JPH0331010Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Technical field to which the invention pertains) This invention relates to a fuel cell in which a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells is provided with a manifold for supplying and discharging a reactant gas, and is installed in a closed container. .

(Prior art and its problems) In general, a fuel cell consists of a matrix layer that holds an electrolyte, a porous fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode that sandwich this layer, and a groove that supplies fuel gas as a reaction gas to the outside of the matrix layer. A unit battery is constructed by arranging a plate having a groove formed thereon and a plate having a groove formed therein for supplying oxidizing gas in a direction perpendicular to the supply groove. Each time a plurality of unit batteries are stacked, a cooling plate having a built-in cooling passage is provided to form a cell stack. A manifold for supplying and discharging a reaction gas is provided on the side of the cell stack, and the cell stack is placed in a closed container.

An inert gas such as nitrogen is sealed in the closed container at a pressure slightly higher than that of the reaction gas.
When the pressure of the reaction gas is high, the closed vessel is manufactured as a pressure vessel.

On the other hand, along with the operation of the fuel cell, it is necessary to visually inspect the main parts of the fuel cell, such as the cell stack, periodically or in the event of an accident. However, since conventional sealed containers are generally not equipped with an inspection window, it is necessary to remove the sealed container and the manifold lid for inspection. This work requires a lot of effort and has the drawback of requiring a long time.

For example, even if an inspection window is installed, there is a drawback that the areas that can be visually inspected are limited.

(Purpose of the invention) In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention provides a fuel cell inspection device that allows visual inspection of the main parts of the fuel cell with a simple structure while the sealed container in which the cell stack is installed is installed. The purpose is to

(Summary of the invention) According to the invention, the above object is to provide a fuel cell in which a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells is provided with a manifold for supplying and discharging a reactant gas and is installed in a closed container. An inspection window that can be opened and closed is provided in the sealed container, and a conduit through which the fiberscope can be inserted and pulled out is provided in the sealed container, one end of this conduit is provided in the manifold, and the other end of the conduit is provided in the manifold. This is achieved by having the end facing the inspection window and providing a removable blind plug in the opening at this end.

(Embodiments of the invention) Examples of the invention will be described below based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a fuel cell inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a cell stack 1 is constructed by stacking unit batteries 10 and cooling plates (not shown) interposed for each of a plurality of unit batteries. The unit cell 10 is provided with a plate provided with a groove 10a for supplying a fuel gas as a reaction gas, and a groove 10b for supplying an oxidant gas, which is formed orthogonally to the direction of the groove 10a.

The cell stack 1 is installed on a support base 3a of an airtight container 3 by providing clamping plates 2 on the upper and lower sides and tightening them with clamping members.

On the side of the cell stack 1, a manifold 4 for supplying an oxidant gas as a reaction gas to the unit cells in the cell stack and a manifold 4a for discharging the gas are arranged on opposite sides of the cell stack 1, and on opposite sides of the cell stack 1 perpendicular to this side. As shown in FIG. 2, a manifold 5 for supplying fuel gas to the unit cells in the cell stack and a manifold 5a for discharging fuel gas are provided on the side. Although not shown, the manifolds 4 and 5 have inlet pipes for oxidizing gas and fuel gas, respectively, and manifolds 4a and 5 have inlet pipes for oxidizing gas and fuel gas, respectively.
5a is provided with outlet pipes for oxidizing gas and fuel gas, respectively, passing through the closed container 1.

A manhole 3c as an inspection window is provided in the body of the airtight container 3, a manhole cover 6 is provided to close the manhole 3c, and the manhole 3 is closed by a hinge 6a.
c, so that the lid 6 can be opened and closed. Incidentally, the manhole cover 6 is provided with a bolt hole 6b, and the flange portion of the manhole 3c is tightened with a stud to seal the airtight container 3 with the cover 6. The closed container 3 is a pressure container filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen. In this case, the pressure of the inert gas is set slightly higher than the pressure of the reaction gas.

Conduit 7 that allows fiberscope to be inserted and withdrawn freely
are arranged in the upper and lower parts of the manifold through the lid of the manifold 4, and one end 7a of the conduit 7
are provided near the sides of the cell stack 1, respectively,
The other end 7b is disposed near the manhole 3c at a position facing the manhole 3c, and the opening of this end 7b is sealed with a blind plug 8. In addition to this,
The conduit 7 passes through the lids of the manifolds 4a, 5, and 5a, respectively, and is arranged in the same configuration as described above.

When the fuel cell is operated, oxidant gas and fuel gas are supplied to the unit cell 1 through inlet pipes (not shown) and supply manifolds 4 and 5, respectively.
0, and is discharged from an outlet pipe (not shown) via discharge manifolds 4a and 5a, causing an electrochemical reaction in the unit battery to generate electricity.

However, as fuel cells operate over long periods of time,
Additionally, in the event of an accident, visual inspection of the main parts of the fuel cell such as the cell stack is required. In this case, the fuel cell is shut down and the reactant gas in the cell stack and manifold is replaced with an inert gas such as nitrogen. Then, the inert gas such as nitrogen in the closed container is replaced with the atmosphere. In this state, the tightening stud of the manhole cover 6 is loosened and opened via the hinge 6a, using the manhole 3c as an inspection window. Next, the blind stopper 8 is removed from the conduit 7 through the inspection window, and the fiberscope is inserted into the conduit 7. Then, the detection section at the tip of the fiberscope is used to protrude from the opening of the end 7a of the conduit 7, or the detection section is caused to protrude from the opening to check the surface condition of the side surface of the cell stack and the manifold lid, for example, to detect foreign matter in the reaction gas supply grooves 10a and 10b. Clogged,
It is possible to visually inspect for overheating, leakage of electrolyte, etc. Note that the tube with the detection section at the tip of the fiberscope can be bent, so a wide field of view can be obtained.

If the location of the visual inspection is determined in advance, a good visual inspection can be achieved by arranging the conduit so that the end of the conduit is set at this location.

After the visual inspection is completed, a blind stopper 8 is attached to the end 7b of the conduit 7 to seal the conduit 7. Then, the manhole cover 6 is fastened to the manhole 3c to form an airtight container, and the inside is replaced with nitrogen. When operating a fuel cell, reaction gas is supplied to the cell stack via the manifold. At this time, the blind plug of the conduit 7 is the pressure boundary of the conduit portion exposed outside the manifold, and the conduit 7 is Even if it is installed, it will not interfere with the operation of the fuel cell.

(Effects of the invention) As is clear from the above explanation, according to the invention, a conduit that can be freely inserted and withdrawn for visually inspecting the side surface of a cell stack is disposed at one end in the manifold, and at the other end. By attaching a blind plug to the opening of the conduit and placing it near the inspection window and installing the fuel cell in a sealed container, the inspection window can be opened and the blind plug of the conduit can be closed when inspecting important parts such as the cell stack of the fuel cell. By removing it and inserting a fiberscope, it is possible to visually inspect the main parts of the cell stack, etc., which eliminates the time and effort required to open the sealed container and remove the manifold lid, allowing for quick and easy visual inspection. effective.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of a fuel cell inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
It is an A sectional view. 1: Cell stack, 3: Sealed container, 3c: Inspection window, 4, 5: Reaction gas supply manifold, 4
a, 5a: Manifold for discharging reaction gas, 7:
Conduit, 8: Blind stopper.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a fuel cell in which a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells is provided with a manifold for supplying and discharging a reactant gas and is installed in a sealed container, the sealed container is provided with an inspection window that can be freely opened and closed; A conduit into which a fiberscope can be inserted and pulled out is disposed, one end of the conduit is disposed within the manifold, the other end is disposed so as to face the inspection window, and the end of the conduit is disposed so as to face the inspection window. A fuel cell inspection device characterized in that a removable blind plug is provided in the opening of the fuel cell.