Fuel cell system

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of stably generating large electric power.SOLUTION: A fuel cell system comprises a plurality of fuel cells, and a plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the plurality of fuel cells and supplying fuel gases to the plurality of fuel cells. The plurality of gas supply pipes supply the fuel gases to the plurality of fuel cells in parallel. The plurality of fuel cells are electrically connected in parallel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a fuel cell system. [Background technology]

[0002] A fuel cell system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The fuel cell system of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of gas supply pipes that supply fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-6237 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a fuel cell system, when multiple fuel cells are electrically connected in series, if one fuel cell malfunctions, the other fuel cells are easily affected. This can result in an inability to generate stable power. This specification provides a technology that enables stable generation of large amounts of power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect of the present technology, a fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the plurality of fuel cells and supplying fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells. The plurality of gas supply pipes supply fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells in parallel. The plurality of fuel cells are electrically connected in parallel.

[0006] With this configuration, multiple gas supply pipes supply fuel gas to multiple fuel cells in parallel, allowing the multiple fuel cells to stably generate large amounts of power. Also, because the multiple fuel cells are electrically connected in parallel, even if one fuel cell malfunctions, the other fuel cells are less likely to be affected by the malfunction, allowing the entire system to stably generate large amounts of power.

[0007] In a second aspect, the first aspect may further include a distribution container to which a plurality of the gas supply pipes are connected and which temporarily stores fuel gas supplied from a gas supply source and distributes it to the plurality of gas supply pipes.

[0008] With this configuration, the fuel gas is temporarily stored and then distributed to the multiple fuel cells, so that the fuel gas can be supplied equally to the multiple fuel cells, reducing variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells, and thus enabling a large amount of power to be generated stably overall.

[0009] In a third aspect, in the second aspect, the lengths of the gas supply pipes from the distribution container to the fuel cells may be approximately the same.

[0010] This configuration allows the fuel gas to be supplied equally to the multiple fuel cells, reducing variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells, and thus enabling a large amount of power to be generated stably overall.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the fuel cell system may further include a plurality of gas exhaust pipes connected to the plurality of fuel cells and through which off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells are discharged, and a collection container to which the plurality of gas exhaust pipes are connected and which temporarily stores the off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells discharged by the plurality of gas exhaust pipes.

[0012] With this configuration, the off-gas from the multiple fuel cells can be discharged equally, which reduces variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells, thereby enabling a large amount of power to be generated stably overall.

[0013] The fuel gas supplied to the plurality of fuel cells may be hydrogen extracted from ammonia. With this configuration, the hydrogen extracted from ammonia can be effectively utilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a fuel cell system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a fuel cell according to an embodiment (an enlarged view of part II in FIG. 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A fuel cell system 2 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the fuel cell system 2 of the embodiment includes a plurality of fuel cells 10, a plurality of gas supply pipes 20, and a plurality of gas exhaust pipes 30. The fuel cell system 2 includes a plurality of units 40, each of which includes a plurality of fuel cells 10. The fuel cell system 2 also includes a distribution container 12 and a collection container 14.

[0016] The fuel cell system 2 is mounted on, for example, a fuel cell vehicle and supplies power to a motor for driving the fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell system 2 may also be installed in, for example, a home, a building, a factory, or the like.

[0017] The fuel cells 10 in the fuel cell system 2 are electrically connected in parallel. More specifically, the fuel cells 10 in each unit 40 are electrically connected in parallel. The units 40 are also electrically connected in parallel.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of fuel cells 10 includes a fuel cell stack 50 and a container 52 that houses the fuel cell stack 50. The fuel cell stack 50 includes a plurality of fuel cell units (not shown). The fuel cell stack 50 is configured by stacking a plurality of fuel cell units. The plurality of fuel cell units that make up the fuel cell stack 50 are electrically connected in series.

[0019] Each fuel cell includes a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and a separator (none of which are shown). Each fuel cell generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen contained in the fuel gas supplied to the fuel electrode and oxygen contained in the air supplied to the air electrode. Each fuel cell is, for example, a SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) cell, but the type of fuel cell is not particularly limited. The power generated by the multiple fuel cell cells (i.e., the power generated by the fuel cell 10) is supplied to, for example, a motor for driving a fuel cell automobile equipped with the fuel cell system 2. The hydrogen used in the fuel cell system 2 may be hydrogen extracted from ammonia.

[0020] 1, a plurality of gas supply pipes 20 are arranged in parallel. The plurality of gas supply pipes 20 are connected to a plurality of fuel cells 10 in a plurality of units 40. The plurality of gas supply pipes 20 supply fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells 10 in the plurality of units 40 in parallel.

[0021] Each of the multiple gas supply pipes 20 includes one upstream pipe 22 and multiple (two in this embodiment) downstream pipes 24. Each gas supply pipe 20 branches into multiple downstream pipes 24 at the downstream end of the upstream pipe 22. The upstream pipe 22 of each gas supply pipe 20 is connected to the distribution container 12. The multiple downstream pipes 24 are arranged in parallel and connected to the multiple fuel cells 10.

[0022] Next, the distribution container 12 will be described. The distribution container 12 is connected to upstream pipes 22 of multiple gas supply pipes 20. The distribution container 12 is also connected to a first supply pipe 4. The distribution container 12 is connected to a gas supply source 100 via the first supply pipe 4. The first supply pipe 4 supplies fuel gas from the gas supply source 100 to the distribution container 12. The gas supply source 100 is, for example, a gas tank that stores fuel gas containing hydrogen under high pressure. The pipe diameter of the first supply pipe 4 is larger than the pipe diameter of each gas supply pipe 20.

[0023] The first supply pipe 4 extends in a different direction from the upstream pipe 22 of the gas supply pipe 20 relative to the distribution vessel 12. In the example shown in Figure 1, the first supply pipe 4 extends downward relative to the distribution vessel 12 and supplies fuel gas downward to the gas supply pipe 20. On the other hand, the upstream pipe 22 of the gas supply pipe 20 extends to the right relative to the distribution vessel 12.

[0024] The distribution container 12 temporarily stores the fuel gas supplied from the gas supply source 100 through the first supply pipe 4. The distribution container 12 distributes the temporarily stored fuel gas to multiple gas supply pipes 20. The distribution container 12 distributes the fuel gas to multiple fuel cells 10 through the multiple gas supply pipes 20. The length of each gas supply pipe 20 from the distribution container 12 to each fuel cell 10 is approximately the same. In a modified example, the length of each gas supply pipe 20 from the distribution container 12 to each fuel cell 10 may be different. The volume of the distribution container 12 is larger than the volume of the container 52 that houses the fuel cell stack 50 of each fuel cell 10. The volume of the distribution container 12 may also be larger than the total volume of the containers 52 of all fuel cells 10 in the fuel cell system 2.

[0025] Next, the gas exhaust pipes 30 will be described. The multiple gas exhaust pipes 30 are arranged in parallel. The multiple gas exhaust pipes 30 are connected to the multiple fuel cells 10 of the multiple units 40. Off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10 is discharged to the multiple gas exhaust pipes 30. The multiple gas exhaust pipes 30 discharge the off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10 in parallel to the collection container 14.

[0026] Each of the multiple gas exhaust pipes 30 includes multiple (two in this embodiment) upstream pipes 32 and one downstream pipe 34. Each gas exhaust pipe 30 merges with the downstream pipe 34 at the downstream end of the multiple upstream pipes 32. The multiple upstream pipes 32 are arranged in parallel and connected to the multiple fuel cells 10. The downstream pipe 34 of each gas exhaust pipe 30 is connected to the collection container 14.

[0027] Next, the collecting container 14 will be described. The downstream pipes 34 of the multiple gas discharge pipes 30 are connected to the collecting container 14. The first discharge pipe 6 is also connected to the collecting container 14. The collecting container 14 is connected to the gas discharge destination 102 via the first discharge pipe 6. The first discharge pipe 6 discharges off-gas from the collecting container 14 to the gas discharge destination 102. The pipe diameter of the first discharge pipe 6 is larger than the pipe diameter of each gas discharge pipe 30.

[0028] The first discharge pipe 6 extends in a different direction from the downstream pipe 34 of the gas discharge pipe 30 relative to the collecting container 14. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the first discharge pipe 6 extends upward relative to the collecting container 14 and supplies fuel gas upward to the gas discharge pipe 30. On the other hand, the downstream pipe 34 of the gas discharge pipe 30 extends to the right relative to the collecting container 14.

[0029] The aggregation container 14 temporarily stores the off-gas discharged from the multiple fuel cells 10 through the multiple gas discharge pipes 30. The aggregation container 14 collects the off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10. The aggregation container 14 discharges the temporarily stored off-gas to the first discharge pipe 6. The volume of the aggregation container 14 is larger than the volume of the containers 52 that house the fuel cell stacks 50 of each fuel cell 10. The volume of the aggregation container 14 may also be larger than the total volume of the containers 52 of all the fuel cells 10 in the fuel cell system 2. The volume of the aggregation container 14 may also be the same as the volume of the distribution container 12.

[0030] In the fuel cell system 2 having the above configuration, fuel gas supplied from the gas supply source 100 is temporarily stored in the distribution container 12. The fuel gas stored in the distribution container 12 is supplied to the plurality of fuel cells 10 through a plurality of gas supply pipes 20 arranged in parallel. Each fuel cell 10 generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen contained in the fuel gas supplied through the gas supply pipe 20 and oxygen contained in air supplied through an air supply pipe (not shown). The plurality of fuel cells 10 generate electricity in parallel.

[0031] In the fuel cell system 2, off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10 is discharged through multiple gas discharge pipes 30 arranged in parallel. The off-gas discharged through the multiple gas discharge pipes 30 is temporarily stored in a collection container 14. The off-gas stored in the collection container 14 is discharged to a gas discharge destination 102 through a first discharge pipe 6.

[0032] (effect) The fuel cell system 2 of the embodiment has been described above. As is clear from the above description, the fuel cell system 2 includes a plurality of fuel cells 10 and a plurality of gas supply pipes 20 connected to the plurality of fuel cells 10 and supplying fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells 10. The plurality of gas supply pipes 20 supply fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells 10 in parallel. The plurality of fuel cells 10 are electrically connected in parallel.

[0033] According to this configuration, multiple gas supply pipes 20 supply fuel gas to multiple fuel cells 10 in parallel, thereby enabling a large amount of electric power to be generated stably by the multiple fuel cells 10. Furthermore, because the multiple fuel cells 10 are electrically connected in parallel, even if a malfunction occurs in one fuel cell 10, the other fuel cells 10 are less likely to be affected by the malfunction, and a large amount of electric power can be generated stably as a whole.

[0034] The fuel cell system 2 includes a distribution container 12 that temporarily stores fuel gas supplied from a gas supply source 100 and distributes it to multiple gas supply pipes 20. With this configuration, by temporarily storing the fuel gas and then distributing it to multiple fuel cells 10, the fuel gas can be supplied equally to the multiple fuel cells 10, and variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells 10 can be reduced. This allows for stable generation of a large amount of power overall.

[0035] The length of each gas supply pipe 20 from the distribution container 12 to each fuel cell 10 is approximately the same. With this configuration, fuel gas can be supplied equally to the multiple fuel cells 10, and variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells 10 can be reduced. As a result, a large amount of power can be generated stably as a whole.

[0036] The fuel cell system 2 includes a collection container 14 that collects and temporarily stores the off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10 that is discharged through the multiple gas exhaust pipes 30. With this configuration, the off-gas from the multiple fuel cells 10 can be discharged equally, thereby suppressing variations in power generation among the multiple fuel cells 10. This allows for stable generation of a large amount of power overall.

[0037] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of these objectives itself has technical utility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 2: fuel cell system, 4: first supply pipe, 6: first discharge pipe, 10: fuel cell, 12: distribution container, 14: collection container, 20: gas supply pipe, 30: gas discharge pipe, 50: fuel cell stack, 52: container, 100: gas supply source, 102: gas discharge destination

Claims

1. a plurality of fuel cells; a plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the plurality of fuel cells and supplying fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells; the plurality of gas supply pipes supply fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells in parallel; A fuel cell system, wherein the plurality of fuel cells are electrically connected in parallel.

2. 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, The fuel cell system further comprises a distribution container connected to the plurality of gas supply pipes, which temporarily stores fuel gas supplied from a gas supply source and distributes the fuel gas to the plurality of gas supply pipes.

3. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, A fuel cell system wherein the lengths of the gas supply pipes from the distribution vessel to each of the fuel cells are substantially the same.

4. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, a plurality of gas exhaust pipes connected to the plurality of fuel cells and through which off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells are exhausted; The fuel cell system further comprises a collection container to which the plurality of gas exhaust pipes are connected, the collection container temporarily storing off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells that are discharged through the plurality of gas exhaust pipes.

5. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, A fuel cell system, wherein the fuel gas supplied to the plurality of fuel cells is hydrogen extracted from ammonia.

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