JP2006244786A - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute more surely reduction of energy consumed for prevention of dew condensation at gas piping connecting a gas supply means with a humidifying device or the humidifying device with a cell stack, and humidification of gas in the humidifying device, with an effective use of heat quantity produced by power generation. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel cell 1 humidifying fuel gas or oxidant gas supplied from a gas supply means 4 with a humidifying device 3 to supply to the cell stack 2 is made into a double-tube structure providing an outer tube 7 outside a gas supply tube 6 supplying the fuel gas or the oxidant gas from the humidifying device 3 to the cell stack 2, in which, exhaust hot water used for temperature control of the cell stack 2 is made to flow in a flow channel formed by an inner face of the outer tube 7 and an outer face of the gas supply tube 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell having a structure in which a gas supply means, a humidifier, and a cell stack are connected by a gas pipe.

  The polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a cell formed by joining an electrode catalyst layer on both sides of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and joining a separator having a groove-like gas flow channel on the surface on both sides of the electrode catalyst layer, A cell stack is configured by stacking a plurality of cells. The cell stack needs to keep the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in a wet state in order to generate power stably. After the fuel gas containing hydrogen and the oxidant gas containing oxygen are humidified by the humidifier, the cell stack is supplied to the cell stack. It is like that. For this reason, the cell stack, the humidifier, and the gas supply means are connected by gas pipes. A heater is wound around the outer periphery of the gas pipe to adjust the temperature (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-257468 A (p. 4, FIG. 4)

  Therefore, the energy consumed for preventing dew condensation in the gas pipe connecting the gas supply means and the humidifier or between the humidifier and the cell stack has been increased.

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell in which a gas supplied from a gas supply unit is humidified by a humidifier and supplied to the cell stack, a gas supply pipe for supplying gas from the humidifier to the cell stack, or a humidifier from the gas supply unit An outer tube was provided outside at least one of the gas introduction tubes for introducing gas to form a double tube structure, and the flow path formed by the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the gas supply tube was used to adjust the temperature of the cell stack. It is characterized by flowing waste water.

  According to the present invention, the amount of heat generated by power generation can be used effectively, and energy consumed for preventing condensation in the gas pipe connecting the gas supply means and the humidifier or between the humidifier and the cell stack can be reduced. In addition, there is an effect that the humidification of the gas in the humidifier can be performed more reliably.

  In a fuel cell in which gas supplied from a gas supply means is humidified by a humidifier and supplied to the cell stack, an outer pipe is provided outside the gas supply pipe for supplying gas from the humidifier to the cell stack to form a double pipe structure. The exhaust hot water used for adjusting the temperature of the cell stack is passed through a flow path formed by the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the gas supply tube.

  A fuel cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawing of FIG.

  The fuel cell 1 includes a cell stack 2 that generates electricity by chemically reacting a hydrogen-containing fuel gas and an oxygen-containing oxidant gas, and a fuel gas to make the solid polymer electrolyte membrane of the cell stack 2 wet. It comprises two humidifiers 3 that humidify the oxidant gas and supply it to the cell stack 2, and two gas supply means 4 that supply fuel gas and oxidant gas to the humidifier 3.

  The gas supply means 4 and the humidifier 3 are connected by a gas introduction pipe 5 so that the fuel gas or the oxidant gas flows from the gas supply means 4 to the humidifier 3 as indicated by a broken arrow. Further, the humidifier 3 and the cell stack 2 are connected by a gas supply pipe 6, and the gas supply pipe 6 is provided with an outer pipe 7 on the outside to form a double pipe structure. The gas supply pipe 6 is configured such that fuel gas or oxidant gas flows from the humidifier 3 to the cell stack 2 as indicated by broken arrows, and the outer pipe 7 is connected to the vicinity of the cell stack 2. Is connected to the discharge port 9 of the warm water of the cell stack 2, and a discharge part 10 is provided in the vicinity of the humidifying device 3, and the Waste water flows from the stack 2 toward the humidifier 3 as indicated by solid arrows.

  The discharged hot water discharged from the cell stack 2 is used as cooling water by flowing through the cell stack 2 in order to cool the heat generated by the cell stack 2 during power generation. Is discharged as hot water having substantially the same temperature as the cell stack 2. This is because the cell stack 2 is controlled so as to be higher than the dew point temperature of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas so that the fuel gas and the oxidant gas are not condensed inside. By flowing between the supply pipes 6, the temperature of the gas supply pipe 6 can be made substantially the same as that of the cell stack 2, and the gas supply pipe 6 is higher than the dew point temperature of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas, thereby preventing condensation. can do. In addition, there is no limitation about utilization of the warm water discharged | emitted from the discharge part 10 of the outer tube | pipe 7.

  Example 2 of the fuel cell according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawing of FIG. Note that the same portions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, an outer tube 11 is provided outside the gas introduction tube 5 connecting the gas supply means 4 and the humidifying device 3 to form a double tube structure. The outer pipe 11 of the gas introduction pipe 5 has an introduction part 12 connected to one end connected to the discharge port 9 of the warm water of the cell stack 2, and a discharge part 13 provided at the other end. As shown by the solid line arrows, the warm water discharged from the cell stack 2 flows through a flow path formed on the outer surface of the gas introduction pipe 5. As a result, the temperature of the gas introduction pipe 5 can be made substantially the same as that of the cell stack 2, and the fuel gas and the oxidant gas are preheated, so that the humidification of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas in the humidifier 3 is more reliably performed. It can be carried out. In addition, there is no limitation about utilization of the warm water discharged | emitted from the discharge part 13 of the outer tube | pipe 11.

  A fuel cell according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawing of FIG. The same parts as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, outer tubes 7 and 11 are provided outside both the gas supply pipe 6 that connects the humidifier 3 and the cell stack 2 and the gas supply pipe 5 that connects the gas supply means 4 and the humidifier 3. It has a double tube structure. The outer pipe 7 of the gas supply pipe 6 has an introduction part 8 connected in the vicinity of the cell stack 2 connected to a discharge port 9 of the warm water of the cell stack 2, and a discharge part 10 provided in the vicinity of the humidifier 3. The discharge part 10 is connected to one end of the outer pipe 11 of the gas introduction pipe 5. A discharge portion 13 is provided at the other end of the outer tube 11 of the gas introduction tube 5. As a result, the hot water discharged from the cell stack 2 is formed on the outer surface of the gas supply pipe 6 and the inner surface of the outer pipe 7 through the introduction portion 8 of the outer pipe 7 of the gas supply pipe 6 as indicated by the solid line arrows. And then flows through the discharge portion 10 of the outer tube 7, flows through the flow path formed by the outer surface of the gas introduction tube 5 and the inner surface of the outer tube 11, and is discharged from the discharge portion 13. Yes. Thereby, the temperature of the gas introduction pipe 5 and the gas supply pipe 6 can be made substantially the same as that of the cell stack 2, and in the gas introduction pipe 5, the fuel gas and the oxidant gas are preheated. The humidification of the gas and the oxidant gas can be performed more reliably, and in the gas supply pipe 6, the dew point temperature of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas becomes higher, so that dew condensation can be prevented. In addition, there is no limitation about utilization of the warm water discharged | emitted from the discharge part 13 of the outer tube | pipe 11.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the fuel cell which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the fuel cell which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the fuel cell which concerns on Example 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Cell stack 3 Humidifier 4 Gas supply means 5 Gas introduction pipe 6 Gas supply pipe 7 Outer pipe

Claims (1)

  In the fuel cell in which the gas supplied from the gas supply unit is humidified by the humidifier and supplied to the cell stack, the gas supply pipe for supplying gas from the humidifier to the cell stack, or the humidifier from the gas supply unit An outer pipe is provided outside at least one of the gas introduction pipes for introducing gas to form a double pipe structure, and the temperature of the cell stack is adjusted in a flow path formed by the inner face of the outer pipe and the outer face of the gas supply pipe. A fuel cell characterized by allowing used waste water to flow.

Images