Fuel cell module

Abstract

The present invention simplifies the shape of a fuel cell module. Provided is a fuel cell module having a stack case that accommodates a fuel cell stack. The stack case has a first end surface, which is one end surface in a stacking direction of a plurality of fuel cells, and a second end surface, which is an end surface on the side opposite the first end surface in the stacking direction. A first pipe, which is at least one from among a group of pipes consisting of a fuel gas supply pipe, a fuel gas discharge pipe, an oxidant gas supply pipe, an oxidant gas discharge pipe, a coolant supply pipe, and a coolant discharge pipe, is connected to the first end surface, and a second pipe other than the first pipe among the group of pipes is connected to the second end surface.

Description

Fuel cell module

[0001] (Cross-reference to related applications) This application is a related application of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-156509 filed on September 10, 2024, claims the priority based on this Japanese patent application, and incorporates all the contents described in this Japanese patent application as part of this specification.

[0002] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a fuel cell module.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-277390 discloses a stack case for housing a fuel cell stack. The stack case has four side surfaces. A fuel gas supply pipe, a fuel gas discharge pipe, an oxidant gas supply pipe, and an oxidant gas discharge pipe are connected to each side surface of the stack case. That is, the fuel gas supply pipe, the fuel gas discharge pipe, the oxidant gas supply pipe, and the oxidant gas discharge pipe are connected to different side surfaces respectively.

[0004] In the stack case of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-277390, a device for supplying and discharging gas is connected to each pipe. A fuel gas supply device is connected to the fuel gas supply pipe. A fuel gas discharge device is connected to the fuel gas discharge pipe of. An oxidant gas supply device is connected to the oxidant gas supply pipe. An oxidant gas discharge device is connected to the oxidant gas discharge pipe. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No., 2009-277390, each device is connected to a different side surface of the stack case. Therefore, the shape of the fuel cell module becomes complicated. Generally, a coolant circulation device for circulating coolant is connected to the stack case. When a coolant circulation device is provided, the shape of the fuel cell module becomes even more complicated. When the fuel cell module is mounted in the mounting space of the mounting target device (for example, an electric vehicle battery vehicle, etc.) when the shape of the fuel cell module is complicated, the utilization efficiency of the mounting space becomes low. In this specification, a technology for simplifying the shape of the fuel cell module is proposed.

[0005] The fuel cell module disclosed herein includes a stack case housing a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of stacked fuel cell cells; a fuel gas supply device that supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; a fuel gas discharge device that discharges fuel gas from the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas supply device that supplies oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas discharge device that discharges oxidant gas from the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; and a coolant circulation device that supplies coolant to the fuel cell stack via a coolant supply pipe connected to the stack case and discharges coolant from the fuel cell stack via a coolant discharge pipe connected to the stack case. The stack case has a first end face which is one end face in the stacking direction of the plurality of fuel cell cells, and a second end face which is the end face opposite the first end face in the stacking direction. A first pipe, which is at least one of the pipe group consisting of the fuel gas supply pipe, the fuel gas discharge pipe, the oxidizer gas supply pipe, the oxidizer gas discharge pipe, the coolant supply pipe, and the coolant discharge pipe, is connected to the first end face, and a second pipe other than the first pipe from the pipe group is connected to the second end face.

[0006] The stack case may be one that houses the fuel cell stack in a sealed state, or one that houses the fuel cell stack in an open state. A stack case that houses the fuel cell stack in an open state may, for example, be a band-type fastening member or a shaft-type fastening member that sandwiches and fixes multiple fuel cell cells in the stacking direction.

[0007] In this fuel cell module, the tubes connected to the stack case are connected to both end faces of the stack case in the stacking direction (i.e., the first end face and the second end face). Therefore, the fuel gas supply device, fuel gas exhaust device, oxidizer gas supply device, oxidizer gas exhaust device, and coolant circulation device can be concentrated near the first end face and near the second end face. As a result, the shape of the fuel cell module can be a simple shape in which each device is arranged on both sides of the stack case along the stacking direction. Therefore, when this fuel cell module is mounted on the target equipment, the mounting space can be used efficiently.

[0008] Configuration diagram of the fuel cell module of Example 1. Plan view of the fuel cell module of Example 1 along the x and y directions. Plan view of the fuel cell module of Example 2 along the y direction. Plan view of the fuel cell module of Example 3 viewed from the side. Plan view of the fuel cell module of Example 4 viewed from the side. Plan view of the fuel cell module of Example 5 viewed from the side.

[0009] The configurations of the fuel cell modules disclosed herein are listed below. (Configuration 1) A fuel cell module comprising: a stack case housing a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of stacked fuel cell cells; a fuel gas supply device that supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; a fuel gas discharge device that discharges fuel gas from the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas supply device that supplies oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas discharge device that discharges oxidant gas from the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; and a coolant circulation device that supplies coolant to the fuel cell stack via a coolant supply pipe connected to the stack case and discharges coolant from the fuel cell stack via a coolant discharge pipe connected to the stack case, wherein the stack case has a first end face which is one end face in the stacking direction of the plurality of fuel cell cells, and a second end face which is the end face opposite to the first end face in the stacking direction. (Configuration 2) A fuel cell module in which at least one of the pipe group comprising the fuel gas supply pipe, the fuel gas discharge pipe, the oxidizer gas supply pipe, the oxidizer gas discharge pipe, the coolant supply pipe, and the coolant discharge pipe is connected to the first end face, and a second pipe other than the first pipe of the pipe group is connected to the second end face. (Configuration 2) The fuel cell module according to Configuration 1, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device, and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device are separated and arranged into a first group and a second group, the stack case is arranged between the first group and the second group with the first end face facing the first group and the second end face facing the second group, the first group is connected to the first pipe, and the second group is connected to the second pipe.(Configuration 3) The fuel cell module according to Configuration 2, wherein at least one of the first group and the second group is arranged inside the contour of the stack case when viewed along the stacking direction. (Configuration 4) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the first tube has the oxidizer gas supply tube, the coolant supply tube, and the coolant discharge tube, and the oxidizer gas supply device, the coolant circulation device, and an intercooler that cools the oxidizer gas supplied from the oxidizer gas supply device to the fuel cell stack with the coolant of the coolant circulation device are arranged closer to the first end face than the second end face. (Configuration 5) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the first tube has the oxidizer gas supply tube, and the second tube has the oxidizer gas discharge tube. (Configuration 6) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the first tube has the fuel gas supply tube, and the second tube has the fuel gas discharge tube. (Configuration 7) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, wherein the second pipe has the fuel gas discharge pipe and the oxidizer gas discharge pipe. (Configuration 8) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the first pipe has the coolant supply pipe and the coolant discharge pipe. (Configuration 9) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the second pipe has the fuel gas discharge pipe. (Configuration 10) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the second pipe has the oxidizer gas discharge pipe.(Configuration 11) A fuel cell module comprising: a stack case housing a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of stacked fuel cell cells; a fuel gas supply device for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell stack; a fuel gas discharge device for discharging fuel gas from the fuel cell stack; an oxidant gas supply device for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack; an oxidant gas discharge device for discharging oxidant gas from the fuel cell stack; and a coolant circulation device for supplying coolant to the fuel cell stack and discharging coolant from the fuel cell stack, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidant gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidant gas discharge device, and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device are separated and arranged into a first group and a second group, and the stack case is arranged between the first group and the second group in the stacking direction of the fuel cell cells. (Configuration 12) The fuel cell module according to Configuration 11, wherein at least one of the first group and the second group is arranged inside the contour of the stack case when viewed along the stacking direction. (Configuration 13) A fuel cell module according to Configuration 11 or 12, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device, and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device has an intercooler that cools the oxidizer gas supplied from the oxidizer gas supply device to the fuel cell stack with the coolant of the coolant circulation device. (Configuration 14) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 13, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device and the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device. (Configuration 15) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 14, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device and the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device. (Configuration 16) A fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 15, wherein the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device.(Configuration 17) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 16, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the first group has the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device. (Configuration 18) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 17, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the second group has the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas exhaust device. (Configuration 19) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 18, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the second group has the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas exhaust device. (Configuration 20) The fuel cell module according to any one of Configurations 11 to 19, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device has at least one of a pump, injector, ejector, and valve provided in the path through which the fuel gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device has at least one of a gas-liquid separator and valve provided in the path through which the fuel gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device has at least one of an intercooler and valve provided in the path through which the oxidizer gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device has a valve provided in the path through which the oxidizer gas flows; and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device has at least one of a pump, ion exchanger, reserve tank, and valve provided in the path through which the coolant flows.

[0010] According to configuration 2, 11, the fuel cell module has a simple shape in which each device is arranged on both sides of the stack case along the stacking direction. Therefore, when this fuel cell module is mounted on the target equipment, the mounting space can be used efficiently.

[0011] According to configuration 3 and 12, the piping routes within each device can be shortened, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0012] According to configuration 4 and 13, the piping routes for the oxidizer gas and coolant to the intercooler can be shortened.

[0013] According to configurations 5, 6, 14, and 15, the mounting space can be utilized more efficiently in the stacking direction.

[0014] According to configurations 7 and 16, the piping route can be shortened when the fuel gas and oxidizer gas are discharged from the same outlet.

[0015] According to configurations 8 and 17, air can easily escape from the coolant.

[0016] According to configurations 9 and 18, water is more likely to escape from the fuel gas exhaust path.

[0017] According to configurations 10 and 19, water can easily escape from the oxidizer gas discharge path.

[0018] The fuel cell module 10a of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle. The fuel cell module 10a has a fuel cell stack 20. The fuel cell module 10a supplies the electricity generated by the fuel cell stack 20 to the traction motor of the electric vehicle.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the fuel cell stack 20 is a stack of multiple fuel cell cells 22. The fuel cell stack 20 is housed in a stack case 24. The stack case 24 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the direction of stacking the fuel cell cells 22. As shown in Figure 1, the fuel cell stack 20 is provided with a fuel gas flow path 27, an oxidizer gas flow path 28, and a coolant flow path 29. The fuel cell module 10a has a fuel gas management device 30, an oxidizer gas management device 40, and a coolant circulation device 50. Fuel gas supplied by the fuel gas management device 30 flows through the fuel gas flow path 27. In this embodiment, the fuel gas is hydrogen gas. Oxidizer gas supplied by the oxidizer gas management device 40 flows through the oxidizer gas flow path 28. In this embodiment, the oxidizer gas is air (more specifically, oxygen contained in air). Inside the fuel cell stack 20, the fuel gas and oxidizer gas react to generate electricity. Coolant supplied by the coolant circulation device 50 flows through the coolant flow path 29. The fuel cell stack 20 is cooled by the coolant.

[0020] The fuel gas management device 30 includes a fuel gas supply device 31 and a fuel gas discharge device 32. The fuel gas supply device 31 is connected to the upstream end of the fuel gas passage 27 of the fuel cell stack 20 via a fuel gas supply pipe 81. The fuel gas supply device 31 is also connected to a fuel gas tank 33 mounted on the electric vehicle. The fuel gas supply device 31 supplies fuel gas from the fuel gas tank 33 to the fuel cell stack 20. The fuel gas discharge device 32 is connected to the downstream end of the fuel gas passage 27 of the fuel cell stack 20 via a fuel gas discharge pipe 82. The fuel gas discharge device 32 discharges the fuel gas (hereinafter sometimes referred to as fuel off-gas) discharged from the fuel cell stack 20 to the outside of the vehicle.

[0021] The fuel gas management device 30 has an upstream pipe 91, a downstream pipe 92, a return pipe 93, and various auxiliary equipment installed in the path through which the fuel gas flows. The fuel gas supply device 31 has a high-pressure regulator 34, an injector 35, and a fuel gas pump 38 as auxiliary equipment. The fuel gas discharge device 32 has a gas-liquid separator 36 and a discharge valve 37 as auxiliary equipment.

[0022] The upstream end of the upstream piping 91 is connected to the fuel gas tank 33. The downstream end of the upstream piping 91 is connected to the fuel gas supply pipe 81. When the main valve 33a of the fuel gas tank 33 opens, fuel gas flows from the fuel gas tank 33 to the upstream piping 91. The high-pressure regulator 34 and the injector 35 are installed in the upstream piping 91. The high-pressure regulator 34 is installed upstream of the injector 35 and adjusts the pressure of the fuel gas supplied to the injector 35 to a predetermined value. The injector 35 controls the flow rate and pressure of the fuel gas sent downstream. The fuel gas discharged from the injector 35 is supplied to the fuel gas flow path 27 of the fuel cell stack 20 via the fuel gas supply pipe 81.

[0023] The gas-liquid separator 36 is connected to the fuel gas discharge pipe 82. The upstream end of the downstream pipe 92 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 36. The downstream end of the downstream pipe 92 is connected to the oxidizer gas discharge device 42, which will be described later. The discharge valve 37 is provided in the downstream pipe 92. The upstream end of the recirculation pipe 93 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 36. The downstream end of the recirculation pipe 93 is connected to the portion of the upstream pipe 91 downstream of the injector 35. The fuel gas pump 38 is provided in the recirculation pipe 93. The fuel gas pump 38 sends the gas in the recirculation pipe 93 from the gas-liquid separator 36 to the upstream pipe 91. Water generated in the fuel cell stack 20 flows from the fuel gas flow path 27 to the gas-liquid separator 36 along with the fuel off-gas. The gas-liquid separator 36 removes moisture from the fuel off-gas. When the fuel gas pump 38 operates, the fuel off-gas from which moisture has been removed by the gas-liquid separator 36 flows to the recirculation pipe 93. The fuel off-gas, from which moisture has been removed, flows from the return pipe 93 to the upstream pipe 91 and is supplied again to the fuel cell stack 20. When the discharge valve 37 opens, water and excess fuel off-gas flow from the gas-liquid separator 36 to the downstream pipe 92. The water and excess fuel off-gas are discharged to the outside of the vehicle via the downstream pipe 92 and the oxidizer gas discharge device 42.

[0024] The oxidant gas management device 40 includes an oxidant gas supply device 41 and an oxidant gas discharge device 42. The oxidant gas supply device 41 is connected to the upstream end of the oxidant gas flow path 28 of the fuel cell stack 20 via an oxidant gas supply pipe 83. The oxidant gas supply device 41 takes in air from outside the vehicle and supplies the air as oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack 20. The oxidant gas discharge device 42 is connected to the downstream end of the oxidant gas flow path 28 of the fuel cell stack 20 via an oxidant gas discharge pipe 84. The oxidant gas discharge device 42 discharges the oxidant gas (hereinafter sometimes referred to as oxidant off-gas) discharged from the fuel cell stack 20 to the outside of the vehicle.

[0025] The oxidizer gas management device 40 has an upstream pipe 94, a downstream pipe 95, a bypass pipe 96, and various auxiliary equipment installed in the path through which the oxidizer gas flows. The oxidizer gas supply device 41 has an intercooler 45 and an inlet valve 46 as auxiliary equipment. The oxidizer gas discharge device 42 has an outlet valve 47 and a bypass valve 48 as auxiliary equipment.

[0026] The upstream end of the upstream piping 94 is open to the outside air via an air cleaner 43 (i.e., a filter). The downstream end of the upstream piping 94 is connected to an oxidizer gas supply pipe 83. A compressor 44 is provided in the upstream piping 94. When the compressor 44 is operating, oxidizer gas flows into the upstream piping 94 via the air cleaner 43, and the compressor 44 pressurizes the oxidizer gas and sends it downstream. When the compressor 44 pressurizes the oxidizer gas, the temperature of the oxidizer gas rises. An intercooler 45 is provided in the upstream piping 94 downstream of the compressor 44. High-pressure, high-temperature oxidizer gas supplied from the compressor 44 flows through the intercooler 45. Coolant is supplied to the intercooler 45 from a coolant circulation device 50. The intercooler 45 cools the oxidizer gas with the coolant. An inlet valve 46 is provided in the upstream piping 94 downstream of the intercooler 45. The inlet valve 46 controls the flow rate of oxidizer gas from the upstream piping 94 to the oxidizer gas flow path 28 of the fuel cell stack 20.

[0027] The upstream end of the downstream piping 95 is connected to the oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84. The downstream end of the downstream piping 95 is open to the outside air via the muffler 49. An outlet valve 47 is provided in the downstream piping 95. The outlet valve 47 controls the flow rate of oxidizer gas from the oxidizer gas flow path 28 of the fuel cell stack 20 to the downstream piping 95. Water generated in the fuel cell stack 20 flows together with the oxidizer gas from the oxidizer gas flow path 28 to the downstream piping 95. The oxidizer gas and water that have passed through the outlet valve 47 are discharged to the outside through the muffler 49. The downstream end of the downstream piping 92 of the fuel gas management device 30 is connected to the downstream piping 95 downstream of the outlet valve 47. As described above, fuel off-gas and water discharged from the gas-liquid separator 36 flow through the downstream piping 92. Therefore, fuel off-gas and water flow from the downstream piping 92 to the downstream piping 95. Fuel off-gas and water flowing from downstream piping 92 to downstream piping 95 are discharged to the outside from muffler 49 along with oxidizer gas. The upstream end of bypass piping 96 is connected to upstream piping 94 between intercooler 45 and inlet valve 46. The downstream end of bypass piping 96 is connected to downstream piping 95 downstream of outlet valve 47. A bypass valve 48 is provided in bypass piping 96. When bypass valve 48 opens, a portion of the fuel gas in upstream piping 94 bypasses the fuel cell stack 20 and flows to downstream piping 95 via bypass piping 96. By adjusting the flow rate of oxidizer gas flowing through bypass piping 96, the bypass valve 48 adjusts the flow rate of oxidizer gas flowing through the oxidizer gas passage 28 of the fuel cell stack 20.

[0028] The coolant circulation device 50 is connected to the upstream end of the coolant flow path 29 of the fuel cell stack 20 via a coolant supply pipe 85, and is connected to the downstream end of the coolant flow path 29 of the fuel cell stack 20 via a coolant discharge pipe 86. The coolant circulation device 50 cools the fuel cell stack 20 by flowing coolant through the coolant flow path 29.

[0029] The coolant circulation device 50 has circulation piping 97, bypass piping 98, and various auxiliary equipment installed in the path through which the coolant flows. The coolant circulation device 50 also has a coolant pump 52, an ion exchanger 53, and a three-way valve 54 as auxiliary equipment.

[0030] The upstream end of the circulation pipe 97 is connected to the coolant discharge pipe 86. The downstream end of the circulation pipe 97 is connected to the coolant supply pipe 85. The circulation pipe 97 and the coolant flow path 29 of the fuel cell stack 20 form an annular circulation path through which the coolant flows. The coolant pump 52 is installed in the circulation pipe 97. The coolant pump 52 circulates the coolant within the circulation path. The radiator 51 mounted on the vehicle is installed in the circulation pipe 97 upstream of the coolant pump 52. The radiator 51 cools the coolant in the circulation pipe 97 by heat exchange with the outside air. Therefore, the coolant cooled by the radiator 51 is supplied to the fuel cell stack 20, and the fuel cell stack 20 is cooled. The bypass pipe 98 is connected to the circulation pipe 97 on both the upstream and downstream sides of the radiator 51. The bypass pipe 98 branches into two, and an ion exchanger 53 is installed in one of the branched pipes. The ion exchanger 53 removes ions from the coolant. The upstream end of the bypass pipe 98 is connected to the circulation pipe 97 by a three-way valve 54. The three-way valve 54 switches the flow path of the coolant to either the radiator 51 or the ion exchanger 53. The coolant circulation device 50 also has an intercooler pipe 99 that branches off from the circulation pipe 97. The intercooler pipe 99 extends from the circulation pipe 97 to the intercooler 45 of the oxidizer gas management device 40. Coolant is supplied to the intercooler 45 by the intercooler pipe 99.

[0031] As described above, the fuel cell stack 20 is supplied with fuel gas from the fuel gas management device 30, oxidizer gas from the oxidizer gas management device 40, and coolant from the coolant circulation device 50. The fuel cell stack 20 generates electricity by reacting the supplied fuel gas and oxidizer gas. In addition, the fuel cell stack 20 generates heat during power generation, but the temperature of the fuel cell stack 20 is controlled by cooling with coolant supplied from the coolant circulation device 50.

[0032] Figure 2 shows the physical positional relationship between the stack case 24 and each auxiliary device. In Figure 2, the x-direction is the stacking direction of the fuel cell cells 22, the y-direction is a single direction perpendicular to the x-direction, and the z-direction is a direction perpendicular to both the x and y directions. As described above, the stack case 24 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the stacking direction (i.e., the x-direction). The stack case 24 has an end face 24a at one end in the x-direction and an end face 24b at the other end in the x-direction. The portion constituting the end face 24a of the stack case 24 covers one end face 20a in the stacking direction of the fuel cell stack 20. The portion constituting the end face 24b of the stack case 24 covers the other end face 20b in the stacking direction of the fuel cell stack 20.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2(a), an auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a is provided at a position facing the end face 24a, and an auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b is provided at a position facing the end face 24b. The auxiliary equipment group 40h of the oxidizer gas management device 40 and the auxiliary equipment group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50 are provided within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a. The auxiliary equipment group 40h of the oxidizer gas management device 40 includes an intercooler 45, an inlet valve 46, an outlet valve 47, and a bypass valve 48. The auxiliary equipment group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50 includes a coolant pump 52, an ion exchanger 53, and a three-way valve 54. The auxiliary equipment group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30 is provided within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b. The auxiliary equipment group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30 includes a high-pressure regulator 34, an injector 35, a fuel gas pump 38, a gas-liquid separator 36, and a discharge valve 37.

[0034] Each auxiliary unit installed within the auxiliary unit installation section 100a may be directly fixed to the end face 24a of the stack case 24, or it may be fixed at a position spaced apart from the end face 24a. Similarly, each auxiliary unit installed within the auxiliary unit installation section 100b may be directly fixed to the end face 24b of the stack case 24, or it may be fixed at a position spaced apart from the end face 24b.

[0035] An oxidizer gas supply pipe 83, an oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84, a coolant supply pipe 85, and a coolant discharge pipe 86 are connected to the end face 24a of the stack case 24. The oxidizer gas supply pipe 83 and the oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84 are connected to the auxiliary equipment group 40h of the oxidizer gas management device 40, which is located in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a. The coolant supply pipe 85 and the coolant discharge pipe 86 are connected to the auxiliary equipment group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50, which is located in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a. A fuel gas supply pipe 81 and a fuel gas discharge pipe 82 are connected to the end face 24b of the stack case 24. The fuel gas supply pipe 81 and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 are connected to the auxiliary equipment group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30, which is located in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b.

[0036] In this embodiment, since the stack case 24 is positioned between the auxiliary equipment installation section 100a and the auxiliary equipment installation section 100b, the entire fuel cell module 10a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Because the overall shape of the fuel cell module 10a is simple in this way, the fuel cell module 10a is less likely to interfere with other components of the vehicle when it is mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the mounting space can be used effectively.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the auxiliary equipment can be consolidated on both sides of the stack case 24, thus reducing the overall length of piping in the fuel cell module 10a. Consequently, the fuel cell module 10a can be miniaturized. In addition, since the auxiliary equipment can be attached from both sides of the stack case 24, the assembly man-hours can be reduced.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2(b), when viewed along the x-direction, the auxiliary equipment group 30h within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b is positioned inside the contour of the stack case 24. That is, each auxiliary equipment within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b is positioned within a range narrower than the width of the stack case 24 in the y-direction and within a range narrower than the width of the stack case 24 in the z-direction. In other words, each auxiliary equipment within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b does not protrude outside the stack case 24 in the y-direction and z-direction. This configuration allows for a simpler shape of the fuel cell module 10a. Furthermore, the piping connecting each auxiliary equipment within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b can be shortened, reducing pressure loss in the piping. However, when viewed along the x-direction, each auxiliary equipment within the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a may be positioned inside the contour of the stack case 24.

[0039] In this embodiment, the auxiliary equipment group 40h of the oxidizer gas management device 40 and the auxiliary equipment group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50 are arranged in a common auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a. Therefore, the intercooler piping 99 extending from the coolant circulation device 50 to the intercooler 45 of the oxidizer gas management device 40 can be shortened. As a result, the fuel cell module 10a can be made smaller. In addition, pressure loss occurring in the intercooler piping 99 can be reduced.

[0040] End face 24a of Example 1 is an example of a first end face. End face 24b of Example 1 is an example of a second end face. The oxidizer gas supply pipe 83, oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84, coolant supply pipe 85, and coolant discharge pipe 86 of Example 1 are examples of first pipes. The fuel gas supply pipe 81 and fuel gas discharge pipe 82 of Example 1 are examples of second pipes. The auxiliary equipment group 40h and auxiliary equipment group 50h of Example 1 are examples of the first group. The auxiliary equipment group 30h of Example 1 is an example of the second group.

[0041] In the above-described Embodiment 1, there were multiple first pipes connected to the end face 24a (i.e., oxidizer gas supply pipe 83, oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84, coolant supply pipe 85, and coolant discharge pipe 86), and multiple second pipes connected to the end face 24b (i.e., fuel gas supply pipe 81 and fuel gas discharge pipe 82). However, there may be only one of either the first or second pipes. Also, if there are multiple first pipes, they may be distributed on the end face 24a as in Embodiment 1. In other examples, multiple first pipes may be connected to the end face 24a in a bundled state. Also, if there are multiple second pipes, they may be distributed on the end face 24b as in Embodiment 1. In other examples, multiple second pipes may be connected to the end face 24b in a bundled state.

[0042] In the fuel cell module 10b of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 3, the arrangement of the auxiliary equipment group relative to the stack case 24 differs from that of Embodiment 1. The other configurations of the fuel cell module 10b of Embodiment 2 are the same as those of Embodiment 1.

[0043] In Example 2, as shown in Figure 3, the auxiliary equipment group 41h of the oxidizer gas supply device 41 and the auxiliary equipment group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50 are installed in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a. In addition, the auxiliary equipment group 42h of the oxidizer gas discharge device 42 and the auxiliary equipment group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30 are installed in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b.

[0044] On the end face 24a of the stack case 24, an oxidant gas supply pipe 83, a coolant supply pipe 85, and a coolant discharge pipe 86 are connected. The oxidant gas supply pipe 83 is connected to an auxiliary machine group 41h of an oxidant gas supply device 41 provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part 100a. The coolant supply pipe 85 and the coolant discharge pipe 86 are connected to an auxiliary machine group 50h of a coolant circulation device 50 provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part 100a. On the end face 24b of the stack case 24, an oxidant gas discharge pipe 84, a fuel gas supply pipe 81, and a fuel gas discharge pipe 82 are connected. The oxidant gas discharge pipe 84 is connected to an auxiliary machine group 42h of an oxidant gas discharge device 42 provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part 100b. The fuel gas supply pipe 81 and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 are connected to an auxiliary machine group 30h of a fuel gas management device 30 provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part

[0045] 100b.

[0045] In Example 2 as well, similar to Example 1, since the auxiliary machine groups are arranged on both sides of the stack case 24, the shape of the fuel cell module 10b can be simplified. Also, in Example 2, the auxiliary machine group 42h of the oxidant gas discharge device 42 and the auxiliary machine group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30 are arranged within a common auxiliary machine group installation part 100b. For this reason, it is easy to merge the downstream pipe 92 of the fuel gas discharge device

[0046] 32 and the downstream pipe 95 of the oxidant gas discharge device 42, and these pipes can be shortened. For this reason, the fuel cell module 10b can be made smaller. Also, the pressure loss generated in the downstream pipes 92 and 95 can be reduced.

[0046] In the fuel cell module 10c of Example 3 shown in FIG. 4, the stack case 24 is arranged such that the end face 24a is positioned above the end face 24b. More specifically, the stack case 24 is fixed to the vehicle such that the stacking direction of the fuel cell

[0047] 22 is in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the fuel cell stack 20, the end face 20a is positioned above the end face 20b. In Example 3 as well, similar to Example 2, the auxiliary machine groups 41h and 50h are provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part 100a, and the auxiliary machine groups 42h and 30h are provided in the auxiliary machine group installation part 100b.

[0047] Air may be mixed into the coolant. In Embodiment 3, the auxiliary machine group 50h of the coolant circulation device 50 is arranged above the fuel cell stack 20, and the coolant supply pipe 85 and the coolant discharge pipe 86 extending upward from the stack case 24 are connected to the auxiliary machine group 50h. Therefore, the air in the coolant easily moves upward from the inside of the fuel cell stack 20 through the coolant supply pipe 85 and the coolant discharge pipe 86. Thus, the air in the coolant is easily discharged from the inside of the fuel cell stack 20 to the outside. For this reason, the fuel cell stack 20 can be cooled more suitably.

[0048] Also, inside the fuel cell stack 20, water is generated by the reaction of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas. The water generated inside the fuel cell stack 20 is discharged to the outside through the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 and the oxidant gas discharge pipe 84. In Embodiment 3, the auxiliary machine group 30h of the fuel gas management device 30 and the auxiliary machine group 42h of the oxidant gas discharge device are arranged below the fuel cell stack 20, and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 and the oxidant gas discharge pipe 84 extending downward from the stack case 24 are connected to the auxiliary machine groups 30h and 42h. Therefore, the water generated in the fuel cell stack 容易 moves downward from the inside of the fuel cell stack 20 through the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 and the oxidant gas discharge pipe 84. Thus, the generated water is easily discharged from the inside of the fuel cell stack 20 to the outside.for this reason, the fuel cell stack 20 can generate power suitably.

[0049] In the above-described Embodiments 1 to 3, all of the pipes (that is, the fuel gas supply pipe 81, the fuel gas discharge pipe 82, the oxidant gas supply pipe 83, the oxidant gas discharge pipe 84, the coolant supply pipe 85, and the coolant discharge pipe 86) connecting the stack case 24 and the auxiliary machine group are connected to either the end face 24a or the end face 24b of the stack case 24. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, in the fuel cell module 10d of Embodiment 4, a part of these pipes (in FIG. 5, the fuel gas supply pipe 81 as an example) is connected to the side surface or the like of the stack case 24. Thus, a part of the pipes connecting the stack case 24 and the auxiliary machine group may be connected to a surface other than the end faces 24a and 24b of the stack case 24.

[0050] The oxidizer gas supply pipe 83, coolant supply pipe 85, and coolant discharge pipe 86 in Examples 2 and 3 are examples of the first type of pipe. The fuel gas supply pipe 81, fuel gas discharge pipe 82, and oxidizer gas discharge pipe 84 in Examples 2 and 3 are examples of the second type of pipe. The auxiliary equipment group 41h and auxiliary equipment group 50h in Examples 2, 3, and 4 are examples of the first group. The auxiliary equipment group 42h and auxiliary equipment group 30h in Examples 2, 3, and 4 are examples of the second group.

[0051] In Examples 1 to 4, some of the auxiliary equipment for the fuel gas management device 30, the oxidizer gas management device 40, and the coolant circulation device 50 may be located at positions other than the auxiliary equipment group installation sections 100a and 100b (for example, at positions facing the side surface of the stack case 24).

[0052] Furthermore, the fuel gas management device 30, the oxidizer gas management device 40, and the coolant circulation device 50 may have auxiliary equipment other than those described in the above-described embodiments 1 to 4. For example, the fuel gas management device 30 may have an ejector as an auxiliary piece of equipment located at the junction of the upstream piping 91 and the return piping 93.

[0053] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3, the fuel gas supply pipe 81 and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 were connected to a common end face 24b of the stack case 24. However, as shown in Figure 6, the fuel gas supply pipe 81 may be connected to end face 24a and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 may be connected to end face 24b. In other words, the fuel gas supply pipe 81 and the fuel gas discharge pipe 82 may be arranged separately on both sides of the stack case 24. In this case, the auxiliary equipment group 31h of the fuel gas supply device 31 can be installed in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100a, and the auxiliary equipment group 32h of the fuel gas discharge device 32 can be installed in the auxiliary equipment group installation section 100b.

[0054] Although embodiments have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives constitutes technical usefulness.

Claims

1. A fuel cell module comprising: a stack case housing a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of stacked fuel cell cells; a fuel gas supply device that supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; a fuel gas discharge device that discharges fuel gas from the fuel cell stack via a fuel gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas supply device that supplies oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas supply pipe connected to the stack case; an oxidant gas discharge device that discharges oxidant gas from the fuel cell stack via an oxidant gas discharge pipe connected to the stack case; and a coolant circulation device that supplies coolant to the fuel cell stack via a coolant supply pipe connected to the stack case and discharges coolant from the fuel cell stack via a coolant discharge pipe connected to the stack case, wherein the stack case has a first end face which is one end face in the stacking direction of the plurality of fuel cell cells, and a second end face which is the end face opposite to the first end face in the stacking direction. A fuel cell module wherein at least one first pipe, which is part of a group of pipes comprising the fuel gas supply pipe, the fuel gas discharge pipe, the oxidizer gas supply pipe, the oxidizer gas discharge pipe, the coolant supply pipe, and the coolant discharge pipe, is connected to the first end face, and a second pipe, other than the first pipe, from the group of pipes is connected to the second end face.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device, and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device are separated and arranged into a first group and a second group, the stack case is arranged between the first group and the second group in a orientation such that the first end face is on the first group side and the second end face is on the second group side, the first group is connected to the first pipe, and the second group is connected to the second pipe.

3. The fuel cell module according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first group and the second group is arranged inside the contour of the stack case when viewed along the stacking direction.

4. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe has an oxidant gas supply pipe, a coolant supply pipe, and a coolant discharge pipe, and the oxidant gas supply device, the coolant circulation device, and an intercooler that cools the oxidant gas supplied from the oxidant gas supply device to the fuel cell stack with the coolant of the coolant circulation device are arranged at a position closer to the first end face than the second end face.

5. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe has the oxidizer gas supply pipe and the second pipe has the oxidizer gas discharge pipe.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe has the fuel gas supply pipe and the second pipe has the fuel gas discharge pipe.

7. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second pipe has the fuel gas discharge pipe and the oxidizer gas discharge pipe.

8. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the first pipe has the coolant supply pipe and the coolant discharge pipe.

9. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the second pipe has the fuel gas exhaust pipe.

10. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the first end face is located above the second end face, and the second pipe has the oxidizer gas discharge pipe.

11. A fuel cell module comprising: a stack case housing a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of stacked fuel cell cells; a fuel gas supply device for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell stack; a fuel gas discharge device for discharging fuel gas from the fuel cell stack; an oxidant gas supply device for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack; an oxidant gas discharge device for discharging oxidant gas from the fuel cell stack; and a coolant circulation device for supplying coolant to the fuel cell stack and discharging coolant from the fuel cell stack, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidant gas supply device, the auxiliary equipment of the oxidant gas discharge device, and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device are separated and arranged into a first group and a second group, and the stack case is arranged between the first group and the second group in the stacking direction of the fuel cell cells.

12. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first group and the second group is positioned inside the contour of the stack case when viewed along the stacking direction.

13. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device, and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device has an intercooler that cools the oxidizer gas supplied from the oxidizer gas supply device to the fuel cell stack with the coolant of the coolant circulation device.

14. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device, and the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device.

15. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the first group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device, and the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device.

16. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the second group comprises the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas exhaust device and the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas exhaust device.

17. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the first group has the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device.

18. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the second group has the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas exhaust device.

19. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the stack case is arranged such that the end face on the first group side is located above the end face on the second group side, and the second group has the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device.

20. The fuel cell module according to claim 11, wherein the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas supply device comprises at least one of a pump, injector, ejector, and valve provided in the path through which the fuel gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the fuel gas discharge device comprises at least one of a gas-liquid separator and valve provided in the path through which the fuel gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas supply device comprises at least one of an intercooler and valve provided in the path through which the oxidizer gas flows; the auxiliary equipment of the oxidizer gas discharge device comprises a valve provided in the path through which the oxidizer gas flows; and the auxiliary equipment of the coolant circulation device comprises at least one of a pump, ion exchanger, reserve tank, and valve provided in the path through which the coolant flows.

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