Fuel cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564649-B2
Application number	US-201314438344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2013
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack and fuel cell peripheral equipment. The fuel cell module includes a first area where an exhaust gas combustor and a start-up combustor are provided, a second area where a reformer and an evaporator are provided, and a third area where a heat exchanger is provided. The fuel cell module further includes a condensed water recovery mechanism for recovering condensed water produced through condensation of water vapor contained in a combustion gas, by flowing the condensed water through the third area, the second area, and the first area in that order.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell module comprising:
a fuel cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions of 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 a temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with a 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 produce the combustion gas; and
a start-up combustor for combusting the raw fuel and the oxygen-containing gas to produce the combustion gas,
wherein the fuel cell module includes:
a first area where the exhaust gas combustor and the start-up combustor are provided;
an annular second area around the first area and where the reformer and the evaporator are provided;
an annular third area around the second area and where the heat exchanger is provided; and
a condensed water recovery mechanism for recovering condensed water produced through condensation of water vapor contained in the combustion gas, by flowing the condensed water through the third area, the second area, and the first area in that order.

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 fuel gas discharge chamber to which the produced fuel gas is discharged, a plurality of reforming pipes each having one end connected to the mixed gas supply chamber, and another end connected to the fuel gas discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to spaces 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 each having one end connected to the water supply chamber, and another end connected to the water vapor discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to spaces 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 each having one end connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber, and another end connected to the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to spaces between the heat exchange pipes.

3. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel gas discharge chamber and the water vapor discharge chamber are provided in a double deck manner, and the fuel gas discharge chamber is provided on an inner side with respect to the water vapor discharge chamber; and
the mixed gas supply chamber and the water supply chamber are provided in a double deck manner, and the mixed gas supply chamber is provided on an inner side with respect to the water supply chamber.

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

5. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel gas discharge chamber, the water vapor discharge chamber, and the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber are provided at one end side adjacent to the fuel cell stack; and
the mixed gas supply chamber, the water supply chamber, and the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber are provided at another end side distant from the fuel cell stack.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 4 , wherein the condensed water recovery mechanism comprises a first inner ring surface forming a bottom portion of the second area and a second inner ring surface forming a bottom portion of the third area; and
a height of the bottom portion formed by the second inner ring surface is higher than a height of the bottom portion formed by the first inner ring surface.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 4 , further comprising a partition plate arranged vertically between the second area and the third area,
wherein the condensed water recovery mechanism includes a condensed water passage hole formed in a lower portion of the partition plate which is opposite to an upper portion thereof where the fuel cell stack is provided.

8. The fuel cell module according to claim 7 , wherein the condensed water passage hole comprises three condensed water passage holes which are arranged circumferentially.

9. The fuel cell module according to claim 7 , wherein the condensed water passage hole has an opening diameter which is set to be 8 mm or more.

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

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshimine Yuki

Classifications

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• H01M8/0618 Primary

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

• C01B2203/1604

  Starting up the process · CPC title

• C01B2203/1235

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title