JP2007087678A - Fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively reduce the number of components and easily lighten a system. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel cell system 10 is equipped with a fuel cell stack 12 and a contactor 14 to be fixed to an end plate 24a constituting the fuel cell stack 12. The contactor 14 has a contactor box 100, and the opened surface 102 of the contactor box 100 is closed with the end plate 24a when the contactor box 100 is fixed to the end plate 24a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a fuel cell stack in which end plates are disposed at both ends in a stacking direction of a stacked body in which a plurality of power generating cells each having an electrolyte / electrode structure and a separator are stacked, and power generated by the power generating cell The present invention relates to a fuel cell system including a contactor that is connected to an output terminal for taking out from the battery stack and attached to one end plate.

  For example, in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, an electrolyte membrane / electrode structure (electrolyte / electrode structure) in which an anode side electrode and a cathode side electrode are disposed on both sides of an electrolyte membrane (electrolyte) made of a polymer ion exchange membrane, respectively. ) Is held by a separator. This type of fuel cell is normally used as a fuel cell stack by stacking a predetermined number of power generation cells.

  In this type of fuel cell stack, normally, a terminal plate, an insulating plate, and an end plate are disposed at both ends in the stacking direction of a stacked body in which a plurality of power generation cells are stacked. The terminal plate is provided with an output terminal portion for taking out the generated power from the laminate, and this output terminal portion is connected to a contactor (or relay) to control power supply to an external load such as a motor ( ON / OFF control).

For example, in the fuel cell mounting structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 6 , the fuel cell module 1 is disposed in the engine room in the front part of the vehicle. In the fuel cell stack 2 constituting the fuel cell module 1, a first stack 4a and a second stack 4b, each of which is a laminated body of plate-shaped unit cells 3, are placed in parallel and a metal end plate. The stacks 4a and 4b are fastened in the stacking direction (vehicle width direction) by 5a and 5b.

  The positive electrode 5a laminated on the stack 4a and the negative electrode 6a laminated on the stack 4b each have a terminal 7, which is connected to the relay 9 via the flexible bus bar 8. Electrically connected.

JP 2002-362165 A (FIG. 1)

  In the above prior art, the relay 9 is attached to the end plate 5 a, and the relay 9 and the terminal 7 are connected via the flexible bus bar 8. For this reason, the fuel cell module 1 has a problem that the number of parts increases and the weight of the fuel cell module 1 as a whole cannot be reduced.

  The present invention solves this type of problem, and an object thereof is to provide a fuel cell system in which the number of parts can be effectively reduced and the weight can be easily reduced by sharing parts. .

  The present invention provides a power generation cell having an electrolyte / electrode structure in which a pair of electrodes are provided on both sides of an electrolyte and a separator, and end plates are arranged at both ends in the stacking direction of the stacked body in which a plurality of the power generation cells are stacked. And a contactor that is connected to an output terminal for taking out the power generated by the power generation cell to the outside of the fuel cell stack and is attached to one end plate.

  The contactor includes a contactor box having at least one surface opened, and the one surface is closed by the one end plate in a state where the contactor box is attached to the one end plate.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the fuel cell stack includes a panel member that covers a side portion of the laminate, and a casing that accommodates and holds the laminate is configured by the end plate and the panel member.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that at least one of the output terminal portions protrudes from the one end plate, and the contactor box is provided with a surrounding portion that covers the one output terminal portion.

  Further, the one end plate is provided with a cylindrical portion that circulates around one output terminal portion, and the surrounding portion and the cylindrical portion constitute a seal structure that fits and seals with each other. It is preferable.

  The fuel cell stack constitutes an internal manifold that extends in the stacking direction of the power generation cells and is provided with a communication hole through which the reaction gas and the cooling medium flow. One end plate has a supply port for the cooling medium and Preferably, the discharge port is formed, and the contactor box is formed with a cooling medium passage for communicating with at least the supply port or the discharge port to cool the inside of the contactor box.

  According to the present invention, since the one surface where the contactor box opens is closed by one end plate, this one end plate can function as one panel of the contactor box. Accordingly, the number of parts can be shared and the number of parts can be reduced favorably, and the weight of the entire fuel cell system can be easily reduced.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fuel cell system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially exploded schematic perspective view of the fuel cell system 10.

  The fuel cell system 10 includes a fuel cell stack 12 and a contactor 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell stack 12 includes a stacked body 18 in which a plurality of power generation cells 16 are stacked in the horizontal direction (arrow A direction).

  A terminal plate 20a, an insulating plate 22a, and an end plate 24a are sequentially arranged at one end in the stacking direction (arrow A direction) of the stacked body 18 toward the outside. At the other end in the stacking direction of the stacked body 18, a terminal plate 20b, an insulating plate 22b, and an end plate 24b are sequentially disposed outward. The fuel cell stack 12 includes a casing 26 that includes metal end plates 24a and 24b configured as squares that are long (vertically long) in the vertical direction (arrow C direction) as end plates.

Each of the power generation cell 16, although not shown, Bei membrane electrode assembly and (electrolyte electrode assembly), and first and second cell Paray other plate wave shape for clamping said membrane electrode assembly Yeah . The power generation cell 16 includes an oxidant gas supply communication hole, an oxidant gas discharge communication hole, a fuel gas supply communication hole, a fuel gas discharge communication hole, a cooling medium supply communication hole, and a cooling medium discharge communication hole. Constitute.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , a positive electrode side terminal portion 56a is integrally provided extending outward in the stacking direction at a position spaced a predetermined distance upward from the in-plane center of the terminal plate 20a. The terminal portion 56a protrudes outside through the holes 59a of the insulating plate 22a and the end plate 24a while being inserted into an insulating cylindrical portion 82 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 26 includes end plates 24a and 24b, which are end plates, four panel members 60a to 60d disposed on the side of the laminated body 18, and the panel members 60a to 60d. Angle members 62a to 62d that connect adjacent ends of 60d, and connecting pins 64a and 64b having different lengths that connect the end plates 24a and 24b and the panel members 60a to 60d, respectively. Panel members 60a-60d are formed of thin metal plates.

  Cylindrical first connection portions 66a and 66b are formed to protrude from the upper and lower sides of the end plates 24a and 24b, respectively, and first connection portions 66a and 66b are formed to protrude from the sides on both sides.

  Second connecting portions 70a and 70b are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction (arrow A direction) of the panel members 60a and 60c arranged on both sides in the arrow B direction of the laminate 18. Second connection portions 72a and 72b are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the panel members 60b and 60d disposed on the upper and lower sides of the laminate 18 respectively.

  Between the second connection portions 70a and 70b of the panel members 60a and 60c, first connection portions 66a and 66b on both sides of the end plates 24a and 24b are arranged, and long connection pins 64a are provided on these. Are integrally inserted, and the panel members 60a and 60c are attached to the end plates 24a and 24b.

  Similarly, the second connecting portions 72a and 72b of the panel members 60b and 60d are alternately arranged with the first connecting portions 66a and 66b on the upper and lower sides of the end plates 24a and 24b, and a short connecting pin 64b is provided on these. The panel members 60b and 60d are inserted integrally and attached to the end plates 24a and 24b.

  The angle members 62a to 62d are fixed to the panel members 60a to 60d via fastening bolts 78, and the casing 26 is configured.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cooling medium inlet manifold 80a and a cooling medium outlet manifold 80b are attached to the end plate 24a so as to extend in the direction of the arrow C, respectively. The cooling medium inlet manifold 80a communicates with the cooling medium supply communication hole, while the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b communicates with the cooling medium discharge communication hole . Although not shown, the cooling medium inlet manifold 80a and the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b communicate with a radiator (heat exchanger) disposed in front of the vehicle body.

A terminal portion 56a protrudes between the cooling medium inlet manifold 80a and the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b, and an insulating cylindrical portion 82 is disposed on the end plate 24a around the terminal portion 56a. . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , a substantially L-shaped conductive plate 86 is fixed to the terminal portion 56 a via a bolt 84.

A mounting bracket 90 is fixed via bolts 92 below the end plate 24a. The mount bracket 90 is screwed to a mounting portion 96 of the automobile body via a bolt 94 (see FIG. 3 ).

  Similarly, a mount bracket 90 is attached to the end plate 24 b, and the mount bracket 90 is fixed to the attachment portion 96. Although not shown, a negative electrode side terminal portion is provided on the end plate 24b side, and this terminal portion is pulled out to the end plate 24a side along the casing 26 and then connected to the terminal 98.

The contactor 14 has a metal contactor box 100. As shown in FIG. 4 , the contactor box 100 has one surface 102 open, and the one surface 102 is closed by the end plate 24a in a state where the contactor box 100 is attached to the end plate 24a. That is, the end plate 24a constitutes one panel of the contactor box 100 and serves as a part.

  The contactor box 100 is provided with a surrounding portion 104 that covers the terminal portion 56a, and the surrounding portion 104 and the tubular portion 82 constitute a seal structure 106 that fits and seals with each other.

  The seal structure 106 includes an O-ring 110 disposed in a circumferential groove 108 formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 82. An inner peripheral surface 112 is formed in the surrounding portion 104, and the inner peripheral surface 112 is fitted with the tubular portion 82 and the O-ring 110 is slidably contacted. Although not shown, it is also possible to form a peripheral groove on the inner peripheral surface 112 side, insert the O-ring 110 into this peripheral groove, and connect the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 82 to the O-ring 110. Good.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the conductive plate 86 fixed to the terminal portion 56 a is inserted into the surrounding portion 104, and the leading end portion of the conductive plate 86 is electrically connected to the connection base 116 via a bolt 114. Connected. The connection base 116 is connected to the first terminal 118a. The terminal 98 of the fuel cell stack 12 is connected to the second terminal 118b through a conductive plate 120 fixed to the contactor box 100. The first and second terminals 118a and 118b are connected to a traveling motor (not shown), and the supply power of the motor is controlled by opening and closing the contactor 14.

  At the side of the contactor box 100, mounting portions 122a and 122b are bulged. Bolts 124 are inserted into the mounting portions 122a and 122b, and the bolts 124 are screwed into the mounting portions 96, whereby the contactor box 100 is fixed to the mounting portions 96.

  In the contactor box 100, bolts 126 are inserted above the surrounding portion 104. The bolt 126 is screwed into a screw hole 127 formed on the upper side of the end plate 24a, so that the surrounding portion 104 and the end plate 24a are fixed. A bolt 128 is inserted into the lower side of the contactor box 100, and the bolt 128 is screwed into the mount bracket 90, whereby the contactor box 100 and the mount bracket 90 are fixed.

  The operation of the fuel cell system 10 configured as described above will be described below.

  In this case, in the first embodiment, one surface 102 of the contactor box 100 is opened. The contactor box 100 is screwed and fixed to the end plate 24a, whereby one surface 102 of the contactor box 100 is closed by the end plate 24a.

  Therefore, the end plate 24 a can function as one panel of the contactor box 100. As a result, it is possible to share the components and to reduce the number of components satisfactorily, and it is possible to easily reduce the weight of the fuel cell system 10 as a whole.

  Further, the terminal portion 56a protrudes outward from the end plate 24a, and the contactor box 100 is provided with the surrounding portion 104 that covers the terminal portion 56a. For this reason, while being able to improve the waterproofness of the terminal part 56a, it becomes possible to improve the shielding performance of electromagnetic waves by comprising the surrounding part 104 and the end plate 24a with a metal material.

  Furthermore, the end plate 24a is provided with a cylindrical portion 82 around the terminal portion 56a, and the cylindrical portion 82 and the surrounding portion 104 of the contactor box 100 are fitted to each other for sealing. The sealing structure 106 to be performed is configured. Therefore, the connection structure between the terminal portion 56a and the contactor 14 can be accommodated in a relatively small area of the end plate 24a. In particular, since the cooling medium inlet manifold 80a and the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b are attached to the end plate 24a, there is an advantage that it is possible to have an effective connection state even when the contactor 14 has a small installation space. .

  The fuel cell stack 12 is fixed to a mounting portion 96 on the vehicle body side via a mount bracket 90. On the other hand, the contactor box 100 is fixed to the attachment portion 96, and the surrounding portion 104 is fixed to the end plate 24a with screws by being positioned on the upper side of the end plate 24a. As a result, the lower side of the fuel cell stack 12 is fixed to the mount bracket 90 and the upper side is supported by the contactor box 100, so that the entire fuel cell stack 12 can be firmly and stably held. .

  Further, the contactor 14 includes a metal contactor box 100, and the contactor box 100 accommodates a terminal portion 56a, a terminal 98, and the like. For this reason, the improvement of the sealing property of electromagnetic waves by the contactor box 100 and the improvement of waterproofness are easily achieved.

  Moreover, the terminal portion 56 a and the connection base 116 of the contactor 14 are electrically connected by a substantially L-shaped conductive plate 86. Thereby, the distance of the high voltage line between the terminal part 56a and the contactor 14 can be shortened effectively, and there exists an advantage that generation | occurrence | production of electromagnetic waves can be reduced favorably.

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded schematic perspective view of a fuel cell system 140 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those of the fuel cell system 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The fuel cell system 140 includes a contactor 142 attached to the end plate 24 a of the fuel cell stack 12. The contactor 142 includes a contactor box 144 made of metal, and the contactor box 144 protrudes on both sides in the direction of arrow B to integrally form the passage portions 146a and 146b.

  The passage portion 146a provides an inlet passage 148a that communicates with the cooling medium inlet manifold 80a of the fuel cell stack 12, while the passage portion 146b provides an outlet passage 148b that communicates with the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b. The inlet passage 148a and the outlet passage 148b communicate with a radiator (not shown) disposed in front of the vehicle body.

  In the second embodiment configured as described above, the cooling medium first cools the inside of the contactor box 144 through the inlet passage 148a of the contactor box 144. Further, the cooling medium is supplied into the fuel cell stack 12 via the cooling medium inlet manifold 80a. The cooling medium used for cooling the fuel cell stack 12 cools the inside of the contactor box 144 from the cooling medium outlet manifold 80b through the outlet passage 148b.

  As a result, the cooling medium flowing in the inlet passage 148a and the outlet passage 148b exchanges heat with the heat-generating parts of the contactor 142 and the like. For this reason, the contactor 142 has an effect that it is possible to satisfactorily prevent heat generation more than necessary with a simple configuration.

  In the contactor box 144, for example, only the passage portion 146a provided with the inlet passage 148a may be provided, or only the passage portion 146b provided with the outlet passage 148b may be provided.

  In the first and second embodiments, the contactors 14 and 142 are connected to the terminal portion 56a on the positive electrode side of the fuel cell stack 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the contactors 14 and 142 may be provided in the terminal portion 56b on the negative electrode side of the fuel cell stack 12 instead of the terminal portion 56a side, or contactors (not shown) may be provided in the terminal portions 56a and 56b on both sides. ) May be provided.

1 is a perspective explanatory view of a fuel cell system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a partially exploded schematic perspective view of the fuel cell system. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the fuel cell system. It is a perspective explanatory view of the contactor which constitutes the fuel cell system. FIG. 5 is a partially exploded schematic perspective view of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle mounting structure of a fuel cell disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,140 ... Fuel cell system 12 ... Fuel cell stack 14, 142 ... Contactor 16 ... Power generation cell
18 ... Laminated body 20a, 20b ... Terminal plates 22a, 22b ... Insulating plates 24a, 24b ... End plates
26 ... Casing 60a-60d ... Panel member
62a-62d ... Angle member 64a, 64b ... Connecting pin
78 ... Fastening bolt 80a ... Cooling medium inlet manifold
80b ... Cooling medium outlet manifold 82 ... Cylindrical part
86 ... Conductive plate 90 ... Mount bracket
96 ... Mounting part 100, 144 ... Contactor box 102 ... One side 104 ... Go part
106 ... Seal structure 110 ... O-ring
112 ... Inner peripheral surface 118a, 118b ... Terminal
146a, 146b ... passage part 148a ... entrance passage
148b ... Exit passage

Claims (5)

A fuel cell in which a power generation cell having an electrolyte / electrode structure in which a pair of electrodes are provided on both sides of an electrolyte and a separator is provided, and end plates are disposed at both ends in the stacking direction of the stacked body in which a plurality of the power generation cells are stacked Stack,
A contactor connected to an output terminal for taking out the power generated by the power generation cell to the outside of the fuel cell stack, and attached to one end plate;
With
The contactor has a contactor box having at least one surface opened,
The contactor box is attached to the one end plate, and the one surface is closed by the one end plate. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell stack includes a panel member that covers a side portion of the stacked body,
The fuel cell system, wherein the end plate and the panel member constitute a casing for accommodating and holding the laminate. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one output terminal portion protrudes from the one end plate,
The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the contactor box is provided with a surrounding portion that covers the one output terminal portion. 4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein the one end plate is provided with a cylindrical portion around the one output terminal portion, and
The fuel cell system, wherein the surrounding portion and the cylindrical portion constitute a seal structure that fits and seals with each other. 5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell stack is provided with a communication hole that extends in a stacking direction of the power generation cells and allows a reaction gas and a cooling medium to flow therethrough. Configure
The one end plate has a supply port and a discharge port for the cooling medium, and
The fuel cell system, wherein the contactor box is formed with a cooling medium passage for communicating with at least the supply port or the discharge port to cool the inside of the contactor box.

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