Fuel cell module and fuel cell apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10886545-B2
Application number	US-201615755597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A fuel cell module includes: a housing; a cell stack; a reformer; and an oxygen-containing gas supply section. The cell stack comprises fuel cells which are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction, and is housed in the housing. The reformer is disposed above the cell stack in the housing. The oxygen-containing gas supply section is disposed along the predetermined arrangement direction of the fuel cells so as to face the cell stack and the reformer, and has a gas flow channel through which an oxygen-containing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell flows downwardly. Moreover, in the oxygen-containing gas supply section, the gas flow channel has a first region and a second region which is greater than the first region in flow channel width in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which an oxygen-containing gas flows, and the predetermined arrangement direction of the fuel cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell module, comprising:
a housing;
a cell stack housed in the housing, the cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells which each have a columnar shape and are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction;
a reformer disposed above the cell stack in the housing, the reformer configured to generate a fuel gas which is supplied to the fuel cells; and
an oxygen-containing gas supply section disposed along the predetermined arrangement direction of the fuel cells so as to face the cell stack and the reformer, the oxygen-containing gas supply section having a gas flow channel, the oxygen-containing gas supply section configured to supply, downwardly, an oxygen-containing gas through the gas flow channel to the fuel cells;
the oxygen-containing gas supply section configured so that the gas flow channel has a first region proximate to the cell stack and a second region proximate to the reformer but not proximate to the cell stack, the second region, in its entirety, having a greater flow channel width than the first region in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which an oxygen-containing gas is configured to flow and the predetermined arrangement direction of the fuel cells,
wherein a face of the first region opposed to the cell stack is provided with at least three projections protruding toward the cell stack,
at least two projections of the at least three projections support a heat insulator interposed between the cell stack and the oxygen-containing gas supply section, and
at least one projection of the at least three projections, located between the at least two projections that support the heat insulator, is free of support of the heat insulator.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a flow channel width of the second region to a flow channel width of the first region falls in a range of 1.5 to 10.

3. A fuel cell apparatus, comprising:
the fuel cell module according to claim 1 ; and
an exterior case which houses therein the fuel cell module.

4. A fuel cell module comprising:
a housing;
a cell stack housed in the housing, the cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells that each have a columnar shape and are arranged in an arrangement direction;
a reformer disposed above the cell stack and in the housing, the reformer configured to generate a fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cells; and
an oxygen-containing gas supply section that extends along the arrangement direction and is adjacent to the cell stack and the reformer, the oxygen-containing gas supply section configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas and comprising:
a gas flow channel configured to downwardly supply the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cells, the gas flow channel comprising:
a first region defined by proximity to the cell stack and
a second region defined by proximity to the reformer

wherein, in a direction perpendicular to a direction the oxygen-containing gas is configured to flow and to the arrangement direction,
a maximum flow channel width of the second region is greater than a maximum flow channel width of the first region,

wherein a face of the first region opposed to the cell stack is provided with at least three projections protruding toward the cell stack,
at least two projections of the at least three projections support a heat insulator interposed between the cell stack and the oxygen-containing gas supply section, and
at least one projection of the at least three projections, located between the at least two projections that support the heat insulator, is free of support of the heat insulator.

5. The fuel cell module according to claim 4 , wherein a ratio of a flow channel width of the second region to a flow channel width of the first region falls in a range of 1.5 to 10.

6. A fuel cell apparatus, comprising:
the fuel cell module according to claim 4 ; and
an exterior case which houses therein the fuel cell module.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Suehiro Masanori
• Matsui Eizo
• Oda Tomoyuki

Classifications

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• H01M8/04067 Primary

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• H01M8/0606

  with means for production of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• C01B3/38

  using catalysts · CPC title

• C25B9/70

  Assemblies comprising two or more cells · CPC title