JP5060023B2 - Fuel cell and fuel cell module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell and a fuel cell module that generate electric power using a fuel fluid.

  In a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of power generation cells are stacked, one positive terminal and one negative terminal are provided for each of the plurality of unit cells, and the electrical connection relationship between the connection terminals can be switched flexibly and easily. Has disclosed a fuel cell module (Patent Document 1).

JP 2003115312 A

  In the conventional general fuel cell stack, one output terminal serving as a current extraction portion is provided in each of the positive and negative current collecting plates on the end face of the power generation cell. Also in the fuel cell stack described in Patent Document 1, each unit cell to be stacked is provided with one output terminal for each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

  However, when the output terminal is provided only at one location of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the position of the output terminal is provided along with the gas flow path in the power generation cell, the layout of the components of the power generation cell, the distribution of gas concentration (oxygen concentration) This causes a non-uniform distribution of power generation within the current collector plate surface. As a result, the concentration of water generated in the fuel cell stack becomes non-uniform, resulting in a problem that the stability of the performance of the power generation cell is impaired. Further, power generation is concentrated around the position where the output terminal is disposed, and load concentration occurs intermittently only in a part of the power generation cell, which is not preferable in terms of durability of the power generation cell and the current collector plate. These problems are the same in the power generation cell of Patent Document 1 in which one output terminal is provided in each of the positive and negative electrodes of each unit cell to be stacked.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell and a fuel cell module that can solve at least one of the above problems.

  The present invention is a fuel cell including at least one cell, and has a plurality of output terminals at spaced positions, and is provided to be in contact with a single cell on the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side of the fuel cell. A board is provided.

  The fuel cell module outputs a switch signal to the switch according to the fuel cell, a switch for selecting one of the plurality of output terminals according to the switch signal, and an output value from the sensor. And a control unit. For example, the control unit causes the changeover switch to change over time according to a predetermined changeover schedule.

  Thus, by providing a plurality of output terminals on the current collector plate provided to output the power generated by a single electrolyte membrane, the output terminals are switched over time, and power generation in the fuel cell is concentrated. The area to be moved can be moved over time. That is, the power generation area can be spatially equalized. That is, the concentration of water generated in the fuel cell is made more uniform than before, and the stability of the cell performance is improved. Moreover, durability of a cell and a current collector plate improves.

  Here, the output terminal is disposed in the vicinity of an oxidant gas supply port for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell or an oxidant gas discharge port for discharging oxidant gas from the fuel cell. Is preferred. It is also preferable that the output terminal is disposed in the vicinity of a fuel gas supply port for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell or a fuel gas discharge port for discharging fuel gas from the fuel cell. .

  The reaction tends to be more active in the vicinity of the oxidant gas supply port, the oxidant gas discharge port, the fuel gas supply port, and the fuel gas discharge port than in other regions. Therefore, by providing output terminals in the vicinity of these regions and switching the output terminals over time to extract electric power, it is possible to more effectively equalize the power generation region of the fuel cell.

  In addition, it is preferable that the plurality of output terminals are disposed at spatially symmetrical positions with respect to the current collector plate. In this case as well, the power generation region of the fuel cell is more equalized by switching the output terminal over time and taking out the power.

  The current collector plate may be an aggregate of a plurality of current collector plates having output terminals at different positions. For example, it is preferable to be electrically divided into a plurality of regions by an insulator or a gap. More specifically, the current collecting plate is divided into independent regions for each of the output terminals. By dividing the current collector plate into a plurality of regions that are insulated from each other, it is possible to further limit the region that affects the fuel cell when the output terminal is switched and electric power is taken out. As a result, the power generation region of the fuel cell can be made more spatially uniform.

  It is also preferable to have a configuration in which at least one of the power generation distribution and the moisture distribution in the fuel cell is estimated and an output terminal is selected according to the estimation result. For example, by arranging a plurality of sensors in association with at least two of the plurality of output terminals, the control unit can acquire a power generation distribution and a moisture distribution in the fuel cell. The control unit can estimate the power generation state and water content of the power generation region corresponding to each sensor according to the output signal from the sensor, and can select the output terminal based on the estimated value.

  For example, it is preferable that a sensor for detecting the power generation state of the fuel cell is provided for each of the output terminals. The sensor can be a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a combined power sensor. In this case, the fuel cell module switches between the fuel cell, a selector switch that selects one of the plurality of output terminals according to a switching signal, and the selector switch according to an output value from the sensor. A control unit for outputting a signal.

  It is also preferable that at least one of the cells includes a cell monitoring sensor that measures the output state of the unit cell. In this case, the fuel cell module has a fuel cell, a changeover switch that selects one of the plurality of output terminals in response to a changeover signal, and a changeover switch in response to an output value from the cell monitoring sensor. And a control unit that outputs a switching signal.

  By providing the sensor in this manner, it is possible to take out the electric power by switching the output terminal according to the power generation status of the fuel cell. Therefore, the power generation area of the fuel cell can be spatially equalized according to the concentration of power generation in the fuel cell.

  According to the present invention, the power generation performance of the fuel cell module can be stabilized. Or durability of a fuel cell module can be improved.

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel cell stack 10, terminal changeover switches 12 a and 12 b, and a control unit 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell stack 10 includes a unit cell 16, current collector plates 18 a and 18 b, positive electrode output terminals 20 a and 20 b, negative electrode output terminals 22 a and 22 b, and an end plate 24.

  The fuel cell stack 10 includes a plurality of unit cells 16. In the following description, a configuration using the fuel cell stack 10 including a plurality of unit cells 16 will be described. However, the fuel cell stack 10 may be replaced with a fuel cell composed of a single unit cell. When a plurality of unit cells 16 are provided, the unit cells 16 are stacked in the direction of arrow A. Usually, about 200 unit cells 16 are stacked in series, and the entire fuel cell stack 10 is configured to obtain an output voltage of 300 to 400V. As shown in FIG. 3, the unit cell 16 has a structure in which a separator 30, a positive electrode plate 32, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 34, a negative electrode plate 36, and a separator 38 are laminated in this order. The positive electrode plate 32 and the negative electrode plate 36 are configured by joining a noble metal catalyst electrode to a gas diffusion body such as porous porous carbon paper.

  The unit cell 16 is provided with an oxidant gas hole 40 and a fuel gas hole 42. In the fuel cell stack 10 in which the unit cells 16 are stacked, an oxidant gas such as oxygen gas and a fuel gas such as hydrogen gas are supplied to each unit cell 16 through the oxidant gas hole 40 and the fuel gas hole 42. . Therefore, when the unit cells 16 are stacked, the oxidant gas hole 40 and the fuel are sealed using a sealing member such as a gasket so that the oxidant gas and the fuel gas do not leak between the unit cells 16 arranged adjacent to each other. The gas hole 42 is joined.

  The unit cell 16 may be provided with a cooling medium hole 44. When the cooling medium hole 44 is provided, the coolant can be supplied through the cooling medium hole 44 to cool the fuel cell stack 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, current collector plates 18 a and 18 b are provided on both end faces of the stack of unit cells 16 in the fuel cell stack 10 so as to sandwich the stack of unit cells 16. The positive electrode side current collector plate 18a and the negative electrode side current collector plate 18b are in contact with the positive electrode side separator 30 of the one endmost unit cell 16 and the negative electrode side separator 38 of the other endmost unit cell 16. Are arranged respectively. The current collecting plates 18a and 18b are made of a metal plate having a high conductivity such as copper plated with gold, for example.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the positive electrode side current collector plate 18 a is provided with positive electrode output terminals 20 a and 20 b so as to protrude from the outer peripheral portion of the fuel cell stack 10 at a spatially spaced position. Similarly, negative electrode output terminals 22a and 22b are also provided on the negative current collector 18b so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the fuel cell stack 10 at spatially spaced positions as shown in FIG. The negative electrode output terminals 22a and 22b are preferably arranged at positions symmetrical to the positive electrode output terminals 20a and 20b. In the present embodiment, the positive electrode output terminal 20a and the negative electrode output terminal 22a, and the positive electrode output terminal 20b and the negative electrode output terminal 22b are arranged to be plane-symmetric with respect to the unit cell 16 assembly.

  In the present embodiment, the positive current collector 18a and the negative current collector 18b are each provided with a plurality of output terminals, but the positive current collector 18a and the negative current collector 18 The effect of the invention can be obtained even with a configuration in which one of 18b includes a plurality of output terminals.

  An end plate 24 is provided outside the current collector 18a on the positive electrode side. An insulating layer is provided on the surface of the end plate 24 on the current collecting plate 18a side. This insulating layer can prevent electrical contact between the fuel cell stack 10 and the outside. Similarly, an end plate 24 is provided outside the current collector plate 18b on the negative electrode side. An insulating layer is provided on the surface of the end plate 24 on the current collecting plate 18b side. This insulating layer can prevent electrical contact between the fuel cell stack 10 and the outside.

  The end plate 24 has an oxidant gas supply port 24 a for supplying an oxidant gas to the unit cell 16, an oxidant gas discharge port 24 b for discharging the oxidant gas from the unit cell 16, and the unit cell 16. A fuel gas supply port 24 c for supplying the fuel gas and a fuel gas discharge port 24 d for discharging the fuel gas from the unit cell 16 are provided.

  Each unit cell 16 included in the fuel cell stack 10 is supplied with oxidant gas from the oxidant gas supply port 24a through the oxidant gas hole 40 of each unit cell, and unreacted oxidant from the oxidant gas discharge port 24b. The agent gas is discharged. Further, each unit cell 16 included in the fuel cell stack 10 is supplied with fuel gas from the fuel gas supply port 24c through the fuel gas hole 42 of each unit cell, and unreacted fuel gas is supplied from the fuel gas discharge port 24d. Discharged. In addition, you may provide the recirculation path | route which can supply unreacted fuel gas again from the fuel gas supply port 24c. Therefore, in order to prevent the oxidant gas from leaking, the oxidant gas supply port 24a is coupled to the oxidant gas hole 40 of the unit cell 16 at one end using a seal member such as a gasket, and the other end of the unit cell 16 is connected. An oxidant gas discharge port 24b is coupled to the oxidant gas hole 40 of the end unit cell 16 using a seal member such as a gasket. Further, in order to prevent the fuel gas from leaking, a fuel gas supply port 24c is coupled to the fuel gas hole 42 of the unit cell 16 at one end using a sealing member such as a gasket, and the other end at the other end. A fuel gas discharge port 24d is coupled to the fuel gas hole 42 of the unit cell 16 using a sealing member such as a gasket.

  Further, when the cooling medium hole 44 is provided in the unit cell 16, the cooling medium supply port 24 e for supplying the cooling medium for cooling the fuel cell stack 10 to the end plate 24 and the cooling for cooling the fuel cell stack 10. It is preferable to provide a cooling medium discharge port 24f for discharging the medium.

  The fuel cell stack 10 thus configured is connected to a load via terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b as shown in FIG. The positive terminal switching switch 12a and the negative terminal switching switch 12b include a plurality of input terminals corresponding to the number of positive output terminals 20 and the number of negative output terminals 22 provided on the current collector plates 18a and 18b, respectively. . For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the positive terminal switch 12a includes two input terminals corresponding to the positive output terminals 20a and 20b, and each input terminal is connected to one of the positive output terminals 20a and 20b. Is done. Similarly, the negative terminal switching switch 12b includes two input terminals corresponding to the negative output terminals 22a and 22b, and each input terminal is connected to one of the negative output terminals 22a and 22b.

  The terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b select some or all of the plurality of input terminals according to a control signal from the control unit 14 and connect them to the output terminals. The positive output terminals 20a and 20b provided on the positive current collecting plate 18a are connected to a load via the terminal changeover switch 12a. Negative output terminals 22a and 22b provided on the negative current collector 18b are connected to a load via a terminal changeover switch 12b.

  The terminal changeover switches 12 a and 12 b are connected to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 can be configured by a microcomputer. The control unit 14 outputs a control signal that instructs the terminal changeover switches 12a and 12b to switch the switches. In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 causes the terminal selector switches 12a and 12b to be switched in a time-series manner based on a control map stored and held in advance in a storage unit provided therein.

  During power generation, an oxidant gas such as oxygen is supplied from the oxidant gas supply port 24a to the fuel cell stack 10, and a fuel gas such as a hydrogen-containing gas is supplied from the fuel gas supply port 24c. As a result, the oxidant gas and the fuel gas cause an electrochemical reaction in the catalyst layer to generate power. Unreacted oxidant gas is discharged from the oxidant gas outlet 24b, and unreacted fuel gas is discharged from the fuel gas outlet 24d. If necessary, the temperature of the fuel cell stack 10 can be adjusted by supplying a cooling medium such as pure water or ethylene glycol from the cooling medium supply port 24e and discharging it from the cooling medium discharge port 24f.

  In the present embodiment, the terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b are switched based on a predetermined condition, and electric power is taken out from the fuel cell stack 10 while changing the output terminal over time. For example, a switching signal is output from the control unit 14 to the terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b at predetermined time intervals. Thereby, the terminal selector switch 12a is switched to one of the positive electrode output terminals 20a and 20b, and the terminal selector switch 12b is switched to one of the negative electrode output terminals 22a and 22b.

  FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing an in-plane distribution of output power on the current collecting plate 18a when the positive output terminal 20a is selected. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing the in-plane distribution of output power on the current collector plate 18a when the positive electrode output terminal 20b is selected. Note that the same in-plane distribution is obtained in the current collector plate 18b on the negative electrode side. As shown in FIG. 4, by switching the output terminals 20a and 20b every predetermined time, it is possible to move a region where power generation is concentrated in the plane of the current collector plate 18a. Similarly, by switching the output terminals 22a and 22b every predetermined time, it is possible to move a region where power generation is concentrated in the surface of the current collector plate 18b. That is, compared with the conventional case, power generation is performed uniformly in the fuel cell stack 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the concentration of water generated in the fuel cell stack 10 from becoming uneven. As a result, the stability of the power generation cell performance can be improved. Further, it is possible to avoid the concentration of the load in only a part of the fuel cell stack 10 and to improve the durability of the fuel cell stack 10 and the current collector plates 18a and 18b.

  In the present embodiment, two positive electrode output terminals 20 and two negative electrode output terminals 22 are provided on the current collector plate 18 (18a, 18b), but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 5, three or more output terminals 20 (22) may be provided on the current collector plate 18. By increasing the number of output terminals 20 (22), the power generation in the fuel cell stack 10 can be more equalized when generating power while switching the output terminals 20 (22).

  At this time, it is preferable to provide the output terminal 20 (22) in a spatially symmetric position in the plane of the current collector plate 18. In FIG. 5 (a), the output terminal 20 (22) is arranged as a point object around the center A of the current collector plate 18. In FIG. 5B, the output terminal 20 (22) is arranged as a line object around the center line B of the current collector plate 18. In this way, by arranging the output terminal 20 (22) so as to have a spatial objectivity, when generating power while switching the output terminal 20 (22), the power generation in the fuel cell stack 10 is more even. Can be

  In addition, it is preferable to provide the output terminal 20 (22) for each region having a predetermined area in the surface of the current collector plate 18. For example, in FIG.5 (c), the output terminal 20 (22) is arrange | positioned for every area | region which divided the current collecting plate 18 into 8 equal parts. Thus, by providing the output terminals 20 (22) evenly in space, the power generation in the fuel cell stack 10 can be made more equal when generating power while switching the output terminals 20 (22). .

  The output terminals 20 (22) are preferably provided in the vicinity of any one of the oxidant gas supply port 24a, the oxidant gas discharge port 24b, the fuel gas supply port 24c, and the fuel gas discharge port 24d. . In power generation in the fuel cell stack 10, the reaction becomes more prominent in the vicinity of the oxidant gas supply port 24a, the oxidant gas discharge port 24b, the fuel gas supply port 24c, and the fuel gas discharge port 24d, and the reaction tends to be concentrated. Therefore, by providing the output terminal 20 (22) to the oxidant gas supply port 24a, the oxidant gas discharge port 24b, the fuel gas supply port 24c, and the fuel gas discharge port 24d, the reaction is caused in the fuel cell stack 10. The concentrated area can be spatially equalized.

  As shown in FIG. 2 or 5, when the output terminal 20 (22) has a shape protruding from the edge of the current collector plate 18, the current collector plate 18 can be easily formed by punching or the like. This is preferable in that the size of the fuel cell stack 10 in the stacking direction A can be reduced. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, it is good also as a shape which made the output terminal 20 (22) protrude on the surface of the current collecting plate 18. As shown in FIG. In this case, it is preferable to provide a through hole through which the output terminal 20 (22) passes at a position corresponding to the output terminal 20 (22) of the end plate 24 provided outside the current collector plate 18. Thereby, the output terminal 20 (22) can be arrange | positioned in the center of each area | region which divided | segmented the current collecting plate 18. FIG. Therefore, electric power can be taken out from the vicinity of the center of the region to which the output terminal 20 (22) is assigned, and the power generation in the fuel cell stack 10 can be made more uniform.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, it can also be set as the structure which has arrange | positioned the some fuel cell stack 10 in parallel. The fuel cell stack 10a is configured such that the positive electrode plate 32 of each unit cell 16 faces the front. The positive current collecting plate 18a is disposed so as to be in contact with the positive separator 30 of the unit cell 16 disposed at the front end of the fuel cell stack 10a. On the other hand, the fuel cell stack 10b is configured such that the negative electrode plate 36 of each unit cell 16 faces the front. The negative current collector 18b is disposed so as to be in contact with the negative separator 38 of the unit cell 16 disposed at the front end of the fuel cell stack 10b. Further, the negative electrode side electrode plate 36 of the unit cell 16 disposed at the endmost part on the back side of the fuel cell stack 10a and the positive electrode side electrode plate of the unit cell 16 disposed at the endmost part on the back side of the fuel cell stack 10b. A back plate 46 is provided to electrically connect to the back plate 32.

  Here, it is preferable that the connecting portion between the fuel cell stacks on the back plate 46 is divided into a plurality of routes, and configured as a changeover switch that selectively connects any route based on a switching signal from the control unit 14. It is. For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8, the connection part of the fuel cell stack 10a and the fuel cell stack 10b in the back plate 46 is divided into a path A and a path B, and terminal switching is performed to select any one of the paths. The switch 12c is configured. The control unit 14 switches the terminal changeover switch 12c based on a predetermined condition, and changes the path connecting the fuel cell stack 10a and the fuel cell stack 10b with time.

  As described above, by switching the plurality of paths provided on the back plate connecting the plurality of fuel cell stacks, it is possible to equalize regions where reactions concentrate in the juxtaposed fuel cell stacks. In addition, the durability of the back plate can be improved.

<Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, each of the current collector plates 18a and 18b is constituted by a single conductive thin plate, but the current collector plates 18a and 18b are aggregates of a plurality of current collector plates having output terminals at different positions. It may be. The second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a current collector plate provided in a fuel cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of regions by an insulator or a gap.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of the current collector 18 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the current collector plate 18 is divided by the insulator 50 to divide the conductive regions A and B where the output terminals 20 (22) are provided. As in the first embodiment, the current collector plates 18 are arranged at both ends of the stack of unit cells 16 to constitute the fuel cell stack 10.

  Thus, by partitioning the current collector plate 18 with the insulator 50, it is possible to further limit the region where power generation is concentrated in the fuel cell stack 10 when each output terminal 20 (22) is selected. Therefore, when the output terminal 20 (22) is switched over time, the region related to power generation in the fuel cell stack 10 can be more limited and controlled.

  Also in the second embodiment, the output terminal 20 (22) has the same spatial objectivity, area uniformity, gas supply port / gas discharge port position, etc. as in the first embodiment. It is preferable to arrange in consideration. Further, the output terminal 20 (22) may protrude from the outer periphery of the current collector plate 18 or may protrude from the surface of the current collector plate 18.

<Third Embodiment>
In this embodiment, the output terminal 20 (22) is switched by appropriately measuring the power generation state of the fuel cell stack 10 and feeding back the power generation state to the control unit 14. For example, at least one of the power generation distribution and the moisture distribution in the fuel cell stack 10 is estimated, and the output terminal 20 (22) is selected according to the estimation result. By arranging a plurality of sensors in association with at least two of the output terminals 20 (22), the control unit 14 can determine the power generation distribution and moisture distribution in the fuel cell stack 10. The control unit 14 estimates the power generation state and the amount of water in the power generation region corresponding to each sensor according to the output signal from the sensor, and selects the output terminal 20 (22) based on the estimated value.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of the current collector plate 18 in the present embodiment. In the vicinity of each output terminal 20 (22) provided on the current collector plate 18, a voltage sensor 52 is provided. The output of the voltage sensor 52 is input to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 is a microcomputer provided with an analog / digital converter.

  The control unit 14 controls switching of the terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b according to the voltage value measured by each voltage sensor 52. For example, the voltage sensor 52 having the lowest voltage value when the voltage value in the vicinity of the selected output terminal 20 (22) is higher than the voltage value in the vicinity of the other output terminal 20 (22) for a predetermined time. Is switched to the output terminal 20 (22) corresponding to. Further, in each voltage sensor 52, the switching of the output terminal 20 (22) may be controlled so that the accumulated time of the period in which the voltage value is the highest is uniform.

  It is also preferable to provide a current sensor for each output terminal 20 (22) instead of or together with the voltage sensor. The output of the current sensor is fed back to the control unit 14. In this case, the control unit 14 controls switching of the terminal selector switches 12a and 12b in accordance with the current value measured by each current sensor.

  For example, when the current value from the selected output terminal 20 (22) is higher than the current value from the other output terminal 20 (22) for a predetermined time, the current sensor having the lowest current value is supported. Control to switch to the output terminal 20 (22) is performed. Further, in each current sensor, the switching of the output terminal 20 (22) may be controlled so that the accumulated time of the period in which the current value is the highest is uniform.

  Further, when both the voltage sensor and the current sensor are provided, the power is obtained from the product of the voltage sensor and the corresponding current sensor, and the power output from the selected output terminal 20 (22) is transmitted to the other output terminal 20 ( It is also possible to perform control to switch to the output terminal 20 (22) corresponding to the lowest power value when a state higher than the power output from 22) continues for a predetermined time. Further, the switching of the output terminal 20 (22) may be controlled so that the accumulated time of the period when the power value becomes the highest value becomes equal.

  In addition, a cell monitoring sensor for measuring the output voltage of each cell is provided on either the positive electrode plate 32 or the negative electrode plate 36 of any of the unit cells 16 constituting the fuel cell stack 10, and an output is output according to the measured value. It is also preferable to perform control to switch the output to the terminal 20 (22). The sensor for cell monitoring can be a voltage sensor or a current sensor. It is also preferable to provide cell monitoring sensors in the plurality of unit cells 16. The output of the sensor for cell monitoring is fed back to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 controls switching of the terminal change-over switches 12a and 12b according to the measurement value of the cell monitoring sensor.

  By providing a sensor as in the present embodiment, the distribution of power generation in the fuel cell stack can be measured, and the output can be switched according to the distribution state to extract electric power. Therefore, the power generation region of the fuel cell stack can be spatially equalized according to the concentration of power generation in the fuel cell stack.

  The configurations described in the first to third embodiments can be implemented in combination with each other. By combining a plurality of different forms, each effect can be produced synergistically.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the fuel cell module in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the fuel cell stack in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the internal structure of the fuel cell stack in embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the change of the area | region where electric power generation concentrates when an output terminal is switched. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the output terminal provided in the current collection board in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of the output terminal provided in the current collection board in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure which has arrange | positioned the fuel cell stack in embodiment of this invention in parallel. It is a schematic diagram which shows the path | route changeover switch in the backplate in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the current collecting plate divided | segmented by the insulator in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the current collecting plate which provided the sensor in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10 (10a, 10b) Fuel cell stack, 12 (12a-12c) Terminal changeover switch, 14 control unit, 16 unit cell, 18 (18a, 18b) current collector plate, 20 (20a, 20b), 22 (22a, 22b) ) Output terminal, 24 End plate, 24a Oxidant gas supply port, 24b Oxidant gas discharge port, 24c Fuel gas supply port, 24d Fuel gas discharge port, 24e Cooling medium supply port, 24f Cooling medium discharge port, 30 Separator, 32 Positive electrode plate, 34 Electrolyte membrane, 36 Negative electrode plate, 38 Separator, 40 Oxidant gas hole, 42 Fuel gas hole, 44 Coolant hole, 46 Back plate, 50 Insulator, 52 Voltage sensor, 100 Fuel cell module.

Claims (9)

A fuel cell comprising at least one cell,
It has a plurality of output terminals in spaced positions, is provided so as to be in contact with a single cell on the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side of the fuel cell, and includes a current collector plate made of a single conductive region ,
A fuel cell, wherein a sensor for detecting a power generation state of the fuel cell is provided for each output terminal . A fuel cell comprising at least one cell,
A plurality of output terminals at spaced positions, provided to be in contact with a single cell on the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side of the fuel cell, and a current collector plate made of a single conductive region ;
A changeover switch for selecting any one of the plurality of output terminals according to a changeover signal;
And a control unit that outputs a switching signal to the selector switch . The fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The output terminal is disposed in the vicinity of an oxidant gas supply port for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell or an oxidant gas discharge port for discharging oxidant gas from the fuel cell. A fuel cell. The fuel cell according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The output terminal is disposed in the vicinity of a fuel gas supply port for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell or a fuel gas discharge port for discharging fuel gas from the fuel cell. . The fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein
The fuel cell, wherein the plurality of output terminals are arranged at spatially symmetrical positions with respect to the current collector plate. The fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
A fuel cell comprising a cell monitoring sensor for measuring an output state of the cell in at least one of the cells. The fuel cell module according to claim 2 , wherein
The fuel cell module, wherein the control unit outputs a switching signal for switching the changeover switch over time according to a predetermined switching schedule. A fuel cell according to claim 1 ;
A changeover switch for selecting any one of the plurality of output terminals according to a changeover signal;
A control unit that outputs a switching signal to the changeover switch according to an output value from the sensor;
A fuel cell module comprising: A fuel cell according to claim 6 ;
A changeover switch for selecting any one of the plurality of output terminals according to a changeover signal;
A control unit that outputs a switching signal to the changeover switch according to an output value from the cell monitoring sensor;
A fuel cell module comprising:

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