JPS62200666A - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the cell in the caption small-sized by a method wherein an electrically insulated substrate is provided with a plural number of throughholes and single cells are set in said throughholes while electrically connecting single cells in series, in parallel or in series/parallel. CONSTITUTION:An electrically insulated substrate 1 is provided with a plural number of not illustrated throughholes. Each single cell 5 is constituted of a fuel cell electrode 2, an electrolyte matrix 3 and an oxidant electrode 4 while being distributed in each throughhole. These single cells 5 are electrically connected in series, in parallel or in series/parallel. Thereby, supply of reaction gas to each single cell 5 becomes unnecessary. Making fuel gas and oxidant gas to flow on the obverse and reverse of the substrate 1 regardless of the number of the single cells suffices thus to enable it to obtain a fuel cell of small-size and light-weight and of compact volume.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a small, lightweight, and compact fuel cell.

[Conventional technology]

As is well known, a fuel cell operates by interposing an electrolyte matrix holding an electrolyte between a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode arranged opposite each other, and supplying fuel and oxidizer to the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode, respectively. It is a kind of power generation device.

Fuel cells have the following characteristics: ■ High efficiency can be expected as there is no Carnot cycle restriction; ■ Waste heat can be obtained at a relatively high temperature close to the cell operating temperature and can be used effectively; ■ Efficiency does not change much even if the output is changed. ■It has advantages such as excellent responsiveness to load fluctuations, and can be used in ways such as being distributed within or near cities on the scale of distribution substations, or as an alternative power generation device for thermal power plants. It is considered.

Fuel cells are classified into alkaline type, phosphoric acid type, molten carbonate type, etc. depending on the type of electrolyte used, and these types use gases such as hydrogen and methane as fuel.
There are also other types of fuel cells, such as the methanol direct-improved type, which use liquid as fuel.

The basic structural unit of a fuel cell is a single cell, or a cell, and since the deuteron voltage of a single cell is as small as about 0.7 V, an assembled battery is constructed by stacking tens to hundreds of single cells. Regarding the structure of single cells and collective batteries, see US Patent No. G, Koku A, ? & 5 is disclosed in detail.

In recent years, fuel cells have been considered for practical use on a small scale, such as as a power source for automobiles, but while fuel cells can draw a high current of several hundred mA per square centameter, they have a low voltage of around 47V. The essential feature is that it can only be taken out. On the other hand, for small-scale applications, the current may be small, but a high voltage of about 100 to 100 V is required. Therefore, in order to meet such uses with conventional fuel cells, it is necessary to stack 10 to 300 cells each having an area of 1 to 100 ctd.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In conventional fuel cells such as those mentioned above, the Rin cell filter must be at least 5.
Since it has a thickness of about a millimeter, the assembled battery has a thickness of 771 mm.
Since it is necessary to install manifolds on all sides at a height higher than that, the size and weight of the structure increase.

Therefore, there has been a problem that practical application of such fuel cells on a small scale has not been realized.

This invention was made to solve this problem, and aims to obtain a small and lightweight fuel cell.

[Means for solving problems]

The fuel cell according to the present invention includes a plurality of through holes provided in an electrically insulating base, a unit cell inserted into these through holes,
These are cells electrically connected in series or parallel.

[Effect]

In this invention, since a plurality of cells are arranged on a single substrate, there is no need to supply reactive gas to each cell using a gas separation plate as in the past, and it is possible to First, since fuel gas and oxidizing gas only need to flow between the front and back sides of the substrate, a lightweight and compact fuel cell can be created.

〔Example〕

FIG. 7 and FIG. 1 are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively, showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral O) is an electrically insulating base having a plurality of through holes. (-) is the fuel electrode, (3) is the electrolyte holding matrix provided adjacent to this fuel electrode (2)) IJ sock (4c) is the oxidizing agent provided adjacent to this electrolyte holding matrix (3) These fuel electrodes (,2), electrolyte retainer) IJ
A unit cell (5) is constituted by the sock 3) and the oxidizer electrode (lI), and is arranged in each of the above-mentioned through holes.

(6) is a current collector plate connected to the fuel electrode (2) and oxidizer electrode (4=), (7) is a conductive joint metal fitting connected to this current collector plate (6), and (g) is The three cells (j) shown in the figure are connected to these current collecting plates (6) and the connecting metal fittings (wa).
, and are electrically connected in series by pin (g).

Figures 3 and 3 are enlarged views of the unit cell (5) in Figure M1, showing the disassembled state before and after assembly of the # battery, respectively. In these cells, the fuel electrode (2) has a fuel electrode base material (q) and the fuel in contact with the soot layer (10), and the oxidizer 11 electrode (4) has the oxidizer electrode base material (11) and the oxidizer in contact with the soot layer (10). It is shown that it consists of an electrode catalyst layer (l2).

In the fuel cell configured as described above, the fuel gas is caused to flow on the surface of the substrate (1) (arrow (13)), and the oxidizing gas is caused to flow on the back surface of the substrate (1) (arrow (t<Q)). Therefore, the electromotive force generated by the reaction of these gases can be taken out using the current collector plate (6), the joining metal fitting (7), and the pin (f).

Figure 5 is a plan view of a fuel cell with 72 day cells (&) arranged in series on the base, and Figure 6 is a plan view of a fuel cell with 75 single cells (&) arranged on the base.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of a fuel cell in which 6 j) are arranged in series. In Fig. 6, the connecting fittings (7) and pins (&) are shown in a simplified manner. (15) is a constant current socket, (bow) is a positive side connection portion provided on this current socket (tS), and (17) is a negative side connection portion similarly provided on the current socket (l) K. These fuel cells can be operated by flowing fuel gas onto the front surface of the substrate (1) and flowing oxidant gas onto the back surface thereof. The generated electromotive force is the current socket (t
S) allows easy connection to external wiring.

In addition, in the fuel cell shown in Fig. 6, the single cell p o,
Since an output voltage of about t, rV can be obtained, the entire fuel cell can obtain a DC voltage of about 10 OV.

7 and 5 are a schematic plan view and a front view, respectively, of the fuel cell shown in FIG. 3 or 6 with a manifold attached thereto. (/1) is the fuel gas manifold provided on the top surface of the base (1), (19) is the oxidizer gas manifold provided on the bottom surface of the base (1), (2θ) is the fuel gas manifold (/l) Fuel gas supply connection plug provided,
(St) is also a fuel gas discharge plug provided in the fuel gas manifold (lt), (2λ) is an oxidizing gas supply connection plug provided in the oxidizing gas manifold (19), and (23) is also an oxidizing gas discharge plug provided in the oxidizing gas manifold (19). agent gas manifold (1
9) is an oxidant gas discharge plug provided in Fuel gas is supplied from the supply connection plug (20) of the fuel gas manifold (lza) and discharged from the exhaust plug (Ot). On the other hand, the oxidizing gas is in the oxidizing gas manifold (19)
It is supplied from the supply connection plug (K2) and discharged from the discharge plug (K3). This kind of fuel cell is very compact and can be called a fuel cell card.The connection to external wiring and piping is simple, and it can be easily connected like a household electric socket. It can generate electricity. Therefore, it is easy to carry and can be applied to various types of small-scale power generation.

In addition, although the above example shows the case where the single cells are electrically connected in series, this example is performed by connecting several single cells in parallel to form a group of electrically parallel single cells. Groups of cells may be connected in series.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention includes a plurality of through holes provided in an electrically insulating substrate, each of which has unit cells each consisting of a fuel W pond, an oxidizer electrode, and an electrolyte retention matrix, and which are electrically connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel, so there is no need to supply reactant gas to each cell using a gas separation plate as in the past), regardless of the number of cells. It is sufficient to flow the fuel gas and the oxidant gas, and the effect is that a small, lightweight, and compact fuel cell can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a sectional view and a plan view, respectively, showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 7 are enlarged views of the cell shown in FIG. 1 before and after assembly, respectively. Figure 3 shows 7.2 on the base.
Figure 6 is a plan view of a fuel cell with two single cells arranged on a base, and Figure 7 is a plan view of a fuel cell with two single cells arranged on a base.
Figure 3 is tJ. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view and a plan view, respectively, of a fuel cell in which a manifold is attached to the fuel cell of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6; In the figure, (1) is the substrate, (2) is the fuel electrode, (3) is the electrolyte holding matrix, (lI) is the oxidizer electrode, (yo) is the unit cell, (6) is the current collector plate, and (7) is Joining metal fittings, (1
) is the pin, (9) is the fuel electrode base material, (10) is the fuel electrode catalyst layer, (11) is the oxidizer electrode base material, (tX) is the oxidizer electrode catalyst layer, (l) is the current socket, (16) is the plug side connection, (/7) is the negative side connection, (/
1) is the fuel gas manifold, (/9) is the oxidant gas manifold, (20) and (22) are the supply connection plugs, and (2/) and (3) are the discharge plugs.゛In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. 1., “・[I substitution 6.1 [===
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Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A single cell consisting of a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an electrolyte holding matrix is placed in a plurality of through holes provided in an electrically insulating substrate, and these single cells are electrically connected in series, parallel, or A fuel cell characterized by being connected in series and parallel. (2) The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a current socket is provided at the terminal to which the cell is electrically connected. (3) A fuel gas manifold is provided on the top surface of the base,
Claim 1, characterized in that an oxidant gas manifold is provided on the lower surface of the base, and each manifold is provided with a supply connection plug and a discharge plug.
Fuel cell as described in Section. (4) Claim 1, characterized in that the fuel electrode consists of a fuel electrode base material and a fuel electrode catalyst layer, and the oxidizer electrode consists of an oxidizer electrode base material and an oxidizer electrode catalyst layer. fuel cell.