JP6861141B2 - Gas-liquid separator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gas-liquid separator, and more particularly to a gas-liquid separator suitable for incorporation into a fuel cell system.

As is well known, a fuel cell has an anode electrode and a cathode electrode facing each other across an electrolyte (for example, a solid polymer film), and the anode electrode is a fuel gas such as hydrogen, and the cathode electrode is an oxidizing agent gas such as compressed air. Is supplied to generate electricity. At least a part of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas is consumed, but the unreacted portion is discharged from the anode electrode and the cathode electrode as the fuel exhaust gas and the oxidant exhaust gas to the fuel exhaust gas discharge channel and the oxidant exhaust gas discharge channel, respectively. Will be done. In this way, the fuel cell system is configured by attaching the reaction gas supply device, the discharge device, and the like to the fuel cell.

The fuel exhaust gas is a gas-liquid two-phase flow containing water. Therefore, a gas-liquid separator for separating the fuel exhaust gas into hydrogen and water is provided in the fuel exhaust gas discharge flow path. The hydrogen from which the water has been separated is resupplied to the anode electrode. On the other hand, the water becomes liquid water and is discharged from the gas-liquid separator via the drain valve.

As a gas-liquid separator having such a function, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this gas-liquid separator, drain water is separated from the exhaust gas of the engine. The separated drain water is generally discharged from a drain port and a drain valve provided at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator and constituting the liquid discharge portion.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-259549

For example, when starting a fuel cell system in cold climates, the temperature may be below freezing. As described above, when operating the fuel cell stack, the liquid water separated by the gas-liquid separator flows through the drain valve. When the air temperature is below freezing point, it is assumed that the liquid water freezes in the drain valve and the drain valve malfunctions. When such a situation occurs, it becomes difficult to discharge the liquid water from the gas-liquid separator, and it becomes difficult to continue the operation of the fuel cell stack.

Therefore, it is recalled to provide a heater or the like for heating the drain valve. However, in this case, since the number of components of the fuel cell system increases, it becomes difficult to miniaturize or simplify the fuel cell system.

In order to avoid such inconvenience, it is conceivable to suppress the amount of power generation until the fuel cell stack rises to a sufficient temperature, thereby reducing the amount of liquid water generated. However, in this case, since the power generation reaction at the anode electrode and the cathode electrode must be suppressed, the time until the fuel cell stack rises to a sufficient temperature (warm-up operation time) becomes long.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and warms up because the liquid phase can be discharged from the drain valve even when various systems such as a fuel cell system are started below freezing point. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas-liquid separator capable of avoiding a long operation time and further miniaturizing and simplifying various systems.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention separates the inflow port to which the gas-liquid two-phase flow is supplied and the gas-liquid two-phase flow introduced from the inflow port into a liquid phase and an air flow. In a gas-liquid separator having a separation chamber, a casing in which an outlet for discharging the airflow, and a drain port located below the inlet and the outlet are formed.
A first storage portion, a second storage portion, and a third storage portion for storing the liquid phase are provided in the casing on the upstream side of the drain port in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side.
A first communication hole for communicating the first storage portion and the second storage portion is formed in the first partition wall that separates the first storage portion and the second storage portion.
Second partition wall that partitions the third reservoir and the second reservoir portion, a second communicating hole communicating the third reservoir and the second reservoir portion is formed,
The third storage unit directly communicates with the first storage unit via a communication passage.
In addition, a third communication hole for communicating the third storage portion and the drain port is formed in the third partition wall that separates the third storage portion and the drain port, and extends toward the communication passage. The existing duct is provided,
The first communication hole and the second communication hole act as a flow resistance of the liquid phase.

Since the first communication hole and the second communication hole act as a flow resistance for the liquid phase, the inflow rate of the liquid phase from the first storage part to the second storage part and the inflow speed from the second storage part to the third storage part. Becomes slow. That is, the liquid phase is difficult to move from the first storage part to the second storage part, and is difficult to move from the second storage part to the third storage part. In other words, it easily stays in the first or second reservoir.

After all, the liquid phase is temporarily stored in the first storage part or the second storage part. Therefore, for example, when various systems including a gas-liquid separator are started in an extremely low temperature environment (for example, below freezing point), the low temperature separated from the gas-liquid two-phase flow in the gas-liquid separator. It is suppressed that the liquid phase reaches the drain port immediately. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid phase from freezing in the drain valve provided at the drain port and to prevent the drain valve from malfunctioning due to this.

Therefore, it is not necessary to heat the drain valve with a heating mechanism. That is, it is not necessary to configure various systems (for example, a fuel cell system) including a heating mechanism. By this amount, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of components of the various systems, so that the various systems can be miniaturized and simplified.

Further, since the liquid phase can be temporarily stored in the gas-liquid separator, it is not necessary to limit the gas-liquid separation efficiency in the gas-liquid separator. Therefore, if the gas-liquid separator is incorporated into the fuel cell system, it is not necessary to limit the amount of power generated by the fuel cell stack. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a long warm-up operation time.

When a part of the gas phase has entered the first storage section, the gas phase flows from the first storage section into the third storage section via the communication passage, and further, the gas phase flows into the third storage section. It is discharged from the provided duct to the drain port. Therefore, according to the gas-liquid separator, it is possible to discharge the gas phase while storing the liquid phase inside the gas-liquid separator. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the influence of the pressure of the gas phase on the liquid phase in the gas-liquid separator.

The radial cross-sectional area of the through hole of the duct is preferably larger than the total radial cross-sectional area of each of the first communication hole, the second communication hole and the third communication hole. That is, when the radial cross-sectional area of the through hole is S4, and the sum of the radial cross-sectional areas of the first communication hole, the second communication hole, and the third communication hole is S1, S2, and S3, respectively, S4> S1, S4>. It is preferable that S2 and S4> S3.

In this case, the pressure loss of the through hole is smaller than that of the first communication hole to the third communication hole. Therefore, since the gas phase can easily reach the drain port through the duct, it becomes easy to temporarily store the liquid phase in the gas-liquid separator while quickly discharging the gas phase.

Further, it is preferable that the total radial cross-sectional area of the third communication hole is smaller than the total radial cross-sectional area of each of the first communication hole and the second communication hole. That is, it is preferable that S1> S3 and S2> S3.

In this configuration, the internal pressure of the third storage section is relatively higher than that of the first storage section and the second storage section. For this reason, the liquid phase is less likely to flow out from the second communication hole to the third storage portion, so that the liquid phase is more likely to stay in the first storage portion or the second storage portion. That is, it becomes easier to temporarily store the liquid phase in the gas-liquid separator.

Further, it is preferable that the total radial cross-sectional area of the first communication hole is larger than the total radial cross-sectional area of the second communication hole. That is, it is preferable that S1> S2 (as can be understood from the above, it is preferable that S4> S1> S2> S3 is satisfied).

As a result, the inflow rate of the liquid phase from the first storage section to the second storage section becomes slower than the inflow rate from the second storage section to the third storage section. Therefore, since a sufficient surface tension is developed in the liquid phase in the first storage portion, it becomes more difficult for the liquid phase to flow into the first communication hole. In other words, the liquid phase tends to stay in the first reservoir. Therefore, it becomes even easier to store the liquid phase in the first storage unit.

According to the present invention, the first compartment wall, the second compartment wall, and the third compartment wall form the first storage portion, the second storage portion, and the third storage portion, and the first communication formed on the first compartment wall. The hole and the second communication hole formed in the second partition wall are made to serve as a flow resistance of the liquid phase in the first storage portion and the second storage portion. Therefore, it is not easy for the liquid phase to move from the first storage part to the second storage part or from the second storage part to the third storage part. That is, it is easy to keep the liquid phase in the first storage part to the second storage part, in other words, to temporarily store the liquid phase in the first storage part to the second storage part.

Therefore, for example, when various systems including a gas-liquid separator are started in an extremely low temperature environment, the low-temperature liquid phase separated from the gas-liquid two-phase flow in the gas-liquid separator is immediately generated. It is possible to suppress the arrival at the drain port. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid phase from freezing in the drain valve provided at the drain port, and as a result, the drain valve does not malfunction.

For this reason, it is not necessary to configure various systems (for example, a fuel cell system) including a heating mechanism for heating the drain valve. By this amount, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of components of the various systems and to reduce the size and simplification of the various systems.

Further, since the liquid phase can be temporarily stored in the gas-liquid separator, for example, when the gas-liquid separator is incorporated into the fuel cell system, it is not necessary to limit the amount of power generated by the fuel cell stack. Therefore, it is possible to avoid prolonging the warm-up operation time of the fuel cell system or the like.

When a part of the gas phase enters the first storage part in the process of storing the liquid phase as described above, the gas phase flows from the first storage part into the third storage part through the communication passage. Further, it is discharged to the drain port from the duct provided in the third storage portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid phase from being affected by the pressure of the gas phase in the gas-liquid separator.

It is a schematic block diagram of the main part of the fuel cell system including the gas-liquid separator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the main part of the gas-liquid separator according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a partially omitted view of the outline side surface of the main part of the gas-liquid separator of FIG. It is a schematic side view of the main part of the gas-liquid separator of FIG. It is a front enlarged view of the storage part forming member shown in FIG. It is an overall schematic perspective view of the storage part forming member of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which storage of the liquid phase is started in the first storage portion of the storage portion forming member of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a main part showing the flow direction of the liquid phase when the liquid phase freezes in the first communication hole and the third communication hole in the storage portion forming member of FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the gas-liquid separator according to the present invention will be given and will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a case where a gas-liquid separator is attached to the fuel cell to form a fuel cell system will be illustrated. Further, the top, bottom, left, and right in the following description correspond to the top, bottom, left, and right in FIGS. In particular, the left-right direction does not specify the left-right direction when the gas-liquid separator is actually used.

First, the fuel cell system will be outlined with reference to FIG. The fuel cell system 10 is an in-vehicle type mounted on a fuel cell vehicle (not shown) such as a fuel cell electric vehicle, for example.

The fuel cell system 10 has a fuel cell stack 12 configured by stacking a plurality of fuel cells (not shown). Each fuel cell is composed of, for example, an electrolyte made of a solid polymer membrane and an electrolyte / electrode structure having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode facing each other with the electrolyte sandwiched between the pair of separators. It should be noted that this configuration is well known, and therefore, illustration and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The fuel cell system 10 is further attached to the fuel cell stack 12 to supply a hydrogen supply flow path 14 (fuel gas supply flow path) for supplying fuel gas to the anode electrode, and to discharge fuel exhaust gas from the anode electrode. It has a hydrogen discharge flow path 16 (fuel exhaust gas discharge flow path). Among these, a hydrogen tank 18 storing high-pressure hydrogen as a fuel gas is connected to the hydrogen supply flow path 14.

The hydrogen supply flow path 14 is bifurcated, and therefore, the hydrogen supply flow path 14 includes the first branch path 20 and the second branch path 22. A first injector 24 and a second injector 26 are provided on the first branch road 20 and the second branch road 22, respectively. The first branch road 20 and the second branch road 22 merge on the downstream side of the first injector 24 and the second injector 26 to form a merging flow path 28, and the ejector 30 is provided in the merging flow path 28.

A gas-liquid separator 32 is connected to one of the hydrogen discharge channels 16. The circulation flow path 34 starting from the gas-liquid separator 32 is connected to the ejector 30. Further, at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 32, a drainage flow path 38 for discharging liquid water via a drain valve 36 is provided.

The fuel cell system 10 further includes an air supply flow path 40 (oxidant gas supply flow path) for supplying compressed air as an oxidant gas to the cathode electrode, and air for discharging exhaust compressed air from the cathode electrode. It has a discharge flow path 42 (oxidant exhaust gas discharge flow path). An air pump 44 (compressor) that compresses and supplies the atmosphere is provided in the air supply flow path 40.

The fuel cell stack 12 is further provided with a cooling medium supply flow path (not shown) for supplying the cooling medium to the fuel cell stack 12, and is provided with an ECU 46 as a control unit for overall control. As described above, the fuel cell system 10 is configured.

Next, the gas-liquid separator 32 according to the present embodiment will be described.

2 to 4 are a schematic perspective view of a main part, a schematic side view of the main part, and a schematic side view of the main part of the gas-liquid separator 32 according to the present embodiment, respectively. The gas-liquid separator 32 includes a casing 56 having a main body member 52 formed with an inner chamber 50 opened at one end surface and a closing member 54 attached to the one end surface to close the inner chamber 50. The main body member 52 and the closing member 54 are sealed by the sealing material 58.

A first inflow port 60 and a second inflow port 62 communicating with the inner chamber 50 are formed on the upper left and lower left sides of the other end surface of the main body member 52, respectively. That is, the first inflow port 60 is above (higher position) than the second inflow port 62. Further, an outlet 64 is formed on the upper right side. Therefore, the gas-liquid separator 32 has a plurality of (in this case, two) inlets 60 and 62 and a single outlet 64.

A partition wall 66 made of a plate material is erected in the inner chamber 50. The partition wall 66 divides the inside of the inner chamber 50 into a first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 on the back side of the paper surface and a second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 on the front side of the paper surface in FIG. The first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 is shown in FIG. 3 in which the closing member 54, the partition wall 66, the second guide portion 106, and the storage portion forming member 130 (all of which will be described later) are omitted, and the second partition wall 66 is shown in FIG. A gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is shown.

The area of the partition wall 66 is approximately half the area of the inner chamber 50 obtained from the plan view of the inner chamber 50 (see FIG. 3). That is, in the inner chamber 50, the partition wall 66 exists only on the upstream side in the flow direction of waste water. The space in the inner chamber 50 where the partition wall 66 does not exist is on the downstream side in the flow direction from the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, and the drainage hydrogen that has passed through the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70. And the waste water that has passed through the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 merge (aggregate) to form an aggregate flow.

A dammed plate 76 is provided on the upper left side of the end surface of the partition wall 66 on the front side of the paper surface. The dam plate 76 plays a role of preventing the waste water introduced into the casing 56 from the first inflow port 60 from flowing into the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 and changing the flow direction of the waste water. ..

Further, two breathing holes 78a and 78b are formed in the partition wall 66. The first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 communicate with each other through the breathing holes 78a and 78b.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the other end surface of the main body member 52 on which the first inflow port 60, the second inflow port 62, and the outflow port 64 are formed so as to project into the inner chamber 50. A first regulation unit 80 and a second regulation unit 82 are provided. The first regulation unit 80 extends so as to incline slightly downward to the left with respect to the vertical direction. On the other hand, the second regulation unit 82 includes a guide inclined portion 84 that inclines from the lower left to the upper right, a first vertical portion 86 that is connected to the guide inclined portion 84 and extends vertically upward, and the first vertical portion 86. 1 It is composed of a first horizontal portion 88 that is connected to the vertical portion 86 and extends horizontally toward the left. The first regulation unit 80 and the second regulation unit 82 change the flow direction of waste water in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 (that is, determine the flow direction of waste water in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70). The first guide unit 90 (regulating in the direction) is configured.

The partition wall 66 is in contact with the side surface portions of the first regulating portion 80 and the second regulating portion 82 on the front side of the paper surface. An arc-shaped notch 92 is formed in the lower left of the partition wall 66, and a conduit 94 (see FIG. 2) is bridged from the second inflow port 62 to the arc-shaped notch 92. Therefore, the second inflow port 62 is opened on the surface of the partition wall 66 facing the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 via the conduit 94.

In the vicinity of the opening of the conduit 94, in other words, the opening of the second inflow port 62, a deflection member 96 covering the opening is arranged at a position separated from the opening by a predetermined distance. The deflection member 96 is for changing the flow direction of the waste water flowing in from the conduit 94 (second inflow port 62), and is open so as to face the third regulation portion 98 on the right side.

The third regulating portion 98 is formed so as to project on the slope 102 of the support base 100 integrally with the sandwiching portion 104 that sandwiches the lower right end of the partition wall 66. The third regulation unit 98 constitutes the second guide unit 106 together with the dam plate 76, and changes the flow direction of waste water in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72. That is, the flow direction of waste water in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is regulated in a predetermined direction.

The third regulation unit 98 is provided at a position substantially overlapping with the second regulation unit 82 constituting the first guide unit 90 in a plan view. That is, the third regulation unit 98 is connected to the second vertical portion 108 that substantially overlaps the first vertical portion 86, and extends horizontally to the left while being connected to the second vertical portion 108, and the first horizontal portion 88. It is composed of a second horizontal portion 110 that substantially overlaps with the above. As can be understood from this, the inside of the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is formed into a crank shape by each of the first guide portion 90 and the second guide portion 106.

The support base 100 has a guide inclined portion 112 as a guide path for guiding the liquid water L which has become droplets. Further, a predetermined step is formed between the slope 102 and the induction inclined portion 112, and the temporary liquid storage portion 114 is formed by this step and the third regulating portion 98 (second vertical portion 108). .. The liquid water L induced in the induction inclined portion 112 is temporarily stored in the temporary liquid storage portion 114. The sandwiching portion 104 is formed with a liquid transfer hole 116 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for transferring the water stored in the temporary liquid storage portion 114 to the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 side.

Below the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, the two inclined walls approach each other to form a recess 120 that is recessed downward. The partition wall 66 does not extend into the recess 120, so that the recess 120 communicates with the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72.

At the bottom of the recess 120, a drain port 122 for discharging the liquid water (liquid phase) that has flowed inside the storage portion forming member 130, which will be described later, is provided. The drain valve 36 is connected to the drain port 122, and when the drain valve 36 is opened, the liquid water L (see FIG. 5) is discharged. On the other hand, when the drain valve 36 is in the closed state, the liquid water L is prevented from being discharged from the drain port 122.

Then, a storage portion forming member 130 that causes a flow resistance of the liquid water L is inserted into the recess 120. As shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, the storage portion forming member 130 rises substantially perpendicularly to the bottom wall 132 (third partition wall) and the bottom wall 132, and is located on the back side of the paper surface of FIG. It has a vertical closing wall 134 that abuts on the inner wall of the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, and a horizontal partition wall 136 that protrudes from the upper end of the vertical closing wall 134 toward the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 side. The end faces on the front side of the paper surface of FIGS. 5 and 6 are open end faces, and the open end faces are closed by the closing member 54 (see FIG. 2).

Inside the storage portion forming member 130, in other words, between the bottom wall 132 and the horizontal partition wall 136, the left first partition wall 140a, the right first partition wall 140b, the left second partition wall 142a, and the right second partition A wall 142b is provided, and these partition walls 140a, 140b, 142a, 142b and a bottom wall 132 (third partition wall) provide a left first storage section 144a, a right first storage section 144b, and a left second storage section 146a. The right second storage section 146b and the third storage section 148 are formed in this order from the upstream side in the flow direction of the liquid water L. Hereinafter, this configuration will be described in detail.

First, the bottom wall 132 has a substantially inverted V-shaped mountain-shaped portion 150 in which the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 side are convex, and a recess 120 protruding from the hem of the mountain-shaped portion 150. The left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b inclined at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the two inclined walls forming the above are included. In other words, the mountain-shaped portion 150 is interposed between the left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b. The top of the mountain-shaped portion 150 is separated from the bottom of the recess 120, so that a drain passage 154 is formed between the bottom of the recess 120 and the top of the mountain-shaped portion 150. The drain passage 154 communicates with the drain port 122.

Further, the ends of the left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b are bent substantially vertically toward the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72. The bottom wall 132 further includes a left vertical wall portion 155a and a right vertical wall portion 155b provided by this bending.

The upper ends of the left vertical wall portion 155a and the right vertical wall portion 155b are located below the horizontal partition wall 136, and are therefore separated from the horizontal partition wall 136. Due to this separation, the first entrance 156a and the second entrance 156b are formed between the left vertical wall portion 155a and the horizontal partition wall 136, and between the horizontal partition wall 136 and the right vertical wall portion 155b, respectively.

The left second partition wall 142a and the right second partition wall 142b project from the left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b toward the horizontal partition wall 136, and incline so as to approach each other as they approach the horizontal partition wall 136. The left first partition wall 140a and the right first partition wall 140b are separated from the horizontal partition wall 136, and due to this separation, the horizontal partition wall 136 and the right first partition wall are separated from each other between the left first partition wall 140a and the horizontal partition wall 136. A first communication port 158a and a second communication port 158b (both are communication passages) are formed between the 140b and the first communication port 158a.

Further, the left first partition wall 140a and the right first partition wall 140b project from the left second partition wall 142a and the right second partition wall 142b and extend, and each of the left vertical wall portion 155a and the right vertical wall portion 155b. To be connected to. The inclination angles of the left second partition wall 142a and the right second partition wall 142b are set to be slightly smaller than the inclination angles of the left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b.

In the above configuration, the space surrounded by the left first partition wall 140a, the upper part of the left second partition wall 142a, the upper part of the left vertical wall portion 155a, the upper left part of the vertical obstruction wall 134, and the left part of the horizontal partition wall 136 is on the left. It becomes the first storage part 144a, and is a space surrounded by the right first partition wall 140b, the upper part of the right vertical wall portion 155b, the upper part of the right second partition wall 142b, the upper right part of the vertical block wall 134, and the right part of the horizontal partition wall 136. Is the right first storage unit 144b. Further, the left second storage portion 146a is surrounded by a left inclined portion 152a, a lower portion of the left vertical wall portion 155a, a lower portion of the left second partition wall 142a, a lower left portion of the vertical obstruction wall 134, and a left first partition wall 140a. The right second storage portion 146b surrounds the right inclined portion 152b, the lower part of the right vertical wall portion 155b, the lower part of the right second partition wall 142b, the lower right part of the vertical obstruction wall 134, and the right first partition wall 140b. It is a space that has been created. Further, inside the storage portion forming member 130, each part of the mountain-shaped portion 150, the left inclined portion 152a and the right inclined portion 152b, the left second partition wall 142a, the right second partition wall 142b, and the center of the horizontal partition wall 136. A space surrounded by the part is formed. This space is the third storage unit 148.

A plurality of left first communication holes 160a and right first communication holes 160b are formed in the left first partition wall 140a and the right first partition wall 140b along the respective thickness directions. The left first storage unit 144a and the left second storage unit 146a communicate with each other through the plurality of left first communication holes 160a, and similarly, the right first storage unit 144b and the right second storage unit 146b are plural. It communicates through the right first communication holes 160b. The plurality of left first communication holes 160a and right first communication holes 160b are arranged in parallel along the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 5, as can be understood by referring to FIG. 6 together.

A plurality of left second communication holes 162a extending along the thickness direction of each of the left second partition wall 142a and the right second partition wall 142b and arranged in parallel along the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. , The right second communication hole 162b is formed. The left second communication hole 162a communicates the left second storage unit 146a and the third storage unit 148, and the right second communication hole 162b communicates the right second storage unit 146b and the third storage unit 148.

As described above, the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b are formed between the left second partition wall 142a, the right second partition wall 142b, and the horizontal partition wall 136. Therefore, the left first storage unit 144a and the third storage unit 148 are directly communicated with each other via the first communication port 158a, and the right first storage unit 144b and the third storage unit 148 are connected via the second communication port 158b. Communicate directly.

Further, a plurality of left third communication holes 164a, right, extending in the vicinity of each hem of the mountain-shaped portion 150 along the respective thickness directions and arranged in parallel along the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. The third communication hole 164b is formed. The left third communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b communicate with the drain port 122 via the drain passage 154.

The hole diameters of the left first communication hole 160a, the right first communication hole 160b, the left second communication hole 162a, and the right second communication hole 162b are the left first communication hole 160a, the right first communication hole 160b, and the left second communication hole. The liquid water L that covers the holes 162a and the right second communication hole 162b stays on the inflow port side due to its surface tension, and is set to such an extent that it does not easily enter the inside. Therefore, the liquid water L changes from the left first storage section 144a (right first storage section 144b) to the left second storage section 146a (right second storage section 146b) and left second storage section 146a (right second storage section 146b). ) To the third storage unit 148 is hindered from being rapidly distributed. That is, these communication holes 160a, 160b, 162a, 162b serve as a flow resistance of the liquid water L.

The total radial cross-sectional area of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b should be set larger than the total radial cross-sectional area of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b. Is preferable. The total radial cross-sectional areas of the left 3rd communication hole 164a and the right 3rd communication hole 164b are the left 1st communication hole 160a, the right 1st communication hole 160b, the left 2nd communication hole 162a, and the right 2nd communication hole. It is preferable to set it smaller than the total radial cross-sectional area of 162b. That is, the total radial cross-sectional area of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b is S1, the total radial cross-sectional area of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b is S2, and the left first communication hole 162b. When the total radial cross-sectional area of the three communication holes 164a and the right third communication hole 164b is S3, the relationship S1> S2> S3 may be established. The reason for this will be described later.

In order to make S1> S2, for example, the number of the left first communication hole 160a, the right first communication hole 160b, the left second communication hole 162a, and the right second communication hole 162b are the same, and the number of each left first communication hole is the same. The radial cross-sectional area of the communication holes 160a and the right first communication hole 160b may be made larger than the radial cross-sectional areas of the individual left second communication holes 162a and right second communication holes 162b. Alternatively, the radial cross-sectional area of the individual left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b and the radial cross-sectional area of the individual left second communication hole 162a and right second communication hole 162b are made the same, and The number of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b may be larger than the number of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b.

Further, in order to make S2> S3, for example, the number of the left second communication hole 162a, the right second communication hole 162b, the left third communication hole 164a, and the right third communication hole 164b are the same in the same manner as described above. At the same time, the radial cross-sectional area of each of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b is set larger than the radial cross-sectional area of each of the left third communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b. To do. Alternatively, the radial cross-sectional area of the individual left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b and the radial cross-sectional area of the individual left third communication hole 164a and right third communication hole 164b are made the same, and The number of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b is set to be larger than the number of the left third communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b.

Further, a duct 168 projecting toward the horizontal partition wall 136 is erected at the mountain-shaped portion 150. The duct 168 is a cylindrical body having a through hole 170 extending along the longitudinal direction thereof, and the third storage portion 148 and the drain passage 154 are communicated with each other through the duct 168.

When the radial cross-sectional area of the through hole 170 of the duct 168 is S4, S4 is the total of the radial cross-sectional areas of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b S1, the left second communication hole 162a, and the right. It is preferable to set it larger than the total radial cross-sectional area S2 of the second communication hole 162b, the left third communication hole 164a, and the total radial cross-sectional area of the right third communication hole 164b. That is, it is preferable that the relationship of S4> S1> S2> S3 is established. The reason for this will also be described later.

The gas-liquid separator 32 according to the present embodiment is basically configured as described above, and the effects thereof will be described next.

The fuel cell system 10 is mounted on an automobile body, for example, to form a fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell vehicle may be operated, for example, in winter in a cold region. At this time, the fuel cell system 10 may be started below freezing point. Hereinafter, this case will be described as an example.

When starting the fuel cell stack 12, hydrogen as a fuel gas is supplied from the hydrogen tank 18 to the hydrogen supply flow path 14. Hydrogen passes through either the first injector 24 of the first branch path 20 or the second injector 26 of the second branch path 22, and then further passes through the ejector 30 of the junction 28 to pass through the fuel cell stack 12. It is supplied to the anode electrodes of each of the constituent fuel cells.

On the other hand, compressed air, which is an oxidant gas, is sent to the air supply flow path 40 via the air pump 44. The compressed air is humidified by the exhaust compressed air described later, and then supplied to the cathode electrodes of each fuel cell constituting the fuel cell stack 12.

By supplying the reaction gas as described above, an electrode reaction occurs at the anode electrode and the cathode electrode of each fuel cell, respectively. As a result, power generation is performed. A cooling medium flow path is formed in the fuel cell stack 12, and the cooling medium supplied through the cooling medium supply flow path is circulated in the cooling medium flow path.

The compressed air supplied to the cathode electrode and partially consumed is discharged to the air discharge flow path 42 as exhaust compressed air. The decompressed air is a moist gas containing water generated by the electrode reaction at the cathode electrode. This exhaust compressed air humidifies the compressed air newly supplied to the cathode electrode in a humidifier (not shown).

On the other hand, the hydrogen supplied to the anode electrode and partially consumed is discharged to the hydrogen discharge channel 16 as waste hydrogen. The exhaust hydrogen flows into the gas-liquid separator 32 in the process of flowing through the hydrogen discharge flow path 16, and hydrogen (gas phase) and water (gas phase) and water (gas phase) and water (gas phase) and water (gas phase) in each of the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72. Liquid phase).

More specifically, the waste water is introduced into the casing 56 individually from the first inflow port 60 and the second inflow port 62 shown in FIG. The waste water flowing in from the upper first inflow port 60 progresses slightly so as to incline downward to the right along the inner wall of the inner chamber 50, and is formed on the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 2 due to the presence of the partition wall 66. It flows into the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70. The waste water that is about to proceed to the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is blocked by a dam plate 76 provided on the end surface of the partition wall 66 on the front side of the paper surface. Therefore, the exhaust hydrogen flowing from the first inflow port 60 is prevented from flowing into the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72.

The waste water flowing into the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 flows along the extending direction of the first regulation unit 80. For this reason, the flow direction of wastewater is slightly leftward from the vertical downward direction from the previous downward right direction.

The wastewater then proceeds along the guide inclined portion 84, the first vertical portion 86, and the first horizontal portion 88 of the second regulating portion 82. Therefore, the flow direction of wastewater changes in the order of lower left to upper right and upper right to horizontal (left). The waste water is further increased by being guided by the end surface of the first regulation unit 80 on the side facing the second regulation unit 82, and then the distribution direction is deflected toward the collecting chamber 74 side. As a result, it is derived from the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and reaches the gathering chamber 74. In FIG. 3, the above distribution process is indicated by arrows.

In this distribution process, the flow velocity of wastewater drops rapidly. Further, a first guide unit 90 (first regulation unit 80, second regulation unit 82) is formed in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, and the inside of the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 has a crank shape. Therefore, the waste water stays in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 for a relatively long time. For the above reasons, the waste water (gas-liquid two-phase flow) supplied from the first inflow port 60 into the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 is the water that is the liquid phase and the first hydrogen that is the gas phase. Efficiently separated from airflow. Moisture enters the storage portion forming member 130 in the recess 120 via the first inlet 156a, and the first hydrogen stream flows into the collecting chamber 74.

On the other hand, the waste water that wraps around to the lower second gas-liquid inlet 62 side passes through the conduit 94 arranged in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, and the second gas-liquid separation chamber of the conduit 94. It is derived from the opening facing inside 72. Therefore, the exhaust hydrogen flowing from the second inflow port 62 is prevented from flowing into the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70.

As described above, a deflection member 96 having an opening on the right side is provided in the vicinity of the opening. Therefore, the flow direction of the waste water drawn out from the conduit 94 changes from the closing member 54 side to the right third regulating portion 98 side. The wastewater then proceeds along the second vertical portion 108 and the second horizontal portion 110 of the third regulation portion 98. Therefore, the flow direction of wastewater changes from the lower left to the upper right, and then from the upper right to the horizontal direction (left). The waste water rises while being guided by the inner wall of the inner chamber 50, and is further guided to the end surface of the dammed plate 76 on the side facing the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, so that the distribution direction is downward. Be biased. As a result, the discharged hydrogen is derived from the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 and reaches the gathering chamber 74. In FIG. 4, the above distribution process is indicated by arrows.

Similarly, in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, the flow velocity of waste water rapidly decreases in the above distribution process. Further, since the second guide portion 106 (third regulating portion 98, dam plate 76) is formed in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, the inside of the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 has a crank shape. ing. Therefore, the waste water stays in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 for a relatively long time. Therefore, the waste water (gas-liquid two-phase flow) supplied from the second inflow port 62 (conduit 94) into the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is also the water that is the liquid phase and the second hydrogen that is the gas phase. Efficiently separated from airflow. Moisture enters the storage portion forming member 130 in the recess 120 through the second inlet 156b or the first inlet 156a in the same manner as the water separated in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, and the second hydrogen airflow is introduced. It flows into the meeting room 74.

If the gas-liquid separation efficiency in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 is higher than that in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 and a large amount of water is separated in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, breathing is performed. Moisture is transferred to the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 through the holes 78a and 78b. When the gas-liquid separation efficiency in the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is higher than that in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70, on the contrary, water flows through the breathing holes 78a and 78b in the first gas-liquid separation chamber. Move to 70. Therefore, an excessively large amount of liquid phase is stored in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 or the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72, and due to this, the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 or the second gas-liquid separation chamber 70 or the second gas-liquid. It is avoided that gas-liquid separation becomes difficult in the separation chamber 72.

Since the fuel cell system 10 is started below the freezing point, the water content separated from the waste water in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is at a low temperature of around 0 ° C.

The first hydrogen airflow derived from the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second hydrogen airflow derived from the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 gather in the collecting chamber 74 to form a collecting flow. That is, the flow directions of the first hydrogen stream and the second hydrogen stream are substantially parallel to each other. This collective flow flows into the circulation flow path 34 (see FIG. 1) via the outflow port 64. The aggregated flow is then sucked into the ejector 30 from the circulation flow path 34 and resupplied to the anode electrode together with the newly supplied hydrogen.

A part of the waste water and nitrogen contained in the compressed air supplied to the cathode electrode and permeated through the electrolyte membrane are passed through the first inlet 156a and the second inlet 156b, and the storage portion forming member 130 in the recess 120 is provided. It enters the inside, that is, the left first storage unit 144a and the right first storage unit 144b. As shown by arrows in FIG. 5, these gas phases circulate to the third storage unit 148 via the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b, and further pass through the duct 168 (through hole 170). And circulates in the drain passage 154. As the drain valve 36 is opened under the control of the ECU 46, the gas phase is discharged through the drain port 122.

The aggregated flow (first hydrogen stream and second hydrogen stream) still contains some water. Therefore, as the collecting flow comes into contact with the inner wall of the collecting chamber 74, the water liquefies into liquid water L of droplets, which adheres to the inner wall of the collecting chamber 74.

The droplet (liquid water L) flows downward under the action of gravity, that is, toward the bottom of the gathering chamber 74. Here, the induction inclined portion 112 provided on the support base 100 is located at the bottom of the gathering chamber 74. The droplet is guided to the induction inclined portion 112 and is dammed by the second vertical portion 108 of the third regulating portion 98, so that the droplet is temporarily stored in the temporary liquid storage portion 114. Since the temporary liquid storage unit 114 is located at a position far away from the outlet 64, it is possible to prevent the water stored in the temporary liquid storage unit 114 from being sucked into the ejector 30 together with the collective flow.

A liquid transfer hole 116 is formed in the holding portion 104 of the support base 100. Therefore, when a predetermined amount of droplets are stored as liquid water L in the stepped portion, the liquid water L overflows from the liquid transfer hole 116. As a result, the liquid water L enters the storage portion forming member 130 in the recess 120 via the secondary inlet 156b.

The liquid water L that has entered the left first storage portion 144a from the first entrance 156a flows down along the dry left first compartment wall 140a, and is near the intersection of the left first compartment wall 140a and the left second compartment wall 142a. Move towards. Similarly, the liquid water L that has entered the right first storage portion 144b from the second entrance 156b flows down along the dry right first compartment wall 140b, and flows down along the dry right first compartment wall 140b, and the right first compartment wall 140b and the right second compartment wall 142b. Move toward the vicinity of the intersection of. In this process, the liquid water L covers the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the hole diameters of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b are set sufficiently small. Therefore, it takes a relatively long time for the liquid water L on the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b to flow into the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b. This is because a sufficient surface tension acts on the liquid water L on the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b. As described above, since the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b serve as a flow resistance of the liquid water L, the liquid water L becomes the left first storage portion 144a and the right first communication hole 144a as shown in FIG. It stays in the reservoir 144b for a relatively long time.

When the operation of the fuel cell stack 12 is continued, liquid water L is further generated. Since the temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 rises as the operation continues, the liquid water L is higher than the liquid water L generated at the initial stage of starting the fuel cell system 10. When the high-temperature liquid water L enters the storage portion forming member 130 in the same manner as described above, the liquid water L stored in the left first storage portion 144a and the right first storage portion 144b increases.

When the increased own weight of the liquid water L exceeds the surface tension, the liquid water L enters the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b and flows into the left second storage portion 146a and the right second storage portion 146b. Begin to. That is, the storage of the liquid water L in the left second storage unit 146a and the right second storage unit 146b is started.

When a certain amount of liquid water L is stored in the left second storage portion 146a and the right second storage portion 146b, the liquid water L is formed in the left first compartment wall 140a and the right first compartment wall 140b. It covers the double communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b. Since the hole diameters of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b are also set sufficiently small, the liquid water L resists the surface tension and the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162a are similarly set as described above. It takes a relatively long time to flow into the communication hole 162b. That is, the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b also serve as a flow resistance of the liquid water L, and the liquid water L stays in the left second storage portion 146a and the right second storage portion 146b for a relatively long time.

As described above, while the liquid water L is stored in the left first storage section 144a, the right first storage section 144b, the left second storage section 146a, and the right second storage section 146b, the gas phase (one of the exhausted hydrogen). The portion and nitrogen) enter the storage portion forming member 130 from the first entrance 156a and the second entrance 156b. Here, the total radial cross-sectional area of the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b is S1, the total radial cross-sectional area of the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b is S2, and the left third. The relationship of S4> S1, S4> S2, S4> S3 is established between the total radial cross-sectional area S3 of the communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b and the radial cross-sectional area S4 of the through hole 170 of the duct 168. If so, the gas phase preferentially passes through the through hole 170 having the largest cross-sectional area. That is, the gas phase easily enters the third storage unit 148 from the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b, and then passes through the duct 168 and the drain passage 154 and is discharged from the drain port 122.

Further, when the relationship of S1> S3 and S2> S3 is established, the internal pressure of the third storage unit 148 becomes the largest, so that the liquid water L is contained in the left second storage unit 146a and the right second storage unit 146b. It will be blocked. In addition, when the relationship S1> S2 is established, the inflow velocity of the liquid water L from the left first storage section 144a and the right first storage section 144b to the left second storage section 146a and the right second storage section 146b. However, the inflow rate from the left second storage section 146a and the right second storage section 146b to the third storage section 148 is slower.

Since the inflow rate of the liquid water L becomes slow as described above, a sufficient surface tension is developed in the liquid water L. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the liquid water L in the left first storage unit 144a and the right first storage unit 144b to flow into the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b, and the left second storage unit 146a and the right first communication hole 160b are difficult to flow into. 2 It becomes difficult for the liquid water L in the storage portion 146b to flow into the left second communication hole 162a and the right second communication hole 162b. Combined with the above reasons, the liquid water L tends to stay in the left first storage section 144a, the right first storage section 144b, the left second storage section 146a, and the right second storage section 146b.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the gas phase is rapidly discharged to the outside of the casing 56 through the duct 168, while the liquid water L (liquid phase) is left first in the storage portion forming member 130. It is stored in the storage unit 144a, the right first storage unit 144b, the left second storage unit 146a, and the right second storage unit 146b. That is, the low-temperature liquid water L can be retained inside the gas-liquid separator 32 even though the drain port 122 is opened to discharge the gas phase.

That is, it is possible to prevent the low-temperature liquid water L from being discharged from the drain port 122 and coming into contact with the drain valve 36 as much as possible. This makes it possible to prevent the low-temperature liquid water L from freezing at the drain valve 36, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the drain valve 36 from malfunctioning due to freezing.

Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a heating mechanism for heating the drain valve 36, for example, a heater or the like. Therefore, since it is avoided that the number of components of the fuel cell system 10 increases, it becomes easy to miniaturize and simplify the fuel cell system 10.

Moreover, since the liquid water L can be sufficiently stored in the gas-liquid separator 32, it is necessary to suppress the amount of the liquid water L generated, in other words, it is not necessary to limit the amount of power generation of the fuel cell stack 12. .. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a long warm-up operation time.

When the operation of the fuel cell stack 12 is still continued, the temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 rises sufficiently, and a higher temperature liquid water L is generated. When the high-temperature liquid water L enters the left first storage section 144a and the right first storage section 144b in the same manner as described above, the left first storage section 144a and the right first storage section 144b are substantially filled with water. .. Under this circumstance, the liquid water L in the left first storage section 144a and the right first storage section 144b flows into the left second storage section 146a and the right second storage section 146b relatively rapidly due to its own weight, and the left second reservoir. The liquid water L in the two storage units 146a and the right second storage unit 146b also flows into the third storage unit 148 relatively rapidly due to its own weight. The temperature of the liquid water L flowing into the third storage unit 148 is sufficiently higher than the freezing point because the high-temperature liquid water L is mixed.

As described above, the internal pressure of the third storage unit 148 is the largest among the storage unit forming members 130. Due to this large internal pressure, the liquid water L that has flowed into the third storage unit 148 flows into the through hole 170 in a relatively short time and is discharged into the drain passage 154, and further drains through the drain port 122 and the drain valve 36. It is discharged to the flow path 38.

The temperature of the liquid water L in contact with the drain valve 36 is well above the freezing point as described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid water L from freezing in the drain valve 36 and to prevent the drain valve 36 from malfunctioning due to this freezing.

After the fuel cell stack 12 is in steady operation, the water separated from the waste water in the first gas-liquid separation chamber 70 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 72 is regarded as liquid water L in the left first storage unit 144a and right. It quickly passes through the first storage section 144b, the left second storage section 146a, the right second storage section 146b, and the third storage section 148, and reaches the drainage flow path 38 via the drain passage 154, the drain port 122, and the drain valve 36. It is discharged. That is, the discharge of the liquid water L is not hindered by providing the storage portion forming member 130 in the casing 56.

It is assumed that the low-temperature liquid water L that has entered the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b freezes in the left first communication hole 160a and the right first communication hole 160b. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid water L overflows from the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b and flows into the third storage unit 148. Here, the low-temperature liquid water L that has entered the left third communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b may freeze in the left third communication hole 164a and the right third communication hole 164b.

In such a situation, the liquid water L is stored in the third storage unit 148. When the relatively high temperature liquid water L flows into the third storage unit 148 from the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b with the continuous operation of the fuel cell stack 12, the liquid level becomes higher than that of the duct 168. 3 The liquid water L in the storage unit 148 overflows and is discharged from the duct 168 to the drain passage 154. As described above, in the present embodiment, the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b are provided to directly communicate the left first storage unit 144a and the right first storage unit 144b to the third storage unit 148, and at the same time, the first communication port 158a and the second communication port 158b are provided. 3 The storage unit 148 is provided with a duct 168 that communicates with the drain port 122 via the drain passage 154. As a result, even when the liquid water L freezes in the left first communication hole 160a, the right first communication hole 160b, the left third communication hole 164a, and the right third communication hole 164b, the inside of the storage portion forming member 130 It is possible to temporarily store the liquid water L and then discharge it from the drain port 122.

The present invention is not particularly limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, the storage section forming member 130 is configured as a member separate from the casing 56, and the left first storage section 144a, the right first storage section 144b, the left second storage section 146a, and the right second storage section are formed. Although the storage section 146b and the third storage section 148 are provided, the left first section wall 140a, the right first section wall 140b, the left second section wall 142a, the right second section wall 142b, etc. are integrated with the casing 56. It is also possible to provide a storage portion forming portion in the casing 56.

Further, in this embodiment, two storage units, a left first storage unit 144a and a right first storage unit 144b, are provided as the first storage unit, and the left second storage unit 146a and the right second storage unit are provided as the second storage unit. Although two 146b units are provided, the number of the first storage unit and the second storage unit may be one. Further, there may be one inflow port and one gas-liquid separation chamber.

Furthermore, the fuel cell system 10 including the gas-liquid separator 32 is not particularly limited to the vehicle-mounted type, and may be a stationary type.

The gas-liquid separator 32 may be used as long as it is used to introduce a gas-liquid two-phase flow into the casing 56 from a plurality of inlets, and is particularly limited to those constituting the fuel cell system 10. It's not a thing. The gas-liquid two-phase flow may also be something other than hydrogen containing water.

10 ... Fuel cell system 12 ... Fuel cell stack 14 ... Hydrogen supply flow path 16 ... Hydrogen discharge flow path 18 ... Hydrogen tank 24 ... First injector 26 ... Second injector 30 ... Ejector 32 ... Gas-liquid separator 34 ... Circulation flow path 36 ... Drain valve 38 ... Drainage flow path 40 ... Air supply flow path 42 ... Air discharge flow path 50 ... Inner chamber 52 ... Main body member 56 ... Casing 60 ... First inflow port 62 ... Second inflow port 64 ... Outlet 66 ... Partition 70 ... 1st gas-liquid separation chamber 72 ... 2nd gas-liquid separation chamber 74 ... Meeting room 76 ... Damping plates 78a, 78b ... Breathing holes 80 ... 1st regulation part 82 ... 2nd regulation part 90 ... 1st guide part 94 ... Conduit 96 ... Deflection member 98 ... Third regulation part 100 ... Support base 106 ... Second guide part 112 ... Induction inclined part 114 ... Temporary liquid storage part 116 ... Liquid transfer hole 120 ... Recession 122 ... Drain port 130 ... Storage part Forming member 132 ... Bottom wall 136 ... Horizontal partition wall 140a, 140b ... First partition wall 142a, 142b ... Second partition wall 144a, 144b ... First storage section 146a, 146b ... Second storage section 148 ... Third storage section 154 ... Drain passages 156a, 156b ... Entrances 158a, 158b ... Communication ports 160a, 160b ... First communication holes 162a, 162b ... Second communication holes 164a, 164b ... Third communication holes 168 ... Duct 170 ... Through holes L ... Liquid water

Claims (4)

An inflow port to which a gas-liquid two-phase flow is supplied, a gas-liquid separation chamber that separates the gas-liquid two-phase flow introduced from the inflow port into a liquid phase and an air flow, and an outlet for discharging the air flow. In a gas-liquid separator having a casing in which the inlet and the drain port located below the outlet are formed.
A first storage portion, a second storage portion, and a third storage portion for storing the liquid phase are provided in the casing on the upstream side of the drain port in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side.
A first communication hole for communicating the first storage portion and the second storage portion is formed in the first partition wall that separates the first storage portion and the second storage portion.
Second partition wall that partitions the third reservoir and the second reservoir portion, a second communicating hole communicating the third reservoir and the second reservoir portion is formed,
The third storage unit directly communicates with the first storage unit via a communication passage.
In addition, a third communication hole for communicating the third storage portion and the drain port is formed in the third partition wall that separates the third storage portion and the drain port, and extends toward the communication passage. The existing duct is provided,
A gas-liquid separator characterized in that the first communication hole and the second communication hole act as a flow resistance of the liquid phase. In the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, the radial cross-sectional area of the through hole of the duct is the sum of the radial cross-sectional areas of each of the first communication hole, the second communication hole, and the third communication hole. A gas-liquid separator characterized by being relatively large. In the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1 or 2, the total radial cross-sectional area of the third communication hole is compared with the total radial cross-sectional area of each of the first communication hole and the second communication hole. A gas-liquid separator characterized by being small. In the gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the total radial cross-sectional area of the first communication hole is larger than the total radial cross-sectional area of the second communication hole. A gas-liquid separator characterized by that.

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