Fuel cell system and method for warming up fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020365916-A1
Application number	US-201716638223-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell, a heat source device configured to heat an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas and configured to heat the reformer, a fuel cell heating device configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell using the heating gas, a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the fuel cell, and a reformer temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the reformer. The fuel cell system includes a controller configured to, in a warm-up operation to perform a warm-up of the reformer and a warm-up of the fuel cell, control at least one of the heat source device and the fuel cell heating device based on the temperature of the reformer and the temperature of the fuel cell to adjust at least one of a heating amount of the off-gas and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas.

First claim

1 .- 9 . (canceled)

10 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity; a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a heat source device configured to heat an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas and configured to heat the reformer; a fuel cell heating device configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell using the heating gas; a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the fuel cell; a reformer temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the reformer; and a controller configured to, in a warm-up operation to perform a warm-up of the reformer and a warm-up of the fuel cell, control at least one of the heat source device and the fuel cell heating device based on the temperature of the reformer and the temperature of the fuel cell to adjust at least one of a heating amount of the off-gas and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas, wherein the controller is configured to reduce the heating amount of the air by the heating gas when a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the fuel cell is greater than a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the reformer.

11 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity; a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a heat source device configured to heat an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas and configured to heat the reformer; a fuel cell heating device configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell using the heating gas; a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the fuel cell; a reformer temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the reformer; and a controller configured to, in a warm-up operation to perform a warm-up of the reformer and a warm-up of the fuel cell, control at least one of the heat source device and the fuel cell heating device based on the temperature of the reformer and the temperature of the fuel cell to adjust at least one of a heating amount of the off-gas and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas, wherein the controller is configured to increase the heating amount of the off-gas when a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the reformer is greater than a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the fuel cell.

12 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the fuel cell heating device includes an air heat exchanger provided to an air supply passage configured to supply the air to the fuel cell, the air heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange of the air in the air supply passage with the heating gas, a bypass passage provided to the air supply passage to bypass the air heat exchanger, and a bypass valve provided in the bypass passage; and the controller is configured to control an opening degree of the bypass valve to adjust an air flow rate to be supplied to the air heat exchanger.

13 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the heat source device includes a discharged gas combustor configured to produce a combustion gas as the heating gas by burning the off-gas, and a fuel supply amount adjustment unit configured to adjust an amount of the fuel to be supplied to the discharged gas combustor; and the controller is configured to control the fuel supply amount adjustment unit to adjust a fuel supply amount to the discharged gas combustor.

14 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a raw fuel tank storing raw fuel; a combustor fuel supply passage configured to supply the fuel from the raw fuel tank to the discharged gas combustor; and a combustion gas supply passage configured to supply the combustion gas produced in the discharged gas combustor to the fuel cell heating device, wherein: the heat source device includes an injector provided in the combustor fuel supply passage; and the controller is configured to control the injector to adjust the fuel supply amount to the discharged gas combustor.

15 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to limit an increase of the heating amount of the off-gas when an amount of the air for heat exchange with the heating gas has reached a predetermined lower limit value.

16 . The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the warm-up degree of the fuel cell is a ratio of the temperature of the fuel cell acquired to a warm-up target temperature of the fuel cell; and the warm-up degree of the reformer is a ratio of the temperature of the reformer acquired to a warm-up target temperature of the reformer.

17 . A method for warming up a fuel cell system, the method comprising:
producing a heating gas by heating an off-gas discharged from a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, and heating a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; and heating the fuel cell using the heating gas, wherein: at least one of a heating amount of the off-gas and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas is adjusted based on a temperature of the fuel cell and a temperature of the reformer; and the heating amount of the air by the heating gas is reduced when a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the fuel cell is greater than a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the reformer.

18 . A method for warming up a fuel cell system, the method comprising:
producing a heating gas by heating an off-gas discharged from a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, and heating a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; and heating the fuel cell using the heating gas, wherein: at least one of a heating amount of the off-gas and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas is adjusted based on a temperature of the fuel cell and a temperature of the reformer; and the heating amount of the off-gas is increased when a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the reformer is greater than a warm-up degree based on the temperature of the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Chikugo Hayato
• Miyazaki Shinichi
• Yaguchi Tatsuya
• Sato Masashi

Classifications

• H01M8/04302

  applied during start-up · CPC title

• H01M8/0435

  of cathode exhausts · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04335

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title