Drying method for separators

Abstract

This invention provides a method for drying separators that can dry them without generating watermarks. [Solution] The separator drying method according to the present disclosure is a method for drying a flat rectangular separator used in a fuel cell, which is placed at the boundary between cells to block gas, by injecting gas into a loading container in which a plurality of the separators are stacked in the thickness direction, thereby drying the separator after liquid washing, comprising: a holding step of holding the separator so that the flat surface of the separator is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and a drying step of injecting gas from one end of the separator toward the other end located below the one end, thereby blowing off the moisture adhering to the separator and discharging it from the other end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for drying a separator.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a drying apparatus for a workpiece, which is a thin plate-shaped workpiece used as a separator of a fuel cell. The workpiece is dried by housing the workpiece in a rack and injecting air upward from the lower surface of the rack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the drying apparatus for the workpiece disclosed in Patent Document 1 injects air upward from the lower surface, the water adhering to the workpiece does not fall but scatters upward. Further, the drying apparatus for the workpiece dries the workpiece by heating the inside of the drying tank with a separately provided heating device to evaporate water. Therefore, when the finely scattered water droplets evaporate from the workpiece, there is a possibility that traces of water called so-called watermarks remain.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a method for drying a separator that can dry the separator without generating watermarks.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A method for drying a separator according to an aspect of the present disclosure is A method for drying a flat rectangular separator used in a fuel cell to block gas flow by placing it at the boundary between cells, wherein gas is injected into a loading container in which multiple separators are stacked in the thickness direction, thereby drying the separator after liquid washing. A holding step in which the separator is held such that the flat surface of the separator is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, The system includes a drying step in which the gas is injected from one end of the separator toward the other end located below the one end, thereby blowing away any moisture adhering to the separator and discharging it from the other end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a method for drying separators can be provided that allows the separator to be dried without generating watermarks. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] (a) A schematic perspective view of a basket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. (b) A side view of a basket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] (a) A side view before the drying step in the separator drying method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. (b) A side view during the drying step in the separator drying method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the separator drying method according to the present disclosure when gas circulation is performed. [Figure 4] This is a side view of a separator cleaning apparatus and drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of a method for drying a separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure in detail with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity, the following descriptions and drawings have been simplified as appropriate.

[0010] <Basket composition> The basket according to the embodiment of this disclosure is a loading container for stacking multiple flat rectangular separators, which are placed at the boundary between cells in a fuel cell to block gases, arranged in the thickness direction. Figure 1(a) is a schematic perspective view of a basket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1(b) is a side view of the basket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, Figures 1(a) and (b) show the basket with separators loaded. The right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) is for convenience to show the positional relationships of the components. The positive z-axis is vertically upward, and the xy-plane is the horizontal plane, and this is common to all drawings from Figures 1 to 4, including Figures 2 to 4 which will be described later.

[0011] Basket 1 comprises side sections 11 and 12, side guides 13 and 14, a bottom section 15, a bottom guide 16, and a handle 17, and is used to load the separator 2. Here, basket 1 is a loading container.

[0012] Basket 1 is a loading container for washing and drying separators 2 while they are loaded inside. Inside basket 1, one or more separators 2 are arranged in the x-axis direction (the thickness direction of separators 2). The size of basket 1 is appropriately determined according to the size of separators 2. The material of basket 1 is an alloy steel such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, which will not dissolve when separators 2 are washed with alkali.

[0013] The side sections 11 and 12 are connected to the bottom section 15, and the side sections 11 and 12 face each other. In this structure, the side sections 11 and 12 constitute the sides of the basket 1. A side guide 13 is formed on the negative y-axis side of the side section 11, and a side guide 14 is formed on the positive y-axis side of the side section 12. Although no side sections are provided on the positive x-axis side and negative x-axis side of the basket 1 in Figure 1(a), side sections may be provided on these surfaces in addition to the side sections 11 and 12.

[0014] Furthermore, the side sections 11 and 12 are composed of outer frames 111 and 121 and support members 112 and 122 that extend in the x-axis direction at the center of the side sections 11 and 12. The portion of side section 11 enclosed by the outer frame 111 and support member 112 is an opening 113, and the portion of side section 12 enclosed by the outer frame 121 and support member 122 is an opening 123. In other words, the basket 1 has openings 113 and 123 on each of a pair of opposing surfaces (i.e., side sections 11 and 12) that are substantially parallel to the thickness direction (x-axis direction) of the separator 2. Although one support member 112 and one 122 are depicted in Figure 1(a), the number of support members 112 and 122 can be appropriately determined according to the required strength of the basket 1 and the number of side guides 13 and 14, and support members 112 and 122 may be omitted. Also, the side sections 11 and 12 may have support members extending in a direction parallel to the z-axis or in other directions.

[0015] The side guide 13 is a member provided with a plurality of convex portions arranged in the x-axis direction on the upper side portion of the outer frame 111 and the surface on the negative y-axis side of the support member 112. The side guide 14 is a member provided with a plurality of convex portions arranged in the x-axis direction on the upper side portion of the outer frame 121 and the surface on the positive y-axis side of the support member 122. The side guides 13 and 14 have the role of separating the separators 2 arranged side by side in the x-axis direction by arranging the separator 2 between the convex portions arranged in the x-axis direction. The interval between the convex portions provided on the side guides 13 and 14 is appropriately determined according to the number of the separators 2 loaded in the basket 1. In addition, in FIG. 1(a), two side guides 13 and 14 are drawn respectively, but the number of the side guides 13 and 14 is appropriately determined according to the stability required by the separator 2.

[0016] The bottom surface portion 15 is connected to the side surface portions 11 and 12 and constitutes the bottom surface of the basket 1. A bottom surface guide 16 is formed on the surface on the positive z-axis side of the bottom surface portion 15. In addition, the bottom surface portion 15 is composed of an outer frame 151 and a support member 152 extending in the y-axis direction at the center of the outer frame 151. The portion surrounded by the outer frame 151 and the support member 152 in the bottom surface portion 15 is an opening 153.

[0017] In FIG. 1(a), only one support member 152 is drawn, but the number of the support members 152 is appropriately determined according to the strength required by the basket 1, and the support member 152 may not be provided. In addition, the bottom surface portion 15 may have a support member extending in a direction parallel to the x-axis or other directions. Also, a part of the member constituting the outer frame 151 may be a common member with the outer frames 111 and 121.

[0018] The bottom guide 16 is a member provided with a plurality of convex portions arranged in the x-axis direction on the surface of the bottom portion 15 on the positive z-axis side. The bottom guide 16 has the role of separating the separators 2 arranged side by side in one or more layers in the x-axis direction by arranging the separator 2 between the convex portions arranged in the x-axis direction. Note that the interval between the convex portions provided in the bottom guide 16 is appropriately determined according to the number of separators 2 loaded in the basket 1. Also, although two bottom guides 16 are depicted in Fig. 1(a), the number of bottom guides 16 is appropriately determined according to the stability required by the separator 2.

[0019] Here, the shape of the convex portion provided in the bottom guide 16 is preferably a triangular prism such that the xz cross-section is triangular as shown in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b). With this structure, since the end portion on the negative z-axis side of the separator 2 is sandwiched between the convex portions, an effect of making it difficult for the separator 2 to move in the x-axis direction is obtained. However, the bottom guide 16 may have another structure such as increasing the height of the convex portion in the z-axis direction or narrowing the interval between the convex portions, so as to obtain the effect of making it difficult for the separator 2 to move in the x-axis direction. Also, in order to load the separator 2 into the basket 1, the number of convex portions provided in the bottom guide 16 is preferably equal to the number of convex portions provided in the side guides 13 and 14.

[0020] So that the separator 2 does not fall in the x-axis direction, the above-described side guides 13 and 14 and the bottom guide 16 support the separator 2, and the flat plate surface of the separator 2 is held to be substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane (the xy plane in Fig. 1(a)).

[0021] The handle 17 is provided on the upper side portions of the outer frames 111 and 121, and the basket 1 is configured to be transportable by a person or a gripping portion of a transport device gripping the handle 17 when transporting the basket 1. However, the handle 17 may be provided connected to other members such as the support members 112 and 122, and the basket 1 may not include the handle 17.

[0022] Separator 2 is a flat, rectangular component positioned on the gas diffusion layer of a membrane electrode assembly that forms a single cell in a fuel cell. It functions as a boundary between cells, blocking hydrogen and oxygen from flowing. Because hydrogen and oxygen flow across its surface when used in a fuel cell, separator 2 has an uneven surface. The size of separator 2 is appropriately determined according to the size of the fuel cell in which it is used. The material of separator 2 may be metal such as iron or titanium, alloy such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, carbon, or a synthetic resin mixed with carbon. Separator 2 may also be constructed by applying a metal plating or resin coating to the surface of a flat plate made of the aforementioned material.

[0023] <Configuration of the separator drying apparatus> Next, the configuration of the separator drying apparatus will be described with reference to Figure 2. In the separator drying apparatus according to the embodiment of this disclosure, the separator is dried after liquid washing by injecting gas into a basket on which the separator is loaded. Figure 2(a) is a side view before the drying step in the separator drying method according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2(b) is a side view during the drying step in the separator drying method according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] The separator drying apparatus 3 comprises a drying chamber 31 and a blower 32. The drying chamber 31 includes an exhaust port 311, a top cover 312, and a fixing part 313, while the blower 32 includes an introduction part 321, a hot air generating part 322, a flow part 323, an injection part 324, an injection port 325, and a cylinder 326. Here, the blower 32 is a gas injection means.

[0025] The separator drying apparatus 3 is a device that dries the separators 2 by placing a basket 1 loaded with separators 2 inside a drying chamber 31 and injecting gas into the basket 1 with a blower 32. The separator drying apparatus 3 can be positioned adjacent to, for example, the separator cleaning apparatus 4 described later, to enable faster drying of the separators 2.

[0026] The drying chamber 31 contains a basket 1 with separators 2 stacked inside. The drying chamber 31 has an exhaust port 311 at the bottom and a top cover 312 at the top. The size of the drying chamber 31 is appropriately determined according to the size of the basket 1. The drying chamber 31 may also be equipped with an outlet or the like to receive the moisture discharged from the basket 1 and discharge it to the outside of the drying chamber 31.

[0027] The exhaust port 311 exhausts the gas injected by the blower 32 from the drying chamber 31. The size of the exhaust port 311 is appropriately determined according to the size of the drying chamber 31 and the flow rate of the gas injected by the blower 32. Multiple exhaust ports 311 may be provided, and exhaust ports 311 may also be provided in other locations, such as the top of the drying chamber 31. Furthermore, the exhaust port 311 may be equipped with a mechanism to discharge moisture blown out from the separator 2 to the outside of the drying chamber 31 by forming a water flow path inside the exhaust port 311.

[0028] The top cover 312 is a component that allows the drying chamber 31 to be opened. By removing the top cover 312 and opening the drying chamber 31, it becomes possible to bring the basket 1 into the drying chamber 31 from the outside. By providing the top cover 312 to the drying chamber 31, the temperature inside the drying chamber 31 during high-temperature gas injection can be kept higher compared to when the top of the drying chamber 31 is open, and the drying efficiency of the separator 2 is improved. In Figure 2(a), the top cover 312 is depicted as removable, but the top cover 312 may also be made up of an openable door or the like. Alternatively, if it is large enough to allow the basket 1 to be brought into the drying chamber 31, an openable lid may be provided on the side of the drying chamber 31, and this lid may be used as an entrance / exit for bringing the basket 1 into the drying chamber 31 from the outside.

[0029] The fixing portion 313 is formed on the inner surface of the drying chamber 31. When the basket 1 is brought into the drying chamber 31, the fixing portion 313 plays the role of holding the basket 1 in the drying chamber 31 while tilting it with respect to the xy plane. For example, by providing fixing portions 313 of the shape shown in Figure 2(a) on the inner surface on the positive x-axis side and the inner surface on the negative x-axis side of the drying chamber 31, the basket 1 can be held while tilting it with respect to the xy plane. However, fixing portions 313 of other shapes may be provided, for example, those that hold the basket 1 at the edges of the outer frame 111, 121 of the basket 1, as long as the basket 1 can be held appropriately.

[0030] In Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the fixing portion 313 is formed such that when the basket 1 is placed, the bottom surface 15 of the basket 1 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, the separator 2 placed in the drying chamber 31 is inclined such that one end on the side surface 11 is positioned higher than the other end on the side surface 12.

[0031] The blower 32 injects gas into the basket 1 placed in the drying chamber 31, drying the separator 2 loaded in the basket 1. The blower 32 is a device that can perform a series of operations, such as introducing gas into the blower 32, heating the introduced gas, and injecting it, by being powered from an external source, such as electricity. The size of the blower 32 is appropriately determined according to the size of the separator 2 and the size of the drying chamber 31.

[0032] The intake unit 321 is connected to the hot air generating unit 322. The intake unit 321 takes in gas from outside the drying chamber 31 and supplies it to the hot air generating unit 322. Here, the gas taken in by the intake unit 321 is preferably air due to cost and other issues, but a specific gas such as nitrogen gas may also be supplied to the intake unit 321.

[0033] The hot air generating unit 322 is connected to the introduction unit 321 and the circulation unit 323. The hot air generating unit 322 heats the gas supplied from the introduction unit 321 and supplies it to the circulation unit 323. The hot air generating unit 322 has a function to raise the temperature of the supplied gas, for example, by installing a heat source such as a heater inside.

[0034] The flow section 323 is connected to the hot air generating section 322 and the injection section 324. The flow section 323 supplies gas heated by the hot air generating section 322 to the injection section 324. Here, since the injection section 324 to which the flow section 323 is connected is moved by the cylinder 326, it is preferable that the flow section 323 be made of a material that can expand and contract and bend. Examples of materials for the flow section 323 include a resin tube or hose, or a tube or hose made of resin reinforced with metal wire.

[0035] The injection unit 324 is connected to the flow unit 323 and the cylinder 326. The injection unit 324 injects gas supplied from the flow unit 323 onto the basket 1, drying the separators 2 loaded in the basket 1. Here, even if the separators 2 are stuck together due to moisture after washing, the gas injected between the separators 2 by the injection unit 324 blows away the moisture. This has the effect of separating the separators 2 that are stuck together due to moisture. In Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the injection unit 324 has an injection port 325 on the side facing the negative y-axis, and gas is injected from the injection port 325 toward the basket 1.

[0036] Furthermore, the injection unit 324 is connected to the cylinder 326, making it movable. This allows the injection unit 324 to be moved to a position that does not interfere with the basket 1 during loading when the basket 1 is placed in the drying chamber 31. Additionally, after the basket 1 is placed in the drying chamber 31, the injection unit 324 can be moved using the cylinder 326 to position it near the side surface 11. This increases the drying speed of the separator 2 when gas is injected into the basket 1.

[0037] The nozzle 325 is formed on the surface of the injection unit 324 on the negative y-axis side. The shape and number of nozzles 325 are determined so that an appropriate amount of gas can be injected into the basket 1. However, it is preferable that the shape of the nozzle 325 is formed so that the gas injected from the nozzle 325 is injected substantially perpendicular to the side surface 11 of the basket 1. This allows the injection unit 324 to inject gas from one end of the separator 2 on the side surface 11 side toward one end of the side surface 12 side located below that end. In other words, the injection unit 324 can inject gas from the opening 113 side of the upper side surface 11 of the separator 2 toward the opening 123 side of the lower side surface 12. By injecting gas in the aforementioned direction (the direction of the white arrow in Figure 2(b)), moisture adhering to the separator 2 is blown away and discharged from one end of the side surface 12 side (i.e., the opening 123).

[0038] By injecting gas from one end located at the top towards the other end located at the bottom, moisture adhering to the separator 2 moves downward along with the gas flow, and the separator 2 dries from upwind to downwind (i.e., from top to bottom). By moving the moisture adhering to the separator 2 downward with gas injection and drying the separator 2 from top to bottom, the occurrence of watermarks on the surface of the separator 2 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the basket 1 of this disclosure also has an opening 153 at the bottom 15, moisture adhering to the separator 2 is also discharged from the opening 153 by the gas flow and gravity.

[0039] Furthermore, the gas injected from the nozzle 325 is preferably 60°C or higher, and more preferably 70°C or higher. By making the gas injected from the nozzle 325 at a high temperature of 60°C or higher, the drying effect on the separator 2 is enhanced.

[0040] The cylinder 326 is connected to the injection unit 324. The cylinder 326 prevents interference between the basket 1 and the injection unit 324 when the basket 1 is positioned by moving the position of the injection unit 324. In Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the cylinder 326 is formed on the outer surface of the drying chamber 31, but the cylinder 326 may be provided in other locations, such as inside the drying chamber 31, as long as the injection unit 324 can be moved appropriately.

[0041] Figure 3 is a side view of a separator drying method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which gas circulation is performed. The separator drying apparatus 3 shown in the present disclosure may include a gas circulation mechanism as shown in Figure 3. The separator drying apparatus shown in Figure 3 has a drain 314, a nozzle 315, and a gas circulation unit 33.

[0042] The drain 314 is located at the bottom of the drying chamber 31. The drain 314 discharges the moisture blown away from the separator 2 by gas injection to the outside of the drying chamber 31. The nozzle 315 is positioned near the side portion 12 of the basket 1 and connects the inside of the drying chamber 31 to the gas circulation unit 33. The nozzle 315 recovers the gas blown out from the opening 123 of the basket 1 (the gas blown out in the direction of the white arrow in Figure 3) when the separator 2 is being dried. Here, it is possible to recover the gas even if the nozzle 315 is installed in another part of the drying chamber 31. However, by positioning the nozzle 315 near the side portion 12 as shown in Figure 3, it becomes possible to directly recover the high-temperature gas blown out from the opening 123. This improves the drying efficiency and energy efficiency of the separator drying device 3. In addition, by positioning the nozzle 315 near and below the side portion 12 as shown in Figure 3, interference between the basket 1 and the nozzle 315 can be avoided when the basket 1 is brought into the drying chamber 31 from outside.

[0043] The gas circulation unit 33 is connected to the nozzle 315 and the inlet 321 of the blower 32. The gas circulation unit 33 recovers the gas in the drying chamber 31 exhausted from the nozzle 315 and reintroduces it to the blower 32. Since the gas exhausted from the nozzle 315 is at a high temperature, the gas circulation unit 33 recovers the gas, eliminating heat waste. Therefore, it is possible to raise the temperature of the gas injected from the injection unit 324 without increasing the performance of the hot air generation unit 322. Here, as shown in Figure 3, the inlet 321 is divided into two branches, and the gas recovered by the gas circulation unit 33 is mixed with air or a specific gas such as nitrogen gas and introduced into the inlet 321. The gas circulation unit 33 may be a pipe made of metal or resin, for example, and may be a device that has gas intake and discharge functions. In addition, the gas circulation unit 33 may have other functions such as a gas heating function or a dehumidification function.

[0044] Figure 4 is a side view of a separator cleaning and drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Separators 2 loaded in basket 1 are subjected to alkaline cleaning and water cleaning by a separator cleaning apparatus 4 equipped with a cleaning tank 41 and an ultrasonic transducer 42 that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the separators 2, as shown in Figure 4, and then transported to a drying chamber 31. In Figure 4, one cleaning tank 41 is shown for alkaline cleaning of the separators 2, three cleaning tanks 41 are shown for water cleaning, and one drying chamber 31 is shown for drying the separators 2. The number of cleaning tanks 41 and drying chambers 31 is appropriately determined according to the production speed, cleaning speed, and drying speed of the separators 2, etc.

[0045] <How to dry the separator> Next, a method for drying a separator according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for drying a separator according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0046] First, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the separator 2 is loaded into the basket 1 (step S1). Step S1 is performed by a transport device, for example, that can grasp the ends of the separator 2 and transport and store it in the basket 1. In step S1, it is preferable that the loading direction of the separator 2 is such that the longitudinal direction of the separator 2 is in the y-axis direction. By loading the separator 2 in this direction, when gas is injected into the separator 2 in step S4, which will be described later, the longitudinal direction of the separator 2 is held to be approximately parallel to the direction of gas injection.

[0047] Next, in step S1, the basket 1 on which the separator 2 is loaded is transported to the separator cleaning device 4, where the separator 2 is cleaned while still loaded in the basket 1 (step S2). In other words, the liquid cleaning of the separator 2 is performed on the basket 1 on which the separator 2 is loaded. Here, for example, if the separator cleaning device 4 has one cleaning tank 41 for alkaline cleaning and three cleaning tanks 41 for water cleaning, as shown in Figure 4, the basket 1 moves sequentially between each cleaning tank 41, and the separator 2 is cleaned for a predetermined time in each cleaning tank 41.

[0048] Next, the basket 1 loaded with separators 2 is transported into the drying chamber 31 (step S3). Step S3 is performed by a conveying device, for example, capable of gripping and moving the basket 1. In step S3, as shown in Figure 2(b), the basket 1 is fixed by the fixing part 313, making it possible to position the basket 1 in the drying chamber 31 while tilting it with respect to the xy plane. As a result, the flat surface of the separator 2 is held to be approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0049] Furthermore, when basket 1 is moved and transported in steps S2 and S3, moisture drips from basket 1. At this time, by moving and transporting basket 1 while it is tilted with respect to the xy plane, the moisture is collected in the corners of basket 1 by gravity, making it possible to drain the moisture from basket 1. This makes it possible to further improve the drying efficiency of separator 2.

[0050] Next, gas is injected into the basket 1 placed in the drying chamber 31 to dry the separator 2 (step S4). In step S4, the injection unit 324 injects gas from the opening 113 side of the upper side portion 11 of the separator 2 toward the opening 123 side of the lower side portion 12. As a result, any moisture adhering to the separator 2 is blown away and discharged from the opening 123 on the side portion 12. By drying the separator 2 while blowing away any moisture adhering to it, the occurrence of watermarks on the surface of the separator 2 after drying can be suppressed.

[0051] Furthermore, if the gas injection speed in step S4 is too fast, the separator 2 may move significantly in the x-axis direction due to the gas injection, potentially causing it to come into contact with the basket 1 or other separators 2 and resulting in damage to the separator 2. Therefore, the gas injection speed is appropriately determined according to the size and weight of the separator 2.

[0052] In step S4, the gas injected into basket 1 is recovered by nozzle 315 and supplied again to the inlet 321 of blower 32 by gas circulation unit 33 (step S5). Step S5 is performed simultaneously with step S4. If separator drying device 3 does not have gas circulation unit 33, step S5 may not be performed.

[0053] Next, it is determined whether the drying of the separator 2 is complete (step S6). Step S6 determines whether drying is complete based on, for example, the amount of moisture discharged from the exhaust port 311 or the drain 314. Alternatively, drying may be determined based on the amount of water vapor in the gas recovered by the gas circulation unit 33. Alternatively, drying may be determined based on the fact that step S4 has been performed for a predetermined time.

[0054] If drying of the separator 2 is completed in step S6 (Yes in step S6), the basket 1 on which the separator 2 is loaded is removed from the drying chamber 31 (step S7), and the process is completed. Step S7 is performed, for example, by a conveying device that brought the basket 1 into the drying chamber 31 in step S3. On the other hand, if drying of separator 2 is not completed in step S6 (No in step S6), return to step S4 and continue drying separator 2.

[0055] As described above, the separator drying method according to the embodiment of this disclosure involves injecting gas into a basket on which separators are loaded, from the upper opening to the lower opening in the basket. As a result, moisture adhering to the separators is blown away, drying the separators, thus providing a separator drying method that can dry separators without generating watermarks. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1 Basket 11, 12 Side part 111, 121 Outer frame 112, 122 Support material 113, 123 openings 13, 14 Side guides 15 Bottom part 151 Outer frame 152 Support material 153 Opening 16 Bottom Guide 17 Handle 2 Separators 3. Separator drying apparatus 31 Drying room 311 Exhaust vent 312 Top lid 313 Fixed part 314 Drain 315 Nozzles 32 Blower 321 Introduction 322 Hot air generating unit 323 Distribution Department 324 Injection part 325 Nozzle 326 cylinders 33 Gas circulation section 4. Separator cleaning device 41 Washing tank 42 Ultrasonic transducer

Claims

1. A method for drying a flat rectangular separator used in a fuel cell to block gas flow by placing it at the boundary between cells, wherein gas is injected into a loading container in which multiple separators are stacked in the thickness direction, thereby drying the separator after liquid washing. A holding step in which the separator is held such that the flat surface of the separator is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, The system includes a drying step in which the gas is injected from one end of the separator toward the other end located below the one end, thereby blowing away any moisture adhering to the separator and discharging it from the other end. How to dry separators.

2. The loading container has openings on each of a pair of opposing surfaces that are substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the separator. In the drying step, the gas is sprayed from the upper opening towards the lower opening, so that the moisture adhering to the separator is discharged from the lower opening. A method for drying a separator according to claim 1.

3. In the holding step, the separator is held such that its longitudinal direction is substantially parallel to the gas injection direction. The method for drying a separator according to claim 2.

4. The liquid cleaning of the separator is performed on the loading container on which the separator is loaded. A method for drying a separator according to claim 1.

5. The gas injected in the drying step is 60°C or higher at the injection nozzle. The method further includes a recovery step in which the gas injected in the drying step is recovered and supplied again to the gas injection means. A method for drying a separator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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