AT523336B1 - Bearing arrangement for a SOFC system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bearing arrangement (10) for an SOFC system (11), comprising a high-temperature operating unit (12), a carrier (13), a plurality of connecting rods (14) fastened to the carrier (13) and a connecting rod ( 14) connected bearing means (15), wherein the high-temperature operating unit (12) has counter-bearing means (28) by means of which the high-temperature operating unit (12) is floatingly mounted on the bearing means (15), whereby the high-temperature operating unit (12 ) is hung on the bearing means (15) via the counter-bearing means (28). The invention also relates to an SOFC system (11) with a bearing arrangement (10) according to the invention.

Description

description

BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SOFC SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a bearing assembly for an SOFC system for bearing a high-temperature operational unit. The invention also relates to an SOFC system with such a bearing arrangement.

[0002] Generic SOFC systems have a fuel cell stack with an anode section and a cathode section. A reformer for reforming fuel, which is then fed to the anode section, is generally arranged upstream of the anode section. Air or other oxygen-containing fluid is typically supplied to the cathode section. Electricity is generated in the fuel cell stack among the reformed fuel in the anode section and the air in the cathode section. At the same time, exhaust gas is generated in the anode section and air is consumed in the cathode section. This is essentially a hydrogen-containing fluid in the anode section and essentially air in the cathode section. In known systems, the anode exhaust gas and the cathode exhaust gas are led to a so-called afterburner, in which the fluids can be burned again to generate heat, or at least their residual heat can be used. The afterburner is often designed in the form of a heat exchanger in order, for example, to bring the reformer, with which the afterburner can be in heat-transferring connection in this case, to a desired operating temperature or to keep it at such an operating temperature.

[0003] Afterburners and reformers can be part of a so-called gas processing unit. Since temperatures of up to 1000°C prevail in the area of a gas conditioning unit in SOFC systems, a stable and long-lasting attachment of the gas conditioning unit in the SOFC system always poses a certain challenge from high temperature differences compared to the environment and the different operating conditions in the hot area with strongly changing temperature conditions, stresses arise that lead to damage or destruction of the components.

The object of the present invention is to at least partially take account of the problems described above. In particular, the object of the present invention is to create an improved bearing arrangement for an SOFC system, with which a gas processing unit or components in the area of the gas processing unit can be held in the desired position securely and without damage. In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide an SOFC system with such a bearing arrangement.

The above object is solved by the patent claims. In particular, the above object is achieved by the bearing arrangement according to claim 1 and the SOFC system according to claim 8. Further advantages of the invention result from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings. Features and details that are described in connection with the bearing arrangement naturally also apply in connection with the SOFC system according to the invention and vice versa, so that the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention is or can always be referred to mutually.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a bearing assembly for a SOFC system is provided. The bearing arrangement has a high-temperature operating unit, a carrier, a plurality of connecting rods attached to the carrier and a bearing means connected to the connecting rods, the high-temperature operating unit having a counter-bearing means by means of which the high-temperature operating unit is floatingly mounted on the bearing means, whereby the High-temperature operating unit is mounted on the counter-bearing means on the bearing means.

In experiments within the scope of the present invention, it was recognized that a stationary

or rigid attachment of the high-temperature operating unit is not absolutely necessary. As a result, the concept for the floating bearing of the high-temperature operating unit was developed. The floating mounting of the high-temperature operating unit makes it possible to prevent stresses on the high-temperature operating unit during operation of the SOFC system, which can lead to damage or destruction of the high-temperature operating unit and/or surrounding functional components.

[0008] In order to implement the floating mounting, the counter-bearing means can be in mechanical contact with the bearing means and can move with a predefined play on the bearing means, in particular be slidably arranged in a predefined area. The carrier can be understood to mean a fastening section for fastening the bearing arrangement in the SOFC system. Before the bearing arrangement is installed in the SOFC system, the high-temperature operating unit can be simply lifted onto the bearing means and hung using the counter-bearing means. That is, the high-temperature operation unit can be hung on the bearing means. With regard to manufacturing and assembly tolerances, this leads to simple assembly of the high-temperature operating unit. Service work on the high-temperature operating unit can be carried out in a correspondingly simple and uncomplicated manner. In the event of maintenance or damage, the bearing assembly, including the high-temperature operating unit, can be easily removed from the SOFC system. Thereafter, the high-temperature operation unit and/or a component unit including the high-temperature operation unit can be lifted from the storage means and inspected as desired. The component arrangement consisting of carrier, connecting rods and bearing means can be designed as a kind of swing shape, in which the connecting rods are not pivoted but are fixed rigidly to the carrier and the bearing means corresponds to the rocking plate, on which the high-temperature operating unit floats by means of the counter-bearing means is stored.

In the context of the invention, the operating unit is to be understood in particular as a gas processing unit, which can comprise one or more elements which are designed and arranged to provide fluids or gases for processing in a fuel cell stack. The operating unit can therefore have an evaporator, a heat exchanger, a reformer and/or burner, for example.

The bearing assembly may include two or more connecting rods. Preferably, the bearing assembly has three connecting rods. In tests within the scope of the present invention, this has turned out to be an advantageous compromise between the weight of the connecting rods and a stable attachment of the bearing means to the carrier. The bearing means is fixedly connected to each connecting rod. For this purpose, the bearing means is designed in one piece or essentially in one piece. However, this can also be designed in several parts. In the area of the connecting rods, the bearing means can have a fastening section, via which the bearing means is connected to the respective connecting rod in a positive, non-positive and/or material connection. The bearing means can be connected to the connecting rods directly or indirectly, for example by a connecting sleeve. When using a connecting sleeve, this can, for example, enclose or encase the respective connecting rod, while the bearing means is connected, for example welded, to the connecting sleeve. In this case, play can be designed between the connecting sleeve and the respective connecting rod, through which a further movement compensation can be created in the bearing arrangement, which supports the floating mounting. In order to prevent the connecting sleeve from slipping off the respective connecting rod in the assembled state, it can be secured at an end section of the respective connecting rod by a retaining means, for example a nut turned onto a thread or a pin, against displacement along the respective connecting rod in the direction of the end section of the respective connecting rod.

The connecting rods are preferably made of metal, in particular high-temperature steel. The bearing means can also be made of metal and also preferably made of high-temperature steel. The carrier is also preferably made of metal or at least essentially of metal.

Bearing means and counter-bearing means are in contact with one another via a number of bearing points for storing the high-temperature operating unit on the bearing means. That is, the bearing means and the counter-bearing means can each have a plurality of bearing elements and/or bearing sections with the respective bearing points.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is possible that in a bearing arrangement, the bearing means is designed in a strip-shaped or essentially strip-shaped manner and the high-temperature operating unit is mounted on an end face of the strip-shaped bearing means. The band-shaped or essentially band-shaped configuration of the bearing means or at least a part of the bearing means allows this to be provided in a space-saving manner and nevertheless sufficiently stable for the desired purpose. In the present case, the end face is not to be understood as an end in the longitudinal direction of the bearing means, but rather in a width direction of the bearing means. In a state where the bearing means is installed in a SOFC system, a longitudinal direction of the bearing means may be horizontal or substantially horizontal. A height direction can run in the gravitational direction and a width direction orthogonal to the gravitational direction and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the width preferably being significantly narrower, for example at least twice as narrow, in particular at least five times narrower, than the height of the bearing means. The band shape can be understood to mean a belt shape. The bearing means is preferably designed to be rigid or essentially rigid. An elastic and/or plastic deformability of the bearing means should be prevented as far as possible. At the same time, the bearing means can be designed to be slightly resilient due to the shape of the band. This can be advantageous for the desired floating and correspondingly flexible mounting of the high-temperature operating unit.

It is also possible that in a bearing arrangement according to the invention the carrier is designed plate-shaped and an insulating layer for thermal insulation of the carrier relative to the high-temperature operating unit is arranged on a side of the carrier facing the high-temperature operating unit. That is, the insulating layer is at least partially interposed between the substrate and the high-temperature operating unit. The carrier and the insulating layer can thus be provided in the bearing arrangement in a space-saving manner. A plate-shaped configuration can also be implemented easily and cost-effectively with regard to manufacture. In addition, it can be used to provide uniform and effective insulation from the environment of the high-temperature operating unit. In addition, a component unit including the support, the insulating layer, the connecting rods, the bearing means, and the high-temperature operating unit can be provided. Such a component unit can be preassembled and tested in a testing device before installation. The component unit can be removed from the test device after operation, for example for service purposes, and installed as a unit in the SOFC system. This increases the serviceability of the bearing arrangement and facilitates installation and removal of the bearing arrangement while maintaining specified assembly tolerances.

Furthermore, it is possible for the connecting rods in a bearing assembly according to the present invention to extend parallel to one another and orthogonally to a side of the beam facing the high-temperature operating unit. This allows the bearing load to be distributed evenly over the connecting rods. In addition, relatively thin connecting rods with a nevertheless sufficiently high strength, in particular tensile strength, can be made available in a space-saving manner in the bearing arrangement. The connecting rods preferably extend in a gravitational direction in a state of the bearing arrangement in which it is implemented in the SOFC system. That is, a longitudinal direction of the connecting rods can run parallel and/or along the gravitational direction.

According to a further embodiment variant of the present invention, it is possible that in a bearing assembly the length of a connecting rod is at least 5 times to 10 times the width of the respective connecting rod. This means that the connecting rods should and can be designed to be as thin as possible, i.e. with the smallest possible diameter. In this way, heat transfer from the connecting rods to the attachment points on the carrier can be kept small. I.e., there can be a small heat conduction loss

be enough.

It can be of further advantage here if, in a bearing assembly according to the invention, the connecting rods are at least partially surrounded by an insulating jacket for thermal insulation of the connecting rods from the high-temperature operating unit. This also allows heat transfer from the connecting rods to attachment points on the carrier to be kept low. The insulating jacket can be made of metal, in particular made of high-temperature steel. A thermally insulating air gap can be formed between the insulating jacket and the associated connecting rod. The insulating jacket can have a thickness in a range from approx. 1 mm to approx. 3 mm, in particular 2 mm. The connecting rods preferably have a round cross-section. The insulating jacket can correspondingly have an annular cross section. An annular and/or tubular air gap can be formed between a connecting rod and an associated insulating jacket. Furthermore, a structural unit comprising the support, the insulating layer, the connecting rods, each insulating jacket around an associated connecting rod, the bearing means, and the high-temperature operating unit can be provided. With such a component unit, the advantages already described above for the alternative component unit can be achieved.

Furthermore, it is possible with a bearing arrangement according to the present invention that the high-temperature operating unit comprises a reformer, an afterburner and/or a fuel cell stack. In this case, the high-temperature operating unit can be understood to mean a gas processing unit. In addition to the reformer and the afterburner, further functional components such as heat exchangers, evaporators and/or start-up burners are arranged in such a gas processing unit in SOFC systems of the generic type. In principle, the bearing arrangement advantageously comprises a gas processing unit which comprises one or more of the elements mentioned above.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a SOFC system is provided with a bearing arrangement as described above. A SOFC system according to the invention thus brings with it the same advantages as have been described in detail with reference to the bearing arrangement according to the invention.

A SOFC system according to the invention may include a frame to which the carrier is fixed and a hot box having an inner volume in which the high-temperature operating unit is stored on the storage means, with at least a part of the carrier being outside an inner volume of the hot box is arranged. By arranging the high-temperature operating unit within the hotbox, temperature-sensitive functional components in the vicinity of the high-temperature operating unit can be protected from the high temperatures of the high-temperature operating unit. By positioning the carrier at least partially outside the inner volume of the hotbox, it is easily accessible for installation work. The carrier can form part of the hotbox. The bearing arrangement according to the invention could thus be provided in a particularly space-saving and weight-saving manner in the SOFC system.

In addition, in a SOFC system according to the present invention, a hot box having an internal volume in which the high-temperature operating unit is supported on the bearing means, with a plurality of fluid guide sections for supplying operating fluids to the high-temperature operating unit, each from outside the hot box into the Lead inner volume of the hot box and the fluid conducting sections in the inner volume each have a metal bellows for a fluid connection between the high-temperature operating unit and the respective fluid conducting section. Reliable media routing in the high-temperature operating unit with low pressure losses can be achieved by using the metal bellows. The use of metal bellows on the connecting flanges of the fluid guide sections allows thermally induced changes in length in all directions. Warping of the bearing arrangement and/or in the SOFC system under the influence of temperature can thus be counteracted. Consequently, the risk of crack formation on functional components can be reduced.

As an alternative to the metal bellows, metallic tubes (e.g

made of steel) are used, which bend at high temperatures and thus allow changes in length in all directions. Another alternative is pipes that have several bends, so that these bends allow changes in length.

Further measures improving the invention result from the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are shown schematically in the figures.

[0024] They each show schematically:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a SOFC system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the SOFC system shown in FIG. 1, and [0027] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the SOFC system shown in FIG.

Elements with the same function and mode of operation are each provided with the same reference symbols in FIGS.

1 shows a SOFC system 11 with a bearing assembly 10 according to a preferred embodiment. The illustrated bearing assembly 10 includes a high temperature operating unit 12 in the form of a gas conditioning unit, a bracket 13, a plurality of tie rods 14 (shown in detail in FIG. 2) attached to the bracket 13, and a bearing means 15 connected to the tie rods 14. The high-temperature operating unit 12 has a counter-bearing means 28 by means of which the high-temperature operating unit 12 is floatingly mounted on the bearing means 15 . The high-temperature operating unit 12 shown comprises a reformer 19 and an afterburner 20. In principle, however, the high-temperature operating unit 12 can have one or more arbitrary elements of a gas processing unit.

The counter-bearing means 28 has three metal brackets that rest on the bearing means 15 and thus create the floating mounting of the high-temperature operating unit 12. That is, the high-temperature operation unit 12 can be considered to be suspended from the bearing means 15 via the counter-bearing means 28 .

The bearing means 15 shown in FIG. 1 is designed essentially in the form of a strip, with the high-temperature operating unit 12 being mounted on a narrow end face 16 of the strip-shaped bearing means 15 .

The carrier 13 is designed in the form of a plate. An insulating layer 17 for thermally isolating the carrier 13 from the high-temperature operating unit 12 is arranged on a side of the carrier 13 facing the high-temperature operating unit 12 .

The connecting rods 14 extend parallel to each other and orthogonally to a side of the support 13 facing the high-temperature operation unit 12. The connecting rods 14 are each configured relatively long and narrow.

The SOFC system 11 shown in FIG. 1 further comprises a frame 21 to which the carrier 13 is attached, and a hot box 22 with an inner volume 23 in which the high-temperature operating unit 12 is mounted on the bearing means 15 . The carrier 13 is part of the hotbox 22, as a result of which part of the carrier 13 is arranged outside of the inner volume 23. FIG.

The SOFC system 11 has a plurality of fluid guide sections 24, 25 for supplying operating fluids to the high-temperature operating unit 12, the fluid guide sections 24, 25 each leading from outside the hotbox 22 into the interior volume 23 of the hotbox 22 and the fluid guide sections 24, 25 each have a metal bellows 26, 27 for a fluid connection between the high-temperature operating unit 12 and the respective fluid conducting section 24, 25 in the inner volume.

In particular, a connecting rod 14 and an insulating jacket 18 which encloses the connecting rod 14 for thermally isolating the connecting rods 14 from the high-temperature operating unit 12 can be seen in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the SOFC system 11 shown in FIG. 1. The narrow upper side of the strip-shaped bearing means 15 can thus be seen in FIG. 3, on which the high-temperature operating unit 12 rests.

In addition to the illustrated embodiments, the invention permits further design principles. i.e. the invention should not be considered limited to the exemplary embodiments explained with reference to the figures.

REFERENCE LIST

10 Bearing Arrangement

11 SOFC system

12 high temperature operating unit 13 carrier

14 connecting rod

15 storage means

16 face

17 insulation layer

18 insulation jacket

19 reformers

20 afterburners

21 frame 22 hotbox 23 internal volume

24 fluid guide section 25 fluid guide section 26 metal bellows

27 metal bellows

28 counter-camp means

Claims (10)

patent claims A bearing assembly (10) for a SOFC system (11), comprising a high-temperature operating unit (12), a support (13), a plurality of connecting rods (14) fixed to the support (13) and a connecting rod (14) connected Bearing means (15), wherein the high-temperature operating unit (12) has a counter-bearing means (28), by means of which the high-temperature operating unit (12) is floatingly mounted on the bearing means (15), whereby the high-temperature operating unit (12) via the Counter-bearing means (28) is hung on the bearing means (15). 2. Bearing arrangement (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing means (15) is strip-shaped or essentially strip-shaped and the high-temperature operating unit (12) is mounted on an end face (16) of the strip-shaped bearing means (15). 3. Bearing arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier (13) is plate-shaped and on a side of the carrier (13) facing the high-temperature operating unit (12) has an insulation layer (17) for thermal insulation of the Carrier (13) is arranged opposite the high-temperature operation unit (12). 4. Bearing assembly (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting rods (14) extend parallel to each other and orthogonally to a side of the beam (13) facing the high-temperature operating unit (12). 5. Bearing arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of a connecting rod (14) is in each case at least 5 times to 10 times a width of the respective connecting rod (14). 6. Bearing arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting rods (14) are enclosed at least in sections by an insulating jacket (18) for thermally isolating the connecting rods (14) from the high-temperature operating unit (12). 7. Bearing arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-temperature operating unit (12) comprises a reformer (19) and an afterburner (20). 8. SOFC system (11) with a bearing arrangement (10) according to any one of the preceding claims. 9. SOFC system (11) according to claim 8, characterized by a frame (21) to which the carrier (13) is attached and a hotbox (22) with an inner volume (23) in which the high-temperature operating unit (12 ) is mounted on the bearing means (15), wherein at least part of the carrier (13) is arranged outside the inner volume (23). 10. SOFC system (11) according to any one of claims 8 to 9, characterized by a hot box (22) with an inner volume (23) in which the high-temperature operating unit (12) is mounted on the bearing means (15), wherein a plurality of fluid guide sections (24, 25) for supplying operating fluids to the high-temperature operating unit (12) respectively from outside the hotbox (22) into the inner volume (23) of the hotbox (22) and the fluid guide sections (24, 25) each have a metal bellows (26, 27) in the inner volume for a fluid connection between the high-temperature operating unit (12) and the respective fluid-conducting section (24, 25). 2 sheets of drawings