JP2015115305A - Fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an installation area by improving energy efficiency while maintaining maintainability of a fuel cell system.SOLUTION: The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module 5, a heat insulation material 6 covering the fuel cell module 5, and a casing 7 accommodating the fuel cell module and the heat insulation material inside. The casing 7 includes a frame 8, and the frame includes a first frame part 8a and a second frame part 8b separately opposing the first frame part 8a. In a view either in a direction of inserting the fuel cell module 5 into the casing 7 or in a direction of extracting the fuel cell module 5 from the casing 7, in at least either the first frame part 8a or the second frame part 8b, a relatively narrow passage portion is formed in such a manner that the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulation material can pass between the first frame part 8a and the second frame part 8b and can move between the inside and the outside of the casing 7.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell system.

  In recent years, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been rapidly developed in addition to a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) as a household fuel cell cogeneration system. In the SOFC, oxide ions generated at the air electrode (cathode) permeate the electrolyte and react with hydrogen at the fuel electrode to generate electric energy. For this reason, not only hydrogen but also carbon monoxide can be used as fuel. While PEFC requires high purity hydrogen from which carbon monoxide has been removed, SOFC does not require such high purity hydrogen. For this reason, a complicated and large-scale hydrogen generator including a transformer is not required, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  In addition, the operating temperature of power generation is as high as 600 to 700 ° C. for SOFC compared to 60 to 80 ° C. for PEFC. For this reason, in SOFC, the temperature of circulating water can be set easily higher than PEFC. Since the hot water temperature in the hot water storage tank used for hot water supply can be kept high, the hot water storage tank capacity can be significantly smaller than that of PEFC. As described above, the SOFC has attracted attention as a new method that is small, highly reliable, and low in cost (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  A power generation / hot water cogeneration system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a module including a fuel cell, a supply unit that supplies fuel gas, air, and water to the fuel cell, and an exhaust heat recovery unit that recovers exhaust heat discharged from the fuel cell. A power generation unit that houses the power conversion unit that converts the power generated in the fuel cell into AC power and connects to the power system in the same container, and a hot water storage tank that stores hot water generated by exhaust heat recovery of the power generation unit The hot water storage tank is provided with a hot water supply device that supplies hot water to the hot water storage tank when the hot water is insufficient, and the hot water storage tank and the hot water supply device are separately installed.

JP 2007-294296 A

  An object of the present invention is to improve energy efficiency and reduce an installation area while maintaining maintainability of a fuel cell system.

  An aspect of the fuel cell system of the present invention includes a fuel cell module, a heat insulating material that covers the fuel cell module, and a housing that houses the fuel cell module and the heat insulating material. The body includes a frame, and the frame includes a first frame portion and a second frame portion that faces the first frame portion while being spaced apart from each other, and the direction in which the fuel cell module is inserted into the housing; When viewed along at least one of the directions in which the fuel cell module is extracted from the housing, at least one of the first frame portion and the second frame portion is covered with the heat insulating material. Relative so that the fuel cell module can pass between the first frame portion and the second frame portion and be moved between the inside and the outside of the housing. Small passage section width is formed on.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the installation area while maintaining the maintainability of the fuel cell system.

FIG. 1A is an exploded view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a frame of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system according to a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a partially cutaway plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5B is a main part sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system according to a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an external view showing an example of a schematic arrangement of a fuel cell system according to a third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 7A is an exploded view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the second embodiment.

  The present inventors diligently studied a feasible configuration for improving energy efficiency and reducing an installation area while maintaining maintainability of the fuel cell system. As a result, the following knowledge was obtained.

  The installation area is uniquely determined by the size of the housing. On the other hand, in order to improve energy efficiency, it is effective to dispose a heat insulating material as thick as possible between the fuel cell module and the wall of the housing. In order to maintain maintainability, it is effective that the fuel cell module can be taken out of the casing or inserted into the casing while being covered with the heat insulating material.

  In order to improve the strength of the casing, frames are usually provided at the left and right corners of the surface of the casing where the fuel cell module is inserted and removed. This frame becomes an obstacle to the insertion and removal of the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material. If the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material is sized so that it can be taken in and out, the module must be made smaller by the amount of the frame, and a gap is formed between the wall of the housing and the heat insulating material. On the other hand, if a gap is not formed between the wall of the housing and the heat insulating material, the fuel cell module cannot be taken in and out while being covered with the heat insulating material.

  In view of such a problem, the inventors include a frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion facing the first frame portion apart from the first frame portion, and a direction in which the fuel cell module is inserted into the housing and the fuel When viewed along at least one of the directions in which the battery module is extracted from the housing, the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material is at least one of the first frame part and the second frame part. It is conceived that this problem can be solved by providing a relatively narrow passage portion so that it can be moved between the inside and outside of the housing through the frame portion and the second frame portion. did. That is, it becomes easy to put the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material into and out of the casing through the passage portion, so that maintainability is maintained. If the size of the housing is the same, the heat insulating material can be made larger than the configuration without the passage portion, so that energy efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, if the size of the heat insulating material is the same, the housing can be made smaller than the configuration without the passage portion, so that the installation area can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Each of the embodiments described below shows a specific example of the present invention. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept of the present invention are described as optional constituent elements. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are sometimes omitted. In addition, the drawings schematically show the respective components for easy understanding, and there are cases where the shape, dimensional ratio, and the like are not accurately displayed. Moreover, in a manufacturing method, the order of each process etc. can be changed as needed, and another well-known process can be added.

(First embodiment)
The fuel cell system according to the first embodiment includes a fuel cell module, a heat insulating material that covers the fuel cell module, and a housing that houses the fuel cell module and the heat insulating material. The housing includes a frame, The frame includes a first frame portion and a second frame portion that faces the first frame portion with a distance therebetween, and the direction in which the fuel cell module is inserted into the housing and the direction in which the fuel cell module is pulled out from the housing. When viewed along at least one of the first and second frame parts, the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material is disposed between the first and second frame parts. A relatively narrow passage portion is provided so that it can be moved between the inside and outside of the housing through the housing.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to improve energy efficiency and reduce the installation area while maintaining the maintainability of the fuel cell system.

  Here, the relatively small width means that the width is smaller than at least a part of the portion of the frame where the passage portion is not formed. Therefore, a portion of the frame where the passage portion is not formed may include a portion whose width is equal to or less than the width of the passage portion.

  A housing | casing means the box which accommodates a fuel cell module and a heat insulating material inside.

  The frame refers to a member that becomes a skeleton of the housing.

  The housing includes a frame and an exterior member supported by the frame.

  The fuel cell system may include a cover member that is detachably fixed to the frame so as to cover the passage portion.

  In such a configuration, the strength of the housing that is likely to be lowered by the passage portion can be improved by the cover member. If the cover member is removed, the fuel cell module can be easily taken out.

  The fuel cell system may include a support member that is disposed at a height equal to or lower than the passage portion and supports the fuel cell module covered with a heat insulating material.

  In such a configuration, the fuel cell module which is a heavy object is securely fixed, and after the fuel cell module is guided to the passage portion, the fuel cell module can be smoothly slid and set in the housing.

[Device configuration]
FIG. 1A is an exploded view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the fuel cell system 100 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B (hereinafter collectively referred to as FIG. 1) and FIG.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the fuel cell system 100 includes a fuel cell module 5, a heat insulating material 6, and a housing 7. The housing 7 includes a frame 8.

  In the following description, the housing 7 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the surface of the housing 7 through which the fuel cell module 5 passes when the fuel cell module 5 is inserted into the housing 7 is a front surface. That is, the fuel cell module 5 is inserted into the housing 7 from the front of the housing 7 through the front surface.

  The fuel cell module 5 includes, for example, a reformer (not shown) that generates a hydrogen-containing gas using raw material gas and water, and a fuel cell (not shown) that generates electricity by reacting the hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen. May be provided.

  The reformer generates a hydrogen-containing gas by a reforming reaction using a raw material gas and steam. The reformer may be of any type as long as it is a reforming reaction using a raw material gas, and examples thereof include a steam reforming reaction, an autothermal reaction, and a partial oxidation reaction. The source gas is a gas containing an organic compound having at least carbon and hydrogen as constituent elements, and examples thereof include natural gas, hydrocarbons such as LPG, LNG, city gas, and alcohols such as methanol.

  The fuel cell may be of any type, and examples include a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a solid oxide fuel cell, and a phosphoric acid fuel cell. When the fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell, the reforming unit and the fuel cell may be built in one container.

  The heat insulating material 6 covers the fuel cell module 5. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the heat insulating material 6 is configured to completely wrap the outer periphery of the fuel cell module 5. The heat insulating material 6 insulates the fuel cell module 5 having a high temperature fuel cell, and suppresses wasteful heat release.

  As the heat insulating material 6, for example, silica particles, calcium silicate, or the like can be used. The heat insulating material 6 may include, for example, a metal cover on the surface thereof.

  The housing 7 houses the fuel cell module 5 and the heat insulating material 6 inside. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing 7 mainly includes a frame 8 and an exterior member 9, and houses the fuel cell module 5 and the like to constitute the fuel cell system 100. The exterior member 9 forms the exterior of the housing 7 and is attached at the end of assembly.

  The frame 8 includes a first frame portion 8a and a second frame portion 8b. The first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b face each other while being separated from each other. The first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b may extend in parallel to each other.

  At least one of the first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b includes at least one of a direction in which the fuel cell module 5 is inserted into the housing 7 and a direction in which the fuel cell module 5 is withdrawn from the housing 7. When viewed along one of them, a passage portion 10 having a relatively small width is formed. The passage portion 10 allows the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 to pass between the first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b and be moved between the inside and the outside of the housing 7. Is formed.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the direction in which the fuel cell module 5 is inserted into the housing 7 and the fuel cell module 5 are removed from the housing 7 in both the first frame portion 8 a and the second frame portion 8 b. A passage portion 10 having a relatively small width is formed when viewed along the exit direction. The passage portion 10 allows the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 to pass between the first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b and be moved between the inside and the outside of the housing 7. Is formed.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, in both the first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b, the width W2 in the passage portion 10 is relatively smaller than the width W1 of the portion where the passage portion 10 is not formed. .

  In such a configuration, for example, the heat insulating material 6 of the fuel cell module 5 can be configured to extend over the entire width of the housing 7, and a more efficient power generation system can be obtained while achieving downsizing.

  The heat insulating material 6 and the inner wall of the housing 7 may be in contact with each other. The heat insulating material 6 and the inner wall of the housing 7 may be in contact with each other. In other words, the lateral width of the heat insulating material 6 and the lateral width of the internal space of the housing 7 may be the same.

  The frame 8 covers at least a part of the surface of the housing 7 for taking in and out the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the frame 8 is a portion extending along the surface of the housing 7 for taking in and out the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 (an upper portion and a lower portion of the passage portion 10). Part). In other words, the frame 8 has a portion extending in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 is taken in and out.

  If the passage portion 10 is not provided, the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 cannot be inserted into the housing 7 as it is, or cannot be taken out from the housing 7. In the fuel cell system of this embodiment, since the passage portion 10 is provided, the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 can be inserted into the housing 7 as it is, and the housing 7 can be taken out from inside.

  The shape of the passage part 10 is not particularly limited. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, two frames, that is, a first frame portion 8 a and a second frame portion 8 b are arranged along the left and right sides of the housing 7. The fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 has a substantially cubic shape, and the passage portions 10 are formed so as to cut the frame 8 at right angles along the four corners when the cube is viewed from the front. That is, the passage part 10 is rectangular. Otherwise, for example, as in the modification shown in FIG. 4, the passage portion 10 may be formed so as to cut the frame 8 diagonally. That is, the passing portion may be a notched portion in which a part of a side is cut out in an elongated rectangular frame as shown in FIG. 3, or a right angle in a rectangular opening as shown in FIG. In a mode in which a right-angled triangular frame arranged so that the portion hits the four corners is formed for reinforcement, the reinforcing frame may not be present.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, in both the first frame portion 8a and the second frame portion 8b, the width W2 in the passage portion 10 is relatively smaller than the width W1 of the portion where the passage portion 10 is not formed. .

  In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the passage portion 10 has the deepest cut so that it reaches the side wall of the casing 7, that is, the entire height of the portion rising from the side wall of the frame 8 is missing. Part 10 is formed. In other words, the passage portion 10 may not have a portion that rises from the inner wall surface of the housing 7. Alternatively, for example, in the passage part 10, there may be no part rising from the left and right inner wall surfaces of the housing 7. With such a configuration, the width of the inner dimension of the housing 7 and the width of the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6 can be made substantially equal. Therefore, while maintaining the maintainability of the fuel cell system, the energy efficiency can be further improved and the installation area can be further reduced.

  However, such a configuration is not essential. For example, only a part of the height of the portion of the frame 8 that rises from the side wall is prevented so that the deepest cut portion of the passage portion 10 does not reach the side wall of the housing 7. The passing part 10 may be formed so as to be chipped. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to further improve the energy efficiency and reduce the installation area while maintaining the maintainability of the fuel cell system as compared with the case where there is no passage portion.

  When the left end of the heat insulating material 6 forms a flat surface (left end surface) and the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 forms a flat surface (left inner wall surface), the left end surface of the heat insulating material 6 and the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 contact each other. The left end surface of the heat insulating material 6 and the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 may be parallel and the gap may be equal to or less than the first distance. The first distance is set as a distance at which the fuel cell module 5 cannot be taken out because the frame 8 becomes an obstacle unless the frame 8 has the passage portion 10. Specifically, for example, it can be set to 1 mm, 5 mm, 1 cm, and the like.

  When the right end of the heat insulating material 6 forms a flat surface (right end surface) and the inner wall surface on the right side of the housing 7 forms a flat surface (right inner wall surface), the right end surface of the heat insulating material 6 contacts the right inner wall surface of the housing 7. The right end surface of the heat insulating material 6 and the right inner wall surface of the housing 7 may be parallel and the gap may be equal to or less than the second distance. The second distance is set as a distance at which the fuel cell module 5 cannot be taken out because the frame 8 becomes an obstacle unless the frame 8 has the passage portion 10. Specifically, for example, it can be set to 1 mm, 5 mm, 1 cm, and the like.

  The left end of the heat insulating material 6 forms a flat surface (left end surface), the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 forms a flat surface (left inner wall surface), and the right end of the heat insulating material 6 forms a flat surface (right end surface). When the inner wall surface on the right side of 7 forms a flat surface (right inner wall surface), the left end surface of the heat insulating material 6 and the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 are in contact with each other. The inner wall surface may be in contact, the left end surface of the heat insulating material 6 and the left inner wall surface of the housing 7 are parallel, the gap is equal to or less than the first distance, and the right end surface of the heat insulating material 6 And the right inner wall surface of the housing 7 may be parallel and the gap may be equal to or less than the second distance. The first distance and the second distance are set as distances at which the fuel cell module 5 cannot be taken out because the frame 8 becomes an obstacle unless the frame 8 has the passage portion 10. Specifically, for example, it can be set to 1 mm, 5 mm, 1 cm, and the like.

  In the above example, both the heat insulating material 6 and the housing 7 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Or for example, the heat insulating material 6 and the housing | casing 7 may comprise the plane where each left-right end is parallel. Alternatively, for example, the heat insulating material 6 and the housing 7 have a rectangular cross section cut along a horizontal plane, and the difference between the left and right widths of the heat insulating material 6 and the left and right widths of the housing 7 is equal to or less than a predetermined length. Good. The predetermined length can be, for example, 2 mm, 1 cm, 2 cm, and the like. Alternatively, the difference between the length before and after the heat insulating material 6 and the length before and after the housing 7 may be a predetermined length or less. The predetermined length can be, for example, 2 mm, 1 cm, 2 cm, and the like.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the fuel cell system 100 further includes a cover member 11. The cover member 11 is detachably fixed to the frame 8 so as to cover the passage portion 10. The structure (not shown) which fixes the cover member 11 to the flame | frame 8 so that attachment or detachment is possible is not specifically limited, For example, it can be set as a screw, a volt | bolt, a pin, a latching | locking part, etc. The cover member 11 is not essential and can be omitted.

  The shape of the cover member 11 is not particularly limited. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cover member 11 has a vertically elongated rectangular shape, and is configured to be detachably fixed to the frame 8 at the upper end portion and the lower end portion.

  The passage 10 may reduce the strength of the frame 8. After the fuel cell module 5 is mounted in the housing 7, the passage portion 10 is covered and fixed with the cover member 11. Then, the cover member 11 compensates for a decrease in strength due to the passage portion 10. Since the cover member 11 and the frame 8 overlap each other at the fixed location, the strength of the frame 8 can be maintained more than in the conventional case. If the cover member 11 is removed, the fuel cell module 5 can be easily taken out.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the fuel cell system 100 further includes a support member 12. The support member 12 is disposed at a height equal to or lower than the passage portion 10 and supports the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6. The support member 12 may be, for example, a shelf-like member illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, and slidably supports the fuel cell module 5 covered with the heat insulating material 6. A rail-shaped member may be used. The support member 12 is not essential and can be omitted.

  “The height of the passage portion 10 or lower” may mean, for example, lower than the lower end portion of the passage portion 10.

  By supporting the fuel cell module 5 with the support member 12 below the passage portion 10, the fuel cell module 5, which is a heavy object, is securely fixed, and after the fuel cell module 5 is guided to the passage portion 10, this fuel The battery module 5 can be smoothly slid and set in the housing 7.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a frame of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the frame 8 has an L-shaped portion 14 in a cross section cut in the horizontal direction at an upper portion, that is, a portion above the passage portion 10 and at a lower portion, that is, a portion below the passage portion 10. Have.

  FIG. 5A is a partially cutaway plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the frames 8 are installed at both front corners of the housing 7, and a space a in which the fuel cell module 5 and the like can be attached and detached is secured while maintaining the strength of the housing 7. .

  FIG. 5B is a main part sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system according to a second modification of the first embodiment. In the second modification, the frame 8 has an L-shaped cross section cut in the horizontal direction at the upper part, that is, the part above the passage part 10 and at the lower part, that is, the part below the passage part 10. Part 15. Also in the second modification, the same modification as in the first embodiment is possible.

  FIG. 6 is an external view showing an example of a schematic arrangement of a fuel cell system according to a third modification of the first embodiment. The fuel cell system 110 of the third modification is obtained by adding a heat accumulator 13 to the fuel cell system of the first embodiment.

  The heat accumulator 13 stores a heat medium that recovers the exhaust heat of the fuel cell module 5. The heat accumulator 13 is disposed on the side of the fuel cell module 5. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the heat accumulator 13 is provided inside a case separately provided outside the case 7, but the heat accumulator 13 may be provided inside the case 7. Also in the third modification, the same modification as in the first embodiment is possible.

  In FIG. 6, the heat accumulator 13 has a cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes, for example, the heat accumulator 13 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  In the above description, the surface of the housing 7 through which the fuel cell module 5 passes when the fuel cell module 5 is inserted into the housing 7 is described as the front surface. However, the surface of the housing 7 through which the fuel cell module 5 passes is described. The form which provides a surface in the side surface of the housing | casing 7 may be sufficient.

[Operation and Action]
Hereinafter, the operation and action of the fuel cell system will be described.

  First, when the user instructs to start driving the fuel cell system 100 by pressing the start button or the like, the fuel cell module 5 including the fuel cell and the reformer includes water, air, and source gas generated in the necessary medium. To generate electricity. DC power obtained by power generation is supplied to the system power supply via a power conversion circuit (not shown).

  When the fuel cell is an SOFC, the operating temperature is as high as 600 to 700 ° C., and heat exchange with city water is high. Therefore, the hot water temperature stored in the heat accumulator 13 can be easily increased to 70 to 75 ° C., and the capacity of the heat accumulator 13 can be significantly reduced (for example, about 1/3 when the fuel cell is PEFC, about 70 L). In addition, the fuel cell system can be downsized in combination with the fact that a complicated and large hydrogen generator such as PEFC is not required.

  In order to increase the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell module 5, the heat insulating material 6 that covers the fuel cell module 5 is made as thick as possible to suppress wasteful heat dissipation, and the heat insulating material 6 is provided over the entire width of the casing 7 having a predetermined size. Can be considered. In order to realize such a configuration, a portion where the frame 8 and the heat insulating material 6 overlap is obstructive when viewed from the front of the housing 7 (the surface on which the fuel cell module 5 is inserted). The frame 8 is provided to ensure the strength of the housing 7 and is disposed at least on the front left and right sides of the housing 7.

  Therefore, a portion where the frame 8 and the heat insulating material 6 overlap is removed, and a passage portion 10 through which the heat insulating material 6 can pass is provided. If the passage portion 10 is provided, the strength may be lowered. Therefore, the cover member 11 is fixed so as to cover the passage portion 10. That is, the strength reduction due to the passage portion 10 is compensated by the cover member 11, and the cover member 11 and the frame 8 overlap each other at the fixed portion, so that the strength of the frame 8 can be maintained more than in the conventional case.

  Even when the cover member 11 is removed, the cover member 11 may be configured to have a strength equal to or higher than that of the conventional configuration without the passage portion 10. The fuel cell module 5 that is a heavy object is securely fixed by the support member 12 disposed below the passage portion 10 and the fuel cell module 5 is smoothly guided after being guided to the passage portion 10. It can be slid and set in the housing 7.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a fuel cell system that performs higher-efficiency power generation within a determined housing size while reducing the size.

(Second Embodiment)
The fuel cell system according to the second embodiment is the fuel cell system according to any one of the first embodiment and the modifications thereof, and includes a heat accumulator that stores a heat medium that recovers the exhaust heat of the fuel cell module. Is disposed above the regenerator.

  In such a configuration, the installation area of the fuel cell system including the heat accumulator, that is, the hot water storage tank, can be remarkably reduced and can be installed in a narrow place. Further, since the heat accumulator increases in weight when filled with water or the like, the center of gravity of the fuel cell system is disposed downward by disposing the heat accumulator downward, and stability is improved. Further, even if the heat medium leaks from the heat accumulator, the heat medium is not easily contaminated by the fuel cell module or the like.

  FIG. 7A is an exploded view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the fuel cell system according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the fuel cell system 200 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B (hereinafter collectively referred to as FIG. 7).

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the fuel cell system 200 includes a heat accumulator 13. The heat accumulator 13 stores a heat medium that recovers the exhaust heat of the fuel cell module 5. The fuel cell module 5 is disposed above the heat accumulator 13.

  The casing 7, the frame 8, and the exterior member 9 are basically the same as those in the first embodiment, but are elongated in the vertical direction as compared with the first embodiment.

  The heat accumulator 13 can be a hot water storage tank that uses hot heat recovery from the fuel cell module 5 to make hot water and store the hot water, for example. In FIG. 7, the heat accumulator 13 has a cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes, for example, the heat accumulator 13 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  Normally, the fuel cell system is based on a design that can be installed and installed up to about 1.9 m in length, that is, at a height of about 1.9 m.

  The fuel cell system 200 can be configured in the same manner as the fuel cell system 100 of the first embodiment, except for the above features. Therefore, the same reference numerals and names are used for the same components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The basic operation and action of the fuel cell system of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. As described in the first embodiment, when the fuel cell is an SOFC, the capacity of the heat accumulator 13 can be significantly reduced (for example, about 70 L, which is about 1/3 of PEFC), and Such a complicated and large hydrogen generator is unnecessary, so that the configuration in which the heat accumulator 13 is arranged on the lower side in the housing 7 and the fuel cell module 5 and the heat insulating material 6 are arranged on the upper side is easier. It becomes. However, also in the present embodiment, the fuel cell is not limited to the SOFC, and may be another fuel cell such as PEFC.

  As described above, the installation area of the fuel cell system 200 including the heat accumulator 13, that is, the hot water storage tank, can be remarkably reduced, compared to the case where the heat accumulator 13 is arranged on the side of the fuel cell module 5 as shown in FIG. It can be installed in a narrow space.

  Also in the second example, the same modifications as those of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the first example are possible.

  From the foregoing description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  One embodiment of the present invention is useful as a fuel cell system capable of improving energy efficiency and reducing an installation area while maintaining maintainability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Fuel cell module 6 Heat insulating material 7 Housing | casing 8 Frame 9 Exterior member 10 Passing part 11 Cover member 12 Support member 13 Regenerator 14 L-shaped part 15 L-shaped part with a corner 100 Fuel cell system 105 Fuel cell system 110 Fuel cell System 200 Fuel cell system

Claims (4)

A fuel cell module;
A heat insulating material covering the fuel cell module;
A housing that houses the fuel cell module and the heat insulating material inside,
The housing includes a frame,
The frame includes a first frame portion and a second frame portion facing the first frame portion with a spacing therebetween.
When viewed along at least one of a direction in which the fuel cell module is inserted into the casing and a direction in which the fuel cell module is extracted from the casing, the first frame section and the second frame section At least one of the above, the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material passes between the first frame portion and the second frame portion and is moved between the inside and the outside of the housing. As can be seen, a relatively narrow passage is formed,
Fuel cell system.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a cover member detachably fixed to the frame so as to cover the passage portion.   3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a support member disposed at a height equal to or less than the passage portion and supporting the fuel cell module covered with the heat insulating material.   The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a heat accumulator that stores a heat medium that recovers exhaust heat of the fuel cell module, wherein the fuel cell module is disposed above the heat accumulator.

Images