the second piece 104 are opposed to each other to form a gap 108 for interposing the photocurable adhesive therebetween. At this time, it is preferable to form the gap 108 by opposing the first piece 103 and the second piece 104 so that the uneven shapes formed on the first region side end 106 and the second region side end 107 interlock with each other. The gap 108 formed in the third step will eventually become the joint 105 after going through the seventh step.

[0046] In a fourth step (S14), the membrane electrode assembly 16 is attached to the split gasket 100. The method for attaching the membrane electrode assembly 16 is not particularly limited, and any known or arbitrary adhesion method can be applied.

[0047] In a fifth step (S15), the photo-curable adhesive is poured into the gap 108 formed in the third step. In the fifth step, it is preferable that the photo-curable adhesive is poured into the central region of the gap 108 formed in the third step. This allows the gap 108 to function favorably as a place for the photo-curable adhesive to escape. Note that the "central region" refers to a circular region of a predetermined radius centered at a point located equidistant or substantially equidistant from both ends of the first region side end 106 or the second region side end 107, but the circumference of the circular region does not necessarily have to be a perfect circle.

[0048] In a sixth step (S16), the first piece 103 and the second piece 104 (i.e., the components corresponding to the split gasket 100 that will ultimately be obtained), which were opposed to each other with the gap 108 formed in the second step, are sandwiched between a pair of separators 120, 140. In the sixth step, it is preferable to use a known or arbitrary positioning jig to prevent the split gasket 100 and the pair of separators 120, 140 from shifting positions.

[0049] In a seventh step (S17), the photocurable adhesive that flowed in the fifth step is irradiated with curing light through the notch 112 formed in the second step, thereby curing the photocurable adhesive. Specifically, an irradiation device (not shown) is used to irradiate the curing light from the side of the segmented gasket 100 along the in-plane direction of the segmented gasket 100. As a result, the curing light passes through the notch 112 and reaches the photocurable adhesive, and a joint 105 is formed by the photocurable adhesive being cured.

[0050] In an eighth step (S18), a second gasket 15 corresponding to a sealing material is attached to one of the pair of separators 120, 140. For example, when the separator 120, the split gasket 100, and the separator 140 are stacked in this order, the second gasket 15 is attached to the side of the separator 140 opposite the split gasket 100. The adhesive used to attach the second gasket 15 may be the same as the photocurable adhesive, but is not limited to this, and any known or arbitrary adhesive can be used as long as it has a hardness equivalent to that of the joint 105 formed by the photocurable adhesive.

[0051] In this manner, the fuel cell 1000 comprising at least the split gasket 100 and the pair of separators 120, 140 is manufactured.

[0052] (1-5. Summary) As described above, the fuel cell 1000 according to the first embodiment includes at least a segmented gasket 100 and a pair of separators 120, 140. The segmented gasket 100 also includes a first region 101, a second region 102 different from the first region 101, and a joint 105 formed by curing a photocurable adhesive and positioned between the first region 101 and the second region 102 to join the first region 101 and the second region 102. Furthermore, a notch 112 is formed in at least one of the first region 101 and the second region 102 to allow curing light to reach the joint 105.

[0053] With this configuration, even after split gasket 100, which is made up of multiple assembled segments, is sandwiched between a pair of separators 120, 140, the curing light that passes through cutout 112 reaches the photocurable adhesive, resulting in a sufficiently photocured joint 105. Therefore, sufficient joint strength can be obtained in split gasket 100, which is made up of multiple segments joined together with the photocurable adhesive.

[0054] <2. Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0055] (2-1. Vehicles) The vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment can be configured in the same way as the first embodiment, except for the fuel cell 2000, and the description of the first embodiment is applicable.

[0056] (2-2. Fuel Cell) The fuel cell 2000 according to the second embodiment can be configured in the same manner as the first embodiment, except for the split gasket 200 and separators 220, 240, which will be described in detail below, and the description of the first embodiment is incorporated herein.

[0057] (2-3. Split type gasket) 12, a segmented gasket 200 according to the second embodiment includes a first region 201 and a second region 202 that is different from the first region 201. That is, the first region 201 is a region that constitutes at least a portion of the segmented gasket 200, and the second region 202 is a region that constitutes another portion that is different from the at least one portion of the segmented gasket 200. The number of first regions 201 and second regions 202 is not limited to one each, and can be any appropriate number depending on the manner in which the segmented gasket 200 is divided. For example, the segmented gasket 200 may be a two-separate type similar to the first embodiment, or may be a four-separate type.

[0058] The split gasket 200 is provided with a joint 205 formed by hardening a photocurable adhesive, which is located between the first region 201 and the second region 202 and joins the first region 201 and the second region 202. Note that the photocurable adhesive may be the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0059] As in the first embodiment, the first region 201 preferably includes a first region-side end 206 that is joined to the second region 202 via a joint 205. The second region 202 preferably includes a second region-side end 207 that is joined to the first region 201 via the joint 205. The first region-side end 206 and the second region-side end 207 preferably have an uneven shape that interlocks with each other via the joint 205. The technical significance of the uneven shape is explained in the first embodiment.

[0060] Although details will be described later, the split gasket 200 has holes 230 formed in the separator 220 during the manufacturing stage as shown in Fig. 13, and therefore does not need to have the cutouts 112 formed therein, unlike the split gasket 100 according to the first embodiment. However, the split gasket 200 may also have the cutouts 112 formed therein, as in the first embodiment.

[0061] (2-4. Separator) 12 and 13 , one of the pair of separators 220, 240 has a hole 230 formed in a position facing the joint 205 of the split gasket 200. The hole 230 allows the curing light to reach the joint 205 and is filled with and cured by the photocurable adhesive. That is, the hole 230 functions as an inlet for the photocurable adhesive and also as an outlet for the curing light. Details will be described later. As shown in FIG. 13 , a first piece 203 corresponding to the first region 201 and a second piece 204 corresponding to the second region 202 are sandwiched between the pair of separators 220, 240, and the photocurable adhesive flows into the hole 230 from the separator 220 side where the hole 230 is formed. As a result, the photocurable adhesive drips down the hole 230 and fills the gap 208 between the first piece 203 corresponding to the first region 201 and the second piece 204 corresponding to the second region 202. When curing light is irradiated onto the photo-curable adhesive through the hole 230, the photo-curable adhesive that has flowed into the hole 230 and the gap 208 is cured. As a result, the first region 201 and the second region 202 of the segmented gasket 200 are sufficiently bonded together, and the segmented gasket 200 is also sufficiently bonded to the separator 220. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the segmented gasket 200 and the separator 220 are bonded together, making the bond stronger and reducing the possibility of the segmented gasket 200 coming loose due to internal pressure.

[0062] 13, the position of hole 230 is preferably determined so that hole 230 is located in the central region of joint 205 when split gasket 200 is sandwiched between a pair of separators 220, 240. The shape of hole 230 may be cylindrical with a central axis in the thickness direction of separator 220, but the present disclosure is not particularly limited thereto.

[0063] 14 and 15 , the hole 230 is preferably formed in the separator 220 of the pair of separators 220, 240, on which the second gasket 250, which corresponds to the sealing material for sealing between the separators, is attached. That is, the hole 230 is preferably disposed between the joint portion 205 of the split gasket 200 and the sealing material for sealing the separator 220. This allows the second gasket 250 to cover any excess light-curing adhesive that spills out of the hole 230 when the light-curing adhesive is poured into the hole 230, thereby preventing uneven surface pressure. For the same reason, the hole 230 preferably has a diameter such that its cross-sectional area is smaller than the area covered by the second gasket 250. The second gasket 250 may be the same as the second gasket 15 shown in FIG. 2.

[0064] (2-5. Fuel Cell Manufacturing Method) A manufacturing method for the fuel cell 2000 according to the second embodiment will be briefly described below with reference to Fig. 16. Here, a two-split type will be described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can also be applied to a four-split type, etc. as appropriate.

[0065] In the first step (S21), in the same manner as in the first embodiment, a first piece 203 that constitutes the first region 201 of the split gasket 200 and a second piece 204 that constitutes the second region 202 of the split gasket 200 are formed.

[0066] In the second step (S22), a hole 230 is formed in one separator 220 of the pair of separators 220, 240 at a position facing the joint 205 of the split gasket 200 (i.e., the gap 208 before the photo-curable adhesive flows in), allowing the curing light to reach the joint 205. However, the second step can be performed in any order as long as it is performed before the fifth step. The method for forming the hole 230 is not particularly limited, and for example, a known drilling method can be applied.

[0067] In the third step (S23), as in the first embodiment, the first piece 203 constituting the first region 201 of the split gasket 200 and the second piece 204 constituting the second region 202 of the split gasket 200 are opposed to each other to form a gap 208 for interposing the photocurable adhesive therebetween.

[0068] In the fourth step (S24), the membrane electrode assembly 16 is attached to the split gasket 200 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0069] In the fifth step (S25), the first piece 203 and the second piece 204 (i.e., the components corresponding to the split gasket 200 that will ultimately be obtained) that were opposed in the third step are sandwiched between a pair of separators 220, 240. At this time, it is important to position them so that the hole 230 formed in the second step is located at a position opposite the gap 208 formed in the third step. Note that in the fifth step, a known or arbitrary positioning jig can be used.

[0070] In a sixth step (S26), the photo-curable adhesive is poured into the gap 208 formed in the third step through the hole 230 formed in the second step.

[0071] In a seventh step (S27), curing light is irradiated onto the photocurable adhesive through the hole 230 formed in the second step, thereby forming the hole 230 that is filled and cured by the photocurable adhesive that flowed in the sixth step. Specifically, an irradiation device (not shown) is used to irradiate the curing light along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the separator 220 in which the hole 230 is formed. As a result, the curing light passes through the hole 230 and reaches the photocurable adhesive that has flowed into the gap 208, and the photocurable adhesive is cured to form a joint 205. At the same time, the split gasket 200 and the separator 220 in which the hole 230 is formed are joined together.

[0072] In an eighth step (S18), a second gasket 250 is attached to one separator 220 of the pair of separators 220, 240 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0073] In this manner, the fuel cell 2000 comprising at least the split gasket 200 and the pair of separators 220, 240 is manufactured.

[0074] (2-6. Summary) As described above, the fuel cell 2000 according to the second embodiment includes at least a segmented gasket 200 and a pair of separators 220, 240. The segmented gasket 200 also includes a first region 201, a second region 202 different from the first region 201, and a joint 205 formed by curing a photocurable adhesive, located between the first region 201 and the second region 202, and joining the first region 201 and the second region 202. Furthermore, one of the pair of separators 220, 240 has a hole 230 formed in a position opposite the joint 205, which allows curing light to reach the joint 205 and is formed by filling and curing the photocurable adhesive.

[0075] With this configuration, even after the segmented gasket 200, which is made up of multiple pieces, is sandwiched between the pair of separators 220, 240, the curing light that passes through the holes 230 reaches the photocurable adhesive, resulting in a sufficiently photocured joint 205. Therefore, sufficient bonding strength can be obtained in the segmented gasket 200, which is made up of multiple pieces bonded together with the photocurable adhesive. Furthermore, the segmented gasket 200 and the separator 220, which has the holes 230 formed therein, that make up the fuel cell 2000 are firmly bonded to each other as the photocurable adhesive that has been poured into the holes 230 hardens.

[0076] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0077] The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to moving bodies such as ships and aircraft in addition to the vehicle 1 described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1: vehicle, 2: fuel cell stack, 3: inverter, 4: load, 5: control device, 6: voltage sensor, 7: current sensor, 10, 1000, 2000: fuel cell, 11: flat separator, 12: first gasket, 13: subgasket, 14: separator with flow channel, 15: second gasket, 16: membrane electrode assembly, 100: split gasket, 101: first region, 102: second region, 103: first piece, 104: second piece, 105: joint, 106: first region side end, 10 7: end portion on second region side, 108: gap, 109: convex portion, 110: concave portion, 111a: first guide portion, 111b: second guide portion, 112: notch portion, 113: manifold through hole, 120, 140: separator, 200: split gasket, 201: first region, 202: second region, 203: first piece, 204: second piece, 205: joint portion, 206: end portion on first region side, 207: end portion on second region side, 208: gap, 220, 240: separator, 230: hole portion, 250: second gasket

Claims

1. A first region; a second region different from the first region; a bonding portion formed by curing a photocurable adhesive and positioned between the first region and the second region, and bonding the first region and the second region; A split gasket comprising: a notch that allows curing light to reach the joint is formed in at least one of the first region and the second region; Split gasket.

2. the first region includes a first region side end portion joined to the second region via the joint portion, the second region includes a second region side end portion joined to the first region via the joint portion, the first region side end portion and the second region side end portion have concave and convex shapes that engage with each other via the joint portion; The split gasket according to claim 1 .

3. A fuel cell comprising at least one pair of separators and a split gasket, The split gasket includes a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joining portion located between the first region and the second region, the joining portion being formed by curing a photocurable adhesive and joining the first region and the second region, one of the pair of separators has a hole formed at a position facing the joint portion, the hole allowing curing light to reach the joint portion and filled with and cured by the photo-curable adhesive; Fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the hole is disposed between the joint of the split gasket and a seal material for sealing the separator.

5. A fuel cell comprising at least one pair of separators and a split gasket, The split gasket includes a first region, a second region different from the first region, and a joining portion located between the first region and the second region, the joining portion being formed by curing a photocurable adhesive and joining the first region and the second region, A fuel cell, wherein a notch that allows curing light to reach the joint is formed in at least one of the first region and the second region.

6. 6. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the notch is formed on one of the first region's side facing the joint and the second region's side facing the joint, the other of the first region's side facing the joint and the second region's side facing the joint, closer to the manifold through hole.

7. forming a notch in at least one of a first piece constituting a first region of the split gasket and a second piece constituting a second region of the split gasket; a step of placing the first piece and the second piece opposite each other to form a gap for interposing a photocurable adhesive therebetween; pouring the photocurable adhesive into the gap; a step of sandwiching the first piece and the second piece opposed to each other with the gap formed therebetween between a pair of separators; a step of irradiating the photocurable adhesive with curing light through the notch to form a bonded portion by curing the photocurable adhesive; A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, comprising:

8. a step of opposing a first piece constituting a first region of the split gasket to a second piece constituting a second region of the split gasket to form a gap for interposing a photocurable adhesive therebetween; forming a hole in one of the pair of separators at a position facing the gap; a step of sandwiching the first piece and the second piece opposed to each other with the gap formed therebetween between the pair of separators; a step of injecting a photocurable adhesive into the gap through the hole; a step of irradiating the photocurable adhesive with curing light through the hole to form a hole in which the photocurable adhesive is filled and cured; A method for manufacturing a fuel cell, comprising:

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