JP2000260445A - Fuel cell power generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize a power conversion unit of a fuel cell power generation device. SOLUTION: In this fuel cell power generation device 10 wherein a hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas feeding system 12 and air from an air feeding system 13 are fed to a solid high-polymer fuel cell 11, the solid high-polymer fuel cell 11 generates electricity and the power of the electricity is converted into predetermined power by a power conversion unit 14, a heat sink 29 is formed on a pneumatic manifold 28 of the air feeding system, and a heat generation part 30 of the power conversion unit is installed at a position corresponding to the heat sink 29 on the pneumatic manifold 28 of the air feeding system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generator, and more particularly to an improvement in a power conversion unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A fuel cell power generator has a fuel cell in which a pair of electrodes are opposed to each other with a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween, and a hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas supply system and an air ( Oxygen gas) is supplied to the fuel cell, the fuel cell generates electricity by an electrochemical reaction, and the power of the electricity is converted to a predetermined power by a power conversion unit.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 4, the power conversion unit 100 is provided with a capacitor 102, a coil 103, a control circuit base material 104, and the like on an upper surface of a housing 101, and a heat sink 105 disposed in the housing 101. , A heating element 106 such as a switching element or an output diode is joined and arranged.

The heat generated by the heat-generating component 106 is
The heat is radiated by natural cooling by the heat sink 105 having a large volume or by forced cooling by blowing cooling air from a cooling fan to the heat sink 105 having a relatively small volume.

[0005]

However, the heat sink and the cooling fan occupy a large volume in the power conversion unit 100, and it has been difficult to reduce the size of the power conversion unit 100.

An object of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell power generator capable of reducing the size of a power conversion unit.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an anode gas from an anode gas supply system and a cathode gas from a cathode gas supply system are supplied to a fuel cell, and the fuel cell is electrically operated. In a fuel cell power generator in which the electric power is converted into a predetermined power by a power conversion unit, a heat sink is provided in the cathode gas supply system or the anode gas supply system, and a heat-generating component of the power conversion unit is provided. The cathode gas supply system or the anode gas supply system is installed at a position corresponding to the heat sink.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the anode gas supply system is a hydrogen gas supply system for supplying hydrogen gas, and the cathode gas supply system is air for supplying air. The air supply system is characterized in that a heat sink is provided in an air manifold connected to a fuel cell of the air supply system, and a heat generating component of a power conversion unit is installed in the air manifold. is there.

The invention according to claim 1 or 2 has the following operation.

A heat sink is provided in the cathode gas supply system (air manifold of the air supply system) or the anode gas supply system, and the heat-generating component of the power conversion unit is located at a position corresponding to the heat sink of the cathode gas supply system or the anode gas supply system. Since it is installed, the power conversion unit does not require a heat sink that occupies a large volume,
In addition, since a cooling fan for sending cooling air to the heat sink is not required, the power conversion unit can be downsized, and the fuel cell power generator can be downsized.

Further, the heat generated by the heat-generating components of the power conversion unit is effectively used for heating the cathode gas (air) or the anode gas flowing through the cathode gas supply system (air supply system) or the anode gas supply system. In addition, the characteristics of the fuel cell can be stabilized.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a fuel cell power generator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the fuel cell power generator of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fuel cell power generator 10 includes a polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11, a hydrogen gas supply system 12 as an anode gas supply system, and an air supply system as a cathode gas supply system. The solid polymer fuel cell 11 is configured to include a system 13 and a power conversion unit 14, and generates electricity.

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11 is configured as a module by stacking a plurality of cells 16 (single cells) shown in FIG. Each cell 16 is arranged in contact with a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 17 such as a polymer ion exchange membrane, an anode 18 and a cathode 19 which are respectively joined to opposing surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 17. It has an anode base material 20 and a cathode base material 21 arranged in contact with the cathode 19.

The anode 18 and the cathode 19 are mainly composed of carbon carrying platinum and have a diffusion path through which gas or water can diffuse. In the anode 18 and the cathode 19, an electrochemical reaction described below is performed.

An anode gas flow path 22 for flowing hydrogen gas as an anode gas is formed on the anode substrate 20 on the side in contact with the anode 18. In the cathode base material 21, a cathode gas flow path 23 for flowing air (or oxygen gas) as a cathode gas is formed on the side in contact with the cathode 19. The anode substrate 20 and the cathode substrate 21 are formed of a porous material such as a carbon material, and are configured to be permeable to gas or water.

In the cell 16 configured as described above,
The hydrogen gas introduced into the anode 18 via the anode gas flow path 22 of the anode substrate 20 is oxidized in the anode 18 to form protons (H ⁺ ).
It moves through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 17 to reach the cathode 19, where it is reduced by an electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the air introduced through the cathode gas flow passage 23 of the cathode substrate 21, Turns into water. With this electrochemical reaction, a voltage is generated between the anode 18 and the cathode 19.

The hydrogen gas supply system 12 is configured by sequentially disposing a hydrogen cylinder, a pressure reducing valve, and a hydrogen supply solenoid valve (not shown). The hydrogen supply solenoid valve is connected to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11. By adjusting the opening degree of the hydrogen supply solenoid valve of the hydrogen gas supply system 12, the anode gas flow path 22 of the anode base material 20 in each cell 16 of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11 is adjusted.
Hydrogen gas is supplied at a suitable flow rate.

The air supply system 13 includes an air supply fan 27.
Are connected to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11 via the air manifold 28. By adjusting the rotation speed of the air supply fan 27, an appropriate flow of air is supplied to the cathode gas flow path 23 of the cathode substrate 21 in each cell 16 of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11. The air manifold 28 has an enlarged portion on the fuel cell 11 side, and a heat sink 29 is integrally provided on the enlarged inner wall surface.

The power conversion unit 14 converts electricity generated in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11 into a predetermined power. The power conversion unit 14 includes a control circuit base (not shown), a capacitor and a coil, a switching element and an output diode. And the like.

The heat-generating component 30 includes the power conversion unit 1
The other components (control circuit base material, capacitor, etc.) are installed at different positions, that is, at positions corresponding to the heat sink 29 in the air manifold 28 of the air supply system 13, and are connected to each other by the electric wiring 31. Accordingly, the heat-generating component 30 is cooled by the generated heat being radiated by the heat sink 29 and the air manifold 28.
Is heated by the heat generating component 30 and supplied to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the following effects and advantages can be obtained.

The air manifold 28 of the air supply system 13
Is provided with a heat sink 29, and the power conversion unit 14
Is disposed at a position corresponding to the heat sink 29 in the air manifold 28 of the air supply system 13, so that the power conversion unit 14 does not require the heat sink 29 occupying a large volume.
A cooling fan for sending cooling air to the heat sink 29 is not required. For this reason, the power conversion unit 14 can be reduced in size, and the fuel cell power generator 10 can be reduced in size, and cost can be reduced.

The heat generated by the heat generating component 30 of the power conversion unit 14 is supplied to the air manifold 2 of the air supply system 13.
Since it is effectively used for heating the air flowing through 8, the characteristics of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 11 can be stabilized.

Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, the heat sink 29 may be installed in a manifold of the hydrogen gas supply system 12, and the heating component 30 of the power conversion unit 14 may be provided in this manifold.

[0028]

As described above, according to the fuel cell power generator of the present invention, the heat sink is provided in the cathode gas supply system, and the power generation component of the power conversion unit is positioned at a position corresponding to the heat sink of the cathode gas supply system. The power conversion unit of the fuel cell power generator can be downsized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a fuel cell power generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the fuel cell power generator of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing each cell of the fuel cell of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a power conversion unit of a conventional fuel cell power generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 fuel cell power generator 11 polymer electrolyte fuel cell (fuel cell) 12 hydrogen gas supply system (anode gas supply system) 13 air supply system (cathode gas supply system) 14 power conversion unit 28 air manifold 29 heat sink 30 heat generating component 31 Electric wiring

Claims (2)

[Claims] An anode gas from an anode gas supply system and a cathode gas from a cathode gas supply system are supplied to a fuel cell, the fuel cell generates electricity, and the electric power is converted by a power conversion unit. In the fuel cell power generation device that is converted into a predetermined power, a heat sink is provided in the cathode gas supply system or the anode gas supply system, and a heat generating component of the power conversion unit is provided in the cathode gas supply system or the anode gas supply system. A fuel cell power generator installed at a position corresponding to the heat sink. 2. The anode gas supply system is a hydrogen gas supply system for supplying hydrogen gas, and the cathode gas supply system is an air supply system for supplying air, which is connected to a fuel cell of the air supply system. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 1, wherein a heat sink is disposed on the air manifold, and a heat-generating component of the power conversion unit is disposed on the air manifold.