JP2002203585A - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve power generation performance, maintain a prolonged operation, and the like, by compulsorily eliminating generated water adhering to an oxygen reaction electrode or the like, and always securing soundness of a reaction electrode of hydrogen and oxygen. SOLUTION: In a fuel cell which an electrolyte board 2 containing an electrolyte is inserted between a fuel electrode 4 and an oxygen reaction electrode 3, and oxidizing reaction is performed by circulating gaseous fuel and oxygen content gas, respectively to a surface side outside these fuel electrode 4 and oxygen reaction electrode 3, a vibrating means to vibrate the fuel electrode 4 and the oxygen reaction electrode 3, or a separator 5, is prepared. The vibrating means is constituted of a vibrator 17 which vibrates at least either the separator 5, the electrolyte board 2 and a frame from the outside, or at least either the separator, the electrolyte board, and the frame is constituted from piezoelectric material or a magnetic strain material, and it is made to a vibrating source vibrated by impressing a voltage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel cell and, more particularly, to the prevention of water droplets generated during power generation from adhering to an oxygen reaction electrode and the like.
The present invention relates to a fuel cell in which separation and the like are performed by utilizing vibration, thereby improving power generation performance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various types of fuel cells, such as a molten carbonate type, a phosphoric acid type, and a solid electrolyte type, are known. Of these, the solid electrolyte type has recently been the main development target. The solid-electrode fuel cell is an electrolyte plate impregnated with an electrolyte sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode to be integrated, and both surfaces thereof are further sandwiched by separators, and a gas fuel flow path comprising a groove provided in the separator and The power generation is performed by causing the gaseous fuel and the oxygen-containing gas to flow through the oxygen-containing gas flow path and react with each other. The unit unit having such a configuration is generally called a cell, and a large number of cells are integrated to form a fuel cell assembly, and large-capacity power generation is possible by electrically connecting the fuel cell assembly. In this method, since the electrolyte is not a fluid but has a plate-like structure as an electrolyte plate, there is an advantage that the size and weight can be reduced and the assembling and the like are easy.

[0003] As described above, in a fuel cell configured as a power generation unit by a fuel cell assembly in which a large number of cells are integrated, since the cells generate heat due to the reaction of fuel during power generation, the fuel cell includes grooves separately provided in the separator. Cooling is performed by supplying cooling water to the cooling water flow path.

By the way, hydrogen is generally used as a gaseous fuel.
Air is used as the oxygen-containing gas. With this hydrogen
When the oxygen contained in the air reacts, hydrogen at the fuel electrode
(H ₂) Gas is generated while oxygen reaction
In the air electrode as the pole, oxygen (O₂) Reduced air
Contains water generated in the reaction process. this
Water generated during the reaction process is mainly deposited on the surface of the air electrode etc.
A phenomenon that adheres as droplets and hinders the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen
Occurs.

[0005]

As described above, in a fuel cell, the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen produces water in the course of the reaction, causing a phenomenon that hinders the reaction. It has been a problem to remove by preventing separation and adhesion so as not to hinder the reaction.

As a conventional countermeasure, there has been proposed a means for increasing the fluid pressure of air or the like to be supplied so as to discharge a mixed fluid of air and water at a high speed. However, such a means does not always provide a sufficient effect of removing water, and usually the power generation performance gradually decreases as the operation time elapses, and eventually power generation is often impossible.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to forcibly remove generated water adhering to an oxygen reaction electrode or the like by introducing vibration, and to always maintain the soundness of the reaction electrode between hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell capable of improving power generation performance and maintaining operation for a long period of time.

[0008]

According to the inventors' examination,
In a solid electrolyte type (stacked type) fuel cell, since the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode are generally formed into thin films, the fluid flow paths between the films are also minute gaps. When water is generated in the gap during the reaction process, the water adheres to the surface of the membrane and further adheres to the entire reaction surface of the membrane by capillary action. Therefore, a situation occurs in which the attached moisture cannot be removed if the pressure of the working fluid such as the supplied air is slightly increased. In such a state, the power generation reaction cannot proceed in the cell to which moisture has adhered. If this phenomenon occurs over a long period of time, no reaction can take place in all the cells of the fuel cell, and power generation is impossible.

Therefore, in the present invention, the produced water adhering is forcibly and effectively separated and eliminated by directly or indirectly oscillating the fuel electrode, the oxygen reaction electrode and the like.
The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problem by always securing a reaction electrode of hydrogen and oxygen.

That is, in the invention according to claim 1, an electrolyte plate containing an electrolyte is sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode, and gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are respectively placed on the outer surfaces of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode. Provided is a fuel cell in which a fuel cell is circulated to perform an oxidation reaction, wherein the fuel cell includes vibration means for vibrating the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode or a separator.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the electrolyte plate containing the electrolyte is sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, and the gas fuel flow path and the oxygen-containing gas flow are provided on the outer surfaces of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, respectively. In a fuel cell in which a separator having a passage is arranged and a gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are passed through each of the passages to cause an oxidation reaction, at least one of the separators, or the electrolyte plate, or both of them. By exciting
There is provided a fuel cell comprising a vibration means for vibrating the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode.

In the invention according to claim 3, the electrolyte plate containing the electrolyte is sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, and the gas fuel flow path and the oxygen-containing gas flow are provided on the outer surface sides of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, respectively. A single cell is formed by arranging a separator forming a passage, and a plurality of cells are stacked and held by a frame to form a fuel cell assembly, and gaseous fuel and oxygen are respectively supplied to each flow path of the fuel cell assembly. In a fuel cell in which an oxidation reaction is performed by flowing a contained gas, at least one of the separators, the electrolyte plate, the frame, or a combination thereof is excited to form a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode. There is provided a fuel cell including a vibration means for vibrating.

[0013] In the invention according to claim 4, claims 1 to 3 are provided.
In the fuel cell according to any one of the above, the vibrating means may include a vibrator that vibrates at least one of the separator, the electrolyte plate, and the frame, or a piezoelectric vibrator that vibrates at least one of the separator, the electrolyte plate, and the frame. A fuel cell is provided which is a vibration source constituted by a material or a magnetostrictive material and vibrated by applying a voltage.

In the invention according to claim 5, claims 1 to 4 are provided.
The fuel cell according to any one of the above, wherein the vibrating means applies vibration at a frequency of 100 Hz to 100 MHz to the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode or the separator. In the present invention,
A desirable vibration frequency is 1 KHz to 100 MHz, and a particularly desirable range is 100 KHz to 100 MHz.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fuel cell according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the vibrating means applies ultrasonic vibration to the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode. provide.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuel cell, wherein the voltage applied to the piezoelectric material or the magnetostrictive material according to the fourth aspect is a high-frequency voltage.

In the invention according to claim 8, claims 1 to 7 are provided.
The fuel cell according to any one of the above, wherein the vibration direction of the vibrating means is set to a direction coinciding with the flow direction of the gaseous fuel or the oxygen-containing gas.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the first to eighth aspects are provided.
The fuel cell according to any one of the above, wherein a plurality of vibrating means are provided, and vibration directions of the respective vibrating means are set to the same direction or different directions.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the fuel cell according to any one of the third to ninth aspects, the vibration frequency by the vibrating means is set for each cell or a plurality of cell groups constituting the fuel cell assembly. Provided is a fuel cell characterized by different settings.

[0020]

Embodiments of a fuel cell according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, hydrogen is applied as a gaseous fuel,
The case where air is applied as the oxygen-containing gas will be described.

First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 7) FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a main part showing an embodiment of a fuel cell according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a unit cell of the fuel cell.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cell 1 of the fuel cell according to this embodiment is integrally formed by sandwiching an electrolyte plate 2 impregnated with an electrolyte between an air electrode 3 and a fuel electrode 4. ing. Both surfaces of the air electrode 3 and the fuel electrode 4 are further sandwiched by a separator 5, and an air flow path 6 and a fuel flow path 7 are formed by grooves provided on the facing surface side of the separator 5, and the air a and the fuel b Is flowing. In addition, both separators 5
A cooling water flow path 8 formed of a groove is provided on the outer surface side of the cooling water passage so that cooling water c flows. Current collectors 9 are respectively arranged between the air electrode 3 and the fuel electrode 4 and the separator 5 arranged outside the air electrode 3 and the fuel electrode 4. Then, the supplied fuel reacts with oxygen in the air to generate power, and electricity is extracted to the outside through the current collector 9.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a large number of the above-described cells 1 are integrated in layers to form a fuel cell assembly 1.
The power generation unit 12 is formed by forming a 0 and storing it in, for example, a box-shaped case body 11. The side wall facing the case body 11 in one direction is the air side header 1.
The header 11a is provided with an air inlet 13 communicating with the air flow path 6 and an air outlet (not shown). The air side header 11a has a separator 5
A cooling water inlet 14 and a cooling water outlet 15 communicating with the cooling water passage 8 are provided. The side wall portions of the case body 11 facing each other in different directions are fuel side headers 11b,
The header 11 b has a fuel inlet 1 communicating with the fuel flow path 7.
6 and a fuel outlet (not shown) are provided. Through these air inlet 13 and fuel position port 16, each cell 1
The fuel and the air a are supplied evenly to each other, and the same power generation operation as in the related art is performed.

In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a vibrator 17 for generating high-frequency vibration is provided as a vibrating means for vibrating the air electrode 2 and the like. The vibrator 17 has a stem 17 a for micro vibration, and the stem 17 a
It is connected to. The vibrator 17 is electrically connected to a power supply 18 via a vibration amplifier 19.
By supplying a high-frequency current to the vibrator 17, the stem 17a performs a high-frequency minute expansion and contraction operation.

When the vibrator 17 is activated, high-frequency vibration is transmitted to the separator 5, and the vibration transmitted to the separator 5 is sequentially transmitted to the air electrode 3, the electrolyte plate 2 and the fuel electrode 4, whereby the air The electrode 3, the electrolyte plate 2, and the fuel electrode 4 vibrate at a high frequency. At least one vibrator 17 is attached to a cell 1 or the like located at an end or the like of the fuel cell assembly 10 in which a plurality of cells 1 are connected and integrated.
Is provided, the entire fuel cell assembly 10 to which the cell 1 belongs can be vibrated.

Next, the operation will be described.

As described above, when power is generated by the fuel cell, oxygen (O ₂ ) in the air reacts with hydrogen (H ₂ ) as fuel 6 to generate water. This O ₂ and H ₂
Is generated at the fuel electrode 4 by the reaction with water.
₂ gas is generated, and O ₂
The air generated in the reaction process is contained in the reduced air. Normally, water generated during the reaction process adheres to the surface of the air electrode 3, causing a phenomenon that the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen at the air electrode 3 is hindered.

In this case, in the present embodiment, at the time of power generation, the vibrator 17 provided on the separator 5 is driven to cause the air electrode 3 to vibrate at a high frequency to separate water droplets adhered to the surface of the air electrode 3. On the other hand, when separated from the surface, smaller water droplets in the form of fine particles can be formed.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the state of detachment of water droplets and the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the surface 2 of the cathode 3
At 0, water generated by the reaction adheres as water drops 21 of a certain size. However, in the present embodiment, the water droplet 2
Due to the vibration of the air electrode 3, 1 loses its adhesive force to its surface, and is broken down into small-diameter particles by the vibration energy, and is dispersed as fine water droplets 22 in the air in the air flow path 6. When the particle diameter of the fine water droplets 22 becomes 10 μm or less, the water droplets 22 hardly adhere to the surface of the air electrode 3 due to the effect of surface tension, and an adhesion preventing effect can be obtained. The anti-adhesion effect becomes more pronounced as the particle size decreases. The fine water droplets 22 are dispersed and diffused in the air, and are guided to the air outlet side of the fuel cell as shown by an arrow (a) in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the frequency (horizontal axis) given to the air electrode 3 by the vibrator 17 and the particle diameter of water droplets (vertical axis). As shown in FIG. 5, the degree of atomization due to vibration of water is small in a region where the frequency is less than 100 Hz, but in the region where the frequency is high, the atomization due to vibration is in the range of tens of μm to several μm or less. You will be able to achieve orders. For example, in the case of vibration at a frequency of 100 Hz, the degree of particle size of water is several hundred μm.
m at 20 KHz and 15 μm at 20 KHz. Further, in the region of 100 KHz or more, the particles can be atomized to 5 μm or less, and in the region of 100 MHz or more, the progress of the atomization becomes slow. Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, by applying high-frequency vibration of a frequency of about 100 MHz to the air electrode 3, water droplets can be efficiently miniaturized and diffused into the air to be discharged. A state in which no water droplets adhere to the surface and the reactivity is good can be maintained continuously during power generation.

That is, according to the present embodiment, by applying high-frequency vibration to the air electrode 3 via the separator 5, water droplets attached to the air electrode 3 are effectively removed, and a reduction in power generation or an inability to generate power due to the water droplets is prevented. Can be prevented.

The water droplets adhering to the air electrode 3 are atomized by vibration to prevent re-adhesion, keep the humidity in the air constant, and maintain a stable humidity necessary for the reaction of the fuel cell. Can be secured.

Further, since the moisture in the air can be kept constant by atomizing and discharging the water droplets by vibration, it is not necessary to add water to the air in advance, and the configuration can be simplified.

The water generated on the fuel electrode 4 side can be effectively eliminated by the same operation as that on the air electrode 3 side.

In the present embodiment, in particular, the vibration at a frequency of 100 Hz to 100 MHz is applied to the air electrode 3 and the like, so that the reaction liquid adhering to the surfaces of both electrodes can be miniaturized. can do.

Next, the flow velocity of the fluid (mixed fluid of air and water) in the air flow path will be examined.

FIG. 6 schematically shows the flow velocity V in the air flow path 6 when the air electrode 3 is vibrated.
Is an air electrode 3 (and a separator 5) defining an air flow path 6
The flow velocity near the surface is shown enlarged. 6 and 7, the arrows indicate the velocity distribution of the fluid. As shown in FIG. 6, the air flow path 6 between the air electrode 3 and the separator 5 is formed as a small gap having a width Z, and the width Z is maintained at a constant value during power generation.

As shown in FIG. 7, near the surface 20 of the air electrode 3 (and the separator 5), a boundary layer 23 of the fluid is formed due to viscosity, and when the width Z of the gap is small, a solid line is used. The speed distribution VY shown in FIG. At this time, the thickness of the boundary layer is Y.

On the other hand, when the surface of the air electrode 3 (and the separator 5) is vibrated at a high frequency, energy is supplied to the boundary layer, and as shown by the dashed line in FIG. Rises, and the velocity distribution becomes small with the thickness X of the boundary layer 23 being small. When the thickness X of the boundary layer is small, it means that the average flow velocity increases in the gap having the width Z, and a high flow velocity can be obtained. As the average flow velocity increases, water droplets adhering to the surface are more easily removed, and more power can be generated within the same time.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, by applying high-frequency vibration to the air electrode, the thickness of the boundary layer due to the fluid is reduced, the resistance of the flow path is reduced, and more fuel and air are supplied. It is also possible to increase power generation.

Second Embodiment (FIG. 8) FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the fuel cell according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, a plurality of the cells 1 described in the first embodiment are stacked, and the stacked body is fixed by a frame 24 to form a fuel cell assembly 10, and the periphery thereof is covered with a case body (not shown). This constitutes a power generation unit 12. In the illustrated example, the horizontal cells 1 are vertically stacked, an air supply pipe 25 and a fuel supply pipe 26 are provided at an upper part, and an air / water mixed fluid discharge pipe 27 is provided at a lower part.
And a mixed fluid discharge pipe 28 of hydrogen and air. The current collector 9 is guided outside the unit. The cooling water piping is not shown.

A plurality of vibrators 17A, 17A are provided on the frame 24 of the power generation unit 12 having the above-described structure as a vibrating means.
7B is provided. These vibrators 17A, 17B
Are provided, for example, near the lower side of the frame 24 and at the bottom. These vibrators 17A, 17
B includes a power supply 18 and a vibration amplifier 19A, 1
A high-frequency current is supplied via 9B, and high-frequency vibration can be transmitted to the frame 24. Frame 24
One vibrator 17A provided in the vicinity of the lower portion of the side surface generates a vibration along the lateral direction as shown by an arrow A in FIG. Further, the other vibrator 17B provided on the bottom surface of the frame 24 generates vibration along the vertical direction as shown by the arrow B in FIG.

In this embodiment having such a configuration,
The vibration transmitted to the frame 24 is transmitted to the separator 5, the air electrode 3, the electrolyte plate 2, and the fuel electrode 4 constituting each cell 1, whereby the air electrode 3, the electrolyte plate 2, the fuel electrode 4, etc. do. Then, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment are exhibited. In this case, each exciter 17
By providing A and 17B outside the frame 24,
Advantages are obtained in terms of labor and cost in manufacturing, such as a relatively simple configuration and a small number of installations, and a large number of cells 1 can be simultaneously vibrated by a small amount of vibration means. It is also possible to obtain an advantage that the water droplet separating action can be efficiently performed.

Further, in this embodiment, the following specific effects are added by the arrangement of the vibrators 17A and 17B and the setting of the vibration directions A and B described above.

That is, each of the vibrators 17A and 17B is far from the air supply pipe 25 and the fuel supply pipe 26 provided on the upper portion of the frame 24, and discharges the air / water mixed fluid discharge pipe 27 and the hydrogen / air mixed fluid. Each of them is arranged at a position near the pipe 28. In general, the flow speed of fuel, air, etc. in each cell 1 is large on the inlet side and decreases on the outlet side, so that water droplets adhere to the air electrode 3 and the like of the cell 1 arranged on the upper side relatively. On the other hand, the attachment of water droplets to the air electrode 3 and the like of the cell 1 arranged at the lower portion relatively increases.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, since the vibration source is arranged in a region arranged in a region where a larger amount of water droplets are attached, vibration is generated in a region where the necessity of water droplet separation is stronger, and the separation of water droplets is more improved. The effect that it can be performed effectively is obtained.

The vibrating direction is a horizontal direction (direction along a horizontal flow path of fuel, air, etc. in each cell 1) depending on one of the vibrators 17A, and the other vibrator 17A.
B is a vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the surface of the air electrode 3 or the like in each cell 1). Therefore, by effectively applying vibrations to water droplets to be separated from two directions, an effect that more effective water droplet separation / removal action can be performed by complex vibration is also exerted.

With the above-described improvement in power generation performance, the promotion of miniaturization of the fuel cell can be effectively promoted, and the usefulness of the fuel cell can be enhanced, such as expansion of application fields and improvement of convenience.

Third Embodiment (FIGS. 9 and 10) FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of a third embodiment of the fuel cell according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, the separator 5 constituting the cell 1 is made of a piezoelectric material or a magnetostrictive material, and the separator 5 itself is vibrated by applying a voltage.

That is, as shown in FIG. 9, also in the present embodiment, the cell 1 has the electrolyte plate 2 impregnated with the electrolyte.
Is sandwiched between the air electrode 3 and the fuel electrode 4 to be integrally configured. Both surfaces of the air electrode 3 and the fuel electrode 4 are further sandwiched by separators 5, and an air flow path 6 and a fuel flow path 7 are formed by grooves provided on the facing surface side of the separator 5, and fuel and air flow. It is supposed to. A cooling water flow path 8 formed of a groove is provided on the outer surface side of both separators 5.

In this embodiment, in this embodiment, each separator 5 is made of a piezoelectric material or a magnetostrictive material.
An amplifier 29 for supplying a high-frequency current is electrically connected to these separators 5, and a power supply device 30 is connected to the amplifier 29. By supplying a high-frequency current to each of the separators 5, the separator 5 itself serves as a vibration source and directly transmits vibration to the air electrode 3 and the like. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

According to the present embodiment, since the separator 5 directly connected to the air electrode 3 or the like is used as the vibration source, the generated vibration is less likely to be absorbed by the frame and other components during transmission, and Effective vibration can be achieved as compared with the case of using a stationary vibrator.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment in which the separator 5 itself is used as the vibration source, the separator 5 serving as the vibration source can be arbitrarily selected from the fuel cell assembly in which a plurality of cells 1 are superposed. Various configurations can be selectively applied, such as individually vibrating the cells 1 or vibrating each group of cells 1.

In this case, a group of cells 1 disposed at a site where water droplet separation is particularly required is specified in advance and vibrated, or the power generation function is reduced in cooperation with a sensor for detecting the power generation function. It is also possible to select and vibrate only the necessary part of only the cell 1 of the fuel cell assembly in a timely manner according to the sensor detection.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which the fuel cell assembly 10 of the power generation unit 12 is divided into three blocks 10A, 10B,
It is explanatory drawing which shows the case where it is divided into 10C. This FIG.
For example, each block 10A, 10B, 10C
Each power generation state V1, V2, V3 is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the separator itself of a predetermined block can be vibrated according to the power generation state preset by the control device.

As described above, by providing the separators 5 in the fuel cell assembly 10 at regular intervals, it becomes possible to vibrate only the cell portions of the fuel cell assembly 10 whose power generation function has been reduced due to the attachment of water droplets. According to this embodiment,
By selectively vibrating the fuel cell assembly 10 into several blocks, unnecessary vibrations such as vibrating other sound blocks together can be eliminated, and more effective vibration can be achieved with less vibration energy. Effects such as power generation can be obtained.

Other Embodiments In addition to the above-described first to third embodiments, various applications or modifications are possible in the present invention.

For example, when the vibration applied to the air electrode or the like is ultrasonic vibration (frequency of 10 KHz or more) and the vibration direction matches the flow direction of the fluid such as air or fuel, the flow rate of the fluid mixed with water droplets by the ultrasonic energy Can be increased,
It is possible to further improve the efficiency of separating water droplets, and thus the efficiency of power generation. This is because placing an object in the ultrasonic beam generates a force that pushes the object in the direction of sound propagation. By utilizing this phenomenon, the flow rate of water droplets in the fluid can be increased to promote the removal thereof.

It is also possible to set the vibration frequency by the vibration means to be different for each cell 1 or a fixed number of cell groups. For example, at the fluid inlet, the fluid flows at a high pressure at a high pressure, and the flow is slow at the outlet, so that the vibration frequency can be variously set correspondingly.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the oxygen-containing gas was air and the oxygen reaction electrode was the air electrode 3,
In the present invention, oxygen (O ₂ ) is used, and it can be used as an oxygen reaction electrode. Thereby, higher efficiency can be achieved, and higher functionality can be achieved.

[0062]

As described above, according to the present invention, by applying vibration through the fuel cell main body or the frame, water droplets attached to the air electrode or the fuel electrode can be effectively removed, and power generation by the water droplets can be achieved. It is possible to prevent reduction or power generation failure. In addition, by applying high-frequency vibrations such as ultrasonic waves to the air electrode and fuel electrode, the thickness of the boundary layer due to the fluid can be reduced, the resistance of the flow path can be reduced, and more fuel and air can be supplied. It becomes possible, and the amount of power generation can be increased. Furthermore, water droplets adhering to the air electrode and fuel electrode are atomized into fine particles by vibration, preventing re-adhesion of water droplets, keeping the humidity in the air or fuel fluid constant, and maintaining the stability required for fuel cell reactions. Humidity can be ensured, and there is no need to add water to fuel or air in advance, and a great effect in practical use is achieved, such as simplification of the configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a main part showing an embodiment of a fuel cell according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall view showing a configuration of a power generation unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a cell configuration in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a water droplet separating action in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow rate of a fluid in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow velocity distribution of a fluid in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a usage example according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cell 2 Electrolyte plate 3 Air electrode 4 Fuel electrode 5 Separator 6 Air flow path 7 Fuel flow path 8 Cooling water flow path 9 Current collector 10 Fuel cell assembly 11 Case body 12 Power generation unit 13 Air inlet 14 Cooling water inlet 15 Cooling Water outlet 16 Fuel inlet 17 Vibrator 18 Power supply 19 Amplifier 20 Air electrode surface 21 Water drop 22 Micro water drop 23 Boundary layer 24 Frame 25 Air supply pipe 26 Fuel supply pipe 27, 28 Mixed fluid discharge pipe

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An electrolyte plate containing an electrolyte is sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode, and a gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are passed through the outer surfaces of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode to cause an oxidation reaction. A fuel cell, comprising: a vibration means for vibrating the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode or the separator. 2. An electrolyte plate containing an electrolyte is sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode, and a separator having a gas fuel flow path and an oxygen-containing gas flow path is disposed on the outer surface side of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, respectively. Then, in a fuel cell in which a gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are caused to flow through each of the flow paths to cause an oxidation reaction, by vibrating at least one of the separators, or the electrolyte plate, or both. And a vibrating means for vibrating the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode. 3. An electrolyte plate containing an electrolyte is sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode, and a separator forming a gas fuel flow path and an oxygen-containing gas flow path on the outer surface side of the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode, respectively. By arranging to constitute one cell, a plurality of cells are stacked and held by a frame to form a fuel cell assembly, and gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are passed through each flow path of the fuel cell assembly, respectively. In a fuel cell in which an oxidation reaction is performed, by vibrating at least one of the separators, the electrolyte plate, the frame, or a combination thereof, vibrating means for vibrating a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode is provided. A fuel cell, comprising: 4. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the vibration means vibrates at least one of a separator, an electrolyte plate, and a frame from outside, or the vibrator, A fuel cell, wherein at least one of the electrolyte plate and the frame is made of a piezoelectric material or a magnetostrictive material and is a vibration source that vibrates by applying a voltage. 5. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the vibration means includes a fuel electrode and an oxygen reaction electrode or a separator having a frequency of 100 Hz to 100 MH.
A fuel cell for providing vibration of z. 6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating means applies ultrasonic vibration to the fuel electrode and the oxygen reaction electrode. 7. A fuel cell, wherein the voltage applied to the piezoelectric material or the magnetostrictive material according to claim 4 is a high-frequency voltage. 8. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a vibration direction of the vibrating means is set to a direction coinciding with a flow direction of the gaseous fuel or the oxygen-containing gas. battery. 9. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of vibrating means are provided, and vibration directions of the respective vibrating means are set to the same direction or different directions. Fuel cell. 10. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the vibration frequency of the vibrating means is different for each cell or a plurality of cell groups constituting the fuel cell assembly. A fuel cell, characterized by: