Stationary fuel cell system and power plant

Abstract

This stationary fuel cell system comprises: an auxiliary machine structure including an auxiliary machine that performs a transfer of gas to and from a fuel cell stack; a power generation module comprising the fuel cell stack connected to at least one face of the auxiliary machine structure, the face found in the up / down direction; and a box-shaped frame formed by a plurality of frame members, the power generation module being disposed inside the frame. The auxiliary machine structure is coupled to a cross member that is provided to each of a pair of lateral faces opposing each other while sandwiching therebetween the power generation module in the frame.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stationary fuel cell system and a power generation plant. [Background technology]

[0002] JP2016-177883A discloses a stationary fuel cell system in which four fuel cell stacks are arranged within a housing. Specifically, support columns extend downward from the four corners of the underside of an upper shelf, which is a rectangular plate-like member, and the four corners of a lower shelf, which is also a rectangular plate-like member, are supported by the support columns. Two fuel cell stacks are arranged on each of the upper and lower shelves, arranged in two rows and two columns when viewed from the front. Furthermore, a plate is provided that extends from the center of the width of the underside of the upper shelf to the center of the width of the upper surface of the lower shelf and functions as a heat shield to separate the two fuel cell stacks arranged on the lower shelf. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Stationary fuel cell systems are required to be resistant to collapse even in the event of an external force such as an earthquake, in order to prevent deformation of the air and fuel gas supply pipes and bus bars for extracting electricity.

[0004] However, in the fuel cell system described in the above document, the upper and lower shelves on which the heavy fuel cell stack is placed are supported by only four pillars and one plate, and there is room for improvement in terms of preventing collapse due to external input.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system and a power generation plant that are less likely to collapse due to external forces such as earthquakes.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stationary fuel cell system comprising: an auxiliary structure including auxiliary machinery for exchanging gas with a fuel cell stack, a power generation module having a fuel cell stack connected to at least one of the vertical faces of the auxiliary structure, and a box-shaped frame formed of a plurality of frame members, with the power generation module disposed inside the frame. In this system, the auxiliary structure is coupled to cross members provided on each of a pair of opposing side faces of the frame across the power generation module. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a stationary fuel cell system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the stationary fuel cell system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the stationary fuel cell system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the stationary fuel cell system. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing fuel system components of a stationary fuel cell system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a rear view of a pair of cross members and a power generation module before they are assembled. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of a power generation plant that uses the fuel cell system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a stationary fuel cell system (hereinafter also simply referred to as a fuel cell system) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the fuel cell system 1. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the fuel cell system 1. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the fuel cell system 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing selected fuel system components of the fuel cell system 1. In this embodiment, the height direction of the fuel cell system 1 is defined as the up-down direction, the flow path direction of an intake pipe 8 and an exhaust pipe 9, etc., which will be described later, is defined as the left-right direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-right direction is defined as the front-to-rear direction. In addition, with regard to the front-to-rear direction, the side where connections to each of the pipes 13 and 14 of an auxiliary structure 7, which will be described later, are provided is defined as the front (front). The left-to-right direction is based on a front view.

[0010] The fuel cell system 1 according to this embodiment is used as a stationary system. The fuel cell used in the fuel cell system 1 is a solid oxide fuel cell.

[0011] The fuel cell system 1 includes two power generation modules 2, one piping module 3, one power recovery module 4, and a frame 5 that supports these.

[0012] The power generation module 2 includes an auxiliary structure 7, a first fuel cell stack 6A arranged on one of the vertical surfaces of the auxiliary structure 7, and a second fuel cell stack 6B arranged on the other surface. The fuel cell stack 6 is made up of a plurality of unit cells stacked in the vertical direction. The vertical dimension of the first fuel cell stack 6A is larger than the vertical dimension of the second fuel cell stack 6B. In other words, the first fuel cell stack 6A has a larger number of stacked unit cells than the second fuel cell stack 6B.

[0013] When there is no need to distinguish between the first fuel cell stack 6A and the second fuel cell stack 6B, they will be referred to as fuel cell stack 6. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the fuel cell stacks 6 are arranged on both the top and bottom sides of the auxiliary structure 7 will be described, but a configuration in which the fuel cell stack 6 is arranged on only one of the sides may also be used.

[0014] The auxiliary structure 7 is a housing that contains auxiliary equipment (for example, a heat exchanger, a combustor, etc.) that exchanges gas with the fuel cell stack 6.

[0015] The power generation module 2 also includes a fuel injection unit 24 that injects fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell stack 6 of the power generation module 2. The fuel injection unit 24 of this embodiment includes two fuel injection valves, but the number of fuel injection valves is not limited to this.

[0016] The piping module 3 includes an intake pipe 8 through which air to be supplied to the power generation module 2 flows, an exhaust pipe 9 through which gas exhausted from the power generation module 2 flows, a fuel pipe 11 through which fuel to be supplied to the power generation module 2 flows, and injection unit cooling water pipes 10 and 12 through which cooling water for cooling the fuel injection unit 24 flows. Note that the injection unit cooling water pipes 10 and 12 may also be simply referred to as "cooling water pipes 10 and 12" in the following description. Furthermore, the cooling water pipe 12 may also be referred to as the inlet cooling water pipe 12, and the cooling water pipe 10 may also be referred to as the outlet cooling water pipe 10.

[0017] The power recovery module 4 is equipped with a power box 19 that houses equipment and wiring for recovering the power generated by the power generation module 2 and transmitting it to the power converter 43 described later, as well as equipment and wiring for drawing the power required to drive auxiliary machinery, etc. from external equipment.

[0018] The frame 5 is made up of a plurality of frame members, a cross member 20, and first and second stays 21, 22, which are arranged so as to surround the two power generation modules 2 and one piping module 3.

[0019] Inside the frame 5, the two power generation modules 2 are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, with the piping module 3 disposed between them. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish between the upper and lower power generation modules 2, the upper one will be referred to as the upper power generation module 2A and the lower one as the lower power generation module 2B.

[0020] By arranging the two power generation modules 2 one above the other in the vertical direction, the area required to install the fuel cell system 1 can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the two power generation modules 2 are installed on the same surface (hereinafter also referred to as flat placement). Furthermore, in the case of flat placement, piping such as the intake pipe 8 and the exhaust pipe 9 is arranged between adjacent power generation modules 2, and piping branching out from there to each auxiliary structure 7 is installed. In contrast, in the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment, the piping module 3 is arranged between the power generation modules 2 arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, so that when viewed from above, the area occupied by the piping is smaller compared to flat placement. In other words, the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment makes it possible to further reduce the area required to install the fuel cell system 1 including multiple power generation modules 2.

[0021] The frame 5 includes, for example, an upper portion surrounding the upper power generation module 2A, a lower portion surrounding the lower power generation module 2B, and a middle portion surrounding the piping module 3. The upper portion includes at least 12 frame members assembled in a box shape to surround the upper power generation module 2A, a cross member 20 arranged to cross the left and right side surfaces defined by the frame members in the front-to-rear direction, and a first stay 22 and a second stay 21 arranged to cross the front and rear side surfaces (i.e., the front and back) defined by the frame members in the left-to-right direction. The lower portion has the same configuration as the upper portion. The middle portion includes at least four frame members connecting the upper and lower portions at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

[0022] The upper power generation module 2A has the first fuel cell stack 6A disposed above the auxiliary structure 7 and the second fuel cell stack 6B disposed below. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as the upright state. Meanwhile, the lower power generation module 2B has the same structure as the upper power generation module 2A, but the first fuel cell stack 6A is disposed below the auxiliary structure 7 and the second fuel cell stack 6B is disposed above it. In other words, the upper power generation module 2A is inverted upside down around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as the inverted state. The portion of the frame 5 surrounding the upper power generation module 2A and the portion of the frame 5 surrounding the lower power generation module 2B are also inverted upside down. In this way, using two power generation modules 2 with the same structure, one in the upright state and the other in the inverted state, reduces costs compared to using multiple types of power generation modules 2. Furthermore, by using the same structure for the top and bottom, the same shapes and dimensions can be used for the pipes and wires between the piping module 3 and the power generation module 2, which also reduces costs.

[0023] The two power generation modules 2 are arranged such that their longitudinal central axes Cm are offset rearward from the longitudinal central axis Cf of the frame body 5 (see FIG. 4). The power generation modules 2 are fixedly supported by a pair of cross members 20 provided on the right and left sides of the frame body 5 and a first stay 22 provided on the rear side of the frame body 5. The cross members 20 connect a pair of frame members that extend in the vertical direction out of the frame members that define the left and right side faces of the frame body. The first stay 22 connects a pair of frame members that define the rear side of the frame body 5. The method of fixing the power generation modules 2 to the frame body 5 will be described later.

[0024] Each pipe of the piping module 3 is arranged so that the flow path is oriented in the left-right direction of the frame body 5. The intake pipe 8 and the exhaust pipe 9 are supported by the frame body 5 via stays or the like (not shown). In addition, the fuel pipe 11 and the cooling water pipes 10 and 12 are supported by brackets 25 provided on the frame body 5.

[0025] Flanges are provided on both left and right ends of the intake pipe 8 and the exhaust pipe 9. When connecting a plurality of fuel cell systems 1 in the left and right direction as described below, these flanges are fastened together with bolts or the like.

[0026] Ribs (not shown) are applied to both ends of the fuel pipe 11 and the cooling water pipes 10 and 12. When connecting multiple fuel cell systems 1 in the left-right direction, the fuel pipes 11 and the cooling water pipes 10 and 12 of adjacent fuel cell systems 1 are connected via rubber pipes (not shown) or the like.

[0027] The intake pipe 8 and the power generation module 2 are connected via an intake branch pipe 13. More specifically, the intake branch pipe 13 branched from the intake pipe 8 is connected to an intake port 7A provided in the auxiliary machinery structure 7.

[0028] The exhaust pipe 9 and the power generation module 2 are connected via an exhaust branch pipe 14. More specifically, the exhaust branch pipe 14, which branches off from the exhaust pipe 9, is connected to an exhaust port 7B provided in the auxiliary structure 7.

[0029] As described above, the upper power generation module 2A is in an upright position, and the lower power generation module 2B is in an inverted position, with the piping module 3 disposed between the two power generation modules 2. As a result, in both power generation modules 2, the second fuel cell stack 6B, which has a shorter vertical dimension than the first fuel cell stack 6A, is disposed closer to the piping module 3. In other words, the distance from the piping module 3 to each auxiliary structure 7 is shorter than when the upper power generation module 2A is in an inverted position and the lower power generation module 2B is in an upright position.

[0030] The intake port 7A and the exhaust port 7B are disposed on the front side of the auxiliary structure 7 when viewed from above. As described above, the power generation module 2 is offset toward the rear side of the frame body 5. Therefore, a sufficient distance is secured between the intake port 7A and the exhaust port 7B and the frame body 5, providing ample space for the arrangement of the intake branch pipe 13 and the exhaust branch pipe 14.

[0031] Furthermore, if either the intake port 7A or the exhaust port 7B were located on the rear side of the auxiliary structure 7 in a top view, the amount by which the power generation module 2 could be offset toward the rear side would be limited by the presence of piping connected thereto. As a result, void space would be generated on the front and rear sides. On the other hand, in the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment, the intake port 7A and the exhaust port 7B are concentrated on the front side, so the rear side of the power generation module 2 can be brought closer to the rear side of the frame body 5. In other words, according to this embodiment, the void space (IS in FIG. 4) generated between the rear side of the frame body 5 and the rear side of the power generation module 2 can be made smaller.

[0032] Furthermore, in the upper power generation module 2A, the intake port 7A is located on the left side and the exhaust port 7B is located on the right side when viewed from the front. On the other hand, in the lower power generation module 2B, the intake port 7A is located on the right side and the exhaust port 7B is located on the left side when viewed from the front. In other words, the positions of the intake port 7A and the exhaust port 7B are reversed between the upper power generation module 2A and the lower power generation module 2B. This allows the position of the connection part of the intake pipe 8 with the intake branch pipe 13 for the upper power generation module 2A and the connection part with the intake branch pipe 13 for the lower power generation module 2B to be shifted left and right. The intake branch pipe 13 has auxiliary devices such as a control valve, a shutoff valve, and actuators that drive each valve element (none of which are shown). By shifting the positions of the two connections left and right in this way, the positions of the auxiliary devices can be dispersed, creating more room for handling the two intake branch pipes 13. Furthermore, if the two connecting parts are located close to each other, problems such as air flow becoming difficult to one of the intake branch pipes 13 may occur, but this problem can be solved by shifting the positions of the two connecting parts in the left-right direction as described above. The same applies to the connecting parts of the exhaust pipe 9 with the two exhaust branch pipes 14.

[0033] In this embodiment, since the power generation modules 2 having the same structure are used in both the upright and inverted positions, it is natural that the positions of the intake ports 7A and exhaust ports 7B are reversed as described above. However, even if two power generation modules 2 having different structures are used, the positions of the intake ports 7A and exhaust ports 7B are reversed between the upper power generation module 2A and the lower power generation module 2B to solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0034] Incidentally, when the fuel cell system 1 is used in a power generation plant or the like, maintenance and inspection work is required, such as checking for leaks from each pipe and replacing consumables or defective parts. In the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment, the power generation module 2 is disposed offset to the rear side of the frame 5, and the intake ports 7A and exhaust ports 7B of the upper and lower power generation modules 2 are all disposed on the front side, so that ancillary devices such as shut-off valves (not shown) included in the piping module 3 can also be concentrated on the front side. Therefore, with the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment, the amount of movement required by workers during maintenance and inspection work is reduced, improving work efficiency.

[0035] Furthermore, when performing maintenance or inspection work, if the location of the work target is low, the worker will have to bend over or even lie down. Conversely, if the location of the work target is high, the worker will have to stretch or stand on a step stool. Either of these situations will result in poor workability. However, in the fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment, the upper power generation module 2A is upright and the lower power generation module 2B is inverted, with the piping module 3 disposed between the two power generation modules 2. This positions the auxiliary structures 7 of the upper and lower power generation modules 2 closer to the center of the fuel cell system 1 in the vertical direction, thereby preventing poor workability.

[0036] The inventors' investigation revealed that deterioration of workability can be suppressed if the height of the work target area from the installation surface is in the range of approximately 400 mm to 1500 mm. Therefore, although the dimensions of the power generation modules 2 and the frame body 5 can be set arbitrarily, from the viewpoint of the above-mentioned workability, the dimensions of the power generation modules 2 and the frame body 5 are set so that the heights of the intake ports 7A and exhaust ports 7B of the upper and lower power generation modules 2 from the installation surface are in the range of 400 mm to 1500 mm.

[0037] The fuel injection unit 24 is fixedly supported by a second stay 21 provided on the front surface of the frame 5. Fuel is supplied from the fuel piping 11 to the fuel injection unit 24 via a fuel branch pipe 15, and from the fuel injection unit 24 to the power generation module 2 via a fuel supply pipe 26. The fuel injection unit 24 also has a cooling water gallery 27 that surrounds the injection portion of the fuel injection valve. The cooling water gallery 27 and the inlet cooling water piping 12 are connected by a first cooling water branch pipe 16, and the cooling water gallery 27 and the outlet cooling water piping 10 are connected by a second cooling water branch pipe 17. In other words, the cooling water is supplied from the inlet cooling water piping 12 via the first cooling water branch pipe 16 to the cooling water gallery 27, where it cools the fuel injection valve, and flows into the outlet cooling water piping 10 via the second cooling water branch pipe 17.

[0038] The power box 19 is disposed on the back surface of the frame body 5, between the upper and lower power generation modules 2. The power generation module 2 and the power box 19 are electrically connected via a bus bar 18. The bus bar 18 is taken out from the surface of the fuel cell stack 6 opposite to the surface that contacts the auxiliary structure 7, and is connected to the power box 19 through a wiring passage 23 provided along the frame member of the frame body 5.

[0039] When two power generation modules 2 are placed flat, it is necessary to provide a space for installing the power box 19 separately from the installation space for the power generation modules 2. However, with the configuration of this embodiment, this is not necessary. In other words, the area required for installing the fuel cell system 1 can be reduced.

[0040] Next, a method for attaching the power generation module 2 to the frame 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] 6 is a view from the rear side of the pair of cross members 20 and the power generation module 2 before assembly. At this stage, the first stay 22 has not yet been attached to the frame 5.

[0042] A guide groove 33, the end of which is open at least on the rear side, is provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of cross members 20. A first slide portion 31 and a second slide portion 32 having shapes corresponding to the guide groove 33 are provided on the auxiliary structure 7 of the power generation module 2. Note that in FIG. 6, the slide member 30 having the second slide portion 32 is made separately from the auxiliary structure 7 and attached to the auxiliary structure 7, but the second slide portion 32 may also be formed integrally with the housing of the auxiliary structure 7.

[0043] The back surface of the frame body 5 is used as an insertion surface, and the power generation module 2 is inserted into the frame body 5 by moving the power generation module 2 from this insertion surface along the guide grooves 33 with the first slide portion 31 and the second slide portion 32. After insertion, the power generation module 2 and the frame body 5 are rigidly connected using the first stay 22. This fixes the power generation module 2 to the frame body 5. If the guide grooves 33 were provided from one end of the cross member 20 to the other, it would be necessary to insert the power generation module 2 into the frame body 5 while checking its position and position the power generation module 2. However, in this embodiment, the position of the front end of the guide groove 33 is aligned with the position of the first slide portion 31 when the power generation module 2 is appropriately positioned. This facilitates positioning. Furthermore, because the insertion surface is on the back side and the connections between the auxiliary structure 7 and each piping are on the front side of the auxiliary structure 7, the power generation module 2 can be removed from the frame body 5 by disconnecting the piping. That is, when replacing the power generation module 2, there is no need to remove the pipes from the frame 5.

[0044] Furthermore, when the power generation module 2 is fixed to the frame body 5 as described above, the auxiliary structure 7 of the power generation module 2, in particular, also functions as a structural member connecting a pair of cross members 20 provided on the left and right side surfaces of the frame body 5. The surface rigidity of the upper part of the frame body 5 is strengthened by the pair of cross members 20 on each of the left and right side surfaces, by the second stays 21 on the front surface, and by the second stays 21 on the back surface, but the auxiliary structure 7 functions as a structural member that crosses each of the left and right side surfaces, thereby improving the rigidity of the entire upper part. The same is true for the lower part. This makes it possible to suppress deformation and collapse due to external forces such as earthquakes.

[0045] Next, a power generation plant using the fuel cell system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a front view of a power generation plant that uses the fuel cell system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0047] As shown in the figure, multiple fuel cell systems 1 are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, and their respective frame bodies 5 are rigidly connected to each other with bolts or the like. This allows the pair of rigidly connected frame members to function as reinforcing members, suppressing deformation of the frame body 5. The intake pipes 8, exhaust pipes 9, fuel pipes 11, and cooling water pipes 10 and 12 of each fuel cell system 1 are also connected. The intake pipes 8 of adjacent fuel cell systems 1 are connected directly or via joint pipes. The same is true for the exhaust pipes 9. The fuel pipes 11 and cooling water pipes 10 and 12 of adjacent fuel cell systems 1 are connected via joint pipes (e.g., rubber pipes). As a result, the connected, linear intake pipes 8, exhaust pipes 9, fuel pipes 11, and cooling water pipes 10 and 12 are arranged between the row of upper power generation modules 2A and the row of lower power generation modules 2B. The wiring housed in the power boxes 19 of adjacent fuel cell systems 1 is electrically connected.

[0048] As described above, the intake pipe 8, exhaust pipe 9, fuel pipe 11, and cooling water pipes 10 and 12 are connected in a straight line, which reduces pressure loss compared to when there are bent pipes. In addition, all of these pipes can be accessed from the front, which makes them easy to work with.

[0049] A second frame 40 is connected to one end (the right end in FIG. 7 ) in the left-right direction of a row (hereinafter also referred to as a fuel cell row) in which a plurality of fuel cell systems 1 are connected. Fixedly supported by the second frame 40 are an intake air introduction pipe 41 having one end connected to the intake pipe 8, an exhaust outlet pipe 42 having one end connected to the exhaust pipe 9, an electric power converter 43, a fuel introduction pipe 45 having one end connected to the fuel pipe 11, a cooling water introduction pipe 44 having one end connected to the cooling water pipe 10, and a cooling water outlet pipe 46 having one end connected to the cooling water pipe 12. Hereinafter, the second frame 40, the intake air introduction pipe 41, the exhaust outlet pipe 42, the electric power converter 43, the fuel introduction pipe 45, the cooling water introduction pipe 44, and the cooling water outlet pipe 46 will be collectively referred to as an external connection module 47.

[0050] At the other left-right end of the fuel cell row, the openings of the intake pipe 8, exhaust pipe 9, and fuel pipe 11 are closed with lids or plugs. In addition, the end of the cooling water pipe 10 and the end of the cooling water pipe 12 are connected.

[0051] The other end of the intake air introduction pipe 41 is connected to an intake system (not shown) equipped with a blower or the like, which is provided outside the fuel cell row. The other end of the exhaust discharge pipe 42 is open to the atmosphere. The other end of the exhaust discharge pipe 42 may also be connected to an exhaust treatment system (not shown) provided outside the fuel cell row.

[0052] The other end of the fuel introduction pipe 45 is connected to a fuel system (not shown) including a fuel tank, a pressure regulating valve, etc. The other ends of the cooling water introduction pipe 44 and the cooling water discharge pipe 46 are connected to a cooling system (not shown) including a cooling water tank, a circulation pump, a radiator, etc.

[0053] The power converter 43 is electrically connected to each power box 19 in the fuel cell row via power wiring. That is, the power generated by each power generation module 2 in the fuel cell row is output via a single power converter 43. By consolidating the power converter 43 into a single converter in this way, the following advantages are achieved. First, the installation area of ​​the power generation plant can be reduced compared to a configuration in which a power converter 43 is provided for each individual fuel cell system 1. Furthermore, when a cooling mechanism for the power converter 43 is provided, the cooling target is reduced to a single location, simplifying the configuration of the cooling mechanism and reducing costs. Note that, when connecting more fuel cell systems 1, a fuel cell row may be formed on the right side of the external connection module 47 in FIG. 7 in the same manner as on the left side. In this case, the intake air introduction pipe 41, exhaust outlet pipe 42, fuel introduction pipe 45, cooling water introduction pipe 44, and cooling water outlet pipe 46 each branch off and connect to the fuel cell row connected to the right side. Similarly, the power wiring is electrically connected to the power converter 43 for the right-side fuel cell row.

[0054] Next, the effects obtained by the above-described fuel cell system 1 and the power plant using the same will be described.

[0055] The fuel cell system 1 of this embodiment is a stationary fuel cell system comprising an auxiliary structure 7 including auxiliary machinery for exchanging gas with a fuel cell stack 6, a power generation module 2 having the fuel cell stack 6 connected to at least one of the vertical faces of the auxiliary structure 7, and a box-shaped frame 5 formed of multiple frame members, with the power generation module 2 disposed inside the frame 5. In this system, the auxiliary structure 7 is coupled to cross members 20 provided on each of a pair of side faces of the frame 5 that face each other across the power generation module 2.

[0056] As a result, the auxiliary structure 7 also functions as a structural member connecting a pair of cross members 20 provided on the left and right sides of the frame body 5, improving the rigidity of the frame body 5 and thereby suppressing deformation or collapse due to external forces such as earthquakes.

[0057] In this embodiment, one of the side surfaces of the frame body 5 that is perpendicular to either of the pair of side surfaces on which the cross member 20 is provided serves as an insertion surface for inserting the power generation module 2 into the inside of the frame body 5, and first stays 22 are further provided that rigidly connect the auxiliary structure 7 to a pair of opposing frame members that constitute the insertion surface.As a result, the first stays 22 function as structural members that increase the rigidity of the frame body 5.

[0058] In this embodiment, a second stay 21 is bridged between a pair of frame members including the first stay 22 and a pair of frame members facing each other with the power generation module 2 sandwiched therebetween, and a fuel injection unit 24 that supplies fuel to the power generation module 2 and pipes 10, 12 for coolant that cools the fuel injection unit 24 are fixed to the second stay 21. As a result, the second stay 21 functions as a structural member that increases the rigidity of the frame body 5.

[0059] In this embodiment, the power generation module 2 includes a first fuel cell stack 6A connected to one of the vertical surfaces of the auxiliary structure 7, and a second fuel cell stack 6B connected to the other vertical surface of the auxiliary structure 7. This positions the auxiliary structure 7 in the vertical center of the power generation module 2. Note that "middle" here does not mean "center," but rather "between the upper end and the lower end." As a result, the position of the cross member 20 is closer to the center of the frame member that surrounds the upper power generation module 2A and extends in the vertical direction, which further enhances the effect of increasing surface rigidity. The same applies to the cross member 20 that secures the lower power generation module 2B.

[0060] According to this embodiment, there is provided a power generation plant equipped with a plurality of fuel cell systems 1. In this plant, the frames 5 are closely arranged with the surfaces on which the cross members 20 are provided facing each other, and adjacent frames 5 are rigidly connected to each other. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the frames 5.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

Claims

1. an auxiliary structure including auxiliary machinery for transferring gas between the auxiliary structure and the fuel cell stack; and a power generation module including a fuel cell stack connected to at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the auxiliary structure; a box-shaped frame formed by a plurality of frame members; Equipped with In a stationary fuel cell system in which the power generation module is disposed inside the frame, A stationary fuel cell system, wherein the auxiliary structure is coupled to a pair of cross members provided on each of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the frame body with the power generation module in between.

2. 2. The stationary fuel cell system according to claim 1, one of the side surfaces of the frame body that is perpendicular to either of the pair of side surfaces on which the cross member is provided is used as an insertion surface for inserting the power generation module into the frame body; The stationary fuel cell system further comprises a first stay that rigidly connects the auxiliary structure to a pair of opposing frame members that form the insertion surface.

3. 3. The stationary fuel cell system according to claim 2, a second stay is bridged between the pair of frame members including the first stay and a pair of frame members facing each other with the power generation module interposed therebetween; A fuel injection unit that supplies fuel to the power generation module and a coolant pipe that cools the fuel injection unit are fixed to the second stay.

4. 2. The stationary fuel cell system according to claim 1, The power generation module is a stationary fuel cell system comprising a first fuel cell stack connected to one of the vertical surfaces of the auxiliary structure, and a second fuel cell stack connected to the other vertical surface of the auxiliary structure.

5. 2. A power generation plant equipped with a plurality of stationary fuel cell systems according to claim 1, The power generation plant, wherein the frame bodies are closely arranged with the surfaces on which the cross members are provided facing each other, and adjacent frame bodies are rigidly connected to each other.

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