Air-liquid separator

Abstract

To constitute a gas-liquid separator capable of discharging water by efficiently raising the temperature of water separated from a water-containing gas to eliminate freezing without increasing the size of the gas-liquid separator.SOLUTION: A gas-liquid separator includes a gas-liquid separation unit which is arranged at an upper part of a housing H and separates water from a water-containing gas, a water storage unit 6 which is arranged at a lower part of the housing H and stores water separated from the water-containing gas, an on-off valve V which is arranged outside the lower part of the housing H and discharges the water in the water storage unit 6 to the outside of the housing H by an opening operation, and a heating unit B which is housed in the bottom of the water storage unit 6 and comes into contact with water in the water storage unit 6 to heat the water. The heating unit B includes a watertight heating case 40 and a heating element 41 that is housed in the heating case 40 and generates heat by supplying electric current thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas-liquid separator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a gas-liquid separator in which water contained in a first exhaust gas (anode off-gas) discharged from the anode of a fuel cell is separated in a first gas-liquid separation section, stored in a first water storage section, the water in the first water storage section is discharged to a second water storage section formed at the bottom of the first space, and a second exhaust gas (cathode off-gas) from the cathode of the fuel cell is supplied to this second water storage section.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that the heat of the second exhaust gas can be used to heat the valve to prevent freezing, and also to heat the drain pipe to prevent freezing of water in the drain channel.

[0004] Patent document 2 shows an exhaust drainage unit for a fuel cell system that has a unit body that can separate the water contained in the fuel off-gas of a fuel cell using a gas-liquid separator and discharge the separated water using an exhaust water valve, and that has a primary drainage channel that sends water from the gas-liquid separator to the exhaust drainage valve, a secondary drainage channel that discharges water from the exhaust drainage valve, and a hot water flow path that surrounds these.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes that freezing of the secondary drainage channel can be suppressed by supplying hot water from the outside to the hot water flow path.

[0006] Patent Document 3 also shows a fuel cell system in which water separated from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell stack by a gas-liquid separator is sent from a fluid inlet to a valve device and drained by controlling this valve device, and a heating device is placed in the inner hole of the fluid inlet.

[0007] Patent Document 3 describes that a PCT heater that generates heat when supplied with power is used as the heating device, and that the frozen valve device is thawed by the heat generated by the heating device through power control. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-51972 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-204731 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-139935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In a fuel cell, fuel off-gas containing water (e.g., anode off-gas) is discharged during power generation. In addition, in a fuel cell, in order to reuse the fuel gas contained in the fuel off-gas in the fuel cell, the fuel off-gas from which water has been removed using a gas-liquid separator is returned to the flow path to which the fuel gas is supplied.

[0010] Patent Document 1 requires a flow path for supplying the second exhaust gas near the water storage section to prevent freezing, and a configuration for transferring the heat of the second exhaust gas to the vicinity of the valve, which tends to make the configuration complex and raises concerns that it will take time to unfreeze.

[0011] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 utilizes the heat of the hot water supplied through the hot water flow path to prevent freezing, so like Patent Document 1, the configuration is likely to become complicated and may become larger, and there is also concern that it may take time to unfreeze.

[0012] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 is configured to supply power to a heating device to prevent freezing, which prevents the configuration from becoming more complex and larger than Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, since the heating device is located away from the valve device, there is a concern that if freezing occurs in the area of ​​the valve seat, for example, the freezing cannot be efficiently eliminated.

[0013] In particular, although all of the patent documents have a device for heating water stored in a gas-liquid separator, the device is not configured to heat the water by direct contact with the water, making it difficult to efficiently raise the temperature of the stored water.

[0014] For these reasons, there is a need for a gas-liquid separator that can efficiently increase the temperature of water separated from water-containing gas to unfreeze it, thereby enabling the discharge of water, without increasing the size of the separator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A characteristic configuration of the gas-liquid separator according to the present invention comprises a housing to which a water-containing gas is supplied, a gas-liquid separating section disposed in an upper part of the housing for separating water from the water-containing gas, a water storage section disposed in a lower part of the housing for storing the water separated from the water-containing gas, an on-off valve disposed in the lower part of the housing for discharging the water in the water storage section to the outside of the housing when opened, and a heating section accommodated in a bottom of the water storage section and in contact with the water in the water storage section for heating, wherein the heating section comprises a watertight heating case and a heating element accommodated in the heating case and generating heat when supplied with electric current, The heating case is inserted into the water storage section through an insertion port formed in a bottom portion of the housing, and a base end of the heating case is fixed to the housing, The heating case has a sealed tip end side that is inserted into the housing, and a base end opening that is open at a base end side opposite the tip end side, and the heating element is inserted into a case internal space of the heating case from the base end opening, the heating unit further includes a pressing body disposed in the case internal space of the heating case, the case interior space of the heating case has an inclined inner wall that tapers toward the tip end side from the base end opening, the pressing body has an inclined wall parallel to the inclined inner wall, The heating element and the pressing body are inserted into the space inside the case from the base end opening, and the inclined wall presses the heating element against the inclined inner wall. The point is that

[0016] According to this characteristic configuration, the heating unit heats the water in the water storage unit by contacting it, thereby increasing the temperature of the water flowing through the on-off valve. Furthermore, because the heating unit is configured to house a heating element in a watertight case, it is possible to increase the temperature of the water in contact with the outer surface of the heating case without increasing the size of the heating unit compared to configurations in which the temperature is increased by supplying heated fluid, for example. Therefore, a gas-liquid separator was constructed that can efficiently increase the temperature of water separated from water-containing gas to unfreeze it, thereby enabling the discharge of water without increasing the size.

[0018] This allows the heating case to be placed at the bottom of the water storage section by inserting the heating case into the insertion port from outside the housing. In addition, the heating case has a sealed tip end that is inserted into the water storage section, and the heating element is inserted into the heating case from the base end opening on the opposite side of the tip end, so the heating section can be configured while maintaining high watertightness.

[0020] According to this, the heating case has an inclined inner wall that tapers from the base end opening toward the tip end, so that the heating element and the pressing body can be inserted into the internal space of the heating case from the base end opening, and as the insertion proceeds, the heating element can be brought into strong contact with the inclined inner wall due to the pressure from the pressing body. By configuring the heating case in this way, the heating element can be brought into tight contact with the inclined inner wall of the heating case, achieving good thermal conduction without requiring a special process for applying force in a direction that brings the heating element into contact with the inner wall of the heating case. This configuration also includes a configuration in which the heating element is indirectly brought into contact with the inclined inner wall by sandwiching an insulating film or a thermally conductive film that enhances thermal conduction between the heating element and the inclined inner wall.

[0021] In addition to the above configuration, a storage recess communicating with the water storage section and an orifice flow path having a smaller diameter than the storage recess may be formed coaxially in the form of a hole in the housing, the on-off valve is positioned so as to be able to open and close the end of the orifice flow path, the heating case is placed in the water storage section, the heating section has a protruding heating section formed on the outer surface of the heating case and housed in the storage recess, and the protruding heating section has a heating flow path therein that circulates water from the water storage section to the orifice flow path.

[0022] According to this, by accommodating the protruding heating portion formed on the outer surface of the heating case in the storage recess of the housing, it is possible to transfer the heat of the heating portion to the protruding heating portion, and then the heat of this protruding heating portion to the water inside the storage recess. In addition, since the storage recess is connected to the orifice flow path, it is also possible to transfer the heat of the water in the storage recess to the water in the orifice flow path.

[0023] In addition to the above configuration, the heating flow path of the protruding heating part may be formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening that opens toward the upstream end of the orifice flow path, and the heating part may have a suction hole that allows water from the water storage part to flow into the heating flow path in the cylindrical space of the protruding heating part and send it to the upstream end of the orifice flow path.

[0024] This not only heats the water in the storage recess on the outer surface of the protruding heating section, but also makes it possible to heat water on the inner surface of the cylindrical heating body by sending water sucked in through the suction hole into the heating flow path, which is the cylindrical space inside the cylindrically formed protruding heating section.

[0025] In addition to the above configuration, the heating section may have a plurality of heat dissipation fins formed on the outer surface of the heating case, the fins extending downward.

[0026] This allows the water from the water reservoir to come into contact with the multiple fins of the heating case, thereby efficiently increasing the temperature over a wide surface area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the gas-liquid separator with the heating section separated. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heating unit as seen from the bottom. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas-liquid separator shown in an exploded state and partially in cross section. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the gas-liquid separator in a state where the on-off valve is closed. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the gas-liquid separator in a state where the on-off valve is open. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heating unit in a disassembled state. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heating unit in a disassembled state. [Figure 9] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Basic configuration] FIG. 1 shows a gas-liquid separator A that separates water contained in anode off-gas (an example of a water-containing gas) discharged from the anode side of a fuel cell (not shown) mounted on a fuel cell vehicle (FCV).

[0029] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the gas-liquid separator A has an inlet section 1 and an outlet section 2 at the upper position of the housing H, an on-off valve V at the lower position, a gas-liquid separation section 4 at the upper part of the internal space of the housing H, and a first water storage section 5 and a second water storage section 6 (an example of a water storage section) at the bottom of the internal space.

[0030] A fuel cell generates electricity by supplying a fuel gas containing hydrogen gas to the anode side of an anode gas flow path (not shown) and supplying an oxidant gas (air containing oxygen) to the cathode side of a cathode gas flow path (not shown).

[0031] In a fuel cell, the anode off-gas discharged from the anode side during power generation contains unreacted hydrogen gas and water. For this reason, gas-liquid separator A separates the water from the anode off-gas and stores it inside housing H, and returns the dry anode off-gas to the anode side of the fuel cell, allowing the unreacted hydrogen gas to be used for power generation.

[0032] In this gas-liquid separator A, when power generation by the fuel cell is started after stopping power generation by the fuel cell and parking the fuel cell vehicle in a low-temperature environment, the water in the region from the second water storage section 6 to the orifice flow path 26 shown in Figures 4 and 5 may freeze. If this freezing occurs, it is necessary to thaw the frozen portion in a short time when power generation by the fuel cell starts.

[0033] Furthermore, this gas-liquid separator A must also prevent the water in the second water storage section 6 from freezing when the fuel cell vehicle is driven in a low-temperature environment. For this reason, the gas-liquid separator A is provided with a heating section B in the lower part of the housing H to prevent the water from freezing. The configuration of this heating section B will be described later.

[0034] 〔housing〕 As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the housing H has an upper housing 10 made of resin and a lower housing 20 made of resin, and the upper flange 10f of the upper housing 10 and the lower flange 20f of the lower housing 20 are overlapped and integrated by fastening them with multiple fastening bolts 7.

[0035] The upper housing 10 has a cylindrical inlet portion 1 that protrudes laterally from a cylindrical upper side wall 11, and has an outlet portion 2 that protrudes upward from a flat upper end wall 12 at the top end. The internal space of the upper housing 10 is provided with a gas-liquid separation portion 4. This gas-liquid separation portion 4 has a plurality of plate-shaped collision walls 13 that come into contact with the anode off-gas supplied from the inlet portion 1 to separate water contained in the anode off-gas.

[0036] The gas-liquid separation section 4 functions to separate water contained in the anode off-gas introduced from the introduction section 1 and drop it downward by continuously bringing the gas into contact with a plurality of collision walls 13. The dry gas from which the water has been separated is discharged upward from the outlet section 2.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the lower housing 20 includes a lower wall 21 that is cylindrical and centered on the vertical axis Y, a guide wall 21a that is connected to the bottom of the lower wall 21a and has a shape that gradually narrows toward the bottom, and an intermediate wall 21b that is vertically oriented and connected to the bottom of the guide wall 21a.

[0038] The lower housing 20 includes an inclined wall 22 that narrows in a funnel shape at the bottom where it joins the lower side of the intermediate wall 21b, and a block-shaped portion 23 that is integrally formed on the bottom of the inclined wall 22. The lower housing 20 also includes an annular control wall 24 that rises upward from the portion where the inclined wall 22 and the block-shaped portion 23 are connected.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the block-shaped portion 23 has a second water storage portion 6 which is a recessed space that opens upward and is centered on the vertical axis Y. The control wall 24 is annular and centered on the vertical axis Y, and is disposed at a position that is continuous with the inner wall of the second water storage portion 6. Furthermore, the first water storage portion 5 is disposed outside the control wall 24, inside and above the inclined wall 22.

[0040] Block-shaped portion 23 is provided with a hole-shaped storage recess 25 with a circular cross section and a hole-shaped orifice flow path 26 with a smaller diameter and a circular cross section, which are coaxially positioned and continuous along the axis in order to laterally send out water stored in second water storage portion 6. Heating portion B heats the area from the bottom of second water storage portion 6 to storage recess 25, thereby functioning to unfreeze water in this area.

[0041] The gas-liquid separator A is provided with an on-off valve V at a position that opens and closes the downstream end of the orifice flow path 26 on the outer surface of the side wall of the block-shaped portion 23. The gas-liquid separator A also has a discharge flow path 27 that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the block-shaped portion 23 and discharges water that is sent out from the orifice flow path 26 when the on-off valve V is open.

[0042] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the on-off valve V includes a plunger 15 made of a magnetic material, an electromagnetic solenoid 16 arranged in an area surrounding the plunger 15, a spring 17 that urges the plunger 15 in the protruding direction, and a valve body 18 arranged in a position that blocks the downstream end of the orifice flow path 26 and made of a membrane-like material such as rubber that can flexibly deform.

[0043] 4 when no current is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 16, the on-off valve V causes the plunger 15 to protrude by the biasing force of the spring 17, and this protrusion causes the valve element 18 to close the orifice flow path 26. In contrast, when current is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 16, the on-off valve V moves the plunger 15 against the biasing force of the spring 17 as shown in FIG.

[0044] Furthermore, the orifice flow path 26 is formed with a small diameter to suppress the discharge of anode off-gas containing unreacted hydrogen when the water in the second water storage section 6 is discharged by opening the on-off valve V, and to keep the amount of water discharged per unit time constant.

[0045] [Partition member] In this gas-liquid separator A, the water separated from the anode off-gas in the gas-liquid separation section 4 is stored in the first water storage section 5 of the lower housing 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , the positional relationship between the first water storage section 5 and the second water storage section 6 is set so that the water stored in the first water storage section 5 can overflow from the upper end of the control wall 24 and be stored in the second water storage section 6.

[0046] 3 to 6, the partition member 30 includes a cylindrical vertical wall portion 31 that is arranged coaxially with the vertical axis Y outside the control wall 24, and a lid-like portion 32 that closes the upper end of the vertical wall portion 31. The vertical wall portion 31 is formed with a plurality of slits 31a that extend in the vertical direction, and these slits 31a allow the flow of water and a small amount of gas between the inside and outside of the vertical wall portion 31. The upper ends of the slits 31a are set at a position higher than the water storage level of the first water storage section 5 (the height that coincides with the upper end of the control wall 24).

[0047] The control wall 24 has a plurality of vertically oriented rib bodies 24a on its outer periphery, and these rib bodies 24a come into contact with the inner wall of the vertical wall portion 31, thereby creating a flow path gap T of a constant value all around between the inner periphery of the vertical wall portion 31 and the outer periphery of the control wall 24. As a result, a gap-like flow path 38 of the flow path gap T is formed between the first water storage portion 5 and the second water storage portion.

[0048] The control wall 24 further includes a plurality of drainage guide plates 24b. These drainage guide plates 24b have the function of assisting the flow of water that overflows the upper end of the control wall 24, and protrude toward the inner and outer periphery of the control wall 24, and also protrude above the upper end of the control wall 24. As a result, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the upper ends of the drainage guide plates 24b come into contact with the lower surface of the lid-shaped portion 32, thereby determining the vertical position of the partition member 30 and creating a bottom gap G between the lower end of the vertical wall portion 31 and the inclined wall 22.

[0049] 3 and 4, a filter unit 30F is provided in an area surrounding the partition member 30. The filter unit 30F includes a plurality of frames 33 extending radially from the outer edge of the upper end of the vertical wall portion 31, a ring-shaped portion 34 connected to the extending ends of the plurality of frames 33, and a filtering material 35 arranged inside the ring-shaped portion 34. The filter unit 30F is arranged such that a seal ring 36 fitted onto the outer periphery of the ring-shaped portion 34 contacts the inner periphery of the middle wall 21b of the lower wall 21.

[0050] In this gas-liquid separator A, the space above the first water storage section 5 and the space above the second water storage section 6 are separated by partition member 30 (slightly connected by slit 31a). The pressure acting on the first water storage section 5 is higher than the pressure acting on the second water storage section 6. Furthermore, in this gas-liquid separator A, when on-off valve V is opened to discharge water from second water storage section 6, the pressure acting on the water in first water storage section 5 causes the water from first water storage section 5 to flow through gap-like flow path 38 to the upper end of control wall 24, overflow the upper end of control wall 24, and be sent to second water storage section 6, resulting in a significant lowering of the water level in first water storage section 5.

[0051] As a result, even if a small amount of water remaining inside the fuel cell flows into the housing H after the water in the second water storage section 6 is discharged, or even if water droplets adhering to the inner surface of the housing H fall, this water is received by the first water storage section 5, thereby preventing the phenomenon of water flowing into the second water storage section 6. Therefore, even when a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) is parked in a cold region, water is not left in the area from the storage recess 25 to the orifice flow path 26, preventing the inconvenience of water being unable to be discharged due to freezing.

[0052] [Control of water flow at the partition member] As described above, in this gas-liquid separator A, the water separated from the anode off-gas in the gas-liquid separation section 4 is filtered by the filter 30 unit F and then stored in the first water storage section 5. Furthermore, in this gas-liquid separator A, since the slits 31a are formed in the vertical wall section 31, when the fuel cell continues to generate power and the amount of water stored in the first water storage section 5 increases, the water level in the first water storage section 5 and the water level in the gap-like flow channels 38 rise equally. As a result, when the amount of water in the first water storage section 5 increases, the water in the first water storage section 5 overflows the upper end of the control wall 24 and is supplied to the second water storage section 6, as shown in FIG. 4 .

[0053] The on-off valve V of the gas-liquid separator A is controlled by a control device (not shown). The amount of water separated from the anode off-gas in the gas-liquid separator 4 can be estimated from the amount of power generated by the fuel cell. Therefore, the control device controls the on-off valve V to open and discharge the water stored inside the housing H every time the estimated amount of water reaches a preset value.

[0054] In gas-liquid separator A, the gas pressure in the internal space of housing H is higher than the pressure of the outside air (atmospheric pressure). Therefore, when the control device opens on-off valve V, the pressure difference between second water storage section 6 and the outside air causes water in second water storage section 6 to be discharged to discharge flow path 27 via storage recess 25 and orifice flow path 26. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5 , water in first water storage section 5 flows into gap-like flow path 38 formed by flow path gap T between control wall 24 and vertical wall section 31, and further overflows the upper end of control wall 24 to be supplied to second water storage section 6.

[0055] In gas-liquid separator A, the width of slit 31a is set to a relatively small value. The control device also sets the time for which on-off valve V is open to a relatively short value. Therefore, when on-off valve V is opened, the pressure difference causes water in first water storage section 5 to overflow the upper end of control wall 24 and be supplied to second water storage section 6. This limits the amount of anode off-gas that flows into second water storage section 6 through slit 31a, allowing water to flow due to the pressure difference.

[0056] Considering a situation in which a fuel cell vehicle is parked in a cold region with fuel cell power generation stopped, for example, if water remains in the area from the second water storage section 6 to the orifice flow path 26, the water may freeze, making it impossible to drain the water from the second water storage section 6 even if the on-off valve V is opened after the fuel cell power generation starts. To resolve this inconvenience, when parking, a control device (not shown) performs scavenging control to open the on-off valve V and drain as much water as possible from the first water storage section 5 and the second water storage section 6.

[0057] This scavenging control extends the opening time of the on-off valve V by a set time, draining the water from the second water storage section 6, and the pressure difference caused by this drainage causes the water in the first water storage section 5 to overflow the upper end of the control wall 24 and be supplied to the second water storage section 6. The water from the first water storage section 5 is drained until the water level in the first water storage section 5 reaches the lower end position of the vertical wall section 31. Although water of a depth equal to the bottom gap G remains in the first water storage section 5, most of the water is drained, and almost the entire amount of water in the second water storage section 6 is drained.

[0058] 5, after scavenging control, a quantity of water remains in first water storage section 5, causing the water level to drop to the lower end position of vertical wall section 31. After power generation is stopped in the fuel cell, a small amount of water remaining inside is discharged and flows into first water storage section 5 of gas-liquid separator A. However, since only a small amount of water remains in first water storage section 5, this water is stored in first water storage section 5, eliminating the inconvenience of the water flowing into second water storage section 6 and freezing.

[0059] [Heating section] As shown in Figures 2, 4, 5, and 7 to 9, the heating section B comprises a heating case 40, a heating element 41 housed in the internal space 40a (an example of the space inside the case) of the heating case 40, and a cover body 42 connected to the base end 40g of the heating case 40.

[0060] The heating case 40 is made of a metal material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, etc. The heating element 41 is a heating element that generates heat when supplied with current, such as a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater.

[0061] 7 to 9, the heating case 40 is a watertight type with a sealed tip, is a rectangular cylindrical molded article whose vertical dimension (up-down direction) is longer than its horizontal dimension, has a base end opening 40d formed at its base end, and has a flange portion 40f formed around the outer periphery of the base end opening 40d. In particular, the heating case 40 has a protruding heating portion 40b integrally formed at the lower tip position that protrudes along the longitudinal direction of the heating case 40.

[0062] Furthermore, the heating case 40 has a plurality of heat dissipation fins 40c extending vertically on a pair of vertical outer walls of the side surfaces. The upper and lower surfaces of the heating case 40 are flat. The upper surface may be provided with a curved surface or a pair of roof-like inclined surfaces that protrude upward to allow water to flow along the side surfaces.

[0063] 4 and 5, the protruding heating portion 40b is accommodated by being fitted into the accommodation recess 25, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an opening 40bs that opens toward the orifice flow path 26 at the end facing the orifice flow path 26. The space inside the cylindrical protruding heating portion 40b is configured as a heating flow path 40h, and by making the outer diameter of the protruding heating portion 40b smaller than the inner diameter of the accommodation recess 25, a gap is formed between the outer periphery of the protruding heating portion 40b and the inner periphery of the accommodation recess 25.

[0064] The cylindrical space within the protruding heating portion 40b has a circular cross-sectional shape, and as described above, the cylindrical space is configured as the heating flow path 40h. The flow path cross-sectional area of ​​this heating flow path 40h is set to be larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the orifice flow path 26. Furthermore, at the base end position of the protruding heating portion 40b (the boundary position with the heating case 40), multiple suction holes 40bt are formed that suck water from the second water storage portion 6 and supply it to the heating flow path 40h. The suction holes 40bt are formed in three locations: the bottom and both side portions of the protruding heating portion 40b, and the total opening area of ​​these multiple suction holes 40bt is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the heating flow path 40h.

[0065] 9, the heating case 40 has an internal space 40a formed with a pair of inclined inner walls 40as that taper toward the tip end with respect to the base end opening 40d. The outer sides of the pair of inclined inner walls 40as are arranged on a pair of side surfaces on which a plurality of fins 40c are formed.

[0066] The cover body 42 is made of an insulating resin material, and is integrally formed with a connecting portion 42a, a connector portion 42b, and a pressing body 42c.

[0067] 2, 8, and 9, the connecting portion 42a is formed in a pair of positions that protrude in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heating case 40, and bolt insertion holes 42at into which fixing bolts 8 are inserted are formed on both outer end sides. The connector portion 42b protrudes from the outer surface side (opposite the heating case 40) of the central part of the plate-shaped portion of this connecting portion 42a, and a pressing body 42c protrudes from the inner surface side.

[0068] The connector portion 42b is formed to connect a terminal for supplying current to the heating element 41, and a pair of conductors 43 for supplying current from the connector portion 42b to the pressing body 42c are partially embedded in the connector portion 42b. The portions of the pair of conductors 43 that are exposed at the pressing body 42c are bent to form electrical contacts 43a.

[0069] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the pressing body 42c has inclined surfaces 42cs (an example of inclined walls) formed at positions facing the pair of inclined inner walls 40as, and a pair of electrical contacts 43a are exposed on one of the inclined surfaces 42cs.

[0070] The heating element 41 is formed in a thin plate shape and has a pair of electrodes that come into contact with the electrical contacts 43a. In the heating section B, an insulating plate 44 and a heat conductive sheet 45 are disposed in close contact between the heating element 41 and the inclined inner wall 40as of the heating case 40.

[0071] An annular seal member 46 is disposed between the flange portion 40f of the heating case 40 and a portion of the connecting portion 42a of the cover body 42 that faces the flange portion 40f.

[0072] As a result, the heating unit B, with the heating element 41, insulating plate 44, and thermally conductive sheet 45 stacked together, is inserted together with the pressing body 42c from the base-end opening 40d into the internal space 40a of the heating case 40. By being inserted in this manner, the inclined surface 42cs of the pressing body 42c comes into contact with one of the pair of inclined inner walls 40as, and at the same time, the thermally conductive sheet 45 comes into contact with the other of the pair of inclined inner walls 40as. The pressure associated with this contact brings the thermally conductive sheet 45, the insulating plate 44, and the heating element 41 into a pressure-bonded state, thereby achieving good thermal conduction.

[0073] In this embodiment, an insulating plate 44 and a heat-conducting sheet 45 are disposed between the heating element 41 and the inclined inner wall 40as, but instead, a single member that has good heat conduction and insulating properties can be used. Also, instead of the heat-conducting sheet 45, a resin material with good heat conduction can be applied.

[0074] [Heating unit placement] 4 and 5, heating part B is disposed at the bottom of second water storage part 6 so as to form a gap through which water can flow between the lower surface of heating case 40 and the bottom surface of second water storage part 6. Furthermore, with this arrangement, protruding heating part 40b is housed in storage recess 25 in a fitted state so as to form a gap through which water can flow between the outer periphery of protruding heating part 40b and storage recess 25.

[0075] In order to enable the heating section B to be positioned at the position shown in Figure 1, the lower housing 20 is formed with an insertion opening 20a that allows the heating case 40 to be inserted, and a pair of fastening sections 20b into which the fixing bolts 8 are screwed are formed near this insertion opening 20a.

[0076] As a result, for example, the heating unit B is pre-assembled as shown in Figure 9, and the heating case 40 of this heating unit B is inserted into the interior of the lower housing 20 through the insertion opening 20a, and the fixing bolt 8 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 42at of the cover body 42 and screwed into the fastening portion 20b of the lower housing 20, thereby fixing the heating unit B to the lower housing 20.

[0077] Furthermore, when the heating section B is fixed to the lower housing 20, with the flange section 40f of the heating case 40 abutting the outer peripheral portion of the insertion opening 20a, the fastening force of the fixing bolt 8 acts in the direction of inserting the pressing body 42c integrally with the cover body 42 into the internal space 40a of the heating case 40.

[0078] As a result of the action of this force, one inclined surface 42cs of the pressing body 42c comes into contact with one inclined inner wall 40as as shown in Figure 9, and the heating element 41, insulating plate 44, and heat conduction sheet 45 are sandwiched between the other inclined inner wall 40as and the other inclined surface 42cs, resulting in a state in which the insulating plate 44 and the heat conduction sheet 45 are in close contact with each other, and the heat from the heating element 41 is effectively transferred to the outer surface of the heating case 40 and the protruding heating portion 40b.

[0079] This gas-liquid separator A has the function of heating the outer surface of the heating case 40, which includes multiple fins 40c, with the heat from the heating section B, and melting the frozen portion in a short time, even if the water remaining at the bottom of the second water storage section 6 freezes, such as when a fuel cell vehicle is parked outdoors with the fuel cell power generation stopped.

[0080] Furthermore, in this gas-liquid separator A, when a fuel cell vehicle is driven in cold regions, part of the current generated by the fuel cell is supplied to the heating section B, which heats the outer surface of the heating case 40 and the protruding heating section 40b, and transfers heat from the bottom of the second water storage section 6 to the area spanning the storage recess 25 and the orifice flow path 26, making it possible to prevent freezing in this area.

[0081] [Effects of the embodiment] In this way, in the gas-liquid separator A, the outer surface of the heating case 40 and the protruding heating portion 40b are heated by the heat from the heating portion B located at the bottom of the second water storage portion 6, making it possible to increase the temperature of the area extending from the bottom of the second water storage portion 6 to the storage recess 25 and the orifice flow path 26.This heating unfreezes the orifice flow path 26, and enables reliable drainage when the opening / closing valve V is opened.

[0082] In particular, in heating section B, since heating case 40 is in direct contact with the water stored in second water storage section 6, the temperature of the water in second water storage section 6 can be raised efficiently.

[0083] Furthermore, in gas-liquid separator A, in order to enable heating of the region between storage recess 25 and orifice flow path 26, protruding heating portion 40b formed on heating case 40 of heating portion B is fitted into storage recess 25. With this arrangement, water inside storage recess 25 is heated by the outer surface of protruding heating portion 40b, water in second water storage portion 6 is sucked through multiple suction holes 40bt at the base end position of protruding heating portion 40b and heated by heating flow path 40h inside protruding heating portion 40b, and the heat of the water heated in this way also makes it possible to unfreeze orifice flow path 26.

[0084] In particular, the total opening area of ​​the multiple suction holes 40bt is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the heating flow path 40h, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the heating flow path 40h is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the orifice flow path 26. Therefore, it is possible to flow a volume of water into the orifice flow path 26 that is the sum of the volume of water flowing into the intra-cylinder space (heating flow path 40h) of the protruding heating portion 40b and the volume of water flowing between the outer periphery of the protruding heating portion 40b and the outer periphery of the storage recess 25, and the flow path resistance in the storage recess 25 is not increased when water is discharged from the orifice flow path 26.

[0085] In heating section B, multiple fins 40c are formed on the surface of heating case 40 along which water flows vertically, and the water stored in second water storage section 6 comes into contact with multiple fins 40c, enabling an efficient temperature increase. Also, when on-off valve V is opened and water is discharged from second water storage section 6, the temperature of the flowing water can be increased.

[0086] Since the heating case 40 has an inclined inner wall 40as that tapers toward the tip end from the base end opening 40d, the heating element 41, insulating plate 44, and heat conduction sheet 45 can be inserted into the internal space 40a of the heating case 40 from the base end opening 40d, and as this insertion progresses, the heating element 41, insulating plate 44, and heat conduction sheet 45 can be brought into tight contact with the inclined inner wall 40as.

[0087] This eliminates the need for a special process for applying force in a direction that brings the heating element 41 etc. into contact with the inclined inner wall 40as of the heating case 40, and allows the heating element 41 etc. to come into contact with the inclined inner wall 40as without any gaps, achieving good thermal conduction.

[0088] Furthermore, gas-liquid separator A is provided with partition member 30 and its relative position relative to partition member 30 is determined so that when on-off valve V is opened, water in first water storage section 5 overflows control wall 24 and is supplied to second water storage section 6. Therefore, when power generation of the fuel cell is stopped, on-off valve V is opened by scavenging control to drain all of the water in second water storage section 6, and the phenomenon of water flowing from first water storage section 5 into second water storage section 6 is suppressed, so that the amount of water remaining in storage recess 25 and orifice flow path 26 from second water storage section 6 is extremely small, suppressing freezing of water in these areas, and when heating section B is heated, the freezing is eliminated in a short time.

[0089] [Another embodiment] The present invention may be configured as follows in addition to the above-described embodiment (common numbers and symbols are used to designate components having the same functions as those in the embodiment).

[0090] (a) The gas-liquid separator A is not limited to a configuration having a partition member 30 so that water in the first water storage section 5 is supplied to the second water storage section 6 by overflowing the control wall 24, but may be, for example, a configuration having a single water storage section at the bottom of the housing H.

[0091] In addition, in a configuration with a single water storage section as in this alternative embodiment (a), the storage recess 25 may not be provided upstream of the orifice flow path .

[0092] (b) The heating case 40 of the heating unit B is not limited to a rectangular tube shape, and the cross-sectional shape may be cylindrical, polygonal, elliptical, or other shapes. Furthermore, when fins 40c are formed on the outer surface of the heating case 40, they are not limited to being linear, but may be formed in a wavy shape or may have a configuration in which multiple protrusions are formed.

[0093] (c) In the configuration in which the protruding heating portion 40b is formed on the heating case 40, for example, by forming a plurality of groove-shaped flow paths on the outer surface of the protruding heating portion 40b along the longitudinal direction of the protruding heating portion 40b, it is possible to increase the surface area of ​​the protruding heating portion 40b. Note that the configuration of this alternative embodiment (c) can also be applied to the protruding heating portion 40b formed in a cylindrical shape as described in the embodiment.

[0094] (d) A plurality of inclined inner walls 40as are formed in the heating case 40, and the number of heating elements 41 corresponds to the number of inclined inner walls 40as. When a plurality of heating elements 41 is provided in this manner, a configuration including an insulating plate 44 and a thermally conductive sheet 45 may also be considered, as necessary. [Industrial Applicability]

[0095] The present invention can be used in a gas-liquid separator that separates water from a water-containing gas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 4 Gas-liquid separation section 6 Second Water Storage Section (Water Storage Section) 20a insertion port 25 Storage recess 26 Orifice flow path 40 Heating Case 40a Internal space (space inside the case) 40as sloped inner wall 40b Protruding heating part 40bs opening 40bt suction hole 40c fins 40d proximal opening 40g proximal end 41 Heating element 42c Pressurizing body 42cs slope wall A Gas-liquid separator B heating section H Housing V On-off valve

Claims

1. a housing to which a water-containing gas is supplied; a gas-liquid separator disposed in an upper portion of the housing and configured to separate water from the water-containing gas; a water storage section disposed in a lower portion of the housing and configured to store water separated from the water-containing gas; an on-off valve disposed at a lower portion of the housing and configured to discharge water from the water storage portion to the outside of the housing when opened; a heating unit that is accommodated in the bottom of the water storage unit and that heats the water in the water storage unit by contacting the water, the heating unit includes a watertight heating case and a heating element that is housed in the heating case and generates heat when supplied with electric current; The heating case is inserted into the water storage section through an insertion port formed in a bottom portion of the housing, and a base end of the heating case is fixed to the housing, The heating case has a sealed tip end side that is inserted into the housing, and a base end opening that is open at a base end side opposite the tip end side, and the heating element is inserted into a case internal space of the heating case from the base end opening, the heating unit further includes a pressing body disposed in the case internal space of the heating case, the case interior space of the heating case has an inclined inner wall that tapers toward the tip end side from the base end opening, the pressing body has an inclined wall parallel to the inclined inner wall, The heating element and the pressing body are inserted into the space within the case from the base end opening, thereby causing the inclined wall to press the heating element against the inclined inner wall.

2. a storage recess communicating with the water storage section and an orifice flow path having a smaller diameter than the storage recess are coaxially formed in the housing in the shape of a hole, the on-off valve is disposed at a position capable of opening and closing an end of the orifice flow path, the heating case is disposed in the water storage section, the heating unit has a protruding heating unit formed on an outer surface of the heating case and accommodated in the accommodation recess, 2. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein the protruding heating portion has therein a heating flow path that causes the water in the water reservoir to flow through the orifice flow path.

3. the heating flow path of the protruding heating portion is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening that opens toward an upstream end of the orifice flow path, The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, wherein the heating section has a suction hole that allows water from the water storage section to flow into the heating flow path in the cylindrical space of the protruding heating section and send it to the upstream end of the orifice flow path.

4. 4. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein the heating section has a plurality of heat-dissipating fins formed on an outer surface of the heating case and extending downward.

5. A housing to which a water-containing gas is supplied; a gas-liquid separator disposed in an upper portion of the housing and configured to separate water from the water-containing gas; a water storage section disposed in a lower portion of the housing and configured to store water separated from the water-containing gas; an on-off valve disposed at a lower portion of the housing and configured to discharge water from the water storage portion to the outside of the housing when opened; a heating unit that is accommodated in the bottom of the water storage unit and that heats the water in the water storage unit by contacting the water, the heating unit includes a watertight heating case and a heating element that is housed in the heating case and generates heat when supplied with current, thereby transmitting heat to the heating case; The housing has an inclined wall that narrows in a funnel shape toward the bottom and a block-shaped portion that extends downward from the inclined wall, and the water storage portion is formed as a space that opens upward in the block-shaped portion, The heating unit is inserted laterally into the water storage unit through an insertion port formed on a side surface of the block-shaped unit, thereby forming a gap between the bottom surface of the heating unit and the bottom of the water storage unit through which water can flow, The block-shaped portion is a gas-liquid separator in which, on the opposite side of the water storage portion from the insertion port, an orifice flow path to which water flowing laterally from the gap is supplied, and the on-off valve that enables water to be discharged from the orifice flow path are arranged.

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