CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0046617, filed on Apr. 17, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a system for manufacturing parts of a fuel cell stack. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

As is known, fuel cells produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells may continuously generate electric power upon receiving a chemical reactant from the outside, even without a separate charging process.

A fuel cell may be formed by disposing separators (or bipolar plates) on both sides of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) intervening therebetween. A plurality of fuel cells may be continuously arranged to form a fuel cell stack.

Here, a membrane-electrode assembly that is an example of a core component of the fuel cell is a three-layer structure. The three-layer structure includes an electrolytic membrane in which hydrogen ions transfer, an anode catalyst electrode layer formed on one surface of the electrolytic membrane and a cathode catalyst electrode layer formed on the other surface of the electrolytic membrane. As a method of manufacturing the three-layer structure membrane-electrode assembly, a direct coating method and a decal method may be examples.

Among them, in the case of the decal method, an electrode film coated with each catalyst electrode layer is deposited on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst electrode layer is transferred to both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane to be joined, and then the electrode film is removed, thereby manufacturing the membrane-electrode assembly of a three-layer structure.

That is, in the manufacturing process of the membrane-electrode assembly using the decal method, an electrode film of a roll type coated with each catalyst electrode layer and an electrolyte membrane of a roll type pass a bonding roll of high temperature and high pressure to be laminated (thermally compressed), and the electrode film is removed to manufacture the membrane-electrode assembly of the three-layer structure.

As described above, manufacturing the membrane-electrode assembly of the three-layer structure by the decal method using the roll laminating process may be advantageous in mass production because the manufacturing speed may be improved.

However, in the decal method using the roll lamination process, the electrode film coated with each catalyst electrode layer on both sides via the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween passes between the bonding rolls of high temperature and high pressure, and the catalyst electrode layer and the electrolyte membrane are laminated in the directions such that they contact each other. We have discovered that it is difficult to align the lamination positions of the anode catalyst electrode layer and the cathode catalyst electrode layer.

That is, the electrode film and the electrolyte membrane continuously pass between the bonding rolls of high temperature and high pressure that are always pressed and the catalyst electrode layer is laminated on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane. In roll laminating continuous process, we have discovered that it is difficult to correctly accord the lamination positions of the catalyst electrode layers due a feeding speed difference of the electrode film.

Also, we have discovered that the lamination positions of the anode catalyst electrode layer and the cathode catalyst electrode layer are difficult to align because a pitch between the catalyst electrode layers is not constant in the process of manufacturing the catalyst electrode layer of the continuous patterns by coating the catalyst slurry to the electrode film.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, which can align the transfer positions of the anode and the cathode electrode layers on both sides of the electrolyte membrane in a simple configuration.

According to an exemplary form of the present disclosure, a manufacturing apparatus of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the manufacturing apparatus may include: an electrode film sheet unwinder configured to supply, along a predetermined transfer path, upper and lower electrode film sheets having upper and lower electrode films, wherein the upper and lower electrode films include anode and cathode layers applied continuously at predetermined intervals, an electrolyte membrane sheet unwinder that is configured to supply an electrolyte membrane sheet between the upper and lower electrode film sheets along the transfer path, a driving bonding roll that is driven rotatably in one direction on the transfer path and has an engraved portion and an embossing portion continuously formed on an exterior circumference surface, a driven bonding roll that is configured to be moved in the vertical direction toward the driving bonding roll and be in close contact with the driving bonding roll with the electrolyte membrane sheet and the upper and lower electrode film sheets interposed therebetween, and to rotate driven in the other direction, a film rewinder that is installed on the upper and lower sides of the transfer path from the rear of the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll, and recovers by winding the upper and lower electrode films respectively, and a position aligning unit which is provided on the side of the electrode film sheet unwinder and the film rewinder, respectively, and aligns the positions of the anode layer and the cathode layer while switching the running direction of the upper and lower electrode film sheet and the upper and lower electrode film.

The manufacturing apparatus may further include a separation blade installed on the upper and lower sides of the transfer path from the film rewinder side, respectively, and separating the upper electrode film and the anode layer, and the lower electrode film and the cathode layer, respectively, and an electrode layer rewinder winding a membrane-electrode assembly, in which the anode and cathode layers are transferred, respectively, to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet by the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll at the end of the transfer path.

In another form of the present disclosure, a manufacturing apparatus of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell may include: an electrode film sheet unwinder for supplying upper and lower electrode film sheets having anode and cathode layers continuously applied to each of upper and lower electrode films at predetermined intervals along a predetermined transfer path, an electrolyte membrane sheet unwinder that supplies an electrolyte membrane sheet between the upper and lower electrode film sheets along the transfer path, a driving bonding roll that is driven rotatably in one direction by a first driver on the transfer path and has an engraved portion and an embossing portion continuously formed on an exterior circumference surface, a driven bonding roll that is installed to be movable in the vertical direction by a second driver toward the driving bonding roll and is in close contact with the driving bonding roll with the electrolyte membrane sheet and the upper and lower electrode film sheets interposed therebetween and rotates in the other direction, a film rewinder that is installed on the upper and lower sides of the transfer path from the rear of the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll and recovers by winding the upper and lower electrode films respectively, a first turn roll set that is installed in the electrode film sheet supply path of the electrode film sheet unwinder side, and selectively switches the driving direction of the upper and lower electrode film sheets along the electrode film sheet supply path by a third and fourth driver, a second turn roll set that is installed in an electrode film recovery path of the film rewinder side, and selectively switches the driving direction of the upper and lower electrode films along the electrode film recovery path by a fifth and sixth driver, a first position sensor installed in front of the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll and detecting edge positions of the anode and cathode layers, a second position sensor installed on the driving bonding roll side and detecting an edge position of the embossing portion, and a controller that analyzes the detection signal provided from the first and second position sensors and controls driving of the first to sixth driver according to the edge position of the embossing portion and the edge positions of the anode and cathode layer.

The manufacturing apparatus may further include a separation blade installed on the upper and lower sides of the transfer path from the film rewinder side, respectively, and separating the upper electrode film and the anode layer, and the lower electrode film and the cathode layer, respectively, an electrode layer rewinder winding a membrane-electrode assembly, in which the anode and cathode layers are transferred, respectively, to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet by the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll at the end of the transfer path, and a buffering portion provided between the separation blade and the electrode layer rewinder and compensating for a reverse running length of the electrolyte membrane sheet.

The first and second position sensor may include a vision sensor that simultaneously photographs the edge of the anode and cathode layer and the edge of the embossing portion, respectively, and outputs the vision data to the controller, and the first driver may include a servo motor, and the second driver may include a driving cylinder.

The first turn roll set may include a first driven roller provided freely rotatable and in contact with the upper and lower electrode film sheets running along the supply path, and a first driving roller that is installed to enable reciprocal movement in a direction moving away or closer to the first driven roller by the third driver, and rotatably installed in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first driven roller by the fourth driver.

The third driver may include a driving cylinder, and the fourth driver may include a servo motor.

The second turn roll set may include a second driven roller provided freely rotatable and in contact with the upper and lower electrode film running along the recovery path, and a second driving roller that is installed to enable reciprocal movement in a direction moving away from or toward the second driven roller by the fifth driver, and is rotatably installed in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the second driven roller by the sixth driver.

The fifth driver may include a driving cylinder, and the sixth driver may include a servo motor.

The controller may include a signal processing unit that is configured to analyze the detection signal of the first position sensor and detect the edge position values of the anode and cathode layers and to be matched with the embossing portion, and the signal processing unit that is configured to analyze the detection signal of the second position sensor and detect the edge position value of the embossing portion to be matched with the edge position value of the anode and cathode layers, an operation unit that is configured to calculate the position difference between the edge position values of the anode and cathode layers and the edge position values of the embossing portion, and a signal application unit that is configured to apply a control signal to the first to six drivers according to the position difference value.

The buffering portion may include a pair of guide rollers configured to guide the transfer of the electrolyte membrane sheet in both directions along the transfer path, and a buffer roller that is configured to be moved in the vertical direction by a seventh driver between the guide rollers and to control the running length of the electrolyte membrane sheet.

A manufacturing method of a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell using the apparatus for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the manufacturing method according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure may include (a) supplying the electrolyte membrane sheet to the predetermined transfer path through the electrolyte membrane sheet unwinder, (b) supplying the upper and lower electrode film sheets applied with the anode and cathode layers to each of the upper and lower electrode films at predetermined intervals through the electrode film sheet unwinder to the upper and lower sides of the electrolyte membrane sheet along the transfer path, (c) passing the electrolyte membrane sheet and upper and lower electrode film sheet between the driving bonding roll and the driven bonding roll, and bonding the anode and cathode layers of the upper and lower electrode film sheets to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet, respectively, (c) passing the electrolyte membrane sheet and upper and lower electrode film sheet between the driving bonding roll and the driven bonding roll, and bond the anode and cathode layers of the upper and lower electrode film sheets to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet, respectively, (d) recovering the upper and lower electrode films of the upper and lower electrode film sheets from the rear side of the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll through the film rewinder, respectively, (e) detecting the edge positions of the anode and cathode layers at the front side of the driving bonding roll and the driven bonding roll through the first position sensor, and detecting the edge position of the embossing portion of the driving bonding roll through the second position sensor, and (f) switching the upper and lower electrode film sheet running direction in the electrode film sheet unwinder and the upper and lower electrode film running direction in the film rewinder through first and second turn roll sets, respectively, according to the detection signal of the first and second position sensor, and aligning the transfer positions of the anode and cathode layers.

In the (a)-(d) process, the driven bonding roll may be raised, the driving bonding roll may be is driven and rotated, and the first driving roller of the first turn roll set may be separated from the first driven roller, and the second driving roller of the second turn roll set may be in close contact with the second driven roller, and the second driving roller may be driven along the direction of recovery of the upper and lower electrode films.

In the (a)-(d) process, the separation blade may separate the upper and lower electrode film and the anode and cathode layers of the upper and lower electrode film sheets, respectively, and with the buffer roller of the buffering portion lowered, the membrane-electrode assembly with the anode and cathode layers transferred to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet may be transferred in a positive direction, and wound to the electrode layer rewinder.

In the (f) process, by analyzing the detection signal of the first position sensor by the controller, the edge position value of the anode and cathode layer to be matched with the edge position value of the embossing portion may be detected. By analyzing the detection signal of the second position sensor by the controller, the edge position value of the embossing portion to be matched with the edge of the anode and cathode layer may be detected, and the controller may calculate a position difference value between the edge position value of the anode and cathode layer and the edge position value of the embossing portion.

The (a)-(d) process may be performed when it is determined by the controller that the position difference value satisfies a predetermined reference value.

When it is determined by the controller that the position difference value does not satisfy a predetermined reference value, the (a)-(d) process may be performed as the electrode position alignment mode, the preceding anode and cathode layers may be bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the electrolyte membrane sheet by the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll. When an empty portion between the anode and cathode layers of the sensing target is positioned at the edge of the embossing portion of the driving bonding roll, transferring of the electrolyte membrane sheet may be stopped.

In the electrode position alignment mode, after stopping transfer of the electrolyte membrane sheet, the driven bonding roll may be lowered, the first driving roller of the first turn roll set may be separated from the first driven roller, the second driving roller of the second turn roll set may be in close contact with the second driven roller, and the second driving roller may be driven and rotated along the recovery direction of the upper and lower electrode films. The upper and lower electrode film sheets may be transferred in a positive direction along the transfer path by the electrode film sheet unwinder and film rewinder, and the anode and cathode layers as detection targets may be transferred to the separation blade, and the upper and lower electrode films may be separated from the anode and cathode layers bonded to the electrolyte membrane sheet by the separation blade.

In the electrode position alignment mode, after separation of the upper and lower electrode films, the first driving roller of the first turn roll set may be in close contact with the first driven roller, the first driving roller may be rotated in the supply opposite directions of the upper and lower electrode film sheets, and the upper and lower electrode film sheets may be driven in the supply opposite direction, the second driving roller of the second turn roll set may be separated from the second driven roller, and the upper and lower electrode films may be driven in opposite directions, and the buffer roller of the buffering portion may be moved in the upper direction, and the electrolyte membrane sheet with the anode and cathode layers transferred to the upper and lower surfaces may be transferred in the reverse direction.

In the electrode position alignment mode, the anode and cathode layers of the detection target may be positioned in front of the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll, the anode and cathode layers bonded to the electrolyte membrane sheet may be positioned between the driving bonding roll and driven bonding roll, the anode and cathode layers of the detection target may be aligned in a predetermined matching position, the driving bonding roll may be driven and rotated in the reverse direction corresponding to the section of the empty portion, and the embossing portion may be aligned in a predetermined matching position, and the anode and cathode layers of the detection target and the positions of the embossing portion may be re-detected by the first and second position sensors, and the detection signal may be output to the controller.

An exemplary form of the present disclosure automatically aligns the transfer positions of the anode and cathode layers and manufactures a membrane-electrode assembly, so that the transfer uniformity of the anode and cathode layers can be improved, and quality of the membrane-electrode assembly can be improved.

In addition, the effect obtained or predicted by an exemplary form of the present disclosure will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of an exemplary form of the present disclosure. That is, various effects predicted according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure will be disclosed within a detailed description to be described later.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

