JP2002298877A - Fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structurally strong fuel cell, capable of preventing the breakage of a cell tube, even in slippage of the position of a plurality of support parts by preventing the application of a load to the gas seal part of the fuel cell and collection of the force applied to the fuel cell to one point of the support part. SOLUTION: This fuel cell system comprises a first supply chamber 8, a discharge chamber 9, a second supply chamber 18 provided between the first supply chamber 8 and the discharge chamber 9, a fuel cell cell tube 3 having a fuel cell unit cell on the surface of a base tube, a first support 10-1 provided hear the first supply chamber 8 between the first supply chamber 8 and the discharge chamber 9 for supporting the cell tube 3, a second support 10-2 provided near the discharge chamber 9 between the first supply chamber 8 and the discharge chamber 9 to support the cell tube 3. One end of the cell tube 3 is opened and connected to the first supply chamber 8, the other end of the cell tube 3 is opened and connected to the discharge chamber 9, and the generation part of the cell tube 3 is contained in the second supply chamber 18.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a conventional cylindrical solid electrolyte fuel cell. FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of an upper end side (one end side) and a lower end side (other end side) of one cell of the cylindrical solid electrolyte fuel cell. 8 and 9
In the figure, the parts related to the collection of the generated power are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 8, a fuel cell includes a header 110 as a gas supply unit and a cell tube 11 as a power generation unit.
1 is provided. The header 110 has a partition plate 110a, a bottom plate 110b, a supply chamber 110c, and a discharge chamber 110d. The cell tube has a guide tube 112.

[0004] The inside of the header 110 is vertically divided by a partition plate 110a, and the upper part is configured as a supply chamber 110c and the lower part is configured as a discharge chamber 110d. Header 11
The upper end (one end) of the cell tube 111 is connected to and supported by the zero bottom plate 110b so that gas can enter and exit from the discharge chamber 110d. Cell tube 11
The lower end side (the other end side) of 1 is closed. A guide tube 112 is inserted coaxially inside the cell tube 111. The guide tube 112 has one end side (upper end side)
Is connected to and supported by the partition plate 110a so that gas can flow into and out of the supply chamber 110c.
A plurality of such cell tubes 111 and guide tubes 112 exist, are connected to the header 110, and are supported. Here, the cell tube 111 is a cylindrical cell tube constituting a combustion battery in which a fuel cell thin film is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a porous base tube.

On the other hand, referring to FIG.
A cylindrical current collecting cap 113 is attached to the upper end of the device 1. The current collecting cap 113 is connected to the cell tube 1
11 is electrically connected to the fuel cell. A seal cap 114 is attached to the lower end of the cell tube 111, and the cell tube 111 is closed. The gas coming from the guide tube 112 is supplied to the seal cap 11.
4 and flows outside the guide tube 112 and inside the cell tube 111.

In the fuel cell having such a configuration, the fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is supplied into the supply chamber 110c, and the oxidant gas such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 111. Supply 2. Then,
The fuel gas 1 flows into each guide tube 112 at a uniform flow rate and reaches the end of the guide tube 112. Thereafter, the fuel gas 1 is turned back by the seal cap 114 in the cell tube 111 and flows from the other end of the cell tube 111 toward one end. And fuel gas 1
The oxidant gas 2 electrochemically reacts with the oxidant gas 2 in the fuel cell thin film of the cell tube 111 to generate electric power, and the electric power is taken out through the current collecting cap 113 and the like.

[0007] Of the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the spent fuel gas 1 as surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 1.
11 and the guide tube 112, the discharge chamber 110
After being sent out into d, it is discharged outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe (not shown).

The cylindrical fuel cell as described above has only one supporting portion (the connecting portion between the cell tube 111 and the bottom plate 110b). Therefore, it is easy to deal with thermal stress and gas seal, and the reliability during operation is high. On the other hand,
Since a force is applied to one point against vibration and shock, that part is easily deteriorated, and it is easy to break from there,
There was a problem.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system having a structure that does not burden the gas seal portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system in which a cylindrical fuel cell is structurally strong.

Another object is to provide a fuel cell system in which the force applied to the cylindrical fuel cell is not concentrated at one point of the support.

Another object is to provide a cylindrical fuel cell system having a plurality of support portions.

Still another object is to provide a fuel cell system in which a cell tube is not damaged even when the relative positions of a plurality of support portions for supporting a cylindrical fuel cell are shifted.

Still another object is to provide a fuel cell system which does not require a guide tube and allows the gas flowing inside to flow only in one direction.

Still another object is to provide a fuel cell system capable of reducing the number of parts and cost.

[0016]

Means for Solving the Problems In the section of the means for solving the problems, the figure numbers and reference numerals are written to show the correspondence between the claims and the embodiments of the invention. It should not be used to interpret the claims.

To solve the above problems, a fuel cell system of the present invention is provided in a container and has a first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8) for supplying a first gas (FIGS. 1, 1). A discharge chamber (FIGS. 1 and 9) provided in the container away from the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1 and 8) and configured to discharge the first gas (FIGS. 1 and 1); And a second supply for providing a second gas (FIGS. 1 and 2), which is provided between the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1 and 8) and the discharge chamber (FIGS. 1 and 9). Chambers (FIGS. 1 and 18), fuel cell tubes (FIGS. 1 and 3) having fuel cells formed on the surface of a base tube, the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1 and 8), and the discharge chamber (FIG. 1). 1, 9) and a first support (FIGS. 1, 10) provided near the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8) and supporting the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3). -1) and the above One supply chamber (Fig. 1,8) and the discharge chamber (Fig. 1,9) between at the discharge chamber (Fig. 1,9)
And a second support (FIGS. 1, 10-2) supporting the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3). One end of the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) is opened and joined to the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8). The other end of the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) is open to and joined to the discharge chamber (FIGS. 1, 9). In addition, the power generation part of the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) is included in the second supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 18). Further, the first support (FIGS. 1, 10-1) and the second support (FIGS. 1, 10-2) are fixed in the container.

In the fuel cell system according to the present invention, the first supply chamber (FIG. 1, 8) is provided with the first gas (FIG. 1, FIG.
A gas supply port (FIG. 1, 8-1) for supplying 1) is provided. The discharge chamber (FIGS. 1, 9) includes a gas discharge port (FIGS. 1, 9-1) for discharging the first gas (FIGS. 1, 1). Then, the first gas (FIGS. 1, 1) is supplied from the gas supply port (FIGS. 1, 8-1) to the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8), and the fuel cell tube (FIG. 1, 8) is supplied. (Figs. 1, 3)
And enters the discharge chamber (FIGS. 1, 9) and is discharged from the gas discharge port (FIG. 1, 9-1).

Further, in the fuel cell system of the present invention, the first gas (FIGS. 1 and 1) is a fuel gas. Then, it is supplied to the inside of the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3). On the other hand, the second gas (FIGS. 1 and 2) is an oxidizing gas.
Then, it is supplied to the outside of the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3). Then, the fuel cell and the oxidizing gas generate electric power in the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3).

Further, in the fuel cell system of the present invention, the first support (FIGS. 1, 10-1) or the second support (FIGS. 1, 10-2) includes a heat insulating material.

Further, in the fuel cell system of the present invention, the first support (FIGS. 1, 10-1) or the second support (FIGS. 1, 10-2) contains a refractory material.

Further, in the fuel cell system of the present invention, the first support (FIGS. 1, 10-1) or the second support (FIGS. 1, 10-2) has a honeycomb structure.

Further, the fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a joint (FIGS. 1, 4) between the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) and the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8) or the fuel cell. Bellows (FIGS. 6, 11c) are used for at least one of the joints (FIGS. 1, 5) between the battery cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) and the discharge chamber (FIGS. 1, 9).

Further, the fuel cell system according to the present invention may further comprise a joint (FIGS. 1, 4) between the fuel cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) and the first supply chamber (FIGS. 1, 8) or the fuel cell. At least one of the joints (FIGS. 1, 5) between the battery cell tube (FIGS. 1, 3) and the discharge chamber (FIGS. 1, 9) includes a metal plate (FIGS. 4, 6) (FIGS. 5, 11a). / 11b) (FIG. 7, 11d / 1)
1e) is used.

[0025]

Embodiments of a fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, the structure for supporting a cylindrical fuel cell will be described with reference to a two-point support structure as an example, but a structure for supporting at a plurality of points may be applied.

(Example 1) A first embodiment of a fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing a configuration of a first embodiment of a fuel cell system according to the present invention. A fuel cell 20 includes a cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube.
Supply side seal part 4, discharge side seal part 5, supply side tube sheet 6,
A discharge side tube sheet 7, a supply chamber 8 as a first supply chamber having a gas supply port 8-1, a discharge chamber 9 having a gas discharge port 9-1, a refractory material 10-1a and a heat insulating material 10-1b. A10-1 as a first support on the side of the supply chamber 8 having a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
A support B10-2 as a second support on the side, and an oxidant supply chamber 18 as a second supply chamber. The configuration of FIG. 1 is installed in a container (not shown) in consideration of heat insulation and safety of gas leak.

In the present invention, the cell tube 3 is placed horizontally, and is supported at two points by a support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side and a support B10-2 on the discharge chamber 9 side. The supply-side seal portion 4 of the supply chamber 8 and the discharge chamber 9
Are gas-sealed at two points of the discharge-side seal portion 5. That is, a member dedicated to sealing is introduced separately from the support while supporting the cell tube at two points. Therefore, compared to the conventional one-point support (FIG. 8), vibration and impact are two points,
It will be received in a dispersed manner, resulting in a mechanically strong structure.
In addition, since the gas seal portion does not need to support the load of the cell tube 3, unnecessary force is not applied, and the reliability of the gas seal is improved. The fuel gas 1 is supplied to the supply chamber 8.
This is a one-way (one-through) gas flow in which the gas enters the cell tube 3 from the outlet and is discharged to the discharge chamber 9. Therefore, a guide tube is not required, and the number of components can be reduced as compared with the conventional case (FIG. 8), so that cost can be reduced and reliability can be improved. The above point is the above-mentioned conventional example (FIG. 8).
Greatly different.

Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail. The cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube is a cylindrical tube constituting a combustion cell, in which a fuel cell thin film is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a porous ceramic base tube. The cell tube 3 has one end in a supply chamber 8 (described later) and the other end in a discharge chamber 9 (described later).
Are fitted and supported. One end is open so that gas can enter and exit from a supply chamber 8 (described later) and the other end can communicate with a discharge chamber 9 (described later). A fuel electrode, an electrolyte, and an air electrode are sequentially laminated on the outer peripheral surface for each predetermined width in the longitudinal direction of the base tube to form a cell. Each cell is joined by an interconnector film. Fuel gas 1
Is supplied to the inside of the cell tube 3, diffuses in the hole in the thickness direction of the base tube, reaches the fuel electrode, and contributes to the power generation together with the oxidizing gas 2 flowing outside the cell tube 3.

The supply-side seal portion 4 as a connection portion between the fuel cell tube and the first supply chamber is a portion where the supply-side tube plate 6 of the supply chamber 8 (described later) and the cell tube 3 are joined. .
The supply side seal portion 4 is a portion for sealing the gas so that the fuel gas 1 and the oxidizing gas 2 do not leak. A flexible member such as a bellows or a thin metal plate is used so as to be able to absorb a displacement due to a stress or the like, and a vibration or an impact. Further, in order to ensure gas tightness, it is also possible to completely suppress the leak by using a filler. Details will be described later.

The discharge-side seal portion 5 as a joint portion between the fuel cell tube and the discharge chamber 9 is where the discharge-side tube plate 7 of the discharge chamber 9 (described later) and the cell tube 3 are connected. The discharge-side seal portion 5 includes the fuel gas 1 and the oxidizing gas 2
Is a part that seals the gas so as not to leak.
A flexible member such as a bellows or a thin metal plate is used so as to be able to absorb a displacement due to a stress or the like, and a vibration or an impact. Further, in order to ensure gas tightness, it is also possible to completely suppress the leak by using a filler. Details will be described later.

The supply chamber 8 as the first supply chamber is a gas distribution chamber at one end of the cell tube 3 and having a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or columnar shape. In this embodiment, it is a rectangular parallelepiped. In some cases, a mechanism (not shown) such as a rectifying plate for adjusting the flow of gas is provided inside. One surface is a supply-side tube sheet 6 (described later) to which the cell tube 3 is attached. The cell tube 3 is provided with a supply side tube plate 6 so that the fuel gas 1 entering the supply chamber 8 is supplied to the cell tube 3.
Connected and joined. Multiple cell tubes 3
This is a chamber made of metal such as stainless steel or a heat-resistant alloy, which supplies the fuel gas 1 evenly. And it has the gas supply port 8-1 for receiving supply of gas. Gas is fuel gas 1
(Described later).

The discharge chamber 9 is located at the other end of the cell tube 3 and is a gas distribution chamber having a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, it is a rectangular parallelepiped. In some cases, a mechanism (not shown) such as a rectifying plate for adjusting the flow of gas is provided inside. One surface is a discharge side tube sheet 7 (described later), to which the cell tube 3 is attached. The cell tube 3 is connected and joined to a discharge side tube sheet 7 so that the spent fuel gas 1 discharged from the cell tube 3 can be collected. The room is made of metal such as stainless steel or heat-resistant alloy. And it has a gas discharge port 9-1 for discharging gas. The gas is fuel gas 1 (described later).

Oxidant supply chamber 18 as second supply chamber
Is located between and separate from the supply chamber 8 and the discharge chamber 9 and includes the cell tube 3. A room for supplying an oxidizing gas to the cell tube 3. The support 10 is fixed near the supply side tube sheet 6 and the discharge side tube sheet 7 inside. The room is made of metal such as stainless steel or heat-resistant alloy.

The fuel gas 1 as the first gas is:
A mixed gas of a reformed gas of hydrogen, methane, or an organic hydrocarbon such as propane and steam. The oxidizing gas as the second gas is oxygen, air, or a mixed gas containing them.

The supply side tube sheet 6 is a plate on one surface of the supply chamber 8 and has holes (for the number of the cell tubes 3) for connecting the cell tubes 3 to each other. A cell tube 3;
One end of the cell tube 3 is connected and joined so that gas can enter and exit. The joint part is the supply side seal part 4
It is properly sealed so that gas does not leak from the gap between the supply side tube sheet 6 and the cell tube 3. Use a thin metal plate such as stainless steel or heat-resistant alloy.

The discharge-side tube sheet 7 is a plate on one surface of the discharge chamber 9 and has holes (for the number of cell tubes 3) for connecting the cell tubes 3. A cell tube 3;
The other end of the cell tube 3 is connected so that gas can enter and exit, and is movably joined. The joint portion is a discharge side seal portion 5, which is appropriately sealed so that gas does not leak from a gap between the discharge side tube sheet 7 and the cell tube 3. Use a thin metal plate such as stainless steel or heat-resistant alloy.

Support A10-1 as first support
Is a support having the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, and supporting the cell tube 3 on the supply chamber 8 side. At the same time, the heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 (the portion where the fuel cell thin film is formed excluding both ends (portion for supporting and gas sealing) of the cell tube 3 where the cell tube 3 generates power, the same applies hereinafter). It also has the purpose of shielding. It is provided and fixed in an oxidizing material supply chamber 18 in a container (not shown).

The supply chamber 8 side of the support A10-1 is a heat insulating material 10-1b. In addition to supporting the cell tube 3, the heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 is shut off.
Thermal protection. Examples of the material include porous silica, porous alumina, quartz glass wool, and the like. Support A1
The side opposite to the heat insulating material 10-1b of 0-1 is a refractory material 10-b.
1a, in addition to supporting the cell tube 3, cuts off heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 and reduces the intrusion of heat into the heat insulator 10-1b. The material is a refractory brick or the like containing silica, alumina, magnesia or the like as a main component.

Support B10-2 as second support
Is a support that has a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b and supports the cell tube 3 on the discharge chamber 9 side. At the same time, there is also a purpose of shielding heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3. It is provided and fixed in an oxidizing material supply chamber 18 in a container (not shown). The discharge chamber 8 side of the support body B10-2 is a heat insulating material 10-2b, and in addition to supporting the cell tube 3, shuts off heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 and thermally closes the discharge side seal portion 5. Protect. Examples of the material include porous silica, porous alumina, quartz glass wool, and the like. The side opposite to the heat insulating material 10-2b of the support B10-2 is a refractory material 10-2a, which shuts off heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 in addition to supporting the cell tube 3,
The entry of heat into the heat insulating material 10-2b is reduced. The material is a refractory brick or the like containing silica, alumina, magnesia or the like as a main component.

With reference to FIG. 2, the support A10-1 and the support B10-2 (hereinafter, also referred to as "support 10") will be further described. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the support 10 (a view seen from the left side (the discharge chamber 9 side) or the right side (the supply chamber 8 side) in FIG. 1). Since FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view, the support 10 is depicted as being split. However, the support 10
Is manufactured as one member in the present embodiment as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the fuel cell 20 is a fuel cell having nine cell tubes 3. The support body 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating material 10-1b or a heat insulating material 10-2b (hereinafter, also referred to as "heat insulating material 10b").
And a rectangular parallelepiped refractory material 10-1a or 10-2a (hereinafter, also referred to as "refractory material 10-1a") having the same planar shape.
Are laminated, and the cell support portion 10c, which is a hole through which the cell tube 3 is passed, penetrates and opens by the number of the cell tubes 3 (9). The diameter of the cell support 10c is slightly larger than the diameter of the cell tube 3. That is, the diameter of the cell tube 3 is large enough to prevent the cell tube 3 from being subjected to an excessive force, based on the prediction of the displacement of the cell tube 3 due to heat or the like and the vibration and impact received by the cell tube 3. The support 10 is fixed in the oxidant supply chamber 18 near the supply-side tube sheet 6 and the discharge-side tube sheet 7. And
At both ends of the cell tube 3 where there is no fuel cell thin film, the cell tube 3 is supported.

Next, referring to FIG.
And the discharge side seal portion 5 will be described. Basically, the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 may have the same structure. Therefore, only the supply-side seal portion 4 will be described. FIG. 4A is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. One end of the cell tube 3, the supply-side tube sheet 6 having the seal portion 6-1 and the holding portion 6-2 (in the vicinity of the supply-side seal portion 4), the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-
A support A10-1, which has 1b and a cell support 10c,
It is composed of a supply-side current collecting cap 12 and a filler 14.

The supply-side current collecting cap 12 is a cylindrical terminal joined to one end of the cell tube 3. It is one pole of the fuel cell of the cell tube 3 and also a terminal for electrically connecting the fuel cell to the outside. Use a metal such as stainless steel, and connect an extraction wire to the lower part.

The support A10-1 has a refractory material 10-1a, a heat insulating material 10-1b, and a cell support 10c. The cell tube 3 is connected to the cell support 10 by the support A10-1.
Supported at c. In FIG. 4A, there is a gap in the cell support 10c because the diameter of the cell support 10c is slightly larger than the diameter of the cell tube 3 (described above). In this case, the cell tube 3 is supported by the lower cell support portion 10c as viewed from the cell tube 3.
In terms of As another supporting method, a material such as glass wool or asbestos which is heat-resistant and easily deformable (or has a property like an elastic body) may be embedded in the gap. Other details of the support A10-1 are the same as those described in FIGS.

In the present embodiment, the supply-side tube sheet 6 itself (the hole portion through which the cell tube 3 passes) forms the supply-side seal portion 4 and performs gas sealing. The diameter of the hole through which the cell tube 3 of the supply side tube sheet 6 is passed is determined by the diameter of the cell tube 3.
Make it a little smaller. That is, when the cell tube 3 is passed through the hole of the supply side tube sheet 6 as shown in FIG. The cell tube 3 is deformed inward in the direction through
The outer peripheral portion and the seal portion 6-1 are in close contact with each other. When the sealing portion 6-1 which is an inner portion of the hole portion of the supply side tube sheet 6 comes into close contact with the cell tube 3, the sealing portion 6-1 is tightly attached by the elastic force of the sealing portion 6-1 due to the bending toward the supply chamber side, and the gas seal is formed. Demonstrate the nature. At the same time, the holding section 6-2 and the sealing section 6-
Mobility, vibration and shock absorption are exhibited by the elastic force of 1. Use a thin metal plate such as stainless steel.

The supply-side tube sheet 6 (thin metal plate) is movable in the longitudinal direction of the cell tube 3 due to its elasticity, and is also movable in the radial direction of the cell tube 3 and in the diagonal direction including them. It is movable to some extent. At the same time, the supply side tube sheet 6 is connected to the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8,
Gas sealing is performed between the supply chamber 8 and the oxidizing gas 2 outside the supply chamber 8. At that time, the following filler 14 is also used. The other parts of the supply side tube sheet 6 are the same as the supply side tube sheet 6 shown in FIG.

The filling material 14 is a gas sealing material filled in a region where there is a possibility that there is a gap near the contact between the cell tube 3 and the hole of the supply side tube sheet 6. The gap is filled, and a gas seal is provided between the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8 and the oxidizing gas 2 outside the supply chamber 8. Solder, glass material, or resin that can be used if the maximum operating temperature is not so high.

The cell tube 3 is the same as the cell tube 3 shown in FIG.
Therefore, the description is omitted. However, in the figure,
The fuel cell part and its extraction electrode part are not shown.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, in a fuel cell having such a configuration, a fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is provided in a supply chamber 8.
Is supplied from the gas supply port 8-1. At the same time, the oxidizing gas 2 such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 3 in the oxidizing agent supply chamber 18. Then, the fuel gas 1 flows into each cell tube 3 at a uniform flow rate and flows in one direction in the base tube. That is, the cell tube 3 flows in one direction from one end to the other end (one-through). And fuel gas 1
And the oxidizing gas 2 electrochemically react with the fuel cell thin film (not shown) of the cell tube 3 to generate electric power. Is taken out.

Of the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the used fuel gas 1 that is the surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 3.
To reach the discharge chamber 9. Then, the spent fuel gas 1 from another cell tube is collected and discharged from the gas discharge port 9-1 to the outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe.

In principle, when the cell tube 3 is sealed with the supply-side seal portion 4 at one end and the discharge-side seal portion 5 at the other end as shown in FIG. It is designed such that the discharge side seal portion 5 comes to a position in the direction. However, when starting or stopping the fuel cell, or
In the case where a temperature difference is generated between the vicinity of one end of the cell tube 3 and the vicinity of the other end of the cell tube 3 for some reason, or when an impact or vibration occurs, the discharge side seal is moved from the horizontal position of the supply side seal 4. The part 5 may be shifted. However, even in this case, the positional deviation can be absorbed by the hole (thin metal plate) of the supply side tube sheet 6 and the hole (thin metal plate) of the discharge side tube sheet 7, so that the cell tube 3 is damaged. There is nothing.

The support A10-1 and the support B10-
Since two points are supported, the impact resistance is improved in each step as compared with the case where only one point is supported. In addition, since a thin metal plate is used for the supply side tube sheet 6 and the discharge side tube sheet 7, the supply side tube sheet 6 and the discharge side tube sheet 6 can be protected against strong shocks and vibrations in up / down, front / rear, left / right, and oblique vertical directions. Due to the buffer properties of the side tube sheet 7, they can be relaxed and absorbed. That is,
Structurally strong, the cell tube 3 is hard to break and is not damaged.

Also, since the gas only needs to flow in one direction, there is no need to use the guide tube 112 (see the section of the prior art and FIG. 8), and the structure of the cell tube 3 and its peripheral portion is simplified. I can do it. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, which leads to cost reduction. in addition,
As the number of parts is reduced, the relationship between the parts is reduced, so that the degree of freedom in design and the problems such as breakage of the parts are reduced, and the reliability as a whole is also improved.

In this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained with a structure as shown in FIG. 4B in addition to the structure shown in FIG. FIG. 4B is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. One end of the cell tube 3, the supply-side tube sheet 6 having the seal portion 6-1 and the holding portion 6-2 (in the vicinity of the supply-side seal portion 4), the refractory material 10
-1a, a heat insulating material 10-1b, and a support A10-1 having a cell support 10c, a supply-side current collecting cap 12, and a filler 14. This embodiment differs from the present embodiment in that the direction in which the hole of the seal portion 6-1 of the supply side tube sheet 6 warps is opposite to that in the case of FIG. However, the basic configuration and effects are the same.

(Embodiment 2) A second embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing a configuration of a second embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention. The fuel cell 20 includes a cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube,
Supply side seal part 4, discharge side seal part 5, supply side tube sheet 6,
A discharge side tube sheet 7, a supply chamber 8 as a first supply chamber having a gas supply port 8-1, a discharge chamber 9 having a gas discharge port 9-1, a refractory material 10-1a and a heat insulating material 10-1b. A10-1 as a first support on the side of the supply chamber 8 having a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
A support B10-2 as a second support on the side, and an oxidant supply chamber 18 as a second supply chamber. The configuration of FIG. 1 is installed in a container (not shown) in consideration of heat insulation and safety of gas leak.

FIG. 5 is a view (cross-sectional view) showing the configuration of the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3
(One end side), the supply side tube sheet 6 (in the vicinity of the supply side seal portion 4), the support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, and the seal portion 11a-. 1 and a movable seal portion A11a having a holding portion 11a-2, a supply-side current collecting cap 12, and a filler 14. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the structure of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 uses a movable seal portion A11a as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail. A cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube in FIG. 1, a supply-side seal portion 4, a discharge-side seal portion 5, a supply-side tube plate 6, a discharge-side tube plate 7, a supply chamber 8 having a gas supply port 8-1, a gas Discharge chamber 9 having discharge port 9-1, refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 1
0-1b, a support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side, and a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
The support B10-2 and the oxidant supply chamber 18 on the side of FIG.
Therefore, the description is omitted.

Next, the supply side seal portion 4 and the discharge side support portion 5 will be described with reference to FIG. Basically, the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 may have the same structure. Therefore, only the supply-side seal portion 4 will be described. FIG. 5A is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3 (one end side), supply side tube sheet 6 (near supply side seal portion 4), support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 10-1b, seal Part 11a-1 and holding part 1
It comprises a movable seal portion A11a having 1a-2, a supply-side current collecting cap 12, and a filler 14.

The supply-side current collecting cap 12 is a cylindrical terminal joined to one end of the cell tube 3. It is one pole of the fuel cell of the cell tube 3 and also a terminal for electrically connecting the fuel cell to the outside. Use a metal such as stainless steel, and connect an extraction wire to the lower part.

The movable seal portion A11a includes a seal portion 11a
-1 and a holding portion 11a-2, and is a thin metal plate for movably supporting one end of the cell tube 3 on the supply side tube sheet 6. The movable seal part A11a uses a thin ring-shaped metal plate such as stainless steel.

The inner diameter of the ring of the movable seal portion A11a is
It is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cell tube 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the movable seal portion A11a
When the cell tube 3 is passed through, the inner peripheral portion of the hole of the movable seal portion A11a is deformed inward in the direction passing through the cell tube 3, and the outer peripheral portion of the cell tube 3 and the movable seal portion A1 are deformed.
This is the degree to which the inner part of 1a is in close contact. Movable seal part A
When the seal portion 11a-1, which is an inner portion of the seal portion 11a, comes into close contact with the cell tube 3, the seal portion 11a-1 comes into close contact with the elasticity of the seal portion 11a-1 due to the bending toward the supply chamber side, and exhibits gas sealing properties. At the same time, the elasticity of the holding portion 11a-2 and the sealing portion 11a-1 exerts movability, vibration and shock absorption.

The outer diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole through which the cell tube 3 of the supply side tube sheet 6 passes. That is,
Supply side tube sheet 6 and holding portion 11a of movable seal portion A11a
2 (the portion other than the seal portion 11a-1 of the movable seal portion A11a), the movable seal portion A11a can be attached to the supply side tube sheet 6 by an appropriate method (screwing, welding, soldering, bonding, etc.). It is about.

The thin metal plate of the movable seal portion A11a is movable in the longitudinal direction of the cell tube 3 due to its elasticity, and also has a certain range in the radial direction of the cell tube 3 and the diagonal direction including them. It is movable up to. At the same time, the movable seal portion A11a is
Is sealed between the fuel gas 1 and the oxidizing gas 2 outside the supply chamber 8. At that time, the following filler 14 is also used.

The filling material 14 is a gas sealing material filled in a region where there is a possibility that there is a gap near the contact between the cell tube 3 and the movable seal portion A11a. The gap is filled, and a gas seal is formed between the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8 and the oxidizing gas 2 outside the discharge chamber 9. Solder, glass material, or resin that can be used if the maximum operating temperature is not so high.

The support A10-1 and the cell tube 3 are
The description is omitted because it is the same as in the first embodiment. However, the fuel cell part and its lead electrode part are not shown in the figure. The supply side tube sheet 6 is the same as the supply side tube sheet 6 shown in the description of FIG.

Next, the operation of the fuel cell system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, in a fuel cell having such a configuration, a fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is provided in a supply chamber 8.
Is supplied from the gas supply port 8-1. At the same time, the oxidizing gas 2 such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 3 in the oxidizing agent supply chamber 18. Then, the fuel gas 1 flows into each cell tube 3 at a uniform flow rate and flows in one direction in the base tube. That is, the cell tube 3 flows in one direction from one end to the other end (one-through). And fuel gas 1
And the oxidizing gas 2 electrochemically react with the fuel cell thin film (not shown) of the cell tube 3 to generate electric power. Is taken out.

Of the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the used fuel gas 1 which is the surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 3.
To reach the discharge chamber 9. Then, the spent fuel gas 1 from another cell tube is collected and discharged from the gas discharge port 9-1 to the outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe.

In principle, when the cell tube 3 is sealed with the supply-side seal portion 4 at one end and the discharge-side seal portion 5 at the other end as shown in FIG. It is designed such that the discharge side seal portion 5 comes to a position in the direction. However, when starting or stopping the fuel cell, or
In the case where a temperature difference is generated between the vicinity of one end of the cell tube 3 and the vicinity of the other end of the cell tube 3 for some reason, or when an impact or vibration occurs, the discharge side seal is moved from the horizontal position of the supply side seal 4. The part 5 may be shifted. However, even in such a case, the movable seal portion (thin metal plate) of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 can expand and contract to absorb a shift in the vertical direction, the front-rear left-right lateral direction, the obliquely upward or downward position. As a result, the cell tube 3 is not damaged.

The support A10-1 and the support B10-
Since two points are supported, the impact resistance is improved in each step as compared with the case where only one point is supported. In addition, since the movable seal portion (thin metal plate) of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 is used, the movable seal portion is resistant to strong shocks and vibrations in the vertical, front-back, left-right, and oblique vertical directions. Due to the buffering properties of the (thin metal plate), they can be relaxed and absorbed. That is, it is structurally strong, the cell tube 3 is hardly damaged, and is not damaged.

Since the gas only needs to flow in one direction, there is no need to use the guide tube 112 (see the section of the prior art and FIG. 8), and the structure of the cell tube 3 and its peripheral portion is simplified. I can do it. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, which leads to cost reduction. in addition,
As the number of parts is reduced, the relationship between the parts is reduced, so that the degree of freedom in design and the problems such as breakage of the parts are reduced, and the reliability as a whole is also improved.

In this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained with a structure as shown in FIG. 5B in addition to the structure shown in FIG. FIG. 5B is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3 (one end side), supply side tube sheet 6 (near supply side seal portion 4), support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 10-1b, seal It comprises a movable seal portion B11b having a portion 11b-1 and a holding portion 11b-2, a supply-side current collecting cap 12, and a filler 14. This embodiment is different from the present embodiment in that the warping direction of the seal portion 11b-1 of the movable seal portion B11b is opposite to that of the seal portion 11a-1 of the movable seal portion A11a. However, the basic configuration and effects are the same.

(Embodiment 3) A third embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) illustrating a configuration of a third embodiment of a fuel cell system according to the present invention. A fuel cell 20 includes a cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube.
Supply side seal part 4, discharge side seal part 5, supply side tube sheet 6,
A discharge side tube sheet 7, a supply chamber 8 as a first supply chamber having a gas supply port 8-1, a discharge chamber 9 having a gas discharge port 9-1, a refractory material 10-1a and a heat insulating material 10-1b. A10-1 as a first support on the side of the supply chamber 8 having a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
A support B10-2 as a second support on the side, and an oxidant supply chamber 18 as a second supply chamber. The configuration of FIG. 1 is installed in a container (not shown) in consideration of heat insulation and safety of gas leak.

FIG. 6 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the configuration of the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3
(One end side), the supply-side tube sheet 6 (in the vicinity of the supply-side seal portion 4), the support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, and the tube-side mounting portion. 11
a movable sealing portion C11c having a c-1, a movable portion 11c-2, and a tube plate side mounting portion 11c-3, and a supply-side current collecting cap 1
2. The supply side seal ring 13 is provided. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the structure of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 uses a movable seal portion C11c as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail. A cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube in FIG. 1, a supply-side seal portion 4, a discharge-side seal portion 5, a supply-side tube plate 6, a discharge-side tube plate 7, a supply chamber 8 having a gas supply port 8-1, a gas Discharge chamber 9 having discharge port 9-1, refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 1
0-1b, a support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side, and a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
The support B10-2 and the oxidant supply chamber 18 on the side of FIG.
Therefore, the description is omitted.

Next, FIG. 6 is a view (cross-sectional view) showing the supply side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3 (one end side), supply side tube sheet 6 (near supply side seal portion 4),
The support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, the tube-side mounting portion 11c-1
And a movable seal portion C11c having a movable portion 11c-2 and a tube plate side mounting portion 11c-3, a supply side current collecting cap 12, and a supply side seal ring 13.

The supply-side current collecting cap 12 is a cylindrical terminal joined to one end of the cell tube 3. It is one pole of the fuel cell of the cell tube 3 and also a terminal for electrically connecting the fuel cell to the outside. Use a metal such as stainless steel, and connect an extraction wire to the lower part.

The movable seal portion C11c includes a tube side mounting portion 11c-1, a movable portion 11c-2, and a tube plate side mounting portion 11c.
-3, and one end of the cell tube 3 is connected to the supply side tube sheet 6.
Bellows for movably supporting the Use a thin metal plate such as stainless steel. Movable seal part C1
1 c, the movable portion 11 c-2 on the side surface is a bellows-shaped column, and has a diameter larger than the cylindrical diameter of the cell tube 3.

The movable seal portion C11c is connected to the cell tube 3
And is arranged so as to surround one end of the cell tube 3. The tube-side mounting portion 11c-1 at one end of the movable seal portion C11c and the supply-side seal ring 13 (described later) at one end of the cell tube 3 are coaxial and joined at the tube-side mounting portion 11c-1. I have. The tube plate side mounting portion 11c-3 at the other end of the movable seal portion C11c is coaxial with the supply side tube plate 6 so as to surround a hole through which the cell tube 3 penetrates the supply side tube plate 6, Plate side mounting part 11c-
3 joined.

The bellows can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the cell tube 3 by the elasticity of the movable portion 11c-2, and also in the radial direction of the cell tube 3 due to the shape of the bellows, or in the diagonal direction combining them. It is movable. In addition, the bellows can reduce or absorb vibration and impact due to the buffering property of the movable portion 11c-2. Movable seal part C11c
At the same time, the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8 and the supply chamber 8
Is gas-sealed with the oxidizing gas 2 on the outer side of the gas.

The supply-side seal ring 13 is located between the tube-side mounting portion 11c-1 at one end of the movable seal portion C11c and the supply-side current collecting cap 12. When the cell tube 3 is supported on the supply-side tube sheet 6 by the movable seal portion C11c, the cell tube 3 is used to electrically insulate the movable seal portion C11c from the supply-side current collecting cap 12. At the same time, the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8 and the oxidant gas 2 outside the supply chamber 8
It is also a sealing member for gas-sealing the gap between them. Ceramics such as alumina, zirconia, and magnesia spinel, or glass.

The support A10-1 and the cell tube 3 are
The description is omitted because it is the same as in the first embodiment. However, the fuel cell part and its lead electrode part are not shown in the figure. The supply side tube sheet 6 is the same as the supply side tube sheet 6 shown in the description of FIG.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, in a fuel cell having such a configuration, a fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is provided in a supply chamber 8.
Is supplied from the gas supply port 8-1. At the same time, the oxidizing gas 2 such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 3 in the oxidizing agent supply chamber 18. Then, the fuel gas 1 flows into each cell tube 3 at a uniform flow rate and flows in one direction in the base tube. That is, the cell tube 3 flows in one direction from one end to the other end (one-through). And fuel gas 1
And the oxidizing gas 2 electrochemically react with the fuel cell thin film (not shown) of the cell tube 3 to generate electric power, and the electric power is supplied to the outside through a current collecting cap (such as a supply-side current collecting cap 12). Is taken out.

Among the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the used fuel gas 1 which is the surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 3.
To reach the discharge chamber 9. Then, the spent fuel gas 1 from another cell tube is collected and discharged from the gas discharge port 9-1 to the outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe.

In principle, when the cell tube 3 is sealed with the supply-side seal portion 4 at one end and the discharge-side seal portion 5 at the other end as shown in FIG. It is designed such that the discharge side seal portion 5 comes to a position in the direction. However, when starting or stopping the fuel cell, or
In the case where a temperature difference is generated between the vicinity of one end of the cell tube 3 and the vicinity of the other end of the cell tube 3 for some reason, or when an impact or vibration occurs, the discharge side seal is moved from the horizontal position of the supply side seal 4. The part 5 may be shifted. However, even in this case, since the movable seal portion C11c (bellows) can be expanded and contracted, the displacement in the vertical direction, the front / rear left / right lateral direction, the obliquely upward or downward position can be absorbed, and the cell tube 3 is not damaged. .

The support A10-1 and the support B10-
Since two points are supported, the impact resistance is improved in each step as compared with the case where only one point is supported. In addition, since the movable seal portion (bellows) of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 is used, the movable seal portion is movable even with strong shock and vibration in the vertical, front-rear, left-right, and oblique vertical directions. Due to the buffer properties of the parts, they can be relaxed and absorbed.
That is, it is structurally strong, the cell tube 3 is hardly damaged, and is not damaged.

Also, since the gas only needs to flow in one direction, there is no need to use the guide tube 112 (see the section of the prior art and FIG. 8), and the structure of the cell tube 3 and its peripheral portion is simplified. I can do it. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, which leads to cost reduction. in addition,
As the number of parts is reduced, the relationship between the parts is reduced, so that the degree of freedom in design and the problems such as breakage of the parts are reduced, and the reliability as a whole is also improved.

(Embodiment 4) A fourth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the configuration of a fourth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention. The fuel cell 20 includes a cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube,
Supply side seal part 4, discharge side seal part 5, supply side tube sheet 6,
A discharge side tube sheet 7, a supply chamber 8 as a first supply chamber having a gas supply port 8-1, a discharge chamber 9 having a gas discharge port 9-1, a refractory material 10-1a and a heat insulating material 10-1b. A10-1 as a first support on the side of the supply chamber 8 having a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
A support B10-2 as a second support on the side, and an oxidant supply chamber 18 as a second supply chamber. The configuration of FIG. 1 is installed in a container (not shown) in consideration of heat insulation and safety of gas leak.

FIG. 7 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the configuration of the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3
(One end side), the supply-side tube sheet 6 (in the vicinity of the supply-side seal portion 4), the support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, and the seal portion 11d-. 1 and a movable seal portion D11d having a holding portion 11d-2, a supply-side current collecting cap 12, and a filler 14. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the structure of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 uses a movable seal portion D11d as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail. A cell tube 3 as a fuel cell tube in FIG. 1, a supply-side seal portion 4, a discharge-side seal portion 5, a supply-side tube plate 6, a discharge-side tube plate 7, a supply chamber 8 having a gas supply port 8-1, a gas Discharge chamber 9 having discharge port 9-1, refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 1
0-1b, a support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side, and a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
The support B10-2 and the oxidant supply chamber 18 on the side of FIG.
Therefore, the description is omitted.

Next, the supply side seal portion 4 and the discharge side support portion 5 will be described with reference to FIG. Basically, the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 may have the same structure. Therefore, only the supply-side seal portion 4 will be described. FIG. 7A is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3 (one end side), supply side tube sheet 6 (near supply side seal portion 4), support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 10-1b, seal Part 11d-1 and holding part 1
It comprises a movable seal portion D11d having 1d-2 and a supply-side current collecting cap 12.

The supply-side current collecting cap 12 is a cylindrical terminal joined to one end of the cell tube 3. It is one pole of the fuel cell of the cell tube 3 and also a terminal for electrically connecting the fuel cell to the outside. Use a metal such as stainless steel, and connect an extraction wire to the lower part.

The movable seal D11d is
-1 and a holding part 11d-2, and is a thin metal plate for movably supporting one end of the cell tube 3 on the discharge side tube sheet 7. The movable seal portion D11d uses a thin ring-shaped metal plate such as stainless steel.

The inside diameter of the ring of the movable seal portion D11d is
It is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cell tube 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, the movable seal portion D11d
When the cell tube 3 is passed through, the inner peripheral portion of the hole of the movable seal portion D11d is deformed inward in the direction passing through the cell tube 3, and the outer peripheral portion of the cell tube 3 and the movable seal portion D1 are deformed.
This is the degree to which the inner part of 1d is in close contact. Movable seal part D
11d is a shrink fit method (heated movable seal portion D11).
The cell tube 3 having a lower temperature than the movable seal portion D11d is inserted into the hole d, and the cell tube 3 is brought into close contact with the movable seal portion D11d by heat shrinkage). At that time, the movable seal portion D11d
The seal portion 11d-1 which is an inner portion of the seal member 11d-1 adheres due to the elastic force of the seal portion 11d-1 due to the heat shrinkage toward the supply chamber side, and exhibits gas sealing properties. At the same time, the holding unit 1
Mobility, vibration and shock absorption are exhibited by the elastic force of 1d-2.

The outer diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole through which the cell tube 3 of the supply side tube sheet 6 passes. That is,
Supply side tube sheet 6 and movable seal portion D11d holding portion 11d-2
The movable seal portion D11d can be attached to the supply side tube sheet 6 by an appropriate method (screwing, welding, soldering, bonding, or the like) at an overlapping portion with (the portion other than the seal portion 11d-1 of the movable seal portion D11d). It is about. Use metal such as stainless steel.

The movable seal portion D11d (thin metal plate)
Due to its elasticity, it is movable in the longitudinal direction of the cell tube 3 and also in the radial direction of the cell tube 3 and in a diagonal direction combining them to a certain extent. The cell tube 3 is movably supported by the supply side tube sheet 6. At the same time, the movable seal portion D11d
It is also a sealing member for gas sealing between the fuel gas 1 in the supply chamber 8 and the oxidizing gas 2 outside the supply chamber 8.

The support A10-1 and the cell tube 3 are
The description is omitted because it is the same as in the first embodiment. However, the fuel cell part and its lead electrode part are not shown in the figure. The supply side tube sheet 6 is the same as the supply side tube sheet 6 shown in the description of FIG.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, in a fuel cell having such a configuration, a fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is provided in a supply chamber 8.
Is supplied from the gas supply port 8-1. At the same time, an oxidizing gas 2 such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 3. Then, the fuel gas 1 flows into each cell tube 3 at a uniform flow rate,
It flows in one direction in the base tube. That is, the cell tube 3
Flows in one direction from one end (upper end) to the other end (lower end) (one-through). Then, the fuel gas 1 and the oxidizing gas 2 electrochemically react with each other in the fuel cell thin film (not shown) of the cell tube 3 to generate electric power, and the electric power is generated by the current collecting cap (the supply-side current collecting cap 12 and the like). ).

[0097] Of the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the spent fuel gas 1 as surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 3.
To reach the discharge chamber 9. Then, the spent fuel gas 1 from another cell tube is collected and discharged from the gas discharge port 9-1 to the outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe.

In principle, when the cell tube 3 is sealed with the supply-side seal portion 4 at one end and the discharge-side seal portion 5 at the other end as shown in FIG. It is designed such that the discharge side seal portion 5 comes to a position in the direction. However, when starting or stopping the fuel cell, or
When a temperature difference occurs between the vicinity of one end of the cell tube 3 and the vicinity of the other end of the cell tube 3 or a shock or vibration occurs for any reason, the supply side seal portion 4 is moved from the horizontal position to the discharge side seal. The part 5 may be shifted. However, even in such a case, the displacement of the movable seal portion (thin metal plate) of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 can be absorbed in the vertical direction, the front-rear left-right lateral direction, the obliquely upward or downward position. As a result, the cell tube 3 is not damaged.

The support A10-1 and the support B10-
Since two points are supported, the impact resistance is improved in each step as compared with the case where only one point is supported. In addition, since the movable seal portion (thin metal plate) of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 is used, the movable seal portion is resistant to strong shocks and vibrations in the vertical, front-back, left-right, and oblique vertical directions. Due to the buffering properties of the (thin metal plate), they can be relaxed and absorbed. That is, it is structurally strong, the cell tube 3 is hardly damaged, and is not damaged.

Also, since the gas only needs to flow in one direction, there is no need to use the guide tube 112 (see the section of the prior art and FIG. 7), and the structure of the cell tube 3 and its peripheral portion is simplified. I can do it. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, which leads to cost reduction. in addition,
As the number of parts is reduced, the relationship between the parts is reduced, so that the degree of freedom in design and the problems such as breakage of the parts are reduced, and the reliability as a whole is also improved.

Further, since the gas flows in one direction, the discharge chamber 9 installed at the upper part of the cell tube 3 can be installed at the lower side. Therefore, even when the number of the cell tubes 3 is increased and the fuel cell system is enlarged, the structure of the upper part of the cell tubes 3 can be reduced in weight and simplified as compared with the conventional type.

In this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained with a structure as shown in FIG. 7B in addition to FIG. 7A. FIG. 7B is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the supply-side seal portion 4 and its peripheral portion. Cell tube 3 (one end side), supply side tube sheet 6 (near supply side seal portion 4), support A10-1 on the supply chamber 8 side having refractory material 10-1a and heat insulating material 10-1b, seal It comprises a movable seal portion E11e having a portion 11e-1 and a holding portion 11e-2, and a supply-side current collecting cap 12. Movable seal part E11e
The direction in which the seal portion 11e-1 warps is the movable seal portion D1.
This embodiment is different from the present embodiment in that it is opposite to the seal portion 11d-1 of 1d. However, the basic configuration and effects are the same.

Note that in the above Examples 1 to 4,
The supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 use the same type. However, it is also possible to select a different combination of the supply side seal part 4 and the discharge side seal part 5 from the seal parts shown in FIGS.

Embodiment 5 Next, a fifth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram (cross-sectional view) showing the configuration of a fifth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention. The fuel cell 20 includes a cell tube 3 serving as a fuel cell tube.
Supply side seal part 4, discharge side seal part 5, supply side tube sheet 6,
A discharge side tube sheet 7, a supply chamber 8 as a first supply chamber having a gas supply port 8-1, a discharge chamber 9 having a gas discharge port 9-1, a refractory material 10-1a and a heat insulating material 10-1b. A10-1 as a first support on the side of the supply chamber 8 having a discharge chamber 9 having a refractory material 10-2a and a heat insulating material 10-2b.
A support B10-2 as a second support on the side, and an oxidant supply chamber 18 as a second supply chamber. The configuration of FIG. 1 is installed in a container (not shown) in consideration of heat insulation and safety of gas leak.

The cell tube 3, the supply-side seal portion 4, the discharge-side seal portion 5, the supply-side tube sheet 6, the discharge-side tube plate 7, the supply chamber 8 having the gas supply port 8-1, and the gas discharge port 9-1. The discharge chamber 9 and the oxidant supply chamber 18 that are provided are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The support A10-1 includes the refractory material 10-1a and the heat insulating material 10-1b, and the support B10-2 includes the refractory material 10-1a.
2a and a heat insulator 10-2b, and is a support for supporting the cell tube 3 on the side of the supply chamber 8 or the discharge chamber 9. At the same time, the heat on the power generation side of the cell tube 3 (the portion where the fuel cell thin film is formed excluding both ends (portion for supporting and gas sealing) of the cell tube 3 where the cell tube 3 generates power, the same applies hereinafter). It also has the purpose of shielding. It is provided and fixed in an oxidizing material supply chamber 18 in a container (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 3, the support A10-1 and the support B10-2 (hereinafter referred to as "support 1
0 ") will be further described. FIG. 3 (a)
3 is a plan view of the support 10 (viewed from the left side (discharge chamber 9 side) or the right side (supply chamber 8 side) in FIG. 1). Since FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view, the support 10 is depicted as being split. However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the support 10 is manufactured by combining a plurality of members shown in FIG. 3B into one.

In this embodiment, the fuel cell 20
Is a fuel cell having ten cell tubes 3.
The support 10 has a basic structure (such as a nut without a screw) in which a coaxial cylindrical hole is opened at the center of the hexagonal prism shown in FIG. 3B. That is, the refractory material 10 having the basic structure
-1a or refractory 10-2a (hereinafter referred to as "refractory 10-1
a)) and a heat insulating material 10-1b having a basic structure.
Alternatively, a honeycomb cell support portion 10d, which is a single support unit, is formed by stacking a heat insulating material 10-2b (hereinafter, also referred to as "heat insulating material 10b") (FIG. 3B). Then, these are combined in a honeycomb shape (honeycomb shape) to form one support body 10. In the present embodiment, ten honeycomb cell support portions 10d are combined so that ten cell tubes 3 can be inserted (FIG. 3A). And 10
The individual honeycomb cell support portions 10d are fitted in a honeycomb frame 10f, which is a rectangular frame, so as not to lose shape. A portion of the honeycomb frame 10f having a gap is filled with a spacer 10e in which a refractory material and a heat insulating material are laminated. The diameter of the cell support 10c is slightly larger than the diameter of the cell tube 3. That is, the diameter of the cell tube 3 is large enough to prevent the cell tube 3 from being subjected to an excessive force, based on the prediction of the displacement of the cell tube 3 due to heat or the like and the vibration and impact received by the cell tube 3. The support 10 is
The supply-side tube sheet 6 and the discharge-side tube sheet 7 in the oxidant supply chamber 18
Is fixed in the vicinity of. The cell tube 3 is supported at both ends of the cell tube 3 where there is no fuel cell thin film.

Support A10-1 and Support B10-2
The other parts of the (support 10) are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

The supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 of the fuel cell system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 are the same as those in Examples 1 to 4. The description is omitted. Here, as the supply side seal part 4 and the discharge side seal part 5, all the seal parts shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 can be selected in all combinations.

Now, the operation of the fifth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, in a fuel cell having such a configuration, a fuel gas 1 such as hydrogen or methane is provided in a supply chamber 8.
Is supplied from the gas supply port 8-1. At the same time, an oxidizing gas 2 such as oxygen or air is supplied along the outer peripheral surface of the cell tube 3. Then, the fuel gas 1 flows into each cell tube 3 at a uniform flow rate,
It flows in one direction in the base tube. That is, the cell tube 3
Flows in one direction from one end (upper end) to the other end (lower end) (one-through). Then, the fuel gas 1 and the oxidizing gas 2 electrochemically react with each other in the fuel cell thin film (not shown) of the cell tube 3 to generate electric power, and the electric power is generated by the current collecting cap (the supply-side current collecting cap 12 and the like). ).

Among the fuel gas 1 used for power generation, the used fuel gas 1 which is the surplus fuel gas is supplied to the cell tube 3.
To reach the discharge chamber 9. Then, the spent fuel gas 1 from another cell tube is collected and discharged from the gas discharge port 9-1 to the outside. On the other hand, the used oxidant gas 2 used for power generation is sent out through an exhaust pipe.

In principle, as shown in FIG. 1, when the cell tube 3 is sealed with the supply-side seal portion 4 at one end and the discharge-side seal portion 5 at the other end, the horizontal position of the supply-side seal portion 4 It is designed such that the discharge side seal portion 5 comes to a position in the direction. However, when starting or stopping the fuel cell, or
In the case where a temperature difference is generated between the vicinity of one end of the cell tube 3 and the vicinity of the other end of the cell tube 3 for some reason, or when an impact or vibration occurs, the discharge side seal is moved from the horizontal position of the supply side seal 4. The part 5 may be shifted. However, even in this case, the movable tube and the thin tube plate (metal plate) can absorb the positional shift in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the oblique vertical direction, so that the cell tube 3 is not damaged. .

The support A10-1 and the support B10-
Since two points are supported, the impact resistance is improved in each step as compared with the case where only one point is supported. In addition, since the movable seal portions of the supply-side seal portion 4 and the discharge-side seal portion 5 are used, the movable seal portion of the movable seal portion is buffered against strong shocks and vibrations in up and down, front and rear, left and right, and oblique vertical directions. Depending on the nature, they can be relaxed and absorbed. That is,
Structurally strong, the cell tube 3 is hard to break and is not damaged.

Also, since the gas only needs to flow in one direction, there is no need to use the guide tube 112 (see the section of the prior art and FIG. 7), and the structure of the cell tube 3 and its peripheral portion is simplified. I can do it. That is, the number of parts can be reduced, which leads to cost reduction. in addition,
As the number of parts is reduced, the relationship between the parts is reduced, so that the degree of freedom in design and the problems such as breakage of the parts are reduced, and the reliability as a whole is also improved.

In the first to fifth embodiments, the fuel gas 1 flows from the right side to the left side in FIG. 1. However, the present invention is applicable to the case where the fuel gas 1 flows in the opposite direction (from the left side to the right side). It is possible to do it. The same effect can be obtained.

In Examples 1 to 5, the support A10-1 and the support B10-2 are all combinations of a heat insulating material and a refractory material. However, it is not necessary to use both, and it is possible to carry out the present invention with only one of the heat insulating material and the refractory material based on the thermal design.

[0118]

According to the present invention, a load is not applied to the gas seal portion of the cylindrical fuel cell, the force applied to the fuel cell does not concentrate on one point of the support portion, and the relative positions of the plurality of support portions are reduced. Even if the fuel cell is displaced, it is possible to provide a structurally strong fuel cell in which the cell tube is not damaged.

Further, according to the present invention, in the cylindrical fuel cell, the fuel cell guide tube is not required, and the gas flowing inside is circulated in only one direction to reduce the number of fuel cell parts, thereby reducing cost and reliability. Can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram showing first to fifth embodiments of a fuel cell system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a structural diagram showing a support part of the fuel cell system according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 (a) is a structural view showing a support portion of a fuel cell system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is a structural diagram showing a honeycomb support of a support portion of a fuel cell system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a structural view showing a supply-side seal portion of the first embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention. (B) It is a structural diagram showing another supply side seal portion of the first embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 (a) is a structural view showing a supply side seal portion of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is a structural diagram showing another supply side seal portion of the fuel cell system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing a supply-side seal portion of a third embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a structural view showing a supply-side seal portion of a fuel cell system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is a structural diagram showing another supply side seal portion of the fourth embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a structural diagram showing an embodiment of a conventional technique.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a supply support unit and a discharge support unit according to an embodiment of the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel gas 2 Oxidant gas 3 Cell tube 4 Supply-side seal part 5 Discharge-side seal part 6 Supply-side tube plate 6-1 Seal part 6-2 Holding part 7 Discharge-side tube plate 8 Supply chamber 8-1 Gas supply port 9 Exhaust chamber 9-1 Gas exhaust port 10 Support 10-1 Support A 10-1a Fireproof material 10-1b Insulation material 10-2 Support material B 10-2a Fireproof material 10-2b Heat insulation material 10a Fireproof material 10b Heat insulation material 10c Cell support section 10d Honeycomb cell support section 10e Spacer 10f Honeycomb frame 11 Movable seal section A 11a-1 Seal section 11a-2 Hold section 11 Movable seal section B 11b-1 Seal section 11b-2 Hold section 11 Movable seal section C 11c- DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tube side mounting part 11c-2 Movable part 11c-3 Tube sheet side mounting part 11 Movable seal part D 11d-1 Seal part 11d-2 Holding part 11 Movable part Seal part 11e-2 Seal part 11e-2 Holding part 12 Supply side current collecting cap 13 Supply side seal ring 14 Filler 18 Oxidant supply chamber 20 Fuel cell 110 Header 110a Partition plate 110b Discharge chamber 110c Supply chamber 110d Bottom plate 111 Cell tube 112 Guide tube 113 Current collecting cap 114 Seal cap

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Inoue 5-717-1, Fukahori-cho, Nagasaki-city, Nagasaki Prefecture Inside the Nagasaki Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Hashimoto No. 1, Akunouracho, Nagasaki-city, Nagasaki No. 1 In Nagasaki Shipyard, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (72) Nagao Kurume, Inventor 1-1, Akunouracho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki Prefecture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Nagasaki Shipyard (72) Inventor Katsumi Nagata, No. 1, Akunoura-cho, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture 1 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagasaki Shipyard (72) Inventor Koji Ikeda 1-1, Akunouramachi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagasaki Shipyard F-term (reference) 5H026 AA02 CC06 CV02 CX06 CX08 EE02 EE12

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A first supply chamber provided in a container and supplying a first gas, and a discharge provided in the container at a distance from the first supply chamber and discharging the first gas. Chamber, a second supply chamber that is provided in the container and is isolated between the first supply chamber and the discharge chamber, and supplies a second gas, and a fuel cell on the surface of the base tube. A formed fuel cell tube, a first support provided between the first supply chamber and the discharge chamber near the first supply chamber, and supporting the fuel cell tube; A second support member provided between the first supply chamber and the discharge chamber near the discharge chamber and supporting the fuel cell tube; and one end of the fuel cell tube is The other end of the fuel cell tube is opened to and joined to the first supply chamber, and the other end of the fuel cell tube is opened to and joined to the discharge chamber. Is, the power generation portion of the fuel cell tube, wherein the second included in the supply chamber, said first support and said second support member is fixed to the container, the fuel cell system. 2. The first supply chamber has a gas supply port for supplying the first gas; the discharge chamber has a gas discharge port for discharging the first gas; The gas according to claim 1, wherein one gas is supplied to the first supply chamber from the gas supply port, passes through the fuel cell tube, enters the discharge chamber, and is discharged from the gas discharge port. Fuel cell system. 3. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the first gas is a fuel gas, and is supplied inside the fuel cell tube. The second gas is an oxidizing gas, and is supplied outside the fuel cell tube. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas generate power in the fuel cell tube. 4. 4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first support or the second support includes a heat insulating material. 5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first support or the second support includes a refractory material. 6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first support or the second support has a honeycomb structure. 7. A bellows is used for at least one of a joint between the fuel cell tube and the first supply chamber or a joint between the fuel cell tube and the discharge chamber. The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. A metal plate is used for at least one of a joint between the fuel cell tube and the first supply chamber or a joint between the fuel cell tube and the discharge chamber. The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.