Fuel cell module

Abstract

We provide technology to shorten the warm-up time of fuel cells. [Solution] A fuel cell module according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a housing having an internal space, a fuel cell, and a combustor. The internal space includes a first space, a second space continuous with the first space, and a third space continuous with the second space and connected to the first space via the second space. The fuel cell is located in the first space, and the combustor is located in the second space. The second space is configured to allow a first gas discharged from the first space to flow into it, and the third space is configured to allow a second gas discharged from the second space to flow into it. The housing portion of the third space is provided with an outlet for discharging the second gas to the outside of the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell module.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a fuel cell power generation system having a fuel cell and a combustor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for shortening the warm-up time of a fuel cell.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The fuel cell module according to the present disclosure includes a housing having an internal space, a fuel cell, and a combustor. The internal space includes a first space, a second space continuous with the first space, and a third space continuous with the second space and connected to the first space via the second space. The fuel cell is disposed in the first space, the combustor is disposed in the second space, the second space is configured to allow a first gas discharged from the first space to flow in, the third space is configured to allow a second gas discharged from the second space to flow in, and a discharge port for discharging the second gas to the outside of the housing is provided in a housing portion of the third space.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the warm-up time of the fuel cell can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 schematically shows an example of the fuel cell system of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 schematically shows an example of the fuel cell module of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device during startup of the fuel cell module of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device in a steady state of the fuel cell module of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] For example, conventional systems such as those described in Patent Document 1 store resources generated during the fuel cell power generation process in a resource storage unit. These stored resources are then supplied to the fuel cell or peripheral equipment. This system makes it possible to reduce the cost of fuel cell power generation by utilizing the stored resources. However, conventional systems cannot improve the energy efficiency during fuel cell startup. In particular, fuel cells such as solid oxide fuel cells operate at high temperatures of 700°C or higher, so it takes time from startup to reach the operating temperature. This can reduce the efficiency of fuel cell power generation.

[0009] In contrast, the fuel cell module according to this disclosure comprises a housing having an internal space, a fuel cell, and a combustor. The internal space includes a first space, a second space continuous with the first space, and a third space continuous with the second space and connected to the first space via the second space, the fuel cell is located in the first space, the combustor is located in the second space, and the second space is separated from the first space by... The third space is configured to allow the first gas to flow in, the second gas discharged from the second space to flow in, and the housing portion of the third space is provided with an outlet for discharging the second gas to the outside of the housing. With this configuration, the second space where the combustor is located is adjacent to the first space where the fuel cell is located. As a result, when the fuel cell is started up, the combustor can drive the gas turbine by burning fuel gas and also transfer thermal energy to the first space. Therefore, the fuel cell can quickly complete its warm-up by obtaining the transferred thermal energy. As a result of enabling the fuel cell to warm up quickly, the standby time of the fuel cell is reduced, and the fuel cell system can be expected to have improved power generation efficiency.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments relating to one aspect of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative in all respects of this disclosure. Various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, when implementing this disclosure, specific configurations may be adopted as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0011] [1 Example Configuration] Figure 1 schematically shows an example of the fuel cell system 1 (gas turbine fuel cell combined power generation system) of this disclosure. The fuel cell system 1 consists of a fuel cell module 10, a control device 20, a sensor 30, a gas compressor 40, a gas turbine 50, a generator 60, a storage battery 70, and a compressor 80. The fuel cell module 10 uses fuel gas supplied from the gas compressor 40 to generate electricity using a fuel cell. The electricity generated by the power generation may be stored in the storage battery 70. In addition, exhaust gas (exhaust gas) or unburned gas generated by the power generation may be supplied to the gas turbine 50. The gas turbine 50 is driven using the supplied high-temperature gas as an energy source. The rotational energy of the driven gas turbine 50 is transmitted to the generator 60. The generator 60 converts the rotational energy of the gas turbine 50 into electricity. The electricity generated by the generator 60 may also be stored in the storage battery 70. The electricity stored in the storage battery 70 may be used for external grids and devices within the fuel cell module 10 (ignition device, etc.). The sensor 30 detects the state within the fuel cell module 10. Based on the detection results from the sensor 30, the control device 20 controls each component of the fuel cell system 1.

[0012] <Fuel cell system> The fuel cell system 1 is a power generation system that includes a fuel cell module 10, which will be described later. The configuration of the fuel cell system 1 is not particularly limited as long as it includes the fuel cell module 10, and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. The fuel cell system 1 may consist only of the fuel cell module 10, or it may be configured in combination with the fuel cell module 10 and other power generation systems. In one example, the other power generation system may be a power generation system using a gas turbine (gas turbine power generation). In this embodiment, the fuel cell system 1 is a gas turbine fuel cell combined power generation system that combines the fuel cell module 10 and gas turbine power generation as described above. The gas turbine fuel cell combined power generation system can improve power generation efficiency by supplying gas discharged from the fuel cell to the gas turbine, reusing the waste heat of the gas turbine in the fuel cell, etc. Furthermore, the applications of the fuel cell system 1 may include all kinds of applications such as household, commercial, industrial, and mobile applications. Mobile applications may include vehicles, railways, aircraft, ships, etc.

[0013] (Control device) The configuration of the control device 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can control each component of the fuel cell system 1, and may be selected as appropriate. For example, the control device 20 may be a computer with a control unit, a memory unit, and an external interface electrically connected. The control unit may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and may be configured to perform arbitrary information processing. The memory unit may, for example, It may consist of hard disk drives, solid state drives, etc. External input The interface may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, a dedicated port, a wireless communication port, etc., and is configured to connect to an external device by wire or wireless. In this embodiment, the control device 20 may be connected via an external interface to devices (ignition device, etc.), sensors 30, gas compressor 40, and valves (first to fourth valves) within the fuel cell module 10. The control device 20 may adjust the amount of fuel gas supplied by controlling the first valve 11 and the second valve 12. The control device 20 may also adjust the amount of air supplied by controlling the third valve 13 and the fourth valve 14.

[0014] (sensor) The sensor 30 may be configured to detect various states within the fuel cell module 10. The type of sensor 30 is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the sensor 30 may include sensors such as a temperature sensor 31, a pressure sensor 33, and a gas sensor 35. The temperature sensor 31 may be configured to detect the temperature of the gas within the fuel cell module 10 and the temperature of the fuel cell. The pressure sensor 33 may be configured to detect the pressure of the gas within the fuel cell module 10. The gas sensor 35 may be configured to detect the concentration of a specific gas (such as hydrogen) within the fuel cell module 10.

[0015] (Gas compressor) The gas compressor 40 is a device for supplying fuel gas stored in an external cylinder or storage tank to the fuel cell module 10. The gas compressor 40 can continuously supply gas by compressing the fuel gas. The gas compressor 40 may adjust the amount of fuel gas supplied according to the amount of gas in the fuel cell module 10 detected by the sensor 30. The adjustment of the supply amount may be controlled by the control device 20.

[0016] (valve) The valves (the first valve 11, the second valve 12, the third valve 13, the fourth valve 14) are devices for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid passing through the pipes. The type of valve is not particularly limited as long as the flow rate can be adjusted, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. For example, the valve may be a valve such as a gate valve, a ball valve, a check valve, or a regulating valve. In the present embodiment, the first valve 11 and the second valve 12 control the inflow rate of the fuel gas. The third valve 13 and the fourth valve 14 control the inflow rate of the air. All of the first valve 11 to the fourth valve 14 may be of the same type, or at least one of the valve types may be different. In addition, when air injection from the compressor device 80 to the second space 120 is not performed (there is no pipe), the fourth valve 14 may be omitted.

[0017] (Gas turbine) The gas turbine 50 has a rotating shaft (shaft) and is a device that rotates using the expansion force of high-temperature gas. The energy generated by the rotational movement of the gas turbine 50 may be transmitted to the generator 60 through the shaft. The gas turbine 50 may be driven using the exhaust gas or unburned gas supplied from the fuel cell module 10 as an energy source. The type of the gas turbine 50 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined according to the embodiment.

[0018] (Generator) The generator 60 is a device that converts the rotational energy transmitted from the gas turbine 50 through the shaft into electrical energy. The type of the generator 60 is not particularly limited and a known configuration may be adopted. The electric power (alternating current power) generated by the generator 60 may be supplied to the storage battery 70. At this time, the electric power may be converted into direct current power by a rectifier.

[0019] (Storage battery) The storage battery 70 stores and supplies the electric power generated by the fuel cell module 10 and the generator 60. This is a device for supplying power. The type of storage battery 70 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. The power stored in the storage battery 70 may be supplied to any device (module) inside or outside the fuel cell system 1. In one example, the power of the storage battery 70 may be supplied to the fuel cell module 10. Each device within the module (fuel cell, ignition device, etc.) may be started by the control device 20 using the supplied power as a power source. In another example, the power of the storage battery 70 may be supplied to the gas compressor 40. In yet another example, the power of the storage battery 70 may be supplied to a system outside the fuel cell system 1.

[0020] (Compression device) The compressor 80 is a device for compressing air taken in from the outside. The compressed air may be supplied to, for example, the fuel cell module 10. The fuel cell module 10 burns fuel gas together with the compressed air to produce high-pressure exhaust gas (and unburned gas). By supplying the high-pressure gas to the gas turbine 50, the fuel cell module 10 makes it possible to generate a greater expansion force in the gas turbine 50. The control device 20 may control the supply of air from the compressor 80 to the fuel cell module 10. The control device 20 may adjust the amount of air supplied by controlling valves (third valve 13 and fourth valve 14).

[0021] <Fuel cell module> Figure 2 schematically shows an example of the fuel cell module 10 of this disclosure. The fuel cell module 10 comprises a housing 100, a fuel cell 111, and a combustor 121.

[0022] (Enclosure) The housing 100 has one or more internal spaces, one or more inlets (first inlet 113 to fourth inlet 125, etc.), and one or more outlets (outlet 133, etc.). The configuration of the housing 100 (size, type, shape, etc.) is not particularly limited as long as the fuel cell 111 and the combustor 121 can be placed in the internal spaces, and can be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. The material of the housing 100 can also be arbitrarily selected as long as it is a material that can withstand the temperatures at which the fuel cell 111 and the combustor 121 are in use.

[0023] One of the internal spaces comprises a first space 110, a second space 120, and a third space 130. A fuel cell 111 is placed in the first space 110. A combustor 121 is placed in the second space 120. An outlet 133 is installed in the housing portion of the third space 130. The first space 110 to the third space 130 are distinguished by the arrangement of their respective components (fuel cell 111, combustor 121, outlet 133, etc.) and may be interpreted as virtually different spaces, or they may be configured to be substantially distinguishable by the placement of partitions such as ceramic foam.

[0024] (fuel cell) The fuel cell 111 generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen contained in the fuel and oxygen contained in the air. As described above, the fuel cell 111 may be placed in the first space 110 and chemically react with fuel gas injected from the first inlet 113 and air injected from the third inlet 115. The fuel gas may be supplied directly to the fuel cell 111 via the first inlet 113. The fuel gas may be reformed by a reformer before being supplied to the fuel cell 111. The generated electricity is transmitted to an external battery 70 of the fuel cell module 10. Furthermore, unreacted fuel gas may self-ignite if the space in which the fuel cell 111 is located is at a high temperature (e.g., 600°C or higher). The exhaust gas after the self-ignition of the fuel gas may be supplied to an external device such as a gas turbine.

[0025] The configuration (size, type, shape, etc.) of the fuel cell 111 is not particularly limited and may be determined as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In one example, the fuel cell 111 is a solid oxide fuel cell. This may include phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbon dioxide fuel cells, solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, etc. The size and shape of the fuel cell 111 may also be determined as appropriate. The fuel used in the fuel cell 111 may include fuel gases such as hydrogen, natural gas, biogas, and city gas.

[0026] (Combustor) The combustor 121 is a device for obtaining thermal energy by burning fuel gas. The configuration (size, type, shape, etc.) of the combustor 121 is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate, as long as it is capable of burning fuel gas. In one example, the combustor 121 may include at least a combustion chamber and an ignition device 127. The combustion chamber is a space for mixing and burning fuel gas and air. The exhaust gas generated in the combustion chamber may be supplied to an external device such as a gas turbine. The ignition device 127 is a device for igniting and burning the mixed fuel gas and air. The type of ignition device 127 is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate.

[0027] As described above, the combustor 121 is located in the second space 120 and may burn fuel gas injected from the second inlet 123 and air injected from the fourth inlet 125 in the combustion chamber. An ignition device 127 may be used for combustion. The location of the combustor 121 in the second space 120 may include the combustor 121 being independently installed inside the second space 120, and the combustor 121 being integrated with part or all of the second space 120. In the example of Figure 2, the combustor 121 is integrated with the entire second space 120. That is, the entire second space 120 constitutes the combustor 121.

[0028] When the combustor 121 is independently installed inside the second space 120, the combustor 121 may include one or more inlets for injecting fuel gas and air into the combustion chamber. Furthermore, the combustor 121 may include one or more outlets for discharging exhaust gas after combustion to the outside. In this case, the fuel gas may be supplied directly to the combustion chamber via the second inlet 123. Air may also be supplied directly to the combustion chamber via the fourth inlet 125.

[0029] If the combustor 121 is composed of a part of the second space 120, the fuel gas inlet of the combustor 121 may be the same as or different from the second inlet 123. Similarly, the air inlet of the combustor 121 may be the same as or different from the fourth inlet 125. Furthermore, the partition 151 between the first space 110 and the second space 120, and the partition 153 between the second space 120 and the third space 130, may or may not be composed of a part (outer wall) of the combustor 121.

[0030] If the combustor 121 is composed of the entirety of the second space 120, the fuel gas inlet of the combustor 121 may be the same as the second inlet 123. The air inlet of the combustor 121 may also be the same as the fourth inlet 125. Furthermore, the interior of the second space 120 may be the combustion chamber. In this case, the partition 151 between the first space 110 and the second space 120, and the partition 153 between the second space 120 and the third space 130 may be interpreted as being included in a part (outer wall) of the combustor 121.

[0031] (1st space) The first space 110 is the space in which the fuel cell 111 is located, as described above. The location of the fuel cell 111 within the first space 110 may be determined arbitrarily. The housing portion of the first space 110 may be provided with a first inlet 113 and a third inlet 115. The first space 110 may receive fuel gas supplied from the gas compressor 40 through the first inlet 113. The first space 110 may also receive air from the outside through the third inlet 115. The first space 110 discharges a first gas 141, which includes exhaust gas and unreacted gas, as a result of the chemical reaction by the fuel cell 111. The first gas 141 may be configured to be discharged into the second space 120.

[0032] (Second space) The second space 120 is the space in which the combustor 121 is located, as described above. The location of the combustor 121 within the second space 120 may be determined arbitrarily. The housing portion of the second space 120 may be provided with a second inlet 123 and a fourth inlet 125. The second space 120 may receive fuel gas supplied from the gas compressor 40 through the second inlet 123. The second space 120 may also receive air from the outside through the fourth inlet 125. Furthermore, the second space 120 may receive the first gas 141 discharged from the first space 110. The second space 120 discharges the second gas 143, which includes exhaust gas and unburned gas, as a result of combustion by the combustor 121. The second gas 143 may be configured to be discharged into the third space 130.

[0033] (3rd space) The third space 130 is a space in which an outlet 133 is installed in its housing portion, as described above. The location of the outlet 133 in the housing portion within the third space 130 can be determined arbitrarily. The third space 130 may allow the second gas 143 discharged from the second space 120 to be discharged to the outside through the outlet 133.

[0034] The third space 130 may be omitted. In this case, the outlet 133 may be installed in the housing portion of the second space 120. At this time, the second gas 143 generated in the second space 120 may be discharged to the outside through the outlet 133. The partition 153 may also be omitted.

[0035] (The spatial relationships of each space) Within the internal space of the enclosure 100, the second space 120 is continuous with the first space 110. Furthermore, the third space 130 is continuous with the second space 120 and is connected to the first space 110 via the second space 120. As long as they have this positional relationship, the locations of the first space 110, the second space 120, and the third space 130 within the enclosure 100 are not particularly limited and can be determined as appropriate. In one example, the first space 110, the second space 120, and the third space 130 may be arranged in order from the bottom of the enclosure 100. This makes it possible to efficiently allow the gas (first gas 141 and second gas 143) generated and rising in each space to flow into the adjacent space.

[0036] The method for partitioning each space is not particularly limited, as long as it is configured to allow the gases (first gas 141, second gas 143) within each space to pass through, and may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. In one example, each space may be partitioned by gas-permeable partitions (151, 153). The partitions may include ventilation walls, membranes, porous materials, etc. For example, the partitions may include ceramic foam. Ceramic foam is a filter with a porous structure. In the second space 120, stable heat retention is possible because the partition is made of ceramic foam, which makes it possible to improve the combustion efficiency of the combustor 121. Note that the method for partitioning the first space 110 and the second space 120 and the method for partitioning the second space 120 and the third space 130 may be the same or different.

[0037] In this embodiment, as described above, the first space 110 where the fuel cell 111 is located and the second space 120 where the combustor 121 is located are continuous. As a result, the combustor 121 (second space 120) can easily transfer the heat of combustion generated by combustion to the adjacent first space 110. Therefore, in this configuration, the fuel cell module 10 can quickly warm up the fuel cell 111 by operating the combustor 121 when the fuel cell system 1 is started up.

[0038] [2 Examples of operation] In this embodiment, the control device 20 may perform control on each component of the fuel cell system 1 to enable stable and rapid power generation during startup and steady-state operation of the fuel cell module 10. In the following example of operation, the fuel cell 111 may be a battery that operates at high temperatures. In one example, the fuel cell 111 may be a solid oxide fuel cell. Note that the following processing procedure is merely an example, and each step may be modified as much as possible. Furthermore, depending on the embodiment, steps in the following processing procedure can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate.

[0039] (Control during fuel cell module startup) Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device 20 when the fuel cell module 10 of this disclosure is started up. This processing procedure is a series of processes until the fuel cell module 10 reaches a steady state (A). The steady state represents a state in which the fuel cell 111 can operate stably after warming up is complete, and the gas turbine 50 can be stably driven by the exhaust gas from the outlet 133.

[0040] In step S101, the control device 20 closes the first valve 11 and opens the second valve 12. As a result, the fuel gas is injected only into the second inlet 123 of the housing 100. In step S102, the control device 20 ignites the combustor 121 by activating the ignition device 127.

[0041] In step S103, the control device 20 determines whether the amount of gas in the second space 120 is sufficient. The determination conditions may be defined as appropriate. The control device 20 may detect the amount of gas in the second space 120 from the gas sensor 35 and use this for the determination. In one example, the control device 20 may determine that the amount of gas is sufficient if the amount of gas is greater than a predetermined threshold. If it is determined that the amount of gas is not sufficient, the control device 20 proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of gas is sufficient, the control device 20 proceeds to step S105.

[0042] In step S104, the control device 20 opens the first valve 11 and injects fuel gas into the first space 110. As a result, the amount of gas in the second space 120 increases, as gas also flows in from the first space 110. Once the control to open the first valve 11 is complete, the control device 20 proceeds to step S105.

[0043] In step S105, the control device 20 determines whether the warm-up of the fuel cell 111 is complete. The conditions for determining whether the warm-up is complete may be defined as appropriate. The control device 20 may detect the temperature of the fuel cell 111 from the temperature sensor 31 and use it for the determination. In one example, the control device 20 may determine that the warm-up of the fuel cell 111 is complete if the temperature of the fuel cell 111 is greater than a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold may be defined as appropriate. In one example, the control device 20 may store thresholds for each type of fuel cell in a memory unit. The control device 20 may set thresholds according to the type of fuel cell. If it is determined that the warm-up is not complete, the control device 20 returns to step S103. On the other hand, if it is determined that the warm-up is complete, the control device 20 proceeds to step S106.

[0044] In step S106, the control device 20 closes the second valve 12. In step S107, it detects whether the first valve 11 is open or not. If it is not open, the control device 20 proceeds to step S108 and opens the first valve 11. When the fuel cell 111 has finished warming up and only the first valve 11 is open, the control device 20 terminates this processing procedure.

[0045] (Steady-state control of fuel cell modules) Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device 20 in a steady state (A) of the fuel cell module 10 of this disclosure.

[0046] In step S201, the control device 20 determines whether the amount of gas in the second space 120 is sufficient. The determination conditions may be defined in the same way as in step S103. If it determines that the amount of gas is not sufficient, the control device 20 proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, if it determines that the amount of gas is sufficient, the control device 20 proceeds to step S203.

[0047] In step S202, the control device 20 opens the second valve 12 and injects fuel gas into the second space 120. This increases the amount of gas in the second space 120, thereby increasing the amount of high-temperature gas generated by combustion. With the increased amount of gas, the gas turbine 50 can be driven stably. After completing the control to open the second valve 12, the control device 20 proceeds to step S203.

[0048] In step S203, the control device 20 determines whether or not to terminate the operation of the fuel cell module 10. The decision to terminate the operation of the fuel cell module 10 may be made based on any criteria. For example, the control device 20 may decide not to terminate the operation of the fuel cell module 10 until an arbitrary termination instruction is given. On the other hand, when a termination instruction is given, the control device 20 may decide to terminate the operation of the fuel cell module 10. If it is determined not to terminate the operation, the control device 20 may return to step S201. If it is determined to terminate the operation, the control device 20 terminates this processing procedure.

[0049] [Features] In this embodiment, the second space 120 where the combustor 121 is located is adjacent to the first space 110 where the fuel cell 111 is located. This allows the fuel cell 111 to quickly complete its warm-up in steps S101 to S102 during the startup of the fuel cell module 10 by obtaining thermal energy transferred from the second space 120. As a result of enabling the early warm-up of the fuel cell 111, the standby time of the fuel cell 111 is reduced, and the fuel cell system 1 can be expected to improve its power generation efficiency. In particular, if the fuel cell 111 is a fuel cell such as a solid oxide fuel cell, its operating temperature is high, approximately 700°C to 1000°C. In such cases, it is especially desirable to accelerate the warm-up of the fuel cell 111 in order to quickly start up the fuel cell 111.

[0050] [4. Variant] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects of this disclosure. Needless to say, various improvements or modifications can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented, as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 fuel cell system, 10 fuel cell modules, 11-14 valves, 100 housings, 110 / 120 / 130...1st ~ 3rd space, 111...Fuel cell, 121...Combustor, 113 / 115 / 123 / 125...1st to 4th inlet, 127...Ignition device, 133...Exhaust port, 141 / 143...1st to 2nd gas, 151 / 153...partition, 20...Control device, 30...Sensor, 40...Gas compressor, 50... Gas turbines, 60... Generators, 70...Battery, 80...Compressor

Claims

1. Enclosure with internal space, fuel cell, and combustor Equipped with, The internal space includes a first space, a second space continuous with the first space, and a third space continuous with the second space and connected to the first space via the second space. The fuel cell is placed in the first space, The combustor is located in the second space. The second space is configured to allow the first gas discharged from the first space to flow into it. The third space is configured to allow the second gas discharged from the second space to flow into it, and The housing portion of the third space is provided with an outlet for discharging the second gas to the outside of the housing. Fuel cell module.

2. The fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell. The fuel cell module according to claim 1.

3. The first space and the second space, and the second space and the third space, are each separated by a ceramic foam. The fuel cell module according to claim 1.

4. The first space, the second space, and the third space are arranged in order from the bottom inside the housing. The fuel cell module according to claim 1.

5. The housing portion of the first space within the internal space is provided with an inlet for injecting compressed air from an external compressor. The fuel cell module according to claim 1.

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