Fuel cell system

Abstract

This technology provides a simple configuration that can suppress the transfer of heat from a fuel cell to a heat exchanger. [Solution] The fuel cell system comprises an insulated housing and an insulated partition wall fixed to the side wall of the housing, which divides the inside of the housing into a first space and a second space. The reformer and fuel cell are located in the first space, and the heat exchanger is located in the second space.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

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

Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The fuel cell system of Patent Document 1 includes a heat-insulating first housing, a second housing disposed inside the first housing, a heat exchanger disposed inside the first housing, a reformer disposed inside the second housing, and a fuel cell disposed inside the second housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the fuel cell system of Patent Document 1, the inside of the second housing may become high temperature due to heat generation by the fuel cell. In this case, in the fuel cell system of Patent Document 1, the space where the fuel cell is disposed (inside the second housing) and the space where the heat exchanger is disposed (inside the first housing) are separated, and the heat of the fuel cell is difficult to be transmitted to the heat exchanger. However, since the second housing is disposed inside the first housing, the configuration inside the first housing may become complicated. Therefore, this specification provides a technology capable of suppressing the heat of the fuel cell from being transmitted to the heat exchanger with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A first aspect of this technology relates to a fuel cell system comprising a reformer, a fuel cell, and a heat exchanger. The fuel cell system comprises an insulated housing and an insulated partition wall fixed to the side wall of the housing, which divides the interior of the housing into a first space and a second space. The reformer and the fuel cell are arranged in the first space, and the heat exchanger is arranged in the second space.

[0006] In this configuration, when the fuel cell located in the first space generates heat and the first space becomes hot, the reformer located in the first space is heated. This promotes reforming in the reformer. Furthermore, because the first space where the fuel cell is located and the second space where the heat exchanger is located are separated by a partition wall, the transfer of heat from the first space to the second space can be suppressed. Since the interior of the enclosure is partitioned by a partition wall fixed to the side wall of the enclosure, the enclosure configuration can be simplified. This allows for a simple configuration in which the transfer of heat from the fuel cell to the heat exchanger can be suppressed.

[0007] In a second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the entirety of the first space may be located above the entirety of the second space.

[0008] In this configuration, the first space, which becomes hotter, is located above, and the second space, which becomes colder than the first space, is located below. This makes it possible to suppress the transfer of heat from the first space to the second space.

[0009] In a third embodiment, the fuel cell system may further include a first gas pipe connected to the heat exchanger, in the second embodiment described above. The first gas pipe may penetrate laterally through the side wall of the housing and extend across the second space and the outside of the housing.

[0010] This configuration allows the gas supplied to the heat exchanger through the first gas pipe to be kept at a low temperature, or the gas discharged from the heat exchanger through the first gas pipe to be kept at a low temperature.

[0011] In a fourth embodiment, the fuel cell system may further include a second gas pipe connected to the reformer and the heat exchanger, in the second or third embodiment described above. The second gas pipe may penetrate the partition wall longitudinally and extend across the first and second spaces.

[0012] This configuration allows the gas supplied to the reformer through the second gas pipe to be kept at a high temperature, thereby promoting reforming in the reformer. Alternatively, it allows the gas supplied to the heat exchanger through the second gas pipe to be kept at a high temperature, thereby promoting heat exchange in the heat exchanger.

[0013] In a fifth embodiment, in any one of the second to fourth embodiments, the fuel cell system may further include a third gas pipe connected to the fuel cell and the heat exchanger. The third gas pipe may penetrate the partition wall longitudinally and extend across the first and second spaces.

[0014] This configuration allows the gas supplied to the fuel cell through the third gas pipe to be kept at a high temperature, thereby promoting power generation in the fuel cell. Alternatively, it allows the gas supplied to the heat exchanger through the third gas pipe to be kept at a high temperature, thereby promoting heat exchange in the heat exchanger.

[0015] In the sixth embodiment, the reformer may reform the ammonia gas in any one of the first to fifth embodiments described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the fuel cell system of the embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing a modified fuel cell system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The fuel cell system 2 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the fuel cell system 2 of the embodiment comprises a housing 40 and a partition wall 42 that divides the inside of the housing 40 into a first space 44 and a second space 46. The fuel cell system 2 also comprises a reformer 10, a fuel cell 12, a first heat exchanger 20, and a second heat exchanger 22, which are located inside the housing 40. The fuel cell system 2 also comprises an adsorbent 14, which is located outside the housing 40.

[0018] The housing 40 of the fuel cell system 2 has thermal insulation properties and is configured to prevent internal heat from being easily transferred to the outside. The housing 40 comprises a side wall 40a, an upper wall 40b, and a lower wall 40c. Each of the side wall 40a, upper wall 40b, and lower wall 40c has thermal insulation properties. For example, the side wall 40a, upper wall 40b, and lower wall 40c each have a configuration in which thermal insulation material is placed between the inner wall and the outer wall. The side wall 40a extends in the vertical direction (up and down direction). The upper wall 40b and lower wall 40c extend in the horizontal direction.

[0019] The partition wall 42 is fixed to the side wall 40a of the housing 40. The partition wall 42 extends laterally. The partition wall 42 divides the interior of the housing 40 vertically. The partition wall 42 divides the interior of the housing 40 into a first space 44 and a second space 46. The partition wall 42 has thermal insulation properties and is configured to prevent heat from the first space 44 from being easily transferred to the second space 46. For example, the partition wall 42 has a configuration in which thermal insulation material is placed between the inner wall and the outer wall.

[0020] The first space 44 and the second space 46 inside the enclosure 40 are independent spaces. The first space 44 is the space above the partition wall 42, and the second space 46 is the space below the partition wall 42. The entirety of the first space 44 is located above the partition wall 42, and the entirety of the second space 46 is located below the partition wall 42. The entirety of the first space 44 is located above the entirety of the second space 46 (and the entirety of the second space 46 is located below the entirety of the first space 44).

[0021] In the first space 44, a reformer 10 and a fuel cell 12 are arranged. The reformer 10 is a device that generates fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell 12 by reforming ammonia gas. The configuration of the reformer 10 is not particularly limited. The reformer 10 includes, for example, a container and one or more catalysts arranged inside the container. The catalysts used for reforming ammonia gas are, for example, copper, nickel, ruthenium, etc. The fuel gas generated by the reformer 10 contains hydrogen generated by reforming ammonia. Also, the fuel gas generated by the reformer 10 contains unreacted ammonia. Note that the reformer 10 may include a heater for heating ammonia gas.

[0022] The fuel cell 12 is a device that generates electricity by the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The fuel cell 12 generates electricity using hydrogen contained in the fuel gas and oxygen contained in the air. The configuration of the fuel cell 12 is not particularly limited. The fuel cell 12 includes, for example, a container and a plurality of battery cells (not shown) stacked inside the container, and each battery cell generates electricity by the chemical reaction of hydrogen contained in the fuel gas and oxygen contained in the air. Each battery cell is, for example, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell)) or a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell)), but is not limited thereto. In the fuel cell 12, heat is generated when generating electricity. The temperature of the first space 44 becomes high due to the heat generated by the fuel cell 12. The temperature of the first space 44 becomes higher than the temperature of the second space 46. Also, the reformer 10 can be heated by the heat generated by the fuel cell 12.

[0023] In the second space 46, a first heat exchanger 20 and a second heat exchanger 22 are arranged. The first heat exchanger 20 is a device that performs heat exchange between ammonia gas and fuel gas. The first heat exchanger 20 heats the ammonia gas and cools the fuel gas by heat exchange between the heat of the ammonia gas supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the first gas pipe 50 from the supply source of the ammonia gas and the heat of the fuel gas supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the third gas pipe 54 from the reformer 1 as well as the heat of the fuel gas supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the third gas pipe 54 from the reformer 10.

[0024] The second heat exchanger 22 is a device that performs heat exchange between the fuel gas and the off-gas. The second heat exchanger 22 heats the fuel gas and cools the off-gas by exchanging the heat of the fuel gas supplied from the adsorber 14 to the second heat exchanger 22 through the fifth gas pipe 58 and the heat of the off-gas supplied from the fuel cell 12 to the second heat exchanger 22 through the seventh gas pipe 62.

[0025] The adsorber 14 disposed outside the housing 40 is a device that removes ammonia from the fuel gas by adsorbing the ammonia contained in the fuel gas with an adsorbent. By adsorbing ammonia, the concentration of ammonia in the fuel gas decreases. The configuration of the adsorber 14 is not particularly limited. The adsorber 14 includes, for example, a container and one or more adsorbents disposed in the container. Adsorbents used for ammonia adsorption are, for example, activated carbon, zeolite, MOF (Metal Organic Framework), etc.

[0026] In the side wall 40a of the housing 40, there are provided a first through-hole 80 into which the first gas pipe 50 is inserted, a fourth through-hole 86 into which the fourth gas pipe 56 is inserted, a fifth through-hole 88 into which the fifth gas pipe 58 is inserted, and an eighth through-hole 94 into which the eighth gas pipe 64 is inserted. The first through-hole 80, the fourth through-hole 86, the fifth through-hole 88, and the eighth through-hole 94 are provided in the side wall 40a of the housing 40 below the partition wall 42, respectively. The first through-hole 80, the fourth through-hole 86, the fifth through-hole 88, and the eighth through-hole 94 penetrate the side wall 40a of the housing 40 in the lateral direction, respectively.

[0027] In the partition wall 42, there are provided a second through-hole 82 into which the second gas pipe 52 is inserted, a third through-hole 84 into which the third gas pipe 54 is inserted, a sixth through-hole 90 into which the sixth gas pipe 60 is inserted, and a seventh through-hole 92 into which the seventh gas pipe 62 is inserted. The second through-hole 82, the third through-hole 84, the sixth through-hole 90, and the seventh through-hole 92 penetrate the partition wall 42 in the vertical direction (up and down direction), respectively.

[0028] The first gas pipe 50 is inserted into the first through-hole 80 and extends across the second space 46 and the outside of the housing 40. The first gas pipe 50 extends laterally so as to pass through the first through-hole 80. The first gas pipe 50 penetrates laterally through the side wall 40a of the housing 40. The first gas pipe 50 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the first through-hole 80. The upstream end of the first gas pipe 50 is connected to an ammonia gas supply source (e.g., an ammonia gas tank), and the downstream end is connected to the first heat exchanger 20. The first gas pipe 50 supplies ammonia gas from the ammonia gas supply source to the first heat exchanger 20.

[0029] The second gas pipe 52 is inserted into the second through-hole 82 and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. The second gas pipe 52 extends longitudinally so as to pass through the second through-hole 82. The second gas pipe 52 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally (up and down). The second gas pipe 52 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the second through-hole 82. The upstream end of the second gas pipe 52 is connected to the first heat exchanger 20, and the downstream end is connected to the reformer 10. The second gas pipe 52 supplies ammonia gas discharged from the first heat exchanger 20 to the reformer 10.

[0030] The third gas pipe 54 is inserted into the third through-hole 84 and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. The third gas pipe 54 extends longitudinally so as to pass through the third through-hole 84. The third gas pipe 54 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally (up and down). The third gas pipe 54 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the third through-hole 84. The upstream end of the third gas pipe 54 is connected to the reformer 10 and the downstream end is connected to the first heat exchanger 20. The third gas pipe 54 supplies fuel gas discharged from the reformer 10 to the first heat exchanger 20.

[0031] The fourth gas pipe 56 is inserted into the fourth through-hole 86 and extends across the second space 46 and the outside of the housing 40. The fourth gas pipe 56 extends laterally so as to pass through the fourth through-hole 86. The fourth gas pipe 56 penetrates laterally through the side wall 40a of the housing 40. The fourth gas pipe 56 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the fourth through-hole 86. The upstream end of the fourth gas pipe 56 is connected to the first heat exchanger 20 and the downstream end is connected to the adsorbent 14. The fourth gas pipe 56 supplies fuel gas discharged from the first heat exchanger 20 to the adsorbent 14.

[0032] The fifth gas pipe 58 is inserted into the fifth through-hole 88 and extends across the second space 46 and the outside of the housing 40. The fifth gas pipe 58 extends laterally so as to pass through the fifth through-hole 88. The fifth gas pipe 58 penetrates laterally through the side wall 40a of the housing 40. The fifth gas pipe 58 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the fifth through-hole 88. The upstream end of the fifth gas pipe 58 is connected to the adsorbent 14 and the downstream end is connected to the second heat exchanger 22. The fifth gas pipe 58 supplies fuel gas discharged from the adsorbent 14 to the second heat exchanger 22.

[0033] The sixth gas pipe 60 is inserted into the sixth through-hole 90 and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. The sixth gas pipe 60 extends longitudinally so as to pass through the sixth through-hole 90. The sixth gas pipe 60 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally (up and down). The sixth gas pipe 60 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the sixth through-hole 90. The upstream end of the sixth gas pipe 60 is connected to the second heat exchanger 22, and the downstream end is connected to the fuel cell 12. The sixth gas pipe 60 supplies fuel gas discharged from the second heat exchanger 22 to the fuel cell 12.

[0034] The seventh gas pipe 62 is inserted into the seventh through-hole 92 and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. The seventh gas pipe 62 extends longitudinally so as to pass through the seventh through-hole 92. The seventh gas pipe 62 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally (up and down). The seventh gas pipe 62 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the seventh through-hole 92. The upstream end of the seventh gas pipe 62 is connected to the fuel cell 12 and the downstream end is connected to the second heat exchanger 22. The seventh gas pipe 62 supplies off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 12 to the second heat exchanger 22.

[0035] The eighth gas pipe 64 is inserted into the eighth through-hole 94 and extends across the second space 46 and the outside of the housing 40. The eighth gas pipe 64 extends laterally so as to pass through the eighth through-hole 94. The eighth gas pipe 64 penetrates laterally through the side wall 40a of the housing 40. The eighth gas pipe 64 may have bent or curved sections in parts other than the eighth through-hole 94. The upstream end of the eighth gas pipe 64 is connected to the second heat exchanger 22, and the downstream end is connected to the off-gas discharge point. The eighth gas pipe 64 discharges the off-gas discharged from the second heat exchanger 22 to the discharge point.

[0036] In the fuel cell system 2 described above, ammonia gas is supplied from an ammonia gas source to the first heat exchanger 20 through the first gas pipe 50. This ammonia gas is heated in the first heat exchanger 20. The ammonia gas heated in the first heat exchanger 20 is supplied to the reformer 10 through the second gas pipe 52, where it is reformed. This generates fuel gas in the reformer 10. The fuel gas generated in the reformer 10 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the third gas pipe 54, where it is cooled.

[0037] The fuel gas cooled in the first heat exchanger 20 is supplied to the adsorbent 14 through the fourth gas pipe 56. In the adsorbent 14, ammonia contained in the fuel gas is adsorbed and removed. This reduces the concentration of ammonia in the fuel gas. The fuel gas from which ammonia has been adsorbed and removed in the adsorbent 14 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 22 through the fifth gas pipe 58 and heated in the second heat exchanger 22.

[0038] The fuel gas heated in the second heat exchanger 22 is supplied to the fuel cell 12 through the sixth gas pipe 60. In the fuel cell 12, electricity is generated by a chemical reaction between the hydrogen contained in the fuel gas and the oxygen contained in the air. In addition, any excess fuel gas in the fuel cell 12 is discharged from the fuel cell 12 as off-gas.

[0039] The off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 12 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 22 through the seventh gas pipe 62 and cooled in the second heat exchanger 22. The off-gas cooled in the second heat exchanger 22 is discharged to the off-gas outlet through the eighth gas pipe 64.

[0040] (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 comprises an insulated housing 40 and an insulated partition wall 42 fixed to the side wall 40a of the housing 40, which divides the inside of the housing 40 into a first space 44 and a second space 46. The reformer 10 and the fuel cell 12 are arranged in the first space 44, and the first heat exchanger 20 and the second heat exchanger 22 are arranged in the second space 46.

[0041] In this configuration, when the fuel cell 12 located in the first space 44 generates heat, causing the first space 44 to become hot, the reformer 10 located in the first space 44 is heated. This promotes the reforming of ammonia gas in the reformer 10. Furthermore, since the first space 44 and the second space 46 are separated by a partition wall 42, the transfer of heat from the first space 44 to the second space 46 can be suppressed. Since the interior of the housing 40 is partitioned by a partition wall 42 fixed to the side wall 40a of the housing 40, the configuration of the housing 40 can be simplified. This makes it possible to suppress the transfer of heat from the fuel cell 12 to the first heat exchanger 20 and the second heat exchanger 22 with a simple configuration.

[0042] In the fuel cell system 2, the first space 44 is located above the second space 46. With this configuration, the first space 44, which becomes hotter, is located above, and the second space 46, which becomes colder than the first space 44, is located below, thereby suppressing the transfer of heat from the first space 44 to the second space 46.

[0043] The fuel cell system 2 includes a first gas pipe 50 connected to a first heat exchanger 20. The first gas pipe 50 penetrates laterally through the side wall 40a of the housing 40 and extends across the second space 46 and the outside of the housing 40. This configuration allows the gas supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the first gas pipe 50 to be kept at a low temperature.

[0044] The same applies to the fourth gas pipe 56. With this configuration, the gas discharged from the first heat exchanger 20 through the fourth gas pipe 56 can be kept at a low temperature.

[0045] The same applies to the fifth gas pipe 58 and the eighth gas pipe 64 connected to the second heat exchanger 22. With this configuration, the gas supplied to the second heat exchanger 22 through the fifth gas pipe 58 can be kept at a low temperature. In addition, the gas discharged from the second heat exchanger 22 through the eighth gas pipe 64 can be kept at a low temperature.

[0046] The fuel cell system 2 includes a second gas pipe 52 connected to the reformer 10 and the first heat exchanger 20. The second gas pipe 52 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. This configuration allows the gas supplied to the reformer 10 through the second gas pipe 52 to be kept at a high temperature. This promotes reforming in the reformer 10.

[0047] The same applies to the third gas pipe 54. With this configuration, the gas supplied to the first heat exchanger 20 through the third gas pipe 54 can be kept at a high temperature. This promotes heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 20.

[0048] The fuel cell system 2 includes a sixth gas pipe 60 connected to the fuel cell 12 and the second heat exchanger 22. The sixth gas pipe 60 penetrates the partition wall 42 longitudinally and extends across the first space 44 and the second space 46. This configuration allows the gas supplied to the fuel cell 12 through the sixth gas pipe 60 to be kept at a high temperature. This promotes power generation in the fuel cell 12.

[0049] The same applies to the seventh gas pipe 62. With this configuration, the gas supplied to the second heat exchanger 22 through the seventh gas pipe 62 can be kept at a high temperature. This promotes heat exchange in the second heat exchanger 22.

[0050] (Correspondence) The first gas pipe 50, the fourth gas pipe 56, the fifth gas pipe 58, and the eighth gas pipe 64 are each examples of the "first gas pipe".

[0051] The second gas pipe 52 and the third gas pipe 54 are examples of "second gas pipes." The sixth gas pipe 60 and the seventh gas pipe 62 are examples of "third gas pipes."

[0052] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the partition wall 42 divides the interior of the housing 40 vertically, with the entirety of the first space 44 located above the partition wall 42 and the entirety of the second space 46 located below the partition wall 42, but the configuration is not limited to this. In the above embodiment, the entirety of the first space 44 was located above the entirety of the second space 46 (and the entirety of the second space 46 was located below the entirety of the first space 44), but the configuration is not limited to this.

[0053] In the modified version, the partition wall 42 does not need to divide the interior of the housing 40 vertically. In the modified version, as shown in Figure 2, the partition wall 42 may be fixed to the side wall 40a and the bottom wall 40c of the housing 40. It is sufficient that at least a part of the partition wall 42 is fixed to the side wall 40a of the housing 40. In the modified version, a part of the first space 44 may be aligned laterally with the second space 46 via the partition wall 42.

[0054] In the modified configuration, the lower wall 40c of the housing 40 is provided with a first through-hole 80 into which the first gas pipe 50 is inserted, and a fourth through-hole 86 into which the fourth gas pipe 56 is inserted. The first through-hole 80 and the fourth through-hole 86 each penetrate the lower wall 40c of the housing 40 in the vertical direction. The first gas pipe 50 and the fourth gas pipe 56 each penetrate the lower wall 40c of the housing 40 in the vertical direction.

[0055] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives itself constitutes technical usefulness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 2: Fuel cell system, 10: Reformer, 12: Fuel cell, 14: Adsorber, 20: First heat exchanger, 22: Second heat exchanger, 40: Enclosure, 40a: Side wall, 42: Partition wall, 44: First space, 46: Second space, 50-64: Gas pipe, 80-94: Through hole

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising a reformer, a fuel cell, and a heat exchanger, Insulated housing, The enclosure comprises a heat-insulating partition wall fixed to the side wall of the enclosure, which divides the interior of the enclosure into a first space and a second space, The reformer and the fuel cell are arranged in the first space. A fuel cell system in which the heat exchanger is located in the second space.

2. A fuel cell system according to claim 1, A fuel cell system in which the entirety of the first space is located above the entirety of the second space.

3. A fuel cell system according to claim 2, The heat exchanger further comprises a first gas pipe connected to the heat exchanger, A fuel cell system in which the first gas pipe penetrates laterally through the side wall of the housing and extends across the second space and the outside of the housing.

4. A fuel cell system according to claim 2 or 3, The reformer and the heat exchanger are further connected to a second gas pipe, A fuel cell system in which the second gas pipe penetrates the partition wall vertically and extends across the first and second spaces.

5. A fuel cell system according to claim 2 or 3, The fuel cell and the heat exchanger are further connected to a third gas pipe, A fuel cell system in which the third gas pipe penetrates the partition wall vertically and extends across the first and second spaces.

6. A fuel cell system according to claim 1 or 2, A fuel cell system in which the reformer reforms ammonia gas.

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