Methods and apparatuses for continuous manufacturing of fuel cells

摘要

An apparatus and method for substantially continuously manufacturing fuel cells are provided. Each cell generates electrical power from reactions of reactants therein. Each cell comprises component parts assembled and/or laminated together in a stacked configuration. The apparatus includes an assembly zone for receiving rolls of material and/or pre-formed component parts for fabricating the cells, and assembly devices for, commencing from a starting layer, progressively assembling and/or laminating layers of material and/or pre-formed component parts from the rolls to the starting layer to manufacture the fuel cells, a testing zone for applying a test procedure to the cells to identify functional cells thereof or parts thereof, the testing zone also including a fuel-cell repair function for recycling fuel cells, or parts thereof, found to be to be defective in response to applying the test procedure, a separating zone for mutually separating the functional cells into individual fuel cells, parts thereof or groups of such fuel cells, and a stacking zone for mutually assembling the functional fuel cells or the groups of such functional cells into stacks of such fuel cells to manufacture fuel cell packs.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing fuel cells or parts of the fuel cells wherein layers of material for fabricating the fuel cells or the parts of the fuel cells are provided in rolls and wherein each fuel cell comprises a plurality of component parts assembled together in a stacked configuration comprising at least one cooling chamber and at least one electricity producing basic fuel cell, each basic fuel cell comprising a membrane, a cathode electrode layer, and an anode electrode layer, the method including:
a first step of progressively assembling a plurality of separate layers comprising a first structural plate, a packing material plate, sealing gaskets, a cooling mesh, and a second structural plate to form at least a part of the cooling chamber, and a second step of progressively assembling a plurality of separate layers to form the basic fuel cell after completing manufacturing of the at least part of the cooling chamber, and completing manufacture of the stacked configuration by providing either the membrane, the membrane together with at least one of the electrode layers, or one of the electrode layers as a last layer or last combination of layers.