A tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device based on a parallel connection

Abstract

The application relates to a tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device based on a parallel connection mode, which comprises a fuel reforming bin, a fuel distribution bin and multiple groups of solid oxide fuel cells; the fuel reforming bin is provided with a fuel gas inlet hole and a fuel gas outlet hole; the fuel gas inlet hole is communicated with a fuel supply device through a fuel gas inlet pipe; the fuel gas outlet hole is also communicated with the fuel distribution bin through the fuel gas inlet pipe; the multiple groups of solid oxide fuel cells are arranged in parallel; the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell is connected through an anode connecting body, and the cathode is connected through a cathode connecting body; the anode connecting body and the cathode connecting body are both mounted on the fuel distribution bin; the fuel distribution bin is provided with a fuel gas inlet and a fuel gas outlet; the fuel gas inlet and the fuel gas outlet are respectively communicated with the anode and the cathode. The tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device has the advantages of simple structure, high stability and strong portability.

Description

A parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fuel cell applications and relates to a power generation device based on a parallel tubular solid oxide fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a novel type of power generation device. Their all-solid-state structure avoids the risks of leakage or corrosion associated with liquid electrolytes at high temperatures. The higher operating temperature (800℃-1000℃) results in faster electrode reaction rates. Compared to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), they eliminate the need for expensive metal electrodes, reducing the overall cost of the battery. Furthermore, SOFCs have a wider range of fuel applications. Theoretically, under high-temperature conditions, any combustible resource, including hydrocarbons, solid carbon, and natural gas, can be utilized. In particular, compared to PEMFCs, they can meet the requirements for catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons, further enhancing fuel versatility. To fully utilize the high-temperature waste heat generated during operation, they can be coupled with a steam turbine, achieving a combined power generation efficiency of over 60%, significantly improving the battery's overall efficiency.

[0003] Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the potential to be further developed into high-capacity portable power sources due to their high power density. However, portable power sources require rapid charging in practical applications, necessitating the power source to reach the required operating temperature quickly, rather than through slow heating. Tubular SOFCs, as a type of SOFC structure, possess excellent mechanical stability and thermal shock resistance, effectively meeting the heating requirements during operation. They are currently a widely accepted and recognized structure in the field of portable fuel cell research.

[0004] There are three common types of tubular solid oxide fuel cells: electrolyte-supported, cathode-supported, and anode-supported. Anode-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells have advantages over cathode-supported and electrolyte-supported structures in terms of relatively simple fabrication processes and low cost. The thin electrolyte significantly reduces ohmic polarization, which is beneficial for improving the cell's output performance. However, since the output performance of a single cell is limited by its size and the effective area of ​​the electrodes, to further improve output performance and meet industrial requirements, multiple cell units are typically assembled into a stack in series or parallel. During the series assembly of the stack, a simple structure is required to facilitate the connection of cell units, and the stack must possess sufficient mechanical strength.

[0005] However, in the field of fuel cell stack research, tubular solid oxide fuel cells with anode supports are a key research focus and a hot topic. But due to limitations in current technology and structural design, there are currently no readily portable and mature commercial products available. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device. The tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device has the advantages of simple structure, high stability and high portability, and has good guiding significance in the assembly of portable fuel cell stacks.

[0007] The technical solution of this invention to solve the problems of the prior art is:

[0008] A parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device includes a fuel reforming chamber, a fuel distribution chamber, and multiple solid oxide fuel cells disposed within the fuel distribution chamber.

[0009] The fuel reforming chamber is provided with a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; the fuel inlet is connected to the fuel supply device through a fuel inlet pipe; the fuel outlet is connected to the fuel distribution chamber through a fuel inlet pipe.

[0010] Multiple solid oxide fuel cells are connected in parallel, with their anodes connected via anode connectors and their cathodes connected via cathode connectors. Both the anode and cathode connectors are mounted on a fuel distribution compartment. The fuel distribution compartment has a fuel inlet at the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell, which is connected to the anode. The fuel distribution compartment also has a fuel outlet at the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell, which is connected to the cathode.

[0011] The solid oxide fuel cell is a tubular structure with openings at both ends. The solid oxide fuel cell includes an anode support, an electrolyte layer disposed on the outer ring of the anode support, and a battery cathode disposed on the outer ring of the electrolyte layer.

[0012] The fuel distribution compartment is equipped with a gas distribution pipe, which is connected to the fuel inlet pipe; a baffle is provided at the fuel inlet corresponding to the position of the fuel distribution pipe; the baffle is located in the fuel distribution compartment and extends vertically, and the baffle is provided with a blocking surface, which extends obliquely along the flow direction of the fuel gas.

[0013] The fuel outlet is a plurality of through holes provided on the fuel distribution chamber;

[0014] The two ends of the solid oxide fuel cell are respectively fitted onto the cathode connector and the anode connector, and a sealing element is provided at the connection between the solid oxide fuel cell and the cathode connector or the anode connector;

[0015] The anode connector is connected to a negative electrode wire; the cathode connector is connected to a positive electrode wire.

[0016] Preferably, the fuel is a hydrocarbon, specifically methane or propane.

[0017] Preferably, both the cathode connector and the anode connector are made of conductive ceramic material.

[0018] Preferably, the seal is made by calcining glass slurry.

[0019] Preferably, both the fuel intake pipe and the fuel distribution chamber are made of alumina or zirconia ceramic materials.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] 1. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention has the advantages of simple structure and easy portability. Furthermore, the parallel-connected solid oxide fuel cell and its assembly method have great guiding significance for the assembly and structural design of portable solid oxide fuel cells.

[0022] 2. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention can effectively solve the problem of secondary distribution of fuel gas through the fuel inlet pipe and the fuel distribution chamber, so that the fuel gas can be smoothly delivered to the anode chamber of each solid oxide fuel cell through the fuel inlet, thereby smoothly generating electricity.

[0023] 3. In the parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention, the unconsumed fuel gas and reaction waste gas are discharged from the other end of the solid oxide fuel cell through the fuel outlet thanks to the structure of the tubular solid oxide fuel cell. The discharged fuel gas can be mixed with external oxygen for combustion, thereby providing heat for the entire tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device, and at the same time promoting further fuel reforming in the fuel reforming chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figures 1 and 2 are three-dimensional structural schematic diagrams of the parallel tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention from two different perspectives.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the fuel distribution compartment.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the installation of the anode connector, cathode connector, and solid oxide fuel cell.

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the block structure.

[0028] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a solid oxide fuel cell. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0030] Referring to Figures 1-6, the parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention includes a fuel reforming chamber 4, a fuel distribution chamber 15, and multiple solid oxide fuel cells 1 disposed within the fuel distribution chamber 15.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1-6, the fuel reforming chamber 4 is provided with a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; the fuel inlet is connected to the fuel supply device through a fuel inlet pipe 3; the fuel outlet is connected to the fuel distribution chamber 15 through the fuel inlet pipe 3, that is, one end of the fuel inlet pipe 3 and the fuel distribution chamber 15 are welded together at the interface to form an integral structure to enhance the stability and reliability of the entire device, and the other end is connected to an external fuel supply device; the fuel outlet consists of multiple through holes provided on the fuel distribution chamber 15.

[0032] Referring to Figures 1-6, multiple solid oxide fuel cells 1 are connected in parallel. The anodes of the multiple solid oxide fuel cells 1 are connected through an anode connector 11, and the cathodes are connected through a cathode connector 12. Both the anode connector 11 and the cathode connector 12 are mounted on the fuel distribution chamber 15. The fuel distribution chamber 15 has a fuel inlet 13 at the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell 1, which is connected to the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell 1. The fuel distribution chamber 15 also has a fuel outlet 14 at the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell 1, which is connected to the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell 1. This allows the solid oxide fuel cells 1 to be connected in parallel to form a fuel cell stack structure. The fuel gas transported from the fuel distribution chamber 15 to the anode chamber undergoes an electrochemical reaction at high temperature, generating electrons, which are then transferred from the negative electrode of the fuel cell stack structure to the external circuit via parallel wires 6.

[0033] In this embodiment, the fuel gas used is generally a hydrocarbon, such as methane, propane and other common fuels. Compared with traditional hydrogen fuel, hydrocarbon fuel has advantages such as high energy density, low operating cost and fuel diversity.

[0034] Referring to Figures 1-6, the solid oxide fuel cell 1 is a tubular structure with openings at both ends. The solid oxide fuel cell 1 includes an anode support 8, an electrolyte layer 9 disposed on the outer ring of the anode support 8, and a battery cathode 10 disposed on the outer ring of the electrolyte layer 9.

[0035] In this embodiment, the inner wall of the fuel distribution chamber 15 has several equally spaced small holes of different sizes on both sides, one side being the fuel inlet 13 and the other side being the fuel outlet 14. When the reformed fuel gas continuously enters the fuel distribution chamber 15, it is subjected to gas pressure, causing the fuel gas to flow forward continuously. When it passes through the fuel inlet 13, it is transmitted to the anode chamber of each solid oxide fuel cell 1 connected thereto.

[0036] Referring to Figures 1-6, a gas distribution pipe 16 is provided inside the fuel distribution chamber 15, and the gas distribution pipe 16 is connected to the fuel inlet pipe 3. A baffle 2 is provided at the corresponding position of the fuel inlet 13 and the fuel distribution pipe 16. The baffle 2 is located inside the fuel distribution chamber 15 and extends vertically. The baffle 2 is provided with a blocking surface, which extends obliquely. With the above arrangement, when the fuel gas enters the fuel reforming chamber 4 through the fuel inlet pipe 3 and then enters the fuel distribution pipe 16 in the fuel distribution chamber after reforming, the baffle 2, located at the position tangent to the fuel inlet 13, changes the flow direction of the fuel gas through the baffle 2, thereby making the distribution of fuel gas more uniform to a certain extent.

[0037] In this embodiment, both the cathode connector 12 and the anode connector 11 are made of conductive ceramic material; while the fuel inlet pipe 3 and the fuel distribution chamber 15 are made of alumina or zirconium oxide ceramic material.

[0038] Referring to Figures 1-6, the two ends of the solid oxide fuel cell 1 are respectively fitted onto the cathode connector 12 and the anode connector 11, and a sealing element is provided at the connection between the solid oxide fuel cell 1 and the cathode connector 12 or the anode connector 11; the sealing element is made of calcined glass slurry.

[0039] Referring to Figures 1-6, the parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention has wires 6 leading out from the cathode connector 12 and the anode connector 11, respectively. The wire 6 leading out from the cathode connector 12 is the positive electrode, and the wire 6 leading out from the anode connector 11 is the negative electrode. This completes the assembly of the parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention.

[0040] Referring to Figures 1-6, the working principle of the parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of the present invention is as follows:

[0041] During operation, an external fuel supply device connects to the fuel gas supply system, which enters the fuel reforming chamber 4 through the fuel inlet pipe 3. After reforming, the gas enters the fuel distribution chamber 15. In the fuel reforming chamber 4, a high-temperature environment causes the fuel gas to undergo a steam reforming reaction, decomposing it into a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. As the reformed fuel gas continuously enters the fuel distribution chamber, it is subjected to gas pressure, causing it to flow forward. Passing through the fuel inlet 13, it is transferred to the anode chambers of the connected solid oxide fuel cells 1. In the anode chambers, the fuel gas undergoes an electrochemical reaction to generate electricity. Unutilized fuel gas and gases produced during the reaction process are disposed of separately. Some exhaust gases, such as carbon dioxide, are discharged from the other end of the solid oxide fuel cell 1 through the fuel outlet 14. Simultaneously, the discharged fuel gas can mix with external oxygen for combustion, thereby providing heat for the tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device of this invention, thus meeting the requirements for fuel cell operation in high-temperature environments. In addition, the heat generated by combustion can also promote further fuel reforming in the fuel reforming chamber 4. The fuel generally used is a hydrocarbon, such as methane or propane. Compared to traditional hydrogen fuel, hydrocarbon fuels have advantages such as high energy density, low operating cost, and fuel diversity, and can solve a series of problems associated with hydrogen fuel, such as high cost, storage, and transportation difficulties. When hydrocarbon fuel enters the fuel reforming chamber 4 through the fuel inlet pipe 3, it undergoes a steam reforming reaction in a high-temperature environment, decomposing into a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, which then enters the fuel distribution chamber 15 to supply fuel to the solid oxide fuel cell 1. If the fuel used is hydrogen, it does not need to be reformed in the fuel reforming chamber 4 before entering the fuel distribution chamber 15, where it is distributed to the anode chamber of the solid oxide fuel cell 1 by the airflow, thereby generating electricity.

[0042] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above content. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power generation device based on a parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell, characterized in that, The system includes a fuel reforming chamber, a fuel distribution chamber, and multiple solid oxide fuel cells disposed within the fuel distribution chamber. The fuel reforming chamber has a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet. The fuel inlet is connected to a fuel supply device via a fuel inlet pipe. The fuel outlet is connected to the fuel distribution chamber via a fuel inlet pipe. The multiple solid oxide fuel cells are connected in parallel, with their anodes connected via anode connectors and their cathodes connected via cathode connectors. Both the anode and cathode connectors are mounted on the fuel distribution chamber. The fuel distribution chamber has a fuel inlet at the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell, which is connected to the anode. The fuel distribution chamber also has a fuel outlet at the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell, which is connected to the cathode. The battery is a tubular structure with openings at both ends. The solid oxide fuel cell includes an anode support, an electrolyte layer surrounding the anode support, and a cathode surrounding the electrolyte layer. A gas distribution pipe is provided within the fuel distribution compartment, and the gas distribution pipe communicates with the fuel inlet pipe. A baffle is provided at a position corresponding to the gas distribution pipe at the fuel inlet. The baffle is located within the fuel distribution compartment and extends vertically, with a blocking surface that extends obliquely along the flow direction of the fuel gas. Multiple through holes are provided on the fuel distribution compartment for fuel outlets. The two ends of the solid oxide fuel cell are respectively fitted onto the cathode connector and the anode connector, and a seal is provided at each connection point between the solid oxide fuel cell and the cathode connector or the anode connector. A negative electrode wire is connected to the anode connector; a positive electrode wire is connected to the cathode connector.

2. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel is a hydrocarbon, which is methane or propane.

3. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the cathode connector and the anode connector are made of conductive ceramic material.

4. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The seal is made by calcining glass slurry.

5. The parallel-connected tubular solid oxide fuel cell power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the fuel intake pipe and the fuel distribution chamber are made of alumina or zirconia ceramic materials.

Images