JP2001185180A - Co treatment device and solid polymeric fuel cell power generation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a CO treatment device and a solid polymeric fuel cell power generation system, offering small and compact construction and superior energy efficiency. SOLUTION: A CO transformer 4 for transforming carbon monoxide and a CO remover 5 for removing carbon monoxide are housed in a single unit case 310 and a combustor 311 is provided at the lower part. A combustion gas passage for the combustor 311 is formed in the unit case so that combustion gas is exhausted through an exhaust port 312 at the upper part of the unit case 310.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CO processing apparatus suitable as a small household power supply system and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a reformer for reforming a fuel gas such as natural gas, city gas or methanol into hydrogen, a CO converter for converting carbon monoxide, and a CO remover for removing carbon monoxide have been proposed. There has been proposed a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system including the above-described fuel cell that generates power using hydrogen. Conventional fuel cell power generation systems are generally large, and in addition to the above-mentioned systems, space is required to install a case that separately houses the control system and auxiliary equipment including water tanks and various pumps. Therefore, it is difficult to apply it to a home power supply system as it is.

[0003]

In the conventional structure, CO 2
Since the transformer and the CO remover each have independent cases, and each case is provided with a combustion device, the device itself becomes large, and this can be compactly housed in a small case like a home power supply system. It was difficult to store them all together.

[0004] Further, since a combustion device is attached to each case, the fuel consumption in each combustion device is large, and the energy efficiency is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a CO processing apparatus which can be reduced in size and size and has excellent energy efficiency, and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system using the same.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A CO converter for converting carbon monoxide and a CO remover for removing carbon monoxide are housed in a single unit case, and a combustion device is provided at a lower portion of the unit case. Forming a passage for the combustion gases of
The combustion gas is exhausted through an exhaust port at an upper part of the unit case.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a heat exchanger for cooling reformed gas introduced into the CO converter is integrally provided upstream of the CO converter,
A downstream portion of the CO converter is connected to an upstream portion of the CO remover via a pipe, and a heat exchanger for cooling reformed gas introduced into the CO remover is provided upstream of the CO remover. It is characterized by being integrally provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, each of the heat exchangers is a water heat exchanger.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reformer for reforming a fuel gas such as natural gas, city gas, methanol or the like into hydrogen by chemical reaction, a CO converter for converting carbon monoxide,
In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system comprising a CO remover for removing carbon monoxide and a fuel cell for generating electricity using hydrogen, a CO converter and a CO remover are housed in a single unit case, A combustion device is provided at a lower portion of the unit case, a combustion gas passage of the combustion device is formed inside the unit case, and the combustion gas is exhausted through an exhaust port at an upper portion of the unit case. I do.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a building. The building 100 is supplied with commercial power via a low-voltage lamp 101, a watt-hour meter 102, and a distribution board 103. This commercial power is supplied to the air conditioner 105 and the television 106 via the first cable 104 shown by a thin line.
And so on.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system (polymer electrolite fuel cell: PE) constituting a small household power supply system
FC device) S is installed outside the house 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the small household power supply system S includes a heat recovery device in addition to the PEFC device. This heat recovery device has a hot water storage tank 112 and an ion exchange resin 125, and city water is supplied to the ion exchange resin 125 through a water pipe. This city water is made into pure water by the ion-exchange resin 125, and is supplied to a water tank 21 described later.
(FIG. 3). The PEFC device has a fuel supply device (reformer, CO shift converter, CO remover) 121.

The fuel supply device 121 is supplied with a fuel gas such as natural gas, city gas, methanol, LPG, butane, etc., and further includes a water tank 21 described later (FIG. 3).
Is supplied to produce hydrogen. This hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell 6, where the hydrogen is chemically reacted with oxygen in the air to generate power. Reference numeral 123 denotes a control device that controls power generation.

This power is boosted to 180 V via a DC / DC converter 124, and
11 and from there, through a second cable 107 shown in bold lines in FIG.
It is supplied to the refrigerator 110 and the like. This fuel cell power generation system S is connected to a commercial power supply via a system interconnection inverter 111.

In this small power supply system S, heat is generated in the process of power generation, and this heat is used to generate hot water from city water, and this hot water is stored in a hot water storage tank 112 as shown in FIG.
To store. This hot water is supplied to a bath 11 as shown in FIG.
3. It is supplied to the kitchen 114 and the like. This hot water tank 112
Is installed outside the house 100.

Next, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system (small household power supply system) S according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In this small household power supply system S, a fuel gas 1 such as natural gas, city gas, methanol, LPG, butane, etc. is supplied to a desulfurizer 2, where sulfur components are removed from the fuel gas. The fuel gas that has passed through the desulfurizer 2 is boosted in pressure by the booster pump 10 and supplied to the reformer 3. In this reformer 3, a reformed gas containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide is generated. The gas that has passed through the reformer 3 is supplied to a CO converter 4, where carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas is converted into carbon dioxide.

The gas that has passed through the CO converter 4 is supplied to a CO remover 5, where the unconverted carbon monoxide in the gas that has passed through the CO converter 4 is removed.

The hydrogen from the CO remover 5 from which the carbon monoxide has been removed is supplied to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 6. The fuel cell 6 includes a fuel electrode (anode) 6
a, an air electrode (cathode) 6b, and a cooling unit 6c, and the hydrogen is supplied to the anode 6a. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen contained in the air supplied to the cathode 6b via the fan 11 to generate electric power.

The reformer 3 has a burner 12 to which raw fuel is supplied via a pipe 13 and a fan 14.
And the unreacted hydrogen that has passed through the anode 6a via the pipe 15.

When the system is started, raw fuel is supplied to the burner 12 via a pipe 13 and a fan 14
When the system is stabilized after startup, the supply of raw fuel is cut off, and the unreacted hydrogen via the anode 6 a is supplied to the burner 12 via the pipe 15.

In the reformer 3, the CO shift converter 4, the CO remover 5, and the fuel cell 6, a chemical reaction having a predetermined reaction temperature is performed. Since the chemical reaction in the reformer 3 is an endothermic reaction, the chemical reaction is performed while constantly heating with the burner 12.

Since the chemical reaction performed in the CO converter 4 and the CO remover 5 is an exothermic reaction, for example, in the CO remover 5, a burner (not shown) is burned only when the system is started, and the combustion gas is burned. Is generated, and the temperature of the CO remover 5 is raised to the reaction temperature by the heat of the combustion gas generated at this time. After the temperature is raised to this reaction temperature, the temperature of the CO remover 5 is not raised to the reaction temperature or higher by the heat of the exothermic reaction. Is cooled.

In the fuel cell 6, an electrochemical reaction takes place.
Heat is generated by activation overvoltage, concentration overvoltage, and resistance overvoltage during the electrochemical reaction.

Between the reformer 3 and the CO shift converter 4, the CO
Between the transformer 4 and the CO remover 5, the CO remover 5 and the fuel cell 6
Heat exchangers 18, 19, 20, and 27 are connected to the space and the exhaust system 26 of the fuel cell 6, respectively.

The water in the water tank 21 circulates through the heat exchangers 18, 19, and 20 via pumps 23, 24, and 25, and the reformer 3, the CO converter 4, CO
The gas passing through the remover 5 is cooled. Heat exchanger 2
7 is supplied with water from the hot water storage tank 112 (FIG. 2).
Circulate through 8.

The cooling section 6c of the fuel cell 6 includes a pump 48
The water in the water tank 21 circulates through the, and the water cools the fuel cell 6.

A heat exchanger 17 is connected to the exhaust system 31 of the reformer 3, and when the water in the water tank 21 is supplied via a pump 22, the water is converted into steam in the heat exchanger 17, Steam is mixed with the raw fuel and supplied to the reformer 3.

In addition to the heat exchanger 17, another heat exchanger 32 is connected to the exhaust system 31. The water in the hot water storage tank 112 is supplied to the heat exchanger 32 via a pump 33. Circulates to recover waste heat.

The present system includes a process gas (PG) burner 34.

When the present system is started, the reformer 3, CO 2
Since the reformed gas that has passed through the transformer 4 and the CO remover 5 is not stable, the reformed gas is transferred to the fuel cell 6 until it becomes stable.
Can not be supplied. Therefore, the gas in an unstable state is guided to the PG burner 34 and burned until each reactor is stabilized. Then, after each reactor is stabilized, it is introduced into the fuel cell 6 to generate power. Unreacted gas that could not be used for power generation in the fuel cell 6 is first guided to the PG burner 34 and burned. After the system of the present system is stabilized, it is introduced into the burner 12 of the reformer 3 and burned.

The control system of the PG burner 34 will be described. After the start of the system, the on-off valve 91 is closed until the temperature of each reactor is stabilized, and the reformed gas passes through the pipe 35 and the on-off valve 36. Through the PG burner 34. When the temperature of each reactor is stabilized, the on-off valve 91 is opened and the on-off valve 92 is opened until the temperature of the fuel cell 6 is stabilized.
Is closed, the reformed gas is supplied to the PG burner 34 through the pipe 38 and the on-off valve 39, and is burned there.
When the temperature of the fuel cell 6 is stabilized and power is continuously generated, the open / close valves 91 and 92 are opened, the open / close valves 36 and 39 are closed, and the unreacted gas that has passed through the fuel cell 6 passes through the pipe 15. After that, it is supplied to the burner 12.

A heat exchanger 46 is connected to an exhaust system 45 of the PG burner 34, and a pump 47 is connected to the heat exchanger 46.
Circulates through the hot water storage tank 112.

Between the water tank 21 and the hot water storage tank 112,
The heat exchanger 41 is connected, and the water in the water tank 21 circulates through the heat exchanger 41 via a pump 42 and a pump 43
The water in the hot water storage tank 112 circulates through the.

By the heat exchange in the heat exchanger 41, the temperature of the water in the hot water storage tank 112 increases, and the temperature of the water in the water tank 21 decreases.

In the above configuration, since the small household power supply system S takes the form of a cogeneration system, energy can be effectively used.

Accordingly, a high overall thermal efficiency can be obtained,
Raw fuel consumption is reduced and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.

FIG. 4 shows the reformer 3, the CO converter 4 and the C
The structure of the O remover 5 is shown.

In the reformer 3, the fuel gas pressurized by the pressurizing pump 10 (FIG. 3) and the water vapor pressure-fed by the pump 22 (FIG. 3) and turned into steam by the heat exchanger 17 are mixed. Supplied. The supplied gas is supplied to the reformer body 3
01, and after being preheated through one pipe 302A of the preheating section 301A, the next reforming section 3
Enter 01B. The gas entering the reforming section 301B is activated by the catalyst layer 303 filled therein to become a reformed gas, and the reformed gas is supplied to the other conduit 3 of the preheating section 301A.
After passing through 02B, it is discharged downstream. Since the fuel supply system and the air supply system to the burner 12 are as described above, the description is omitted.

The fuel gas reformed through the reformer 3 flows into a CO converter 4 and a CO remover 5 located downstream.

In the present embodiment, the CO transformer 4 and the CO
The remover 5 is unitized to constitute a CO processing device, and downsizing is achieved.

These are housed in a single unit case 310, and the burner 3
11 are installed. The inside of the unit case 310 forms a passage for the combustion gas of the burner 311, and the combustion gas is exhausted from an exhaust port 312 on the upper part of the unit case 310. The burner 311 burns only when the system is started, and performs a function of warming the equipment.

The reformed gas that has passed through the reformer 3 is passed through a pipe 3
Via 13, it enters a water heat exchanger 18, where it is cooled before entering the CO converter 4. The CO converter 4 is filled with a catalyst layer 314, in which carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas is converted into carbon dioxide. The gas that has passed through the CO converter 4 enters a water heat exchanger 19 via a pipe 315, is cooled here, and is supplied to the CO remover 5.

The CO remover 5 is filled with a catalyst layer 316. Here, unconverted carbon monoxide in the gas passed through the CO converter 4 is removed. The hydrogen from which the carbon monoxide has been removed through the CO remover 5 is supplied to the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 6 via the pipe 317.

In this embodiment, since the water heat exchanger 19 is integrally provided on the inlet side of the CO remover 5, the catalyst layer 3
The temperature is properly maintained over the entire 16 regions. Therefore, C
The reformed gas concentration at the outlet of the O remover 5 is maintained substantially constant.

Since the CO converter 4 and the CO remover 5 are housed in a single unit case 310, and the unit case 310 is provided with a single combustion device 12, the size of the device itself is reduced. .

Further, unlike the conventional configuration, it is not necessary to provide separate cases as in the case for the CO transformer 4 and the case for the CO remover 5, and a combustion device (burner) is not provided for each case. Since there is no fuel consumption, effects such as a reduction in fuel consumption in each combustion device can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 5, the household small-sized power supply system S is composed of a single external case 200 having various devices.
It is stored together in.

The interior of the outer case 200 is partitioned by a partition wall 20.
Vertically separated through 1. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the one chamber 202 partitioned by the partition wall 201 has a reformer 3, a heat exchanger 17, a unit case 310 (CO converter 4, CO remover 5), PG The other chamber 203 containing the burner 34 and the like and partitioned by the partition wall 201 contains the desulfurizer 2, the fuel cell 6, its control system 51, the water tank 21, and various pumps 10, 23 to 25, 28, and 43. , 47 are stored.

The reformer 3, the CO shift converter 4, the CO remover 5,
In the fuel cell 6, a chemical reaction having a predetermined reaction temperature is performed as described above.

In this embodiment, the reformer 3, the CO converter 4, and the CO remover 5, which are in a high-temperature atmosphere, are housed in one of the chambers 202 partitioned by a partition wall 201. The remaining fuel cell 6 having the properties to be installed, its control system 51, the water tank 21, and the auxiliary machine 52 including various pumps are housed in the other chamber 203.

In one chamber 202, as shown in FIG.
The reformer 3 is disposed substantially at the center, the unit case 310 (the CO shift converter 4, the CO remover 5) is disposed on one side of the reformer 3, and the PG burner is disposed on the other side of the reformer 3. 34
Is arranged.

Each of these devices has an exhaust port for the combustion gas by a burner. As shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust port 317 of the reformer 3 (FIG. 4) and the exhaust port 3 of the unit case 310 are provided.
12 (FIG. 4) and the exhaust port 318 of the PG burner 34
Are connected to a box-shaped exhaust box 319 having a single configuration.

This exhaust box 319 is connected to one chamber 20.
Exhaust top 32 disposed on top of and formed thereon
Exhaust gas communicating with the exhaust box 319 and concentrated in the exhaust box 319 is exhausted from one place through the exhaust top 320.

The other chamber 203 partitioned by the partition wall 201
As shown in FIG. 8, the control system 51 is divided into upper, middle, and lower stages, and the control system 51 is arranged in the upper stage, and the fuel cell 6 and the water tank 21 are arranged in the middle stage.
However, auxiliary machines 52 including various pumps are stored in the lower stage.

In this embodiment, since various devices are collectively stored in one outer case 200, the installation space can be reduced, and the system is suitable as the home power supply system S. In addition, since the auxiliary device 52 including various pumps is arranged in the lower stage, effects such as prevention of gas entrapment of the pumps can be obtained.

As described above, the flattened water tank 21 is arranged so as to contact the lower surface of the fuel cell 6. According to this, the water used in the water tank 21 is kept warm by the heat generated from the fuel cell 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, a water cooling pipe 205 bent in a meandering shape is attached to the upper portion 201A of the partition wall 201. The water cooling pipe 205 is connected to the water tank 21 or the hot water storage tank 1 via a pipe (not shown).
Twelve waters circulate. According to this, since the upper part 201A of the partition wall 201 is cooled, the heat of one chamber 202 is blocked, and the control system 51 is protected from the heat.

An opening 20 is provided in the lower portion 201B of the partition wall 201.
8 are formed, and a water pipe or the like is implemented through the opening 208.

The partition wall 201 is not limited to water cooling, and the partition wall 201 itself may be a heat insulator filled with a foam material.

Although the present invention has been described based on one embodiment, it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to this.

[0063]

According to the present invention, the CO converter and the CO remover are housed in a single unit case, and the unit case is provided with a single combustion device, so that the size of the device itself is reduced. . Also, unlike the conventional configuration, C
Since a combustion device is not added to each of the O-transformer case and the CO remover case, the fuel consumption of each combustion device is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram when a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system according to the present invention is installed at home.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an outdoor part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing one embodiment of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structures of a reformer, a CO shift converter, and a CO remover.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the system of FIG. 3 is housed in an outer case.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the outer case.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the outer case.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the other chamber of the outer case.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 3 reformer 4 CO converter 5 CO remover 6 fuel cell 18, 19 water heat exchanger 310 unit case 311 burner (combustion device) 312 exhaust port 313 pipeline S solid polymer fuel cell power generation system

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Katsuyuki Makihara 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5H026 AA06 5H027 AA06 BA01 BA17 MM04 MM13

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A CO converter for converting carbon monoxide and a CO remover for removing carbon monoxide are housed in a single unit case, and a combustion device is provided below the unit case. , Forming a passage of combustion gas of the combustion device, and the combustion gas is exhausted through an exhaust port at an upper portion of the unit case. 2. A heat exchanger for cooling reformed gas introduced into the CO converter is integrally provided at an upstream portion of the CO converter, and a downstream portion of the CO converter is provided with a CO through a pipe. Connected to the upstream part of the CO remover, and the C
The CO treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated heat exchanger for cooling the reformed gas introduced into the O remover. 3. The CO treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said heat exchangers is a water heat exchanger. 4. A reformer for reforming hydrogen by chemically reacting a fuel gas such as natural gas, city gas, or methanol, a CO converter for converting carbon monoxide, and a CO removing device for removing carbon monoxide. And a fuel cell for generating electricity by hydrogen, in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell power generation system, wherein the CO converter and the CO remover are housed in a single unit case. A solid polymer type, wherein a combustion device is provided, and the inside of the unit case forms a passage of combustion gas of the combustion device, and the combustion gas is exhausted through an exhaust port at an upper portion of the unit case. Fuel cell power generation system.