Fuel gas circulation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017244119-A1
Application number	US-201715437546-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 24, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a fuel gas circulation apparatus, an injector for injecting a fuel gas is inserted into an attachment hole of a body. A cylindrical nozzle is provided integrally with a distal end of the injector. A diffuser is provided downstream of the injector. The diffuser mixes a redundant fuel cell and the injected fuel gas. Connection channels are formed at the proximal end of the diffuser for circulation of the off gas. A reduced diameter portion having the reduced flow channel diameter is formed downstream of a chamber where the connection channels are provided. A nozzle injection hole at the distal end of the nozzle is positioned to face, and coaxially with the reduced diameter portion to circulate the off gas toward a fuel cell stack under operation of the negative pressure generated by the diffuser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel gas circulation apparatus for circulating a fuel off gas discharged from a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system, the fuel gas circulation apparatus comprising:
a body including a fluid channel to flow a newly supplied fuel gas; a diffuser provided in the fluid channel, a diffuser channel being formed in the diffuser; and an injector formed upstream of the diffuser, and at least partially inserted into the body, the injector being configured to inject the fuel gas, wherein the diffuser channel comprises a connection part connected to a circulation channel configured to allow circulation of the fuel off gas, and a reduced diameter portion having a diameter reduced from the connection part toward a downstream side; the injector is provided coaxially with the diffuser, and a nozzle configured to inject the fuel gas is provided integrally with a distal end of the injector; and a distal end of the nozzle is positioned to face the reduced diameter portion.

2 . The fuel gas circulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a nozzle channel is formed inside the nozzle, the nozzle channel extending in an axial direction of the nozzle;
the nozzle channel includes a cylindrical part extending with a constant diameter; and a nozzle injection hole formed downstream of the cylindrical part, having a diameter gradually reduced toward a downstream side.

3 . The fuel gas circulation apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an injector channel formed inside the injector; and a valve plug configured to switch a connection state of the injector channel, wherein an end of the nozzle opposite to the nozzle injection hole is inserted into the injector channel, and a valve seat where the valve plug is seated is formed at the end of the nozzle.

Assignees

• Keihin Corp
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koyama Tomoyoshi
• Fukuda Tetsuya

Classifications

• H01M8/04201 Primary

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/0662

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• F04F5/16 Primary

  displacing elastic fluids · CPC title

• F04F5/46

  Arrangements of nozzles · CPC title