Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11424459-B2
Application number	US-201817273458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell configured to be supplied with a fuel and air to generate an electric power;a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a combustion discharged gas;a fuel heating part configured to heat the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas;an air heating part configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas;an anode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the fuel heating part;a cathode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the air heating part; anda discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part configured to adjust a discharged gas distribution ratio, the discharged gas distribution ratio being a ratio of an anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate to a cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate,the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the anode-side distribution passage,the cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the cathode-side distribution passage,wherein the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part is configured to reduce the discharged gas distribution ratio according to an increase in a supply air flow rate as a flow rate of the air to be supplied to the fuel cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to be supplied with a fuel and air to generate an electric power;
a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a combustion discharged gas;
a fuel heating part configured to heat the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas;
an air heating part configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas;
an anode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the fuel heating part and communicate with outside air via the fuel heating part;
a cathode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the air heating part, be joined to the anode-side distribution passage via the air heating part, and communicate with the outside air; and
a discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part configured to adjust a discharged gas distribution ratio, the discharged gas distribution ratio being a ratio of an anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate to a cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate,
the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the anode-side distribution passage,
the cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate being a flow rate of the combustion discharged gas that flows in the cathode-side distribution passage,

wherein the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part is configured to reduce the discharged gas distribution ratio according to an increase in a supply air flow rate as a flow rate of the air to be supplied to the fuel cell.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part includes a discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment structure provided in the anode-side distribution passage and the cathode-side distribution passage; and
the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment structure is configured such that a rate of increase in a pressure loss in the anode-side distribution passage according to the increase in the supply air flow rate becomes larger than a rate of increase in a pressure loss in the cathode-side distribution passage according to the increase in the supply air flow rate.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment structure includes a flow path cross-sectional area reduction part provided in the anode-side distribution passage and configured to reduce a flow path cross-sectional area for the combustion discharged gas.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment structure includes a flow path surface area increasing part provided in the cathode-side distribution passage and configured to increase a flow path surface area for the combustion discharged gas.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part includes a flow rate adjustment device configured to adjust the flow rate of the combustion discharged gas in at least one of the anode-side distribution passage or the cathode-side distribution passage, and a control device configured to operate the flow rate adjustment device; and
the control device is configured to operate the flow rate adjustment device so that the discharged gas distribution ratio is reduced as the supply air flow rate is increased.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the control device is configured to estimate the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate based on the supply air flow rate; and
the control device is configured to operate the flow rate adjustment device so that the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate estimated becomes equal to or less than an upper limit flow rate determined based on acceptable heat energy of the fuel in the fuel heating part.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the control device is configured to estimate the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate based on the supply air flow rate; and
the control device is configured to operate the flow rate adjustment device so that the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate estimated becomes equal to or higher than a lower limit flow rate determined based on a target temperature of the fuel heating part according to power-generation electric power.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Fukushima Eisuke
• Chikugo Hayato

Classifications

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04302

  applied during start-up · CPC title

• H01M8/04395

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title