JP2006261000A - Fuel cell power generation device and air supplying method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell power generator provided with an air supplying device capable of effectively removing fine iron powder included in open air and supplying appropriate air to a catode. <P>SOLUTION: Fine iron powder is captured and removed by mounting permanent magnet lattice 2 formed by arranging many rod-shaped permanent magnet members in lattice shape to the air supplying device supplying the air introduced from open air to the cathode electrode 4a of the fuel cell 4 as an oxidant gas. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generator, and more particularly to a device for supplying air to a cathode electrode of a solid polymer fuel cell power generator and a method for supplying the same.

A fuel cell incorporated in a solid polymer fuel cell power generator or the like generates power by supplying a fuel gas to an anode electrode and an oxidant gas to a cathode electrode. Of these, for example, hydrogen gas is used as the fuel gas. On the other hand, oxygen in the air is normally used as the oxidant gas, and air taken in from the atmosphere is supplied to the cathode electrode of the fuel cell. However, since atmospheric air usually contains dust, if the collected air is supplied to the cathode electrode as it is, this dust adheres to the electrode and causes clogging, and the supply amount of oxygen decreases. There is a possibility that the reaction area causing the battery reaction is reduced and the output of the battery is lowered. For this reason, in the conventional fuel cell power generation device, a filter type filter is attached to the air supply device to the cathode electrode, and measures are taken to remove the dust in the atmospheric air with this filter to avoid a decrease in battery output. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP-A-7-94200

  As described above, in the conventional fuel cell power generator, atmospheric air is used as an oxidant gas, dust is removed by a filtration type filter, and supplied to the cathode electrode. Therefore, dust of a certain size or larger is removed by this filtration type filter, and a decrease in battery output accompanying a reduction in reaction area is suppressed. However, when minute dust is contained in the atmospheric air, there is a high risk that these dusts pass through the filtration filter and reach the cathode electrode, causing clogging and lowering the battery output. In particular, when the fine dust contained in the atmospheric air is iron powder, the iron powder that has passed through this filter and reached the cathode electrode becomes ions in the electrolyte membrane, causing deterioration of the electrolyte membrane. Accelerating will reduce the battery life characteristics. In order to avoid the occurrence of such a situation, it is only necessary to finely filter the filter and remove fine dust. Since the pressure loss in the supply path increases, the output required for the blower increases, the power required to operate the battery increases, and the power generation efficiency decreases.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the current state of the art as described above, and the object of the present invention is to effectively remove dust contained in atmospheric air with low power and to include fine iron powder as dust. Fuel cell power generator including an air supply device in which the iron powder is efficiently removed even when air is generated and appropriate air is supplied to the cathode electrode as an oxidant gas, and an air supply method thereof Is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention,
(1) A fuel cell power generator is configured by providing a magnetic field generating means formed using a permanent magnet material in an air supply device that supplies air taken in from the atmosphere to the cathode electrode. The iron contained in the air flowing through the supply device will be removed.
(2) Further, in the above (1), the magnetic field generating means is provided on the downstream side of the filtration filter of the air supply device.
(3) In the above (1) and (2), the magnetic field generating means is formed by arranging rod-shaped permanent magnet materials in a lattice pattern.
(4) Further, in the air supply method of the fuel cell power generation apparatus for supplying air taken from the atmosphere to the cathode electrode, after collecting the iron component by applying a magnetic field to the iron component contained in the air, The supplied air supply method will be used.

As already mentioned, when fine iron powder is mixed with the air supplied to the cathode electrode, it not only adheres to the cathode electrode and causes clogging but also ionizes with the reaction product water to promote deterioration of the electrolyte membrane. However, as described in (1) above, if the air supply device supplied to the cathode electrode is provided with magnetic field generating means formed using a permanent magnet material, air is generated by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating means. Magnetic force acts on the fine iron powder inside, and iron powder can be collected. Therefore, air that does not contain iron powder is supplied to the cathode electrode, and the occurrence of problems as described above is avoided. In particular, in this configuration, since a magnetic field is generated using a permanent magnet material, it is not necessary to input electric energy to generate a magnetic field, and a magnetic field can be generated extremely efficiently and iron powder can be collected. it can.
Further, as described in (2) above, if this magnetic field generating means is provided on the downstream side of the filtration filter of the air supply device, the majority of the dust contained in the atmospheric air taken in is a filtration filter. The dust contained in the air flowing through the magnetic field generating means is limited to fine dust containing iron powder, and thus the iron powder can be efficiently collected and removed by the magnetic force. In particular, as described in (3) above, if the magnetic field generating means has a lattice shape formed by arranging rod-shaped permanent magnet materials in a lattice shape, the air is uniformly distributed inside the magnetic field generating means and has a low pressure loss. Therefore, iron powder is efficiently collected and removed.

  Further, as described in (4) above, in the air supply method of the fuel cell power generation apparatus that supplies air taken from the atmosphere to the cathode electrode, a method of collecting iron contained in the air by applying a magnetic field is used. As a result, the amount of iron reaching the cathode electrode can be suppressed to a very small level, so that the fuel cell power generator can be stably operated without clogging of the cathode electrode or deterioration of battery characteristics due to deterioration of the electrolyte membrane. .

The best embodiment of the fuel cell power generator of the present invention is formed using a permanent magnet material for removing iron contained in air in an air supply device that supplies air taken from the atmosphere to the cathode electrode. The fuel cell power generation device includes magnetic field generation means.
The best mode of the air supply method for a fuel cell power generator according to the present invention is a method for supplying air to a cathode electrode after collecting iron contained by applying a magnetic field to air taken from the atmosphere. It is in.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a configuration of an air supply device to a cathode electrode in an embodiment of a fuel cell power generator of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the fuel cell power generator of this embodiment, air taken in from the atmosphere is used as the oxidant gas supplied to the cathode electrode 4a of the fuel cell 4, and the blower 3 is rotated. The air taken in by suction is supplied to the cathode electrode 4a. The air taken in from the atmosphere contains dust and the like, and if it is supplied as it is to the cathode electrode 4a, problems such as clogging of the electrodes and deterioration of characteristics occur. A permanent magnet grid 2 as a magnetic field generating means formed using a permanent magnet material is incorporated.
Among these, the filter 1 serves to remove normal dust contained in the sucked air, and is composed of a general filter of a relatively coarse filter. On the other hand, the permanent magnet lattice 2 is formed by arranging a large number of rod-shaped permanent magnet materials in a lattice shape, and generates a magnetic field in the vicinity, and a magnetic field having a gap in which fluid can flow inside. It is a generation means. Therefore, the air that has passed through the filtration filter 1 and reached the permanent magnet lattice 2 flows through the voids inside the permanent magnet lattice 2 and is sent to the blower 3 and further to the cathode electrode 4a. Since the lattice 2 generates a magnetic field in the vicinity, when dust such as iron powder that receives magnetic force by the magnetic field is included in the flowing air, the dust is trapped by the permanent magnet lattice 2. Therefore, the amount of iron powder reaching the cathode electrode 4a becomes a very small amount, and the deterioration of the fuel cell characteristics can be suppressed to a very small amount.

As described above, the permanent magnet lattice 2 is configured by arranging a large number of rod-shaped permanent magnet materials in a lattice shape, so that it is easy to suppress the pressure loss during air circulation. The output need not be particularly large. Therefore, there is no fear of a decrease in power generation efficiency due to an increase in the output of the blower 3. Further, since the permanent magnet grid 2 is formed using a permanent magnet material, no electric power is required for generating a magnetic field. In addition, the permanent magnet grid 2 needs to be replaced in accordance with the accumulation amount of dust such as iron powder. However, the permanent magnet lattice 2 may be replaced at the same time as the replacement of the general filter 1 for maintenance. Is also easy.
In this embodiment, as the magnetic field generating means for capturing dust such as iron powder, the permanent magnet lattice 2 formed by arranging the rod-like permanent magnet materials in a lattice shape as described above is used. The magnetic field generating means is not limited to the permanent magnet grid 2 described above, and a magnetic field is generated by the permanent magnet material, and the air taken in from the atmosphere circulates almost uniformly without causing excessive pressure loss. Any magnetic field generating means formed as described above may be used.

  As described above, as in the present invention, the air supply device for supplying the air taken from the atmosphere of the fuel cell power generation device to the cathode electrode is provided with a magnetic field generating means formed using a permanent magnet material; In this case, the dust contained in the atmospheric air can be effectively removed with less electric power, and even in the case of air containing fine iron powder, the iron powder can be efficiently removed and applied to the cathode electrode. Since appropriate air is supplied as the oxidant gas, the present invention is effectively applied to various fuel cell power generators.

The flowchart which shows the Example of the air supply apparatus to the cathode electrode of the fuel cell power generator of this invention

Explanation of symbols

1 filter
2 Permanent magnet lattice
3 Blower
4 Fuel cell

Claims (5)

A fuel cell power generator characterized in that an air supply device for supplying air taken in from the atmosphere to a cathode electrode is provided with magnetic field generating means formed using a permanent magnet material. 2. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 1, wherein iron contained in the air flowing through the air supply device is removed by the magnetic field generating means. 3. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generation unit is provided on a downstream side of the filtration filter of the air supply device. The fuel cell power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the magnetic field generating means is formed by arranging rod-shaped permanent magnet materials in a grid pattern. In an air supply method of a fuel cell power generation apparatus that supplies air taken in from the atmosphere to a cathode electrode, collecting the iron content by applying a magnetic field to the iron content in the air, and then supplying the iron content to the cathode electrode An air supply method for a fuel cell power generator.

Images