Fuel cell stack device and fuel cell device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018159156-A1
Application number	US-201715827857-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 7, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell stack device that is applicable to miniaturization of the device and does not require a pipe for discharging off-gas up to a combustion section. A fuel cell stack device including: a first manifold 2 a for supplying fuel gas supplied from a reformer 12 to a plurality of fuel cells provided in a first cell stack from above, the first manifold being connected to upper ends of the plurality of fuel cells provided in the first cell stack 10 a ; and a second manifold 2 b for recovering fuel gas discharged from the first cell stack, and supplying the recovered fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells provided in the second cell stack from below, the second manifold being connected to lower ends of the plurality of fuel cells provided in the second cell stack 10 b.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell stack device for generating electricity by reaction of fuel gas and oxidant gas, the fuel cell stack device comprising:
a plurality of columnar fuel cells each having a gas flow path extending in a longitudinal direction therein; a plurality of cell stacks each having the plurality of fuel cells disposed in parallel to each other with respect to the longitudinal direction, and including a first cell stack and a second cell stack arranged in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; a reformer that reforms raw material gas into fuel gas containing hydrogen; a first manifold connected to upper ends of the plurality of fuel cells provided in the first cell stack and supplying the fuel gas supplied from the reformer to the plurality of fuel cells provided in the first cell stack from above; and a second manifold connected to lower ends of the plurality of fuel cells provided in the second cell stack, recovering fuel gas discharged from the first cell stack, and supplying the recovered fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells provided in the second cell stack from below.

2 . The fuel cell stack device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of cell stacks are composed of only the first cell stack and the second cell stack, and the first cell stack and the second cell stack are each made up of the plurality of fuel cells arranged in line.

3 . The fuel cell stack device according to claim 1 , wherein
the reformer is provided above the second cell stack.

4 . A fuel cell device comprising a plurality of columnar fuel cells that generate electricity with fuel gas flowing in inner flow paths and oxidant gas supplied to outer surfaces, wherein
the plurality of fuel cells are formed of a first cell group and a second cell group, the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group and the second cell group are erected such that the respective inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a second manifold, upper ends of the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group are fixed such that the inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a first manifold, and upper ends of the fuel cells included in the second cell group are opened in order to discharge and combust fuel gas that is discharged from the upper ends and is not used for electrical generation.

5 . The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , wherein
longitudinal lengths of the fuel cells included in the first cell group are shorter than longitudinal lengths of the fuel cells included in the second cell group.

6 . The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , wherein
fuel gas supplied to the first manifold sequentially flows through the inner flow paths of the fuel cells included in the first cell group, the second manifold, and the inner flow paths of the fuel cells included in the second cell group, and thereafter is discharged.

7 . The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , wherein
in top view, the first manifold has two regions extending in a long side direction of a cell group composed of the plurality of fuel cells disposed in a rectangular shape on a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal directions of the fuel cells, and one region extending in a short side direction of the cell group, and the two regions extending in the long side direction are connected with each other across the one region extending in the short side direction.

8 . The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , wherein
the first manifold is composed of a plurality of manifolds.

9 . The fuel cell device according to claim 4 , wherein
a reformer that supplies fuel gas to the first manifold is provided above the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group, and a combustion section is provided between the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group, and the reformer.

10 . A fuel cell device comprising a plurality of columnar fuel cells that generate electricity with fuel gas flowing in inner flow paths and oxidant gas supplied to outer surfaces, wherein
the plurality of fuel cells are formed of a first cell group and a second cell group, the fuel cells included in the first cell group are erected such that the respective inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a manifold, the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group is provided above the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group in longitudinal directions of the fuel cells through insulating communication members, the inner flow paths of the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group are in communication with the inner flow paths of the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group through insulating communication members, the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group are electrically connected in series, a plurality of the fuel cells included in the second cell group are electrically connected in series, and the first cell group and the second cell group are electrically connected.

11 . The fuel cell device according to claim 10 , wherein
longitudinal lengths of the fuel cells included in the first cell group are shorter than longitudinal lengths of the fuel cells included in the second cell group.

12 . The fuel cell device according to claim 10 , wherein
the two or more fuel cells among the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group are joined by one insulating communication member.

13 . A fuel cell device comprising a plurality of columnar fuel cells that generate electricity with fuel gas flowing in inner flow paths and oxidant gas supplied to outer surfaces, wherein
the plurality of fuel cells are formed of a first cell group and a second cell group, the first cell group and the second cell group are arrayed apart from each other, in the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group, lower ends are connected and fixed such that the inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a first manifold, and upper ends are connected and fixed such that the inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a second manifold, in the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group, upper ends are connected and fixed such that the inner flow paths are in communication with inside of the second manifold, and lower ends are connected and fixed such that the inner flow paths are in communication with inside of a third manifold, fuel gas supplied to the first manifold sequentially flows through the inner flow paths of the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group, the second manifold, the inner flow paths of the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group, and the third manifold, and thereafter is discharged, and the number of the plurality of fuel cells included the second cell group is the same as the number of the fuel cells included in the first cell group, or less than the number of the fuel cells included in the first cell group.

14 . The fuel cell device according to claim 13 , wherein
the first manifold and the third manifold are provided apart from each other.

15 . The fuel cell device according to claim 13 , wherein
the first manifold and the third manifold are integrally configured as a single container, and inside of the container is separated into the first manifold that supplies fuel gas to the plurality of fuel cells included in the first cell group, and the third manifold that discharges fuel gas discharged from the plurality of fuel cells included in the second cell group to outside.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Naoki
• Otsuka Toshiharu
• Kawakami Akira
• Tsuboi Fumio
• Matsuo Takuya
• Hoshiko Takuya
• Tanaka Shuhei

Classifications

• H01M8/0618 Primary

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

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• F28D2021/0043

  for fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2485

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title