JP6947553B2 - Modules and module containment devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to modules and module accommodating devices.

In recent years, as next-generation energy, a cell stack device equipped with a fuel cell capable of generating power by using fuel gas (hydrogen-containing gas) and air (oxygen-containing gas) has been stored in a storage container. Various fuel cell modules and fuel cell devices in which the fuel cell module is housed in an outer case have been proposed.

In order to take out the current generated by the power generation to the outside, the module is provided with a current extraction member (bus bar) so as to penetrate the storage container, and the current extraction member includes a conductive part through which the current flows and a conductive part and storage. It has an insulating portion that electrically insulates the container (see Patent Document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 32078885

The insulating portion of the current extraction member is made of, for example, a ceramic material, and the heat generated in the storage container is transferred not only to the conductive portion but also to the tip end side of the current extraction member through the insulating portion. Another member such as a conductive wire is further connected to the current extraction member, and there is a problem that the characteristics of the other member are deteriorated by the heat transmitted through the current extraction member.

The modules of this disclosure include storage containers and
A cell stack that is stored in the storage container and in which a plurality of cells are arranged,
End conductive members arranged at both ends of the cell in the arrangement direction and electrically connected to the cell,
It comprises a first conductive portion that is electrically connected to the end conductive member and extends in a first direction away from the cell stack, and a bus bar having an insulating portion through which the first conductive portion is inserted.
The length of the insulating portion along the first direction is 1/3 or more and 1/2 or less of the length of the bus bar along the first direction.
The tip of the insulating portion in the first direction is located at the center of the length of the bus bar along the first direction, or is located closer to the end conductive member than the center.

Further, the module accommodating device of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned module and
Auxiliary equipment for operating the module and
It includes an outer case for accommodating the module and the auxiliary machine.

According to the module of the present disclosure, since heat transfer by the bus bar can be suppressed, deterioration of the member connected to the tip end portion of the bus bar can be suppressed.

According to the module accommodating device of the present disclosure, by providing the above-mentioned module, stable operation can be continued for a long period of time.

It is a side view which shows an example of the cell stack apparatus of this embodiment. It is an external view of the bus bar of this embodiment. It is an external view of the 1st conductive part of this execution substrate. It is an enlarged view of the connection part of a bus bar and an end conductive member. It is a perspective view which shows typically an example of the fuel cell apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the cell stack device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external view of the bus bar of the present embodiment. In the following figures, a solid oxide fuel cell will be mainly described, but in the present embodiment, hydrogen and oxygen are generated by applying water vapor and a voltage to electrolyze the water vapor. It can also be applied to electrolytic cells.

The module 1 of the present embodiment includes a cell stack 2, an end conductive member 4, a bus bar 5, a reformer 17, and a storage container 23.

As shown in FIG. 1, the module 1 includes a cell stack 2 in which a plurality of cells 3 are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction. The adjacent cells 3 are electrically connected in series via a conductive member.

Above the cell stack 2, a reformer 17 that generates fuel gas to be supplied to the cell 3 is arranged. The reformer 17 steam reforms raw fuel such as natural gas and kerosene supplied through the raw fuel / water supply pipe 18 to generate fuel gas. The fuel gas generated by the reformer 17 is supplied to the manifold 20 via the gas flow pipe 19, and is supplied to the cell 3 from the manifold 20.

The lower end of the cell 3 is fixed to the manifold 20 by an insulating adhesive. Further, an end conductive member 4 electrically connected via a conductive member is arranged in a cell 3 located at the outermost side in the arrangement direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end conductive members 4 are arranged at both ends of the cell stack 2 in the arrangement direction of the cells 3. The end conductive member 4 is electrically connected to the cell 3, and the current generated by the cell 3 can be taken out through the connection portion 4a of the end conductive member 4. The connection portion 4a extends so as to be separated from the cell stack 2. Further, when the cell 3 is an electrolytic cell, a voltage for electrolyzing water vapor can be applied to the cell 3 via the conductive portion 4a of the end conductive member 4.

The bus bar 5 is connected to the end conductive member 4 via a connecting portion 4a, and has a cell stack 2 stored in the storage container 23, a power conversion device outside the storage container 23, a power supply device, and the like (shown in the figure). ) And electrically connect. The bus bar 5 has a first conductive portion 6 and an insulating portion 7 through which the first conductive portion 6 is inserted.

The first conductive portion 6 is made of a metal material or the like, has conductivity, and extends in the first direction (X direction) away from the cell stack 2. The first conductive portion 6 is electrically connected to the end conductive member 4 via the connecting portion 4a. The connection with the end conductive member 4 will be described later. Another member such as a lead wire (conductive wire) is connected to the side opposite to the side connected to the end conductive member 4 of the first conductive portion 6 in order to electrically connect to a power conversion device, a power supply device, or the like. There is.

The bus bar 5 is fixed so as to penetrate one side wall 230 of the storage container 23. A through hole 230a is provided in one side wall 230 of the storage container 23, and the bus bar 5 is fixed to the through hole 230a via the fixing member 231. The fixing member 231 fixes the bus bar 5 and airtightly seals the through hole 230a. The fixing member 231 is fitted onto the insulating portion 7 of the bus bar 5 and joined to the outer peripheral surface of the insulating portion 7.

The first conductive portion 6 is inserted through the insulating portion 7 fixed to the one side wall 230. FIG. 3 is an external view of the first conductive portion of the present embodiment. FIG. 3A is a side view, and FIG. 3B is a plan view. The first conductive portion 6 is an inner connecting end portion (a round bar-shaped conductive portion main body 6a and an inner end portion of the conductive portion main body 6a on the inner side of the storage container 23, which is connected to the end conductive member 4 via the connecting portion 4a. It has a first connection end portion) 6b and an outer connection end portion 6c that connects the conductive portion main body 6a to another member such as a lead wire at the end portion on the outer side of the storage container. In the present embodiment, the inner connecting end portion 6b is provided in a flat plate shape, and is fixed so that the flat surface faces in the vertical direction. The shape of the outer connecting end portion 6c is not particularly limited, but is, for example, the same round bar shape as the conductive portion main body 6a, and a male screw is provided so that a nut for fixing the lead wire is screwed.

The bus bar 5 can serve as a heat transfer path including the first conductive portion 6 and the insulating portion 7. At the location where only the first conductive portion 6 is provided, the cross-sectional area of the heat transfer path is smaller than that at the location where the insulating portion 7 is provided, so that the heat transfer resistance is increased. If the length of the insulating portion 7 is short, the length of only the first conductive portion 6 becomes long, the heat transfer resistance of the entire bus bar 5 increases, and the heat transfer to the tip of the first conductive portion 6 is suppressed. be able to. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the length L1 of the insulating portion 7 along the first direction is 1/3 or more and 1/2 or less of the length L2 along the first direction of the bus bar 5, and the insulating portion is provided. The tip 7a of the 7 in the first direction is located at the center of the length along the first direction of the bus bar 5, or is located closer to the end conductive member 4 than the center. Here, the length of the bus bar 5 is a length along the first direction of the conductive portion main body 6a.

If the length L1 of the insulating portion 7 is shorter than 1/3 of the length L2 of the bus bar 5, the length that the first conductive portion 6 is exposed becomes long, and the exposed first conductive portion 6 has a storage container. There is a risk that members outside the 23 will come into contact with each other and cause a short circuit. In addition, it may be difficult for the fixing member 231 to fix the storage container 23 to the one side wall 230. On the other hand, when the length L1 of the insulating portion 7 is longer than 1/2 of the length L2 of the bus bar 5, heat is transferred to the tip of the bus bar 5, that is, the tip of the first conductive portion 6 through the insulating portion 7. There is a risk that the characteristics of the lead wire and the like will deteriorate. Further, even if the length L1 of the insulating portion 7 is short, if the tip 7a of the insulating portion 7 is near the tip of the bus bar 5, heat transfer to the tip of the first conductive portion 6 cannot be suppressed. By setting the position of the tip 7a to the end conductive member 4 side as described above, heat transfer to the tip of the first conductive portion 6 is suppressed. As a result, deterioration of another member such as a lead wire connected to the bus bar 5 can be suppressed. Further, when the heat transfer to the tip of the first conductive portion 6 is suppressed, a low-cost material having low heat resistance can be used as a separate member such as a lead wire, so that the device cost can be reduced.

As described above, the first conductive portion 6 is composed of three portions. In the present embodiment, the shape is a combination of a flat plate shape and a round bar shape. In such a case, for example, a flat plate-shaped inner connecting end portion 6b and a round bar-shaped conductive portion main body 6a are individually manufactured, and these are joined using a joining material or the like to prepare a first conductive portion 6. However, in this case, the electrical resistance at the joint portion due to the joining material tends to increase. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first conductive portion 6 can be made into a forged product and integrated. In this case, the first conductive portion 6 has no joint portion, and an increase in electrical resistance can be suppressed. The first conductive portion 6 can be a cast product or a cut product in addition to a forged product.

The insulating portion 7 is made of an insulating material having an insulating property such as a ceramic material, and extends in the first direction like the first conductive portion 6. The insulating portion 7 is a tubular member having a through hole 10 through which the first conductive portion 6 penetrates. The through hole 10 penetrates the insulating portion 7 along the first direction. The conductive portion main body 6a of the first conductive portion 6 is inserted through the through hole 10.

In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the insulating portion 7 is, for example, a regular cylinder having a constant shape in the first direction, but is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a tapered shape that tapers in the first direction. good.

For example, the first conductive portion 6 and the insulating portion 7 may be adhesively fixed by pouring an adhesive into the through hole 10. In the case of adhesive fixing, it is sufficient that the insulating portion 7 is adhesively fixed to the first conductive portion 6 at least at the tip 7a in the first direction. As the adhesive used for adhesive fixing, an inorganic insulating adhesive can be used. In the insulating portion 7, the temperature of the front end 7a side and the rear end 7b side of the insulating portion 7 is higher on the rear end 7b side located inside the storage container 23. If the adhesive is fixed on the rear end 7b side of the insulating portion 7, the adhesive may melt due to an increase in temperature. If only the rear end 7b side of the insulating portion 7 is adhesively fixed, the fixing may be loosened or detached due to the dissolution of the adhesive, and the module 1 may be poorly airtight. On the other hand, since the front end 7a side of the insulating portion 7 is located outside the storage container 23, the temperature is less likely to rise as compared with the rear end 7b side. When the adhesive is fixed on the tip 7a side of the insulating portion 7, the temperature is relatively low, so that the adhesive is unlikely to melt. By adhesively fixing at least on the tip 7a side of the insulating portion 7, it is possible to prevent loosening or detachment of the fixing and the resulting poor airtightness.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a connecting portion between the bus bar and the end conductive member. The current generated by the power generation of the cell stack 2 flows through the bus bar 5 via the connecting portion 4a of the end conductive member 4 and is taken out to the outside. Specifically, the inner connection end portion 6b of the first conductive portion 6 and the connection end portion 4b (second connection end portion) of the connection portion 4a are in contact with each other. The inner connecting end portion 6b of the first conductive portion 6 includes a flat surface 60 (first flat surface) facing upward. On the contrary, the connecting end portion 4b of the end conductive member 4 includes a flat surface 40 (second flat surface) facing downward. The downward flat surface 40 of the connection end 4b is in contact with the upward flat surface 60 of the inner connection end 6b.

Since the bus bar 5 is fixed to the storage container 23 as described above, the downward flat surface 40 of the connection end 4b can be pressed against the upward flat surface 60 of the inner connection end 6b. That is, the weight of the cell stack 2 is applied downward to the connection end portion 4b, and the downward force applied to the connection end portion 4b becomes a force that presses the upward flat surface 60 of the inner connection end portion 6b. Thereby, for example, the first conductive portion 6 and the end conductive member 4 can be kept in a state of being electrically connected without being fixed by a fastening member such as a bolt or a nut. As a result, the inner connecting end portion 6b and the connecting end portion 4b do not require a fastening member and also do not require fastening work. The inner connection end 6b and the connection end 4b can also be fastened by a fastening member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the fuel cell device of the present embodiment. The fuel cell device 24 contains the above-mentioned module 1 in an exterior case 26 composed of each support column 25 and an exterior plate (not shown). In the outer case 26, in addition to the module 1 shown in the figure, a tank for heat storage, a power conditioner for supplying the generated electric power to the outside, auxiliary equipment such as a pump and a controller) are arranged. Illustration of these will be omitted.

The fuel cell device 24 of the present embodiment can continue to operate stably for a long period of time by housing the module 1 as described above in the outer case.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes, improvements, and the like can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. be.

1 module 2 cell stack 3 fuel cell (cell)
4 End conductive member 4a Connection 4b Connection end (second connection end)
5 Bus bar 6 1st conductive part 6a Conductive part main body 6b Inner connection end (1st connection end)
6c Outer connection end 7 Insulation 7a Tip 7b Rear end 10 Through hole 16 Fuel cell module 17 Reformer 18 Raw fuel / water supply pipe 19 Gas flow pipe 20 Manifold 23 Storage container 24 Fuel cell device 25 Prop 26 Exterior case 40 Second flat surface 60 First flat surface 230 One side wall 230a Through hole 231 Fixing member

Claims (5)

Storage container and
A cell stack that is stored in the storage container and in which a plurality of cells are arranged,
End conductive members arranged at both ends of the cell in the arrangement direction and electrically connected to the cell,
A first conductive portion that is electrically connected to the end conductive member and extends in a first direction away from the cell stack, and the first conductive portion are inserted and fixed through the side wall of the storage container. A bus bar having an insulating portion that electrically insulates the storage container and the first conductive portion.
The length of the insulating portion along the first direction is 1/3 or more and 1/2 or less of the length of the bus bar along the first direction.
A module characterized in that the tip of the insulating portion in the first direction is located at the center of a length of the bus bar along the first direction, or is located closer to the end conductive member than the center. .. The module according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive portion is a forged product, a cast product, or a cut product made of a metal material. The module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the tip of the insulating portion in the first direction is adhesively fixed to the first conductive portion and the insulating portion. The bus bar is fixed to the storage container and
The first conductive portion has a first connection end portion that is electrically connected to the end conductive member.
The first connecting end includes a first flat surface facing upwards.
The end conductive member has a second connection end that is electrically connected to the first conductive portion.
The second connecting end includes a second flat surface facing downwards.
The module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first flat surface and the second flat surface are in contact with each other. The module according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Auxiliary equipment for operating the module and
A module accommodating device including an outer case for accommodating the module and the auxiliary machine.

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