Fuel cell power generation device and power generation facility

Abstract

This fuel cell power generation device (18) comprises: an accommodation part (28) which has an accommodation chamber (290) therein; a power generation area (30) in which a plurality of fuel cells (36) are disposed; a cooling area (32) in which a cooling device (40) that cools a refrigerant for the fuel cells (36) is disposed; and a high-voltage area (34) in which a power converter (56) that converts power generated by the fuel cells (36) into a prescribed voltage and that outputs the power is disposed, wherein the power generation area (30) and the high-voltage area (34) are disposed apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the accommodation part (28) with the cooling area (32) interposed therebetween.

Description

Fuel cell power generator and power generation facility

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell power generator and a power generation facility.

[0002] In recent years, research and development have been conducted on fuel cells that contribute to energy efficiency, in order to enable more people to secure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and advanced energy.

[0003] Incidentally, in technologies related to fuel cells, use as a stationary power source has been studied. When a fuel cell is used as a stationary power source, ease of construction (ease of installation) is required. In order to improve ease of construction, a fuel cell power generator in which a fuel cell, a cooling unit, and a high-voltage unit are integrated in a single container has been proposed (US Patent No. 11862831).

[0004] In a fuel cell power generator, high level of safety is required even when highly flammable fuel gas leaks from the fuel cell and auxiliary equipment. Further, the fuel cell power generator is required to have improved expandability utilizing its ease of installation.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure aims to achieve improved safety of a fuel cell power generator. Secondarily, the present disclosure aims to realize a fuel cell power generator excellent in ease of installation and expandability. Consequently, the present disclosure contributes to energy efficiency.

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a fuel cell power generator, comprising: an accommodating portion having an accommodating chamber inside; a power generation area where a plurality of fuel cells are arranged in the accommodating chamber; a cooling area where a cooling device that takes in outside air to cool a refrigerant of the fuel cells is arranged in the accommodating chamber; and a high-voltage area where a power converter that converts electric power generated by the fuel cells into a predetermined voltage and outputs the converted voltage is arranged in the accommodating chamber, wherein the power generation area and the high-voltage area are arranged spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion with the cooling area interposed therebetween.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a power generation facility, in which a plurality of fuel cell power generators according to the first aspect are arranged side by side in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

[0008] According to the above disclosure, improvements in safety in fuel cell power generation equipment will be achieved.

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power generation facility equipped with a fuel cell power generation device according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the housing (container) according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal arrangement with the side walls and ceiling separated from the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 1. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the mounting structure of the fuel cell of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross-section view showing the internal structure of the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 3 as seen from the side. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fuel gas piping connected to the fuel cell of Figure 3. Figure 7 is a cross-section view showing the internal structure of the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 1 as seen from above. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the air supply piping connected to the fuel cell of Figure 3. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the exhaust piping connected to the fuel cell of Figure 3. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the arrangement of piping and wiring in the underfloor space of the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 3. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the first cooling water piping, second cooling water piping and cooling device in the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 3. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of power wiring and high voltage section in the fuel cell power generation device of Figure 3. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the intake, off-gas, and exhaust air flows in a power generation facility equipped with multiple fuel cell power generators.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the power generation equipment 10 of this embodiment is used, for example, as an emergency power supply device to supply power to a load 14 such as a data center in the event of a power outage in the grid power supply 12. The power generation equipment 10 comprises a hydrogen supply source 16, a fuel cell power generation device 18, and an automatic power switching device 20 (ATS).

[0011] In the illustrated example, the hydrogen supply source 16 is a hydrogen tank. However, the hydrogen supply source 16 may be a pipeline or the like. The hydrogen supply source 16 supplies hydrogen gas as fuel gas to the fuel cell power generation device 18.

[0012] The fuel cell power generation device 18 comprises a power generation unit 22, a cooling unit 24, and a high-voltage unit 26. The power generation unit 22 is equipped with a plurality of fuel cells 36 (see Figure 4), which generate electricity by reacting hydrogen gas supplied from a hydrogen supply source 16 with oxygen (air) taken in from the outside air. The cooling unit 24 circulates cooling water with the fuel cells 36 and also cools the cooling water using outside air. The high-voltage unit 26 is equipped with a storage battery 50 and a power converter 56, etc. The power converter 56 converts the electricity generated by the power generation unit 22 into AC power with a voltage and frequency suitable for the external load 14. The storage battery 50 supplies the power required by the load 14 until the fuel cells 36 start up.

[0013] The automatic power switching device 20 selectively connects the load 14 to the grid power supply 12 and the fuel cell power generator 18. When power is supplied from the grid power supply 12, the grid power supply 12 is connected to the load 14. If a power outage occurs in the grid power supply 12, the automatic power switching device 20 disconnects from the grid power supply 12 and connects the fuel cell power generator 18 to the load 14.

[0014] The following describes the details of the fuel cell power generation device 18. As shown in Figure 2, the fuel cell power generation device 18 includes a housing section 28 (container). The housing section 28 is, for example, a standardized dry container with a length of 20 ft, 40 ft, or 45 ft. In the following description, the terms longitudinal direction, width direction, and vertical direction are used to describe the shape and arrangement of the internal components. The longitudinal direction is along the length of the housing section 28, the width direction coincides with the opening direction of the housing section 28, and the vertical direction coincides with the height direction of the housing section 28.

[0015] The storage unit 28 comprises a bottom surface 281, a first door 282, a second door 283, a floor panel 284, a ceiling 285, a pair of side walls 286, and a partition wall 289. These components are supported by a frame (not shown) and connected to each other via the frame. The bottom surface 281 closes the bottom of the storage unit 28. The bottom surface 281 is supported by a plurality of cross members that span the widthwise across the frame at the bottom of the storage unit 28.

[0016] The first door 282 is located at the first end 28a in the longitudinal direction of the housing section 28 and extends upward relative to the bottom surface 281. The first door 282 is configured as a double door with both sides in the width direction connected to the frame via hinges. The first door 282 opens and closes the first end 28a of the housing section 28. An exhaust section 282a is formed at the bottom of the first door 282. The exhaust section 282a discharges the off-gas from the fuel cell 36 from the lower end of the first end 28a of the housing section 28 in a first direction. The second door 283 is located at the second end 28b in the longitudinal direction of the housing section 28 and extends upward from the bottom surface 281. The second door 283 opens and closes the second end 28b of the housing section 28. The second door 283 is configured similarly to the first door 282 and opens and closes the second end 28b of the housing section 28.

[0017] The floor panel 284 is positioned on the bottom surface 281, with a certain gap between it and the bottom surface 281. The floor panel 284 constitutes the floor of the housing chamber 290 where the power generation unit 22, cooling unit 24, and high voltage unit 26 are located. The floor panel 284 forms an underfloor space 287 between itself and the bottom surface 281 for arranging piping and wiring.

[0018] The ceiling 285 is located at the upper end of the storage area 28 and is arranged to span the longitudinal direction between the first door 282 and the second door 283. The ceiling 285 covers the upper end of the storage area 28. The pair of side walls 286 cover the sides of the storage area 28 in the width direction.

[0019] The housing section 28 is a so-called gull-wing type housing section, and each side wall 286 is connected to the ceiling 285 via hinges 288 provided along the widthwise side edge of the ceiling 285. The side walls 286 rotate around the hinges 288, causing them to spring open to the side of the housing section 28. This configuration allows the side of the housing section 28 to be opened in a narrow space in a power generation facility 10 where multiple fuel cell power generation devices 18 are arranged adjacent to each other. By opening the entire side of the housing section 28, maintenance work on internal equipment, including the fuel cell 36, can be easily performed.

[0020] An intake section 286a and an intake section 286b are provided on one side wall 286 and the other side wall 286 in the width direction. The intake section 286a is the part that takes in air as an oxidizing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell 36. The intake section 286a is provided near the upper end of the side wall 286 so as not to draw in the exhaust from the fuel cell 36 and the hot exhaust from the cooling section 24. The intake section 286a is provided at a distance from the first end 28a where the exhaust section 282a of the fuel cell 36 is located. In a case where multiple fuel cells 36 are arranged in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal position of the intake section 286a is provided on the side of one fuel cell 36 located in the longitudinal center or between two fuel cells 36. Such an intake section 286a can be provided at a distance from the exhaust section 282a of the fuel cell 36 and is less likely to draw in exhaust air from the cooling section 24.

[0021] The intake section 286b is the part that takes in outside air into the cooling section 24. The intake section 286b is provided at the same position as the cooling section 24 in the longitudinal direction in order to supply outside air to the cooling section 24 via the shortest path. The longitudinal dimensions of the intake section 286b are approximately the same as the longitudinal dimensions of the cooling section 24, and the vertical dimensions of the intake section 286b can be approximately the same as the vertical dimensions of the cooling section 24.

[0022] An exhaust section 285a is provided in the ceiling 285. The exhaust section 285a communicates with the end of the exhaust pipe 46 of the cooling section 24 and discharges the exhaust air from the cooling section 24 from above the housing section 28.

[0023] The partition wall 289 is a wall that extends in the width direction and the vertical direction, and partitions the containment chamber 290. The partition wall 289 is positioned at the boundary between the power generation unit 22 and the cooling unit 24. The partition wall 289 suppresses problems caused by hydrogen gas leakage into the high-voltage area 34.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the housing section 28 includes a power generation area 30 for housing the power generation section 22, a cooling area 32 for housing the cooling section 24, and a high-voltage area 34 for housing the high-voltage section 26. The power generation area 30 is located adjacent to the first end 28a in the longitudinal direction, and the high-voltage area 34 is located adjacent to the second end 28b in the longitudinal direction.

[0025] The power generation area 30 is separated from the high-voltage area 34 and the cooling area 32 via a partition wall 289. The partition wall 289 is positioned at the boundary between the power generation area 30 and the cooling area 32. This arrangement allows the hydrogen gas to be diluted to a concentration that will not ignite by the large amount of outside air flowing through the cooling area 32, even if hydrogen gas passes through the partition wall 289. Therefore, even if hydrogen gas leaks in the power generation area 30, the likelihood of hydrogen gas at a concentration that could ignite reaching the high-voltage area 34 is reduced, improving safety.

[0026] The power generation area 30 is provided with a plurality of fuel cells 36 constituting the power generation unit 22, an intake section 286a, and an exhaust section 282a. As shown in Figure 4, the fuel cells 36 are supported by a support frame 38. The support frame 38 is formed in a frame shape and has a plurality of mounting compartments on which the fuel cells 36 are placed. Each fuel cell 36 is fixed to the support frame 38 by fixing stays provided at predetermined locations on its lower end. The support frame 38 used in a 40ft container forms a total of 16 mounting compartments: two in the width direction, four in the length direction, and two in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this example, 16 fuel cells 36 are placed in the power generation area 30.

[0027] The intake section 286a is located on the side of the power generation area 30, near the upper end of the housing section 28. The intake section 286a is formed as a hole cut out longitudinally from the side wall 286, and the ends of multiple air supply pipes 62 open into the intake section 286a. The exhaust section 282a is located at the longitudinal end (first end 28a) of the power generation area 30. The ends of multiple exhaust pipes 64 open into the exhaust section 282a.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the cooling area 32 is provided with a cooling device 40 constituting the cooling section 24, an intake section 286b, and an exhaust section 285a. The intake section 286b is composed of a rectangular grid structure or a louver structure, etc., and can take in outside air into the housing chamber 290 of the housing section 28. The cooling device 40 has a radiator 44 and an exhaust pipe 46 supported by a frame section 42. The frame section 42 supports, for example, 16 radiators 44, the same number as the fuel cell 36. Eight radiators 44 are arranged on one side and eight on the other side in the width direction. On each side, the multiple radiators 44 are arranged in two rows in the longitudinal direction and stacked in four layers in the vertical direction.

[0029] Each radiator 44 is located inside the intake section 286b. Each radiator 44 is equipped with coolant piping for circulating coolant, heat dissipation fins, and a fan. The fan draws in outside air from the sides in the width direction through the intake section 286b. The radiator 44 discharges the air, which has been heated by heat exchange between the coolant piping and heat dissipation fins, into the exhaust pipe 46 located in the center of the width direction of the housing section 28.

[0030] An exhaust pipe 46 is positioned between the first radiator group 44A (eight radiators 44) located on one side in the width direction and the second radiator group 44B (eight radiators 44) located on the other side in the width direction. The exhaust pipe 46 is connected to each radiator 44 through an air guide that extends in the width direction.

[0031] In this embodiment, the cooling device 40 includes two exhaust pipes 46. The two exhaust pipes 46 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. The exhaust pipe 46 on the first direction side is connected to eight radiators 44 located on the first direction side, and the exhaust pipe 46 on the second direction side is connected to eight radiators 44 located on the second direction side. The exhaust pipes 46 penetrate the ceiling 285 and protrude above the housing section 28. The upper end of the exhaust pipe 46 is covered with a lid 285c to prevent the intrusion of rain and dust. The exhaust pipes 46 discharge heated exhaust upward. Therefore, when multiple fuel cell power generators 18 are arranged adjacent to each other, heated exhaust is not blown onto adjacent fuel cell power generators 18, thus preventing a decrease in cooling performance and power generation performance.

[0032] The cooling device 40 is positioned adjacent to the partition wall 289. Hydrogen gas leaking from the partition wall 289 is taken into the intake airflow of the radiator 44, diluted, and exhausted to the outside of the containment section 28.

[0033] The exhaust section 285a is located above the cooling area 32. The exhaust section 285a includes a through-hole 285b formed by cutting out the ceiling 285 and a cover portion 285c. The exhaust pipe 46 is positioned in the through-hole 285b. The cover portion 285c covers the top of the exhaust pipe 46, preventing rain and dust from entering the exhaust pipe 46.

[0034] The high-voltage area 34 includes an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) 48, a battery 50, a DC distribution board 52, an AC distribution board 54, a power converter 56, and an air conditioner 58. The UPS 48 works in cooperation with the battery 50 to supply the power necessary for the control device of the fuel cell 36 when the fuel cell power generation device 18 is shut down. The UPS 48 also supplies the power necessary to drive auxiliary equipment when starting up the fuel cell 36.

[0035] The battery 50 is responsible for supplying power to the fuel cell 36 when the power generation unit 22 is idle. In addition, if a power outage occurs in the grid power supply 12, the battery 50 will supply the necessary power to the load 14 until the fuel cell 36 starts up.

[0036] The DC distribution panel 52 connects the output cable of the fuel cell 36 to the power converter 56. The AC distribution panel 54 connects the AC output of the power converter 56 to the automatic power switching device 20. The power converter 56 converts the several hundred volts of DC voltage output from the fuel cell 36 into AC power of the voltage and frequency required by the load 14. In this embodiment, the DC distribution panel 52, AC distribution panel 54, and power converter 56 are provided in two separate systems. Each system is responsible for half of the power output of the fuel cell power generator 18.

[0037] The air conditioner 58 maintains the high-voltage area 34 within a predetermined temperature range. Furthermore, the air conditioner 58 may be configured to heat the power generation area 30 in low-temperature environments to suppress a temperature drop in the fuel cell 36. Additionally, the air conditioner 58 may be configured to heat the high-voltage area 34 to suppress a temperature drop in the storage battery 50.

[0038] The following explanation will describe the layout of the piping and wiring inside the fuel cell power generation device 18, with reference to Figures 5 to 12.

[0039] The fuel cell 36 of this embodiment includes a fuel cell stack formed by stacking power generation cells, cathode auxiliary equipment for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, anode auxiliary equipment for supplying and circulating hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack, and an electrical system for controlling the operation of various valves.

[0040] Each fuel cell 36 is mainly connected to a fuel gas pipe 60, an air supply pipe 62, an exhaust pipe 64, a first cooling water pipe 66, a second cooling water pipe 68, and power wiring 70. The fuel gas pipe 60 is a pipe that supplies hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 36.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the fuel gas piping 60 receives hydrogen gas from the hydrogen supply source 16 through a connection port on the first end 28a side of the housing section 28. The fuel gas piping 60 has a common piping section 60a and branch piping sections 60b that extend from the common piping section 60a toward each fuel cell 36. The common piping section 60a is located at the upper end of the housing chamber 290 of the housing section 28 and extends in the longitudinal direction. High-pressure hydrogen gas ranging from several atmospheres to several hundred atmospheres flows through the common piping section 60a. The branch piping sections 60b branch off from the common piping section 60a and extend downward toward the hydrogen gas supply section of each fuel cell 36.

[0042] In this embodiment, since the fuel gas pipe 60 is commonly used by a plurality of fuel cells 36, a relatively large amount of hydrogen gas flows therethrough. By arranging such a pipe through which a large amount of hydrogen gas flows at a position higher than the fuel cells 36 in the accommodation chamber 290, safety can be improved when hydrogen gas leaks. That is, light hydrogen gas leaking from the fuel gas pipe 60 of this embodiment accumulates in an upper portion of the accommodation chamber 290. Most of the fuel gas pipe 60 is arranged at a position higher than the fuel cells 36 in the accommodation chamber 290, so that contact between leaked hydrogen gas and the fuel cells 36 on which electric systems are mounted is suppressed, resulting in excellent safety.

[0043] The air supply pipe 62 is a pipe that supplies air as an oxidant gas to the fuel cells 36. The air taken in through the air supply pipe 62 is compressed by a compressor inside the fuel cell 36 and supplied to power generation cells. In order to prevent the operating conditions of the compressor of one fuel cell 36 from affecting the operating conditions of the compressors of other fuel cells 36, in this embodiment, an air supply pipe 62 is provided separately for each fuel cell 36. The number of the air supply pipes 62 provided is equal to the number of the mounted fuel cells 36. In this embodiment, the number may be 16, for example.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, one end of the air supply pipe 62 is connected to an intake portion 286a, and takes in outside air from a widthwise side portion of the accommodation portion 28. Openings of the plurality of air supply pipes 62 are arranged in a line in a longitudinal direction in the intake portion 286a. Eight air supply pipes 62 are connected to one widthwise intake portion 286a, and eight air supply pipes 62 are connected to the other widthwise intake portion 286a.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the air supply pipe 62 is arranged near an upper end of the accommodation chamber 290 and extends in the longitudinal direction. Each air supply pipe 62 bends downward above a cathode auxiliary machine of the connected fuel cell 36, and is connected to the cathode auxiliary machine.

[0046] The exhaust pipe 64 is a pipe that discharges off-gas from the cathode of the fuel cell 36. The exhaust pipe 64 discharges hydrogen gas purged from the anode auxiliary equipment together with the off-gas. As shown in FIG. 9, the exhaust pipe 64 extends downward from the fuel cell 36, passes through the floor panel 284, and reaches the underfloor space 287.

[0047] One exhaust pipe 64 is provided for one fuel cell 36, and extends through the underfloor space 287 toward the first end portion 28a without joining with other exhaust pipes 64. The exhaust pipe 64 exhausts off-gas in the first direction at the first end portion 28a of the housing portion 28. Since the exhaust pipe 64 contains heated off-gas, by arranging it in the underfloor space 287 across the floor panel 284, the temperature rise of the housing chamber 290 can be suppressed.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10, the exhaust pipe 64 is arranged between the first cooling water pipe 66 and the power supply wiring 70 in the underfloor space 287. In the underfloor space 287, the exhaust pipe 64, which is a pipe extending long in the longitudinal direction, is arranged at a position closer to the power supply wiring 70 than the side portions in the width direction. When water leaks from the first cooling water pipe 66, the exhaust pipe 64 arranged in this manner acts as a barrier to the movement of water in the width direction, prevents water from reaching the power supply wiring 70, and suppresses damage to the power supply wiring 70 and electric leakage caused by water leakage.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 11, the first cooling water pipe 66 is a pipe that guides high-temperature cooling water that has cooled the power generation cells of the fuel cell 36 to the cooling device 40. The first cooling water pipe 66 extends downward from the fuel cell 36, passes through the floor panel 284, and reaches the underfloor space 287. The first cooling water pipe 66 extends in the second longitudinal direction in the underfloor space 287, reaches the lower part of the cooling portion 24, and is connected to the radiator 44. One first cooling water pipe 66 is provided for one fuel cell 36. The first cooling water pipe 66 is connected to the radiator 44 without joining with other first cooling water pipes 66.

[0050] High-temperature cooling water flows through the first cooling water pipe 66, resulting in a high temperature. However, since most of the first cooling water pipe 66 is separated from the housing chamber 290 via the floor panel 284, the temperature rise in the housing chamber 290 due to the heat dissipated from the first cooling water pipe 66 is suppressed.

[0051] As shown in Figure 10, the first cooling water pipes 66 are positioned near the center in the width direction within the underfloor space 287. Within the underfloor space 287, the longest first cooling water pipe 66 in the longitudinal direction is positioned in the center in the width direction. The shorter the length of the first cooling water pipe 66, the further to the side in the width direction it is positioned. This arrangement of the first cooling water pipes 66 allows for a gap to be created between them and the power wiring 70 within the underfloor space 287. Even if water leaks from the first cooling water pipes 66, the water is less likely to reach the power wiring 70, thereby suppressing corrosion and leakage of the power wiring 70 due to the water leak.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, the second cooling water pipe 68 is a pipe that returns the cooling water cooled by the radiator 44 to the fuel cell 36. The second cooling water pipe 68 extends from the cooling section 24, through the partition wall 289, and into the interior of the housing chamber 290 in a first direction. In a plan view from above, the second cooling water pipe 68 is positioned towards the center in the width direction and has space between it and the power wiring 70. This prevents water from reaching the power wiring 70 located on both sides in the width direction, even if water leaks from the second cooling water pipe 68. The second cooling water pipe 68 extends along the upper end of the support frame 38 and is connected to each fuel cell 36. One second cooling water pipe 68 is provided for each fuel cell 36. The second cooling water pipe 68 is connected to the fuel cell 36 without merging with other second cooling water pipes 68.

[0053] As shown in Figure 12, the power wiring 70 includes wiring that supplies power generated by the fuel cell 36 to the high-voltage unit 26. The power wiring 70 may also include low-voltage wiring that supplies power from the high-voltage unit 26 to the auxiliary equipment of the fuel cell 36, and signal wiring that transmits control signals. The power wiring 70 extends downward from each fuel cell 36, through the floor panel 284, to the underfloor space 287.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10, in the underfloor space 287 of the power generation area 30 and the cooling area 32, the power wiring 70 is arranged on both sides in the width direction. With the power wiring 70 arranged in this way, there is a space in the width direction between it and the first cooling water pipe 66, so even if water leakage occurs from the first cooling water pipe 66, contact with water can be prevented, and the spread of problems such as electrical leakage can be prevented. The power wiring 70 extends in a second longitudinal direction in the underfloor space 287 and reaches the high-voltage area 34. In the high-voltage area 34, the power wiring 70 is directed towards the center in the width direction, bends upward near the center in the width direction, and is connected to the DC distribution board 52. The power wiring 70 is connected to the power converter 56 via the DC distribution board 52.

[0055] Furthermore, the power wiring 70 is positioned in the underfloor space 287, away from the fuel gas piping 60 through which highly flammable hydrogen gas flows, and is isolated from the containment chamber 290 via the floor panel 284, thereby avoiding contact with leaked hydrogen gas. As a result, the fuel cell power generation device 18 of this embodiment can suppress problems caused by hydrogen gas ignition.

[0056] As shown in Figure 13, the power generation equipment 10A comprises a plurality of fuel cell power generation devices 18. This power generation equipment 10A comprises a plurality of fuel cell power generation devices 18 arranged side by side in the width direction. In the illustrated example, a plurality of fuel cell power generation devices 18 are arranged side by side in the width direction. The white arrows in the figure indicate the flow of air taken into the housing 28, and the colored arrows indicate the flow of off-gas and exhaust air discharged from the housing 28.

[0057] Each fuel cell power generator 18 is oriented so that its exhaust air or exhaust does not hit other adjacent fuel cell power generators 18. Therefore, even when multiple fuel cell power generators 18 are arranged, a decrease in cooling performance or power generation performance can be prevented. Accordingly, the fuel cell power generator 18 of this embodiment also has excellent expandability.

[0058] With regard to the above embodiments, the following additional information is disclosed.

[0059] (Note 1) The fuel cell power generation device (18) of the present disclosure comprises a housing section (28) having a housing chamber (290) inside, a power generation area (30) in which a plurality of fuel cells (36) are arranged in the housing chamber, a cooling area (32) in which a cooling device (40) for taking in outside air and cooling the refrigerant of the fuel cells is arranged in the housing chamber, and a high-voltage area (34) in which a power converter (56) for converting the power generated by the fuel cells into a predetermined voltage and outputting it is arranged in the housing chamber, wherein the power generation area and the high-voltage area are separated in the longitudinal direction of the housing section with the cooling area in between.

[0060] The fuel cell power generation system described above can dilute and discharge highly flammable hydrogen gas in a cooling area where a large amount of outside air flows in, even if a leak of hydrogen gas occurs in the power generation area. This prevents hydrogen gas from reaching the high-voltage area, resulting in superior safety.

[0061] (Note 2) The fuel cell power generation device described in Note 1, wherein the power generation area comprises an intake section (286a) for taking in air to be supplied to a plurality of fuel cells and an exhaust section (282a) for exhausting off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells, and the cooling area comprises an intake section (286b) for taking in outside air to the cooling device and an exhaust section (285a) for exhausting hot air from the cooling device, the intake section may be located on the side of the power generation area, the exhaust section may be located at the longitudinal end of the housing section, the intake section may be located on the side of the cooling area, and the exhaust section may be located at the top of the cooling area. In this fuel cell power generation device, exhaust is not drawn into the intake, so a decrease in power generation performance can be suppressed.

[0062] (Note 3) In the fuel cell power generation device described in Note 2, the exhaust section may discharge the off-gas from the longitudinal end of the housing section toward the longitudinal direction. When multiple fuel cell power generation devices are arranged in the width direction, the exhaust from each device is directed so that it is not drawn into the intake air, thereby preventing a decrease in power generation performance.

[0063] (Note 4) In the fuel cell power generation device described in Note 3, the exhaust section may be located at the lower end of the housing section, and the intake section may be located at the upper end of the housing section. This fuel cell power generation device can more effectively prevent exhaust gas from being drawn into the intake by providing a vertical difference in the positions of the exhaust section and the intake section.

[0064] (Note 5) The fuel cell power generation device described in Note 2, wherein the cooling device comprises a plurality of radiators (44) for cooling the refrigerant, and the plurality of radiators may be stacked vertically near the exhaust section. When the exhaust air from the cooling device is discharged upward, this fuel cell power generation device enables miniaturization of the cooling device and efficient use of the limited volume of the housing.

[0065] (Note 6) The fuel cell power generation device described in Note 1 may have a partition wall (289) that airtightly separates the power generation area and the cooling area. This fuel cell power generation device is excellent in safety because it can suppress the diffusion of hydrogen gas into the high-voltage area even if hydrogen gas leaks in the power generation area.

[0066] (Note 7) The power generation equipment (10) of this disclosure may have fuel cell power generation devices described in any one of the multiple notes 1 to 6 arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Since this power generation equipment is arranged in a direction in which the exhausts of the fuel cell power generation devices do not interfere with each other, the required site area can be reduced.

[0067] While this disclosure has been described in detail, it is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the gist of this disclosure or from the spirit of this disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. These embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are given as examples only and are not limited thereto. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the embodiments described above.

[0068] 10, 10A...Power generation equipment 18...Fuel cell power generation device 28...Housing section 30...Power generation area 32...Cooling area 34...High voltage area 36...Fuel cell 40...Cooling device 44...Radiator 56...Power converter 282a...Exhaust section 285a...Air exhaust section 286a...Intake section 286b...Intake section 289...Partition wall 290...Housing room

Claims

1. A fuel cell power generation device (18) comprising: a housing section (28) having a housing chamber (290) inside; a power generation area (30) in which a plurality of fuel cells (36) are arranged in the housing chamber; a cooling area (32) in which a cooling device (40) for taking in outside air and cooling the refrigerant of the fuel cells is arranged in the housing chamber; and a high-voltage area (34) in which a power converter (56) for converting the power generated by the fuel cells into a predetermined voltage and outputting it is arranged in the housing chamber, wherein the power generation area and the high-voltage area are separated in the longitudinal direction of the housing section with the cooling area in between.

2. A fuel cell power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the power generation area comprises an intake section (286a) for taking in air to be supplied to a plurality of fuel cells and an exhaust section (282a) for exhausting off-gases from the plurality of fuel cells, the cooling area comprises an intake section (286b) for taking in outside air to the cooling device and an exhaust section (285a) for exhausting hot air from the cooling device, the intake section is located on the side of the power generation area, the exhaust section is located at the longitudinal end of the housing section, the intake section is located on the side of the cooling area, and the exhaust section is located at the top of the cooling area.

3. A fuel cell power generation device according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust unit discharges the off-gas from the longitudinal end of the housing unit toward the longitudinal direction.

4. A fuel cell power generation device according to claim 3, wherein the exhaust section is located at the lower end of the housing section, and the intake section is located at the upper end of the housing section.

5. A fuel cell power generation device according to claim 2, wherein the cooling device comprises a plurality of radiators (44) for cooling the refrigerant, and the plurality of radiators are arranged stacked vertically near the exhaust section.

6. A fuel cell power generation device according to claim 1, comprising a partition wall (289) that airtightly separates the power generation area and the cooling area.

7. A power generation facility (10) in which fuel cell power generation devices according to any one of the multiple claims 1 to 6 are arranged in a line in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

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