JP2022160264A - Fuel cell system, control device, and control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To avoid dispatch of a maintenance staff without losing a power generation opportunity when an abnormal drainage error occurs under a low temperature environment.SOLUTION: A fuel cell system comprises: a reforming water tank 32 including a reforming water storage unit 32A which stores water obtained from an exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell module as reforming water introduced into the fuel cell module; a discharged water storage unit 32B to which a first drainage 102 for storing water overflowing from the reforming water storage unit 32A and discharging the stored water to outside and a drainage piping 104 are connected; a surplus storage unit 32C to which a second drainage 105 for directly discharging the water overflowing from the discharged water storage unit 32B to outside is connected; and a control device including a control unit which invalidates the stop of a local system when the abnormal drainage error is detected and a condition indicating that an outside environment temperature is relatively low is satisfied, and performs control for continuing power generation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell system, control device, and control program, and more particularly to a fuel cell system, control device, and control program capable of supplying electric power and hot water.

Drainage methods of conventional fuel cell systems include an overflow method (a method in which drain water is overflowed and discharged) and a pump delivery method (a method in which drain water is discharged by a drain pump). By having these two drainage systems, the surplus of the drain water is overflowed and discharged to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-083177 A

The conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 has an overflow system as a backup of the pump delivery system, so that surplus drain water can be overflowed and discharged to the outside.

On the other hand, depending on the area where the fuel cell system is installed, the installation location, and the season in which the system is operated, there are cases where the external drainage pipe freezes. In addition to the pump delivery method, the method of draining water through an external drainage pipe may be the gravity flow method, in which water is discharged naturally without using a pump. In some cases, an overflow method is adopted in which water is discharged directly to the outside without passing through piping. According to this, even if the drainage pipe is clogged due to freezing, the system will not fail.

However, depending on the system, it may be determined as an abnormal state that the water cannot be drained due to freezing of the drain pipe, and the system may stop due to an error (hereinafter referred to as "drainage abnormality error"). Normally, this drainage abnormality error cannot be canceled by the user from the viewpoint of safety, so the opportunity for power generation is lost, and maintenance personnel must be dispatched.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a fuel cell system capable of avoiding the dispatch of maintenance personnel without losing the opportunity for power generation when a drainage abnormality error occurs in a low-temperature environment. , a control device, and a control program.

In order to achieve the above object, a fuel cell system according to a first aspect includes a fuel cell module that generates power, and a reforming system that introduces water obtained from exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module into the fuel cell module. a reformed water tank including a reformed water reservoir for storing water; and a reformed water tank provided in the reformed water tank for storing water overflowing from the reformed water reservoir and discharging the stored water to the outside. A waste water storage section to which a first drainage channel and a drainage pipe are connected, and a second drainage channel provided in the reformed water tank for directly discharging water overflowing from the waste water storage section to the outside. If an error is detected in the minute storage unit and drainage anomaly, and if the condition indicates that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low, the stoppage of the own system is invalidated and control is performed to continue power generation. a controller including a controller.

Further, a fuel cell system according to a second aspect is the fuel cell system according to the first aspect, further comprising a housing for housing the fuel cell module, the reformed water tank, and the control device, A channel and the second drainage channel are provided within the housing, and the drainage pipe is provided outside the housing and is connected to the waste water reservoir via the first drainage channel.

Further, a fuel cell system according to a third aspect is the fuel cell system according to the first aspect or the second aspect, in which the fuel cell module is installed when the control device detects the drainage abnormality error. The method further includes an obtaining unit that obtains an air temperature measured around the fuel cell unit, and the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the air temperature is equal to or less than a threshold.

Further, a fuel cell system according to a fourth aspect is the fuel cell system according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein when the control device detects the drainage abnormality error, The method further includes an acquisition unit that acquires weather information, and the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the temperature obtained from the weather information is equal to or lower than a threshold.

Further, in a fuel cell system according to a fifth aspect, in the fuel cell system according to the first aspect or the second aspect, when the control device detects an error of the drainage abnormality, the timing at which the error is detected is indicated. The method further includes an acquisition unit that acquires calendar information, and the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the time obtained from the calendar information is a relatively low temperature.

A fuel cell system according to a sixth aspect is the fuel cell system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a drainage pump provided in the first drainage channel, The drainage method of the part is a pump delivery method in which the drainage pump is used to drain the water.

Further, a fuel cell system according to a seventh aspect is the fuel cell system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the drainage method of the waste water reservoir is a natural flow method in which water is drained by gravity flow. It is said that

Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a control device according to an eighth aspect includes a fuel cell module that generates power and an improvement that introduces water obtained from exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module into the fuel cell module. a reformed water tank including a reformed water reservoir that stores reformed water; A waste water storage section to which a first drainage channel for discharging and a drainage pipe are connected, and a second drainage channel provided in the reformed water tank for directly discharging water overflowing from the waste water storage section to the outside are connected. A control device for controlling the operation of a fuel cell system, comprising: a surplus storage unit, the control device detecting an error of abnormal drainage and satisfying a condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low. In this case, it includes a control unit that disables the stoppage of its own system and performs control to continue power generation.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a control program according to a ninth aspect causes a computer to function as a control unit provided in the control device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

As described in detail above, according to the technology of the present disclosure, when a drainage abnormality error occurs in a low-temperature environment, it is possible to avoid dispatching maintenance personnel without losing the opportunity to generate power. have.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fuel cell system according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a fuel cell module concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the drainage structure of the reformed water tank which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of functional composition of a control device concerning a 1st embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing by a control program according to the first embodiment; It is a figure which shows an example of the drainage structure of the reformed water tank which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the drainage structure of the reformed water tank which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example of a mode for implementing the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components and processes having the same actions, actions, and functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Each drawing is only schematically shown to the extent that the technology of the present disclosure can be fully understood. Therefore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited only to the illustrated examples. Further, in the present embodiment, descriptions of configurations that are not directly related to the technology of the present disclosure and well-known configurations may be omitted.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fuel cell system 10 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel cell system 10 according to this embodiment is composed of three units, a fuel cell unit 12, a tank unit 13, and a water heater unit . The fuel cell unit 12 uses fuel gas and water to generate electricity, and the tank unit 13 stores the heat transfer medium used in the fuel cell unit 12 . The water heater unit 14 is an example of a backup heat source, and heats the hot water supplied from the fuel cell unit 12 to a target temperature and supplies it. The fuel cell unit 12, the tank unit 13, and the water heater unit 14 each have a fuel cell unit housing 12A, a tank unit housing 13A, and a water heater unit housing 14A. It is

The fuel cell unit housing 12A, the tank unit housing 13A, and the water heater unit housing 14A are each independent, and each unit 12, 13, 14 is configured separately. In this embodiment, the fuel cell system 10 is shown as a three-unit configuration, but the fuel cell unit 12 and the tank unit 13 may be integrated together with the water heater unit 14 to form a two-unit configuration.

The fuel cell unit 12 of the fuel cell system 10 includes a fuel cell module 20, which is an example of a fuel cell that generates power. The fuel cell module 20 is connected via a gas supply path 21 to a gas joint 22 , and a gas supply pipe 24 is connected to the gas joint 22 .

The gas supply pipe 24 is connected to a main gas pipe, and is supplied with city gas (raw material gas) mainly composed of methane, which is an example of hydrocarbon raw material. A desulfurization section 26 is provided in the gas supply path 21 , and the sulfur content and sulfur compounds contained in the city gas are removed by the desulfurization section 26 and supplied to the fuel cell module 20 .

The fuel cell module 20 is also connected to a reforming water tank 32 via a reforming water inlet 30 having a supply pump 28 . Quality water is supplied by supply pump 28 . The fuel cell module 20 includes a hydrogen generator (reformer) that generates hydrogen by reforming reaction of city gas and reformed water.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the fuel cell module 20 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell module 20 includes a reforming catalyst 202, a burner 204, and a fuel cell stack 206 inside a housing 201 as main components.

The reforming catalyst 202 is connected to the gas supply path 21 . The reforming catalyst 202 is supplied through the gas supply path 21 with city gas from which sulfur compounds have been adsorbed and removed in the desulfurization section 26 . The reforming catalyst 202 steam-reforms the supplied city gas using the reforming water (condensed water) supplied through the reforming water inflow passage 30 .

A stack exhaust gas pipe 210 is connected to the burner 204 . The burner 204 burns burner gas (stack exhaust gas) supplied through the stack exhaust gas pipe 210 to heat the reforming catalyst 202 . The stack exhaust gas contains unreacted hydrogen gas. Then, in this reforming catalyst 202 , fuel gas containing hydrogen gas is generated from the city gas supplied from the desulfurization section 26 . This fuel gas is supplied to the fuel electrode 206 A of the fuel cell stack 206 through the fuel gas pipe 212 .

The fuel cell stack 206 is, for example, a solid oxide fuel cell stack, and has a plurality of stacked fuel cells 211 (only one is shown in FIG. 2). Each fuel cell 211 has an electrolyte layer 206C, and a fuel electrode 206A and an air electrode 206B laminated on the front and rear surfaces of the electrolyte layer 206C.

An oxidizing gas (air outside the housing) is supplied to the air electrode 206B (cathode) through an oxidizing gas pipe 214 provided with an air blower 212 . At the air electrode 206B, oxygen in the oxidizing gas reacts with electrons to generate oxygen ions, as shown by the following formula (1). The oxygen ions reach the fuel electrode 206A through the electrolyte layer 206C.

(air electrode reaction)
1/2O ₂ +2e ⁻ →O ²⁻ (1)

On the other hand, in the fuel electrode 206A, oxygen ions passing through the electrolyte layer 206C react with hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the fuel gas as shown by the following formulas (2) and (3) to produce water (water vapor). and carbon dioxide and electrons are produced. Electrons generated at the anode 206A reach the cathode 206B through an external circuit. Electric power is generated in each fuel cell 211 by moving electrons from the fuel electrode 206A to the air electrode 206B in this way. In addition, each fuel cell 211 generates heat due to the reaction during power generation.

(Anode reaction)
H ₂ +O ²⁻ →H ₂ O+2e ⁻ (2)
CO+O ²⁻ →CO ₂ +2e ⁻ (3)

The upstream side of the stack exhaust gas pipe 210 connected to the fuel cell stack 206 is branched into an anode exhaust pipe 208A and an air electrode exhaust pipe 208B. 206A and cathode 206B, respectively. The anode exhaust gas discharged from the anode 206A and the cathode exhaust gas discharged from the cathode 206B are discharged through the anode exhaust pipe 208A and the cathode exhaust pipe 208B, and mixed in the stack exhaust pipe 210. stack exhaust gas. This stack exhaust gas contains unreacted hydrogen gas contained in the fuel electrode exhaust gas, and is supplied to the burner 204 as burner gas as described above. A discharge passage 34 for discharging burner exhaust gas to an exhaust heat exchange section 36 is connected to the burner 204 .

The reforming water tank 32 is connected to the exhaust heat exchange section 36 . The flue gas from the fuel cell module 20 is cooled in the exhaust heat exchange section 36, and water vapor in the flue gas is condensed. As a result, the combustion exhaust gas is separated into water and gas, and the water is sent to the reformed water tank 32 and reused as reformed water. Also, the gas is exhausted from the exhaust port 15 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the drainage configuration of the reformed water tank 32 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reforming water tank 32 is provided with a reforming water storage section 32A, a waste water storage section 32B, and a surplus water storage section 32C with partitions interposed therebetween. The reformed water storage section 32A stores the condensed water sent from the exhaust heat exchange section 36 through the discharge path 34 as reformed water. The waste water storage section 32B is connected to a first drainage channel 102 and a drainage pipe 104 for storing water overflowing from the reforming water storage section 32A and for discharging the stored water to the outside. A first drainage channel 102 inside the housing and a drainage pipe 104 outside the housing are connected via a drainage joint 102a. The surplus portion storage section 32C is connected to a second drainage channel 105 that directly discharges the water overflowing from the drainage storage section 32B to the outside. That is, the first drainage channel 102 and the second drainage channel 105 are provided inside the housing, and the drainage pipe 104 is provided outside the housing.

As shown in FIG. 1, a depressurization channel 41 that guides water discharged from the depressurization valve 35 is connected to the drain reservoir 32B. In this case, the water discharged through the depressurization valve 35 flows from the depressurization channel 41 into the waste water reservoir 32B. Note that the depressurization valve 35 and the depressurization channel 41 are not essential, and the configuration may be such that the depressurization valve 35 and the depressurization channel 41 are not provided.

A first drainage channel 102 having a drainage pump 100 is connected to the drainage reservoir 32B, and the first drainage channel 102 is connected to a drainage receiver 120 via a drainage pipe 104 connected to a drainage joint 102a. It is The drainage that has flowed into the drainage receiver 120 can be discharged to sewage or the like.

The reformed water tank 32 is provided with a liquid level sensor 33 for detecting the liquid level of the waste water reservoir 32B. The drainage pump 100 operates when the liquid level sensor 33 detects that the amount of water in the drainage reservoir 32B has exceeded a predetermined amount, and the water in the drainage reservoir 32B is pumped through the first drainage channel 102 and the drainage pipe 104. The water is sent out to a drainage receiver 120 as a drainage facility via the

The drainage configuration of the reforming water tank 32 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

The fuel cell system 10 has a pump delivery system as a main drainage system and an overflow system as a backup drainage system. In the pump delivery method, the water in the waste water reservoir 32B (hereinafter, also referred to as "drain water") is guided by the waste water pump 100 to the waste water receiver 120 through the first waste water channel 102 and the waste water pipe 104 outside the housing. . On the other hand, in the overflow method, the drain water overflowing from the waste water storage unit 32B is stored in the surplus water storage unit 32C, and is directly discharged from the second drainage channel 105 connected to the surplus water storage unit 32C to the outside of the housing without passing through the drainage pipe. discharged to

In the pump delivery method, the liquid level sensor 33 detects that a certain amount of drain water has accumulated in the waste water reservoir 32B, and the water is drained (intermittently drained) by the drain pump 100. FIG. At this time, when the drainage pipe 104 is blocked by freezing, drainage by the drainage pump 100 cannot be performed, and a drainage abnormality error is detected. On the other hand, the surplus of the drain water overflows from the surplus water reservoir 32C and is discharged to the outside of the housing. In addition, although the second drainage channel 105 extending to the outside of the housing is provided in the surplus water storage part 32C for storing the surplus drain water, the second drainage channel 105 is inside the housing, so it cannot be blocked by freezing. do not have.

Returning to FIG. 1, the power from the fuel cell module 20 is converted into alternating current by the inverter circuit 38, and then supplied to the outside through the supply line 92a connected to the connection terminal 40a.

A heat recovery circuit 42 for circulating a heat transfer medium 50 between the exhaust heat exchange section 36 and a hot water storage tank 48 is connected to the exhaust heat exchange section 36 . A heat recovery pump 44 and a radiator 46 are provided in a first channel 42a, which is one channel of the heat recovery circuit 42 connecting the exhaust heat exchange section 36 and the hot water storage tank 48 . The upstream side of the radiator 46 of the first flow path 42a is connected to a hot water storage tank 48 via joints 42b, 42d and a pipe 42c. Hot water 50 is stored in the hot water storage tank 48 .

The first flow path 42 a is connected to the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 48 , and the hot water 50 stored in the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 48 is preferentially sent to the exhaust heat exchange section 36 . The hot water 50 supplied from the hot water storage tank 48 to the first flow path 42 a of the heat recovery circuit 42 is cooled by the radiator 46 and then sent to the exhaust heat exchange section 36 by the heat recovery pump 44 . A fan motor of the radiator 46 operates as necessary, such as when the supplied hot water 50 is at a high temperature.

The hot water 50 sent from the hot water storage tank 48 to the exhaust heat exchange section 36 via the first flow path 42a is returned to the hot water storage tank 48 via the second flow path 42e, which is the other flow path of the heat recovery circulation path 42. . The second flow path 42e is connected to the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 48 via joints 42f, 42h and a pipe 42g. The heat of the combustion exhaust gas from the fuel cell module 20 is transferred to the hot water 50 by the exhaust heat exchange section 36 , and the hot water 50 heated by this heat is returned to the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 48 .

A depressurization valve 35 is provided in the second flow path 42e. The pressure release valve 35 is formed of a valve body that is opened when the pressure in the second flow path 42e reaches or exceeds a predetermined value. The pressure relief valve 35 releases the pressure in the second flow path 42e, preventing the internal pressure of the hot water storage tank 48 and the heat recovery circuit 42 from exceeding the predetermined internal pressure P0.

An inflow passage 60 having an inflow side branch point 60a is connected to the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 48 of the tank unit 13 . The inflow path 60 is connected to an inlet pipe joint 62 . The inlet pipe joint 62 is connected to, for example, a water supply pipe 64 such as a water pipe, and tap water is supplied to the inflow passage 60 .

A bypass path 74 branches from the inflow side branch point 60 a to the fuel cell unit 12 . The bypass passage 74 is connected to the mixing valve 72 via joints 74a and 74b.

The clean water stored in the hot water storage tank 48 is sent to the mixing valve 72 in the fuel cell unit 12 via a clean water supply line 400 connected to the top of the hot water storage tank 48 . The clean water supply path 400 flows to the fuel cell unit 12 via a joint 400a, a pipe 400b, and a joint 400c. The clean water flowing through the clean water supply path 400 is supplied to the water heater unit 14 via the mixing valve 72 , the outlet joint 76 and the hot water outlet pipe 78 .

The mixing valve 72 is a valve for mixing the clean water from the bypass line 74 and the clean water from the hot water storage tank 48. For example, the clean water from the inflow line 60 is mixed so that the outflow temperature reaches a predetermined set temperature. and the clean water from the hot water storage tank 48 are adjusted.

The water supply passage 400 downstream of the mixing valve 72 is connected to an outlet joint 76 , and the outlet joint 76 is connected to the water inlet joint 80 of the water heater unit 14 via a hot water outlet pipe 78 . .

The fuel cell unit 12 is provided with a control device 110 as a controller. The controller 110 controls the operation (that is, operation) of the fuel cell system 10 . The control device 110 controls various electrical components provided in each of the fuel cell unit 12 , the tank unit 13 and the water heater unit 14 . A remote control device 51 is also connected to the control device 110 . The remote control device 51 receives an operation input from the user and displays various information such as status information and error information of the fuel cell system 10 . The controller 110 controls operation of, for example, the pumps 28 , 44 , 100 and the inverter circuit 38 .

A temperature sensor S for measuring the air temperature around the fuel cell unit 12 is provided inside the housing of the fuel cell unit 12 . Further, the housing of the fuel cell unit 12 is provided with a cancellation switch SW for forcibly canceling the abnormal drainage error when the system stops due to the abnormal drainage error. The release switch SW may be provided on the remote control device 51 .

The fuel cell system 10 according to the present embodiment generates power while reusing the condensed water as reforming water and discharging the surplus water as drain water.

The water heater unit 14 of the present embodiment is a latent heat recovery type heat source device capable of further heating and discharging hot water supplied from the fuel cell unit 12 . The latent heat recovery type heat source machine is a type of heat source machine that recovers the latent heat in the exhaust gas by converting steam in the exhaust gas from the burner 150 into water (condensed water) to improve thermal efficiency. As shown in FIG. 1, inside the water heater unit 14 are a secondary heat exchanger 154B, a primary heat exchanger 154A, and hot water from the fuel cell unit 12 to the secondary heat exchanger 154B and the primary heat exchanger 154A. A water inlet passage 152 for supplying water, a burner 150 as a heating device for heating the primary heat exchanger 154A, a gas supply pipe 24 for supplying fuel gas to the burner 150, a hot water supply passage 158 for discharging hot water that has passed through the primary heat exchanger 154A, A mixing valve 156 connected to a bypass passage 160 connected in the middle of the pipe 152 and a hot water supply passage 158, a hot water supply pipe 86 for discharging hot water from the mixing valve 156, and a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the discharged hot water. ), a control device 164 and the like are provided. The control device 164 controls electrical components such as a mixing valve 156 and a flow control valve (not shown) for fuel gas sent to the burner 150 .

In FIG. 1, the fuel cell unit 12 and the water heater unit 14 are illustrated as being close to each other, but in an actual house, the fuel cell unit 12 and the water heater unit 14 may be separated to some extent. be.

A gas joint 82 of the water heater unit 14 is connected to the gas supply pipe 24 , and city gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 24 to the burner 150 of the water heater unit 14 . A hot water supply pipe 86 is connected to the hot water supply joint 84 of the water heater unit 14, and the hot water supply pipe 86 is routed to a hot water supply location where hot water is used. A drain pipe 88 connected to the water heater unit 14 is connected to a drain receiver 120 . Water generated by condensation in the water heater unit 14 flows into the drain pipe 88 , and the condensed water is led to the drain receiver 120 .

A water inlet passage 152 is connected to the water inlet joint 80 of the water heater unit 14, and the water inlet passage 152 is connected to the secondary heat exchanger 154B. Secondary heat exchanger 154B is connected to primary heat exchanger 154A, and primary heat exchanger 154A is connected to hot water fitting 84 via hot water line 158 having mixing valve 156, which is bypassed. It is connected to the water inlet side branch point 152 a of the water inlet 152 via the channel 160 . Mixing valve 156 is a valve that mixes hot water from inlet channel 152 and hot water from primary heat exchanger 154A, and adjusts the mixing ratio of the hot water from inlet channel 152 and the hot water from primary heat exchanger 154A. .

The control device 164 of the water heater unit 14 includes a microcomputer or the like. Control the degree of opening. As a result, the microcomputer of control device 164 controls the temperature of hot water supplied from hot water supply pipe 86 to the set temperature set by remote control device 51 .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the control device 110 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 110 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113, and an input/output interface (I/ O) 114 , a storage unit 115 , a communication unit 116 , and an external interface (hereinafter referred to as “external I/F”) 117 .

The CPU 111, ROM 112, RAM 113, and I/O 114 are each connected via a bus. Functional units including a storage unit 115 , a communication unit 116 and an external I/F 117 are connected to the I/O 114 . Each of these functional units can communicate with the CPU 111 via the I/O 114 .

As the storage unit 115, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like is used. Storage unit 115 stores a control program 115A for controlling the operation of fuel cell system 10 . Note that this control program 115A may be stored in the ROM 112 .

The control program 115A may be pre-installed in the control device 110, for example. The control program 115A may be implemented by storing it in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing it via a network and installing it in the control device 110 as appropriate. Examples of nonvolatile storage media include CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), magneto-optical discs, HDDs, DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), flash memories, memory cards, and the like. be.

The communication unit 116 is connected to a network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and communicates with a Web server capable of providing various information such as weather information and calendar information. Communication is enabled via a network.

For example, the release switch SW, the temperature sensor S, the remote controller 51, the liquid level sensor 33, the drainage pump 100, and the like are connected to the external I/F 117 . These release switch SW, temperature sensor S, remote controller 51, liquid level sensor 33, drain pump 100, etc. are connected to CPU 111 via external I/F 117 so as to be communicable.

By the way, as described above, depending on the system, it may be determined that the water cannot be drained due to the freezing of the drain pipe 104 as an abnormal state, and the system may stop due to a drain abnormality error. Normally, this drainage abnormality error cannot be canceled by the user from the viewpoint of safety, so the opportunity for power generation is lost, and maintenance personnel must be dispatched.

Therefore, the CPU 111 of the control device 110 according to the present embodiment writes the control program 115A stored in the storage unit 115 into the RAM 113 and executes it, thereby functioning as each unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 110 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 111 of the control device 110 according to this embodiment functions as an error detection section 111A, an acquisition section 111B, a low temperature determination section 111C, and a drainage control section 111D. Note that the drainage control unit 111D is an example of a control unit.

The error detection section 111A detects a drainage abnormality error indicating that there is an abnormality in the drainage from the drainage storage section 32B. Conditions for judging a drainage abnormality error include, for example, that the water level of the drainage reservoir 32B does not drop, that the drainage flow rate falls below a set value, and the like.

The acquisition unit 111B acquires the temperature measured by the temperature sensor S when the error detection unit 111A detects an abnormal drainage error. The temperature here is the temperature around the fuel cell unit 12 as described above.

Further, the acquiring unit 111B may acquire the weather information of the area where the system is installed when a drainage abnormality error is detected. Weather information is obtained, for example, via the Internet from a web server that provides weather information. The weather information includes information such as local weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc.), temperature (maximum temperature/minimum temperature, etc.).

Further, when a drainage abnormality error is detected, the acquisition unit 111B may acquire calendar information indicating the time when the error was detected. The calendar information may be obtained, for example, using the calendar function of the control device 110, or may be obtained via the Internet from a web server that provides calendar information. The calendar information includes information such as the month and day when the abnormal drainage error was detected.

The low temperature determination unit 111C determines whether or not a condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low (hereinafter simply referred to as "low temperature condition") is satisfied. Specifically, the low temperature condition includes, for example, that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor S is below a threshold. When using the temperature measured by the temperature sensor S, the threshold value is set to an appropriate value in the range of 4° C. or higher and 7° C. or lower, for example. Also, the temperature history of the air temperature around the fuel cell unit 12 may be stored. The temperature history is a history of measured temperatures obtained by measuring the air temperature around the fuel cell unit 12. For example, at each measured temperature in the temperature history, the water in the first drainage channel 102 and the drainage pipe 104 was frozen. Whether or not is associated with each other, and the measured temperature at the time of actual freezing may be used as the threshold value. If there are a plurality of measured temperatures when actually frozen, for example, the highest temperature among the plurality of measured temperatures may be used as the threshold value.

Also, when using weather information, the low temperature condition includes, for example, that the temperature obtained from the weather information is below a threshold. In this case, an appropriate threshold may be set based on information such as local weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc.), temperature (maximum/minimum temperature, etc.).

Moreover, when using the calendar information, the low temperature condition includes that the time obtained from the calendar information is a relatively low temperature time. In this case, for example, when the abnormal drainage error is detected during December to March, the low temperature environment may be determined.

The drainage control unit 111D disables the suspension of the operation of the fuel cell system 10 and performs control to continue power generation when a drainage abnormality error is detected and the low temperature condition is satisfied. When the drainage control unit 111D determines that the environment is in a low-temperature environment, the remote control device 51, which is an example of a user interface, displays a drainage abnormality error and a message indicating that power generation is to be continued without stopping the system due to suspicion of freezing blockage. to control. In other words, even if the drain pipe 104 is blocked by freezing, power generation is continued while the surplus drain water is discharged to the outside of the housing by the overflow method. Therefore, dispatch of maintenance personnel can be avoided without losing the opportunity to generate power.

Next, operation of the control device 110 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing by the control program 115A according to the first embodiment.

When a water discharge control instruction is issued to the fuel cell system 10, the control program 115A stored in the storage unit 115 is activated by the CPU 111, and the following steps are executed.

In step S101 of FIG. 6, the CPU 111 determines whether or not an abnormal drainage error has been detected. If it is determined that an abnormal drainage error has been detected (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step S102, and if it is determined that an abnormal drainage error has not been detected (in the case of a negative determination), the process waits in step S101. As described above, conditions for determining a drainage abnormality include, for example, that the water level of the drainage reservoir 32B does not decrease, that the drainage flow rate decreases below the set value, and the like.

In step S102, the CPU 111 determines whether or not the environment is a low temperature environment, that is, whether or not the low temperature condition is satisfied. When it is determined that the low temperature condition is satisfied (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step S103, and when it is determined that the low temperature condition is not satisfied (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step S107. As described above, the low temperature conditions are, for example, that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor S is below the threshold, that the temperature obtained from the weather information is below the threshold, and that the time obtained from the calendar information is including at least one of being in a relatively cold season;

In step S103, the CPU 111 invalidates the suspension of the operation of the fuel cell system 10 due to suspicion of freeze blockage. In other words, power generation is continued while the surplus drain water is discharged to the outside of the housing by the overflow method.

In step S104, the CPU 111 displays, for example, a drainage abnormality error on the remote control device 51, and controls to display that power generation is to be continued without stopping the system due to suspicion of freezing blockage.

In step S105, the CPU 111 determines whether or not the stop switch has been pressed. If it is determined that the stop switch has not been pressed (negative determination), the process proceeds to step S106, and if it is determined that the stop switch has been pressed (positive determination), the process proceeds to step S107. The stop switch is a switch for forcibly stopping the system, and is provided in the remote control device 51 or the like, for example.

In step S106, the CPU 111 determines whether or not the end timing has arrived. When it is determined that the end timing does not come (in the case of a negative determination), the processing returns to step S101 and is repeated, and when it is determined that the end timing has come (in the case of affirmative determination), the series of processing by the control program 115A ends. do.

On the other hand, in step S107, the CPU 111 stops the operation of the fuel cell system 10 because there is a suspicion other than freeze blockage.

In step S108, the CPU 111 displays, for example, a drainage abnormality error on the remote control device 51, and performs control to display that it is necessary to request the maintenance staff to be dispatched, and the series of processing by the control program 115A is terminated. do.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a drainage abnormality error occurs in a low-temperature environment, it is possible to avoid dispatching maintenance personnel without losing the opportunity to generate power.

[Second embodiment]
In the above-described first embodiment, a configuration in which a pump delivery system is employed as the main drainage configuration has been described. In this embodiment, a configuration in which a gravity flow system is employed as a main drainage configuration will be described.

7 and 8 are diagrams showing an example of the drainage configuration of the reformed water tank 32 according to the second embodiment. Note that the drainage pump 100 is not required in this embodiment.

The fuel cell system 10 has a gravity flow system as a main drainage system and an overflow system as a backup drainage system. In the gravity flow system, the drain water in the waste water storage section 32B is guided to the waste water receiver 120 through the first drainage channel 102 and the drainage pipe 104 by gravity flow, and in the overflow system, the drain water overflowing from the waste water storage section 32B is discharged. It is stored in the surplus portion storage section 32C and discharged directly to the outside of the housing from the second drainage channel 105 connected to the surplus portion storage section 32C without passing through a drainage pipe.

Normally, as shown in FIG. 7, drain water is drained by a gravity flow method. In this case, the water level does not rise to the level sensor 33 . On the other hand, when there is an abnormality (drainage pipe blockage), as shown in FIG. 8, the drain water in the drainage reservoir 32B cannot be discharged, the water level rises to the position of the liquid level sensor 33, and a drainage abnormality error is detected. .

Referring to FIG. 5 described above, a drainage control unit 111D according to the present embodiment detects a drainage abnormality error and when the low temperature condition is satisfied, the fuel cell system 10, similarly to the first embodiment. Disable the stop of operation and control to continue power generation. However, conditions for judging a drainage abnormality error include, for example, that the water level of the drainage reservoir 32B rises. Also, the low temperature condition is determined by, for example, at least one of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor S, weather information, and calendar information.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even when the gravity flow system is adopted as the main drainage system, when a drainage abnormality error occurs in a low temperature environment, the maintenance staff can can be avoided.

Although the fuel cell system and the control device have been exemplified as the above-described embodiments, the embodiments may be in the form of programs for causing a computer to execute the functions of the respective units of the control device. Embodiments may be in the form of a computer-readable storage medium storing this program.

In addition, the configurations of the fuel cell system and the control device described in each of the above embodiments are examples, and may be changed according to circumstances without departing from the scope of the invention.

Further, the flow of processing of the programs described in each of the above embodiments is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps added, or the processing order changed within the scope of the gist. good too.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, a case has been described in which the processing according to the embodiment is realized by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. Embodiments may be implemented by, for example, a hardware configuration or a combination of hardware and software configurations.

10 Fuel cell system 12 Fuel cell unit 13 Tank unit 14 Water heater unit 20 Fuel cell module 32 Reformed water tank 32A Reformed water reservoir 32B Drainage reservoir 32C Excess reservoir 33 Liquid level sensor 34 Discharge channel 51 Remote controller 100 Drainage pump 102 First drainage channel 104 Drainage pipe 105 Second drainage channel 110 Control device 111 CPU
111A Error detection unit 111B Acquisition unit 111C Low temperature determination unit 111D Drain control unit 112 ROM
113 RAM
114 I/O
115 storage unit 115A control program 116 communication unit 117 external I/F
120 Drain receiver

Claims (9)

a fuel cell module that generates electricity;
a reforming water tank including a reforming water reservoir for storing water obtained from exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module as reforming water to be introduced into the fuel cell module;
a drainage reservoir provided in the reforming water tank and connected to a first drainage channel and a drainage pipe for storing water overflowing from the reforming water reservoir and discharging the stored water to the outside;
a surplus water storage unit provided in the reformed water tank and connected to a second drainage channel for directly discharging water overflowing from the waste water storage unit to the outside;
Control including a control unit that disables the stoppage of the own system and continues power generation when a condition indicating that a drainage abnormality is detected and the temperature of the external environment is relatively low is satisfied. a device;
A fuel cell system with further comprising a housing for storing the fuel cell module, the reformed water tank, and the control device;
The first drainage channel and the second drainage channel are provided in the housing,
2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the drainage pipe is provided outside the housing and connected to the drainage reservoir via the first drainage channel. The control device further includes an acquisition unit that acquires the temperature measured around the fuel cell unit in which the fuel cell module is provided when the drainage abnormality error is detected,
3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the air temperature is below a threshold. The control device further includes an acquisition unit that acquires weather information for the area where the system is installed when the drainage abnormality error is detected,
3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the temperature obtained from the weather information is below a threshold. The control device further includes an acquisition unit that, when detecting an error of the drainage abnormality, acquires calendar information indicating the time when the error was detected,
3. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low includes that the time obtained from the calendar information is a time when the temperature is relatively low. system. Further comprising a drainage pump provided in the first drainage channel,
6. The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a drainage system of the drainage reservoir is a pump delivery system in which drainage is performed using the drainage pump. 6. The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a drainage system of the drainage reservoir is a gravity flow system in which drainage is performed by gravity flow. a fuel cell module that generates electricity;
a reforming water tank including a reforming water reservoir for storing water obtained from exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module as reforming water to be introduced into the fuel cell module;
a drainage reservoir provided in the reforming water tank and connected to a first drainage channel and a drainage pipe for storing water overflowing from the reforming water reservoir and discharging the stored water to the outside;
A control for controlling the operation of a fuel cell system provided in the reformed water tank and connected to a second drainage passage for directly discharging water overflowing from the drainage storage to the outside. a device,
Including a control unit that disables the stoppage of its own system and continues power generation when it detects an error of drainage abnormality and satisfies the condition indicating that the temperature of the external environment is relatively low Control Device. A control program for causing a computer to function as a controller included in the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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