Fuel cell module with heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9711807-B2
Application number	US-201314388027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger of a fuel cell module includes a plurality of heat exchange pipes connected to an oxygen-containing gas supply chamber at one end, and connected to an oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber at the other end. An end of an oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe for guiding the oxygen-containing gas to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber is provided in the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber. A plurality of first inlet holes extend through the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe in an axial direction, and a plurality of second inlet holes extend through the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe radially. The total area of openings of the first inlet holes is smaller than the total area of openings of the second inlet holes.

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 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, heat exchange pipes connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber at one end, and connected to the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber at another end, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to a space between the heat exchange pipes;
an end of an oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe for guiding the oxygen-containing gas to the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber is provided in the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber;
a plurality of first inlet holes extend through an axial end surface of the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe in an axial direction, and a plurality of second inlet holes extend through a circumferential end surface of the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe radially;
a total area of openings of the first inlet holes is smaller than a total area of openings of the second inlet holes;
the heat exchange pipes are spaced and arranged annularly in a first annular placement area formed between the oxygen-containing gas supply chamber and the oxygen-containing gas discharge chamber;
the first annular placement area includes a sparse area and a dense area,
an interval of adjacent heat exchange pipes of the sparse area is larger than an interval of adjacent heat exchange pipes of the dense area;
the sparse area is positioned on an extension line from the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe; and
two of the second inlet holes of the oxygen-containing gas inlet pipe that are positioned radially opposite to each other are arranged in parallel to a tangential direction of the first annular placement area as reference inlet holes, and other second inlet holes are spaced at equal intervals of angle from the reference inlet holes.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the first inlet holes are positioned on a connection line connecting the second inlet holes that are positioned opposite to each other, or on a line offset from the connection line.

3. 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 reforming pipes connected to the mixed gas supply chamber at one end, and connected to the reformed gas discharge chamber at another end, and a combustion gas channel for supplying the combustion gas to a space between the reforming pipes;
an end of a mixed gas inlet pipe for guiding the mixed gas to the mixed gas supply chamber is provided in the mixed gas supply chamber;
a plurality of first inlet holes extend through an axial end surface of the mixed gas inlet pipe in an axial direction, and a plurality of second inlet holes extend through a circumferential end surface of the mixed gas inlet pipe radially;
a total area of openings of the first inlet holes is smaller than a total area of openings of the second inlet holes.

4. The fuel cell module according to claim 3 , wherein the reforming pipes are spaced and arranged annularly in a second annular placement area formed between the mixed gas supply chamber and the reformed gas discharge chamber;
the second annular placement area includes a sparse area and a dense area, wherein an interval of adjacent reforming pipes of the sparse area is larger than an interval of adjacent reforming pipes of the dense area; and
the sparse area is positioned on an extension line from the mixed gas inlet pipe.

5. The fuel cell module according to claim 4 , wherein two of the second inlet holes of the mixed gas inlet pipe that are positioned radially opposite to each other are arranged in parallel to a tangential direction of the second annular placement area as reference inlet holes, and other second inlet holes are spaced at equal intervals of angle from the reference inlet holes.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 5 , wherein the first inlet holes are positioned on a connection line connecting the second inlet holes that are positioned opposite to each other, or on a line offset from the connection line.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 , 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 where one of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided;
an annular third area around the second area where another of the reformer and the heat exchanger is provided; and
an annular fourth area around the third area where the evaporator is provided.

8. 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
• Aoki Takayuki

Classifications

• F28D2021/0043

  for fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

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

• F28D7/1669

  the conduit assemblies having an annular shape; the conduits being assembled around a central distribution tube · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0618

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