JP2008084551A - Stacking fixture and stack structure for single-cell solid oxide fuel cell using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stacking fixture that easily connects a plurality of fuel cells, and to provide a stack structure using the same. <P>SOLUTION: The stacking fixture 1 is used for stacking a plurality of single-cell solid oxide fuel cells 5 respectively having a fuel electrode 52, an air electrode 54, and an electrolyte 53. The stacking fixture 1 is provided with a support member 2, which is shaped cylindrically and formed with a mounting part 21 mounted with the fuel cell 5 so as to make it face the internal space of the support member, an upper mesh member 3, which is mounted on the support member 2 so as to be in contact with the air electrode 54 of the fuel cell 5 while being extended to the outer peripheral face of the support member 2, and a lower mesh member 4 that is mounted on the support member 2 so as to be in contact with the fuel electrode 52 of the fuel cell while being extended to the outer peripheral face of the support member 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a stack jig for stacking a plurality of single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells having a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and an electrolyte, and a stack of single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells using the same. Concerning structure.

A fuel cell is a cell that can directly convert chemical energy generated when fuel is oxidized into electric energy while continuously supplying fuel from the outside and exhausting combustion products. Such a fuel cell is intended to improve its output by stacking a plurality of fuel cells. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a stack structure in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked through gaskets and separators, end plates are arranged at both ends, and the end plates are tightened with bolts.
JP 2006-86018 A

  However, in the above two-chamber stack structure, the gaskets and separators are aligned with each fuel cell and stacked, and sealed to prevent gas leakage, and this operation is repeated to stack the fuel cells. The fuel cell stack as a whole requires high accuracy for alignment, and it takes time and effort to stack the fuel cells. For this reason, a stack structure that can easily connect a plurality of fuel cells has been desired.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stack jig that can easily connect a plurality of fuel cells, and a stack structure using the stack jig.

  A stacking jig according to the present invention is a stacking jig for stacking a plurality of single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells having a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and an electrolyte. The support member is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a mounting portion on which a fuel cell is mounted so as to face the internal space thereof, and is attached to the support member and contacts the air electrode of the fuel cell. And a first conductive member extending on the outer peripheral surface of the support member; a second conductive member attached to the support member and in contact with the fuel electrode of the fuel cell; and extending on the outer peripheral surface of the support member; It is equipped with.

  According to this configuration, since the cylindrical support member is provided with the first and second conductive members extending on the outer peripheral surface thereof and in contact with the respective electrodes of the fuel cell, such a stacking jig is provided. If a plurality of fuel cells are prepared and a fuel cell is attached to each jig, a plurality of fuel cells can be electrically connected and stacked by simply bringing the outer peripheral surfaces of the support members into contact with each other. For this reason, it is possible to easily stack a plurality of fuel cells. The “tubular shape” of the cylindrical support member according to the present invention refers to the shape of a hollow cylinder such as a rectangular cylinder or a circular cylinder having a rectangular cross section.

  The stack jig can have various configurations. For example, the first and second conductive members may have a cushioning property at least in contact with the electrode of the fuel cell. As described above, since the conductive member has cushioning properties, even if the contact pressure between the fuel cell and the conductive member is increased for electrical contact, the load applied to the fuel cell by the conductive member is reduced. It is possible to absorb and fix the fuel cell. Therefore, the fuel cell can be prevented from being damaged by the load.

  In the stacking jig, the mounting portion can have various configurations. For example, the mounting portion includes a pair of concave portions cut out in the axial direction from the axial end portion of the support member. The conductive member can be configured to wind the outer peripheral surface of the support member from the recess.

  The stack structure of the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to the present invention is made in order to solve the above problems, and includes a plurality of stack jigs, a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and a gap therebetween. A single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell that is disposed on each of the stack jigs, and the plurality of stack jigs touch the outer peripheral surfaces of the support members. By making contact, the conductive members are electrically connected, and in the fuel cell, any one of the fuel electrode, the electrolyte, and the air electrode is configured as a support substrate that supports the other. Thus, the output of the fuel cell can be improved by electrically connecting the stacking jig to the adjacent stacking jig to stack a plurality of fuel cells.

  In the stack structure, the fuel cell may have other configurations, for example, further including a conductive porous support substrate, and the single cell is provided on at least one surface of the conductive porous substrate. It can also be configured to be arranged.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a stack jig capable of easily connecting a plurality of fuel cells and a stack structure using the stack jig.

  Embodiments of a stack jig according to the present invention and a stack structure of a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell using the same will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stack jig and a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stack jig with the fuel cell according to the present embodiment inserted. is there.

  FIG. 1 shows a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell 5 according to the present embodiment and a stacking jig 1 that supports the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell 5. First, the fuel cell 5 will be described. The fuel cell 5 includes a conductive porous support substrate 51, a first single cell C1 formed in a rectangular shape on a top surface 511 of the support substrate 51, and a rectangular shape in a plan view on a lower surface 512 of the support substrate 51. And a second single cell C2 formed in the above. The first single cell C1 includes a fuel electrode 52, an electrolyte 53, and an air electrode 54, and is formed in the order of the fuel electrode 52, the electrolyte 53, and the air electrode 54 from the upper surface 511 side of the support substrate 51. The second single cell C <b> 2 includes an air electrode 54, an electrolyte 53, and a fuel electrode 52, and is formed in the order of the air electrode 54, the electrolyte 53, and the fuel electrode 52 from the lower surface 512 side of the support substrate 51. . The width in the left-right direction of each single cell C1, C2 is formed to be substantially the same as or larger than the width in the left-right direction of the support member 2. In the fuel cell 5 configured as described above, the first and second single cells C1 and C2 are connected in series with the support substrate 51 interposed therebetween.

  Next, the stacking jig 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stacking jig 1 includes a cylindrical support member 2 having a rectangular cross-section with an opening on the front side and the back side, and an axial direction of the support member 2. An upper mesh member 3 (first conductive member) and a lower mesh member 4 (second conductive member) attached to the ends are provided. A mixed gas of power generation fuel gas and oxidant gas is supplied to the internal space of the support member 2. Moreover, the mounting part 21 comprised by a pair of recessed part notched in the axial direction is formed in the one end part of the axial direction in the supporting member 2, and this pair of mounting part 21 is on the right and left wall surface which opposes. It extends in the axial direction. The upper wall surface of the support member constitutes the upper protruding portion 22 and the lower wall surface constitutes the lower protruding portion 23 across the pair of mounting portions 21.

  A sheet-like upper mesh member 3 is wound around the upper protrusion 22 so as to cover the entire upper protrusion 22. That is, the upper mesh member 3 is linearly connected between the pair of mounting portions 21 and is wound along the upper outer peripheral surface of the support member 2. Similarly, a sheet-like lower mesh member 4 is wound around the lower protruding portion 23 so as to linearly connect the pair of mounting portions 21 along the lower outer peripheral surface of the support member 2. . Each of the mesh members 3 and 4 is formed of a conductive material as will be described later. And since each mesh member 3 and 4 is mesh shape, it has cushioning properties. The width w of the mounting portion 21 after the mesh members 3 and 4 are wound around the protruding portions 22 and 23 is smaller than the thickness of the fuel cell 5 described above. Therefore, when the fuel cell 5 is inserted between the projecting portions 22 and 23 around which the mesh members 3 and 4 are wound, the mesh members 3 and 4 have their mesh members 3 and 4 respectively because of their cushioning properties. Is pushed and shrunk toward the protruding portions 22 and 23 around which the wire is wound. For this reason, even if the width w of the mounting portion 21 after the mesh members 3 and 4 are wound is smaller than the thickness of the fuel cell 5, the fuel cell 5 can be inserted into the mounting portion 21 and is compressed. Due to the reaction force, electrical connection with the fuel cell 5 can be ensured, and the fuel cell 5 can be firmly fixed to the support member 2. Thus, the mounted fuel cell 5 is in a state where the upper and lower surfaces thereof are pressed by the mesh members 3 and 4 and both end portions in the surface direction are supported by the mounting portion 21.

  Next, a stack structure of the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell 5 using the stack jig 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a front view of a stack structure of a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a side view thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stack structure 10 of the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to this embodiment includes a plurality of the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells 5 and each fuel cell 5. A plurality of stacking jigs 1 to be supported are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, three stacking jigs 1 are stacked in the vertical direction. Here, the first stacking jig 1a, the second stacking jig 1b, and the third stack are stacked from above. It shall be called the jig 1c for use. The upper mesh member 3 in the second stacking jig 1b is in contact with the lower mesh member 4 in the first stacking jig 1a. Further, the lower mesh member 4 in the second stacking jig 1b is in contact with the upper mesh member 3 in the third stacking jig 1c. As a result, the three fuel cells attached to the three stacking jigs are connected in series. And the laminated body which consists of the three jig | tool 1 for stacking laminated | stacked in this way is arrange | positioned 3 rows in the left-right direction at predetermined intervals. In addition, a pair of current collectors 6 are arranged above and below the stack of stacking jigs 1 arranged in three rows, and the current collector 6 sandwiches the three rows of stacks from above and below. The upper current collector 6a is in contact with the upper mesh member of the first stacking jig, and the lower current collector 6b is in contact with the lower mesh member of the third stacking jig. Therefore, the fuel cell groups connected in series are connected in parallel by these current collectors 6a and 6b, and electricity is taken out from each fuel cell group.

  Subsequently, materials constituting the stack structure of the fuel cell will be described.

  First, the support member 2 is made of an insulating material such as alumina or zirconia from the viewpoint of heat resistance, for example. Moreover, as a material of the mesh members 3 and 4, conductive metal materials such as Pt, Au, Ag, and Ni can be used, for example.

  Next, the material of each member constituting the fuel cell 5 will be described. The board | substrate 51 consists of electroconductive metal materials, such as nickel-type heat-resistant alloys, such as stainless steel and Inconel, from a heat resistant viewpoint, for example.

  As the material of the electrolyte 53, those known as electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells can be used. Oxygen ion conductive ceramic materials such as oxides, zirconia-based oxides containing scandium and yttrium can be used.

  As the fuel electrode 52, for example, a mixture of a metal catalyst and a ceramic powder material made of an oxide ion conductor can be used. As the metal catalyst used at this time, a material that is stable in a reducing atmosphere, such as nickel, iron, cobalt, or a noble metal (platinum, ruthenium, palladium, etc.) and has hydrogen oxidation activity can be used. In addition, as the oxide ion conductor, one having a fluorite structure or a perovskite structure can be preferably used. Examples of those having a fluorite structure include ceria-based oxides doped with samarium, gadolinium, and the like, and zirconia-based oxides containing scandium and yttrium. In addition, examples of those having a perovskite structure include lanthanum galide oxides doped with strontium and magnesium. Among the materials described above, the fuel electrode 52 is preferably formed of a mixture of an oxide ion conductor and nickel. The mixed form of the ceramic material made of the oxide ion conductor and nickel may be a physical mixed form or a form of powder modification to nickel. Moreover, the ceramic material mentioned above can be used individually by 1 type or in mixture of 2 or more types. The fuel electrode 52 can also be configured using a metal catalyst alone.

As the ceramic powder material forming the air electrode 54, for example, a metal oxide made of Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, Mn or the like having a perovskite structure or the like can be used. Specifically, (Sm, Sr) CoO ₃ , (La, Sr) MnO ₃ , (La, Sr) CoO ₃ , (La, Sr) (Fe, Co) O ₃ , (La, Sr) (Fe, Co , Ni) O _{3 and the} like, and (La, Sr) MnO ₃ is preferable. The ceramic material mentioned above can be used individually by 1 type or in mixture of 2 or more types.

  When the fuel electrode 52, the electrolyte 53, and the air electrode 54 are formed from a ceramic powder material, the average particle size of the powder used is preferably 10 nm to 100 μm, more preferably 50 nm to 50 μm, and particularly preferably 100 nm. 10 μm. In addition, an average particle diameter can be measured according to JISZ8901, for example.

  The fuel electrode 52, the air electrode 54, and the above-described materials are used as main components, and a binder resin, an organic solvent, and the like are further added in an appropriate amount. More specifically, it is preferable to add a binder resin or the like so that the main component is 50 to 95% by weight in the mixing of the main component and the binder resin. Similarly to the fuel electrode 52 and the air electrode 54, the electrolyte 53 is molded by adding an appropriate amount of a binder resin, an organic solvent, or the like with the above-described material as a main component. In the mixing, it is preferable to mix so that the ratio of the main component is 80% by weight or more.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the cylindrical support member 2 is provided with the upper mesh member 3 and the lower mesh member 4 that extend on the outer peripheral surface thereof and come into contact with the respective electrodes of the fuel cell 5. Therefore, if a plurality of such stacking jigs 1 are prepared and the fuel cells 5 are attached to the respective jigs 1, the plurality of fuel cells 5 can be electrically connected only by bringing the outer peripheral surfaces of the support member 2 into contact with each other. Can be connected and stacked. For this reason, a plurality of fuel cells 5 can be easily stacked.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these, A various change is possible unless it deviates from the meaning of this invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the mesh members 3 and 4 are provided only on the support member 2 side, but this can also be provided on the fuel cell 5 side. In this case, in order to prevent a short circuit, it is necessary to provide a mesh member so that one mesh member does not simultaneously contact the fuel electrode and the air electrode of each single cell.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the supporting member 2 is formed in the square cylinder shape, as shown in FIG. 5, the supporting member 2 can also be formed in a cylindrical shape.

  In the above embodiment, the single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell 5 has the single cells C1 and C2 formed on both surfaces of the substrate 51. However, as shown in FIG. Without providing, the electrolyte 53 can be used as a supporting substrate, and the air electrode 54 can be formed on the upper surface of the electrolyte 53 and the fuel electrode 52 can be formed on the lower surface. Further, the positions of the air electrode 54 and the fuel electrode 52 can be switched. In addition, the fuel electrode 52 and the air electrode 54 can be used as a support substrate. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the single cell C <b> 1 may be formed only on one surface of the substrate 51. In this case, the electrical connection is ensured by the contact between the substrate 51 and the lower mesh member 4.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the electroconductive member is comprised by the mesh members 3 and 4, if it has electroconductivity, it will not specifically limit, For example, a sheet-like thin film metal plate Etc. can also be used. Moreover, the mesh members 3 and 4 do not need to be wound around each protrusion part like the said embodiment, and should just extend to the outer peripheral surface of the support member 2 from there, contacting each electrode.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the mounting part 21 is comprised by forming a notch part in the support member 2, a mounting part attaches the fuel cell 5 so that the internal space of the support member 2 may be faced. If it is, it will not specifically limit, For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a groove | channel can be formed in the inner wall surface which a support member opposes, and this groove | channel can also be made into the arrival part 21. FIG.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a stacking jig according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the jig | tool for stack | stuck | insert with which the fuel cell which concerns on this embodiment was inserted. It is a front view which shows one Embodiment of the stack structure of the single chamber type solid oxide fuel cell which concerns on this invention. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a stack structure of a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to the present invention. It is a front view which shows other embodiment of the stack structure of the single chamber type solid oxide fuel cell which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows other embodiment of the fuel cell which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows other embodiment of the fuel cell which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows other embodiment of the jig | tool for stacking concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Jig for stack 2 Support member 21 Mounting part 3 Upper mesh member (1st electroconductive member)
4 Lower mesh member (second conductive member)
5 Single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell 10 Stack structure of single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell

Claims (5)

A stacking jig for stacking a plurality of single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells having a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and an electrolyte,
A support member formed in a cylindrical shape and having a mounting portion to which the fuel cell is attached so as to face the internal space;
A first conductive member attached to the support member and in contact with the air electrode of the fuel cell and extending to the outer peripheral surface of the support member;
A second conductive member attached to the support member and in contact with the fuel electrode of the fuel cell and extending to the outer peripheral surface of the support member;
A stacking jig for a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell.   2. The single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell stack jig according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive members have cushioning properties at least in contact with the electrode of the fuel cell.   The mounting portion is constituted by a pair of recesses cut out in an axial direction at an end portion of the support member, and the first and second conductive members are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support member from the pair of recesses. The jig for stacking a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the jig is configured to extend. A plurality of stacking jigs according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell having a fuel electrode, an air electrode, and an electrolyte disposed therebetween, and mounted on each of the stack jigs,
The plurality of stacking jigs are electrically connected to each other by bringing the outer peripheral surfaces of the support members into contact with each other.
In the fuel cell, a stack structure of a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell in which any one of the fuel electrode, the electrolyte, and the air electrode is configured as a support substrate that supports the other. A plurality of stacking jigs according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell having at least one set of fuel electrode, air electrode, and a single cell made of an electrolyte disposed therebetween, and inserted into each stack jig,
The plurality of stacking jigs are electrically connected to each other by bringing the outer peripheral surfaces of the support members into contact with each other.
The fuel cell further includes a conductive porous support substrate, and the single cell is disposed on at least one surface of the conductive porous substrate. Stack structure.

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