JPH0922712A - Fuel cell generator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Even if the installation location is under high temperature, high humidity, low atmospheric pressure, etc., the actual flow rate of the air supplied to the air electrode and the burner combustion chamber of the reformer will decrease. Instead, the rated operation shall be possible safely. [Structure] A cooler 7 is installed in front of a blower 5 that sends reaction air to an air electrode 2 of a fuel cell body 1, and the air is cooled and then taken into the blower 5. Further, a cooler 8 is installed in front of a blower 6 that sends combustion air to the burner combustion chamber of the reformer 4 that reforms the fuel gas, cools the air, and then takes it into the blower 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention sends combustion air to a combustion chamber of a reformer to heat a reformer for fuel gas, and the obtained reformed gas is supplied to a fuel electrode and air to an air electrode. The present invention relates to a configuration of an air supply system of a fuel cell power generator that sends and generates power.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a basic configuration diagram of an air supply system of a conventional fuel cell power generator. In the figure, the air electrode 2 of the fuel cell body 1 schematically shown is supplied with a reaction air that contributes to an electrochemical reaction by a blower 5, and the air after the reaction is discharged as an air electrode exhaust gas. Further, the fuel electrode 3 of the fuel cell main body 1 is supplied with the reformed gas which is sent to the reformer 4 to reform the fuel gas and further passes through a CO shifter (not shown). The fuel electrode exhaust gas discharged from the fuel electrode 3 after the electrochemical reaction contains residual hydrogen, is sent to the burner combustion chamber of the reformer 4, and reacts with the combustion air supplied by the blower 6. , Used to heat the reformer 4.

In the package type on-site fuel cell power generator, by selecting and providing a predetermined blower corresponding to the power generation capacity as the blower 5 and the blower 6, the space can be effectively used. Has been planned.

[0004]

As described above, the package type on-site fuel cell power generator includes a blower corresponding to its power generation capacity, but the environment of the installation location is high temperature. Alternatively, under special conditions such as high humidity or low atmospheric pressure, the air blowing amount may be insufficient.

That is, atmospheric air is used for both the reaction air sent to the air electrode 2 by the blower and the combustion air sent to the burner combustion chamber of the reformer 4, but under high temperature conditions. If so, the density of the air in the atmosphere will decrease due to thermal expansion, so that the mass flow rate of the air actually sent will decrease even if the volume flow rate of the air sent by the blower is the same. Further, if the humidity is high, the density of air in the atmosphere is reduced by containing water vapor, and thus the mass flow rate of air actually sent is also reduced. Also, if the installation location is high, the atmospheric pressure is low, so the density of air is low and the mass flow rate of air actually sent is low.

As described above, when the mass flow rate of the air actually sent is reduced, the air electrode 2 is required to operate at a high utilization rate, especially during high load operation in which a large amount of air is used. In addition, in the burner combustion chamber of the reformer 4, there is a high possibility of incomplete combustion due to a shortage of oxygen, and in some cases the maximum load that can be operated is limited.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned difficulties and to burn the burner of the air electrode and the reformer even if the environmental conditions of the installation location are high temperature, high humidity, or low atmospheric pressure. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell power generation device that can safely perform rated operation without reducing the actual flow rate of air supplied to the room.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the reforming gas is supplied to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell main body, and the reaction air is supplied to the air electrode by using a blower to generate electricity. In a fuel cell power generator that generates direct current power by a chemical reaction, a cooler for reaction air is provided in front of a blower.

Further, in a fuel cell power generator which supplies reformed gas to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell main body and reactive air to the air electrode to generate DC power by an electrochemical reaction, the fuel gas is reformed while being heated. In a case where combustion air is supplied to a burner combustion chamber of a reformer for reforming into gas by using a blower, a cooler for combustion air is provided in a stage before the blower.

[0010]

[Function] Pressure P [Pa], temperature T [K], volume V [m ³ ]
The mass M [kg] of the air is

[0011]

## EQU1 ## M = kPV / T (1) Therefore, the volume flow rate is (dV / dt)
Mass flow rate (d) of the air sent by the blower of [m ³ / s]
M / dt) [kg / s] is

[0012]

(2) (dM / dt) = k (P / T) (dV / dt) (2) That is, even when the condition of the outside air varies depending on the environmental conditions, if the (P / T) is taken into the blower such that it becomes a value larger than the predetermined value of the design condition, a predetermined actual air flow rate is obtained. Can be secured.

Therefore, as described above, the cooler is provided in the preceding stage of the blower that sends the reaction air to the air electrode, or the cooler is provided in the preceding stage of the blower that supplies the combustion air to the burner combustion chamber of the reformer. Then, for example, when the environmental temperature is higher than a predetermined value, if it is cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower by a cooler and then supplied by a blower, (P / T) is higher than a predetermined value, so a predetermined actual air flow rate is secured. can do. Further, when the atmospheric pressure P is low, a predetermined actual air flow rate can be secured by lowering the temperature T (P / T) by a cooler in proportion to the decrease of P and making it larger than a predetermined value. Similarly, when the humidity is high, the temperature T is lowered by the cooler (P
If / T) is made larger than a predetermined value, a predetermined actual air flow rate can be secured.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of an air supply system showing an embodiment of a fuel cell power generator of the present invention. In the figure,
Components having the same functions as those of the conventional example shown in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted. The difference between this embodiment and the conventional example is that a cooler 7 is installed in front of a blower 5 that supplies reaction air to the air electrode 2, and a blower 6 that supplies combustion air to the burner combustion chamber of the reformer 4. Is that the cooler 8 is installed in the preceding stage of the
An electronic cooler or a heat exchanger is used for the cooler 8.

In this structure, the fuel cell power plant is installed under high temperature conditions, high humidity conditions, low atmospheric pressure conditions, or a combination of these conditions. By cooling the air taken in by the installed cooler to lower the temperature and guiding (P / T) above a predetermined value to the blower as described above, the actual flow rate of the air sent by the blower will be maintained above the predetermined value. Therefore, a high air utilization rate is required at the air electrode as in the conventional example, and the reformer 4
In this burner combustion chamber, there is no risk of incomplete combustion, and rated operation can be reliably performed.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the reformed gas is supplied to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell main body and the reaction air is supplied to the air electrode by using the blower to generate the DC power by the electrochemical reaction. In the fuel cell power generator to be installed, the cooling device for the reaction air is provided in front of the blower, so even if the installation environment is high temperature, high humidity, or low atmospheric pressure, If the air taken in is cooled and guided to the blower, the actual flow rate of the air will be maintained at a specified value or higher, so there is no need for a high air utilization rate at the air electrode as in the conventional example, and safe rated operation is possible. It has become possible to obtain a possible fuel cell power generator.

Further, in a fuel cell power generator which supplies reformed gas to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell main body and reactive air to the air electrode to generate DC power by an electrochemical reaction, the fuel gas is reformed while heating the fuel gas. In the case of using a blower to supply combustion air to the burner combustion chamber of a reformer that reforms gas, a combustion air cooler was provided in front of the blower. Even under conditions such as humidity or low atmospheric pressure, there is no risk of incomplete combustion in the burner combustion chamber of the reformer as in the conventional example, and a fuel cell power generator capable of safe rated operation is obtained. Was decided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of an air supply system showing an embodiment of a fuel cell power generator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a basic configuration diagram of an air supply system of a conventional fuel cell power generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fuel Cell Main Body 2 Air Electrode 3 Fuel Electrode 4 Reformer 5 Blower 6 Blower 7 Cooler 8 Cooler

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A fuel cell power generator for supplying reformed gas to a fuel electrode of a fuel cell main body and reactive air to an air electrode by using a blower to generate direct current power by an electrochemical reaction, in front of the blower. A fuel cell power generator comprising a cooler for reaction air. 2. A fuel cell power generator which supplies reformed gas to a fuel electrode of a fuel cell main body and reactive air to an air electrode to generate direct-current power by an electrochemical reaction, while reforming while heating the fuel gas. What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell power generator, comprising: a burner for supplying combustion air to a burner combustion chamber of a reformer for reforming into gas, wherein a cooler for the combustion air is provided in front of the blower.