JP4969028B2 - Fuel cell module and fuel cell system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell, and more particularly to stabilization of the operating temperature of a fuel cell.

  A fuel cell is a device that generates electrical energy from fuel and oxidant, and can achieve high power generation efficiency. The main feature of a fuel cell is direct power generation that does not go through the process of thermal energy or kinetic energy as in the conventional power generation method. For this reason, fuel cells can be expected to have high power generation efficiency even on a small scale. In addition, since the emission of nitride compounds and the like is small and noise and vibration are small, environmental performance is improved. In this way, the fuel cell can effectively use the chemical energy of fuel and has environmentally friendly characteristics, so it is expected to be an energy supply system for the 21st century, from space use to automobiles and portable devices. It is attracting attention as a promising new power generation system that can be used in various applications from large-scale power generation to small-scale power generation, and technological development is in full swing toward practical use.

  In recent years, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has attracted attention as a form of fuel cell. The DMFC directly supplies methanol to the anode without reforming the fuel, and obtains electric power through an electrochemical reaction between methanol and oxygen. Methanol has higher energy per unit volume than hydrogen, is suitable for storage, and has a low risk of explosion, and is expected to be used as a power source for automobiles and portable devices.

However, the fuel cell has a problem that the power generation efficiency decreases when the temperature of the fuel cell decreases at the time of startup or the like. To cope with this problem, measures have been taken such as providing a temperature raising means in the fuel or oxidant supply system (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-373684 A

  However, in the conventional fuel cell, since the temperature raising means is provided in the supply system, there is a problem that the whole system is enlarged. Further, when a heater or the like is used as the temperature raising means, the generated electric power is consumed, which causes a problem that the power generation efficiency of the entire fuel cell is lowered.

  Furthermore, if the temperature of the fuel cell rises too much, in the fuel cell using the electrolyte membrane, drying of the electrolyte membrane may cause a decrease in power generation efficiency and a decrease in durability of the fuel cell.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for improving the temperature stability of a fuel cell during operation. Another object of the present invention is to shorten the startup time of the fuel cell.

The fuel cell system of the present invention is a fuel cell system including a fuel cell module that generates electric power by reacting a fuel and an oxidant, and the fuel cell module is an anode on one surface of an electrolyte membrane. A fuel flow path plate including a planar module in which a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies having cathodes bonded to the other surface are arranged on a plane, and a fuel channel for supplying fuel to the anodes of the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies An oxidant flow path plate including an oxidant flow path for supplying an oxidant to the cathodes of the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies , a combustion flow path for supplying a part of the fuel, and a combustion flow path has been a fuel catalyst for combustion reaction with the fuel, and a heat-generating portion provided with the fuel passage plate and / or the oxidant flow channel plate in position can be heated by thermal conduction, the fuel flow path A fuel supply means for supplying fuel, and oxidant supply means for supplying an oxidizing agent to the oxidizing agent passage, a combustion agent supply means for supplying a portion of the fuel to the heating unit, the heat from the heating unit A heat exchange channel through which the fuel and / or the oxidant before the reaction flows, and the fuel or / and the oxidant before the reaction are preheated by the heating unit. characterized in that that.

According to the configuration of the fuel cell system, the flat module, the fuel flow path, and the oxidant flow path can be heated by the heat generated when part of the fuel is burned. Thereby, the starting time of the fuel cell can be shortened, and the temperature of the fuel cell during operation can be stabilized.
In addition, since the temperature of the fuel or / and the oxidant can be increased in advance before the fuel or / and the oxidant reacts, the power generation efficiency can be further improved.
Furthermore, since the heat generating portion includes a combustion catalyst that undergoes a combustion reaction with the fuel, the fuel can be burned efficiently, so that the fuel cell can be heated quickly.

In the configuration of the fuel cell system, a combustion agent supply means for supplying the unreacted fuel discharged from the fuel flow path plate to the heat generating portion. Thereby, since fuel can be consumed without waste, the energy efficiency of a fuel cell can be improved.

  In the configuration of the fuel cell system, the fuel may be a methanol solution. This provides a DMFC system that is excellent in power generation efficiency, has a short start-up time, and can maintain temperature during operation. According to this, a DMFC module that is excellent in power generation efficiency, has a short start-up time, and can maintain temperature during operation is provided.

  A combination of the above-described elements as appropriate can also be included in the scope of the invention for which patent protection is sought by this patent application.

  According to the apparatus of the present invention, the temperature of the operating fuel cell can be stabilized.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a fuel cell system 10 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The fuel cell system 10 includes a fuel cell module 20, a fuel storage unit 30, a fuel supply pump 32, an oxidant supply pump 34, and a tank 300.

  The fuel storage unit 30 is a container that stores, for example, an 8 mol / L methanol solution. The fuel storage unit 30 is connected to a fuel supply pump 32 by a pipe 102. The fuel supply pump 32 supplies an appropriate amount of methanol solution to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 104.

  On the other hand, the oxidant supply pump 34 takes in air as an oxidant from the outside, and supplies the taken air to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 106.

  The fuel cell module 20 generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction using the supplied methanol solution and air. The methanol solution and air after the reaction are stored in the tank 300 via the pipe 108 and the pipe 110, respectively, and the moisture contained in the air is recovered. The tank 300 has a discharge port 302 for discharging the contents to the outside air.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuel cell module 20. The fuel cell module 20 includes a planar module 50 including a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies 40, a fuel flow path plate 60, an oxidant flow path plate 70, a bipolar plate 80, a separation plate 90, and a heat exchange plate 100.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the membrane electrode assembly 40. The membrane electrode assembly 40 has a structure in which a polymer electrolyte membrane 42 is held between an anode 44 and a cathode 46. The anode 44 is in contact with one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane 42, and the cathode 46 is in contact with the other surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane 42.

  The polymer electrolyte membrane 42 is generally composed of a sulfonate highly fluorinated polymer (for example, Nafion (registered trademark)) having a main chain composed of a fluorinated alkylene and a side chain composed of a fluorinated vinyl ether having a sulfonic acid group at the terminal. )).

  The anode 44 includes conductive carbon black particles carrying a highly dispersed catalyst metal such as platinum, ruthenium, an alloy of platinum and ruthenium, water repellent, and fluoropolymer particles as a binder, and if necessary, such as Nafion. Includes a polymer electrolyte membrane.

  The cathode 46 includes conductive carbon black particles carrying a highly dispersed catalyst metal such as platinum or an alloy of platinum and a metal such as vanadium, chromium, iron, and nickel, a water repellent, and a fluorine polymer particle as a binder. If necessary, a polymer electrolyte membrane such as Nafion is included.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the planar module 50 includes a flat holding plate 52 and a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies 40. The holding plate 52 is provided with a plurality of through holes arranged vertically and horizontally. The membrane electrode assembly 40 is fitted in each through hole provided in the holding plate 52.

  Any material can be used as the material of the holding plate 52 as long as it has insulating properties, heat resistance, and gas barrier properties, and an acrylic resin is exemplified.

  FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the planar module 50. The plurality of membrane electrode assemblies 40 included in the planar module 50 are electrically connected in series. FIG. 4 shows an example of a configuration for connecting the membrane electrode assembly 40a and the membrane electrode assembly 40b. A copper wire 200 is connected to the anode 44a of the membrane electrode assembly 40a as a conductor. Further, a copper wire 202 is connected as a conductor to the cathode 46b of the membrane electrode assembly 40b. A through via 204 is formed in the holding plate 52 between the membrane electrode assembly 40 a and the membrane electrode assembly 40 b, and copper 206 is embedded in the through via 204. One ends of the copper wire 200 and the copper wire 202 are connected to the copper 206. Thereby, the membrane electrode assembly 40a and the membrane electrode assembly 40b are electrically connected in series. Similarly, the membrane electrode assembly 40a is electrically connected in series with other membrane electrode assemblies by a copper wire 210 connected to the cathode 46a, and the membrane electrode assembly 40b is connected to a copper wire 212 connected to the anode 44b. Furthermore, it is electrically connected in series with other membrane electrode assemblies. Thus, by sequentially connecting a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies 40 in series, a voltage obtained by multiplying the voltage generated in each membrane electrode assembly 40 by the number of membrane electrode assemblies 40 can be taken out. .

  Returning to FIG. 2, the fuel flow path plate 60 includes a fuel inlet 62 connected to the pipe 112 (see FIG. 1), a fuel flow path 64 through which fuel flows, and a fuel outlet 66 connected to the pipe 114 (see FIG. 1). Have The fuel flow path 64 is branched into a plurality of paths so that the fuel flowing in from the fuel inlet 62 is supplied to the surface on the anode side of each membrane electrode assembly 40. The plurality of paths of the fuel flow path 64 merge and then communicate with the fuel outlet 66.

  The oxidant flow path plate 70 is connected to the pipe 116 (see FIG. 1), the oxidant inlet 72, the oxidant flow path 74 through which the oxidant flows, and the oxidant connected to the pipe 110 (see FIG. 1). It has an outlet 76. The oxidant channel 74 is branched into a plurality of paths so that the air flowing from the oxidant inlet 72 is supplied to the cathode side surface of each membrane electrode assembly 40. The plurality of paths of the oxidant channel 74 communicate with the oxidant outlet 76 after joining.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the bipolar plate 80 has a combustion agent inlet 82 connected to the pipe 114 (see FIG. 1) on the surface on the fuel flow path plate 60 side, and combustion in which an unreacted methanol solution flows. It has a combustion agent outlet 84 connected to the flow path 83 and the pipe 108 (see FIG. 1). The combustion flow path 83 is branched into a plurality of paths so that each membrane electrode assembly 40 can be heated evenly when unreacted methanol flowing from the combustion agent inlet 82 burns. The plurality of paths of the combustion channel 83 communicate with the combustion agent outlet 84 after joining. A combustion catalyst that causes a combustion reaction with methanol is applied to or introduced into the combustion channel 83. The combustion catalyst may be a material having a high methanol oxidation reaction activity, and examples thereof include platinum group elements such as platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium, and osmium, and copper-zinc oxide catalysts. The catalyst particles may be composed of the catalyst alone, but may be a supported catalyst in which the catalyst is supported on carbon black such as furnace black or acetylene black, or ceramics such as alumina, zirconia, or titania. .

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, the bipolar plate 80 has, on the other surface, a preheating channel inlet 85 connected to the pipe 104 (see FIG. 1) and a preheating channel 86 through which the methanol solution before the reaction flows. And a preheating channel outlet 87 connected to the piping 112 (see FIG. 1). The preheating channel 86 is branched into a plurality of paths so that the methanol solution flowing from the preheating channel inlet 85 is efficiently preheated by combustion of methanol in the combustion channel 83. The plurality of paths of the preheating channel 86 communicate with the preheating channel outlet 87 after joining.

  The bipolar plate 80 is desirably provided in the vicinity of the fuel flow path plate 60 to such an extent that the planar module 50, the fuel flow path plate 60, and the oxidant flow path plate 70 can be heated by heat conduction. For example, the bipolar plate 80 is preferably brought into contact with the main surface of the fuel flow path plate 60 opposite to the planar module 50.

  The bipolar plate 80 has a combustion channel 83 as a heat generating unit and a preheating channel 86 as a heat exchanging unit. Thereby, heat exchange between the combustion channel 83 and the preheating channel 86 can be performed efficiently. Instead of using the bipolar plate 80, the combustion channel 83 and the preheating channel 86 may be formed as separate members, and both members may be brought into contact with each other.

  The heat exchange plate 100 includes a preheating channel inlet 101 connected to the pipe 106 (see FIG. 1), a preheating channel 103 through which air before reaction flows, and a preheating channel outlet 105 connected to the pipe 116 (see FIG. 1). Have The preheating channel 103 is branched into a plurality of paths so that air flowing from the preheating channel inlet 101 is efficiently preheated by combustion of methanol in the combustion channel 83. The plurality of paths of the preheating channel 103 communicate with the preheating channel outlet 105 after joining.

  A separation plate 90 is provided between the bipolar plate 80 and the heat exchange plate 100, and the preheating flow path 86 and the preheating flow path 103 are respectively closed by the separation plate 90.

  The heat exchange plate 100 is desirably provided in the vicinity of the combustion flow path 83 so as to be heated by heat conduction. For example, the heat exchange plate 100 is preferably brought into contact with the surface of the bipolar plate 80 opposite to the planar module 50 via a separation plate 90. When the preheating channel 86 is closed only by the bipolar plate 80 or when the preheating channel 103 is closed only by the heat exchange plate 100, the separating plate 90 is not necessary.

(Operation of fuel cell system)
The operation of the fuel cell system 10 configured as described above will be described. First, a methanol solution is supplied from the fuel storage unit 30 to the fuel cell module 20. The supplied methanol solution is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 86.

  On the other hand, the air supplied from the oxidant supply pump 34 is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 103.

  The preheated methanol solution and air flow through the fuel channel 64 and the oxidant channel 74, respectively. In each membrane electrode assembly 40, electric power is generated by causing an electrochemical reaction between the preheated methanol solution and air.

  The air after the reaction is stored in the tank 300. The unreacted methanol solution is burned by a catalytic action while flowing through the combustion channel 83. As the unreacted methanol solution burns in the combustion channel 83, the air passing through the preheating channel 103, the methanol solution before the reaction passing through the preheating channel 86, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 are heated by heat conduction. The

  In this way, the unreacted methanol solution is burned to preheat the methanol solution and air before the reaction, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 is heated evenly, whereby a thermal gradient is generated in the plane of the planar module 50. Generation | occurrence | production is suppressed, while the local output fall and durability fall of the flat module 50 are suppressed, and the electric power generation function of the flat module 50 is suppressed. Further, since power is not consumed unlike the heater, the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell is not impaired. Moreover, by burning the unreacted methanol solution, the fuel can be consumed without waste.

( Reference form 2)
FIG. 6 shows the overall configuration of the fuel cell system 12 according to Reference Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In this reference embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The fuel cell system 12 includes a fuel cell module 20, a fuel storage unit 500, a high concentration fuel pump 502, a high concentration fuel pump 504, an air pump 506, a tank 508, a fuel supply pump 32, and an oxidant supply pump 34. .

The fuel storage unit 500 is a container that stores, for example, a high-concentration methanol solution of 22 mol / L. The fuel storage unit 500 is connected to a high-concentration fuel pump 502 and a high-concentration fuel pump 504 by piping 600 and piping 602.

  The high concentration fuel pump 502 supplies a high concentration methanol solution to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 604. The air pump 506 takes in air from the outside and supplies the taken-in air to the pipe 606. The pipe 606 joins the pipe 604 at the junction 605 upstream of the fuel cell module 20. The high-concentration fuel pump 502 and the air pump 506 can be controlled on and off by a controller (not shown). By providing a temperature sensor in at least one of the membrane electrode assembly 40, the fuel flow path 64, and the oxidant flow path 74, the high concentration fuel pump 502 and the air flow are based on temperature information from the temperature sensor. It is desirable to manage the temperature in the combustion channel 83 by turning on and off the pump 506.

  On the other hand, the high-concentration fuel pump 504 supplies the high-concentration methanol solution to the tank 508 via the pipe 608.

  The tank 508 is connected to the fuel outlet 66, the oxidant outlet 76, and the combustion agent outlet 84 via a pipe 614, a pipe 616, and a pipe 618, respectively. Thereby, the methanol solution and air after the electrochemical reaction and the methanol solution that has undergone the combustion reaction in the combustion channel 83 can be collected in the tank 508. In the tank 508, the high-concentration methanol solution supplied from the high-concentration fuel pump 504 is mixed with the water contained in the recovered air, and the concentration of the methanol solution is diluted to, for example, 0.5 mol / L. .

  The tank 508 is connected to the fuel supply pump 32 by a pipe 610. The fuel supply pump 32 supplies an appropriate amount of methanol solution to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 104. The tank 508 has a discharge port 509 for discharging the contents to the outside air.

(Operation of fuel cell system)
The operation of the fuel cell system 12 configured as described above will be described. First, a high-concentration methanol solution stored in the fuel storage unit 500 is diluted in the tank 508 and then supplied to the fuel cell module 20. The supplied methanol solution is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 86.

  On the other hand, the air supplied from the oxidant supply pump 34 is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 103.

  The preheated methanol solution and air flow through the fuel channel 64 and the oxidant channel 74, respectively. In each membrane electrode assembly 40, electric power is generated by causing an electrochemical reaction between the preheated methanol solution and air.

  The methanol solution and air after the reaction are stored in the tank 508.

  Separately from this, the high-concentration methanol solution stored in the fuel storage unit 500 is supplied to the combustion flow path 83. A high-concentration methanol solution burns by a catalytic action while flowing through the combustion flow path 83. In the combustion channel 83, the high-concentration methanol solution burns, whereby the air passing through the preheating channel 103, the methanol solution before the reaction passing through the preheating channel 86, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 are heated by heat conduction. The By burning a high-concentration methanol solution in the combustion channel 83, the combustion reaction of methanol can be promoted and the calorific value can be increased. Thereby, the air and methanol solution before reaction, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 can be heated more efficiently.

  Further, by changing the amount of air supplied by the air pump 506 and the amount of high concentration fuel supplied by the high concentration fuel pump 502 in accordance with the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly 40 etc., the membrane electrode assembly 40 etc. Temperature management can be performed more reliably. For example, until the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly 40 or the like reaches about 50 ° C., the air pump 506 and the high concentration fuel pump 502 are turned on to supply air and high concentration fuel to the combustion flow path 83. When the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly 40 or the like exceeds about 50 ° C., the air pump 506 and the high concentration fuel pump 502 are turned off, and the supply of air and high concentration fuel to the combustion flow path 83 is stopped. To do.

  As described above, by preheating the methanol solution and air and heating each membrane electrode assembly 40 evenly, generation of a thermal gradient in the plane of the planar module 50 is suppressed, and the locality of the planar module 50 is suppressed. A reduction in output and a decrease in durability are suppressed, and a decrease in the power generation function of the planar module 50 is suppressed. Further, since power is not consumed unlike the heater, the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell is not impaired.

( Reference form 3)
FIG. 7 shows the overall configuration of the fuel cell system 14 according to Reference Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the present reference embodiment, the same components as those in the reference embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The fuel cell system 14 includes a fuel cell module 20, a fuel storage unit 500, a high concentration fuel pump 504, a tank 508, a fuel supply pump 32, an oxidant supply pump 34, a flow rate control unit 700, and a flow rate control unit 702.

  The fuel storage unit 500 is a container that stores, for example, a high-concentration methanol solution of 22 mol / L. The fuel storage unit 500 is connected to a high-concentration fuel pump 504 by a pipe 602.

  The high concentration fuel pump 504 supplies the high concentration methanol solution to the tank 508 via the pipe 608.

  The pipe 608 branches upstream of the tank 508, and the pipe 800 branches from the pipe 608 at the branch point 607. At the end of the pipe 800, a flow rate control unit 700 composed of a valve or / and an orifice is provided. The high-concentration methanol solution flowing through the pipe 800 is supplied to the combustion flow path 83 of the fuel cell module 20 through the pipe 802 after the flow rate is adjusted by the flow control unit 700.

  The tank 508 is connected to the fuel outlet 66, the oxidant outlet 76, and the combustion agent outlet 84 via a pipe 614, a pipe 616, and a pipe 618, respectively. Thereby, the methanol solution and air after the electrochemical reaction and the methanol solution that has undergone the combustion reaction in the combustion channel 83 can be collected in the tank 508. Further, in the tank 508, the high-concentration methanol solution supplied from the high-concentration fuel pump 504 and the water contained in the collected air are mixed to dilute the concentration of the methanol solution to 0.5 mol / L.

  The tank 508 is connected to the fuel supply pump 32 by a pipe 610. The fuel supply pump 32 supplies an appropriate amount of methanol solution to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 104. The tank 508 has a discharge port 509 for discharging the contents to the outside air.

  The oxidant supply pump 34 takes in air as an oxidant from the outside, and supplies the taken air to the fuel cell module 20 via the pipe 106. The pipe 106 branches downstream of the fuel cell module 20, and the pipe 804 branches from the pipe 106 at the branch point 803. At the end of the pipe 804, a flow rate control unit 702 configured by a valve or / and an orifice is provided. The air flowing through the pipe 804 is supplied to the pipe 802 at the junction 807 via the pipe 806 after the flow rate is adjusted by the flow control unit 702.

  The flow control unit 700 and the flow control unit 702 can be turned on / off by a controller (not shown). By providing a temperature sensor in at least one of the membrane electrode assembly 40, the fuel flow path 64, and the oxidant flow path 74, the flow rate control unit 700 and the flow rate control unit 702 are based on temperature information from the temperature sensor. It is desirable to manage the temperature in the combustion channel 83 by controlling the flow rate of the gas.

(Operation of fuel cell system)
The operation of the fuel cell system 14 configured as described above will be described. First, a high-concentration methanol solution stored in the fuel storage unit 500 is diluted in the tank 508 and then supplied to the fuel cell module 20. The supplied methanol solution is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 86.

  On the other hand, the air supplied from the oxidant supply pump 34 is preheated by passing through the preheating channel 103.

  The preheated methanol solution and air flow through the fuel channel 64 and the oxidant channel 74, respectively. In each membrane electrode assembly 40, electric power is generated by causing an electrochemical reaction between the preheated methanol solution and air.

  The methanol solution and air after the reaction are stored in the tank 508.

  Separately, the high-concentration methanol solution stored in the fuel storage unit 500 is supplied to the combustion channel 83 after the flow rate is adjusted by the flow rate control unit 700. A high-concentration methanol solution burns by a catalytic action while flowing through the combustion flow path 83. In the combustion channel 83, the high-concentration methanol solution burns, whereby the air passing through the preheating channel 103, the methanol solution before the reaction passing through the preheating channel 86, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 are heated by heat conduction. The By burning a high-concentration methanol solution in the combustion channel 83, the combustion reaction of methanol can be promoted and the calorific value can be increased. Thereby, the air and methanol solution before reaction, and each membrane electrode assembly 40 can be heated more efficiently. Further, the temperature control of the membrane electrode assembly 40 and the like can be performed by changing the flow rate of the oxidizing agent by the flow rate control unit 702 and the flow rate of the high concentration fuel by the flow rate control unit 700 according to the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly 40 and the like. This can be done more reliably.

  In this way, by preheating the methanol solution and air and heating each membrane electrode assembly 40 evenly, generation of a thermal gradient in the plane of the planar module 50 is suppressed, and the planar module 50 is locally localized. As a result, a decrease in output and a decrease in durability are suppressed, and a decrease in the power generation function of the planar module 50 is suppressed. Further, since power is not consumed unlike the heater, the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell is not impaired.

Furthermore, in this preferred embodiment, the fuel supply pump 32 of the reference embodiment 2, without using an oxidizing agent supply pump 34, since the high-concentration methanol and air can combustion flow path 83, it is possible to simplify the configuration. Further, the flow rate control unit 700 and the flow rate control unit 702 adjust the flow rates of the high-concentration methanol solution and the air, respectively, so that the planar module 5 can be adjusted by load fluctuation.
When the heat generation amount of 0 fluctuates, the temperature of the planar module 50 can be kept constant.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The form can also be included in the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the bipolar plate 80 is brought into contact with the fuel flow path plate 60. However, the bipolar plate 80 may be brought into contact with the oxidant flow path plate 70. The bipolar plate 80 may be brought into contact with the fuel flow path plate 60 and the oxidant flow path plate 70, respectively.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the methanol solution is used as a fuel, a fuel is not limited to this, For example, you may use hydrogen.

  Moreover, although the planar module 50 of the said embodiment is a structure containing the flat holding plate 52 and the several membrane electrode assembly 40, the structure of a planar module is not restricted to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of anodes 910 are arranged on one surface of a single polymer electrolyte membrane 900, and a plurality of cathodes 920 are arranged on the other surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane 900. A configuration arranged in pairs with each other can also be applied to the planar module. Thus, the anode 910 and the cathode 920 are paired at a plurality of locations with the polymer electrolyte membrane 900 interposed therebetween, thereby forming a plurality of MEAs 940. Even in such a configuration, the ion conductivity in the film surface direction of the polymer electrolyte membrane 900 is extremely small compared to the ion conductivity in the film thickness direction, so that the insulation of each MEA is maintained. Each MEA 940 is connected in series by the anode 910 being connected to the cathode 920 of the adjacent MEA 940 by a conductor 930 and the cathode 920 being connected to the anode 910 of the adjacent MEA 940 by the conductor 930.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a fuel cell system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fuel cell module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a membrane electrode assembly according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the plane module concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a top view of the bipolar plate which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the fuel cell system which concerns on the reference form 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the fuel cell system which concerns on the reference form 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of a planar module.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fuel cell system, 20 Fuel cell module, 30 Fuel storage part, 32 Fuel supply pump, 34 Oxidant supply pump, 40 Membrane electrode assembly, 42 Polymer electrolyte membrane, 44 Anode, 46 Cathode, 50 Planar module, 52 Holding Plate, 60 Fuel flow path plate, 70 Oxidant flow path plate, 80 Bipolar plate, 90 Separate plate, 100 Heat exchange plate.

Claims (4)

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell module that generates electric power by reacting a fuel and an oxidant,
The fuel cell module is a planar module in which a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies in which an anode is joined to one surface of an electrolyte membrane and a cathode is joined to the other surface are arranged on a plane;
A fuel flow path plate including a fuel flow path for supplying fuel to the anodes of the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies;
An oxidant flow path plate including an oxidant flow path for supplying an oxidant to the cathodes of the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies;
A combustion flow path to which a part of the fuel is supplied; and a fuel catalyst that is formed in the combustion flow path and that undergoes a combustion reaction with the fuel, and heats the fuel flow path plate and / or the oxidant flow path plate. A heating part provided at a position where it can be heated by conduction,
Fuel supply means for supplying fuel to the fuel flow path;
An oxidant supply means for supplying an oxidant to the oxidant flow path;
A combustor supply means for supplying a part of the fuel to the heat generating portion;
A heat exchange channel provided at a position to be heated by heat conduction from the heat generating part, and through which the fuel or / and the oxidant before the reaction flows,
The combustion agent supply means generates unheated fuel discharged from the fuel flow path plate and generates heat.
And the fuel or / and the oxidant before the reaction are preheated by the heat generating part. 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat generating portion is provided at a position in contact with a main surface of the fuel flow path plate. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a bipolar plate in which the heat generating portion is formed on a surface on the fuel flow path plate side and the heat exchange flow path is formed on the other surface. 4. The fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the fuel is a methanol solution.

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