Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9640819-B2
Application number	US-201214115675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2012
Priority date	May 13, 2011
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and a control device. The control device includes a partial oxidation reformer adjuster, a combustion starter, and a power generator. Based on at least any of the reforming state in the partial oxidation reformer, the combustion state in the exhaust gas combustor and the temperature of the fuel cell stack, the partial oxidation reformer adjuster adjusts the temperature of the partial oxidation reformer, the supply amount of raw fuel, and the supply amount of oxygen-containing gas, the combustion starter starts combustion in the exhaust gas combustor, and the power generator starts power generation in the fuel cell stack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control method of a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and a control device,
the 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 partial oxidation reformer for reforming a mixed gas of a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas thereby to produce the fuel gas, and supplying the fuel 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 thereby to produce a combustion gas; and
a heat exchanger for raising a temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with the combustion gas, and supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack, and

the control device includes a partial oxidation reformer adjuster, a combustion starter, and a power generator, wherein, based on at least any of a reforming state in the partial oxidation reformer, a combustion state in the exhaust gas combustor and a temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack, the partial oxidation reformer adjustor adjusts a temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer, a supply amount of raw fuel supplied to the partial oxidation reformer and a supply amount of oxygen-containing gas supplied to the partial oxidation reformer, the combustion starter starts combustion in the exhaust gas combustor, and the power generator starts power generation in the fuel cell stack,
wherein the control method comprises:
starting power generation of the fuel cell stack using the power generator when the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer heated by the fuel gas is within a range of 700° C.≦T RE ≦900° C., an air/fuel ratio (O 2 /C) is within a range of 0.45≦O 2 /C≦0.55, and the temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack is 650° C. or more, (650° C.≦T ST ); and
adjusting, using the partial oxidation reformer adjuster, the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer, the supply amount of raw fuel supplied to the partial oxidation reformer, and the supply amount of oxygen-containing gas supplied to the partial oxidation reformer, when the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer is not within a predetermined range, and the air/fuel ratio (O 2 /C) is not within a predetermined range.

2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined range of the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer is 700° C.≦T RE ≦900° C., and the predetermined range of the air/fuel ratio (O 2 /C) is 0.45≦O 2 /C≦0.55.

3. A control method of a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and a control device,
the 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 partial oxidation reformer for reforming a mixed gas of a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas thereby to produce the fuel gas, and supplying the fuel 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 thereby to produce a combustion gas; and
a heat exchanger for raising a temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with the combustion gas, and supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack, and

the control device includes a partial oxidation reformer adjuster, a combustion starter, and a power generator, wherein, based on at least any of a reforming state in the partial oxidation reformer, a combustion state in the exhaust gas combustor and a temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack, the partial oxidation reformer adjustor adjusts a temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer, a supply amount of raw fuel supplied to the partial oxidation reformer and a supply amount of oxygen-containing gas supplied to the partial oxidation reformer, the combustion starter starts combustion in the exhaust gas combustor, and the power generator starts power generation in the fuel cell stack,
wherein the control method comprises:
starting power generation of the fuel cell stack using the power generator when the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer heated by the fuel gas is within a range of 700° C.≦T RE ≦900° C., an air/fuel ratio (O 2 /C) is within a range of 0.45≦O 2 /C≦0.55, and the temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack is 650° C. or more (650° C.≦T ST ); and
starting combustion in the exhaust gas combustor using the combustion starter when the temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack is less than a predetermined temperature of the fuel cell stack, and a temperature T BR of the exhaust gas combustor is less than a predetermined temperature of the exhaust gas combustor.

4. The control method according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined temperature of the fuel cell stack is 650° C., and the predetermined temperature of the exhaust gas combustor is 900° C.

5. A control method of a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and a control device,
the 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 partial oxidation reformer for reforming a mixed gas of a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas thereby to produce the fuel gas, and supplying the fuel 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 thereby to produce a combustion gas; and
a heat exchanger for raising a temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with the combustion gas, and supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell stack,
wherein the heat exchanger is provided on one side of the fuel cell stack, and the partial oxidation reformer and the exhaust gas combustor are provided on the other side of the fuel cell stack, and

the control device includes a partial oxidation reformer adjuster, a combustion starter, and a power generator, wherein, based on at least any of a reforming state in the partial oxidation reformer, a combustion state in the exhaust gas combustor and a temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack, the partial oxidation reformer adjustor adjusts a temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer, a supply amount of raw fuel supplied to the partial oxidation reformer and the a supply amount of oxygen-containing gas supplied to the partial oxidation reformer, the combustion starter starts combustion in the exhaust gas combustor, and the power generator starts power generation in the fuel cell stack,
wherein the control method comprises:
starting power generation of the fuel cell stack using the power generator when the temperature T RE of the partial oxidation reformer heated by the fuel gas is within a range of 700° C.≦T RE ≦900° C., an air/fuel ratio (O 2 /C) is within a range of 0.45≦O 2 /C≦0.55, and the temperature T ST of the fuel cell stack is 650° C. or more, (650° C.≦T ST ).

Assignees

• Ogawa Tetsuya
• Yokokawa Ayatoshi
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Tetsuya
• Yokokawa Ayatoshi

Classifications

• H01M8/0618

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

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/0612

  from carbon-containing material · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04223 Primary

  during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells · CPC title