Fuel cell device

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell device that achieves excellent reliability without reducing maintainability by facilitating attachment and detachment of a protection cover for protecting piping.SOLUTION: Provided is a fuel cell device 100 in which a piping cover 70 that protects a joint of piping is freely detachably provided on a side panel of an outer case 50. The piping cover 70 has a locking part 74 locked with a fastening member 80 for fastening the side panel. Since the piping cover 70 can be locked without removing the fastening member 80, it can be attached and detached with ease, which allows excellent maintainability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell device.

Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell device that generates electricity using a fuel gas containing hydrogen and an oxygen-containing gas (air) and supplies electricity to the outside is known. In such a fuel cell device, there are pipes for supplying fuel and water necessary for power generation from the outside, pipes for taking out the hot water generated during power generation, and the like.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a notch is provided in the side plate of the exterior case, and a cable fixing part and a pipe fixing part for fixing various pipes such as a fuel gas supply pipe, a high-temperature water outlet pipe, a pure water supply pipe, and a drain pipe are installed in this notch.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, generally, fuel cell devices are installed outdoors, and the connection parts of these pipes are always exposed to wind and rain. In cold regions, the influence of snow is not negligible. If the pipes come off or are damaged, it will hinder the operation of the fuel cell device. Therefore, a protective cover may be installed to protect the pipes. However, since the protective cover must be attached and detached during maintenance, there is a risk of impairing workability.

[0006] The present invention is for solving the above problems, and aims to provide a fuel cell device with excellent reliability without reducing maintainability by enabling easy attachment and detachment of a protective cover for protecting a pipe.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention includes a fuel cell that generates electricity using a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, auxiliary equipment for operating the fuel cell, a pipe through which a fluid flows, and houses them in an exterior case, and is a fuel cell device in which a pipe joint connected to the pipe is attached to a side panel constituting the exterior case, wherein a pipe cover that covers the pipe joint is detachably provided on the side panel, and the pipe cover has a locking portion that locks to a fastening member for fastening the side panel. It is a fuel cell device.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] By configuring as described above, the protective cover can be easily attached and detached, so that it becomes a fuel cell device with excellent reliability without reducing maintainability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention considered to be suitable will be briefly described with reference to the operation of the present invention.

[0011] The present invention is a fuel cell device in which a pipe cover for protecting a pipe joint is detachably provided on a side panel of an exterior case, and the pipe cover has a locking portion that locks to a fastening member for fastening the side panel. Thereby, since the pipe cover can be locked without removing the fastening member, attachment and detachment can be easily performed. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated member for attaching the pipe cover, an increase in cost can also be suppressed.

[0012] In addition, by using a stepped screw for the fastening member to which the locking portion locks, it is only necessary to hook the locking portion on the stepped screw, and attachment and detachment can be easily performed.

[0013] Further, the pipe cover is composed of a first surface that covers the pipe joint from above, a second surface that covers it from one side, and a third surface that covers it from the front. Thereby, when the fuel cell device is packaged, the pipe cover can be arranged so as to be hooked on the corner of the exterior case, so that it can be packaged together with the fuel cell device without increasing the size of the packaging material, and the cost of packaging can be suppressed.

[0014] In addition, the locking portion is provided inside the first surface and the second surface and extends toward the third surface. Since the locking portion serves as a reinforcing member for improving the strength of the pipe cover, breakage and deformation of the pipe cover can be suppressed.

Example

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a fuel cell device according to the present embodiment. The fuel cell device 100 includes a fuel cell module 1, and a plurality of auxiliary machines such as a first heat exchanger 2, a heat storage tank 3, a condensed water tank 4, a radiator 5, an air supply device 14, a fuel supply device 15, and a reformed water supply device 16 for operating the fuel cell module 1 are housed in an exterior case 50. It is not necessary to house all of the above-described devices in the exterior case 50. For example, the first heat exchanger 2 and the heat storage tank 3 may be provided outside the exterior case 50. Also, a fuel cell device in which some of the above-described devices are omitted is possible.

[0017] The fuel cell module 1 is configured by housing, inside a box-shaped storage container 10, a fuel cell 11 that generates electricity using a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and a reformer 12 that generates the fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell 11.

[0018] The configuration of the fuel cell 11 is not particularly limited. For example, it may have a cell stack structure in which a plurality of fuel cells are arranged. The fuel cell 11 having a cell stack structure is configured, for example, by fixing the lower ends of the respective fuel cells to a manifold using an insulating bonding material such as a glass sealant.

[0019] The reformer 12 steam-reforms a raw fuel gas such as natural gas or LP gas to generate a fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cell 11. A fuel supply device 15 for supplying the raw fuel gas and a reformed water supply device 16 for supplying reformed water are connected to the reformer 12. The raw fuel gas and the reformed water undergo a reforming reaction in the heated reformer 12 to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen.

[0020] The fuel cell 11 is supplied with the fuel gas generated by the reformer 12 and the air (oxygen-containing gas) introduced by the air supply device 14. When the fuel gas passes through the fuel cell stack, it reacts with the oxygen-containing gas to generate electricity. The fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas that have not been used for power generation merge at the upper part of the fuel cell 11 and burn. The combustion of this fuel gas generates high-temperature exhaust gas, and the reformer 12 is heated by this heat. The exhaust gas generated in the fuel cell module 1 in this way is supplied to the first heat exchanger 2.

[0021] The first heat exchanger 2 is connected to a heat storage tank 3, a heat medium pump P1, and a radiator 5 via pipes, and a first heat medium circulation line HC1 is formed. A heat medium is introduced into this first heat medium circulation line HC1, and in the first heat exchanger 2, heat exchange is performed between this heat medium and the aforementioned exhaust gas to heat the heat medium. Water or the like can be used as the heat medium, and the heat storage tank 3 stores the heat medium whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange. The heat medium stored in the heat storage tank 3 is sent to the radiator 5 to be cooled, and after performing heat exchange with the exhaust gas in the first heat exchanger 2 again, it returns to the heat storage tank 3. As a result, a heat medium with a high temperature is stored in the heat storage tank 3 from the upper part, and a temperature stratification is formed.

[0022] In addition, a condensate tank 4 is connected to the first heat exchanger 2 via a condensate recovery line 20. When the exhaust gas generated in the fuel cell module 1 is cooled by heat exchange, the water vapor contained in the exhaust gas is separated into water and gas, and the separated water is recovered into the condensate tank 4 through the condensate recovery flow path 20. In the condensate tank 4, impurities are removed from the recovered water through an ion exchanger (not shown) or the like to make it pure water. The purified water is supplied to the reformer 12 by the water supply device 16 and used as reformed water. On the other hand, the gas from which moisture has been removed is discharged outside the exterior case 50 after passing through the exhaust flow path 21.

[0023] The condensate tank 4 is connected to a drain channel 25 and a makeup water channel 26. The drain that overflows from the condensate tank 4 is discharged outside the exterior case 50 through the drain channel 25. The makeup water channel 26 is branched from a supply channel 27 connected to an external water supply source. When the condensate is insufficient during the installation or operation of the fuel cell device 100, tap water is supplied to the condensate tank 4 through the makeup water channel 26.

[0024] The fuel supply device 15 that supplies the reformer 12 with the raw fuel is provided with auxiliary machines such as a first solenoid valve V1, a pressure sensor PS, a desulfurizer DS, a gas flow meter FM1, a fuel pump B1, and a second solenoid valve V2 on the raw fuel channel 22 that leads from the fuel supply source. The reformed water supply device 16 that supplies the reformer 12 with reformed water is provided with auxiliary machines such as a reformed water pump P3 on the reformed water channel 23 that leads from the condensate tank 4. The air supply device 14 that supplies the fuel cell module 1 with an oxygen-containing gas is provided with auxiliary machines such as an air flow meter FM2 and a blower B2 on the oxygen-containing gas channel 24. Note that the auxiliary machines listed here are just examples, and other configurations with other auxiliary machines are also possible.

[0025] Furthermore, the fuel cell device 100 is provided with a control device 30 that controls the operations of various devices, and also includes a supply power adjuster (power conditioner) 40 that converts the DC power generated by the fuel cell module 1 into AC power and adjusts the supply amount of the converted electricity to an external load.

[0026] Also, the fuel cell device 100 may include a second heat medium circulation line HC2 that includes a heat supply pump P2 that circulates the heat medium from the second heat exchanger 6 and the heat storage tank 3 and the piping connecting them. In the second heat medium circulation line HC2, the tap water supplied from the outside through the water supply channel 27 is heated in the second heat exchanger 6 using the high-temperature heat medium stored in the heat storage tank 3. The heated water can be fed through a water feed channel 28 toward a reheating device such as an external water heater. The fuel cell device 100 may be a so-called cogeneration system that does not supply hot water to the outside.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the attachment of the fuel cell device and the pipe cover, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the fastening member, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state where the pipe cover is attached to the fuel cell device. The exterior case 50 of the fuel cell device 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a bottom plate 51, an upper panel 52, and a plurality of side panels 53 to 56. The side panels are composed of a left side panel 53, a right side panel 54, a front panel 55, and a rear panel 56. Further, a maintenance surface for performing maintenance is set in advance in the fuel cell device 100, and a part of the upper panel 52 and the plurality of side panels 53 to 56 are maintenance panels that are removed during maintenance. In the present embodiment, the right side panel 54 and the front panel 55 are maintenance panels.

[0028] The right side panel 54 is composed of an upper panel 541 and a lower panel 542. The upper panel 541 is provided with an openable and closable cover portion 541a, and when this cover portion 541a is removed, the power switch and the breaker switch of the fuel cell device 100 can be operated. And during maintenance, only the upper panel 541 can be removed while the lower panel 542 remains attached. Further, pipes such as fuel and water are connected to the lower panel 542 via joints. Here, as an example of the joints, there are a fuel feed joint 60 connected to the fuel feed passage 22, a water supply joint 61 connected to the water supply passage 27, a water feed joint 62 connected to the water feed passage 28, and a drain joint 63 connected to the drain passage 25.

[0029] And a pipe cover 70 for protecting these joints and pipes from wind and rain can be attached to the right side panel 54.

[0030] The upper panel 541 and the lower panel 542 that constitute the right side panel 54 are coupled to other panels using fastening members 80, 81 such as screws. Further, the pipe cover 70 is provided with a locking portion 74 for locking to the exterior case 50. Some of the fastening members 80, 81 for coupling the panels are locking members to which the locking portion 74 of the pipe cover 70 locks. In the present embodiment, the locking portions 74 (74a, 74b) are configured to lock to the first screws 80 (80a, 80b). That is, the first screws 80a, 80b for fastening the panels are used as locking members for attaching the pipe cover 70. As a result, there is no need to provide a dedicated member for attaching the pipe cover 70, so cost reduction can be achieved. Further, at the time of attachment, the pipe cover 70 can be locked without removing the fastening member 80, so attachment and detachment can be easily performed.

[0031] A stepped screw may be used for the first screw 80. As shown in FIG. 3, the stepped screw 80 includes a protruding portion 801 that protrudes from the exterior panel 50 and hooks the locking portion 74 of the pipe cover 70, and a resin washer 802 interposed between the protruding portion 801 and the exterior panel 50. By interposing the resin washer 802, it is possible to prevent rainwater from entering the device interior from between the protruding portion 801 and the exterior panel 50, and also suppress damage to the exterior panel 50. As the fastening member 81 other than the first screw 80, a general screw that adheres to the exterior panel 50 is used.

[0032] Furthermore, the fuel cell device may include a second screw 82. The second screw 82 is a decorative screw and can be attached and detached by hand without using a driver. The pipe cover 70 is provided with a screw hole 75 corresponding to the second screw 82, and after locking the locking portion 74 to the first screw 80, it can be fixed with the second screw 82.

[0033] The pipe cover 70 has three surfaces and is composed of a first surface 71 that covers the joint from above, a second surface 72 that covers it from one side, and a third surface 73 that covers it from the front. The fuel cell device 100 installed in a general household is designed assuming that the front panel 55 or the rear panel 56 faces the outer wall W of the house. And, a plurality of panels that do not face the outer wall W are made removable so that maintenance is possible even in a narrow space. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear panel 56 is installed facing the outer wall W of the house, and the right side panel 54 and the front panel 55 are set as maintenance surfaces. Since rain is less likely to blow in from the side of the rear panel 56 facing the outer wall W, if the joint can be covered from three directions: above, one side, and the front, the influence of wind and rain can be reduced. Therefore, the pipe cover 70 is composed of three surfaces: the first surface 71, the second surface 72, and the third surface 73. Note that the one side covered by the second surface 72 refers to the front panel 55 side, but depending on the installation direction of the fuel cell device 100, it may be the rear panel 56 side.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a detailed structural diagram of the pipe cover 70. Locking portions 74 (74a, 74b) are provided on the inner surface of the pipe cover 70 on the first surface 71 and the second surface 72. The locking portion 74 has a small piece portion 741 in which a notch for locking to the first screw is formed, and an extended portion 742 extending from the small piece portion 741 toward the third surface 73. Thereby, the locking portion 74 becomes a reinforcing member that improves the strength of the pipe cover 70. In particular, since the pipe cover 70 of the present embodiment is composed of three surfaces, there is a risk of insufficient strength. However, by providing the extended portion 742 in this way to improve the strength, breakage and deformation of the pipe cover 70 can be effectively suppressed. The extended portion 742 may extend until it reaches the third surface 73, or may be provided only halfway along the surface.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the packaged state of the fuel cell device. To show the positional relationship between the fuel cell device 100 and the pipe cover 70, the outer box 90 is shown by a dashed line. Since the pipe cover 70 is composed of three surfaces, namely, a first surface 71, a second surface 72, and a third surface 73, it can be arranged so as to be hooked on the corner of the upper part of the exterior case 50 of the fuel cell device 100 during packaging. Therefore, it can be packed together with the fuel cell device 100 without increasing the size of the packing material, and the cost for packaging can be suppressed. Note that by appropriately arranging a cushioning material between the exterior case 50 and the pipe cover 70, the pipe cover 70 can be fixed and the fuel cell device 100 can be prevented from being damaged.

Explanation of Signs

[0036] 11 Fuel cell 50 Exterior case 60 Fuel supply joint 61 Water supply joint 62 Water delivery joint 63 Drain joint 70 Pipe cover 71 First surface 72 Second surface 73 Third surface 74 Locking portion 80 Fastening member 80a, 80b First screw (stepped screw)

Claims

1. A fuel cell that generates electricity using a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, auxiliary equipment for operating the fuel cell, and a pipe through which a fluid flows, are housed in an exterior case, and a pipe joint connected to the pipe is attached to a side panel constituting the exterior case, and the fuel cell device is wherein a pipe cover that covers the pipe joint is detachably provided on the side panel, and the pipe cover has a locking portion that locks to a fastening member that fastens the side panel.

2. The fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening member to which the locking portion locks is a stepped screw.

3. The fuel cell device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pipe cover is composed of a first surface that covers the pipe joint from above, a second surface that covers it from one side, and a third surface that covers it from the front.

4. The fuel cell device according to claim 3, wherein the locking portion is provided inside the first surface and the second surface and extends toward the third surface.

Images