Evaporation and reforming integrated device and fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model relates to an evaporation and reforming integrated device and a fuel cell system, the evaporation and reforming integrated device comprises an annular shell, a first vertical partition plate is arranged in the shell, the space in the shell is divided into an evaporation cavity and a reforming cavity by the first vertical partition plate, and a partition plate assembly is arranged in the reforming cavity to divide the reforming cavity into a mixing cavity and a reaction cavity; a first transverse partition plate is arranged in the reaction cavity to divide the reaction cavity into a catalyst cavity and a gas outlet cavity located above the catalyst cavity, the evaporation cavity is communicated with the mixing cavity through a first diffusion hole formed in a partition plate assembly, and the catalyst cavity is communicated with the mixing cavity through a second diffusion hole in the bottom. The catalyst cavity is communicated with the air outlet cavity through a third diffusion hole of the first transverse partition plate, a catalyst is arranged in the catalyst cavity, an air outlet communicated with the air outlet cavity is formed in the top of the shell, the shell is provided with a water inlet communicated with the evaporation cavity and an air inlet communicated with the mixing cavity, and the heat exchange effect of the evaporation cavity of the reformer is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to an evaporation-reforming integrated device and a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] The statements herein merely provide background art related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a device that efficiently converts the chemical energy in fuel into electrical energy. The fuel used is typically natural gas and hydrogen-rich gas produced by steam-water reforming. SOFCs typically operate at temperatures between 500 and 1000°C. Heat exchange and reuse of fluids with varying temperature gradients is a key method for improving the system's fuel efficiency.

[0004] CN117239193A discloses a compact integrated heat exchange and reforming device for SOFC systems, comprising a burner, evaporation coils, and reforming coils. The two coils are located in two interlayers: the outer interlayer serves as a flue gas heat exchange chamber for evaporation, while the inner interlayer serves as a combustion heating chamber for reforming. This patent application utilizes a shell-and-tube heat exchange method, which limits the heat exchange area of ​​the heat exchange tubes and results in significant flow resistance.

[0005] CN221492431 U discloses a reformer and fuel cell system, comprising a housing structure, within which a fuel gas chamber and a hot gas chamber are disposed, the fuel gas chamber being arranged side by side along the cross-sectional direction of the housing structure. A catalyst is disposed within the fuel gas chamber; a water evaporator is disposed within the hot gas chamber, the water evaporator having a water pipe outlet, the fuel gas chamber having a gas inlet, the water pipe outlet of the water evaporator being connected to the gas inlet of the fuel gas chamber. However, the water evaporator also comprises an inner spiral tube and an outer spiral tube, with water evaporating after flowing through the inner spiral tube. This also presents problems such as limited heat exchange area and high flow resistance. Furthermore, the generated water vapor and fuel gas need to be mixed outside the housing structure, necessitating an additional mixing chamber, which increases the volume of the fuel cell system. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to provide an evaporation-reforming integrated device and a fuel cell system, which overcome the defects of the current evaporator and reformer integrated components.

[0007] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an integrated evaporation and reforming device, comprising an annular shell, a first vertical partition provided in the shell, the first vertical partition dividing the space in the shell into an evaporation chamber and a reforming chamber, a partition assembly provided in the reforming chamber to divide the reforming chamber into a mixing chamber and a reaction chamber, a first transverse partition provided in the reaction chamber to divide the reaction chamber into a catalyst chamber and an air outlet chamber located above the catalyst chamber, the evaporation chamber is connected to the mixing chamber through a first diffusion hole provided in the partition assembly, the catalyst chamber is connected to the mixing chamber through a second diffusion hole at the bottom, the catalyst chamber is connected to the air outlet chamber through a third diffusion hole of the first transverse partition, a catalyst is placed in the catalyst chamber, an air outlet connected to the air outlet chamber is provided at the top of the shell, and the shell is provided with a water inlet connected to the evaporation chamber and an air inlet connected to the mixing chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the top end of the first vertical partition is fixed to the top shell wall of the shell, and the bottom end is fixed to the bottom shell wall of the shell to separate the internal space of the shell into an evaporation chamber and a reforming chamber.

[0010] Optionally, the annular vertical partition is coaxially arranged with the outer shell.

[0011] Optionally, the water inlet is provided at the bottom of the shell and communicates with the evaporation chamber, and correspondingly, the first diffusion hole is provided at the top of the annular vertical partition.

[0012] Optionally, a plurality of first diffusion holes are provided on the annular vertical partition plate, and the plurality of first diffusion holes are distributed at equal intervals along the annular direction of the annular vertical partition plate.

[0013] Optionally, the partition assembly includes a second vertical partition fixed to the top shell wall of the outer shell, a second transverse partition is provided between the bottom end of the second vertical partition and the inner ring plate of the outer shell, the second vertical partition, the second transverse partition and the top shell wall of the outer shell enclose a reaction chamber located in the reforming chamber, and a second diffusion hole is provided on the second transverse partition.

[0014] Optionally, a plurality of second diffusion holes are provided on the second transverse partition plate, and the plurality of second diffusion holes are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the second transverse partition plate.

[0015] Optionally, the first transverse partition is arranged between the second vertical partition and the inner ring plate of the shell to separate the reaction chamber into a catalyst chamber and an air outlet chamber.

[0016] Optionally, a plurality of third diffusion holes are provided on the first transverse partition plate, and the plurality of third diffusion holes are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first transverse partition plate.

[0017] Optionally, a filter is provided at the second diffusion hole and / or the third diffusion hole.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a fuel cell system provided with an evaporation-reforming integrated device as described in the first aspect.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the above utility model are as follows:

[0020] 1. The integrated device of the utility model has an evaporation chamber in the shell, and the shell is provided with a water inlet connected to the evaporation chamber. Water enters the evaporation chamber and exchanges heat through the outer wall of the entire shell. The outer wall of the annular shell has a large heat exchange area and a good heat exchange effect, avoiding the use of spiral coils and solving the contradiction between the large heat exchange area required for water evaporation and the large flow resistance of long pipelines.

[0021] 2. The integrated device of the utility model integrates an evaporation chamber, a mixing chamber and a reaction chamber in the outer shell. Water vapor directly enters the mixing chamber through the first diffusion hole and mixes with the gas introduced into the mixing chamber. The mixture of gas and water vapor directly enters the reaction chamber for reforming reaction. The evaporation of water, the mixing of water vapor and gas, and the reforming reaction are all carried out in the outer shell. The component integration is high, which reduces the volume of the fuel cell system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings in the specification, which constitute a part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of Example 1 of the utility model Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of Example 1 of the utility model Figure 2 ;

[0025] Among them, 1. Evaporation chamber, 2. Mixing chamber, 3. Catalyst chamber, 4. Air outlet chamber, 5. Catalyst, 6. Inner ring plate, 7. Outer ring plate, 8. Top plate, 9. Bottom plate, 10. First vertical partition, 11. Water inlet pipe, 12. First diffusion hole, 13. Second vertical partition, 14. Second horizontal partition, 15. Air inlet pipe, 16. Second diffusion hole, 17. First horizontal partition, 18. Third diffusion hole, 19. First filter, 20. Second filter, 21. Air outlet pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Natural gas water reformer: Its function is to convert high-concentration methane and high-carbon components in natural gas into hydrogen-rich gas that can be used by batteries with the participation of water vapor. Water vapor is generally supplied by a separate steam generator.

[0027] The natural gas water reforming reaction is endothermic. Existing reforming hydrogen production equipment primarily relies on electrical heating, with a smaller portion utilizing a separate stream of fossil fuel for heating. High-temperature fuel cell systems operate at temperatures between 500°C and 1000°C. The reactant gases entering and exiting the stack, as well as the exhaust from the burner, can serve as high-temperature heat sources for the natural gas water reforming reaction, eliminating the need for additional electrical heating and improving the energy efficiency of the fuel cell system.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] This embodiment provides an integrated evaporation and reforming device, which is a natural gas water reformer with integrated evaporation function, used for generating water evaporation and natural gas water reforming reaction, such as Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the evaporation-reforming integrated device includes an annular shell, and the internal space of the shell is divided into an evaporation chamber 1 and a reforming chamber by a partition. The evaporation chamber 1 is located outside the reforming chamber. The evaporation chamber 1 is used for evaporating water to form water vapor, and the reforming chamber is used for mixing water vapor and gas fuel and undergoing a reforming reaction. The gas fuel is natural gas, synthetic gas, biogas, gas, or oilfield pit exhaust gas, etc. The gas fuel in this embodiment is natural gas. The reforming chamber is divided into a mixing chamber 2 and a reaction chamber by a partition. The mixing chamber 2 is used for mixing water vapor and natural gas. The reaction chamber is divided into a catalyst chamber 3 and an air outlet chamber 4 by a partition. The catalyst chamber 3 is used to hold a catalyst 5. The mixed gas of water vapor and natural gas can enter the catalyst chamber 3, and a reforming reaction occurs under the catalytic action of the catalyst 5. The reacted gas enters the air outlet chamber 4 and is then discharged.

[0030] In this embodiment, the annular outer shell has a square or circular cross-section. Preferably, the cross-section of the outer shell is circular. The annular outer shell adopts a circular ring structure with a regular cylindrical shape. This not only effectively releases thermal stress and avoids structural deformation and failure, but also facilitates integrated design with other thermal components of the high-temperature fuel cell system. The outer shell includes a coaxially arranged inner ring plate 6 and an outer ring plate 7. A top plate 8 is provided between the top ends of the outer ring plate 7 and the inner ring plate 6, and a bottom plate 9 is provided between the bottom ends. The top plate 8 serves as the top shell wall, the bottom plate 9 serves as the bottom shell wall, the outer ring plate 7 serves as the outer side shell wall, and the inner ring plate 6 serves as the inner side shell wall.

[0031] A first vertical partition 10 is provided in the internal space of the shell, where vertical refers to a direction parallel to the axial direction of the shell. The first vertical partition 10 adopts a cylindrical structure that matches the shell. The first vertical partition 10 is coaxially arranged with the shell. The top end of the first vertical partition 10 is fixed to the top plate 8, and the bottom end of the first vertical partition 10 is fixed to the bottom plate 9. The first vertical partition 10 divides the internal space of the shell into an evaporation chamber 1 located on the outside and a reforming chamber located on the inside.

[0032] A water inlet is provided on the shell, and a water inlet pipe 11 is provided at the water inlet. The water inlet is connected to the evaporation chamber 1 to allow water to flow into the evaporation chamber. In this embodiment, the water inlet is provided on the bottom plate 9, and the axis of the water inlet pipe 11 is provided perpendicular to the bottom plate 9.

[0033] Correspondingly, a plurality of first diffusion holes 12 are provided on the top of the first vertical partition 10 , and the first diffusion holes 12 connect the evaporation chamber 1 and the mixing chamber 2 .

[0034] The first diffusion hole 12 is a circular hole, a square hole or a hole of other shapes, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0035] Preferably, the first diffusion hole 12 is a circular hole.

[0036] Furthermore, in order to ensure uniform mixing of water vapor and natural gas, a plurality of first diffusion holes 12 are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first vertical partition plate 10 .

[0037] A partition assembly is provided in the reforming chamber, which encloses a reaction chamber in the reforming chamber, thereby dividing the reforming chamber into a mixing chamber 2 and a reaction chamber.

[0038] In this embodiment, the partition assembly includes a second vertical partition 13, which also adopts a cylindrical partition. The second vertical partition 13 is located on the inner side of the first vertical partition 10 and is coaxially arranged with the first vertical partition 10. The length of the second vertical partition 13 is less than the length of the outer shell, and the top of the second vertical partition 13 is fixedly connected to the top plate 8. The bottom end of the second vertical partition 13 is fixed to the outer ring edge of the annular second transverse partition 14, and the inner ring edge of the second transverse partition 14 is fixed to the outer side surface of the inner ring plate 6 of the outer shell, where the transverse direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, that is, the second transverse partition 14 and the second vertical partition 13 are perpendicular to each other.

[0039] The second vertical partition 13 , the second transverse partition 14 and the top plate 8 together enclose a reaction chamber, and all spaces inside the reforming chamber and outside the reaction chamber are mixing chambers 2 .

[0040] An air inlet is provided on the bottom plate 9 of the shell, which is connected to the bottom of the mixing chamber 2 and is used to introduce gas fuel into the mixing chamber 2. An air inlet pipe 15 is provided at the air inlet, and the air inlet pipe 15 is arranged perpendicular to the bottom plate 9 of the shell.

[0041] A plurality of second diffusion holes 16 are provided on the second transverse partition 14 . The second diffusion holes 16 connect the mixing chamber 2 and the reaction chamber, so that the mixed gas of natural gas and water vapor can enter the reaction chamber through the second diffusion holes 16 .

[0042] In this embodiment, the second diffusion hole 16 is a circular hole, a square hole, or a hole of other shapes, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0043] Preferably, the second diffusion hole 16 is a circular hole.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to allow the mixture of natural gas and water vapor to enter the reaction chamber evenly, the plurality of second diffusion holes 16 are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the second transverse partition plate 14 .

[0045] A first transverse partition 17 is also provided at a set position between the second vertical partition 13 and the inner ring plate 6 of the outer shell. The first transverse partition 17 has the same shape as the second transverse partition 14 and is also a circular ring plate. The first transverse partition 17 and the second transverse partition 14 are parallel to each other, and their outer ring edges are fixed to the inner side surface of the second vertical partition 13, and their inner ring edges are fixed to the outer side surface of the inner ring plate 6 of the outer shell.

[0046] The first transverse partition 17 divides the reaction chamber into two chambers distributed upper and lower, wherein the lower chamber is the catalyst chamber 3 and the upper chamber is the gas outlet chamber 4.

[0047] A plurality of third diffusion holes 18 are provided on the first transverse partition 17 , and the third diffusion holes 18 connect the catalyst chamber 3 and the gas outlet chamber 4 .

[0048] The third diffusion hole 18 is a circular hole, a square hole or a hole of other shapes, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0049] Preferably, the third diffusion hole 18 is a circular hole.

[0050] In this embodiment, in order to ensure uniformity of the post-reaction gas entering the gas outlet cavity, the plurality of third diffusion holes 18 are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first transverse partition plate 17 .

[0051] The catalyst cavity 3 is filled with a catalyst 5. The catalyst 5 can be an existing catalyst. The catalyst 5 can be spherical, cylindrical, petal-shaped, or other regular or irregular particles or plates with catalytic ability. Those skilled in the art can select according to actual needs.

[0052] In this embodiment, the catalyst cavity 3 may be fully or partially filled with the catalyst 5 , and those skilled in the art may configure it according to actual needs, which will not be described in detail here.

[0053] In this embodiment, the catalyst packing can precisely control the content of the catalytically active component (precious metals such as Pt, Pd, and Rh, or transition metal elements such as Fe, Co, and Ni) based on the chemical reaction rate. For example, at the gas inlet of catalyst chamber 3, where the reactant concentration is high and the reaction rate is fast, the concentration of the active component in the packed catalyst can be appropriately increased, or a more catalytic but more expensive precious metal catalyst can be used. By varying the type of packed catalyst, the reaction rate of natural gas water reforming can be precisely controlled. Those skilled in the art can adjust the catalyst according to actual needs, and no further limitations are given here.

[0054] In this embodiment, a first filter 19 is provided at the second diffusion hole 16 , and the first filter 19 is fixed to the upper surface of the second transverse partition 14 . A second filter 20 is provided at the third diffusion hole 18 , and the second filter 20 is fixed to the lower surface of the first transverse partition 17 .

[0055] The first filter 19 and the second filter 20 prevent the catalyst particles from moving and transferring to the mixing chamber 2 and the gas outlet chamber 4, and at the same time can filter out dust particles mixed in the gas.

[0056] The top plate 8 of the housing is provided with an air outlet, which is communicated with the air outlet cavity 4 for discharging the reacted gas. An air outlet pipe 21 is provided at the air outlet, and the air outlet pipe 21 is vertically fixed on the top plate 8 .

[0057] When the integrated device of this embodiment is in operation, a high-temperature fluid with a temperature greater than 300°C is introduced from the outside of the shell, and deionized water is introduced through the water inlet. The deionized water rises upward in the evaporation chamber 1 and absorbs heat through the outer ring plate 7 of the shell. Since the area of ​​the outer ring plate 7 is large enough and the temperature of the high-temperature fluid outside the shell is high enough, the deionized water gradually vaporizes in the evaporation chamber 1 to form water vapor, which enters the mixing chamber 2 through the first diffusion hole 12 at the top of the first vertical partition 10.

[0058] The gas fuel enters the mixing chamber 2 through the air inlet and mixes with the water vapor entering the mixing chamber. The mixing ratio can be controlled by the mass flow controller (MFC) to control the amount of deionized water and gas fuel respectively. The existing technology can be used and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] The gas fuel is natural gas, synthetic gas, biogas, methane, or oilfield pithead waste gas, etc. The gas fuel in this embodiment is natural gas.

[0060] A mixture of natural gas and water vapor enters catalyst chamber 3 through second diffusion hole 16. The mixture undergoes a natural gas water reforming reaction under the action of catalyst 5. The reacted gas enters outlet chamber 4. The heat required for the reaction is provided by the high-temperature fluid (a fluid with a temperature above 500°C) on the inside of inner ring plate 6. Because the heat exchange area of ​​inner ring plate 6 is sufficiently large and the temperature of the high-temperature fluid on the inside of inner ring plate 6 is sufficiently high, the mixture of natural gas and water vapor, after reforming, can reach the hydrogen-rich gas composition required for entering the solid oxide fuel cell system stack when it enters the outlet chamber. At the same time, mixing chamber 2 and outlet chamber 4 can improve the mixing uniformity and pressure stability of the gas, ensuring the uniformity of the reaction of the natural gas and water vapor mixture.

[0061] The hydrogen-rich gas enters the heat exchanger through the gas outlet and the gas outlet pipe 21 to be further heated or directly enters the solid oxide fuel cell system stack.

[0062] In this embodiment, the high-temperature fluid in contact with the outer side of the outer ring plate 7 and the inner side of the inner ring plate 6 of the shell can be the same fluid or two different fluids. The fluid is gas or liquid, and the flow direction is the same as or opposite to the direction of the gas flow channel in the evaporation chamber and the reaction chamber. Those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0063] In the integrated device of this embodiment, when water evaporates, heat is exchanged through the outer wall of the outer ring plate 7 of the entire shell. The outer wall of the annular shell has a large heat exchange area and a good heat exchange effect, which avoids the use of spiral coils and solves the contradiction between the large heat exchange area required for water evaporation and the large flow resistance of long pipelines. The heat exchange area is increased while the pressure drop loss caused by the spiral coil solution is reduced, and the processing and manufacturing cost of the reformer is reduced. Moreover, the evaporation chamber 1, the mixing chamber 2 and the reaction chamber are integrated in the shell. Water vapor directly enters the mixing chamber 2 through the first diffusion hole 12 and mixes with the gas fuel introduced into the mixing chamber 2. The mixture of gas fuel and water vapor directly enters the reaction chamber for reforming reaction. The evaporation of water, the mixing of water vapor and gas, and the reforming reaction are all carried out in the shell. The component integration is high, and the volume of the fuel cell system is reduced.

[0064] The integrated device of this embodiment connects the various chambers via diffusion holes, has a simple structure, and is easy to design and manufacture.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] This embodiment provides a fuel cell system, which is a solid oxide fuel cell system, and is equipped with the evaporation reforming integrated device described in Example 1. The remaining structure of the fuel cell system can adopt existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] Although the above description of the specific implementation methods of the present invention is combined with the accompanying drawings, it does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Technical personnel in the relevant field should understand that on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention, various modifications or deformations that can be made by technical personnel in this field without creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated evaporation and reforming device, comprising an annular housing, characterized in that: A first vertical partition is provided in the shell, which divides the space in the shell into an evaporation chamber and a reforming chamber. A partition assembly is provided in the reforming chamber to divide the reforming chamber into a mixing chamber and a reaction chamber. A first transverse partition is provided in the reaction chamber to divide the reaction chamber into a catalyst chamber and an air outlet chamber located above the catalyst chamber. The evaporation chamber is connected with the mixing chamber through a first diffusion hole provided by the partition assembly, the catalyst chamber is connected with the mixing chamber through a second diffusion hole at the bottom, the catalyst chamber is connected with the air outlet chamber through a third diffusion hole of the first transverse partition, a catalyst is placed in the catalyst chamber, an air outlet connected with the air outlet chamber is provided at the top of the shell, and the shell is provided with a water inlet connected with the evaporation chamber and an air inlet connected with the mixing chamber.

2. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top end of the first vertical partition is fixed to the top shell wall of the shell, and the bottom end is fixed to the bottom shell wall of the shell to separate the inner space of the shell into an evaporation chamber and a reforming chamber.

3. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular vertical partition is coaxially arranged with the outer shell.

4. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet is arranged at the bottom of the shell and communicates with the evaporation chamber. Correspondingly, the first diffusion hole is arranged on the top of the annular vertical partition.

5. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of first diffusion holes are provided on the annular vertical partition plate, and the plurality of first diffusion holes are distributed at equal intervals along the annular direction of the annular vertical partition plate.

6. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition assembly includes a second vertical partition fixed to the top shell wall of the outer shell, a second transverse partition is provided between the bottom end of the second vertical partition and the inner ring plate of the outer shell, the second vertical partition, the second transverse partition and the top shell wall of the outer shell enclose a reaction chamber located in the reforming chamber, and a second diffusion hole is provided on the second transverse partition.

7. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second transverse partition is provided with a plurality of second diffusion holes, which are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the second transverse partition.

8. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first transverse partition is arranged between the second vertical partition and the inner ring plate of the shell to separate the reaction chamber into a catalyst chamber and a gas outlet chamber.

9. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of third diffusion holes are provided on the first transverse partition plate, and the plurality of third diffusion holes are distributed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first transverse partition plate.

10. The evaporation reforming integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A filter screen is provided at the second diffusion hole and / or the third diffusion hole.

11. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: An integrated evaporation and reforming device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided.

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