Heat manageable fuel cell hot box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11557776-B2
Application number	US-202117363696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A fuel cell hot box for improving the system efficiency of a fuel cell. Fuel cell stack parts, an after burner, a reformer, an air pre-heating zone, and a fuel-heat exchanger are provided in a housing allowing heat of the fuel cell stack parts and heat of combustion gas generated in the after burner to be used for reforming, preheating fuel and preheating air at the same time to avoid wasting energy. The fuel cell stack parts under thermal stress can be cooled to improve durability of the stack parts to increase a lifetime of a total system, and the stack parts can share the central chamber part to simplify a structure of the fuel cell hot box. In addition, the reformer includes an opening and closing unit to properly distribute the high-temperature combustion gas so that a reforming ratio is adjustable according to an operating condition of the fuel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell hot box comprising:
a housing including a first inner space, a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet;
a central chamber part which is positioned in a central portion of the first inner space and includes a second inner space, an after burner, and a reformer;
a plurality of fuel cell stack parts which are positioned at the same distance from a center of the central chamber part and are arrayed to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the first inner space; and
an air pre-heating zone provided between the plurality of fuel cell stack parts and the central chamber part,
wherein, in the central chamber part, the after burner is provided at one side portion on a vertical central axis of the central chamber part, and
the reformer is provided at the other side portion on the vertical central axis.

2. The fuel cell hot box of claim 1 , wherein:
the first inlet is connected to the reformer;
the second inlet is connected to the air pre-heating zone; and
the outlet communicates with the second inner space.

3. The fuel cell hot box of claim 1 , wherein:
a through hole passing through a central portion of the reformer is formed; and
a bent flow path surrounding the through hole is formed in a stacked form to allow introduced fuel to flow.

4. The fuel cell hot box of claim 3 , wherein the reformer is disposed between and connects the first inlet and the plurality of fuel cell stack parts.

5. The fuel cell hot box of claim 1 , wherein the reformer further includes an opening and closing unit in an upper portion of the reformer.

6. The fuel cell hot box of claim 5 , wherein the opening and closing unit includes a control rod protruding outward from the housing.

7. The fuel cell hot box of claim 1 , wherein the air pre-heating zone includes a bent flow path being stacked and is disposed between and connects the second inlet and the plurality of fuel cell stack parts.

Assignees

• Uif Univ Industry Foundation Yonsei Univ

Inventors

• Hong Jong Sup
• Kim Ji Young
• Lee Woo Seok
• Yoon Dong Young

Classifications

• H01M8/0618 Primary

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title

• H01M8/0662

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/243

  Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title