JP2010062004A - Fuel cell power generating system and cooling method for fuel cell power generating system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell power generating system which suppresses water system equipment from being cooled too much during a partial load operation or a standby operation and also suppressing the rising of running cost. <P>SOLUTION: A storing case 300 includes: a first section 310 for storing a reformer 100 and a fuel cell 110; a second section 320 for storing an orthogonal conversion unit 210, the water system equipment and a control unit 250; and a partition wall 330 for separating the first section 310 and the second section 320. A discharge member 212 of the orthogonal conversion unit 210 is extended from the second section 320 to the first section 310 through an opening 332 provided on the partition wall 330. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generator and a cooling method for the fuel cell power generator.

  A fuel cell power generator is a device that directly contributes to a power generation reaction process such as reforming equipment and a fuel cell (hereinafter referred to as “process equipment”), and an electric device such as a control device that controls the process equipment and a power converter. System equipment (hereinafter referred to as “electrical equipment”) is provided. At present, development of a package type fuel cell power generation apparatus in which process equipment and electrical equipment are housed in the same case (including a cubicle) is also in progress. In such a package-type fuel cell power generator, it is common to divide an area for housing process equipment and an area for housing electrical equipment in a case. As a result, even if flammable gas handled on the process equipment side leaks in the case, it is suppressed that they are ignited by sparks of the electric equipment, and the heat of the process equipment affects the operation of the electric equipment. Can be suppressed.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a case that accommodates process equipment and electrical equipment is divided into an upstream package chamber having a ventilation fan for taking in outside air and a downstream package chamber having an exhaust port, and both are connected by a duct. Is disclosed. An electrical device is accommodated in the upstream package chamber, and a process device is accommodated in the downstream package chamber. By adjusting the ventilation pressure of the ventilation fan, the upstream package chamber is maintained at a pressure higher than the external pressure, and the downstream package chamber is set to a pressure lower than the pressure in the upstream package chamber but higher than the external pressure. It can be kept.

In Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, each storage area for process equipment and electrical equipment is partitioned by a partition wall, etc., and both areas are cooled and ventilated by one fan, and ventilation is separately performed for each storage area. And cooling is disclosed. Patent Document 3 also discloses a ventilation structure that improves the cold resistance by exhausting the exhaust from the electrical equipment storage area to the process equipment storage area.
JP-A-4-75263 JP-A-9-199152 JP 2005-327556 A

  However, when the electrical device storage area and the process device storage area are connected as in Patent Document 1, the amount of heat generated by each device is reduced during partial load operation or standby operation, so that the device is cooled in cold regions. It may be too much. In order to suppress this, it is also conceivable to reduce the ventilation air volume during partial load operation or standby operation. However, when the ventilation air flow is reduced, when the partial load operation or standby operation is switched to the normal operation, the power generation amount of the power generator suddenly increases before the ventilation air flow increases, and the heat generated by the electrical equipment (especially the power converter) As a result, the temperature of these devices cannot be maintained within a desired range. Therefore, it is necessary to always maintain the ventilation airflow above a certain value. For this reason, when installing a fuel cell power generation device in a cold region, it was necessary to use a heat retaining heater in order to prevent the device from being overcooled during partial load operation or standby operation. For this reason, the running cost of the fuel cell power generator has increased.

  As described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, this problem occurs in the same manner when each storage area of the process equipment and the electrical equipment is separately cooled and ventilated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the device from being overcooled during partial load operation or standby operation even when installed in a cold region. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell power generator and a method for cooling the fuel cell power generator that can suppress the increase in running cost.

According to the present invention, a fuel cell for generating DC power;
A power conversion device that converts DC power generated by the fuel cell into a form that can be used for other electrical devices;
A housing case for housing the fuel cell and the power converter;
With
The housing case is
A first compartment containing the fuel cell; a second compartment containing the power converter; a partition separating the first compartment and the second compartment;
Have
further,
First ventilation means provided in the first compartment of the housing case;
Second ventilation means provided in the second compartment of the housing case;
An opening provided in the partition;
A heat dissipating member attached to the power converter and extending from the second section to the first section through the opening;
A fuel cell power generation device is provided.

According to the present invention, the fuel cell that generates DC power is accommodated in the first compartment of the accommodation case,
A power conversion device that converts direct-current power generated by the fuel cell into a form that can be used by another electrical device is housed in a second compartment separated from the first compartment by a partition in the housing case,
Providing a first ventilation means in the first compartment of the housing case;
Providing a second ventilation means in the second compartment of the housing case;
There is provided a method for cooling a fuel cell power generator, wherein an opening is provided in the partition wall, and a heat radiating member attached to the power converter is extended from the second section to the first section through the opening.

  According to the present invention, even when installed in a cold region, it is possible to prevent the device from being cooled excessively during partial load operation or standby operation, and to suppress an increase in running cost.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fuel cell power generator according to a first embodiment. The fuel cell power generator includes a fuel cell 110, a power converter (orthogonal transformer) 210, and a housing case 300. The fuel cell 110 generates DC power. The orthogonal transform device 210 converts the DC power generated by the fuel cell into a form that can be used by other electrical devices. Specifically, the orthogonal transformation device 210 converts DC power generated by the fuel cell 110 into AC power.

  The power conversion device is not limited to the orthogonal conversion device 210, and may be, for example, a transformer that converts the voltage of power generated by the fuel cell power generation device, or a variable voltage variable frequency inverter.

  The housing case 300 houses the reformer 100, the fuel cell 110, the orthogonal transformation device 210, and the control device 250. The storage case 300 separates the first section 310 that stores the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110, the second section 320 that stores the orthogonal transformation device 210 and the control device 250, and the first section 310 and the second section 320. Partition wall 330.

  The fuel cell power generator further includes a battery cooling system device 220 as a water system device, a water recovery system device 230, and a water treatment device 240 in the second section 320. Cooling water for cooling the fuel cell 110 circulates in the battery cooling system device 220, the water recovery system device 230, and the water treatment device 240. The water treatment device 240 holds an ion exchange resin and treats cooling water with the ion exchange resin. In the first section 310, it is necessary to ensure a constant air volume for explosion-proof ventilation even when installed in a cold region, and the lower ambient temperature is lowered even by heat radiation from the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110. In particular, since the cooling water piping laid near the floor surface needs to be sufficiently insulated, as in this embodiment, except for some of the cooling water supply piping to the fuel cell 110 and the reactor, It is desirable to place the water system equipment in the second compartment 320.

  The fuel cell power generator is further provided in a first ventilation means (intake port 134, ventilation fan 142, and exhaust port 144) provided in the first section 310 of the housing case 300 and in the second section 320 of the housing case 300. The second ventilation means (ventilation fan 262, intake port 264, and exhaust port 266), an opening 332 provided in the partition wall 330, and a heat radiation member 212 attached to the orthogonal transformation device 210 are provided. The heat dissipation member 212 extends from the second section 320 to the first section 310 through the opening 332. The heat radiating member 212 may be a heat sink or a heat pipe. Note that the opening 332 may be blocked by the heat radiating member 212, and there may be a slight gap between the opening 332 and the heat radiating member 212.

  The ventilation fan 142 is provided inside the exhaust port 144 and exhausts the inside of the first section 310. Then, the inside of the first section 310 is exhausted from the exhaust port 144, whereby the air is sucked into the first section 310 from the intake port 134. In this way, wind is generated inside the first section 310, but the heat radiating member 212 is positioned upstream of the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110 in the flow of wind.

  The ventilation fan 262 is provided inside the air inlet 264 and takes air into the second compartment 320. Then, air is taken into the second section 320 from the intake port 264, and the inside of the second section 320 is exhausted from the exhaust port 266. In this way, wind is generated inside the second section 320, but the orthogonal transformation device 210 is located upstream of the water system equipment in the flow of wind.

  The first compartment 310 exchanges internal air by exhaust, and the second compartment 320 exchanges internal air by intake air. For this reason, the pressure in the second compartment 320 is higher than the pressure in the first compartment 310.

  The fuel cell power generator further includes a reformer 100 and a control device 250. The reformer 100 is housed in the first compartment 310 of the housing case 300 and reforms the raw material gas supplied via the pipe 102 to generate a reformed gas. The fuel cell 110 generates DC power using this reformed gas. The control device 250 is housed in the second section 320 of the housing case 300, and controls the reformer 100, the fuel cell 110, the ventilation fans 142 and 262, the orthogonal transformation device 210, and the water system equipment.

  Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described. The heat generated by the orthogonal transformation device 210 is transmitted to the heat radiating member 212. The heat radiating member 212 extends into the first compartment 310 through the opening 332 provided in the partition wall 330 and is cooled by the wind flowing through the first compartment 310. For this reason, there is no problem with regard to cooling of the heat radiating member 212 even if the ventilation fan 262 is stopped while the fuel cell power generation device is in partial load operation or standby operation. Therefore, by stopping the ventilation fan 262 as necessary, it is possible to prevent the cooling water of the equipment, for example, the water-system equipment from being overcooled and frozen.

  Therefore, for example, it is not necessary to operate the heater to keep the cooling water while the fuel cell power generation device is in partial load operation or standby operation, and it is possible to suppress an increase in running cost of the fuel cell power generation device. . In some cases, the number of heaters can be reduced. In this case, the initial cost of the fuel cell power generator can be reduced.

  Since the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110 become high temperature during operation, the reformer 100 can be operated even if the ventilation fan 142 is continuously operated while the fuel cell power generator is in partial load operation or standby operation. And the temperature drop of the fuel cell 110 is not a problem.

  Further, the opening 332 and the heat radiating member 212 are positioned upstream of the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110 in the flow of wind generated inside the first section 310. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the heat radiating member 212 is increased.

  In addition, the first compartment 310 in which the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110 are accommodated and the second compartment 320 in which electrical equipment such as the orthogonal transformation device 210 and the control device 250 are accommodated are separated using a partition wall 330. Has been. Therefore, even when combustible gas leaks from the reformer 100 and the fuel cell 110, it is suppressed that they are ignited by a spark of an electric device. Moreover, although the opening 332 is provided in the partition 330, since the pressure in the second section 320 is higher than that in the first section 310, the combustible gas is opened even when the combustible gas leaks into the first section 310. Inflow into the second section 320 through 332 is suppressed.

  Further, when the opening 332 of the partition wall 330 is blocked by the heat radiating member 212, heat is transferred from the heat radiating member 212 to the partition wall 330, so that the heat radiating efficiency of the heat radiating member 212 is increased.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fuel cell power generator according to the second embodiment. This fuel cell power generator is the first implementation except that it includes an air inlet 434 and a ventilation fan 432 as third ventilation means, and a duct 420 is formed inside the first section 310. It is the structure similar to a form. The air inlet 434 and the ventilation fan 432 are provided in the duct 420.

  The duct 420 is configured using a part of the partition wall 330, and allows the air from the air inlet 434 and the ventilation fan 432 to pass between the first section 310 and the outside. The opening 332 provided in the partition wall 330 is provided in a part of the partition wall 330 that constitutes the duct 420, and the heat dissipation member 212 extends into the duct 420. In this figure, the ventilation fan 432 is provided on the upstream side of the opening 332 in the wind flow in the duct 420, but may be provided on the downstream side of the opening 332.

  In the present embodiment, the heat radiating member 212 extends into the duct 420, and the air taken in from the outside by the ventilation fan 432 flows through the duct 420. The air flowing through the duct 420 is exhausted to the other part of the first section 310 after cooling the heat radiating member 212. For this reason, it is only necessary to keep the ventilation fan 432 operating while the fuel cell power generation device is in partial load operation or standby operation, and no problem occurs even if the ventilation fan 262 is stopped. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, since the air flow in the ventilation fan 432 can be made faster than the other parts of the first section 310, the cooling efficiency of the heat radiating member 212 can be increased.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the fuel cell power generation device according to the third embodiment. This fuel cell power generator is the same as the configuration of the fuel cell power generator according to the second embodiment except that variable dampers are attached to the intake port 264 and the exhaust port 266, respectively. The opening degree of these variable dampers is controlled by the control device 250. Specifically, the two variable dampers open while the ventilation fan 262 is operating and close while the ventilation fan 262 is stopped. Further, the opening degree of the variable damper and the rotational speed of the ventilation fan 262 are controlled so that the detected value of the thermometer installed in the vicinity of the exhaust port 266 or the orthogonal transformation device 210 becomes the set temperature. Note that the opening degree of the variable dampers may be controlled independently of each other.

  According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the second embodiment can be obtained. Further, while the ventilation fan 262 is stopped, for example, when the fuel cell power generation device is in partial load operation or standby operation and the power generation amount of the fuel cell is below a predetermined value, the variable damper is closed. Accordingly, it is possible to further suppress the cooling water flowing through the battery cooling system device 220, the water recovery system device 230, and the water treatment device 240 from being cooled excessively while the fuel cell power generation device is performing the partial load operation or the standby operation.

  In addition, while the ventilation fan 262 is operating, the opening of the two variable dampers is controlled independently of each other, so that the pressure in the second section 320 can be accurately compared to the pressure in the first section 310. It can be kept high.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fuel cell power generator according to the fourth embodiment. This fuel cell power generator has the same configuration as that of the fuel cell power generator according to the second embodiment except that a switching damper 334 is provided on the partition wall 330. The switching damper 334 is a part of the partition wall 330 and switches the connection destination of the end portion on the exhaust side of the duct 420 between the first section 310 and the second section 320. Switching of the switching damper 334 is controlled by the control device 250, for example.

  Also according to the present embodiment, the second end of the duct 420 on the exhaust side is connected to the first section 310 while the fuel cell power generation device performs the partial load operation or the standby operation in the cold season. The same effect as that of the embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the winter season in a cold region, the exhaust heat of the orthogonal transformation device 210 is used by connecting the end of the exhaust side of the duct 420 to the second section 320 while the fuel cell power generation device is operating at a high load. Can keep water-based equipment warm. Thereby, the electric energy consumed by the heat retaining heater can be further reduced. Further, in summer, it is possible to suppress the temperature in the second compartment 320 from excessively rising by connecting the end of the duct 420 on the exhaust side to the second compartment 320.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, these are the illustrations of this invention, Various structures other than the above are also employable. For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the heat radiating member 212 is connected to the orthogonal transformation device 210, but may be connected to the control device 250. Further, the heat radiating member 212 may be provided in both the orthogonal transformation device 210 and the control device 250, and the opening 332 of the partition wall 330 may be provided corresponding to each of the two heat radiating members 212.

It is a figure showing composition of a fuel cell power generator concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fuel cell electric power generating apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fuel cell electric power generating apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fuel cell electric power generating apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Reformer 102 Piping 110 Fuel cell 134 Intake port 142 Ventilation fan 144 Exhaust port 210 Orthogonal transformation device 212 Heat dissipation member 220 Battery cooling system device 230 Water recovery system device 240 Water treatment device 250 Control device 262 Ventilation fan 264 Intake port 266 Exhaust Port 300 housing case 310 first section 320 second section 330 partition wall 332 opening 334 switching damper 420 duct 432 ventilation fan 434 air inlet

Claims (9)

A fuel cell for generating DC power;
A power conversion device that converts DC power generated by the fuel cell into a form that can be used for other electrical devices;
A housing case for housing the fuel cell and the power converter;
With
The housing case is
A first compartment containing the fuel cell; a second compartment containing the power converter; a partition separating the first compartment and the second compartment;
Have
further,
First ventilation means provided in the first compartment of the housing case;
Second ventilation means provided in the second compartment of the housing case;
An opening provided in the partition;
A heat dissipating member attached to the power converter and extending from the second section to the first section through the opening;
A fuel cell power generator comprising: The fuel cell power generator according to claim 1,
A fuel cell power generator further comprising an aqueous device that is located in the second section and in which cooling water for cooling the fuel cell circulates. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 1 or 2,
The fuel cell power generator in which the pressure in the second section is higher than the pressure in the first section. The fuel cell power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A fuel cell power generator comprising third ventilation means for applying wind to the heat dissipation member in the first section. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 4,
A duct that is provided in the first section and is configured by using a part of the partition wall, and that allows the air from the third ventilation means to flow between the first section and the outside;
The said opening is a fuel cell power generator provided in the part which comprises the said duct among the said partition. The fuel cell power generator according to claim 5,
The third ventilation means is an intake means for taking air into the first section from the outside,
A fuel cell power generator comprising a switching damper provided at a portion of the partition located at an exhaust side end of the duct and switching a connection destination of the exhaust side end of the duct between the first section and the second section apparatus. In the fuel cell power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The second ventilation means includes
A ventilation opening provided in the second compartment of the housing case;
A variable damper attached to the ventilation opening;
A fan attached to the inside of the ventilation opening;
A control unit for controlling the variable damper;
With
The control unit is a fuel cell power generator that closes the variable damper when the power generation amount of the fuel cell is equal to or less than a predetermined value. In the fuel cell power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The power conversion device is a fuel cell power generation device that is an orthogonal conversion device that converts DC power generated by the fuel cell into AC power. A fuel cell that generates direct current power is housed in the first compartment of the housing case,
A power conversion device that converts direct-current power generated by the fuel cell into a form that can be used by another electrical device is housed in a second compartment separated from the first compartment by a partition in the housing case,
Providing a first ventilation means in the first compartment of the housing case;
Providing a second ventilation means in the second compartment of the housing case;
A cooling method for a fuel cell power generator, wherein an opening is provided in the partition wall, and a heat radiating member attached to the power converter is extended from the second section to the first section through the opening.

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