Self-Fusing Seal Material for Fuel Cell Position Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel cell manufacturing techniques face challenges in achieving precise position adjustment during the stacking of unit cells, particularly due to the lack of flowability in sealing materials like pressure-sensitive adhesives, which limits the ability to adjust positions after provisional lamination and requires additional precision control apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
The use of a self-fusing seal material with specific tack properties that develop a strong adhesive force only under pressure, allowing for position adjustment after provisional lamination and enhancing the productivity of fuel cells by ensuring a strong bond without requiring additional precision control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a pressure-sensitive adhesive is used as sealing material, then thickness and size are reduced, but position adjustment becomes unfeasible during stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The seal material's adhesive properties are made dynamic through pressure-dependent activation. During stacking, the material remains non-adhesive under low pressure to allow position adjustment. After positioning, high pressure activates the adhesive bonds, creating strong sealing forces. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between compact size and position adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of the seal material from a static adhesive to a pressure-responsive material. The material transitions from a non-adhesive state during positioning to a highly adhesive state under compression, enabling both easy position adjustment and strong final bonding in the compact fuel cell structure.
2Ease of operation
If an adhesive is used as sealing material, then position adjustment is possible, but additional precision control apparatus is required
Solution Approach 1:
The seal material performs the positioning function itself through its pressure-dependent adhesive properties. During stacking, the non-adhesive state allows natural position adjustment without external control apparatus. After positioning, the material self-activates under compression to create strong bonds, eliminating the need for separate precision control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the precision control function from external apparatus and integrates it into the seal material itself. The material's inherent pressure-responsive behavior provides the positioning control mechanism, removing the need for additional complex control systems while maintaining ease of position adjustment.
3Reliability
If a repulsion force of elastic member is used for sealing, then reliability and durability are improved, but thickness and size cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the sealing mechanism from elastic repulsion to pressure-activated adhesion. The seal material transitions from a non-adhesive to highly adhesive state under compression, providing strong sealing forces without requiring the thickness margins needed for elastic member contraction and expansion, thus achieving both reliability and compact size.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal material combines properties of both elastic materials and adhesives. It exhibits elastic behavior during compression while simultaneously forming strong adhesive bonds when activated by pressure, creating a composite functional material that achieves reliable sealing in compact dimensions without requiring separate elastic members.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables precise position adjustment and improved adhesive strength between fuel cell components, enhancing the manufacturing efficiency and reliability of fuel cell stacks by allowing for post-lamination adjustments without compromising the structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a self-fusing seal material having a certain tack property... does not develop a tack property under a pressure at a level of a pressure generated by provisional lamination... After the position adjustment, it is possible to produce a strong adhesive force by pressurization
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell and its production method are provided to enable position adjustment at the time of provisional lamination of unit cells. In a fuel cell comprising a lamination of a membrane electrode assembly including anode and cathode electrode layers on both sides of an electrolyte membrane, and a separator, the fuel cell and its production method is characterized in that there is further provided a self-fusing seal material at an end portion of the membrane electrode assembly or the separator.