Reformer, cell stack apparatus, fuel cell module, and fuel cell apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019214665-A1
Application number	US-201716309502-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A reformer of the present disclosure includes a reformer body which has a cylindrical shape and extends horizontally, introducing raw fuel and water to perform a reforming reaction, the reformer body including therein a vaporization portion which generates steam, and a reforming portion which reacts the steam generated in the vaporization portion with raw fuel to generate a reformed gas; a raw fuel introduction pipe which introduces the raw fuel into the reformer body; a water introduction pipe including therein a water passage which introduces water into the reformer body; and a vaporization accelerating portion which is disposed in at least one of the vaporization portion and the water introduction pipe and accelerates vaporization of water in the vaporization portion.

First claim

1 . A reformer, comprising:
a reformer body, which has a cylindrical shape and extends horizontally, using raw fuel and water to perform a reforming reaction, the reformer body comprising:
a vaporization portion which generates steam from the water, and
a reforming portion which reacts the steam generated in the vaporization portion, with the raw fuel to generate a reformed gas;
a raw fuel introduction pipe which introduces the raw fuel into the reformer body; a water introduction pipe comprising a water passage which introduces the water into the reformer body; and a vaporization accelerating portion which is disposed in at least one of the vaporization portion and the water introduction pipe, the vaporization accelerating portion accelerating vaporization of the water in the vaporization portion.

2 . The reformer according to claim 1 , wherein
the vaporization accelerating portion comprises a water diffusion member which diffuses the water introduced into the vaporization portion.

3 . The reformer according to claim 2 , wherein
the water diffusion member is disposed along an inner surface of the reformer body.

4 . The reformer according to claim 1 , wherein
the vaporization accelerating portion comprises an atomizing member which is disposed in a portion of the water introduction pipe facing the vaporization portion, the atomizing member atomizing the water introduced into the vaporization portion.

5 . The reformer according to claim 4 , wherein
the atomizing member protrudes into the vaporization portion from a tip of the water introduction pipe.

6 . The reformer according to claim 1 , wherein
the water passage comprises a flow suppressing portion which suppresses the water from flowing in an axial direction of the water passage, and the flow suppressing portion constitutes the vaporization accelerating portion.

7 . The reformer according to claim 6 , wherein
the flow suppressing portion is located at a downstream side end of the water passage in a flow direction of the water.

8 . The reformer according to claim 6 , wherein
a cross-sectional area in a portion of the water passage corresponding to the flow suppressing portion is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the water passage corresponding to an upstream side, in the flow direction of the water, from the flow suppressing portion.

9 . The reformer according to claim 8 , wherein
one of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe is disposed inside the other of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe, and a diameter in a portion of at least one of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe corresponding to the flow suppressing portion is different than a diameter of the at least one of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe corresponding to the upstream side, of the flow direction of the water or the raw fuel, from the flow suppressing portion.

10 . The reformer according to claim 9 , wherein
a cross-sectional area in a portion of the raw fuel passage corresponding to the flow suppressing portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of the raw fuel passage corresponding to an upstream side, of a flow direction of the raw fuel, from the flow suppressing portion.

11 . The reformer according to claim 6 , wherein
the flow suppressing portion comprises a flow resisting member inserted in the axial direction of the water passage.

12 . The reformer according to claim 11 , wherein
the raw fuel introduction pipe is located inside the water introduction pipe, and the flow resisting member is disposed between the raw fuel introduction pipe and the water introduction pipe.

13 . The reformer according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a sheath pipe comprising a thermocouple inserted therein, the thermocouple measuring an internal temperature of the reformer body, wherein
one of the raw fuel introduction pipe and the water introduction pipe is disposed inside the other of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe,
the sheath pipe is located inside the water introduction pipe or the raw fuel introduction pipe, and
the sheath pipe is disposed in the axial direction of the water introduction pipe and the raw fuel introduction pipe without contacting either the water introduction pipe or the raw fuel introduction pipe.

14 . The reformer according to claim 2 , wherein
the water diffusion member comprises a metal net.

15 . The reformer according to claim 2 , wherein
the water diffusion member comprises a fiber material formed of an inorganic material.

16 . The reformer according to claim 11 , wherein
the flow resisting member comprises a helical member.

17 . A cell stack apparatus, comprising:
the reformer according to claim 1 connected to a manifold and disposed above a cell stack; the cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells and a gas passage penetrating into each fuel cell of the plurality of fuel cells in a longitudinal direction, the each fuel cell configured to generate electric power with a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and to burn the fuel gas not used for power generation on an upper end side of the cell stack; and the manifold which communicates with the gas passage and introduces the fuel gas into the gas passage.

18 . A fuel cell module, comprising:
the cell stack apparatus according to claim 17 ; and a housing which houses the cell stack apparatus.

19 . A fuel cell apparatus, comprising:
the fuel cell module according to claim 18 ; an auxiliary machine which operates the fuel cell module; and an exterior case which houses the fuel cell module and the auxiliary machine.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp
• Dainichi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoo Naoki
• Yamazaki Osamu
• Kanbayashi Tatsuya
• Maruyama Takayuki
• Takahashi Naruto

Classifications

• H01M8/0618 Primary

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

• C01B2203/1619

  Measuring the temperature · CPC title

• C01B2203/066

  with fuel cells · CPC title

• C01B2203/1288

  Evaporation of one or more of the different feed components · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title