Fuel cell generator and method for operating fuel cell generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016240874-A1
Application number	US-201514864321-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell generator capable of reducing or repairing damage damaged portions for itself and a method for operating the fuel cell generator.
A fuel cell generator 1 of the present invention includes a fuel cell module 10 formed by disposing multiple power generation elements, in which fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are sequentially stacked together, at predetermined intervals, the multiple power generation elements being connected to each other through an interconnector, a fuel supply unit 12 that supplies fuel gas to the fuel electrode; an air supply unit 11 that supplies oxidizing gas to the air electrode; and a repairing particle supply unit 14 that supplies repairing particles 14 a to the damaged portion in at least one of the interconnector and the solid electrolyte.

First claim

1 . A fuel cell generator, comprising:
a fuel cell main body formed by disposing multiple power generation elements, in which a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are sequentially stacked together, at predetermined intervals, the multiple power generation elements being connected to each other through an interconnector; a fuel gas supply unit that supplies fuel gas to the fuel electrode; an oxidizing gas supply unit that supplies oxidizing gas to the air electrode; and a repairing particle supply unit that supplies repairing particles that repair a damaged portion to the damaged portion in at least one of the interconnector and the solid electrolyte.

2 . The fuel cell generator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the repairing particle supply unit supplies the repairing particles to the fuel gas.

3 . The fuel cell generator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the repairing particle supply unit is a repairing particle layer provided on the surface of a base body provided with the power generation element.

4 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 , comprising:
a control unit that controls the supplied amount of the repairing particles on the basis of an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell base body, the concentration of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell base body, the voltage drop of the fuel cell base body, and the concentration of oxygen in oxidizing gas discharged from the fuel cell base body.

5 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 ,
wherein the repairing particles are at least partially gasified at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the temperature of the interconnector or the solid electrolyte during the repairing operation of the fuel cell main body through which the damaged portions are repaired.

6 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 ,
wherein the repairing particles are at least partially melted at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the temperature of the interconnector or the solid electrolyte during the repairing operation of the fuel cell main body through which the damaged portions are repaired.

7 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 ,
wherein the average particle diameter of the repairing particles is 2.5 μm or less.

8 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 ,
wherein the repairing particles include at least one selected from a group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, zinc oxide, sodium fluoride, and sodium silicate.

9 . The fuel cell generator according to any one of claim 1 ,
wherein the power generation element is provided on a base body tube forming a cylindrical shape.

10 . A method for operating a fuel cell generator, comprising:
a first step of measuring at least one of an increase in the temperature of a fuel cell base body, the concentration of fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell base body, the voltage drop of the fuel cell base body, and the concentration of oxygen in oxidizing gas discharged from the fuel cell base body: and a second step of controlling the amount of repairing particles repairing a damaged portion supplied to the damaged portion in at least one of an interconnector and a solid electrolyte in a power generation element of the fuel cell main body on the basis of at least one measurement value of the measured increase in the temperature, the measured concentration of the fuel gas, the measured voltage drop, and the measured concentration of oxygen.

11 . The method for operating a fuel cell generator according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in a case in which the measurement value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the supply of the repairing particles is initiated or continued and, in a case in which the measurement value is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold value, the supply of the repairing particles is stopped.

12 . The method for operating a fuel cell generator according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the first step, the supply of the repairing particles is initiated in advance before the initiation of the operation of the fuel cell main body and, in the second step, in a case in which the measurement value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the supplied amount of the repairing particles is increased and, in a case in which the measurement value is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold value, the supplied amount of the repairing particles is decreased.

13 . The method for operating a fuel cell generator according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the second step, in a case in which the measurement value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the power generation of the fuel cell main body is stopped so as to initiate or continue the supply of the repairing particles, and wherein the method comprises: a third step of, in a state in which the power generation of the fuel cell main body is stopped, measuring at least one of an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell base body, the concentration of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell base body, the voltage drop of the fuel cell base body, and the concentration of oxygen in oxidizing gas discharged from the fuel cell base body; and a fourth step of initiating or continuing the supply of the repairing particles in a case in which at least one measurement value of an increase in the temperature of the fuel cell base body, the concentration of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell base body, the voltage drop of the fuel cell base body, and the concentration of oxygen in oxidizing gas discharged from the fuel cell main body in a state in which the power generation of the fuel cell main body is stopped exceeds the predetermined threshold value, and stopping the supply of the repairing particles in a case in which the measurement value is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold value.

14 . The method for operating a fuel cell generator according to claim 13 ,
wherein, in the first step, the supply of the repairing particles is initiated in advance before the initiation of the operation of the fuel cell base body.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Sys

Inventors

• Suemori Shigenori
• Kobayashi Yoshinori
• Hiwatashi Kenichi

Classifications

• H01M8/10

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2300/0065

  Solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04291 Primary

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04559

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0447

  of cathode exhausts · CPC title