JP2005285351A - Fuel cell power generating system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low cost power generating system capable of using a fuel cell loaded on a moving body for multiuse, including for power and stationary use. <P>SOLUTION: A moving body loading device 1 comprises the fuel cell 3, a hydrogen cylinder 4, a subcontroller 10 for operation control of the fuel cell, a gas connector 6, an electric connector 9, a gas switching part 5 which switching hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank or the gas connector to supply to the fuel cell, and an electrical switching part 7 for switching the power from the fuel cell to the drive device or the electrical connector. A fixed device 2 comprises a reformer 12 obtaining the hydrogen gas from the fuel gas, a gas connector 14 disconnectable with the gas connector on the side of the moving body and supplied with hydrogen gas from the reformer and a main controller 11 for controlling the reformer and connectable/disconnectable with the subcontroller. The moving body loading device can be operated independently, when it is connected to the fixed device, supplies the hydrogen gas to the fuel cell from the reformer, and can supply the power from the fuel cell to an external load via the electric connector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generation system that is mainly composed of a fuel cell that uses hydrogen as a fuel and is mounted on a moving body such as an electric vehicle, and is used both as a mobile type and a stationary type.

  Fuel cells have high energy efficiency, are clean and low noise, have few environmental problems, and have good responsiveness to load fluctuations, so that they are desired to be put to practical use in various devices. For example, in response to an increase in global environmental problems, a fuel cell for use as a power source for a moving body such as a fuel cell vehicle has been improved (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, as a household power source, development of a fuel cell that is environmentally friendly and can use waste heat has been underway. In addition, fuel cell portable generators have been developed as an alternative to light oil portable generators for temporary power sources for construction and outdoor leisure. Accordingly, a technology for producing hydrogen by reforming a hydrocarbon-based gas such as city gas has been developed for use in power generation by a fuel cell (for example, patent documents). 2).

The technologies related to these fuel cells are optimized for each application on the assumption that a solid polymer fuel cell using hydrogen as a fuel is used.
JP 2001-313059 A JP 2003-277005 A

  Conventional hydrogen-fueled fuel cells are systems that are considered separately, and are used for various purposes, for example, usually as a power source for automobiles and as a power source for households when going home. In the outdoors, it was not considered as a system that can be shared as a portable power source.

  For this reason, conventional fuel cell systems are wasteful when considered as their entire application. If the power generation system that supplies electric power is constructed so that it can be used in common for any application, the initial cost of the fuel cell body can be reduced, and it can be efficiently applied to multiple applications.

  The present invention makes it possible to use a fuel cell mounted on a moving body for a plurality of uses including power for the moving body and stationary use such as a household power source, and a fuel cell power generation system that suppresses the cost of the entire system. The purpose is to provide.

  The fuel cell power generation system of the present invention includes a mobile body mounting device including a fuel cell mounted on a mobile body as a power source for power, and a stationary device that is used in a stationary manner in connection with the mobile body mounting device. The mobile body mounting device includes: a fuel cell that uses hydrogen as a fuel; a hydrogen cylinder that can supply hydrogen to the fuel cell; a sub-controller that controls the operation of the fuel cell; and a mobile body side gas that can be connected to the outside. A connector, a movable body-side electrical connector connectable to the outside, a gas switching section for switching the hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank or the movable body side gas connector to supply to the fuel cell, and the power from the fuel cell for the movement An electrical switching unit that switches to and supplies the body drive device or the movable body side electrical connector. The stationary device includes a reforming device that reforms a fuel gas to obtain hydrogen gas, a stationary gas connector that can be connected to and separated from the movable body side gas connector and is supplied with hydrogen gas from the reforming device, It has a main controller that controls the reformer and can be connected to and separated from the sub-controller. The mobile body mounting device can be operated separately from the stationary device. In the connected state in which the mobile body mounting device and the stationary device are connected, the sub-controller and the main controller, and the mobile body side gas connector and the stationary side gas connector are respectively connected, and Hydrogen gas can be supplied to the fuel cell, and power from the fuel cell can be supplied to an external load via the movable body side electrical connector.

  According to the said structure, it can use independently as a power supply for motive power of a mobile body by supply of hydrogen from a hydrogen cylinder at the time of movement. When used for power supply in a stationary place such as a home, power can be generated by supplying hydrogen obtained by reforming city gas or the like. Thereby, it is possible to use under optimum conditions for both use during movement and stationary use. Accordingly, the cost of the entire system can be reduced as compared with the case where the apparatus is separately installed for each application.

  In the fuel cell power generation system of the present invention, the stationary device includes a stationary electrical connector that can be connected to and separated from the movable body electrical connector, and the movable body electrical connector and the stationary electrical connector are connected in the connected state. The power can be supplied to the external load via the stationary electrical connector.

  Further, in the connected state, the operation of the fuel cell and the reformer, and the switching operation of the electric switching unit and the gas switching unit can be integratedly controlled by the sub-controller and the main controller. Can do.

  Further, the moving body may be an electric vehicle. Or it can be set as the structure which can use the electric power supplied via the said mobile body side electrical connector as a household power supply. Alternatively, the movable body-side electrical connector can be used as a terminal for an outdoor power source in a state where the movable body mounting apparatus is separated from the stationary apparatus.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a fuel cell power generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The fuel cell power generation system shown in FIG. 1 includes a moving body mounting device 1 and a stationary device 2. The mobile body mounting apparatus 1 is mounted on a mobile body that uses a fuel cell as a power source for power, such as a fuel cell vehicle. The stationary device 2 is used by being appropriately connected to the moving body mounting device 1 in a state where the moving body is stopped. For example, the stationary device 2 is used stationary as a household power source or an outdoor power source in the outdoors.

  The moving body mounting apparatus 1 is mounted with a fuel cell 3 that generates power using hydrogen and oxygen as fuel. A hydrogen cylinder 4 is arranged so that hydrogen can be supplied to the fuel cell 3 via the gas switching unit 5. The gas switching unit 5 is also connected to a moving body side gas connector 6 that is connected to the outside and can receive supply of hydrogen gas. By switching the gas switching unit 5, the hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 3 and the hydrogen gas supplied via the moving body side gas connector 6 can be switched and supplied to the fuel cell 3. The electric power generated by the fuel cell 3 is supplied to the moving body drive unit 8 via the electric switching unit 7. The electrical switching unit 7 is also connected to a moving body side electrical connector 9 that can be connected to the outside. By switching the electrical switching unit 7, the power generated by the fuel cell 3 can be switched and supplied to the mobile unit drive unit 8 or the mobile unit side electrical connector 9. Further, the sub-controller 10 is connected to the fuel cell 3 and controls its operation. The sub-controller 10 is also connected to the gas switching unit 5 and the electrical switching unit 7. These operations are controlled by the main controller 11 of the stationary apparatus 2 via the sub-controller 10.

  The stationary apparatus 2 includes a reformer 12 that reforms the fuel gas to obtain hydrogen gas. Fuel gas such as city gas is supplied to the reformer 12 via the external fuel supply unit 13. The reformer 12 is connected to the stationary gas connector 14 and supplies the generated hydrogen gas to the outside through the stationary gas connector 14. That is, the stationary side gas connector 14 can be connected to and separated from the moving body side gas connector 6 of the moving body mounting apparatus 1, and hydrogen gas can be supplied to the fuel cell 3 via the gas switching unit 5. In addition, the stationary device 2 is provided with a stationary electrical connector 15 that can be connected to and separated from the moving body electrical connector 9. Therefore, the electric power generated by the fuel cell 3 can be supplied to the stationary electrical connector 15 by switching the electrical switching unit 7. The stationary electrical connector 15 is connected to the external terminal 16 and can supply electric power from the external terminal 16 to the external load 17. The main controller 11 controls the reformer 12 and can be connected and disconnected from the sub-controller 10.

  In the above configuration, the structure of the fuel cell 3 is not particularly limited. Also, the reformer 12 may have any known structure. The fuel gas may be a system that uses a gas other than city gas as long as it can generate hydrogen gas that can be used for the fuel cell 3 by reforming.

  The fuel cell power generation system configured as described above can take a separated operation state and a connected state. The separation operation state is a state in which the mobile body mounting device 1 is separated from the stationary device 2, and the mobile body mounting device 1 is operated alone. In the separated operation state, it is also possible to supply electrodes to the external load from the movable body side electrical connector 9 by switching the electrical switching unit 7. In the connected state, the mobile body mounting apparatus 1 and the stationary apparatus 2 are coupled, and the sub controller 10 and the main controller 11, the mobile body side gas connector 6 and the stationary side gas connector 14, and the mobile body side electrical connector 9 and the stationary side electrical connector are connected. Reference numeral 15 denotes a connected state. In this connected state, hydrogen gas can be supplied from the reformer 12 to the fuel cell 3 by switching the gas switching unit 5. Further, the electric power from the fuel cell 3 can be supplied from the external terminal 16 to the external load 17 by switching the electric switching unit 7. In this state, power may be supplied directly to the external load from the mobile unit side electrical connector 9.

  As described above, the electric power generated from the fuel cell 3 can be used not only for an automobile power unit but also for supplying electric power at home, for example. Moreover, in homes, etc., it is suitable for stationary use by connecting to the stationary device 2 and supplying hydrogen obtained by reforming city gas, etc. It is possible to obtain optimum use conditions for both. Furthermore, at the time of power generation at home or the like, if the exhaust heat from the reformer is converted into hot water or the like by a heat exchanger, energy can be used effectively and energy costs can be further reduced.

  In the above configuration, the control of the entire system in the connected state is performed by the main controller 11. However, the entire system can be controlled by the sub controller 10.

  According to the fuel cell power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to use the fuel cell mounted on the moving body for many purposes, and to reduce the cost of the entire system. It is useful as a system that also serves as a temporary power source and outdoor leisure.

1 is a block diagram showing a fuel cell power generation system in an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile body mounting apparatus 2 Stationary apparatus 3 Fuel cell 4 Hydrogen cylinder 5 Gas switching part 6 Mobile body side gas connector 7 Electrical switching part 8 Mobile body drive part 9 Mobile body side electrical connector 10 Subcontroller 11 Main controller 12 Reforming apparatus 13 External fuel Supply unit 14 Stationary gas connector 15 Gas switching unit 16 External terminal 17 External load

Claims (6)

A moving body mounting device including a fuel cell mounted as a power source for power on the moving body, and a stationary device that is used stationary in connection with the moving body mounting device,
The mobile body mounting device includes: a fuel cell that uses hydrogen as a fuel; a hydrogen cylinder that can supply hydrogen to the fuel cell; a sub-controller that controls operation of the fuel cell; and a mobile body side gas that can be connected to the outside. A connector, a movable body-side electrical connector that can be connected to the outside, a gas switching unit that switches hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank or the movable body side gas connector to supply the fuel cell, and the power from the fuel cell is transferred to the fuel cell. An electrical switching unit that switches to and supplies the body drive device or the movable body side electrical connector;
The stationary device includes a reforming device that reforms a fuel gas to obtain hydrogen gas, a stationary gas connector that can be connected to and separated from the movable body side gas connector and is supplied with hydrogen gas from the reforming device, A main controller that controls the reformer and that can be connected and separated from the sub-controller,
The mobile body mounting device can be operated separately from the stationary device,
In the coupled state in which the mobile body mounting device and the stationary device are coupled, the sub-controller and the main controller, and the mobile body side gas connector and the stationary side gas connector are respectively connected, and A fuel cell power generation system capable of supplying hydrogen gas to a fuel cell and supplying electric power from the fuel cell to an external load via the movable body side electrical connector.   The stationary device includes a stationary electrical connector that can be connected to and separated from the movable body side electrical connector. In the connected state, the movable body side electrical connector and the stationary electrical connector are connected to each other via the stationary electrical connector. The fuel cell power generation system according to claim 1, wherein electric power is supplied to an external load.   2. The operation of the fuel cell and the reformer and the switching operation of the electric switching unit and the gas switching unit can be integrally controlled by the sub-controller and the main controller in the connected state. Fuel cell power generation system.   The fuel cell power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is an electric vehicle.   2. The fuel cell power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power supplied via the movable body side electrical connector can be used as a household power source.   2. The fuel cell power generation system according to claim 1, wherein the movable body-side electrical connector can be used as a terminal of an outdoor power source in a state where the movable body mounting device is separated from the stationary device.

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