JP2012109150A - Fuel cell system and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell system and a vehicle achieving high energy efficiency by utilizing the energy of high pressure in a hydrogen tank.SOLUTION: The fuel cell system comprises an expander 13 for pressing a piston 13b by the expansion of high pressure hydrogen emitted from a hydrogen tank 11, and a compressor 23 for compressing air by utilizing the presses by the expander 13 to press a piston 23b. The expander 13 and the compressor 23 are connected to each other via a crankshaft 51. Furthermore, auxiliaries, such as a water pump 34, are connected to the crankshaft 51.

Description

  The present embodiment relates to a fuel cell system and a vehicle technology.

As in the fuel cell system described in Patent Document 1, in a conventional fuel cell vehicle or the like, fuel (hydrogen) to the fuel cell is filled and stored in a hydrogen tank in a high pressure state. When the high-pressure hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell, the pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure by a pressure reducing valve or the like and then supplied to the fuel cell.
On the other hand, the oxidant gas (air) is compressed and boosted by an air pump and then supplied to the fuel cell. The air pump is driven by supplying electric power generated by the fuel cell to a dedicated motor directly connected. Yes.

  In Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, the turbine is rotated using the pressure energy of high-pressure hydrogen charged and stored in a hydrogen tank, and the turbine is directly connected to the turbine uniaxially using the rotational energy. A fuel cell system that compresses and pressurizes air by driving a centrifugal compressor is disclosed.

JP 2000-195533 A JP 2006-147246 A JP 2010-170729 A

As described above, in the conventional fuel cell system, the high pressure hydrogen in the hydrogen tank (high pressure fuel gas tank) is decompressed by the pressure reducing valve and then supplied to the fuel cell, so that the high pressure energy in the hydrogen tank is not used. And is not using the maximum amount of energy.
Furthermore, as described above, since a part of the electric power generated by the fuel cell is used to drive the air pump, efficient use of energy is not realized.

  On the other hand, in the techniques described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, an efficient fuel cell system is realized by using high-pressure energy in the hydrogen tank for air compression / pressure increase.

  However, the techniques described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 do not consider using the driving force of the turbine for driving other auxiliary machines or the cooling system of the fuel cell system. The high-pressure energy is not fully utilized.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system and a vehicle that can obtain high energy efficiency by using high-pressure energy in a high-pressure fuel gas tank.

  The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems includes a high-pressure fuel gas tank, a fuel gas supply passage that supplies fuel gas discharged from the high-pressure fuel gas tank to a fuel cell, and an oxidant gas. A reciprocating displacement type (reciprocating) expansion compressor that transmits power to at least two cylinders via a crankshaft. The cylinder further includes a cylinder for fuel gas and a cylinder for oxidant gas, and the fuel gas supply channel presses the piston by expansion of the fuel gas discharged from the high-pressure fuel gas tank. And the oxidant gas supply flow path presses the piston by pressing the fuel gas cylinder, Characterized in that through the oxidant gas cylinder to compress and boosting the agent gas are connected to the fuel cell.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, air can be compressed and boosted with energy generated during the decompression and expansion of hydrogen, so that an air pump or the like can be dispensed with. In addition, the temperature drop due to the expansion of the fuel gas and the temperature increase due to the compression / pressure increase of the oxidant gas are detected through a casing such as a cylinder block of a reciprocating reciprocating displacement expansion compressor. By transmitting to the cylinder, the fuel gas can be warmed up by using the temperature rise due to the compression / pressure increase of the oxidant gas, and the oxidant gas can be cooled by the interaction by using the temperature drop due to the expansion of the fuel gas. Become.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the power transmitted via the crankshaft is used for a power source other than air compression.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even when the hydrogen expansion work exceeds the air compression work and surplus energy is generated, the surplus energy can be recovered and used effectively for driving other auxiliary machines.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that a coolant passage is provided at least in the casing constituting the fuel gas cylinder, and a coolant for cooling the fuel cell system circulates. And

    According to the invention of claim 3, since the expanded low-temperature hydrogen and the compressed / pressurized high-temperature air are heat-exchanged through the casing, and the temperature is controlled by the cooling water, each temperature control A heat exchanger can be dispensed with.

  An invention according to claim 4 is a vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

  According to the invention according to claim 4, a vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 can be provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the fuel cell system and vehicle which can acquire high energy efficiency can be provided by utilizing the high voltage | pressure energy in a high pressure fuel gas tank.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the fuel cell system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the fuel cell system which concerns on this embodiment (the 1). It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the fuel cell system which concerns on this embodiment (the 2). It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the fuel cell system which concerns on this embodiment (the 3).

  Next, modes for carrying out the present invention (referred to as “embodiments”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Although the fuel cell system according to the present embodiment is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle such as a fuel cell vehicle, it may be mounted on a ship, a motorcycle, a stationary power generator, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a fuel cell system according to the present embodiment.
The fuel cell system 1 includes a fuel cell 2, an anode gas supply system (anode system), a cathode gas supply system (cathode system), a cooling water circulation system (cooling system), and a humidification system.
(Fuel cell)
The fuel cell 2 is composed of, for example, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), and a MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) is sandwiched between conductive separators (not shown). A plurality of unit cells are stacked.

  The MEA includes an electrolyte membrane (solid polymer membrane), an anode and a cathode that sandwich the membrane. The anode and the cathode are each composed of an electrode catalyst layer in which a catalyst is supported on a catalyst carrier such as carbon. An anode flow path through which hydrogen (fuel gas) flows is formed in the separator facing the anode, and a cathode flow path through which air (oxidant gas) flows is formed in the separator facing the cathode. .

  In such a fuel cell 2, when hydrogen is supplied to the anode and oxygen-containing air is supplied to the cathode, an electrode reaction occurs on the catalyst included in the anode and the cathode, and the fuel cell 2 can generate power. Become.

  The fuel cell 2 is electrically connected to an external load (not shown), and the fuel cell 2 generates power when current is taken out by the external load. The external load is a traveling motor, a power storage device such as a battery or a capacitor, and the like.

(Anode system)
The anode system includes a hydrogen tank 11, which is a high-pressure fuel gas tank, a high-pressure injection device 12, an expander 13 as a fuel gas cylinder, a discharge hydrogen tank 14, an ejector compressor 15, pipes 16a to 16f, and the like. In FIG. 1, the anode pipings 16a to 16f are indicated by thick solid lines. Here, the pipes 16a to 16c and the high-pressure injection device 12 serve as a fuel gas supply channel.

The hydrogen tank 11 stores hydrogen compressed at a high pressure, and is connected to the high-pressure injection device 12 through a pipe 16a. The hydrogen tank 11 has a built-in solenoid valve (not shown), and this solenoid valve is opened when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on.
Although a secondary shutoff valve, a filter, and the like are provided between the hydrogen tank 11 and the high-pressure injection device 12, illustration and description thereof are omitted here.
Here, the fuel cell system 1 according to the present embodiment does not include a pressure reducing valve between the hydrogen tank 11 and the high-pressure injection device 12, and the high-pressure hydrogen in the hydrogen tank 11 remains in a high-pressure state. It is supplied to the high pressure injection device 12.
In the pipe 16a, a relief valve 19 is installed between the hydrogen tank 11 and the high pressure injection device 12.

  The high-pressure injection device 12 holds hydrogen at a relatively high pressure. The high-pressure hydrogen in the high-pressure injection device 12 is supplied to the expander 13 through the fuel supply passage (pipe 16b). The high-pressure injection device 12 incorporates a valve (not shown) that is controlled by an ECU (Engine Control Unit) or the like, and the high-pressure hydrogen supply to the expander 13 is controlled by opening and closing the valve. Hereinafter, the valve built in the high pressure injection device 12 is referred to as a high pressure injection device built-in valve.

  Like the reciprocating engine, the expander 13 includes a cylinder 13a, a piston 13b, a connecting rod 13c, a valve 13d, and the like, and an existing reciprocating engine such as a gasoline engine can be used. The expander 13 is interlocked with the compressor 23 via the crankshaft 51. The operations of the expander 13 and the compressor 23 will be described in detail later.

  The valve 13d is installed on the upper part (top dead center side) of the expander 13, and opens and closes according to the operation of the camshaft and the cam 17, thereby allowing the hydrogen in the cylinder 13a to flow through the pipe 16c to the fuel cell 2. Lead to. The camshaft and cam 17 may be those provided in an existing reciprocating engine. The valve 13d may be a valve that can be controlled to open and close, such as an electromagnetic valve. By doing in this way, cost reduction can be aimed at.

The discharged hydrogen tank 14 temporarily stores the unreacted hydrogen discharged from the fuel cell 2 and supplies it to the ejector compressor 15.
The ejector compressor 15 returns unreacted hydrogen to the fuel cell 2 by returning the unreacted hydrogen to the pipe 16 c, and has the same configuration as the expander 13. In FIG. 1, the ejector compressor 15 is described smaller than the expander 13, but it may be the same size as the expander 13.
Similarly to the expander 13, the ejector compressor 15 also includes a cylinder 15a, a piston 15b, a connecting rod 15c, a suction valve 15d, a discharge valve 15e, and the like. The piston 15 b is configured to be linked to the expander 13 via the connecting rod 15 c and the crankshaft 51.
Although the detailed operation will be described later, the ejector compressor 15 draws hydrogen from the discharged hydrogen tank 14 into the cylinder 15a and then discharges the hydrogen to the pipe 16c in conjunction with the operation of the expander 13. The suction / discharge of hydrogen in the ejector compressor 15 is performed by a suction valve 15d and a discharge valve 15e provided on the upper portion of the ejector compressor 15. The suction valve 15d and the discharge valve 15e are It may be interlocked with the cam 17 of the expander 13 or may operate independently of the valve 13d of the expander 13.

(Cathode system)
The cathode system includes an intake 21, a filter 22, a compressor 23 as an oxidant gas cylinder, pipes 24a to 24c as oxidant gas supply channels, and the like. In FIG. 1, the cathode system pipes 24 a to 24 c are shown by thin solid lines.
The intake 21 takes in air containing oxygen from the outside air. The filter 22 removes foreign matters mixed in the taken-in air.

The compressor 23 has the same configuration as the expander 13, and includes a cylinder 23 a, a piston 23 b, a connecting rod 23 c, a suction valve 23 d, an exhaust valve 23 e, and the like. A reciprocating engine can be used. The connecting rod 23 c is connected to the expander 13 via the crankshaft 51, so that the compressor 23 is interlocked with the expander 13. The intake valve 23 d and the exhaust valve 23 e are interlocked with the camshaft and the cam 25.
When the piston 13b of the expander 13 is pushed down, this force pushes up the piston 23b of the compressor 23 via the connecting rod 13c, the crankshaft 51 and the connecting rod 23c, and the air in the cylinder 23a is compressed. The compressed air is sent to the fuel cell 2 from the exhaust valve 23e. After oxygen in the air reacts with hydrogen in the fuel cell 2, air containing unreacted oxygen is discharged to the outside air through the ventilator 61. The Details of the operation of the compressor 23 will be described later.
In the drawings in the present embodiment, the compressor 23 is shown upside down in order to avoid complication.

  A device including the expander 13 and the compressor 23 may be referred to as a reciprocating positive displacement expansion compressor.

(Cooling system)
The cooling system cools the fuel cell system 1 and includes a thermostat valve 31, an ion exchanger 32, a radiator 33, a water pump 34, pipes 35a to 35f, and the like. In FIG. 1, the cooling system pipes 35a to 35f are indicated by thick broken lines.
The thermostat valve 31 switches the flow path when, for example, the volume of wax inside changes with temperature.
The ion exchanger 32 collects ions present in the refrigerant with an ion exchange resin filled in the container in order to suppress an increase in conductivity in the refrigerant.
The radiator 33 radiates the refrigerant circulating in the cooling system by a radiator fan (not shown).

  The water pump 34 is a pump for circulating the refrigerant. In the fuel cell system 1 according to the present embodiment, the kinetic energy generated in the expander 13 can be used by connecting the water pump 34 to the crankshaft 51, and the energy efficiency of the fuel cell system 1 can be increased. It is possible to improve.

The cooling system in the present embodiment includes a circulation path in the order of the thermostat valve 31 → the ion exchanger 32 → the water pump 34, the thermostat valve 31 → the flow path in the housing of the compressor 23 → the flow path in the housing of the expander 13 → the water. And a path that circulates in the order of the pump 34. As will be described in detail later, the refrigerant circulating through the compressor 23 and the expander 13 uses a temperature increase due to air compression in the compressor 23 and a temperature decrease due to hydrogen expansion in the expander 13. Thus, the temperature of the refrigerant can be controlled.
In this embodiment, the refrigerant is circulated through both the expander 13 and the compressor 23. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the expander 13 may be circulated.

(Humidification system)
The humidification system humidifies the air supplied to the fuel cell 2, and includes a gas-liquid separator 41, a humidification pump 42, and the like. In FIG. 1, the humidification system piping is indicated by a thin broken line.
The gas-liquid separator 41 has, for example, a box shape. When a predetermined amount of generated water (water generated by the reaction in the fuel cell 2) is accumulated, the generated water is discharged to the outside. A part of the water discharged from the gas-liquid separator 41 is supplied to the humidification pump 42, and the rest is discharged to the outside through the ventilator 61.
The humidification pump 42 is a pump for supplying the generated water supplied from the gas-liquid separator 41 to the compressor 23. The generated water supplied to the compressor 23 is sprayed into the compressor 23 (inside the cylinder) by an injector described later. Then, the air generated by the compression of the air in the compressor 23 is vaporized to humidify the air supplied to the fuel cell 2.
In the present embodiment, the humidification pump 42 is operated by a motor, but may be operated using the energy of the crankshaft 51. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the generated water is separated and recovered only from the anode exhaust gas. However, the generated water is separated and recovered only from the cathode exhaust gas, or from the anode and cathode exhaust gases. Both may take a form in which produced water is separated and recovered.

(Other)
In addition to the water pump 34 described above, the clutch 52 connected to the wheels is also connected to the crankshaft 51, and the kinetic energy generated by the expander 13 and the compressor 23 is also used for driving the wheels. Thus, the energy efficiency of the fuel cell system 1 can be further improved. In particular, the water pump 34 and the wheels are directly connected to the crankshaft 51, and the kinetic energy generated in the expander 13 and the compressor 23 can be directly used. Other auxiliary machines may be directly connected to the crankshaft 51.
In the turbines disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, it is difficult to use the surplus energy for driving the auxiliary machine. However, in the form using the reciprocating engine as in this embodiment, the surplus energy is not used. Since it can be taken out from the end of the crankshaft shaft, it is possible to drive auxiliary machines and wheels.

(Detailed explanation of operation in anode system and cathode system)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation in the anode system / cathode system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. The temperature increase due to air compression and the temperature decrease due to hydrogen expansion will be described in the detailed description of the cooling system described later. 2 to 4, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. 2 to 4, each of the expander 13 and the compressor 23 is abbreviated as one.

Here, the piping 16b from the high pressure injection device 12 is connected to the intake port 13e of the expander 13, and the exhaust port 13f of the expander 13 is connected to a piping 16c provided with a valve 13d.
The pipe 16f is connected to an exhaust port 15f provided with an exhaust valve 15e of the ejector compressor 15, and a pipe 16f provided with an intake valve 15d is connected to the intake port 15g of the ejector compressor 15. .
A pipe 24b provided with an intake valve 23d from the filter 22 (FIG. 1) is connected to an intake port 23g of the compressor 23, and a pipe 24c is connected to an exhaust port 23h provided with an exhaust valve 23e of the compressor 23. Has been.

  When the valve 13d of the expander 13 is closed, a high-pressure injector built-in valve (not shown) is opened by an instruction from the ECU, so that the high-pressure hydrogen supplied from the high-pressure injector 11 through the intake port 13e expands. Thus, the piston 13b is pushed down in the cylinder 13a of the expander 13, and the driving force is transmitted to the compressor 23 via the connecting rod 13c, the crankshaft 51 and the connecting rod 23c. As a result, the piston 23b of the compressor 23 rises and compresses the air in the cylinder 23a of the compressor 23. At this time, the generated water is sprayed from the injector 23f connected to the humidification pump 42 according to an instruction from the ECU (not shown), and the sprayed generated water is vaporized by the heat when the air is compressed, and the air in the cylinder 23a is changed. Humidify. The injector 23f may be an injector used in a general gasoline engine or the like. In addition, the spray timing of the generated water is not limited to the timing when the air is compressed, but may be sprayed at other timing.

  At this time, the piston 15b of the ejector compressor 15 is similarly pushed up, the discharge valve 15e is opened by an instruction from an ECU (not shown), and the hydrogen in the cylinder 15a (not reacted in the fuel cell 2) via the exhaust port 15f. Hydrogen) is discharged to the pipe 16 f and sent to the fuel cell 2.

  As described above, the rotational force generated at this time can be used via the crankshaft 51 for auxiliary equipment such as the water pump 34 and driving of the wheels. That is, it can be used as a power source other than air compression.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust valve 23e of the compressor 23 is opened by an instruction from an ECU (not shown), and the compressed air is discharged to the pipe 24c through the pipe 23h and supplied to the fuel cell 2.

Then, when an unillustrated high-pressure injection device built-in valve is closed by an instruction from the ECU, the flow of hydrogen into the expander 13 stops, and as shown in FIG. 4, the piston 23b of the compressor 23 is pushed down by the inertia of the operation in FIG. The cylinder 13b of the expander 13 is pushed up.
At this time, the intake valve 23d of the compressor 23 is opened by an instruction from the ECU (not shown), and the air supplied from the outside air through the pipe 24b flows into the cylinder 23a through the suction port 23g, and at the same time, The valve 13d is opened, and the hydrogen in the expander 13 is discharged to the pipe 16c through the exhaust port 13f and supplied to the fuel cell 2.
The inertial force at this time may be generated by a flywheel (not shown) provided outside the expander 13 / compressor 23, or by expanding the expander 13 into multiple cylinders and shifting the phase of high-pressure hydrogen supply. The energy of another expander 13 may be used.

  At this time, if the phases of the compression / expansion stroke in each cylinder of the expander 13 and the compressor 23 are shifted by 120 °, a good operation can be obtained. That is, a continuous operation can be obtained by shifting 120 degrees on the compressor 23 side and 120 degrees on the expander 13 side.

  At this time, the piston 15b of the ejector compressor 15 is also pushed down, the intake valve 15d is opened by an instruction from the ECU (not shown), and hydrogen that has not reacted in the fuel cell 2 is drawn from the exhaust hydrogen tank 14 through the pipe 16e. It flows into the cylinder 15a through the port 15g.

Then, the process returns to the process of FIG. 2, and the processes of FIGS. 2 to 4 are repeated.
In this embodiment, in the operation of the ejector compressor 15, when the expander 13 discharges hydrogen, the hydrogen flows into the cylinder 15a, and when the expander 13 sucks the hydrogen into the cylinder 13a, However, the present invention is not limited to this. However, it is desirable to operate at a timing such that the hydrogen discharged from the expander 13 and the hydrogen discharged from the ejector compressor 15 do not interfere in the pipe 16c (FIG. 1).

(Detailed explanation of operation in cooling system)
Next, the operation of the cooling system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 again.
The air temperature rises due to the compression of air by the compressor 23 in FIG. As described above, the refrigerant flows in the compressor 23 through the pipe 35e. As the temperature rises due to compression, the temperature of the refrigerant also rises.
On the other hand, as described above, the refrigerant also flows in the expander 13 through the pipe 35e. However, this refrigerant is the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 23 and is in a high temperature state. Although the temperature of hydrogen in the expander 13 decreases due to expansion, the temperature increases due to the refrigerant having a high temperature. Thereby, hydrogen can be warmed. Since the heated hydrogen is further expanded, the power transmitted to the compressor 23 can be increased, and the energy efficiency of the entire fuel cell system 1 can be further improved.
On the contrary, the temperature of the refrigerant decreases by giving the temperature to hydrogen, and the refrigerant is sent to the fuel cell 2 in this state, thereby cooling the fuel cell 2.

  As described above, by exchanging heat between the expanded hydrogen and the compressed air, the fuel cell system 1 in the present embodiment does not require the heat exchanger for temperature control in each of the anode system and the cathode system. The radiator 33 can be made small.

  In the present embodiment, the radiator 33 is disposed between the fuel cell 2 and the compressor 23. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the radiator 33 is disposed between the discharge side of the water pump 34 and the fuel cell 2. May be. By doing in this way, the cooling water cooled with the expander 13 can be further cooled with the radiator 33, and efficient cooling becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, the crankshaft 51 is connected to the wheels via the water pump 34 and the clutch 52. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an alternator, a lubricating oil circulation pump, a fuel booster pump, a cam drive chain, etc. It may be connected to an auxiliary machine or a driving motor.

  Furthermore, the opening / closing timings of the valves 13d, 23d, and 23e installed in the expander 13 and the compressor 23 may be controlled by a control device (not shown). By doing in this way, the supply pressure of hydrogen or oxygen can be changed, or oxygen diffusion after the fuel cell 2 is stopped can be limited.

  Further, in this embodiment, when high-pressure hydrogen is supplied to the expander 13, the air of the compressor 23 is compressed. However, when high-pressure hydrogen is supplied to the expander 13, the piston of the compressor 23 is configured. The shape of the crankshaft 51 may be adjusted so that 23b is lowered and air is introduced. That is, the shape of the crankshaft 51 may be adjusted so that the supply of high-pressure hydrogen to the expander 13 and the introduction of air to the compressor 23 are synchronized.

According to the fuel cell system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air is compressed with the energy that expands the high-pressure hydrogen. Therefore, the energy efficiency of the fuel cell system 1 is improved by using the pressure energy in the hydrogen tank 11 for air compression. Can be improved.
Further, the temperature decrease due to the expansion of hydrogen as the fuel gas and the temperature increase due to the compression of the air as the oxidant gas are extracted via the connecting rods 13c and 23c and the crankshaft 51 (that is, the casing of the reciprocating positive displacement engine). It can be transmitted to the panda 13 and the compressor 23, and it becomes possible to perform the warming of hydrogen using the temperature rise due to the compression of air and the cooling of the air using the temperature drop due to the expansion of hydrogen. This is an effect that cannot be derived from the turbines described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 that do not have the concept of expansion / compression.

Further, by connecting an auxiliary machine such as a wheel or a water pump 34 to the crankshaft 51 connected to the expander 13 or the compressor 23, the pressure energy in the hydrogen tank 11 is driven to drive the wheel or the auxiliary machine. The energy efficiency of the fuel cell system 1 can be further improved. That is, the power generated from the pressure energy in the hydrogen tank 11 can be used as a power source other than air compression.
By allowing the cooling system refrigerant to pass through the flow path in the housing of the expander 13, the temperature drop when hydrogen expands can be used for cooling the fuel cell system 1, and heat control for temperature control of the radiator 33 and the like. The device can be made smaller or unnecessary.
Thus, by eliminating the need for an air pump having a dedicated motor, a device for driving and controlling the air pump is also unnecessary. Further, by reducing or eliminating the radiator 33, the cost can be reduced, and the weight and size of the vehicle body can be reduced. Can be realized.
In addition, by using an existing reciprocating engine, it becomes possible to recycle the reciprocating engine that is no longer needed, thereby further reducing the cost.
Furthermore, although the existing reciprocating engine is an aluminum casting, aluminum is light in weight, easy to process, and strong against hydrogen embrittlement. Therefore, the vehicle can be further reduced in weight and cost can be further reduced.

  Further, by controlling the inflow of hydrogen / air in the expander 13 and the compressor 23 with the valves 13d, 23d, 23e, when the fuel cell 2 is stopped, the valves 13d, 23d, 23e are closed to close the hydrogen / air. Supply can be stopped. Therefore, the control for stopping the supply of hydrogen / air when the fuel cell 2 is stopped becomes unnecessary.

1 Fuel Cell System 2 Fuel Cell 11 Hydrogen Tank (High Pressure Fuel Gas Tank)
12 High-pressure injection device (fuel gas supply flow path)
13 Expander (Reciprocating displacement type expansion compressor, cylinder for fuel gas)
13a Expander cylinder 13b Expander piston 13c Expander connecting rod 13d Expander valve 14 Discharge hydrogen tank 15 Ejector compressor 15a Ejector compressor cylinder 15b Ejector compressor piston 15c Ejector compressor connecting rod 15d Ejector compressor Discharge valve 15e Ejector compressor intake valve 16a to 16f Anode piping (including fuel gas supply flow path)
17, 25 Cam 19 Relief valve 21 Intake 22 Filter 23 Compressor (reciprocating displacement type expansion compressor, oxidant gas cylinder)
23a Compressor cylinder 23b Compressor piston 23c Compressor connecting rod 23d Compressor intake valve 23e Compressor discharge valve 23f Injector 24a-24c Cathode system piping (oxidant gas supply flow path)
31 Thermostat valve 32 Ion exchanger 33 Radiator 34 Water pump 35a-35b Cooling system piping 41 Gas-liquid separator 42 Humidification pump 51 Crankshaft 52 Clutch 61 Ventilator

Claims (4)

A high-pressure fuel gas tank, a fuel gas supply channel for supplying fuel gas discharged from the high-pressure fuel gas tank to the fuel cell, an oxidant gas supply channel for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell,
A fuel cell system comprising:
A reciprocating positive displacement expansion compressor that transmits power via a crankshaft to at least two cylinders;
The cylinders are a fuel gas cylinder and an oxidant gas cylinder,
A fuel gas supply flow path is connected to the fuel cell via the fuel gas cylinder that presses a piston by expansion of the fuel gas discharged from the high pressure fuel gas tank,
The oxidant gas supply flow path is connected to the fuel cell via an oxidant gas cylinder that compresses and pressurizes the oxidant gas by pressing a piston by pressing the fuel gas cylinder. Fuel cell system. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitted via the crankshaft is used for a power source other than air compression. The refrigerant for cooling the fuel cell system circulates in at least a cooling water passage installed in a casing constituting the fuel gas cylinder. Fuel cell system.   A vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images