Fuel cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9246181-B2
Application number	US-201214347919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Jan 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 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. A stress absorber for absorbing heat stress is provided in at least one of the first area, the second area, the third area, and the fourth 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;
a first partition plate provided between the first area and the second area;
a second partition plate provided between the second area and the third area; and
a third partition plate provided between the third area and the fourth area,
wherein a stress absorber for absorbing heat stress is provided on a ring member that forms ends of the areas in an axial direction and provided in at least one of the first area, the second area, the third area, and the fourth area, and the stress absorber has a ring shape formed along an outer shape or an inner shape of the ring member and has a semicircular shape in cross section.

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 one 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 another end side opposite from the fuel cell stack.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 5 , wherein the stress absorber is provided in the inner ring and the outer ring of at least one of the reformed gas discharge chamber, the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber, and the water vapor discharge chamber.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 5 , wherein the stress absorber is provided in the inner ring and the outer ring of at least one of the mixed gas supply chamber, the water supply chamber, and the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber.

8. 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.

9. 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

• H01M8/04074 Primary

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

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0631

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

• H01M8/04022

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title