JP5882870B2 - Fuel cell module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell module, and more particularly to a fuel cell module in which a plurality of cell stack devices are arranged in parallel.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, fuel cells that can obtain power using hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas (air) are known as next-generation energy. Furthermore, a cell stack device in which a plurality of fuel cells are arranged in a row and electrically connected in series is provided in parallel in a gas tank so as to form a plurality of rows, and the cell stack device is Various fuel cell modules housed in storage containers have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In Patent Document 1, an oxygen-containing gas supply plate is arranged between cell stacks, and oxygen-containing gas is supplied to fuel cells constituting the cell stacks on both sides.

JP 2010-231919 A

  In recent years, the use of fuel cells has been studied in addition to home use. For example, fuel cells for business use in hospitals, hotels, stores, etc. are required to generate electricity of several kW or more.

  As the amount of power generated by the fuel cell increases, the number of fuel cells stored in one storage container increases, and the space other than the fuel cells in the storage container also increases. Is required to be supplied efficiently.

  An object of this invention is to provide the fuel cell module which can supply oxygen-containing gas efficiently to a fuel cell.

In the fuel cell module of the present invention, a cell stack formed by standing a plurality of fuel cells in a row and a plurality of the cell stacks are arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement directions of the fuel cells are parallel. A plurality of cell stack devices each having a gas tank for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cells, and arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement directions in the cell stack devices are parallel to each other, and the cell stack device the arrangement direction of the both ends, and between the cell stack device, which possess an oxygen-containing gas supply plate disposed so and along the standing direction of the fuel cell becomes parallel to the cell arrangement direction, wherein The lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate is positioned below the upper surface of the gas tank, and the oxygen-containing gas supply plate is a lower side surface and is located above the lower end. Has a containing gas supply hole, the oxygen-containing gas supply hole is characterized that you have located above the upper surface of the gas tank.

  The fuel cell module according to the present invention includes an oxygen-containing gas disposed between both ends of the cell stack device in the arrangement direction and between the cell stack devices so as to be parallel to the cell arrangement direction and along the standing direction of the fuel cell. Since the supply plate is provided, the oxygen-containing gas supplied using the oxygen-containing gas supply plate is reliably supplied to the fuel cells between the oxygen-containing gas supply plates, and the fuel between the opposing oxygen-containing gas supply plates is fueled. It becomes easy to flow in the standing direction of the battery cell, and the oxygen-containing gas can be efficiently supplied to the fuel battery cell.

1 shows a fuel cell module, where (a) is a schematic plan view and (b) is a schematic side view. It is a schematic side view of a fuel cell module in which two cell stack devices having three cell stacks are arranged in parallel. (A) is a schematic side view of a fuel cell module in which an oxygen-containing gas supply plate extends upward from below the gas tank, and (b) is a lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate positioned above the upper surface of the gas tank. It is a schematic side view of a fuel cell module. It is a schematic side view of a fuel cell module in which an oxygen-containing gas blocking plate is disposed between two cell stacks constituting the cell stack device. The fuel cell module which arrange | positioned two cell stack apparatuses which have an oxygen-containing gas flow path control board in parallel is shown, (a) is a schematic side view, (b) is a schematic plan view. It is a schematic plan view showing a fuel cell module in which cell stack devices are arranged in 2 rows and 3 columns.

  FIG. 1 shows a part of one form of a fuel cell module. As shown in FIG. 1B, the fuel cell module has two cell stack devices 8 in the storage container 2, and the storage container is omitted in FIG. 1A.

  In the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 1, adjacent fuel cells are arranged in a row with columnar fuel cells 3 having gas flow paths through which gas flows inside the storage container 2. A cell stack 5 is configured by electrically connecting the battery cells 3 in series via current collecting members (not shown), and the cells from both ends of the cell stack 5 in the cell arrangement direction x of the fuel cells 3. An end current collecting member 9 having a current drawing portion for drawing a current generated by power generation of the fuel cell 3 is arranged so as to sandwich the stack 5. In addition, the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell 3 at the lower end side of the fuel cell 3 and the end current collecting member 9 constituting the cell stack 5 by an insulating bonding material (not shown) such as a glass sealing material. It is fixed to the gas tank 4 and stored in the storage container 2.

  Further, in FIG. 1, the fuel battery cell 3 is a hollow flat plate type having a gas flow path through which a hydrogen-containing gas (fuel gas) flows in the longitudinal direction. A fuel side electrode layer, a solid electrolyte is formed on the surface of the support. A solid oxide fuel cell 3 in which a layer and an oxygen electrode layer are sequentially provided is illustrated. In the fuel cell 3, a power generation unit is formed in which a fuel side electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an oxygen side electrode layer are superimposed on substantially the entire length direction (standing direction) in FIG.

  In addition to the above, as the fuel cell 3, for example, a cylindrical or flat fuel cell can be used. In this case, the shape of the end current collecting member 9 can be changed as appropriate.

  Further, in FIG. 1, a reformer (not shown) for generating a fuel gas by reforming raw fuel such as natural gas or kerosene in order to obtain a fuel gas used for power generation of the fuel battery cell 3. Can be disposed above the cell stack 5 (fuel cell 3), but a reformer can be provided separately from the fuel cell module, and fuel gas can be supplied from the reformer to the fuel cell module. . The fuel gas is supplied to the gas tank 4 through the gas flow pipe, and is supplied to the gas flow path provided inside the fuel cell 3 through the gas tank 4.

FIG. 1 shows a cell stack device 8 in which two cell stacks 5 are juxtaposed on one gas tank 4. The cell stacks 5 are arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement directions x of the fuel cells 3 are parallel to each other, and the current drawing portions 12 on the same side of the cell stack 5 are connected to each other with the conductive connecting members 11. Thus, the two cell stacks 5 are connected in series. Similarly, when three or more cell stacks 5 are arranged in parallel, the current drawing portions 12 on the same side of the cell stack 5 can be connected by the connecting member 11. Note that the cell stacks 5 may be connected in parallel, or series and parallel may be mixed.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1A, the cell stack devices 8 are connected to each other by connecting the current drawing portions 12 adjacent to each other by the connecting member 11, so that the four cell stacks 5 are connected in series. ing.

  A current collecting member is disposed between each fuel cell 3 and between the end in the arrangement direction of the fuel cells 3 and the end current collecting member 9 (the current collecting member between the fuel cells 3 is illustrated in FIG. Thereby, each fuel cell 3 is electrically connected in series. The current (voltage) obtained by the power generation of the fuel cell 3 is connected by the end current collecting member 12 via the current collecting member disposed at the end of the fuel cell 3 in the cell arrangement direction x.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell module according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of cell stack devices 8 arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement direction x in the cell stack device 8 is parallel. An oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 is provided between both ends of the apparatus 8 in the arrangement direction and between the cell stack apparatuses 8. That is, in FIG. 1A, the oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 are disposed on the left and right sides of the two cell stack devices 8 and are disposed between the two cell stack devices 8.

  These oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 are arranged so as to be parallel to the cell rows. The oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 is disposed along substantially the entire region of the fuel cell 3 in the length direction. That is, the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 has a rectangular plate shape whose height is higher than that of the fuel cell 3 and whose length is longer than that of the stack 5.

  The oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 has a flow path (not shown) through which the oxygen-containing gas flows, and the lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 is located below the upper surface of the gas tank 4. .

  The oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 has a plurality of oxygen-containing gas supply holes on the side surface of the lower part of the cell stack 5 so as to correspond to the lower part of the cell stack 5. The oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 at both ends are formed with oxygen-containing gas supply holes on one side, and the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 disposed between the cell stack devices 8 has oxygen-containing gas on both sides. A supply hole is formed, and the oxygen-containing gas is supplied in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.

  Since the lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 is located below the upper surface of the gas tank 4, the oxygen-containing gas supply hole is formed above the lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14, and the fuel cell 3. It becomes possible to supply the oxygen-containing gas sufficiently and reliably to the lower end of the gas.

  Further, for example, an oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 extends downward from the upper wall of the storage container 2, and an oxygen-containing gas supply path 16 formed in a part of the upper wall of the storage container and three oxygen-containing gases. The supply plate 14 communicates with the flow path. Note that the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 may be extended from the side wall of the storage container 2.

In such a fuel cell module, since the oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the fuel cells 3 constituting the cell stack 5 between the oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 using the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14, The gas is reliably supplied to the fuel cells 3 between the oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 and easily flows between the opposing oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 in the cell standing direction (upward). Even in a required commercial fuel cell module, the oxygen-containing gas can be efficiently supplied in the length direction of the fuel cell 3.

  In addition, although FIG. 1 demonstrated the form which comprised the fuel cell module using the cell stack apparatus 8 which has two rows of cell stacks 5, as shown in FIG. 2, the cell stack apparatus 8 which has three rows of cell stacks 5 is shown. The fuel cell module can also be configured using Furthermore, a cell stack apparatus having four or more cell stacks 5 can be used.

  Moreover, although FIG. 1 demonstrated the case where the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 was extended vertically downward from the upper wall of the storage container 2, as shown in FIG. Further, for example, an oxygen-containing gas supply path 18 is provided on the lower wall of the storage container 2, and the oxygen-containing gas supply path 18 communicates with the flow paths of the three oxygen-containing gas supply plates 19 to supply oxygen-containing gas. The case where the board 14 is extended toward upper direction may be sufficient. Also in FIG. 3A, the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 19 is disposed along substantially the entire region in the length direction of the fuel cell 3. The oxygen-containing gas supply hole is formed at a position where it can be supplied to the lower end of the fuel cell 3.

  Furthermore, although FIG. 1 demonstrated the case where the lower end of the oxygen containing gas supply plate 14 was located below the upper surface of the gas tank 4, as shown in FIG.3 (b), the lower end of the oxygen containing gas supply plate 14 was demonstrated. However, it can also be configured to be positioned above the upper surface of the gas tank 4. In this case, since the space | interval of the cell stack apparatuses 8 can be narrowed, a small fuel cell module can be obtained.

  FIG. 4 shows another form of the fuel cell module. This fuel cell module has oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 between both ends of the cell stack device 8 in the arrangement direction and between the cell stack devices 8. In addition, an oxygen-containing gas blocking plate 21 extends between the cell stacks 5 from the upper wall of the storage container 2. The oxygen-containing gas blocking plate 21 extends from the upper wall of the storage container 2 so that the lower end of the oxygen-containing gas blocking plate 21 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the gas tank 4. They are arranged along almost the entire region and along the cell arrangement direction x.

  In the fuel cell module of FIG. 1B, since the oxygen-containing gas is supplied from the pair of opposed oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 to the cell stacks 5 in the center two rows, it is supplied to the cell stacks 5 in the two rows. However, in the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 4, since the oxygen-containing gas blocking plate 21 is provided between the two cell stacks 5 in the cell stack device 8, Since the oxygen-containing gas can be supplied to only one cell stack 5 from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14, a certain oxygen-containing gas can be stably and reliably supplied to the cell stack 5.

  FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment, which has oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plates 23 provided at both ends in the cell arrangement direction x and sandwiching a plurality of cell stacks 5 of the cell stack device 8. ing. The oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate 23 is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the cell arrangement direction x, and the oxygen-containing gas flow path is defined by the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate 23. It is regulated. The oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate 23 has a certain flow path regulating effect even when it is not orthogonal to the cell arrangement direction x.

The oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate 23 extends from the upper wall of the storage container 2 so that the lower end thereof is positioned at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the gas tank 4. It is arranged along almost the whole area. The upper end of the oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate 23 has an oxygen-containing gas lead-out space 25 at a predetermined interval between the upper wall of the storage container 2 except for the joint with the storage container 2, The oxygen-containing gas flow channel formed by the gas supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow channel regulating plate 23 is configured so that the oxygen-containing gas flowing upward from below is led out from the oxygen-containing gas outlet space 25. Has been.

  In such a fuel cell module, the oxygen-containing gas supplied from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 passes through the oxygen-containing gas flow path formed by the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow restriction plate 23. Even if it is a commercial fuel cell module that requires a power generation amount of several kW or more because it passes, it can be sufficiently stably supplied to the fuel cell 3, and the oxygen-containing gas can be supplied to the fuel cell 3. It can be supplied efficiently.

  FIG. 6 shows a fuel cell module in which cell stack devices 8 are arranged in two rows and three columns. In this fuel cell module, as shown in FIG. Is extended from the upper wall of the storage container 2 so as to be positioned at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the gas tank 4, and the oxygen-containing gas is formed by the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow passage regulating plate 23. The flow path is formed. In FIG. 5B and FIG. 6, a part of the fuel battery cell 3 is omitted.

  In this fuel cell module, the oxygen-containing gas is supplied from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 into the space surrounded by the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow passage regulating plate 23, and the oxygen-containing gas is supplied. In a space not surrounded by the supply plate 14 and the oxygen-containing gas flow passage regulating plate 23, oxygen-containing gas supply means for supplying a separate oxygen-containing gas is provided.

  As such an oxygen-containing gas supply means, an oxygen-containing gas supply plate 31 can be used. The oxygen-containing gas supply plate 31 is, for example, an oxygen-containing gas supply channel formed on the lower wall of the storage container 2. The cell stack devices 8 are extended upward. The oxygen-containing gas supply plate 31 can supply an oxygen-containing gas having a component, temperature, and quantity different from those of the oxygen-containing gas supplied from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14.

  In such a fuel cell module, the oxygen-containing gas from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 is used for power generation of the fuel cell 3, while the oxygen-containing gas from the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 31 is used as, for example, a storage container. 2 can be used for temperature adjustment, and the oxygen-containing gas having a different component, supply amount, and temperature than the oxygen-containing gas supply plate 14 can be supplied and controlled. Accordingly, the optimum operation state can be achieved.

  The oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 are arranged at both ends in the arrangement direction of the two cell stack devices 8 and between the cell stacks. However, the upper and lower oxygen-containing gas supply plates 14 in FIG. You may comprise with the supply board 14. FIG.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

2: storage container 3: fuel cell 4: gas tank 5: cell stack 8: cell stack device 14, 19: oxygen-containing gas supply plate 21: oxygen-containing gas blocking plate 23: oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate

Claims (4)

A cell stack formed by standing a plurality of fuel cells in a row and a plurality of the cell stacks are arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement directions of the fuel cells are parallel, and fuel is supplied to the fuel cells. A plurality of cell stack devices each having a gas tank for supplying gas are arranged in parallel so that the cell arrangement direction in the cell stack device is parallel, both ends of the cell stack device in the arrangement direction, and the between the cell stack device, which have a positioned manner and along the standing direction of the fuel cell becomes parallel to the cell arrangement direction an oxygen containing gas supply plate,
The lower end of the oxygen-containing gas supply plate is located below the upper surface of the gas tank,
The oxygen-containing gas supply plate has a lower side surface and an oxygen-containing gas supply hole above the lower end,
Oxygen-containing gas supply hole, a fuel cell module which is characterized that you have located above the upper surface of the gas tank.   The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the cell stack in the cell stack device is in two rows.   The fuel cell module according to claim 2, wherein an oxygen-containing gas blocking plate is disposed between the cell stacks in the cell stack device. The oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate provided at both ends in the cell arrangement direction and sandwiching the plurality of cell stacks of the cell stack device, the oxygen-containing gas supply plate, the oxygen-containing gas flow path regulating plate, The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the flow path of the oxygen-containing gas is regulated.

Images