JP2020098740A - Fuel cell module - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell module capable of supplying air equally to each fuel battery cell.SOLUTION: A fuel cell module 1 comprises a fuel battery cell stack 60 including multiple fuel battery cell units 70 placed so that the longitudinal direction extends crosswise, a housing 50 for receiving the fuel battery cell stack 60 in the internal space 53, an upstream side fuel gas flow passage 62A supplied with fuel gas, and formed in a first manifold 80 for supplying the fuel gas, thus supplied, to the fuel battery cell units 70, a downstream side fuel gas flow passage 62B to which residual fuel gas is discharged from the fuel battery cell units 70, and a combustion part 38 to which the residual fuel gas, discharged to the downstream side fuel gas flow passage 62B, is supplied and combusted. The first manifold 80 is placed on the side of the fuel battery cell stack 60, and the combustion part 38 is installed above the fuel battery cell stack 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel cell module, and more particularly to a fuel cell module that generates electricity by reacting a supplied fuel gas with an oxidant gas.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a fuel cell module that generates power by reacting a fuel gas with an oxidant gas is widely known. As such a fuel cell module, Patent Document 1 discloses a module case, a fuel cell stack provided in the module case, a fuel gas arranged in the module case, which reforms a raw fuel gas and contains hydrogen. And a combustion chamber for heating the reforming unit by burning the residual fuel gas not used for power generation above the fuel cell stack to heat the reforming unit. There is. The invention described in Patent Document 1 employs a cell burner system in which the residual fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit is directly burned above the fuel cell unit.

JP, 2016-51510, A

Here, the fuel cell module described in Patent Document 1 adopts a cell burner system, but as another system, a casing for collecting the residual fuel gas is arranged above the fuel cell, and the casing is used. It is known to burn the residual fuel gas recovered in the upper part of the. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, when such a casing is arranged above the fuel cells, the casing obstructs the path of air in the module case, and the fuel cells are evenly distributed to the fuel cells. Air supply becomes difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a fuel cell module capable of uniformly supplying air to each fuel cell.

The present invention is a fuel cell module for generating power by reacting a supplied fuel gas with an oxidant gas, the fuel cell having a plurality of fuel cells arranged so that their longitudinal directions extend in the lateral direction. The stack, the housing for accommodating the fuel cell stack in the internal space, the fuel gas supply section, the fuel gas supply section for supplying the supplied fuel gas to the fuel cell section, and the fuel cell section not used for power generation The fuel gas supply unit and the fuel gas discharge unit include a fuel gas discharge unit that discharges the residual fuel gas and a combustion unit that is supplied with the residual fuel gas discharged to the fuel gas discharge unit and burns the residual fuel gas. Is disposed on a side portion of the fuel cell stack, and the combustion section is provided above the fuel cell stack.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the fuel gas supply unit that supplies the fuel gas to the fuel cell unit and the fuel gas discharge unit that recovers the residual fuel gas that has not been used for power generation in the fuel cell unit are the fuel cell stack. Since it is provided on the side portion of the housing, the fuel gas supply portion and the fuel gas discharge portion do not obstruct the air flow in the housing. As a result, it becomes possible to supply air uniformly to each fuel cell. Further, in the present invention, since the fuel cells are arranged so that the longitudinal direction is the lateral direction, it is possible to realize uniform air supply in the longitudinal direction of each fuel cell.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the first casing that constitutes the fuel gas supply unit and the second casing that constitutes the fuel gas discharge unit are provided separately.
According to the present invention having the above configuration, the degree of freedom in arranging the fuel gas supply unit and the fuel gas discharge unit is increased, and it is possible to improve power generation efficiency and realize compactness.

In the present invention, preferably, the casing forming the fuel gas discharge portion is directly connected to the combustion portion.
According to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, the cost can be reduced and the assembling work can be simplified by reducing the number of constituent members, and the module can be made compact.

In the present invention, preferably, the housing has an air supply port for supplying air to the fuel cell stack stacked in the internal space from the bottom surface in the longitudinal direction.
According to the present invention having the above-described structure, it is possible to uniformly supply air to the fuel cells in the longitudinal direction.

In the present invention, preferably, the combustor is further heated by burning the residual fuel gas, reforming the raw fuel gas to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen, and supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cell stack. The reforming section is provided, and a part of the combustion section is in contact with a part of the reforming section.
According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the reforming section heats not only by heat transfer and radiation of the flame and exhaust gas of the combustion section, but also by the heat generated in the combustion section being transferred through the member. To be done. Thereby, the heat transfer of the combustion heat to the reforming section can be improved. Further, by utilizing the heat transfer via the member, it is less likely to be affected by heating due to the turbulence of the flow of the exhaust gas. Further, in the above-described cell burner system, the arrangement of the combustion ports is determined according to the arrangement of the fuel cells, but according to the present invention, the combustion ports can be freely arranged in the combustion section.

In the present invention, preferably, the reforming part and the evaporating part further include an evaporating part for generating steam used for steam reforming in the reforming part by combustion heat generated by burning the residual fuel gas in the combusting part. And are configured integrally.
According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the heat transfer of the combustion heat to the reforming section and the evaporation section, and also to reduce the cost and simplify the assembly work by reducing the number of constituent members. Become.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fuel cell module capable of supplying air uniformly to each fuel cell.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the entire fuel cell module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. It is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a VI-VI sectional view in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell unit used in the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an entire fuel cell module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an entire fuel cell module according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 12. It is a XVI-XVI sectional view in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a fuel cell module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 18 is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along line XX-XX in FIG. 19. FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along the line XXI-XXI in FIG. 18. FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line XXII-XXII in FIG. 18. FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII in FIG. 18. It is a perspective view which shows the fuel cell unit used for the fuel cell module shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the fuel cell unit used for the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fuel cell unit used in the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 17.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the fuel cell module according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire fuel cell module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell module 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel cell device 2 and an evaporator (evaporator) 4 arranged above the fuel cell device 2. The fuel cell device 2 and the evaporator 4 are surrounded by a heat insulating material (not shown), and the fuel cell device 2 is thermally isolated from the evaporator 4.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the fuel cell device 2 includes a housing 50 and a fuel cell stack 60 housed in the housing 50. The fuel cell device 2 includes a fuel cell stack 60 including a plurality of fuel cells, a combustion unit (combustor) 38 disposed above the fuel cell stack 60, and a combustion unit disposed above the combustion unit. And a reforming unit (reformer) 36.

In the fuel cell stack 60, fuel cell units 70 in which caps are attached to a plurality of fuel cells are arranged in a plurality of rows in the width direction and a plurality of steps in the height direction so that the longitudinal directions extend horizontally and in parallel. Is configured. The fuel cell unit 70 constituting the fuel cell stack 60 is divided into an upstream fuel cell stack 60A located in the center in the width direction and a downstream fuel cell stack 60B located in the width direction. ..

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fuel cell unit used in the fuel cell module shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the fuel cell unit 70 includes a fuel cell 84, and inner electrode terminals 86, which are caps connected to both ends of the fuel cell 84, respectively. The fuel cell 84 is a tubular structure extending in the vertical direction, and has a cylindrical inner electrode layer 90 that forms a fuel gas flow passage 88 therein, a cylindrical outer electrode layer 92, an inner electrode layer 90 and the outside. And an electrolyte layer 94 between the electrode layer 92 and the electrode layer 92. The inner electrode layer 90 is a fuel electrode through which the fuel gas passes and serves as a (−) pole, while the outer electrode layer 92 is an air electrode in contact with air and serves as a (+) pole.

Since the inner electrode terminals 86 attached to the upper end side and the lower end side of the fuel cell 84 have the same structure, the inner electrode terminal 86 attached to the upper end side will be specifically described here. The upper portion 90a of the inner electrode layer 90 includes an outer peripheral surface 90b exposed to the electrolyte layer 94 and the outer electrode layer 92, and an upper end surface 90c. The inner electrode terminal 86 is connected to the outer peripheral surface 90b of the inner electrode layer 90 via the conductive sealing material 96, and further, is in direct contact with the upper end surface 90c of the inner electrode layer 90, so that the inner electrode layer 90 is connected to the inner electrode layer 90. It is electrically connected. At the center of the inner electrode terminal 86, a fuel gas passage thin tube 98 communicating with the fuel gas passage 88 of the inner electrode layer 90 is formed.

The inner electrode layer 90 includes, for example, a mixture of Ni and zirconia doped with at least one selected from rare earth elements such as Ca, Y, and Sc, Ni, and ceria doped with at least one selected from rare earth elements. It is formed of at least one of a mixture, Ni, and a mixture of lanthanum gallate doped with at least one selected from Sr, Mg, Co, Fe, and Cu.

The electrolyte layer 94 includes, for example, zirconia doped with at least one selected from rare earth elements such as Y and Sc, ceria doped with at least one selected from rare earth elements, and lanthanum gallate doped with at least one selected from Sr and Mg, Of at least one of

The outer electrode layer 92 includes, for example, lanthanum manganite doped with at least one selected from Sr and Ca, lanthanum ferrite doped with at least one selected from Sr, Co, Ni, and Cu, Sr, Fe, Ni, and Cu. It is formed of at least one of lanthanum cobaltite, silver, etc. doped with at least one selected from

In the fuel cell stack 60, the inner electrode terminal 86 attached to the inner electrode layer 90, which is the fuel electrode of each fuel cell unit 70, has the outer periphery of the outer electrode layer 92, which is the air electrode of another fuel cell unit 70. All of the plurality of fuel cell units 70 are connected in series by being electrically connected to the surface. Although the fuel cell unit 70 is connected in series in the present embodiment, it may be connected in parallel, or may be used in parallel and in series.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the housing 50 includes a housing main body 52 and an air passage cover 54 provided so as to cover the housing main body 52. An exhaust gas pipe 26, a double pipe of a mixed gas conduit 28, and an air supply pipe 32 are connected to the upper surface of the housing 50. A ceramic heater 34 for ignition is attached to one side surface of the housing 50.

The housing main body 52 includes a cylindrical body composed of a substantially rectangular top plate 52a, a bottom plate 52c, and a pair of side plates 52b facing each other that connect the sides extending in the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal ends of the cylindrical body. It is composed of closing side plates 52d and 52e that close two opening portions that face each other and connect the sides extending in the width direction of the top plate 52a and the bottom plate 52c. An internal space 53 as a power generation chamber is formed in the housing body 52, and the fuel cell stack 60 is accommodated in the internal space 53. An exhaust port is formed in the top plate 52a, and an exhaust gas pipe 26 for supplying exhaust gas to the evaporation unit 4 is connected to the exhaust port.

Further, in the housing 50, a top plate 52a, side plates 52b, and a bottom plate 52c are covered by an air passage cover 54. The air passage cover 54 has a top plate 54a, a pair of opposing side plates 54b extending downward from both sides of the top plate 54a, and a bottom plate 54c connecting between lower edges of the pair of side plates 54b. An exhaust port for penetrating the exhaust gas pipe 26 is provided at the center of the top plate 54a in the width direction. The air supply pipe 32 is connected to the top plate 54a.

The top plate 52a and the top plate 54a, the side plates 52b and 54b, and the bottom plate 52c and the bottom plate 54c are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. Thus, the top plate 52a, the side plate 52b, and the bottom plate 52c of the housing main body 52 and the top plate 54a, the side plate 54b, and the bottom plate 54c of the air passage cover 54 are provided between the top plate 52a and the side plate 52b of the housing main body 52. , And air passages 57a, 57b, 57c as oxidant gas supply passages are formed along the outer surface of the bottom plate 52c. Further, fins 57d are provided in the air passage 57a between the top plate 52a and the top plate 54a and the air passage 57b between the side plate 52b and the side plate 54b.

The bottom plate 52c of the housing body 52 is provided with an air supply port 58 which is a plurality of through holes (see FIG. 4). The air supply ports 58 are preferably arranged between the fuel cell units 70 in the width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 5), and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4). preferable.
The power generation air is supplied into the air passage 57a from the air supply pipe 32 connected to the opening of the top plate 54a of the air passage cover, and flows in the air passage 57a while expanding in the longitudinal direction. Then, the power generation air is injected into the internal space 53 from the air supply port 58 of the bottom plate 52c toward the fuel cell stack 60 through the air passages 57a, 57b, 57c.

In the present embodiment, the air supply port 58 is provided only on the bottom plate 52c of the housing main body 52, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided on the side plate 52b or the top plate 52a. It suffices that the air is supplied from the side of the battery cell unit 70 (fuel cell) in the longitudinal direction. However, it is preferable to provide it on a surface other than the top plate 52a on which the exhaust port to which the exhaust gas pipe 26 is connected is provided. Further, as in the present embodiment, it is more preferable to provide it on the bottom plate 52c facing the surface on which the exhaust port to which the exhaust gas pipe 26 is connected is provided.

First and second manifolds (housings) 80 and 82 are provided on both sides of the fuel cell stack 60 in the housing 50, respectively. The first manifold 80 is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and has a pair of partition plates 80A provided therein so as to extend in the vertical direction. Due to these partition plates 80A, the internal space of the first manifold 80 has an upstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply portion) 62A located at the center in the width direction and a downstream fuel gas flow passage located at both sides in the width direction ( Fuel gas discharge part) 62B. Openings are formed on the surface of the first manifold 80 facing the second manifold 82, and these openings are inside one end side of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the fuel cell unit 70. The ends of the electrode terminals 86 are fitted. The fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream fuel cell stack 60A is fitted into the opening corresponding to the upstream fuel gas flow path 62A, and the opening corresponding to the downstream fuel gas flow path 62B is included in the opening. The fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is fitted.

An opening is provided in the widthwise center of the top plate of the first manifold 80, and the fuel supply passage 12 is connected to this opening. As a result, the fuel supply passage 12 and the upstream fuel gas passage 62A communicate with each other, and the fuel gas of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel gas passage 62A and the upstream fuel cell stack 60A. It communicates with one end (upstream end) of the flow path 88. Further, on both sides in the width direction of the top plate of the first manifold 80, an opening 38B that penetrates the top plate of the first manifold 80 and the bottom plate of the combustion unit 38 is provided, and the downstream side fuel gas is passed through this opening 38B. The flow path 62B communicates with the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38. Further, the downstream side fuel gas flow path 62B communicates with one end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas flow path 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B.

The second manifold 82 is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and the middle-flow side fuel gas flow channel 64 is formed inside. Openings are formed in the surface of the second manifold 82 that faces the first manifold 80, and these openings are inside the other end side of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the fuel cell unit 70. The ends of the electrode terminals 86 are fitted. The middle-stream side fuel gas channel 64 communicates with the other end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas channel 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A, and further the downstream fuel cell It communicates with the other end (upstream side end) of the fuel gas flow path 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 forming the stack 60B.

With such a configuration, the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell device 2 from the fuel supply passage 12 is supplied to the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas passage 62A. Supplied. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas channel 64, and the fuel cell unit constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B. 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the downstream fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream fuel gas flow path 62B and is delivered to the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38.

The combustion unit 38 is provided above the fuel cell stack 60, and is configured to burn residual fuel gas that has not been used for power generation in the fuel cell stack 60 with residual air that has not been used for power generation. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the combustion unit 38 is formed of a flat casing and has a width substantially equal to that of the first and second manifolds 80 and 82. The combustion section 38 has one longitudinal end (the left end in FIG. 4) directly connected to the upper side of the first manifold 80, and the other longitudinal end (the right end in FIG. 4). It is supported by the second manifold 82. A gap is provided between both side surfaces of the combustion portion 38 in the width direction and the side plate 50b of the housing 50.

As described above, openings 38B are formed on the bottom surface of the combustion section 38 and on both sides in the width direction of the first manifold 80, and the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38 is located downstream of the first manifold 80 through the openings 38B. It communicates with the side fuel gas flow path 62B. Further, combustion ports 38c are formed on the upper surface of the combustion section 38 at predetermined intervals in a region corresponding to the lower side of the reforming section 36.

With such a configuration, the residual fuel gas is supplied to the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38 from the downstream side fuel gas passage 62B of the first manifold 80, and the supplied residual fuel gas is passed through the combustion port 38c. It is jetted into the internal space of the housing 50. In addition, the air not used for power generation rises through the space between the combustion section 38 and the side plate 50b of the housing 50. When the fuel cell module 1 is started up, by energizing the ceramic heater 34 while the residual fuel gas is ejected from each combustion port 38c of the combustor 38, the ejected residual fuel gas can be ignited. .. As a result, the reforming section 36 arranged above the combustion section 38 in the housing 50 can be heated. (When the fuel cell module 1 is started, the reforming unit 36 has not been heated, so that the reforming reaction does not occur in the reforming unit 36, and the fuel cell unit 2 is also generating electricity. Absent.)

The reforming section 36 is a metal annular container having a rectangular cross section in a top view and a rectangular opening provided in the center, and a mixed gas conduit 28 for introducing a mixed gas is provided at one end thereof. A fuel supply passage 12 is connected (FIG. 4), which is connected to the other end and causes the reformed fuel gas to flow out. The mixed gas conduit 28 extending from the evaporating unit 4 into the housing 50 is bent 90 degrees in the housing 50, extends in the horizontal direction, and then bends 90 degrees vertically downward to reach the ceiling surface of the reforming unit 36. It is connected. The fuel supply passage 12 is connected to the bottom surface of the reforming section 36 at the end opposite to the mixed gas conduit 28 (FIG. 4), extends vertically downward, and is connected to the center of the top plate of the first manifold 80. Has been done.

The inside of the reforming section 36 is filled with a reforming catalyst. The mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam flowing from the mixed gas conduit 28 is steam-reformed by coming into contact with the reforming catalyst to generate a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas. The fuel gas that has been steam-reformed in the reforming section 36 flows into the fuel supply passage 12 and is supplied to the upstream side fuel gas passage 62A of the first manifold 80.

Next, the structure of the evaporation unit 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, in the evaporation unit 4, a water supply pipe 20 for supplying water, a raw fuel gas supply pipe 22 for supplying raw fuel gas, and exhaust gas for discharging. The exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 of is connected. Further, the evaporation unit 4 and the fuel cell device 2 are connected by a pipe, and this pipe is arranged inside the exhaust gas pipe 26 for supplying exhaust gas from the fuel cell device 2 to the evaporation unit 4. The mixed gas conduit 28 has a double tube structure (FIG. 4). The mixed gas conduit 28 is configured to introduce, into the reforming/heating device 4b, a mixed gas obtained by mixing the water vapor generated in the evaporation unit 4 and the raw fuel gas supplied to the evaporation unit 4. An electric heater 29 for auxiliary heating of the evaporation unit 4 is wound around the three sides of the evaporation unit 4 around the side surface.

As shown in FIG. 4, the evaporation unit 4 is formed of a metal plate in a rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and inside thereof, an evaporation chamber 30a, a mixing chamber 30b, and an exhaust gas chamber 30c are formed. The evaporation chamber 30a is a thin space formed immediately below the ceiling surface of the evaporation unit 4, and is supplied from the water supply pipe 20 and the raw fuel gas supply pipe 22 connected to the ceiling surface of the evaporation unit 4, respectively. Water and raw fuel gas are configured to flow into the evaporation chamber 30a.

The mixing chamber 30b is formed as a space communicating with the downstream side of the evaporation chamber 30a via a narrow passage 30d. The water vapor generated in the evaporation chamber 30a and the raw fuel gas supplied into the evaporation chamber 30a are mixed by flowing into the mixing chamber 30b through the narrow passage 30d.
A mixed gas conduit 28 is connected to the bottom surface of the mixing chamber 30b, and the steam and raw fuel gas mixed in the mixing chamber 30b are introduced into the reforming section 36 through the mixed gas conduit 28.

The exhaust gas chamber 30c is a space provided in the lower portion of the evaporation unit 4, and is configured such that exhaust gas flows in via an exhaust gas pipe 26 connected to the bottom surface of the evaporation unit 4. The exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust gas chamber 30c heats the floor surface of the evaporation chamber 30a provided on the upper side of the exhaust gas chamber 30c, and is discharged from the exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 connected to the side end of the evaporation unit 4. To be done. The water supplied to the evaporation chamber 30a is evaporated by heating the floor surface of the evaporation chamber 30a by the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas chamber 30c.

The downstream side of the exhaust gas chamber 30c is made thin so that the inflowing exhaust gas flows along the floor surface of the evaporation chamber 30a (the ceiling surface of the exhaust gas chamber 30c). In this thin space, heat transfer fins 30e are arranged so that the heat of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas chamber 30c can be efficiently transferred to the floor surface of the evaporation chamber 30a. In this way, the exhaust gas flowing from the exhaust gas pipe 26 connected to one end of the exhaust gas chamber 30c flows toward the exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 connected to the other end (from left to right in FIG. 4). On the other hand, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 20 connected to the end portion of the evaporation chamber 30a on the exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 side is evaporated in the evaporation chamber 30a and is directed toward the other end portion (see FIG. 4). From right to left). As described above, since the water vapor and the exhaust gas flowing in the evaporation section 4 flow in opposite directions, counter flow type heat exchange is performed between them, and heat exchange is efficiently performed.

Next, the operation of the fuel cell module 1 according to this embodiment will be described.
First, when the fuel cell module 1 is started up, the raw fuel gas is supplied to the evaporator 4 via the raw fuel gas supply pipe 22, and the air for power generation is supplied to the fuel cell unit via the air supply pipe 32. 2 is supplied. As shown in FIG. 4, the supplied raw fuel gas (shown by a solid line) flows into the mixed gas conduit 28 through the evaporation chamber 30a of the evaporation unit 4 and the mixing chamber 30b, and further, of the fuel cell device 2. It flows into the reforming section 36. In the initial stage of starting the fuel cell module 1, since the temperature of the reforming section 36 is low, the reaction for reforming the raw fuel gas does not occur. The raw fuel gas that has flowed into the reforming unit 36 passes through the fuel supply passage 12 (FIG. 4) and constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas flow passage 62A in the first manifold 80. Flow into the fuel cell unit 70. The raw fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the upstream fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle-stream fuel gas flow path 64, and the fuel cell unit 70 forming the downstream fuel cell stack 60B. Is supplied to. Then, the raw fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream side fuel gas passage 62B and sent to the combustion section 38.

On the other hand, the air (indicated by the broken line) supplied to the fuel cell device 2 through the air supply pipe 32 passes through the air passages 57a, 57b, 57c and from the air supply port 58 of the bottom plate 52c of the housing body 52 to the fuel cell. It is injected into the internal space 53 toward the cell stack 60.

The raw fuel gas sent to the combustion section 38 flows into the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38 and is ejected from the combustion port 38c formed on the top plate thereof. On the other hand, the air injected into the internal space 53 rises and is supplied to the combustion section 38 from between the housing 50 and the combustion section 38. Further, when the fuel cell module 1 is started, the ceramic heater 34 is energized, and the heat of the ceramic heater 34 ignites the raw fuel gas ejected from the combustion port 38c of the top plate of the combustion section 38. As a result, the combustion unit 38 generates combustion heat.

When the combustion section 38 is ignited, the reforming section 36 arranged above the combustion section 38 is heated, and the temperature of the internal reforming catalyst rises. Further, the combustion gas generated by the combustion heats the air flowing through the air passages 57a, 57b, 57c of the housing 50. Since the heated air flows into the internal space 53 of the housing 50, the heat heats the fuel cell unit 70 of the fuel cell device 2.

Further, the combustion gas generated in the housing 50 flows into the evaporation unit 4 as exhaust gas through the exhaust gas pipe 26. The exhaust gas that has flowed into the evaporator 4 is discharged from the exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 through the exhaust gas chamber 30c. At this time, the evaporation chamber 30a provided above the exhaust gas chamber 30c is heated. In this way, the water supplied to the evaporation unit 4 is generated by the combustion unit 38 and heated by the combustion gas supplied by the exhaust gas pipe 26. After the temperature of the evaporation chamber 30a rises, the supply of water from the water supply pipe 20 is started, and steam is generated in the evaporation chamber 30a. When the fuel cell module 1 is activated, the electric heater 29 may be energized to assist in heating the evaporation chamber 30a.

When steam is generated in the evaporation chamber 30a, the mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam is supplied to the reforming section 36. When the temperature of the reforming section 36 rises sufficiently, the reforming catalyst induces a steam reforming reaction to generate a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas from the raw fuel gas. The generated fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas flow path 62A. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas channel 64, and the fuel cell unit constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B. 70. Then, the fuel gas (residual fuel gas) discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream side fuel gas flow path 62B and sent to the combustion section 38.

When the temperature of the fuel cell device 2 rises sufficiently, the fuel gas passing through each fuel cell unit 70 and the air jetted from the air supply port 58 toward the fuel cell stack 60 into the internal space 53 cause a power generation reaction. Will occur. In a state where the temperature of the fuel cell device 2 has risen to a temperature at which power can be generated, electric power is taken out from the fuel cell device 2 and power generation is started.

According to this embodiment, the following effects are exhibited.
In the present embodiment, the upstream side fuel gas flow path (fuel gas supply unit) 62A for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cell unit 70 and the residual fuel gas not used for power generation in the fuel cell unit 70 are recovered. Since the downstream side fuel gas flow channel (fuel gas discharge part) 62B is provided at the side part of the fuel cell stack 60, the air inside the housing 50 is formed by the upstream side fuel gas flow channel 62A and the downstream side fuel gas flow channel 62B. The flow of is not disturbed. As a result, it is possible to uniformly supply air to each fuel cell unit 70. Further, in the present embodiment, the fuel cell unit 70 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction is the lateral direction, so that it is possible to realize uniform air supply in the longitudinal direction of each fuel cell unit 70.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first manifold 80 forming the downstream side fuel gas flow channel 62B is directly connected to the combustion section 38. Accordingly, by reducing the number of constituent members, it is possible to reduce the cost and simplify the assembling work, and it is possible to realize the fuel cell module 1 in a compact size.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing 50 has an air supply port 58 for supplying air to the fuel cell stack 60 housed in the internal space 53 from the side in the longitudinal direction. As a result, air can be uniformly supplied to the fuel cell unit 70 in the longitudinal direction.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the fuel cell module according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the entire fuel cell module according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. In the first embodiment, the combustion unit 38 and the reforming unit 36 are configured as separate bodies, but in the second embodiment, the combustion unit and the reforming unit are integrally configured.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the fuel cell module 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel cell device 102 and an evaporation unit 4 arranged above the fuel cell device 102. The fuel cell device 102 and the evaporator 4 are surrounded by a heat insulating material (not shown), and the fuel cell device 102 is thermally isolated from the evaporator 4.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the fuel cell device 2 includes a housing 50 and a fuel cell stack 60 housed in the housing 50. The fuel cell device 102 includes a fuel cell stack 60 including a plurality of fuel cells, a combustion unit 138 disposed above the fuel cell stack 60, and a reforming unit integrated with the combustion unit 138. And 136. The configurations of the fuel cell stack 60 and the housing 50 are the same as in the first embodiment.

First and second manifolds 180 and 182 are provided on both sides of the fuel cell stack 60 in the housing 50, respectively. The first manifold 180 is made of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and has a pair of partition plates 180A provided therein so as to extend in the vertical direction. Due to these partition plates 180A, the internal space of the first manifold 180 has an upstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply portion) 162A located at the center in the width direction and a downstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply portion) located at both sides in the width direction ( Fuel gas discharge part) 162B. Openings are formed in the surface of the first manifold 180 that faces the second manifold 182, and these openings are inside one end side of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the fuel cell unit 70. The ends of the electrode terminals 86 are fitted. The fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream fuel cell stack 60A is fitted into the opening corresponding to the upstream fuel gas flow path 62A, and the opening corresponding to the downstream fuel gas flow path 62B is included in the opening. The fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is fitted.

An opening 180B is provided in the center of the top plate of the first manifold 180 and the bottom surface of the combustion unit 138 in the width direction, and the upstream fuel gas passage 162A communicates with the fuel supply space 112 through the opening 180B. Further, the upstream fuel gas passage 162A communicates with one end (upstream end) of the fuel gas passage 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A.

An opening 138B is provided on both sides of the top plate of the first manifold 180 and the bottom surface of the combustion unit 138 in the width direction, and the downstream side fuel gas flow path 162B and the residual fuel gas dispersion of the combustion unit 138 are provided through the opening 138B. It communicates with the space 143. Further, the downstream side fuel gas flow path 162B communicates with one end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas flow path 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B.

The second manifold 182 is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and has a middle-flow side fuel gas flow channel 164 formed therein. Openings are formed in the surface of the second manifold 182 facing the first manifold 180, and these openings have the openings of the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the fuel cell unit 70. The end of the inner electrode terminal 86 on the other end side is fitted. The middle-stream side fuel gas channel 164 communicates with the other end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas channel 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream fuel cell stack 60A, and further the downstream fuel cell It communicates with the other end (upstream side end) of the fuel gas flow path 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 forming the stack 60B.

With such a configuration, the fuel gas supplied from the reforming unit 136 to the first manifold 180 via the fuel supply space 112 constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas passage 162A. Is supplied to the fuel cell unit 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas flow channel 164, and the fuel cell unit forming the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B. 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream side fuel gas passage 162B and sent to the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 of the combustion section 138. ..

The combustion unit 138 has a residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 to which the residual fuel gas remaining without being used for power generation is supplied, and the residual fuel gas is ejected from the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 through the combustion port 144A to generate the residual fuel gas. This is the part that burns the fuel gas.

The residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 is formed by the combustion unit casing 142, the partition member 144, and the partition member 112A. The combustion unit housing 142 is a flat container-shaped member having an open top, and is provided between the first manifold 180 and the second manifold 182. In the combustion section casing 142 that constitutes the combustion section 138, one end in the longitudinal direction (the end on the left side in FIG. 8) is directly connected above the first manifold 180, and the other end in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. The right end of 8) is supported by the second manifold 182. A gap is provided between both side surfaces of the combustion unit casing 142 in the width direction and the side plate 50b of the housing 50.

The partition member 144 is a rectangular member having the same shape as the combustion unit housing 142 in a plan view. The partition member 144 is provided with a T-shaped recess 144B that protrudes downward and corresponds to an upper casing 146 described later in a plan view.

The partition member 112A is a U-shaped member in a plan view, and has a lower edge connected to the combustion unit casing 142 and an upper edge connected to the partition member 144. The lateral edge of the partition member 112A is connected to the side wall of the combustion unit housing 142. A space formed between the combustion unit casing 142 and the partition member 144 is defined as a fuel supply space 112 above the upstream fuel gas flow path (fuel gas supply unit) 162A and a residual fuel gas dispersion space of the combustion unit 138. It is divided into 143.

A large number of combustion ports (pores) 144A are formed in a portion of the upper surface of the partition member 144 exposed to the internal space 53 of the housing 50 (a portion not covered by the upper casing 146, as described later). The residual fuel gas supplied into the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 of the combustion section 138 is ejected into the internal space 53 of the housing 50 through the combustion port 144A. The combustion port 144A provided in a region along the air passage 57b between the side plate 52b and the side plate 54b is provided so as to be inclined so as to eject the residual fuel gas toward the side surface portion of the air passage 57b. ..

In the present embodiment, the combustion ports 144A are arranged so as to be evenly distributed, but it is preferable that the combustion ports 144A are arranged densely in the vicinity of the side surface portion of the air passage 57b. Further, preferably, the combustion port 144A is arranged such that the downstream side (fuel supply space 112 side) is denser than the upstream side (mixed gas conduit 28 side) of the raw fuel gas flowing through the reforming section 136. It is good to be there.

With such a configuration, the residual fuel gas is supplied from the downstream fuel gas flow passage 162B of the first manifold 180 to the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 of the combustion section 138, and the supplied residual fuel gas is burned in the combustion port 144A. Is jetted out into the internal space 53 of the housing 50 via. In addition, the air not used for power generation rises through the space between the combustion section 138 and the side plate 50b of the housing 50. When the fuel cell module 101 is started up, by energizing the ceramic heater 34 while the residual fuel gas is ejected from each combustion port 144A of the combustion section 138, the ejected residual fuel gas can be ignited. .. As a result, the reforming section 136 formed integrally with the combustion section 138 in the housing 50 can be heated. (Note that at the time of starting the fuel cell module 101, the temperature of the reforming section 136 has not been raised, so the reforming reaction does not occur in the reforming section 136, and the power generation by the fuel cell device 102 is also performed. Absent.)

The reforming section 136 has a reforming space 145 filled with a reforming catalyst. The reforming space 145 is formed by the partition member 144 and the upper casing 146. The upper casing 146 is a container-like member that is formed in a T shape in a top view and has an opening at the bottom. It has the main-body part 146B extended to the other direction side (right side of FIG. 10). The wide portion 146A of the upper casing 146 has a width substantially equal to that of the partition member 144 in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 10). The main body portion 146B has a width narrower than that of the partition member 144 in the width direction, and the end portion on the ceramic heater 34 side in the longitudinal direction terminates before the end portion of the partition member 144 on the ceramic heater 34 side. .. As a result, the portion of the partition member 144 that contacts the periphery of the main body portion 146B other than the wide portion 146A is not covered by the upper casing 146 and is exposed to the internal space 53 of the housing 50. A mixed gas conduit 28 for introducing a mixed gas is connected to one end of the reforming space 136 of the reforming section 136 on the ceramic heater 34 side, and an opening 144C is formed at the bottom of the other end. The reforming space 145 communicates with the fuel supply space 112 through the opening 144C. The mixed gas conduit 28 extending from the evaporating section 4 into the housing 50 is bent 90 degrees in the housing 50, extends horizontally, and then bends 90 degrees vertically downward to form the reforming section 136. It is connected to the casing 146. The mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam flowing from the mixed gas conduit 28 is steam-reformed by coming into contact with the reforming catalyst to generate a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas. The fuel gas steam-reformed in the reforming section 136 flows into the fuel supply space 112 and is supplied to the upstream side fuel gas flow path 162A of the first manifold 180.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the combustion unit 138 includes the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143, and the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 is formed by the combustion unit housing 142, the partition member 144, and the partition member 112A. .. Further, the reforming section 136 includes a reforming space 145, and the reforming space 145 is formed by a partition member 144 and an upper casing 146. As a result, the upper part of the combustion part 138 is in contact with the lower part of the reforming part 136, and the partition member 144 is a combustion part formation member that forms the residual fuel gas dispersion space 143 of the combustion part 138. , And is shared as a reforming portion forming member that forms the reforming space 145.

The operation of the fuel cell module 101 according to this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment.
In the present embodiment, a part of the combustion section 138 is in contact with a part of the reforming section 136. According to the present embodiment as described above, the reforming section 136 is heated by not only the heat of the flame of the combustion section 138 and the heat of the exhaust gas but also the heat generated in the combustion section 138 is transferred through the member. .. Thereby, the heat transfer of the combustion heat to the reforming section 136 can be improved. Further, by utilizing the heat transfer via the member, it is less likely to be affected by heating due to the turbulence of the flow of the exhaust gas. Further, in the above-described cell burner system, the arrangement of the combustion ports is determined according to the arrangement of the fuel cells, but according to the present embodiment, the combustion ports 144A can be freely arranged in the combustion section 138.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a fuel cell module according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the first or second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the entire fuel cell module according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the evaporation unit is provided as a separate body outside the fuel cell device, but in the third embodiment, the evaporation unit is configured integrally with the reforming unit, and the housing of the fuel cell device is formed. It is housed inside.

As shown in FIG. 11, the fuel cell module 201 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a fuel cell device 202. The fuel cell device 202 is surrounded by a heat insulating material (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 16, the fuel cell device 202 includes a housing 250, and the housing 250 includes a fuel cell stack 60 including a plurality of fuel cells, and a fuel cell stack 60 above the fuel cell stack 60. The disposed combustion unit 238, the reforming unit 236 integrated with the combustion unit 238, and the evaporation unit 204 integrated with the combustion unit 238 and the reforming unit 236 are housed. The structure of the fuel cell stack 60 is similar to that of the first embodiment.

The housing 250 includes a housing body 252 and an air passage cover 254 provided so as to cover the housing body 252. On the upper surface of the housing 250, a water supply pipe 220 for supplying water, a raw fuel gas supply pipe 222 for supplying raw fuel gas, an exhaust gas pipe 226 for exhausting exhaust gas, and air. An air supply pipe 232 for supplying the air is connected. A ceramic heater 34 for ignition is attached to one side surface of the housing 250.

The housing body 252 has a cylindrical body composed of a substantially rectangular top plate 252a, a bottom plate 252c, and a pair of opposing side plates 252b that connect the sides extending in the longitudinal direction, and a longitudinal body of both ends of the cylindrical body. It includes closing side plates 252d and 252e that close two facing openings and connect the sides extending in the width direction of the top plate 252a and the bottom plate 252c. An internal space 253 as a power generation chamber is formed in the housing body 252, and the fuel cell stack 60 is accommodated in the internal space 53. An exhaust port is formed in the top plate 252a, and an exhaust gas pipe 226 for supplying exhaust gas to the outside is connected to the exhaust port.

Further, in the housing 250, the top plate 252a, the side plates 252b, and the bottom plate 252c are covered by the air passage cover 254. The air passage cover 254 has a top plate 254a, a pair of opposing side plates 254b extending downward from both sides of the top plate 254a, and a bottom plate 254c connecting between lower edges of the pair of side plates 254b. An exhaust port for penetrating the exhaust gas pipe 226 is provided at the center of the top plate 254a in the width direction. An air supply pipe 232 is connected to the top plate 254a.

The top plate 252a and the top plate 254a, the side plates 252b and 254b, and the bottom plate 252c and the bottom plate 254c are separated by a predetermined distance. Thus, the top plate 252a, the side plate 252b, and the bottom plate 252c of the housing main body 252 and the top plate 254a, the side plate 254b, and the bottom plate 254c of the air passage cover 254 are provided between the top plate 252a and the side plate 252b of the housing main body 252. , And air passages 257a, 257b, 257c as oxidant gas supply passages are formed along the outer surface of the bottom plate 252c. Further, fins 257d are provided in the air passage 257a between the top plate 252a and the top plate 254a and in the air passage 257b between the side plate 252b and the side plate 254b.

The bottom plate 252c of the housing body 252 is provided with an air supply port 258 that is a plurality of through holes (see FIG. 14). The air supply ports 258 are preferably arranged between the fuel cell units 70 in the width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 15), and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 14). preferable.
The power generation air is supplied into the air passage 257a from the air supply pipe 232 connected to the opening of the top plate 254a of the air passage cover, and flows in the air passage 257a while expanding in the longitudinal direction. Then, the power generation air is injected into the internal space 53 from the air supply port 258 of the bottom plate 252c toward the fuel cell stack 60 through the air passages 257a, 257b, 257c.

Although the air supply port 258 is provided only on the bottom plate 252c of the housing body 252 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided on the side plate 252b or the top plate 252a. It suffices that the air is supplied from the side of the battery cell unit 70 (fuel cell) in the longitudinal direction. However, it is preferable to provide it on a surface other than the top plate 252a provided with the discharge port to which the exhaust gas pipe 226 is connected. Further, as in the present embodiment, it is more preferable to provide it on the bottom plate 252c facing the surface provided with the exhaust port to which the exhaust gas pipe 226 is connected.

First and second manifolds 280 and 282 are provided on both sides of the fuel cell stack 60 in the housing 250, respectively. The first manifold 280 is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and has a pair of partition plates 280A provided therein so as to extend in the vertical direction. Due to these partition plates 280A, the internal space of the first manifold 280 has an upstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply portion) 262A located at the center in the width direction and a downstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply portion) located at both sides in the width direction ( Fuel gas discharge part) 262B. Openings are formed in the surface of the first manifold 280 facing the second manifold 282, and these openings are inside one end side of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the fuel cell unit 70. The ends of the electrode terminals 86 are fitted. The fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream fuel cell stack 60A is fitted into the opening corresponding to the upstream fuel gas passage 62A, and the opening corresponding to the downstream fuel gas passage 262B is included in the opening. The fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is fitted.

An opening 280B is provided in the widthwise center of the top plate of the first manifold 280 and the bottom surface of the combustion unit 238, and the upstream fuel gas passage 262A communicates with the fuel supply space 212 through the opening 280B. Further, the upstream fuel gas flow passage 262A communicates with one end (upstream end) of the fuel gas flow passage 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A.

Openings 238B are provided on both sides in the width direction of the top plate of the first manifold 280 and the bottom surface of the combustion section 238, and the downstream side fuel gas flow path 262B and the residual fuel gas dispersion of the combustion section 238 are provided through the openings 238B. It communicates with the space 243. Further, the downstream side fuel gas flow channel 262B communicates with one end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas flow channel 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B.

The second manifold 282 is made of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and has a middle-flow side fuel gas passage 264 formed therein. Openings are formed in the surface of the second manifold 282 on the side facing the first manifold 280, and the openings are formed in the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the fuel cell unit 70. The end of the inner electrode terminal 86 on the other end side is fitted. The middle stream side fuel gas channel 264 communicates with the other end (downstream side end) of the fuel gas channel 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A, and further the downstream fuel cell cell. It communicates with the other end (upstream side end) of the fuel gas flow path 88 of the fuel cell unit 70 forming the stack 60B.

With such a configuration, the fuel gas supplied from the reforming section 236 to the first manifold 280 via the fuel supply space 212 constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas passage 262A. Is supplied to the fuel cell unit 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas passage 264, and the fuel cell unit forming the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B. 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream side fuel gas flow path 262B and sent to the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 of the combustion section 238. ..

As shown in FIG. 14, the combustion unit 238 has a residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 to which residual gas that is not used for power generation is supplied, and the residual gas is ejected from the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 through the combustion port 244A. This is a part where the residual fuel gas is burned.

The residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 is formed by the combustion unit housing 242, the partition member 244, and the partition member 212A. The combustion unit housing 242 is a flat container-shaped member having an open top, and is provided between the first manifold 280 and the second manifold 282.

The partition member 244 is a rectangular member having the same shape as the combustion unit housing 242 in a plan view. The partition member 244 is provided with a T-shaped concave portion 244B that protrudes downward and corresponds to an upper casing 246 described later in a plan view.

The partition member 212A is a U-shaped member in a plan view, and has a lower edge connected to the combustion unit housing 242 and an upper edge connected to the partition member 244. Further, the side edge portion is connected to the side wall of the combustion unit casing 242. A space formed between the combustion unit casing 242 and the partition member 244 is defined as a fuel supply space 212 above the upstream fuel gas flow path (fuel gas supply unit) 262A and a residual fuel gas dispersion space of the combustion unit 238. It is divided into 243. In the combustion unit casing 242 that constitutes the combustion unit 238, one end in the longitudinal direction (the end on the left side in FIG. 14) is directly connected above the first manifold 280, and the other end in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. The right end of 14) is supported by the second manifold 282. A gap is provided between both side surfaces of the combustion unit housing 242 in the width direction and the side plate 250b of the housing 250. A plurality of combustion ports 244A are provided in a portion of the partition member 244 that is not covered by the upper casing 246. In addition, as described above, the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 communicates with the downstream side fuel gas passage 262 through the opening 238B.

A large number of combustion ports (pores) 244A are formed in a portion of the upper surface of the partition member 244 exposed to the internal space of the housing 250 (a portion not covered by the upper casing 246 as described later). The residual fuel gas supplied into the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 of the combustion section 238 through the combustion port 244A is ejected into the internal space of the housing 250. The combustion port 244A provided in the region along the air passage 257b between the side plates 252b and 254b is provided so as to be inclined so as to eject the residual fuel gas toward the side surface portion of the air passage 257b. ..

In the present embodiment, the combustion ports 244A are arranged so as to be evenly distributed, but it is preferable to arrange the combustion ports 244A so as to be dense near the side surface portion of the air passage 257b. Further, preferably, the combustion port 244A is arranged such that the downstream side (fuel supply space 212 side) of the raw fuel gas flowing through the reforming section 236 is denser than the upstream side (evaporation section 204 side). It's good.

With such a configuration, the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 of the combustion unit 238 is supplied with the residual fuel gas from the downstream side fuel gas flow path 262B of the first manifold 280, and the supplied residual fuel gas is burned into the combustion port 244A. Is jetted into the internal space of the housing 250 via the. In addition, the air not used for power generation rises through the space between the combustion unit 238 and the side plate 250b of the housing 250. When the fuel cell module 201 is started up, by energizing the ceramic heater 34 while the residual fuel gas is ejected from each combustion port 244A of the combustion section 238, the ejected residual fuel gas can be ignited. .. As a result, it is possible to heat the reforming section 236 integrally formed with the combustion section 238 inside the housing 250. (At the time of starting the fuel cell module 201, since the reforming section 236 has not been heated, the reforming reaction does not occur in the reforming section 236, and the fuel cell device 202 is also performing power generation. Absent.)

The reforming section 236 has a reforming space 245 in which a reforming catalyst is filled. The reforming space 245 is formed by the partition member 244, the upper casing 246, and the partition member 249. The upper casing 246 is a container-like member that is formed in a T-shape in a top view and has an opening at the bottom. It has the main-body part 246B extended in the other direction side (right side of FIG. 16). The wide portion 246A of the upper casing 246 has a width substantially equal to that of the partition member 244 in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 16). The main body portion 246B has a width narrower than that of the partition member 244 in the width direction, and the end portion of the partition member 244 on the ceramic heater 34 side ends in front of the end portion of the partition member 244 on the ceramic heater 34 side. .. As a result, the portion of the partition member 244 that is in contact with the periphery of the main body portion 246B other than the wide portion 246A side is not covered by the upper casing 246 and is exposed to the internal space 253 of the housing 250.

The partition member 249 is provided at a longitudinal intermediate portion of the main body portion 146B of the upper casing 246, and the space between the partition member 244 and the upper casing 246 is provided on the upstream side (the water supply pipe 220 and the raw fuel gas supply). It is divided into an evaporation space 205 that constitutes the evaporation unit 204 on the side to which the pipe 222 is connected and a reforming space 245 on the downstream side (fuel supply space 212 side). The partition member 249 is provided with a slit through which water vapor generated by water evaporation in the evaporation unit 204 and the raw fuel gas can flow.

An opening 244C is formed in a portion of the partition member 244 forming the reforming section 236, which corresponds to an upper portion of the fuel supply space 212, and the reforming space 245 communicates with the fuel supply space 212 through the opening 244C.

The mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam that has flowed into the reforming section 236 from the evaporating section 204 is steam-reformed by coming into contact with the reforming catalyst, and a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas is generated. The fuel gas steam-reformed in the reforming section 236 flows into the fuel supply space 212 and is supplied to the upstream fuel gas passage 262A of the first manifold 280.

The evaporation unit 204 has an evaporation space 205 formed by the partition member 244, the upper casing 246, and the partition member 249. A water supply pipe 220 and a raw fuel gas supply pipe 222 penetrating the top plate of the housing 250 are connected to a portion of the upper casing 246 corresponding to the upper part of the evaporation space 205, and the evaporation space 205 has a water supply pipe. Water and raw fuel gas flow from the 220 and the raw fuel gas supply pipe 222. The evaporator 204 evaporates the inflowing water to generate steam, and mixes the steam and the raw fuel gas to generate a mixed gas. The mixed gas is delivered to the reforming section 236 through the slit of the partition member 249.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the combustion unit 238 includes the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243, and the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 is formed by the combustion unit housing 242, the partition member 244, and the partition member 212A. .. Further, the reforming section 236 includes a reforming space 245, and the reforming space 245 is formed by the partition member 244, the upper casing 246, and the partition member 249. Further, the evaporation unit 204 includes an evaporation space 205, and the evaporation space 205 is formed by a partition member 244, an upper casing 246, and a partition member 249. As a result, the upper portion of the combustion unit 238 is in contact with the lower portion of the reforming unit 236, and the partition member 244 is a combustion unit forming member that forms the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 of the combustion unit 238. , And is shared as a reforming portion forming member that forms the reforming space 245. Further, the reforming section 236 and the evaporating section 204 are arranged side by side in the lateral direction, that is, installed in parallel, and the partition member 244, the upper casing 246, and the partitioning member 249 form the reforming space of the reforming section 236. 245 is a reforming portion forming member and is also shared as an evaporating portion constituting member that constitutes the evaporating portion 204, and the evaporating portion 204 and the reforming portion 236 are integrated.

Next, the operation of the fuel cell module 201 according to this embodiment will be described.
First, when the fuel cell module 201 is started up, the raw fuel gas is supplied to the evaporator 204 via the raw fuel gas supply pipe 222, and the air for power generation is supplied to the fuel cell unit via the air supply pipe 232. It is supplied to 202. As shown in FIG. 14, the supplied raw fuel gas (shown by a solid line) flows into the reforming section 236 through the evaporation space 205 of the evaporation section 204. In the initial stage of starting the fuel cell module 201, since the temperature of the reforming section 236 is low, the reaction for reforming the raw fuel gas does not occur. The raw fuel gas flowing into the reforming section 236 passes through the fuel supply space 212, and passes through the upstream fuel gas flow passage 262A in the first manifold 280 to constitute the upstream fuel cell stack 60A. It flows into the unit 70. The fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas flow channel 64, and is collected in the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the downstream side fuel cell cell stack 60B. Supplied. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream side fuel gas passage 262B and sent to the combustion section 238.

On the other hand, the air (indicated by the broken line) supplied to the fuel cell device 202 via the air supply pipe 232 passes through the air passages 257a, 257b, 257c and from the air supply port 258 of the bottom plate 252c of the housing body 252 to the fuel cell. It is injected into the internal space 253 toward the cell stack 60.

The raw fuel gas sent to the combustion unit 238 flows into the residual fuel gas dispersion space 243 of the combustion unit 238 and is ejected from the combustion port 244A of the combustion unit 238. On the other hand, the air injected into the internal space 253 rises and is supplied to the combustion section 238 from between the housing 250 and the combustion section 238. Further, when the fuel cell module 201 is activated, the ceramic heater 34 is energized, and the heat of the ceramic heater 34 ignites the raw fuel gas ejected from the combustion port 244A of the combustion section 238. This causes the combustion unit 238 to generate heat of combustion.

When the combustion section 238 is ignited, the flame of the combustion section 238 heats the reforming section 236, and the heat of the combustion section 238 is transmitted to the reforming section 236 via the combustion section housing 242 and the partition member 244. The temperature of the internal reforming catalyst rises. Further, the combustion gas generated by the combustion heats the air flowing through the air passages 257a, 257b, 257c of the housing 250. Since the heated air flows into the internal space 253 of the housing 250, this heat heats the fuel cell unit 70 of the fuel cell unit 202.

Further, the combustion gas generated in the housing 250 heats the evaporation section 204. As a result, the water supplied to the evaporation unit 204 is heated by the combustion gas generated by the combustion unit 238. After the temperature of the evaporation section 204 rises, the supply of water from the water supply pipe 220 is started, and steam is generated in the evaporation space 205.

When steam is generated in the evaporation unit 204, a mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam is supplied to the reforming unit 236. Further, when the temperature of the reforming section 236 sufficiently rises, the reforming catalyst induces a steam reforming reaction to generate a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas from the raw fuel gas. The generated fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell unit 70 that constitutes the upstream fuel cell stack 60A via the upstream fuel gas passage 262A. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 constituting the upstream side fuel cell stack 60A is recovered in the middle stream side fuel gas channel 64, and the fuel cell unit constituting the downstream side fuel cell stack 60B. 70. Then, the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 70 forming the downstream fuel cell stack 60B is recovered in the downstream fuel gas flow path 62B and sent to the combustion section 238.

When the temperature of the fuel cell device 202 rises sufficiently, the fuel gas passing through each fuel cell unit 70 and the air ejected from the air supply port 258 toward the fuel cell stack 60 into the internal space 253 cause a power generation reaction. Will occur. When the temperature of the fuel cell device 2 has risen to a temperature at which power can be generated, electric power is taken out from the fuel cell device 202 and power generation is started.

According to the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment and the second embodiment.
In the present embodiment, the reforming section 236 and the evaporation section 204 are integrally formed. As a result, it is possible to improve the heat transfer of the combustion heat to the reforming section 236 and the evaporation section 204, and it is possible to reduce the cost and simplify the assembly work by reducing the number of constituent members.

<Fourth Embodiment>
The fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a fuel cell module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a front view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a side view of the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along line XX-XX in FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXI-XXI in FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along line XXII-XXII in FIG. 18. 23 is a sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII in FIG. The fuel cell module 301 of the fourth embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in the configuration of the fuel cell unit 370 of the fuel cell device 302 and the configuration of the housing 350.

First, the fuel cell unit 370 used in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 to 26. 24 to 26 show a fuel cell unit used in the fuel cell module shown in FIG. 17, FIG. 24 is a perspective view, FIG. 25 is a front view, and FIG. 26 is a longitudinal sectional view.

As shown in FIGS. 24 to 26, the fuel cell unit 370 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The fuel cell unit 370 includes a fuel electrode support 372, a partition portion 374, an electrolyte portion 376, and a fuel electrode 378.

The fuel electrode support 372 is made of the same material as the inner electrode layer 90 which is the fuel electrode in the first embodiment. A rectangular internal space 372A is formed in the fuel electrode support 372 from one end side. The internal space 372A is open at one end side (front side in FIG. 24) and closed at the other end side.

The partition portion 374 is an air electrode material made of a perovskite type oxide (for example, LaCoO3, LaMnO3, LaFeO3, etc., with La sites doped with Sr, Ca, etc., or not doped, or a composite material thereof). Or an alloy containing at least one or more of silver, gold, tungsten, rhodium, and iridium, or a composite material thereof having a lower transmittance than that of the air electrode support, and having a thermal expansion coefficient of the fuel electrode support. It is formed as a plate-like body that is substantially the same as the body 372. As shown in FIG. 25, the partition part 374 extends over the entire width of the internal space 372A so as to divide the internal space 372A of the fuel electrode support 372 into upper and lower parts. Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the partition portion 374 extends from one end (the left end portion in FIG. 26) of the internal space 372A and ends before the other end of the internal space 372A. Thereby, the internal space 372A is divided into the upstream space 372A1 above the partition part 374 and the downstream space 372A2 below the partition part 374, and the upstream space 372A1 and the downstream space 372A2 are the internal space 372A. It is configured to communicate at the back of the.

The electrolyte portion 376 is formed in layers so as to cover the surface of the fuel electrode support 372 other than the surface where the internal space 372A is open. The electrolyte portion 376 is made of the same material as the electrolyte layer 94 of the first embodiment.

The fuel electrode 378 is formed in a layer shape so as to annularly cover the outer peripheral surface of the electrolyte portion 376. Specifically, the fuel electrode 378 is formed over a length range shorter than the length of the electrolyte portion 376 in the longitudinal direction. The fuel electrode 378 is made of the same material as the inner electrode layer 90 which is the fuel electrode of the first embodiment.

With such a configuration, the fuel gas flowing into the upstream space 372A1 from one end side of the fuel cell unit 370 is folded back at the other end side of the internal space 372A and is discharged from the one end side of the downstream space 372A2. ..

The fuel cell stack 360 is configured by arranging a plurality of fuel cell units 370 in a plurality of rows in the width direction and two stages in the height direction. In each fuel cell unit 370, the partition 374 is vertical and the upstream space 372A1 and the downstream space 372A2 are arranged side by side in the width direction. Further, each fuel cell unit 370 is arranged so that the internal space 372A opens in a predetermined direction (left side in FIG. 20).

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 23, the housing 350 includes a housing body 352 and an air passage cover 354 provided so as to cover the housing body 352.

The housing main body 352 has a cylindrical body composed of a substantially rectangular top plate 352a, a bottom plate 352c, and a pair of opposing side plates 352b that connect the sides extending in the longitudinal direction, and a longitudinal body of both ends of the cylindrical body. It includes closing side plates 352d and 352e that close two opposing openings and connect the sides extending in the width direction of the top plate 352a and the bottom plate 352c. An internal space 353 as a power generation chamber is formed in the housing body 352, and the fuel cell stack 360 is accommodated in the internal space 353. An exhaust port is formed in the top plate 352a, and an exhaust gas pipe 26 for supplying exhaust gas to the evaporation unit 4 is connected to the exhaust port.

Further, in the housing 350, the top plate 352a, the side plates 352b, and the bottom plate 352c are covered by the air passage cover 354. The air passage cover 354 has a top plate 354a, a pair of opposing side plates 354b extending downward from both sides of the top plate 354a, and a bottom plate 354c connecting between lower edges of the pair of side plates 354b. An exhaust port for penetrating the exhaust gas pipe 26 is provided at the center of the top plate 354a in the width direction. The air supply pipe 32 is connected to the top plate 354a.

The top plate 352a and the top plate 354a, the side plates 352b and 354b, and the bottom plate 352c and the bottom plate 354c are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. As a result, the top plate 352a, the side plate 352b, and the bottom plate 352c of the housing body 352 and the top plate 354a, the side plate 354b, and the bottom plate 354c of the air passage cover 354 are disposed between the top plate 352a and the side plate 352b of the housing body 352. , And air passages 357a, 357b, 357c as oxidant gas supply passages are formed along the outer surface of the bottom plate 352c. Further, fins 357d are provided in the air passage 357a between the top plate 352a and the top plate 354a and in the air passage 357b between the side plate 352b and the side plate 354b.

The bottom plate 352c of the housing body 352 is provided with an air supply port 358 that is a plurality of through holes (see FIG. 20). The air supply ports 358 are preferably arranged between the fuel cell units 370 in the width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 22), and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 20). preferable.
The power generating air is supplied into the air passage 357a from the air supply pipe 32 connected to the opening of the top plate 354a of the air passage cover, and flows in the air passage 357a while expanding in the longitudinal direction. Then, the power generation air is injected into the internal space 353 from the air supply port 358 of the bottom plate 352c toward the fuel cell stack 360 through the air passages 357a, 357b, 357c.

Although the air supply port 358 is provided only on the bottom plate 352c of the housing body 352 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided on the side plate 352b or the top plate 352a. It suffices that the air is supplied from the lateral side of the battery cell unit 370 (fuel cell) in the longitudinal direction. However, it is preferable to provide it on a surface other than the top plate 352a on which the exhaust port to which the exhaust gas pipe 26 is connected is provided. Furthermore, as in the present embodiment, it is more preferable to provide it on the bottom plate 352c facing the surface provided with the exhaust port to which the exhaust gas pipe 26 is connected.

A manifold 380 is provided on the side of the housing 350 on the side where the fuel supply passage 312 is provided. The manifold 380 is provided on a side portion in the longitudinal direction of the fuel cell stack 360. The manifold 380 is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped casing, and a partition plate 385 is provided inside thereof so as to extend in the vertical direction and the width direction. Due to the partition plate 385, the internal space of the manifold 380 is configured such that the upstream side fuel gas flow path (fuel gas supply portion) 362A located on the fuel cell stack 360 side in the longitudinal direction and the downstream fuel gas flow located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction. And a passage (fuel gas discharge portion) 362B.

On the side plate 383 of the manifold 380 on the fuel cell unit side, openings 383A and 383B having a shape corresponding to the upstream space 372A1 and the downstream space 372A2 of each fuel cell unit 370 are formed. Further, the partition plate 385 is formed with an opening 385A having a shape corresponding to the downstream space 372A2. A tubular member 387 is provided between the side plate 383 and the partition plate 385 to connect the opening 383B of the side plate 383 and the opening 385A of the partition plate 385.

Each fuel cell unit 370 is arranged such that the upstream space 372A1 and the downstream space 372A2 are connected to the openings 383A and 383B of the side plate 383, respectively. As a result, the upstream space 372A1 communicates with the upstream fuel gas passage 362A formed on the fuel cell stack 360 side in the manifold 380, and the downstream space 372A2 is formed on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the manifold 380. And communicates with the downstream fuel gas passage 362B.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, an opening is formed at a position above the upstream side fuel gas passage 362A of the top plate of the manifold 380, and the fuel supply passage 312 is connected to this opening. An opening 38B is formed at a position corresponding to the bottom surface of the combustion section 38 and above the downstream side fuel gas passage 362B of the manifold 380, and the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38 is formed through the opening 38B. It communicates with the flow path 362B.

With such a configuration, the fuel gas supplied from the fuel supply passage 12 to the manifold 380 flows into the upstream space 372A1 of the fuel cell unit 370 through the upstream fuel gas passage 362A. The fuel gas flowing into the upstream space 372A1 of the fuel cell unit 370 is folded back at the end of the internal space 372A, passes through the downstream space 372A2, and is discharged to the downstream fuel gas passage 362B. The residual fuel gas discharged to the downstream fuel gas passage 362B is delivered to the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38.

The configurations of the combustion unit 38 and the reforming unit 36 are the same as in the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the fuel cell module 301 according to this embodiment will be described.

First, when the fuel cell module 301 is started up, the raw fuel gas is supplied to the evaporator 4 via the raw fuel gas supply pipe 22, and the air for power generation is supplied to the fuel cell unit via the air supply pipe 32. 2 is supplied. As shown in FIG. 20, the supplied raw fuel gas (shown by a solid line) flows into the mixed gas conduit 28 through the evaporation chamber 30 a and the mixing chamber 30 b of the evaporation unit 4, and further, the fuel cell device 2 of the fuel cell device 2. It flows into the reforming section 36. In the initial stage of starting the fuel cell module 1, since the temperature of the reforming section 36 is low, the reaction for reforming the raw fuel gas does not occur. The raw fuel gas that has flowed into the reforming section 36 passes through the fuel supply passage 312 (FIG. 20) and flows into the upstream space 372A1 of the fuel cell unit 370 through the upstream fuel gas passage 362A inside the manifold 380. To do. The fuel gas flowing into the upstream space 372A1 from one end side of the fuel cell unit 370 is returned to the other end side of the internal space 372A and is discharged from one end side of the downstream space 372A2. The fuel gas discharged from the downstream space 372A2 is recovered in the downstream fuel gas passage 362B and sent to the combustion unit 38.

On the other hand, the air (indicated by the broken line) supplied to the fuel cell device 302 via the air supply pipe 32 passes through the air passages 357a, 357b, 357c and from the air supply port 358 of the bottom plate 352c of the housing body 352. It is injected into the internal space 353 toward the cell stack 360.

The raw fuel gas sent to the combustion section 38 flows into the internal space 38A of the combustion section 38 and is ejected from the combustion port 38c formed on the top plate thereof. On the other hand, the air injected into the internal space 353 rises and is supplied to the combustion section 38 from between the housing 350 and the combustion section 38. When the fuel cell module 301 is activated, the ceramic heater 34 is energized, and the raw fuel gas ejected from the combustion port 38c of the top plate of the combustion section 38 is ignited by the heat of the ceramic heater 34. As a result, the combustion unit 38 generates combustion heat.

When the combustion section 38 is ignited, the reforming section 36 arranged above the combustion section 38 is heated, and the temperature of the internal reforming catalyst rises. Further, the combustion gas generated by the combustion heats the air flowing through the air passages 357a, 357b, 357c of the housing 350. Since the heated air flows into the internal space 353 of the housing 350, the heat heats the fuel cell unit 370 of the fuel cell unit 302.

Further, the combustion gas generated in the housing 350 flows into the evaporation unit 4 as exhaust gas through the exhaust gas pipe 26. The exhaust gas that has flowed into the evaporator 4 is discharged from the exhaust gas discharge pipe 24 through the exhaust gas chamber 30c. At this time, the evaporation chamber 30a provided above the exhaust gas chamber 30c is heated. In this way, the water supplied to the evaporation unit 4 is generated by the combustion unit 38 and heated by the combustion gas supplied by the exhaust gas pipe 26. After the temperature of the evaporation chamber 30a rises, the supply of water from the water supply pipe 20 is started, and steam is generated in the evaporation chamber 30a. In addition, when the fuel cell module 301 is activated, the electric heater 29 may be energized to assist in heating the evaporation chamber 30a.

When steam is generated in the evaporation chamber 30a, the mixed gas of the raw fuel gas and steam is supplied to the reforming section 36. When the temperature of the reforming section 36 rises sufficiently, the reforming catalyst induces a steam reforming reaction to generate a fuel gas rich in hydrogen gas from the raw fuel gas. The generated fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell unit 370 via the upstream fuel gas passage 362A. The fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 370 is recovered in the downstream fuel gas flow path 362B and sent to the combustion unit 38.

When the temperature of the fuel cell device 2 rises sufficiently, the power generation reaction is caused by the fuel gas passing through each fuel cell unit 370 and the air jetted from the air supply port 358 toward the fuel cell stack 360 into the internal space 353. Will occur. When the temperature of the fuel cell device 302 has risen to a temperature at which power can be generated, electric power is taken out from the fuel cell device 302 and power generation is started.
According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

In each of the above embodiments, the upstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas supply unit) and the downstream fuel gas flow passage (fuel gas discharge unit) are formed in the first manifold (manifold). The invention is not limited to this. For example, the first casing that constitutes the upstream fuel gas passage and the second casing that constitutes the downstream fuel gas passage may be provided separately. Further, for example, in the first to third embodiments, the fuel gas is supplied from the first manifold to all the fuel cell units, the residual fuel gas is recovered in the second manifold, and the recovered residual fuel gas is burned. It may be configured to be supplied to the section.

With such a configuration, the degree of freedom in arranging the upstream side fuel gas flow path (fuel gas supply section) and the downstream side fuel gas flow path (fuel gas discharge section) is increased, and power generation efficiency is improved and compactness is achieved. realizable.

1 Fuel Cell Module 2 Fuel Cell Device 4 Evaporator 4b Reforming/Heater 6 Housing 12 Fuel Supply Passage 20 Water Supply Pipe 22 Raw Fuel Gas Supply Pipe 24 Exhaust Gas Discharge Pipe 26 Exhaust Gas Pipe 28 Mixed Gas Pipe 29 Electricity Heater 30a Evaporating chamber 30b Mixing chamber 30c Exhaust gas chamber 30d Passage 30e Fin 32 Air supply pipe 34 Ceramic heater 36 Reforming part 38 Combusting part 38A Internal space 38B Opening 38c Combustion port 50 Housing 50b Side plate 52 Housing body 52a Top plate 52b Side plate 52c Bottom plate 52d Closing side plate 52e Closing side plate 53 Internal space 54 Air passage cover 54a Top plate 54b Side plate 54c Bottom plate 57a Air passage 57b Air passage 57c Air passage 57d Fin 58 Air supply port 60 Fuel cell stack 60A Upstream fuel cell stack 60B Downstream Side fuel cell stack 62A Upstream fuel gas flow path 62B Downstream fuel gas flow path 64 Midstream fuel gas flow path 70 Fuel cell unit 80 First manifold 80A Partition plate 82 Second manifold 84 Fuel cell 86 Inner side Electrode terminal 88 Fuel gas flow channel 90 Inner electrode layer 90a Upper portion 90b Outer peripheral surface 90c Upper end surface 92 Outer electrode layer 94 Electrolyte layer 96 Seal material 98 Fuel gas flow channel thin tube 101 Fuel cell module 102 Fuel cell device 112 Fuel supply space 112A Section Member 136 Reforming unit 138 Combustion unit 138B Opening 142 Combustion unit housing 143 Remaining fuel gas dispersion space 144 Partition member 144A Combustion port 144B Recess 144C Opening 145 Reforming space 146 Upper casing 146A Wide part 146B Main body 150 Housing 162 Downstream fuel Gas channel 162A Upstream fuel gas channel 162B Downstream fuel gas channel 164 Midstream fuel gas channel 180 First manifold 180A Partition plate 180B Opening 182 Second manifold 201 Fuel cell module 202 Fuel cell unit 204 Evaporation Part 205 Evaporation space 212 Fuel supply space 212A Partitioning member 220 Water supply pipe 222 Raw fuel gas supply pipe 226 Exhaust gas pipe 232 Air supply pipe 236 Reforming part 238 Combustion part 238B Opening 242 Combustion part case 243 Residual fuel gas dispersion space 244 Partition member 244A Combustion port 244B Recess 244C Opening 245 Reforming space 246 Upper casing 246A Wide part 246B Body part 249 Partition member 250 Housing 250b Side plate 252 Housing body 252a Top plate 252b Side plate 252c Bottom plate 252d Closed side plate 252e Closed side plate 253 Inner space 254 Air passage cover 254a Top plate 254b Side plate 254c Air passage 257a Air plate 257a Air passage 257d Fin 258 Air supply port 262 Downstream fuel gas flow passage 262A Upstream fuel gas flow passage 262B Downstream fuel gas flow passage 264 Midstream fuel gas flow passage 280 First manifold 280A Partition plate 280B Opening 282 Second Manifold 301 Fuel cell module 302 Fuel cell device 312 Fuel supply passage 350 Housing 352 Housing body 352a Top plate 352b Side plate 352c Bottom plate 352d Closure side plate 352e Closure side plate 353 Internal space 354 Air passage cover 354a Top plate 354b Side plate 354c Bottom plate 357a Air passage 357b Air passage 357c Air passage 357d Fin 358 Air supply port 360 Fuel cell stack 362A Upstream fuel gas passage 362B Downstream fuel gas passage 370 Fuel cell unit 372 Fuel electrode support 372A Internal space 372A1 Upstream space 372A2 Downstream side Space 374 Partition part 376 Electrolyte part 378 Fuel electrode 380 Manifold 383 Side plate 383A Opening 383B Opening 383d Side plate 385 Partitioning plate 385A Opening 387 Cylindrical member

Claims (6)

A fuel cell module for generating power by reacting a supplied fuel gas with an oxidant gas,
A fuel battery cell stack including a plurality of fuel battery cells arranged so that the longitudinal direction extends in the lateral direction,
A housing that houses the fuel cell stack in an internal space;
The fuel gas is supplied, and a fuel gas supply unit that supplies the supplied fuel gas to the fuel cells,
A fuel gas discharge unit for discharging residual fuel gas not used for power generation from the fuel cell unit;
A combustion unit that is supplied with the residual fuel gas discharged to the fuel gas discharge unit and burns the residual fuel gas;
The fuel gas supply unit and the fuel gas discharge unit are arranged laterally of the fuel cell stack,
The fuel cell module, wherein the combustion unit is provided above the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the first housing that constitutes the fuel gas supply unit and the second housing that constitutes the fuel gas discharge unit are provided separately. The fuel cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing forming the fuel gas discharge unit is directly connected to the combustion unit. The fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has an air supply port for supplying air from the bottom surface in the longitudinal direction to the fuel cell stack housed in the internal space. Battery module. Furthermore, the combustion unit is heated by burning the residual fuel gas, reforms the raw fuel gas to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen, and supplies the fuel gas to the fuel cell stack. Equipped with
The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein a part of the combustion section is in contact with a part of the reforming section. Further, the combustion unit is provided with an evaporation unit that generates steam used for steam reforming in the reforming unit by combustion heat generated by burning the residual fuel gas,
The fuel cell module according to claim 5, wherein the reforming unit and the evaporation unit are integrally configured.

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