Fuel cell system

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell system capable of suppressing the generation of water droplets due to condensation in a vent passage.SOLUTION: A fuel cell system includes a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel cell module in a housing. The fuel cell system further includes a relief valve provided in the fuel gas supply passage and a vent passage connected to the relief valve. The vent passage is disposed inside the housing and separated from the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell system. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the fuel cell system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a relief valve is provided between the injector and the fuel cell stack. The relief valve opens when the pressure in the hydrogen supply passage between the injector and the fuel cell stack reaches or exceeds a predetermined pressure, adjusting the pressure to less than the predetermined pressure. This prevents the pressure in the hydrogen supply passage between the injector and the fuel cell stack from becoming too high. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-156890 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When considering using a fuel cell module including the fuel cell stack described in Patent Document 1, for example, in a housing, it is necessary to guide the fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) discharged from the relief valve to the outside of the housing through a pipe (hereinafter also referred to as a vent passage) in order to reduce retention of the fuel gas in the housing. In this case, if the vent passage is arranged in contact with the housing inside the housing, the temperature of the vent passage is likely to decrease due to the influence of the temperature of the housing when the housing is placed in a low-temperature environment. As a result, condensation may occur in the vent passage, and water droplets due to the condensation may accumulate at the fuel gas discharge port of the relief valve. If water droplets accumulate at the fuel gas discharge port, it is considered that the relief valve will not operate normally. For example, when the pressure between the injector and the fuel cell stack in the hydrogen supply passage becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, the relief valve will not open. Therefore, in a configuration in which a fuel cell module is housed in a housing, a measure is required to suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system that can suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A fuel cell system according to one aspect of the present invention is a fuel cell system having a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel cell module within a housing, and further comprising a relief valve provided in the fuel gas supply passage and a vent passage connected to the relief valve, the vent passage being positioned inside the housing and separated from the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the fuel cell system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a fuel cell module used in the fuel cell system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic arrangement of fuel cell modules and vent passages within a housing of the fuel cell system. [Diagram 5] 4 is a left side view of the fuel cell module and the vent passage housed in the housing. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the fuel cell module and the vent passage. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of the housing of the fuel cell system cut along a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged left side view showing a shared vent passage and a relief vent passage included in the vent passage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters, and descriptions thereof will not be repeated unless otherwise necessary.

[0010] <1. Overview of fuel cell system> FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the exterior of a fuel cell system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the internal configuration of the fuel cell system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, solid line, dashed line, and double-dashed line arrows indicate fluid passages (a detailed example is piping) and the direction in which fluid flows through the fluid passages. In FIG. 2, dashed lines indicate wiring. First, an overview of the fuel cell system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0011] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which hydrogen is used as the fuel gas in the fuel cell system 100, but the configuration and control of this embodiment can also be applied to a system that generates power using a fuel gas other than hydrogen (for example, a gas mainly composed of methane). In addition, the fuel cell system 100 is suitable for use in ships, for example, although it is not intended to be particularly limited thereto.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell system 100 includes a housing 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 1 houses a fuel cell module 2. In other words, the fuel cell system 100 includes the fuel cell module 2 inside the housing 1. In detail, the number of fuel cell modules 2 housed in the housing 1 is four. However, the number of fuel cell modules 2 housed in the housing 1 may be one or a number other than four. In this embodiment, the fuel cell module 2 is an electrical device that is not explosion-proof against fuel gas (hydrogen).

[0013] The fuel cell module 2 has a fuel cell stack 2a and is also configured to include a boost converter, an air blowing compressor, and a pump for circulating a coolant for cooling the fuel cell stack 2a.

[0014] The fuel cell stack 2a is composed of a plurality of stacked cells. Each cell has a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode, a cathode, and a pair of separators. The anode and the cathode sandwich the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The anode is a negative electrode (fuel electrode). The anode includes an anode catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer. The cathode is a positive electrode (air electrode). The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer. The anode, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and the cathode form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA: Membrane Electrode Assembly). The pair of separators sandwich the membrane electrode assembly. Each separator has a plurality of grooves. Each groove of one separator forms a flow path for hydrogen gas. Each groove of the other separator forms a flow path for oxidant gas (e.g., air).

[0015] At the anode side, hydrogen is decomposed into hydrogen ions and electrons by a catalyst. The hydrogen ions pass through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and move to the cathode side. Meanwhile, the electrons pass through an external circuit and move to the cathode side. This generates an electric current (generates electricity). At the cathode side, oxygen contained in the oxidant gas combines with the electrons that have flowed through the external circuit and the hydrogen ions that have passed through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to generate water. The generated water is contained in the exhaust gas and discharged to the outside of the fuel cell system 100. The electric power generated by the fuel cell stack 2a is boosted by a boost converter and taken out to the outside of the fuel cell system 100. The hydrogen discharged from the fuel cell module 2 is sent to the shared vent passage 521 via the individual vent passage 522 of the vent passage 52. The individual vent passage 522 is formed, for example, by a relief vent passage 523 (see FIG. 3) described later.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell system 100 includes a salt removal device 3. The salt removal device 3 has a salt removal filter 3a. The salt removal filter 3a is provided in a window portion 123 in a second compartment front wall 12a of the housing 1, which will be described later. Air from which salt has been removed by the salt removal filter 3a is taken into the housing 1 of the fuel cell system 100. This prevents salt damage within the housing 1. The air taken into the housing 1 is sent to the fuel cell module 2 via an air intake section 9 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, and is used for power generation in the fuel cell stack 2a.

[0017] The window 123 is an outside air intake port for taking in air outside the housing 1 (external air) into the housing 1. That is, the housing 1 has the window 123 as an outside air intake port.

[0018] The housing 1 of the fuel cell system 100 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. For the convenience of the following description, directions are defined as follows in the description of the fuel cell system 100. The direction perpendicular to the horizontal floor surface on which the fuel cell system 100 is placed is defined as the up-down direction, and the side on which the fuel cell system 100 is placed relative to the floor surface is defined as the top and the bottom. The side of the housing 1 on which the salt removal device 3 is placed is defined as the front side, and the side opposite to the front side of the housing 1 is defined as the rear side, and the front and rear are defined as the left and right directions, respectively. When the housing 1 is viewed in plan from above, the longitudinal direction of the housing 1 is the left-right direction, and the lateral direction is the front-back direction. These directions are names used merely for the purpose of description, and are not intended to limit the actual positional relationship and direction.

[0019] <2. Detailed configuration of fuel cell system> [2-1. Overview of the area] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 1 includes a first compartment 11, a second compartment 12, and a partition wall 13. The second compartment 12 is located adjacent to the first compartment 11. In detail, the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12 are vertically aligned. The first compartment 11 is located above the second compartment 12. Note that the configuration in which the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12 are vertically aligned is merely an example, and other configurations may be used. For example, the first compartment and the second compartment may be horizontally aligned. The fuel cell module 2 is located in the first compartment 11. Auxiliaries related to the operation of the fuel cell module 2 are located in the second compartment 12. The accessories will be described later.

[0020] The partition wall 13 is a partition wall (compartment wall) that separates the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12. The partition wall 13 forms the bottom wall of the first compartment 11. The partition wall 13 also forms the top wall of the second compartment 12.

[0021] In addition to the partition wall 13, the first compartment 11 is composed of a first compartment front wall 11a, a first compartment rear wall 11b, a first compartment left wall 11c, a first compartment right wall 11d, and a first compartment top wall 11e. The first compartment front wall 11a constitutes the upper part of the front wall 1a of the housing 1. The first compartment rear wall 11b constitutes the upper part of the rear wall 1b of the housing 1. The first compartment left wall 11c constitutes the upper part of the left wall 1c of the housing 1. The first compartment right wall 11d constitutes the upper part of the right wall 1d of the housing 1. The first compartment top wall 11e constitutes the top wall 1e of the housing 1.

[0022] In addition to the partition wall 13, the second compartment 12 is composed of a second compartment front wall 12a, a second compartment rear wall 12b, a second compartment left wall 12c, a second compartment right wall 12d, and a second compartment bottom wall 12e. The second compartment front wall 12a constitutes the lower part of the front wall 1a of the housing 1. The second compartment rear wall 12b constitutes the lower part of the rear wall 1b of the housing 1. The second compartment left wall 12c constitutes the lower part of the left wall 1c of the housing 1. The second compartment right wall 12d constitutes the lower part of the right wall 1d of the housing 1. The second compartment bottom wall 12e constitutes the bottom wall 1f of the housing 1.

[0023] The partition wall 13 airtightly separates the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12. In this embodiment, as described in detail below, the first compartment 11 is a compartment in which the fuel gas supply passage 5A is provided, and is a compartment from which hydrogen may leak. However, since the partition wall 13 is provided to airtightly separate the two compartments (the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12), even if hydrogen leaks in the first compartment 11, hydrogen can be prevented from flowing into the second compartment 12. This eliminates the need for the equipment placed in the second compartment 12 to have an explosion-proof structure against hydrogen. In addition, it also eliminates the need to provide a function for ventilating hydrogen that has leaked into the second compartment 12.

[0024] The partition wall 13 has a through hole (not shown) that penetrates in the vertical direction. The through hole is provided to pass at least one of wiring and piping, for example. The wiring includes power lines and signal lines. The signal lines include control lines and sensor lines. The through hole is sealed by a seal structure, thereby ensuring airtightness. Therefore, for example, even if hydrogen leaks in the first compartment 11, hydrogen can be prevented from flowing into the second compartment 12 through the through hole.

[0025] [2-2. Details of Section 1] As shown in FIG. 2, a hydrogen flow passage 5 is disposed in the first section 11. In other words, the fuel cell system 100 includes a hydrogen flow passage 5 disposed in the housing 1. In detail, the hydrogen flow passage 5 includes a hydrogen supply passage 51 that supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell module 2. The hydrogen supply passage 51 constitutes a fuel gas supply passage 5A that supplies hydrogen as a fuel gas to the fuel cell stack 2a. That is, the fuel cell system 100 includes the fuel gas supply passage 5A in the housing 1. In addition, the hydrogen flow passage 5 includes a vent passage 52 that exhausts hydrogen from the fuel cell module 2. The hydrogen flow passage 5 can be constituted by piping.

[0026] The housing 1 has a connection part 6 (see FIG. 1) that connects the hydrogen flow passage 5 to an external hydrogen flow passage 200 arranged outside the housing 1, on a wall other than the partition wall 13 among the walls 11a to 11e, 13 that constitute the first section 11. The connection part 6 may be a connection part itself that connects the hydrogen flow passage 5 to the external hydrogen flow passage 200, or may be a means for realizing the connection between the two. In this embodiment, the connection part 6 is an opening that exposes or places an end of the hydrogen flow passage 5 arranged in the first section 11 outside the housing 1. The hydrogen flow passage 5 and the external hydrogen flow passage 200 can be connected by using the opening. The connection is specifically a connection between pipes.

[0027] In this embodiment, the connection part 6 is provided on the first compartment right wall 11d. However, the connection part 6 may be provided on a wall constituting the first compartment 11 other than the partition wall 13, such as the first compartment left wall 11c. By providing the connection part 6 on a wall constituting the first compartment 11 other than the partition wall 13, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which the hydrogen flow passage 5 is not arranged in the second compartment 12. In other words, it is possible to eliminate the need to take measures against hydrogen leakage in the second compartment 12. This makes it easier to take measures against hydrogen leakage in the fuel cell system 100.

[0028] Like the hydrogen flow passage 5 disposed inside the casing 1, the external hydrogen flow passage 200 also includes an external hydrogen supply passage 201 which is a passage for supplying hydrogen, and an external vent passage 202 which is a passage for discharging hydrogen. Correspondingly, the connection portion 6 also has a hydrogen supply connection portion 61 for connecting the hydrogen supply passage 51 and the external hydrogen supply passage 201, and a vent connection portion 62 for connecting the vent passage 52 and the external vent passage 202 (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the hydrogen supply connection portion 61 and the vent connection portion 62 are provided on the same wall (first compartment right wall 11d) constituting the first compartment 11. However, this is merely an example, and the hydrogen supply connection portion 61 and the vent connection portion 62 may be provided on different walls constituting the first compartment 11.

[0029] In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) fuel cell modules 2 are arranged in the first section 11. The plurality of fuel cell modules 2 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Hydrogen that enters the hydrogen supply passage 51 in the housing 1 from the external hydrogen supply passage 201 passes through a valve device 53 and reaches a branching section 56 that branches the hydrogen supply passage 51 into four. At the branching section 56, the hydrogen is distributed to the four hydrogen supply passages 51 provided exclusively for each fuel cell module 2. The distributed hydrogen is then supplied to each fuel cell module 2.

[0030] As can be seen from the above explanation, the number of hydrogen supply passages 51 in the first compartment 11 that are connected to the external hydrogen supply passage 201 by using the connection part 6 is one. That is, in this embodiment, at the position where the connection part 6 is provided, the hydrogen supply passage 51 in the first compartment 11 is shared among the multiple fuel cell modules 2, rather than being provided for each of the multiple fuel cell modules 2. By sharing in this manner, it is possible to reduce the number of connection parts 6. This makes it possible to improve the airtightness (sealing ability) of the first compartment 11.

[0031] The valve device 53 includes a shutoff valve that shuts off the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell module 2. The valve device 53 also includes a bleed valve that releases hydrogen to the vent passage 52 when the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell module 2 is shut off. In this embodiment, the valve device 53 is disposed in the first compartment 11 between the wall (first compartment right wall 11d) on which the connection portion 6 is provided and the fuel cell module 2. More specifically, the valve device 53 is disposed between the first compartment right wall 11d and the fuel cell module 2 in the left-right direction. Since the valve device 53 is disposed in such a position, the connection portion 6 can be disposed at a position away from the fuel cell module 2. At the connection portion 6 or in its vicinity, the pipes through which hydrogen flows are connected to each other, so the possibility of hydrogen leakage is likely to be higher than in other parts. In this regard, in this embodiment, the connection portion 6 is disposed at a position away from the fuel cell module 2, so the possibility of leaking hydrogen reaching the fuel cell module 2 can be reduced. In other words, safety can be improved.

[0032] The vent passage 52 includes a shared vent passage 521 that is shared among multiple fuel cell modules 2. Hydrogen discharged from each fuel cell module 2 is sent to the shared vent passage 521 and is discharged from the external vent passage 202 via a vent connection part 62. Note that a separate vent passage may be provided for each fuel cell module 2, and the hydrogen may be discharged to the outside of the housing 1 separately.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first section 11 is provided with an intake port 111 and a ventilation port 112 for ventilation. The intake port 111 may be provided in at least one of the walls 11a to 11e, 13 constituting the first section 11, excluding the partition wall 13. In this embodiment, the intake port 111 is provided in the right wall 11d of the first section. The intake port 111 provided in the right wall 11d of the first section is a through hole penetrating the wall in the left-right direction. A ventilation fluid is supplied from the intake port 111 into the first section 11. A pipe for supplying the ventilation fluid is attached to the intake port 111. The ventilation fluid is, for example, air, but may be an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or argon gas.

[0034] The first section 11 has a ventilation device for ventilating the section, or a ventilation device connection part connected to the ventilation device. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first section 11 has a ventilation device connection part 113 connected to the ventilation device 300. The ventilation device connection part 113 includes a ventilation port 112. The ventilation device 300 is disposed downstream of the flow of the ventilation fluid with respect to the ventilation port 112. The ventilation device 300 may be provided on the housing 1 side, or may be provided on the ship side on which the housing 1 is installed. In either case, the fluid in the first section 11 is discharged to the outside of the first section 11 through the ventilation port 112 by driving the ventilation device 300. Therefore, even if hydrogen leaks in the first section 11, the hydrogen can be discharged to the outside of the housing 1 together with the ventilation fluid so that the hydrogen does not leak into the second section 12.

[0035] In detail, the ventilation opening 112 is provided in the first compartment upper wall 11e (the upper wall 1e of the housing 1). That is, the ventilation device connection part 113 is provided in the first compartment upper wall 11e, which is the upper wall of the first compartment 11. Even if hydrogen leaks, it is only necessary to guide the hydrogen above the fuel cell module 2, so that the hydrogen can be easily discharged.

[0036] The ventilation device 300 may be provided inside the first compartment 11. In this case, the ventilation device 300 may be configured to be disposed upstream of the flow of the ventilation fluid with respect to the ventilation opening 112. In this case, the ventilation device 300 is also preferably provided on the first compartment upper wall 11e, which is the upper wall of the first compartment 11.

[0037] Additionally, an exhaust passage 7 and a reserve tank 8 are disposed in the first section 11 (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 2, the exhaust passage 7 is indicated by a thin two-dot chain line.

[0038] The exhaust path 7 is connected to the fuel cell module 2. More specifically, the exhaust path 7 is an exhaust pipe. Exhaust from the fuel cell module 2 flows through the exhaust path 7. The exhaust from the fuel cell module 2 contains water vapor produced during power generation, oxygen and nitrogen that were supplied to the fuel cell module 2 but not used in power generation, and hydrogen that is purged and discharged from the anode path of the fuel cell stack 2a at appropriate times.

[0039] In this embodiment, a separate exhaust path 7 is connected to each of the four fuel cell modules 2 arranged in the first section 11. That is, four exhaust paths 7 are arranged in the first section 11. The four exhaust paths 7 are connected to an exhaust path assembly 71 arranged in the first section 11. The exhaust path assembly 71 is arranged at the right end of the first section 11. Exhaust from the four exhaust paths 7 is collected at the exhaust path assembly 71 and released to the outside of the first section 11 by a single terminal exhaust path 72 (see FIG. 1).

[0040] 1, the tip (right end) of the terminal exhaust passage 72 protrudes from the first compartment right wall 11d to the outside. An external exhaust passage (not shown) is connected to the tip of the terminal exhaust passage 72, and exhaust gas from the fuel cell module 2 is discharged to an appropriate location.

[0041] The reserve tank 8 is included in a cooling system CS provided for the fuel cell module 2 (see FIG. 2). In particular, the cooling system CS provided for the fuel cell module 2 includes a first cooling system CS1 and a second cooling system CS2. To this end, in particular, the reserve tank 8 includes a first reserve tank 81 included in the first cooling system CS1 and a second reserve tank 82 included in the second cooling system CS2.

[0042] The first cooling system CS1 is a cooling system that cools the fuel cell stack 2a of the fuel cell module 2. That is, a reserve tank 81 included in the first cooling system CS1 that cools the fuel cell stack 2a of the fuel cell module 2 is disposed in the first section 11. The first cooling system CS1 circulates a first coolant that cools the fuel cell stack 2a by driving a pump (not shown) included in the fuel cell module 2. The first reserve tank 81 stores and discharges the first coolant as necessary.

[0043] The first reserve tank 81 is disposed above the fuel cell stack 2a. Therefore, even if hydrogen is contained in the first coolant due to a malfunction, the hydrogen can be released to a position higher than the fuel cell stack 2a. A first cooling system CS1 is provided for each fuel cell module 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, four first reserve tanks 81 are disposed in the first section 11.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 2, each first reserve tank 81 is connected to an air vent pipe 811. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, an end of the air vent pipe 811 is exposed to the outside through an opening (not shown) in the first compartment right wall 11d. Even if hydrogen is contained in the first coolant due to a malfunction, the hydrogen can be discharged to the outside of the first compartment 11 through the air vent pipe 811.

[0045] The second cooling system CS2 is a cooling system that cools electric devices (particularly power electronic devices) included in the fuel cell module 2. A reserve tank 82 included in the second cooling system CS2 that cools the above-mentioned electric devices included in the fuel cell module 2 is disposed in the first section 11. The second cooling system CS2 circulates a second coolant that cools the above-mentioned electric devices by driving a coolant pump (not shown) that is disposed outside the fuel cell module 2. The second reserve tank 82 stores and discharges the second coolant as necessary.

[0046] It should be noted that a second cooling system CS2 is provided for each fuel cell module 2. For this reason, in the present embodiment, four second reserve tanks 82 are arranged in the first section 11.

[0047] [2-3. Details of Section 2] As described above, the second section 12 is provided with auxiliaries related to the operation of the fuel cell module 2. The auxiliaries include the air intake section 9, the heat exchanger 10, and the switchboard 20 shown in FIG.

[0048] The air intake section 9 takes in air to be supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell stack 2a. In this embodiment, the air intake section 9 is arranged in the second section 12. That is, the air intake section 9 is arranged in a section where no hydrogen leakage occurs. This arrangement makes it possible to prevent air containing hydrogen from being taken in through the air intake section 9. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air containing hydrogen from being supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell stack.

[0049] In detail, the second section 12 has air intake units 9 arranged in the same number as the fuel cell modules 2 arranged in the first section 11. Since an air intake unit 9 is provided for each fuel cell module 2, if a malfunction occurs in any of the fuel cell modules 2, it is not necessary to shut down all of the fuel cell modules 2, and the fuel cell modules 2 that are not malfunctioning can continue to operate.

[0050] More specifically, the air intake unit 9 includes a filter. An air pipe 421 that allows air to flow is connected to the air intake unit 9. The air intake unit 9 and the air pipe 421 configure a cathode air system 421A. The air pipe 421 is disposed across the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12 through a through hole in the partition wall 13. When a compressor included in the fuel cell module 2 is operated, the air taken in from the air intake unit 9 is supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell stack 2a included in the fuel cell module 2. From the above, it can be said that the fuel cell system 100 of this embodiment includes the second compartment 12 that houses the air intake unit 9 of the cathode air system 421A connected to the fuel cell module 2.

[0051] The heat exchanger 10 constitutes a cooling system CS provided for the fuel cell module 2. As described above, in this embodiment, the cooling system CS includes a first cooling system CS1 and a second cooling system CS2. To this end, in detail, the heat exchanger 10 includes a first heat exchanger 101 constituting the first cooling system CS1 and a second heat exchanger 102 constituting the second cooling system CS2. The first heat exchanger 101 and the second heat exchanger 102 are provided for each fuel cell module 2. That is, four first heat exchangers 101 and four second heat exchangers 102 are arranged in the second section 12.

[0052] The first heat exchanger 101 exchanges heat between the first coolant and a third coolant supplied from outside the housing 1.

[0053] The first coolant is sent from the fuel cell stack 2a to the first heat exchanger 101 and returned from the first heat exchanger 101 to the fuel cell stack 2a by using a first coolant pipe 422 that connects the first heat exchanger 101 and a pump included in the fuel cell module 2. The first coolant pipe 422 is arranged to straddle the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12 via a through hole in the partition wall 13.

[0054] The third coolant is supplied from outside the housing 1 to the first heat exchanger 101 by using a third coolant pipe 424 arranged in the second section 12, and is discharged from the first heat exchanger 101 to the outside of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a connection port 121 is provided on the right wall 12d of the second section for connecting the third coolant pipe 424 for supplying and discharging the third coolant to an external pipe. The third coolant is supplied to the third coolant pipe 424 by a device arranged outside the housing 1. The third coolant may be seawater, although this is not intended to be a particular limitation.

[0055] The second heat exchanger 102 exchanges heat between the second coolant and a third coolant supplied from outside the housing 1. The equipment for supplying and discharging the third coolant is shared with the first heat exchanger 101.

[0056] The second coolant is sent from the electrical equipment included in the fuel cell module 2 to the second heat exchanger 102 and returned to the electrical equipment from the second heat exchanger 102 by using a second coolant pipe 423 that connects the second heat exchanger 102 and a pump included in the fuel cell module 2. The second coolant pipe 423 is arranged across the first section 11 and the second section 12 via a through hole in the partition wall 13.

[0057] The third coolant is supplied from outside the housing 1 to the second heat exchanger 102 using a third coolant piping 424 arranged in the second section 12, and is discharged from the second heat exchanger 102 to the outside of the housing 1.

[0058] The switchboard 20 is disposed at the right end of the second section 12. An electric wire arrangement section 122 for arranging electric wires connected to the switchboard 20 is provided on the right wall 12d of the second section. More specifically, the electric wire arrangement section 122 is a section for taking out electric wires from the inside of the housing 1 to the outside and for putting electric wires from the outside to the inside. The electric wire arrangement section 122 may also be a section for connecting electric wires inside the housing 1 to external electric wires. The electric wire arrangement section 122 may be composed of an opening for passing electric wires through, a connector for connecting electric wires, or the like.

[0059] The switchboard 20 includes various terminals and relays. The various terminals include, for example, a terminal connected to a power line 411 through which the power generated by the fuel cell module 2 flows. The various terminals also include a terminal connected to a control line 412 for controlling the fuel cell module 2. The power line 411 and the control line 412 are arranged across the first section 11 and the second section 12 through a through hole in the partition wall 13. In addition, the various terminals include a terminal connected to a sensor line connected to a sensor such as a pressure sensor or a temperature sensor. The various terminals also include a terminal connected to a communication line CL that communicates with the control device 500.

[0060] The control device 500 is a device that controls the operation of each part in the housing 1. That is, the fuel cell system 100 of this embodiment includes the control device 500. The control device 500 is configured, for example, by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). In this embodiment, the control device 500 is disposed outside the housing 1 and communicatively connected to the switchboard 20 of the housing 1 via a communication line CL. This allows the control device 500 to control each part in the housing 1 via the switchboard 20. Note that the control device 500 may be configured to be disposed inside the housing 1 (for example, in the switchboard 20) and to be remotely controlled from outside to control each part of the housing 1.

[0061] <3. Details of the inside of the case> [3-1. Details of the fuel cell module] 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the fuel cell module 2. As shown in the figure, the fuel cell module 2 has a pressure reducing section 21 and a relief valve 22 in addition to the above-mentioned fuel cell stack 2a.

[0062] The pressure reduction unit 21 is disposed in the fuel gas supply passage 5A between the valve device 53 (see FIG. 2) and the fuel cell stack 2a. The pressure reduction unit 21 is configured with an injector that reduces the pressure of hydrogen that has passed through the valve device 53 and injects it. For example, the pressure reduction unit 21 reduces the pressure of hydrogen that has passed through the valve device 53 and has a supply pressure of 0.9 MPaG to 0.2 MPaG and supplies it to the fuel cell stack 2a.

[0063] The relief valve 22 is disposed in the fuel gas supply passage 5A between the pressure reducing section 21 and the fuel cell stack 2a. The relief valve 22 is connected to the vent passage 52. More specifically, the relief valve 22 is connected to a relief vent passage 523 of the vent passage 52. The relief vent passage 523 is connected to a shared vent passage 521 of the vent passage 52. In this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) fuel cell modules 2 are housed in the housing 1. For this reason, the relief valve 22 and the relief vent passage 523 are provided corresponding to each fuel cell module 2. The detailed configuration of the relief vent passage 523 will be described later. In this manner, the fuel cell system 100 of this embodiment includes the relief valve 22 provided in the fuel gas supply passage 5A and the vent passage 52 connected to the relief valve 22.

[0064] For example, when the withstand pressure of the fuel cell stack 2a is 0.6 MPaG, the relief valve 22 opens and opens the relief vent passage 523 when the supply pressure of hydrogen supplied from the pressure reducing section 21 to the fuel cell stack 2a reaches 0.4 to 0.5 MPaG. In this case, hydrogen passing through the pressure reducing section 21 flows through the relief vent passage 523 and the common vent passage 521, and is discharged from the external vent passage 202 (see FIG. 1) via the vent connection section 62 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, in the event that the pressure reducing section 21 fails to reduce the hydrogen supply pressure appropriately, such as when the pressure reducing section 21 breaks down for some reason, the relief valve 22 is configured to open in order to protect the fuel cell stack 2a. Such a relief valve 22 is configured, for example, as a mechanical valve similar to that described in Patent Document 1.

[0065] [3-2. Placement of fuel cell module and vent passage inside the housing] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the fuel cell modules 2 and the vent passage 52 in the housing 1 of the fuel cell system 100. In FIG. 4, the first section upper wall 11e (upper surface wall 1e) shown in FIG. 1 is omitted in order to show the configuration inside the housing 1. In addition, in FIG. 4, the support structure 310 (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6), which will be described later, is omitted for convenience. As shown in FIG. 4, the vent passage 52 (the shared vent passage 521 and the relief vent passage 523) are disposed inside the housing 1 and separated from the housing 1. In other words, the vent passage 52 is provided inside the housing 1 and at a position not in contact with the housing 1. In still another way, the vent passage 52 is disposed inside the housing 1 and separated from the peripheral wall of the housing 1.

[0066] Here, the peripheral walls refer to a plurality of walls constituting the housing 1. Specifically, the peripheral walls include the front wall 1a, rear wall 1b, left wall 1c, right wall 1d, top wall 1e, and bottom wall 1f of the housing 1 shown in FIG. 1 as the walls. In particular, in this embodiment, the fuel cell module 2 is disposed in the first compartment 11 of the housing 1, and the vent passage 52 is also disposed in the first compartment 11. For this reason, the peripheral walls include the walls constituting the first compartment 11, that is, the first compartment front wall 11a, the first compartment rear wall 11b, the first compartment left wall 11c, the first compartment right wall 11d, and the first compartment upper wall 11e. In this embodiment, the vent passage 52 is located in the housing 1 away from the first compartment front wall 11a, the first compartment rear wall 11b, the first compartment left wall 11c, the first compartment right wall 11d, and the first compartment upper wall 11e.

[0067] In this way, by disposing the vent passage 52 inside the housing 1 and away from the housing 1, the effect of heat transfer from the peripheral wall constituting the housing 1 to the vent passage 52 is reduced compared to, for example, a configuration in which the vent passage is provided in contact with the housing. As a result, even in an environment in which the housing 1 is at a low temperature, the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52 can be suppressed.

[0068] 4, in this embodiment, a portion of the shared vent passage 521 included in the vent passage 52 is arranged to overlap with a plurality of fuel cell modules 2 in a plan view. Also, a relief vent passage 523 included in the vent passage 52 is arranged to overlap with a corresponding fuel cell module 2 in a plan view.

[0069] With such an arrangement of the vent passage 52, air heated by the heat generated when the fuel cell module 2 is operating rises and is more likely to hit the vent passage 52. This is expected to further suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52 compared to, for example, a case in which the vent passage 52 is arranged offset horizontally from the fuel cell module 2. In other words, from the viewpoint of using the heat dissipation of the fuel cell module 2 to heat the vent passage 52 and further suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52, it is desirable to arrange the vent passage 52 so as to overlap the fuel cell module 2 in a plan view, as in this embodiment.

[0070] As described above, the vent passage 52 has a plurality of relief vent passages 523 and the shared vent passage 521. The plurality of relief vent passages 523 are connected to the relief valves 22 corresponding to each fuel cell module 2. The shared vent passage 521 is connected to the plurality of relief vent passages 523. The end of the shared vent passage 521 on the fuel gas discharge side is connected to the pipe of the vent connection part 62 via a flange.

[0071] In this configuration, the fuel gas flowing through each relief vent passage 523 can be collected in the shared vent passage 521 and led collectively from the shared vent passage 521 to the outside of the housing 1 via the vent connection part 62. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which, for example, a plurality of relief vent passages 523 are led individually to the outside of the housing 1, the arrangement of the vent passage 52 within the housing 1 can be made more compact.

[0072] In this embodiment, a pipe having an inner diameter of, for example, 31 mm is used as the shared vent passage 521. Also, a pipe having an inner diameter of, for example, 15 mm is used as each relief vent passage 523. That is, the inner diameter of the shared vent passage 521 is larger than the inner diameter of each relief vent passage 523.

[0073] When the inner diameters of the shared vent passage 521 and the relief vent passage 523 are set in this manner, the fuel gas flowing through each relief vent passage 523 becomes more likely to flow into the shared vent passage 521 (because the direction from the relief vent passage 523 to the shared vent passage 521 is the direction in which the flow path cross-sectional area increases and the flow path resistance decreases). From the viewpoint of reducing the accumulation of fuel gas inside the casing 1 (particularly inside the vent passage 52), it is desirable to set the relationship in size between the inner diameters of the shared vent passage 521 and the relief vent passage 523 as described above and guide the fuel gas to the outside of the casing 1 through the shared vent passage 521.

[0074] [3-3. Support structure for vent passage] Fig. 5 is a left side view of the fuel cell module 2 and the vent passage 52 housed in the housing 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the fuel cell module 2 and the vent passage 52. As shown in these figures, the fuel cell system 100 further includes a support structure 310 and a support frame 320.

[0075] The support structure 310 is a metal structure that supports the vent passage 52 (particularly the shared vent passage 521). Specifically, the support structure 310 is configured to have an auxiliary frame 311, an attachment stay 312, and a U-shaped bolt 313. The auxiliary frame 311 is configured by connecting a left frame 311L, a right frame 311R (see FIG. 7), and an upper frame 311U, which face the left side, right side, and upper part of the fuel cell module 2, respectively. In the auxiliary frame 311, the lower ends of the left frame 311L and the right frame 311R are attached to an arm part 321 of the support frame 320, which will be described later, by, for example, bolt fastening. That is, the support structure 310 having the auxiliary frame 311 is attached to the support frame 320. The auxiliary frame 311 may be attached to the support frame 320 by a method other than bolt fastening (for example, welding).

[0076] The mounting stay 312 has a bottom plate portion 312a and a flat mounting plate portion 312b. The bottom plate portion 312a is fixed to the upper frame 311U of the auxiliary frame 311 by, for example, bolt fastening. In this way, the mounting stay 312 is attached to the auxiliary frame 311.

[0077] The mounting plate portion 312b is erected on the bottom plate portion 312a. A plurality of holes (not shown) penetrating along the front-rear direction of the housing 1 are formed in the mounting plate portion 312b. Both ends of the U-bolt 313 are inserted into each hole. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, two U-bolts 313 are used, and therefore four holes are formed in the mounting plate portion 312b. The number of U-bolts 313 used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, one.

[0078] The common vent passage 521 is sandwiched between the mounting plate portion 312b and the U-bolt 313, and both ends of the U-bolt 313 are inserted into the respective holes of the mounting plate portion 312b. Then, nuts 313a are fitted to both ends of the U-bolt 313, and the nuts 313a are turned and tightened. As a result, the common vent passage 521 is supported by the mounting plate portion 312b and the U-bolt 313. That is, the vent passage 52 is supported by the support structure portion 310.

[0079] The support frame 320 supports the fuel cell module 2 within the housing 1. The support frame 320 is formed, for example, by connecting a plurality of metal arms 321 extending in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the housing 1. The fuel cell module 2 is sandwiched in at least one direction (for example, from the left-right direction) by the plurality of arms 321. In this way, the fuel cell module 2 is supported by the support frame 320 (see FIG. 6). The number of arms 321 constituting the support frame 320, and the installation positions and connection positions of each arm 321 may be set arbitrarily.

[0080] 5 and 6, by attaching the support structure 310 to the support frame 320, heat generated when the fuel cell module 2 is driven is transferred to the vent passage 52 (particularly the shared vent passage 521) via the support frame 320 and the support structure 310. This heats the vent passage 52, suppressing the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52. In this way, in terms of suppressing the generation of water droplets by utilizing heat transfer from the fuel cell module 2, it is desirable that the support structure 310 supporting the vent passage 52 be attached to the support frame 320 supporting the fuel cell module 2.

[0081] [3-4. Positional relationship between the vent passage, the outside air intake, and the inspection window] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the housing 1 of the fuel cell system 100 cut in a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction. For convenience, the mounting stays 312 and U-bolts 313 (see Figs. 5 and 6) of the support structure 310 are omitted from Fig. 7. The support frame 320 is fixed to a plurality of fixing members 330 fixed to the partition wall 13 by bolt fastening. Fig. 7 shows one fixing member 330 as a representative of the plurality of fixing members 330.

[0082] As described above, the housing 1 has the window portion 123 as an outside air intake port. The window portion 123 is an opening portion provided in the second compartment front wall 12a of the housing 1. In other words, the window portion 123 is provided in the second compartment 12.

[0083] 7, the vent passage 52 is provided in the first compartment 11. Since the first compartment 11 and the second compartment 12 are separated by the partition wall 13, the vent passage 52 and the window portion 123 are located on opposite sides of the partition wall 13. That is, the housing 1 has the partition wall 13 located between the vent passage 52 and the window portion 123 as a partition wall.

[0084] In the case 1, in a configuration in which the partition wall 13 is located between the vent passage 52 and the window portion 123, even if cold air is taken into the inside of the case 1 from the outside through the window portion 123, the partition wall 13 prevents the taken-in cold air from flowing toward the vent passage 52. This prevents the vent passage 52 from being cooled by the cold air, and prevents water droplets from forming in the vent passage 52 due to condensation.

[0085] As described above, the housing 1 includes, as walls constituting the peripheral walls, the front wall 1a, the rear wall 1b, the left wall 1c, the right wall 1d, the top wall 1e, and the bottom wall 1f shown in Fig. 1. In other words, the housing 1 includes a plurality of walls.

[0086] 1 and 7, a removable cover member is provided on the front wall 1a of the housing 1 as an inspection window 11W. When the inspection window 11W is removed from the front wall 1a, an opening that was blocked by the inspection window 11W is exposed. This allows an operator to access the inside of the housing 1 through the opening, making it possible to perform maintenance on the inside of the housing 1. When maintenance is not being performed, that is, during normal use of the fuel cell system 100, the inspection window 11W is attached to the front wall 1a and the opening is blocked.

[0087] Here, the front wall 1a to which the inspection window 11W is attached is referred to as the first wall. In this case, it can be said that the multiple walls constituting the housing 1 have the first wall having the inspection window 11W. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned vent passage 52 is disposed closer to a wall different from the first wall than the first wall. Specifically, the vent passage 52 is disposed closer to the rear wall 1b than the front wall 1a as the first wall. In other words, the shortest distance between the vent passage 52 and the rear wall 1b is shorter than the shortest distance between the vent passage 52 and the front wall 1a. Here, the shortest distance between the vent passage 52 and the front wall 1a refers to the shortest distance D1 between the relief vent passage 523 of the vent passage 52 and the front wall 1a, as shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, the shortest distance between the vent passage 52 and the rear wall 1b refers to the shortest distance D2 between the shared vent passage 521 of the vent passage 52 and the rear wall 1b, as also shown in FIG. 4.

[0088] For example, if the vent passage 52 is disposed in the housing 1 near the first wall portion (front wall 1a) where the inspection window 11W is provided, when the inspection window 11W is opened to perform work (maintenance, inspection) in a low-temperature environment, the vent passage 52 is likely to be cooled by outside air, and water droplets due to condensation may occur in the vent passage 52. In this regard, in a configuration in which the vent passage 52 is disposed closer to another wall portion than the first wall portion, as in this embodiment, the vent passage 52 is less likely to be cooled by outside air when the inspection window 11W is open. This suppresses the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52 when the inspection window 11W is open.

[0089] The "wall different from the first wall" to which the vent passage 52 is disposed close may be a wall other than the rear wall 1b (for example, the left wall 1c, the right wall 1d, or the top wall 1e).

[0090] [3-5. Details of the relief vent passage] 8 is an enlarged left side view of the shared vent passage 521 and the relief vent passage 523. As shown in the figure, the shared vent passage 521 is disposed above the relief valves 22. The relief valves 22 of each fuel cell module 2 are provided at approximately the same height in the up-down direction. Therefore, the shared vent passage 521 is disposed above the multiple relief valves 22.

[0091] Moreover, the shared vent passage 521 is disposed inside the housing 1 on the rear side (rear wall 1b side) of the housing 1 with respect to the relief valves 22 of each fuel cell module 2. In other words, the shared vent passage 521 is disposed so as to be shifted from the multiple relief valves 22 in the horizontal direction.

[0092] Each of the plurality of relief vent passages 523 provided corresponding to each relief valve 22 has an ascending passage portion 523a, a bent passage portion 523b, a descending passage portion 523c, a relay passage portion 523d, and a connecting passage portion 523e.

[0093] The ascending passage portion 523a is a pipe extending upward from the relief valve 22. The bent passage portion 523b is a pipe connected to the ascending passage portion 523a and bent toward the common vent passage 521 (the rear side of the housing 1 in this embodiment) as it goes upward. The descending passage portion 523c is a pipe connected to the bent passage portion 523b and descends toward the common vent passage 521. In this embodiment, the ascending passage portion 523a, the bent passage portion 523b, and the descending passage portion 523c are configured as an integral pipe, but they may be configured as separate pipes connected to each other via flanges. The descending passage portion 523c has a first flange F1 at an end opposite to the connection side with the bent passage portion 523b.

[0094] The relay passage portion 523d ​​is a pipe connected to the descending passage portion 523c and the connection passage portion 523e. In this embodiment, the relay passage portion 523d ​​is made of a flexible pipe, and has a shape in which the center of the pipe is bent downward as shown in FIG. 8. The relay passage portion 523d ​​may have a straight pipe shape without a bent portion. The relay passage portion 523d ​​has a second flange F2 and a third flange F3 at both ends. The relay passage portion 523d ​​and the descending passage portion 523c are connected to each other by fastening the second flange F2 of the relay passage portion 523d ​​and the first flange F1 of the descending passage portion 523c with a bolt.

[0095] The connection passage portion 523e is a pipe that connects the shared vent passage 521 and the relay passage portion 523d. The connection passage portion 523e is connected to the shared vent passage 521 by, for example, welding. A fourth flange F4 is provided at the end of the connection passage portion 523e opposite to the connection side with the shared vent passage 521. The connection passage portion 523e and the relay passage portion 523d ​​are connected to each other by fastening the fourth flange F4 of the connection passage portion 523e and the third flange F3 of the relay passage portion 523d ​​with bolts.

[0096] In this embodiment, the first flange F1, the second flange F2, the third flange F3, and the fourth flange F4 are configured as so-called oval flanges whose vertical height is shorter than their horizontal length. This reduces the vertical installation space of the first flange F1 to the fourth flange F4 within the housing 1. If there is no restriction on the installation space within the housing 1, the first flange F1 to the fourth flange F4 may be configured as circular flanges.

[0097] Here, the connection portion of the connection passage portion 523e with the shared vent passage 521 is defined as the first connection portion P1. Also, the connection portion of the descending passage portion 523c with the bent passage portion 523b is defined as the second connection portion P2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the lower end of the second connection portion P2 is located above the horizontal reference line L passing through the lower end of the first connection portion P1. That is, the lower end of the first connection portion P1 is located below the lower end of the second connection portion P2. Here, the lower end of the first connection portion P1 refers to the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the connection passage portion 523e in the first connection portion P1. Also, the lower end of the second connection portion P2 refers to the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the bent passage portion 532b in the second connection portion P2.

[0098] With such a positional relationship between the first connection portion P1 and the second connection portion P2, even if water droplets are generated due to condensation in the shared vent passage 521, the generated water droplets flow from the shared vent passage 521 through the connection passage portion 523e, the relay passage portion 523d, and the descending passage portion 523c to the bent passage portion 523b, and are prevented from flowing over the bent passage portion 523b into the ascending passage portion 523a. This reliably reduces the risk that the water droplets will accumulate above the relief valve 22 (at the fuel gas discharge port) through the ascending passage portion 523a and interfere with normal operation of the relief valve 22.

[0099] <4. Supplementary Information> In the present embodiment, an example in which the shared vent passage 521 is arranged in the housing 1 so as to be shifted from the relief valve 22 in the horizontal direction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement. For example, the shared vent passage 521 may be located in a position passing above (directly above) the relief valve 22 in the housing 1. In this case, the relief vent passage 523 can be configured only by the upward passage portion 523a, so that the configuration of the relief vent passage 523 can be simplified. However, from the viewpoint of reducing backflow of water droplets generated by condensation in the shared vent passage 521 to the relief valve 22 as much as possible, it is preferable to arrange the shared vent passage 521 so as to be shifted from the relief valve 22 in the horizontal direction as in the present embodiment, and provide the relief vent passage 523 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0100] The support structure 310 supporting the vent passage 52 may be configured to be attached to, for example, the top wall 1e (first compartment upper wall 11e) of the housing 1 and support the vent passage 52 from above (support it by hanging it down). Even in this case, since the vent passage 52 is disposed away from the top wall 1e, it is possible to suppress the generation of water droplets due to condensation in the vent passage 52 even in an environment where the housing 1 is at a low temperature. However, in this case, it is desirable that the support structure 310 be made of, for example, resin in order to suppress the transfer of heat from the top wall 1e to the vent passage 52 via the support structure 310.

[0101] <5. Notes> The fuel cell system described in this embodiment can also be expressed as a fuel cell system described in the following supplementary notes.

[0102] The fuel cell system of Appendix (1) is A fuel cell system including a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel cell module in a housing, a relief valve provided in the fuel gas supply passage; a vent passage connected to the relief valve, The vent passage is disposed inside and spaced from the housing.

[0103] The fuel cell system of supplementary note (2) is the fuel cell module according to supplementary note (1), The vent passage is disposed so as to overlap the fuel cell module in a plan view.

[0104] The fuel cell system of supplementary note (3) is the fuel cell module according to supplementary note (1) or (2), a support structure for supporting the vent passage; a support frame for supporting the fuel cell module within the housing, The support structure is attached to the support frame.

[0105] The fuel cell system of supplementary note (4) is a fuel cell module according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (3), The housing includes: An outside air intake; and a partition wall located between the vent passage and the outside air intake.

[0106] The fuel cell system of supplementary note (5) is a fuel cell module according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (4), The housing includes a plurality of walls, The plurality of wall portions include a first wall portion having an inspection window, The vent passage is disposed closer to a wall portion other than the first wall portion than to the first wall portion.

[0107] The fuel cell system of supplementary note (6) is a fuel cell module according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (5), A plurality of the fuel cell modules are housed in the housing, the relief valve is provided corresponding to each fuel cell module, The vent passage is a plurality of relief vent passages connected to the relief valves corresponding to the respective fuel cell modules; and a shared vent passage connected to the plurality of relief vent passages.

[0108] The fuel cell system of claim 7 further comprises the fuel cell module according to claim 6, The shared vent passage is disposed above the plurality of relief valves and is horizontally offset from the plurality of relief valves, Each of the plurality of relief vent passages comprises: an ascending passage portion extending upward from the relief valve; a curved passage portion connected to the rising passage portion and curved toward the common vent passage as it extends upward; a descending passage portion connected to the bent passage portion and descending toward the common vent passage; a relay passage portion connected to the descending passage portion; a connecting passage portion connecting the common vent passage and the relay passage portion, When a connection portion of the connection passage portion with the common vent passage is defined as a first connection portion, and a connection portion of the descending passage portion with the bent passage portion is defined as a second connection portion, A lower end of the first connection portion is located lower than a lower end of the second connection portion.

[0109] The fuel cell system of claim 8 further comprises the fuel cell module according to claim 6 or 7, The shared vent passage has an inner diameter greater than the inner diameter of each of the relief vent passages.

[0110] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the invention can be expanded or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0111] The fuel cell system of the present invention can be used, for example, to generate electricity on ships. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1 Case 1a Front wall (wall, 1st wall) 1b Rear wall (wall) 1c Left wall (wall) 1d Right wall (wall section) 1e Top wall (wall) 1F Bottom wall (wall section) 2 Fuel Cell Module 5A Fuel gas supply passage 11W Inspection window 11a First compartment front wall (wall portion, first wall portion) 11b 1st section rear wall (wall) 11c Left wall of the first section (wall) 11d Right wall of the first section (wall) 11e Top wall of the first section (wall section) 13 Partition wall (compartment wall) 22 Relief valve 52 Vent Passage 100 Fuel Cell System 123 Window (outside air intake) 310 Support structure 320 Support Frame 521 Shared Vent Passage 523 Relief vent passage 523a Ascending passage 523b Bent passage section 523c Descending passage section 523d Intermediate passage 523e Connecting passage P1 First connection part P2 Second connection part

Claims

1. A fuel cell system including a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel cell module in a housing, a relief valve provided in the fuel gas supply passage; a vent passage connected to the relief valve, A fuel cell system, wherein the vent passage is disposed inside and separate from the housing.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the vent passage is disposed so as to overlap the fuel cell module in a plan view.

3. a support structure for supporting the vent passage; a support frame for supporting the fuel cell module within the housing, The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is attached to the support frame.

4. The housing includes: An outside air intake; 2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, further comprising a partition wall located between said vent passage and said outside air intake port.

5. The housing includes a plurality of walls, The plurality of wall portions includes a first wall portion having an inspection window, 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the vent passage is disposed closer to a wall portion other than the first wall portion than the first wall portion.

6. A plurality of the fuel cell modules are housed in the housing, the relief valve is provided corresponding to each fuel cell module, The vent passage is a plurality of relief vent passages connected to the relief valves corresponding to the respective fuel cell modules; 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising: a shared vent passage connected to the plurality of relief vent passages.

7. The shared vent passage is disposed above the plurality of relief valves and is horizontally offset from the plurality of relief valves, Each of the plurality of relief vent passages comprises: an ascending passage portion extending upward from the relief valve; a curved passage portion connected to the rising passage portion and curved toward the common vent passage as it extends upward; a descending passage portion connected to the bent passage portion and descending toward the common vent passage; a relay passage portion connected to the descending passage portion; a connecting passage portion connecting the common vent passage and the relay passage portion, When a connection portion of the connection passage portion with the common vent passage is defined as a first connection portion, and a connection portion of the descending passage portion with the bent passage portion is defined as a second connection portion, The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein a lower end of the first connection portion is located lower than a lower end of the second connection portion.

8. 8. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein an inner diameter of the shared vent passage is larger than inner diameters of each of the relief vent passages.

Images