Fuel cell system and method for controlling fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021111417-A1
Application number	US-202017115064-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell system according to the present embodiment includes a fuel cell stack, a cooling-water tank having a cooling-water supply port to which a cooling-water supply pipe coupled to a cooling-water inlet manifold is coupled at the other end, a first oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air outlet manifold being coupled to the cooling-water tank at the other end, the cooling-water tank being configured to supply cooling water from the cooling-water inlet manifold, and a pressure-loss part to which a second oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air discharge port of the cooling-water tank is coupled at the other end, and to which a fuel-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to a fuel-outlet manifold provided in a downstream outlet of the fuel-electrode passage is coupled at the other end.

First claim

1 . A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell provided with a fuel-electrode passage configured to supply a fuel gas to be supplied from a fuel-gas supply passage to a fuel electrode, an oxidizing-electrode passage configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas to an oxidizing electrode, and a cooling-water passage isolated from at least either the fuel-electrode passage or the oxidizing-electrode passage by a conductive porous material; a cooling-water tank having a cooling-water supply port to which a cooling-water supply pipe coupled at one end to a cooling-water inlet manifold provided in an upstream inlet of the cooling-water passage is coupled at the other end, a first oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air outlet manifold provided on a downstream side of the oxidizing-electrode passage being coupled to the cooling-water tank at the other end, the cooling-water tank being configured to supply cooling water from the cooling-water inlet manifold; and a pressure-loss part to which a second oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air discharge port of the cooling-water tank is coupled at the other end, and to which a fuel-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to a fuel outlet manifold provided in a downstream outlet of the fuel-electrode passage is coupled at the other end.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-loss part is any one of a heat exchanger, a sound absorbing duct, and a catalytic combustor.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a damper provided on a downstream side of the pressure-loss part and configured to adjust pressure loss in the pressure-loss part.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supply part provided in an oxygen-containing-gas supply pipe coupled to an air inlet manifold in an upstream inlet in the oxidizing-electrode passage and configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas; and a discharge part provided in a cooling-water discharge pipe coupled to a cooling-water outlet manifold in a downstream outlet in the cooling-water passage and configured to discharge cooling water from the cooling-water outlet manifold.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a control device configured to control at least a discharge amount of the cooling water from the discharge part based on a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in the air outlet manifold.

6 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a control device configured to control the damper based on a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in the air outlet manifold.

7 . A method for controlling a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell provided with a fuel-electrode passage configured to supply a fuel gas to be supplied from a fuel-gas supply passage to a fuel electrode, an oxidizing-electrode passage configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas to an oxidizing electrode, and a cooling-water passage isolated from at least either the fuel-electrode passage or the oxidizing-electrode passage by a conductive porous material,
a cooling-water tank having a cooling-water supply port to which a cooling-water supply pipe coupled at one end to a cooling-water inlet manifold provided in an upstream inlet of the cooling-water passage is coupled at the other end, a first oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air outlet manifold provided on a downstream side of the oxidizing-electrode passage being coupled to the cooling-water tank at the other end, the cooling-water tank being configured to supply cooling water from the cooling-water inlet manifold, and a pressure-loss part to which a second oxygen-containing-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to an air discharge port of the cooling-water tank is coupled at the other end, and to which a fuel-gas discharge pipe coupled at one end to a fuel-outlet manifold provided in a downstream outlet of the fuel-electrode passage is coupled at the other end, the method comprising adjusting a differential pressure between a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in an air outlet manifold provided on a downstream side of the oxidizing-electrode passage by an amount of discharge from the cooling-water passage.

8 . The method of claim 7 , the fuel cell system further includes a supply part provided in an oxygen-containing-gas supply pipe coupled to an air inlet manifold in an upstream inlet in the oxidizing-electrode passage and configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas, and
a discharge part provided in a cooling-water discharge pipe coupled to a cooling-water outlet manifold in a downstream outlet in the cooling-water passage and configured to discharge cooling water from the cooling-water outlet manifold, the method comprising controlling at least a discharge amount of the cooling water from the discharge part based on a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in the air outlet manifold.

9 . The method of claim 7 , the fuel cell system further includes a damper provided on a downstream side of the pressure-loss part and configured to adjust pressure loss in the pressure-loss part,
the method comprising controlling the damper based on a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in the air outlet manifold.

10 . The method of claim 7 , comprising
supplying the oxygen-containing gas from a supply part provided in an oxygen-containing-gas supply pipe coupled to an air inlet manifold in an upstream inlet in the oxidizing-electrode passage, and discharging cooling water from a cooling-water outlet manifold through a discharge part provided in a cooling-water discharge pipe coupled to the cooling-water outlet manifold in a downstream outlet in the cooling-water passage.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising
controlling at least a discharge amount of the cooling water from the discharge part based on a water-pressure in the cooling-water inlet manifold and an air-pressure in the air outlet manifold.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Shimotori Soichiro

Classifications

• H01M8/04783

  Pressure differences, e.g. between anode and cathode · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/0662

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

• H01M8/04029 Primary

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title