Fuel cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9240601-B2
Application number	US-201214347909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Jan 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A fuel cell module includes a first area where an exhaust gas combustor and a start-up combustor are provided, an annular second area disposed around the first area where a heat exchanger is provided, an annular third area disposed around the second area where a reformer is provided, and an annular fourth area disposed around the third area where an evaporator is provided, and a condensed water collecting mechanism for collecting condensed water produced by condensation of water vapor in a combustion gas by allowing the condensed water to flow through the fourth area, then, the third area, then, the second area, and then, the first area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell module comprising:
a fuel cell stack formed by stacking fuel cells for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions between a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
a reformer for reforming a mixed gas of water vapor and a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon to produce the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell stack;
an evaporator for evaporating water, and supplying the water vapor to the reformer;
a heat exchanger for raising temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with combustion gas, and supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack;
an exhaust gas combustor for combusting the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack as a fuel exhaust gas and the oxygen-containing gas discharged from the fuel cell stack as an oxygen-containing exhaust gas to thereby produce the combustion gas; and
a start-up combustor for combusting the raw fuel and the oxygen-containing gas to thereby produce the combustion gas,
the fuel cell module further comprising:
a first area where the exhaust gas combustor and the start-up combustor are provided;
an annular second area disposed around the first area where one of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided;
an annular third area disposed around the second area where another of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided;
an annular fourth area disposed around the third area where the evaporator is provided; and
a condensed water collecting mechanism for collecting condensed water produced by condensation of water vapor in the combustion gas by allowing the condensed water to flow the fourth area, then, the third area, then, the second area, and then, the first area, the condensing water collecting mechanism including:
a first ring member that forms a bottom of the second area, a second ring member that forms a bottom of the third area, and a third ring member that forms a bottom of the fourth area,
wherein the bottom of the third ring member is higher than the bottom of the second ring member, and the bottom of the second ring member is higher than the bottom of the first ring member, and
a collection pipe for collecting water vapor is provided at a lower position of the first area.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the reformer includes an annular mixed gas supply chamber to which the mixed gas is supplied, an annular reformed gas discharge chamber to which the produced fuel gas is discharged, and a plurality of reforming pipes connected at one end to the mixed gas supply chamber, and connected at another end to the reformed gas discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to a space between the reforming pipes;
the evaporator includes an annular water supply chamber to which the water is supplied, an annular water vapor discharge chamber to which the water vapor is discharged, a plurality of evaporation pipes connected at one end to the water supply chamber, and connected at another end to the water vapor discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to a space between the evaporation pipes; and
the heat exchanger includes an annular oxygen-containing gas supply chamber to which the oxygen-containing gas is supplied, an annular oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber to which the heated oxygen-containing gas is discharged, a plurality of heat exchange pipes connected at one end to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber, and connected at another end to the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to a space between the heat exchange pipes.

3. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein the combustion gas flows through a combustion gas channel in the first area, then, the combustion gas channel in the second area, then, the combustion gas channel in the third area, and then, the combustion gas channel in the fourth area, and thereafter, the combustion gas is discharged to exterior of the fuel cell module.

4. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein each of the mixed gas supply chamber and the reformed gas discharge chamber is formed between an inner ring to which ends of the reforming pipes are inserted and an outer ring spaced from the inner ring;
each of the water supply chamber and the water vapor discharge chamber is formed between an inner ring to which ends of the evaporation pipes are inserted and an outer ring spaced from the inner ring; and
each of the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber and the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber is formed between an inner ring to which ends of the heat exchange pipes ( 64 ) are inserted and an outer ring spaced from the inner ring.

5. The fuel cell module according to claim 4 , wherein the reformed gas discharge chamber, the water vapor discharge chamber, and the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber are provided on an upper end side close to the fuel cell stack; and
the mixed gas supply chamber, the water supply chamber, and the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber are provided on a lower end side opposite from the fuel cell stack.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 5 , wherein the fuel cell module includes a first partition plate provided vertically between the first area and the second area, a second partition plate provided vertically between the second area and the third area, and a third partition plate provided vertically between the third area and the forth area;
the condensed water collecting mechanism includes a first condensed water hole formed on a lower side of the first partition plate opposite to an upper side of the first partition plate which is closer to the fuel cell stack, a second condensed water hole formed on a lower side of the second partition plate and a third condensed water hole formed on a lower side of the third partition plate; and
a position of the second condensed water hole is higher than a position of the first condensed water hole, and a position of the third condensed water hole is higher than the position of the second condensed water hole.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 6 , wherein the number of the first condensed water holes is at least three, the number of the second condensed water holes is at least three, and the number of the third condensed water holes is at least three; and
the first condensed water holes, the second condensed water holes, and the third condensed water holes are arranged in an annular pattern, respectively.

8. The fuel cell module according to claim 6 , wherein an opening of the first condensed water hole, an opening of the second condensed water hole, and an opening of the third condensed water hole have a size of 8 mm or more in diameter.

9. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the evaporation pipes forms an evaporation return pipe, which is connected to the water vapor discharge chamber and the mixed gas supply chamber.

10. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell module is a solid oxide fuel cell module.

Assignees

• Yoshimine Yuki
• Ogawa Tetsuya
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshimine Yuki
• Ogawa Tetsuya

Classifications

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/0631

  Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell (hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00) · CPC title

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title