JP4569102B2 - Fuel cell decomposition apparatus and decomposition method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell decomposition apparatus and a decomposition method thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fuel cell is known in which a seal layer is formed around an electrode assembly that is sandwiched between a pair of separators. In this type of fuel cell, when hydrogen is supplied as fuel gas to the fuel gas passage and air is supplied as oxidation gas to the oxidation gas passage, hydrogen is divided into protons and electrons at the electrode (anode) facing the fuel gas passage, Among them, protons move to the other electrode (cathode) through the solid electrolyte, electrons move to the cathode through an external circuit, and oxygen, protons and electrons in the air react at the cathode to produce water. To do. This reaction generates an electromotive force between both electrodes of the fuel cell. Here, the sealing layer plays a role of bonding both separators and preventing direct contact between oxygen and hydrogen at the outer peripheral portion of each electrode.

By the way, expensive electrode assemblies (especially electrodes containing precious metal catalysts) are collected from used fuel cells, used fuel cells are separated and discarded, and the performance of used fuel cell electrode assemblies is evaluated. In some cases, it may be desirable to disassemble the fuel cell. For this reason, for example, in Patent Document 1, a linear member is provided between the seal layer of the fuel cell and the separator, and when disassembling the fuel cell, the linear member is pulled outward to seal the linear cell. Some have been proposed to delaminate the layers.
JP 2002-151112 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, when the adhesive force between the seal layer and the separator is strong, there is a possibility that the seal layer may not be peeled only by holding the fuel cell with one hand and pulling the linear member with the other hand. The reliability of fuel cell disassembly was lacking.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a decomposition apparatus or a decomposition method for disassembling a fuel cell by reliably cutting the inner peripheral portion of the sealing layer of the fuel cell or the vicinity thereof.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to achieve at least a part of the above-described object.

A fuel cell disassembly device of the present invention is a disassembly device for disassembling a fuel cell in which a seal layer is formed around an electrode assembly sandwiched between a pair of separators.
A table surface for disassembling the fuel cell;
Positioning means attached to the table surface and positioning the fuel cell on the table surface to fix the fuel cell;
Cutting means for cutting the inner peripheral part of the seal layer of the fuel cell fixed by the positioning means or the vicinity of the inner peripheral part;
It is equipped with.

  In this fuel cell disassembling apparatus, the positioning means positions and fixes the fuel cell on the table surface, and the cutting means cuts the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer of the fuel cell thus fixed or the vicinity thereof. Therefore, for example, the inner peripheral portion of the fuel cell seal layer or the vicinity thereof can be surely cut and the fuel cell can be disassembled as compared with a case where the fuel cell is held by hand.

  Here, the “cutting means” may be, for example, a contact-type cutting means such as a fuel cell drill blade or cutter blade, or a non-contact-type cutting means such as a laser, A linear member like patent document 1 may be sufficient. Further, the present invention can be applied to any type of fuel cell. For example, fuels of solid electrolyte membrane type (polymer electrolyte type), solid oxide type, molten carbonate type, phosphoric acid type, alkaline aqueous solution type, etc. Applicable to batteries.

  In the fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to the present invention, the positioning means may position and fix the fuel cell by contacting an outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell. In this way, the fuel cell can be disassembled without applying a load to the electrode assembly. Here, when the outer shape of the fuel cell is substantially square, the positioning means may position and fix the fuel cell by contacting the outer peripheral surfaces of the four sides of the fuel cell. In this way, the fuel cell can be firmly fixed.

  In the fuel cell disassembling apparatus of the present invention, the positioning means may be inserted into a through hole provided in the fuel cell to position and fix the fuel cell. In this way, it is possible to accurately position and fix the fuel cells in a state where a plurality of fuel cells are stacked on the table surface. At this time, the through hole is one or more of a through hole for a gas passage, a through hole for a coolant passage, a through hole for fastening a stack (for example, a bolt hole), and a positioning through hole at the time of manufacturing a separator. It is preferable that it is a through hole for a gas passage and / or a through hole for a cooling water passage. Since each through hole is formed with high precision so as to be continuous when a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, if this is used, the fuel cell can be positioned and fixed with high precision in a state where a plurality of fuel cells are stacked on the table surface.

  In the fuel cell disassembling apparatus of the present invention, the cutting means may be a cutting blade that cuts at least the front separator of the pair of separators by moving from the front to the back with respect to the fuel cell. . For example, when a linear member is used as in Patent Document 1, the linear member may be broken if the adhesive force between the seal layer and the separator is strong, but here the cutting blade is moved from the front to the back. Therefore, the fuel cell can be reliably cut and disassembled. At this time, the positioning means may guide the movement from the front side to the back side of the cutting means. If it carries out like this, the inner peripheral part of the sealing layer of a fuel cell or its vicinity can be cut | disconnected accurately.

  The fuel cell disassembling apparatus of the present invention may include a cutting restricting means for restricting the movement of the cutting means so that the cutting blade stops before reaching the table surface. In this way, the cutting blade does not hit the table surface and is not chipped or the table surface is not damaged by the cutting blade.

  The fuel cell disassembling apparatus of the present invention may include a cutting restricting means for restricting the movement of the cutting means so that the cutting blade stops before reaching the inner separator of the pair of separators. By doing so, since the back separator is not cut, cleaning is less time consuming than when the back separator is cut.

  In the fuel cell decomposition apparatus of the present invention, the positioning means may be integrated with the cutting restricting means. In this way, it is not necessary to provide the positioning means and the cutting restriction means separately.

  The fuel cell disassembling apparatus of the present invention preferably includes a retracting space for retracting a cut piece of the separator on the near side of the fuel cell outward. The cutting blade exerts a force that pushes the cut piece outward when the front separator is cut. Here, the cut piece can be evacuated to the retreat space, so that it can be cut smoothly.

  In the fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cutting blade is cut so that a cut piece of the separator on the front side of the fuel cell has a cut line continuous inward and outward. When the cutting blade cuts the separator on the near side, it exerts a force that pushes the cut piece outward, but here the cut piece has a continuous cut inside and outside, so the cut piece is connected in an annular shape Compared to, it moves easily outward. For this reason, it can cut | disconnect smoothly.

A method for disassembling a fuel cell according to the present invention is a method for disassembling a fuel cell in which a seal layer is formed around an electrode assembly that is sandwiched between a pair of separators,
(A) positioning the fuel cell on a table surface on which the fuel cell is disassembled and fixing the fuel cell;
(B) cutting the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer of the fuel cell fixed on the table surface or the vicinity of the inner peripheral portion;
Is included.

  In order to cut the fuel cell fixed on the table surface in this way, for example, the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer of the fuel cell or the vicinity thereof is surely cut as compared with the case where the fuel cell is gripped by hand. The fuel cell can be disassembled. In the fuel cell method of the present invention, in the step (a), the fuel cell may be positioned and fixed by bringing the positioning member into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell, or the positioning member may be The fuel cell may be positioned and fixed by being inserted into a through hole provided in the fuel cell (for example, a through hole for a gas passage and / or a through hole for a cooling water passage). In the step (b), at least the front separator of the pair of separators may be cut by moving a cutting blade from the front to the back with respect to the fuel cell. Alternatively, the cut piece of the separator on the near side may be retracted outward, or the cut piece of the separator on the near side of the fuel cell may be cut so as to have a continuous cut.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below using examples.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20 of the first embodiment. 2A and 2B are explanatory views of the table surface 32, where FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 3A and 3B are explanatory views of the cutting member 50, where FIG. 3A is a front view, FIG. 3B is a bottom view, and FIG.

  The fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to be movable up and down by a table surface 32 for disassembling the fuel cell 10, positioning members 40 erected at four locations on the table surface 32, and an actuator 52. The cutting member 50 is provided.

  The table surface 32 is a horizontal surface that forms a top plate of the work table 30 that is relatively heavy in this embodiment.

  The positioning member 40 is provided at a position in contact with each of the four sides of the substantially rectangular fuel cell 10. The positioning member 40 includes a fuel cell regulating portion 42 for positioning and fixing the fuel cell 10 in order from the bottom on the surface on the placement region 41 side where the fuel cell 10 is placed, and a separator on the upper side of the fuel cell 10. A retreat space portion 44 for retreating the cut piece after being cut and a cutting member restricting portion 46 for restricting the cutting member 50 from moving downward are provided. Among these, the fuel cell restricting portion 42 is a standing wall that comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell 10, and is positioned so that the fuel cell restricting portions 42 of the four positioning members 40 come into contact with the four sides of the fuel cell 10 with almost no gap. It has been adjusted. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the retreat space portion 44 is surrounded by a space forming surface 44a provided substantially horizontally and a space forming surface 44b provided substantially vertically upward from the space forming surface 44a. The space is designed so that a gap is formed between the separator on the upper side of the fuel cell 10 placed in the placement region 41 and the space forming surface 44b. Further, the cutting member restricting portion 46 includes a stopper surface 46a provided substantially horizontally outward from the upper end of the space forming surface 44b, and a guide surface 46b provided substantially vertically upward from the stopper surface 46a. Of these, the stopper surface 46a serves to prevent the cutting member 50 from moving further downward, and the guide surface 46b serves to guide the cutting member 50 from moving up and down.

  The cutting member 50 includes a support body 54 made of a heavy flat plate, a cutter blade 56 provided on the lower surface of the support body 54, and a rod 58 provided substantially at the center of the upper surface of the support body 54. The cutting member 50 moves up and down as the rod 58 is moved up and down by an actuator 52 that is a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or an electric motor. Further, when the cutting member 50 is lowered, the annular portion 56a of the cutter blade 56 cuts the inner peripheral portion 8a (see FIG. 5A) of the seal layer 8 of the fuel cell 10, and the radial portion 56b The fuel cell 10 is adjusted to cut four corners.

  Next, the fuel cell 10 that is decomposed by the fuel cell decomposition apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 4A and 4B are explanatory views showing a schematic configuration of the fuel cell 10, in which FIG. 4A is a plan view, and FIG.

  The fuel cell 10 of the present embodiment is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and mainly includes a membrane electrode assembly (hereinafter referred to as MEA) 2 in which electrodes 4 and 5 are disposed on both surfaces of a solid electrolyte membrane 3. The pair of separators 6 and 7 sandwiching the MEA 2 from both sides and the seal layer 8 provided on the outer periphery of the MEA 2 are provided. The fuel cell 10 is called a single cell and has an electromotive force of about 0.6 to 0.8V. For this reason, for example, when used as a power supply for a drive motor of a vehicle, a direct current power supply of several hundred volts is obtained by closely stacking a large number of fuel cells 10.

  The MEA 2 is obtained by sandwiching a solid electrolyte membrane 3 between two electrodes, that is, an anode 4 that is a fuel electrode and a cathode 5 that is an oxygen electrode. In the MEA 2 of this embodiment, the area of the solid electrolyte membrane 3 is larger than the areas of the anode 4 and the cathode 5. Here, the solid electrolyte membrane 3 is a membrane made of a solid polymer material having good proton conductivity in a wet state. Specifically, the membrane is made of a fluorine-based resin (Nafion membrane manufactured by DuPont). Etc.). The anode 4 and the cathode 5 are constituted by catalyst electrodes 4a and 5a and gas diffusion electrodes 4b and 5b, respectively. The catalyst electrodes 4a and 5a are located on the side in contact with the solid electrolyte membrane 3, and are formed of conductive carbon black carrying platinum fine particles. On the other hand, the gas diffusion electrodes 4b and 5b are formed of carbon cloth laminated on the catalyst electrodes 4a and 5a and woven with yarns made of carbon fibers. The platinum contained in the catalyst electrodes 4a and 5a has an action of promoting the separation of hydrogen into protons and electrons or promoting the reaction of generating water from oxygen, protons and electrons. If it has, you may use things other than platinum. The gas diffusion electrodes 4b and 5b may be formed of carbon paper or carbon felt made of carbon fiber in addition to carbon cloth, and may have sufficient gas diffusibility and conductivity.

  Each of the pair of separators 6 and 7 is formed of a gas-impermeable conductive member, in this embodiment, formed carbon that is compressed by gas to be gas-impermeable. Both separators 6 and 7 have fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a for supplying fuel gas, fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b for discharging fuel gas, and an oxidizing gas supply hole for supplying oxidizing gas. 6c, 7c, oxidizing gas discharge holes 6d, 7d for discharging oxidizing gas, refrigerant supply holes 6e, 7e for supplying refrigerant (for example, coolant), and refrigerant discharge hole 6f for discharging refrigerant , 7f. Further, in one separator 6, a fuel gas passage 6g through which fuel gas passes is formed on the surface of the MEA 2 that contacts the anode 4, and a refrigerant passage (not shown) through which the refrigerant passes is formed on the other surface. . Among these, the fuel gas passage 6g is composed of a plurality of concave grooves and communicates with the fuel gas supply hole 6a and the fuel gas discharge hole 6b but does not communicate with other holes. It communicates with the refrigerant discharge hole 6f but does not communicate with other holes. The other separator 7 is formed with an oxidizing gas passage 7g for allowing the oxidizing gas to pass through the surface in contact with the cathode 5 of the MEA 2 and with a coolant passage (not shown) for allowing the coolant to pass through the other surface. Of these, the oxidizing gas passage 7g is constituted by a plurality of concave grooves and communicates with the oxidizing gas supply hole 7c and the oxidizing gas discharge hole 7d but does not communicate with the other holes. It communicates with the refrigerant discharge hole 7f but does not communicate with other holes. The separators 6 and 7 may be made of metal as well as carbon as described above.

  The seal layer 8 is a layer formed by solidifying an adhesive over the entire outer periphery of the solid electrolyte membrane 3 of the MEA 2 where the anode 4 and the cathode 5 are not provided. The seal layer 8 seals a space where the fuel gas surrounded by the solid electrolyte membrane 3 and the separator 6 exists, and seals a space where the oxidizing gas surrounded by the solid electrolyte membrane 3 and the separator 7 exists. The sealing layer 8 is provided with through holes in accordance with the positions of the respective holes 6a to 6f and 7a to 7f provided in the separators 6 and 7. The seal layer 8 may be formed of an adhesive but may be a gasket.

  Next, power generation of the fuel cell 10 will be described. In order to generate power in the fuel cell 10, hydrogen humidified as fuel gas is supplied to the fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a from the outside of the fuel cell 10 and air is supplied as oxidizing gas to the oxidizing gas supply holes 6c and 7c. Then, hydrogen flows from the fuel gas supply hole 6a through the fuel gas passage 6g to the fuel gas discharge hole 6b and then is discharged to the outside, and the air is discharged from the oxidation gas supply hole 6c through the oxidation gas passage 7g to the oxidizing gas discharge hole 7d. After flowing to the outside, it is discharged outside. The hydrogen passing through the fuel gas passage 6g is diffused by the gas diffusion electrode 4b of the anode 4 to reach the catalyst electrode 4a, where it is divided into protons and electrons. Among them, protons are transferred to the cathode 5 through the wet solid electrolyte membrane 3, and electrons move to the cathode through an external circuit (not shown). The air passing through the oxidizing gas passage 7g is diffused by the gas diffusion electrode 5b of the cathode 5 and reaches the catalyst electrode 5a. Then, protons, electrons, and oxygen in the air react at the cathode 5 to generate water, and an electromotive force is generated by this reaction. Further, in order to maintain the fuel cell 10 in a temperature range suitable for power generation (for example, 70 to 80 ° C.), the refrigerant is supplied from the outside to the refrigerant supply holes 6e and 7e. The refrigerant is discharged from the refrigerant discharge holes 6f and 7f through a refrigerant passage (not shown) provided in the separators 6 and 7, and is supplied to the refrigerant supply holes 6e and 7e again after the temperature is lowered by a heat exchanger (not shown). . The solid electrolyte membrane 3 of the MEA 2 serves not only to conduct protons, but also serves as an isolation membrane that prevents direct contact between air and hydrogen inside the fuel cell 10. Further, the seal layer 8 prevents air and hydrogen from being mixed at the outer peripheral portion of the MEA 2 and prevents these gases from leaking out of the fuel cell 10.

  Next, a procedure for cutting the separator of the fuel cell 10 using the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views for explaining the cutting procedure of the separator, where FIG. 5A shows before cutting and FIG. 5B shows after cutting. FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views for explaining the cutting procedure of the separator (the cutting member 50 is not shown), in which FIG. 6A shows before cutting and FIG. 6B shows after cutting.

  First, the fuel cell 10 is placed on the placement region 41 on the table surface 32 of the fuel cell disassembly device 20 so that the four sides of the fuel cell 10 are in contact with the fuel cell regulating portions 42 of the four positioning members 40, respectively. (See FIG. 5 (a) and FIG. 6 (a)). As a result, the fuel cell restricting portions 42 of the four positioning members 40 are in contact with the four sides of the fuel cell 10 with almost no gap, so that the fuel cell 10 is positioned and fixed on the table surface 32. At this time, either of the separators 6 and 7 of the fuel cell 10 may be placed on the upper side, but here, description will be made assuming that the separator 6 is placed on the upper side.

  Subsequently, the actuator 52 moves the rod 58 of the cutting member 50 downward. Accordingly, the entire cutting member 50 moves downward, and the annular portion 56a of the cutter blade 56 cuts the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 of the fuel cell 10 from the top to the bottom and the radial portion 56b. Cuts the four corners of the fuel cell 10 from top to bottom. As a result, the separator 6 and the MEA 2 are cut into a substantially trapezoidal shape by the rectangular region P surrounded by the annular portion 56a of the cutter blade 56 and the outer region of the rectangular region P and the radial portion 56b of the cutter blade 56. It is divided into two cut pieces Q (see FIG. 6B). At this time, the cutting member 50 is lowered while the outer peripheral surface of the support 54 is guided by the guide surface 46 b of the cutting member restricting portion 46, and the lower surface of the support 54 reaches the stopper surface 46 a of the cutting member restricting portion 46. At that point, downward movement is prevented. When the downward movement is prevented, the cutting member 50 enters a state where the cutting edge of the cutter blade 56 passes through the upper separator 6 and stops before the separator 7. Further, as the cutter blade 56 cuts the separator 6 from the top to the bottom, the portion to be cut (the portion that becomes the cut piece Q) receives an outward force due to the thickness of the cutter blade 56. Since the evacuation space portion 44 is provided, a portion that becomes a cut piece is pushed out to the evacuation space portion 44. The part of the rectangular area P of the separator 6 is removed from the fuel cell 10, and then the MEA 2 is taken out and collected.

Here, the correspondence between the components of the present embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. The MEA 2 of this embodiment corresponds to the membrane electrode assembly of the present invention, the positioning member 40 corresponds to the positioning means, the cutting member 50 corresponds to the cutting means, and the cutting member restricting portion 46 corresponds to the cutting restricting means. The separator 6 corresponds to the first separator, and the separator 7 corresponds to the second separator. In addition, a present Example has illustrated the fuel cell decomposition | disassembly method simultaneously while exemplifying the fuel cell decomposition | disassembly apparatus of this invention.

  According to the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20 of the present embodiment described in detail above, the four positioning members 40 position and fix the fuel cell 10 on the table surface 32, and the cutting member 50 is fixed in this manner. In order to cut the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 of the battery 10, the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 of the fuel cell 10 is surely cut as compared with, for example, the case where the fuel cell 10 is held by hand. The fuel cell 10 can be reliably disassembled.

  Further, since the fuel cell restricting portion 42 of the positioning member 40 positions and fixes the fuel cell 10 by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell 10, the fuel cell 10 does not load the MEA 2 of the fuel cell 10. The disassembling work can be performed, and the fuel cell 10 can be firmly fixed because the outer shape comes into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the four sides of the substantially square fuel cell 10.

  Further, since the separator 6 of the fuel cell 10 is cut from the top to the bottom by the cutter blade 56 of the cutting member 50, the fuel cell 10 can be reliably disassembled and the movement from the top to the bottom of the cutting member 50 is positioned. Since it guides with the cutting member control part 46 of the member 40, the inner peripheral part 8a of the sealing layer 8 of the fuel cell 10 can be cut | disconnected accurately.

  Furthermore, the cutting member restricting portion 46 of the positioning member 40 restricts the lowering of the cutting member 50 so that the cutter blade 56 of the cutting member 50 stops before reaching the table surface 32 and before the lower separator 7. Therefore, the cutter blade 56 does not hit the table surface 32 and is not chipped, or the table surface 32 is not damaged by the cutter blade 56, and the lower separator 7 is not cut. It does not take.

  Further, since the positioning member 40 has the fuel cell restricting portion 42 and the cutting member restricting portion 46 integrated, it is not necessary to provide both restricting portions separately, and the number of parts of the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20 can be reduced. .

  Further, when the cutter blade 56 cuts the upper separator 6, the cutter blade 56 exerts a force pushing outward to the cutting piece Q (including the portion that becomes the cutting piece Q). Since it can evacuate to 44, it can cut | disconnect smoothly.

  Still further, the cutter blade 56 is cut so that the cut piece Q of the upper separator 6 of the fuel cell 10 has a continuous cut inside and outside to divide the cut piece Q into four pieces. Compared to the case where the ring is connected without being cut, it is easily moved outward, so that it can be cut smoothly.

  In the embodiment described above, the positioning member 40 is provided with the cutting member restricting portion 46. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the positioning member 40 is not provided with the cutting member restricting portion 46. May be. That is, the positioning member 40 employs a fuel cell regulating portion 42 that is a standing wall and a space forming surface 44 a that is substantially orthogonal to the standing wall, and the space above the space forming surface 44 a is the retraction space portion 44. It may be made to become. At this time, the cutting member 50 has a length of the cutter blade 56 so that the cutter blade 56 stops just before reaching the lower separator 7 when the lower surface of the support 54 comes into contact with the upper separator 6 of the fuel cell 10. Has been adjusted. In this case, since the guide surface 46b is not provided as compared with the above-described embodiment, the downward movement of the cutting member 50 cannot be guided, but the other effects are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the positioning member 40 may have the cutting member restricting portion 46 as an inclined surface, and the periphery of the support 54 of the cutting member 50 may be an inclined surface 54 a that matches this. At this time, the cutting member 50 is stopped so that the cutter blade 56 stops before reaching the lower separator 7 when the inclined surface 54a of the support 54 and the inclined surface of the cutting member restricting portion 46 are matched. The length of has been adjusted. Also in this case, since the guide surface 46b is not provided as compared with the above-described embodiment, the downward movement of the cutting member 50 cannot be guided, but the other effects are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the guide surface 46b is provided in the cutting member restricting portion 46 of the positioning member 40. However, another mechanism that vertically moves the cutting member 50 without using this guide surface 46b is adopted. Also good.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning member 40 is fixed on the table surface 32. However, a slide groove is provided so that the pair of positioning members 40, 40 facing each other can be approached and separated, and an arbitrary position of the slide groove is provided. It may be possible to fix with screws. In this way, even the fuel cells 10 having different sizes can be disassembled by the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 20, so that versatility is enhanced.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 120 of the second embodiment. 10A and 10B are explanatory views of the table surface 32, where FIG. 10A is a plan view before the fuel cell 10 is placed, FIG. 10B is a plan view of the state where the fuel cell 10 is placed, and FIG. FIG.

  The fuel cell disassembling apparatus 120 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to be movable up and down by a table surface 32 for disassembling the fuel cell 10, positioning members 140 erected at four locations on the table surface 32, and an actuator 52. The cutting member 50 is provided. In addition, since the table surface 32 and the cutting member 50 are the same structures as 1st Example, about these, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted. On the table surface 32, the four positioning members 140 are provided with fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a, a fuel gas discharge hole 6b (7b), an oxidation gas supply hole 6c (7c), and an oxidation gas discharge hole 6d (7d). ) Are provided at positions where insertion is possible. This positioning member 140 is a columnar member, and the cross-sectional area thereof is formed so as to coincide with the outer half of the cross-sectional area of each hole divided into two by the major axis.

  Next, a procedure for cutting the separator of the fuel cell 10 using the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the cutting procedure of the separator, where (a) shows before cutting and (b) shows after cutting.

  First, the fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a, the fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b, the oxidation gas supply holes 6c and 7c, and the oxidation gas discharge holes 6d and 7d of the fuel cell 10 are inserted into the four positioning members 140 (FIG. 10 ( b) and FIG. 11 (a)). As a result, the outer half of the fuel gas supply holes 6a, 7a, fuel gas discharge holes 6b, 7b, oxidant gas supply holes 6c, 7c, and oxidant gas discharge holes 6d, 7d divided by the long axis is in contact with the positioning member 140. The fuel cell 10 is positioned and fixed on the table surface 32 because the fuel cell 10 is in contact. At this time, either of the separators 6 and 7 of the fuel cell 10 may be placed on the upper side, but here, description will be made assuming that the separator 6 is placed on the upper side.

  Subsequently, the actuator 52 moves the rod 58 of the cutting member 50 downward. Accordingly, the entire cutting member 50 moves downward, and the annular portion 56a of the cutter blade 56 cuts the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 of the fuel cell 10 from the top to the bottom and the radial portion 56b. Cuts the four corners of the fuel cell 10 from top to bottom. As a result, the separator 6 and the MEA 2 are cut into a substantially trapezoidal shape by the rectangular region P surrounded by the annular portion 56a of the cutter blade 56 and the outer region of the rectangular region P and the radial portion 56b of the cutter blade 56. It is divided into two cut pieces Q (see FIG. 10C and FIG. 11B). At this time, the cutting member 50 is prevented from moving downward when the lower surface of the support 54 reaches the upper surface of the positioning member 140. When the downward movement is prevented, the cutting member 50 enters a state where the cutting edge of the cutter blade 56 passes through the upper separator 6 and stops before the separator 7. In addition, a portion to be cut as the cutter blade 56 cuts the separator 6 from the top to the bottom (a portion that becomes the cut piece Q) receives an outward force depending on the thickness of the cutter blade 56, but the fuel gas supply hole 6a, 7a, the fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b, the oxidizing gas supply holes 6c and 7c, and the oxidizing gas discharge holes 6d and 7d are in contact with the positioning members 140 in the outer half, but the inner half is an empty space. The portion that becomes the cut piece Q is pushed outward. After cutting in this way, the rectangular region P of the separator 6 is removed from the fuel cell 10, and then the MEA 2 is taken out and collected.

  According to the fuel cell disassembling apparatus 120 of the present embodiment described in detail above, the four positioning members 140 position and fix the fuel cell 10 on the table surface 32, and the cutting member 50 is fixed in this manner. In order to cut the inner peripheral portion 8a (see FIG. 11A) of the seal layer 8 of the battery 10, for example, the inner periphery of the seal layer 8 of the fuel cell 10 is compared with a case where the fuel cell 10 is gripped and operated. The portion 8a can be reliably cut, and the fuel cell 10 can be reliably disassembled.

  Further, the positioning member 140 is inserted into the fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a, the fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b, the oxidation gas supply holes 6c and 7c, and the oxidation gas discharge holes 6d and 7d of the fuel cell 10, whereby the fuel cell. Since 10 is positioned and fixed, the disassembling work of the fuel cell 10 can be performed without applying a load to the MEA 2 of the fuel cell 10, and the fuel cell 10 can be firmly fixed.

  Furthermore, since the separator 6 of the fuel cell 10 is cut from the top to the bottom by the cutter blade 56 of the cutting member 50, the fuel cell 10 can be reliably disassembled.

  Furthermore, since the cutter blade 56 of the cutting member 50 is designed to stop before reaching the table surface 32 and before the lower separator 7, the cutter blade 56 hits the table surface 32 and becomes chipped. Is not damaged by the cutter blade 56, and the lower separator 7 is not cut, so that it takes less time for cleaning than when the separator 7 is cut.

  Further, the cutter blade 56 exerts a force pushing outward on the cutting piece Q (including the portion to be the cutting piece Q) when cutting the upper separator 6. Here, the cutting piece Q is the positioning member 140. Even if there is, it can be moved outward, so that it can be cut smoothly.

  Further, the cutter blade 56 is cut so that the cut piece Q of the separator 6 on the upper side of the fuel cell 10 has a continuous cut inside and outside, so that the cut piece Q is divided into four pieces. Compared to the case where the ring is connected without being cut, it is easily moved outward, so that it can be cut smoothly.

  In particular, this embodiment is suitable when a plurality of fuel cells 10 are stacked and a plurality of separators are cut at a time. In this case, the length of the positioning member 140 and the length of the cutter blade 56 are set according to the number of stacked fuel cells 10. The length of the cutter blade 56 is set such that when the support 54 of the cutting member 50 reaches the positioning member 140, it passes through the separator 6 of the lowermost fuel cell 10 but stops before the separator 7. Keep it. The fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a, the fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b, the oxidation gas supply holes 6c and 7c, and the oxidation gas discharge holes 6d and 7d of the fuel cell 10 originally communicate with each other when a plurality of fuel cells 10 are stacked. Therefore, it is possible to accurately position and fix the stacked fuel cells 10 by using this.

  In the above-described embodiment, the positioning member 140 is inserted into the four fuel gas supply holes 6a and 7a, the fuel gas discharge holes 6b and 7b, the oxidation gas supply holes 6c and 7c, and the oxidation gas discharge holes 6d and 7d. Although positioning has been performed, positioning can be performed by inserting positioning members 140 into at least two holes. At this time, the refrigerant supply holes 6e and 7e and the refrigerant discharge holes 6f and 7f may be used.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the cutter blade 56 of the cutting member 50 has the radial portion 56b. However, as shown in FIG. 12, the cutter blade 56 is not radial but parallel to each side of the support 54. You may make it have the linear part 56c. Also in this case, the cutter blade 56 is cut so that the cut piece Q of the separator 6 on the upper side of the fuel cell 10 has a continuous cut inside and outside, so that the cut piece Q is divided into four pieces. Compared to the case where the ring is connected without being cut, it is easily moved outward, so that it can be cut smoothly. Further, the cut piece Q is not necessarily divided into four pieces in this way, and may be two pieces, three pieces, or five pieces or more, and even one piece has a continuous cut inside and outside. It may be C-shaped.

  Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the cutting member 50 can be moved up and down by the actuator 52. However, the cutting member 50 may be manually moved up and down using a ball screw mechanism or the like. The separator 6 may be broken by adding.

  Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 is cut by the cutting blade 56, but the portion near the inner peripheral portion 8a of the seal layer 8 is cut. Also good. However, it cut | disconnects so that the magnitude | size of the adhesion part of the sealing layer 8 and the separator 6 in the rectangular area | region P after a cutting | disconnection can be easily peeled off by the hand etc.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, solid electrolyte membrane type (polymer electrolyte type) fuel cells have been exemplified, but solid oxide type, molten carbonate type, phosphoric acid type, alkaline aqueous solution type, etc. The present invention can also be applied to other fuel cells.

  Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the table surface 32 has been described as a horizontal plane, but the table surface 32 is not limited to a horizontal plane. For example, in the first embodiment, the table surface 32 may be a vertical surface as shown in FIG. 13A. In this case, the fuel cell 10 is positioned on the table surface 32 by the positioning member 40 and then cut. The member 50 may be moved in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13B, the table surface 32 may be an inclined surface. In this case, after the fuel cell 10 is positioned on the table surface 32 by the positioning member 40, the cutting member 50 is substantially referred to as an inclined surface. You may move to the orthogonal direction.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of a table surface. It is explanatory drawing of a cutting member. It is explanatory drawing showing schematic structure of a fuel cell. It is sectional drawing explaining the cutting procedure of a separator. It is a top view explaining the cutting procedure of a separator. It is explanatory drawing of the modification of 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing of the modification of 1st Example. It is a perspective view showing schematic structure of the fuel cell decomposition device 120 of 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing of a table surface. It is sectional drawing explaining the cutting procedure of a separator. It is a bottom view of the modification of a cutting member. It is explanatory drawing of the modification of a table surface.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... MEA, 3 ... solid electrolyte membrane, 4 ... anode, 4 ... electrode, 4a ... catalyst electrode, 4b ... gas diffusion electrode, 5 ... cathode, 5a ... catalyst electrode, 5b ... gas diffusion electrode, 6 ... separator, 6a ... Fuel gas supply hole, 6b ... Fuel gas discharge hole, 6c ... Oxidation gas supply hole, 6d ... Oxidation gas discharge hole, 6e ... Refrigerant supply hole, 6f ... Refrigerant discharge hole, 6g ... Fuel gas passage, 7 ... Separator, 7a ... Fuel gas supply hole, 7b ... Fuel gas discharge hole, 7c ... Oxidation gas supply hole, 7d ... Oxidation gas discharge hole, 7e ... Refrigerant supply hole, 7f ... Refrigerant discharge hole, 7g ... Oxidation gas passage, 8 ... Seal layer, 8a DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Inner peripheral part, 10 ... Fuel cell, 20 ... Fuel cell decomposition | disassembly apparatus, 30 ... Work table, 32 ... Table surface, 40 ... Positioning member, 41 ... Mounting area, 42 ... Fuel cell control part, 44 ... Retraction space part 44a ... Space formation , 44b ... space forming surface, 46 ... cutting member restricting portion, 46a ... stopper surface, 46b ... guide surface, 50 ... cutting member, 52 ... actuator, 54 ... support, 56 ... cutter blade, 56a ... annular portion, 56b ... Radial part, 58 ... rod.

Claims (19)

Decomposition for decomposing the fuel cell and a first separator and a second sealing layer formed around the electrode film electrode assembly and membrane electrode assemblies both sides is held between a pair of separators consisting of the separator A device,
A table surface for disassembling the fuel cell;
Attached to the table surface, the fuel cell is positioned and fixed on the table surface so that the second separator and the first separator are arranged in this order when viewed from the table surface. Positioning means for
Cutting means for cutting at least the first separator of the fuel cell fixed by the positioning means at a position of an inner peripheral portion of the seal layer;
An apparatus for disassembling a fuel cell.   The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning means positions and fixes the fuel cell by contacting an outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell. The fuel cell, the outer shape is a four square, said positioning means, positioning and fixing the fuel cell by the outer peripheral surface and abutting the four sides of the fuel cell, the decomposition apparatus of the fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein .   The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning means is inserted into a through hole provided in the fuel cell to position and fix the fuel cell.   The fuel cell decomposition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the through hole is a through hole for a gas passage and / or a through hole for a cooling water passage. The cutting means moves in the direction from the first separator of the fuel cell fixed by the positioning means toward the second separator, so that at least the first separator is moved to the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer. Having a cutting blade for cutting at a position of
The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 1. The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the positioning means guides the cutting means to move in a direction from the first separator toward the second separator . A cutting regulating means for regulating movement of the cutting means so as to stop before the cutting blade reaches the table surface;
8. A fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 6 or 7. Cutting restriction means for restricting movement of the cutting means so that the cutting blade stops before reaching the second separator of the pair of separators;
8. A fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.   The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the positioning means is integrated with the cutting restricting means. When the first separator of the fuel cell is cut at the position of the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer by the cutting blade, the cutting of the first separator that receives an outward force due to the thickness of the cutting blade retraction space for retracting the strip to said outward direction,
The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to claim 6, comprising: When cutting the first separator of the fuel cell, the cutting blade cuts the first separator at the position of the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer and from the position of the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer. The fuel cell disassembling apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the fuel cell disassembling apparatus is cut so as to have a cut continuous with the outer periphery of the first separator . A first separator and a second sealing layer formed around the pair of separators by the membrane electrode assembly and the membrane electrode assembly both sides is held between the electrodes consisting of a separator and a method of degrading a fuel cell comprising And
(A) Positioning of the fuel cell on the table surface where the fuel cell is disassembled is positioned so that the second separator and the first separator are arranged in this order as viewed from the table surface. Fixing the step,
(B) cutting at least the first separator of the fuel cell fixed on the table surface at a position of an inner peripheral portion of the seal layer;
A method for disassembling a fuel cell.   The method for disassembling a fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein in step (a), the fuel cell is positioned and fixed by bringing a positioning member into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fuel cell.   The method for disassembling a fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein in the step (a), a positioning member is inserted into a through-hole provided in the fuel cell to position and fix the fuel cell.   The fuel cell disassembling method according to claim 15, wherein the through hole is used for a gas passage through hole and / or a cooling water passage in the fuel cell. In the step (b) , at least the first separator is moved by moving a cutting blade in a direction from the first separator of the fuel cell fixed in the step (a) toward the second separator. The method for disassembling a fuel cell according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the fuel cell is cut at a position of an inner peripheral portion of the seal layer . In the step (b), when the first separator of the fuel cell is cut at the position of the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer by the cutting blade, an external force due to the thickness of the cutting blade is received. the cut pieces of the first separator is retracted to the outside direction, the decomposition method of a fuel cell according to claim 17. In the step (b), when the cutting blade cuts the first separator of the fuel cell , the cutting blade cuts the first separator at the position of the inner peripheral portion of the seal layer and the seal layer. 19. The method of disassembling a fuel cell according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the fuel cell is cut so as to have a cut continuous from the position of the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the first separator .

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