JP5224085B2 - Fuel cell system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell system including a variable gas supply device in a supply flow path for flowing fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply source to a fuel cell.

In recent years, a variable gas supply device such as a mechanical variable regulator or an injector is provided in a fuel supply channel for flowing a fuel gas (for example, hydrogen gas) supplied from a fuel supply source such as a fuel tank to a fuel cell. Thus, there has been proposed a fuel cell system capable of changing the supply pressure of the fuel gas from the fuel supply source according to the operating state of the system (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).
JP 2005-302563 A

  In the above fuel cell system, pulsation may occur in the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply flow path by driving the injector. Then, vibrations caused by the pulsation and vibrations generated by the drive of the injector (for example, vibrations when the valve body collides with the valve seat) are transferred to other places through the piping that defines the fuel gas supply flow path. May propagate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a fuel cell capable of suppressing the vibration caused by pulsation accompanying the driving of the variable gas supply device and the vibration generated by the variable gas supply device to other places. The purpose is to provide a system.

In order to achieve the above object, a fuel cell system of the present invention includes a fuel cell, and a pipe defining a fuel gas supply channel for flowing a fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply source to the fuel cell, A variable injection pipe disposed in the pipe for injecting gaseous fuel, and adjusting the gas state on the upstream side of the fuel gas supply flow path by switching the opening area of the injection hole and supplying it to the downstream side A gas supply device; and a control unit that controls a gas injection time and a gas injection timing of the variable gas supply device, wherein the pipe upstream of the variable gas supply device is connected to the fuel cell via a support member. Is fixed.

  According to this configuration, since the fuel cell much heavier than the variable gas supply device functions as a mass, the vibration caused by the pulsation of the fuel gas caused by driving the variable gas supply device and the variable gas supply device itself Even if the vibration to occur occurs, the vibration is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the vibration from propagating to other places via the piping that defines the fuel gas supply flow path.

  In the fuel cell system of the present invention, the pipe may be fixed to end plates arranged at both ends in the stacking direction of the fuel cell having a stack structure via the support member. Such an end plate is suitable as a member for supporting a pipe because it is relatively large and high in rigidity among members constituting the fuel cell and has a large room for processing.

  In the fuel cell system of the present invention, a part of the piping between the fixing portion to the fuel cell by the support member and the variable gas supply device may be formed of an elastic member.

  According to this configuration, the elastic member absorbs vibration generated in the pipe between the support member and the variable gas supply device.

  In the fuel cell system of the present invention, the support member and the elastic member may be insulators.

  According to this configuration, the pipe from the elastic member fixed to the fuel cell through the support member to the fuel supply source is insulated from both the pipe from the fuel cell to the elastic member and the fuel cell. The potential is not transmitted to the piping through the support member.

  In the fuel cell system of the present invention, the support member may support the pipe from a plurality of different directions.

  According to this configuration, even if the vibration generated by driving the variable gas supply device includes amplitudes in a plurality of different directions, the fuel cell receives the vibration through the support member (supports from the rear). Therefore, it is possible to suppress the vibration from propagating to other places through the piping that defines the fuel gas supply flow path.

  In the fuel cell system of the present invention, a flange provided in the pipe may be fixed to the fuel cell via the support member.

  According to this configuration, the flange has a diameter larger than that of the pipe defining the fuel gas supply flow path, thereby ensuring a large joining area with respect to the support member. It is suitable as a location where the support member is attached.

  According to the fuel cell system of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the vibration caused by the pulsation accompanying the driving of the variable gas supply device and the vibration generated by the variable gas supply device to other places.

  Next, a first embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the case where this fuel cell system is applied to an in-vehicle power generation system of a fuel cell vehicle will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an application example, and is applicable to any moving body such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, and a walking robot. For example, the present invention can be applied to a stationary power generation system in which a fuel cell is used as a power generation facility for a building (house, building, etc.).

  In the fuel cell system 1 shown in FIG. 1, air (outside air) as an oxidizing gas is supplied to an air supply port of the fuel cell 20 via an air supply channel 71. The air supply flow path 71 is provided with an air filter A1 that removes particulates from the air, a compressor A3 that pressurizes the air, and a humidifier A21 that adds required moisture to the air. The air filter A1 is provided with an air flow meter (not shown) that detects the air flow rate. The compressor A3 is driven by the motor M.

  Air off-gas (oxidation off-gas) discharged from the fuel cell 20 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust path 72. The exhaust path 72 is provided with a pressure adjustment valve A4 and a humidifier A21. The pressure adjustment valve A4 functions as a pressure regulator that sets the supply air pressure to the fuel cell 20.

  Hydrogen gas as fuel gas is supplied from the hydrogen supply source 30 to the hydrogen supply port of the fuel cell 20 through the hydrogen supply flow path 74. The hydrogen supply source 30 corresponds to, for example, a high-pressure hydrogen tank, but may be a so-called fuel reformer, a hydrogen storage alloy, or the like.

  The hydrogen supply channel 74 includes a shutoff valve H100 that supplies or stops supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen supply source 30, a hydrogen pressure regulating valve H9 that adjusts the supply pressure of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 20 by reducing pressure, and a hydrogen supply flow A pressure sensor P1 for measuring the pressure of the hydrogen gas in the passage 74 and an injector (variable gas supply device) 80 are provided. The injector 80 has a function as a flow rate adjusting valve and a function as a variable pressure control valve, and controls the stoichiometric ratio and the back pressure by both functions.

  The hydrogen gas that has not been consumed in the fuel cell 20 is discharged as hydrogen offgas (fuel offgas) to the hydrogen circulation path 75 and returned to the downstream side of the hydrogen pressure regulating valve H9 in the hydrogen supply path 74. The hydrogen circulation path 75 includes a gas-liquid separator H42 that recovers moisture from the hydrogen off-gas, a drain valve H41 that recovers the recovered product water in a tank (not shown) outside the hydrogen circulation path 75, and a hydrogen pump that pressurizes the hydrogen off-gas. H50 is provided.

  The shut-off valve H21 closes the anode side of the fuel cell 20. The operation of the hydrogen pump H50 is controlled by the control unit 50, and supplies hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 20 through the hydrogen supply channel 74, and supplies hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 20 through the hydrogen supply channel 74 and the hydrogen circulation channel 75. It is possible to do. The hydrogen off gas merges with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen supply flow path 74 and is supplied to the fuel cell 20 for reuse.

  The hydrogen circulation path 75 is connected to the exhaust path 72 on the downstream side of the humidifier A21 by the purge flow path 76 via the discharge control valve H51. The discharge control valve H51 is an electromagnetic shut-off valve, and operates according to a command from the control unit 50, whereby the hydrogen off-gas is discharged (purged) together with the air off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 20. By performing this purge operation intermittently, it is possible to prevent a cell voltage from being lowered due to an increase in the impurity concentration in the hydrogen gas.

  A cooling path 73 for circulating the cooling water is provided at the cooling water inlet / outlet of the fuel cell 20. The cooling path 73 is provided with a radiator (heat exchanger) C2 that radiates heat of the cooling water to the outside, and a pump C1 that pressurizes and circulates the cooling water. The radiator C2 is provided with a cooling fan C13 that is rotationally driven by a motor.

  The fuel cell 20 is configured as a fuel cell stack in which a required number of single cells that receive supply of hydrogen gas and air and generate electric power through an electrochemical reaction are stacked. The electric power generated by the fuel cell 20 is supplied to a power control unit (not shown). The power control unit consists of an inverter that supplies electric power to the drive motor of the vehicle, an inverter that supplies electric power to various auxiliary devices such as a compressor motor and a motor for a hydrogen pump, and charging of power storage means such as a secondary battery. A DC-DC converter or the like that supplies power to the motors from the power storage means is provided.

  The control unit 50 is configured by a control computer system having a known configuration such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, input / output interface, display, and the like, and a required load such as an accelerator signal of a vehicle (not shown) and each part of the fuel cell system 1 Control information is received from these sensors (pressure sensor, temperature sensor, flow sensor, output ammeter, output voltmeter, etc.), and the operation of valves and motors in each part of the system is controlled.

  The injector 80 includes an injection hole for injecting gaseous fuel such as hydrogen gas, a nozzle body for supplying and guiding the gaseous fuel to the injection hole, and movable in an axial direction (gas flow direction) with respect to the nozzle body. And a valve body that is accommodated and held to open and close the injection hole.

  The valve body of the injector 80 is driven by, for example, an electromagnetic driving force generated by power supply to the solenoid, and the opening area (opening state) of the injection hole is set in two stages by turning on / off the pulsed excitation current supplied to the solenoid. It is possible to switch to the above multi-stage or stepless. The gas injection time and gas injection timing of the injector 80 are controlled by a control signal output from the control unit 50, so that the flow rate and pressure of hydrogen gas are controlled with high accuracy.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the hydrogen supply flow path 74, the upstream side of the injector 80, that is, the pipe 74 </ b> A between the injector 80 and the hydrogen supply source 30 is disposed at both ends in the stacking direction of the fuel cell 20. It is fixed to one end plate 20A via a support member 90. The end plate 20A is made of, for example, stainless steel, has a relatively large size and high rigidity among the members constituting the fuel cell 20, and has a wide range of processing (parts that can be processed), thereby supporting the pipe 74A. It is suitable as a member to be used.

  The support member 90 is a resin molded product, and as shown in FIG. 3, the holding portion 91 formed in a C shape so as to hold the pipe 74 </ b> A inside, and the diameter of the holding portion 91 from both ends of the holding portion 91. Each of the leg portions 92 extends along the direction, and a flange portion 93 is formed at each end of the leg portion 92. The inner diameter of the holding portion 91 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe 74A. When the pipe 74 is passed inside the holding portion 91, the support member 90 is fixed at a fixed position of the pipe 74A by the elasticity of the holding portion 91. The

  Although not shown, each flange portion 93 is formed with a through hole in the thickness direction. The pipe 74A is inserted with a male screw (not shown) or the like into the through hole of the flange portion 93, and is inserted into the end plate 20A of the fuel cell 20. By being fastened, the fuel cell 20 is fixed via the support member 90. The piping 74A is disposed at a certain distance from the surface of the end plate 20A via the support member 90 and is disposed in parallel to the end plate 20A.

  The support member 90 is an insulator such as polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polybutylene terephthalate, or polyamide 66, and the fuel cell 20 and the pipe 74A are thereby insulated via the support member 90.

  The pipe 74A disposed between the injector 80 and the support member 90 is divided into two in the middle, and the end of one of the divided pipes 74A and the end of the other pipe 74A are rubber hose (elastic) Member) 85. That is, the rubber hose 85 forms a part of the piping 74 </ b> A that defines the hydrogen supply channel 74. The rubber hose 85 is made of a material having excellent pressure resistance and cold resistance and low hydrogen permeability.

  In the fuel cell system 1 configured as described above, the pipe 74A upstream from the injector 80 is fixed to the fuel cell 20 mounted on the frame of the fuel cell vehicle via the resin support member 90. Has been. That is, since the fuel cell 20 that is much heavier than the injector 80 functions as a mass, the valve body collides with the valve seat in the injector 80 due to vibration caused by the pulsation of hydrogen gas caused by driving the injector 80. Even if the vibration resulting from this occurs, the vibration is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the vibration from propagating to other places through the pipe 74A.

  Further, a part of the pipe 74A disposed between the injector 80 and the support member 90 is a rubber hose 85 that is an elastic body and an insulator, and this rubber hose 85 is the other part of the pipe 74A. Therefore, the vibration propagating from the injector 80 to the fuel cell 20 can be weakened. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the vibration from propagating to other places through the pipe 74A.

  Further, since the rubber hose 85 insulates the pipe 74B from the fuel cell 20 to the rubber hose 85, the pipe 74C from the rubber hose 85 to the hydrogen supply source 30 is insulated from the fuel cell 20 by the support member 90 made of an insulator. In combination with this, the potential of the fuel cell 20 is prevented from being transmitted to the pipe 74C via both the pipe 74B and the support member 90.

  Next, a second embodiment of the fuel cell system according to the present invention will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component already demonstrated in the said 1st Embodiment, and those description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Further, the pipe 75 of the present embodiment corresponds to a portion of the pipe 74A from the injector 80 to the hydrogen supply source 30 in the first embodiment that is housed inside a case (not shown) that houses the fuel cell 20. The pipe 74 and the pipe 76 connected to the pipe 75 from the outside of the case constitute the pipe 74A in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the support member 100 of the present embodiment is a molded product of hard rubber, and includes a holding portion 101 that holds the pipe 75 and two extending from the holding portion 101 in two different directions. And two flange portions 102 and 103. The holding portion 101 has a rectangular parallelepiped block shape, and the holding portion 101 is formed with a through hole 101a for holding the pipe 75 so as to penetrate from the upper surface to the lower surface. The inner diameter of the through hole 101 a is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe 75.

  The pipe 75 is inserted into the through hole 101a, and the support member 100 is fixed at a fixed position of the pipe 75 in a state where the flange 75A provided at the lower end of the pipe 75 is in close contact with the lower surface of the holding portion 101. . Since the flange 75A has a diameter larger than that of the pipe 75 and can secure a large bonding area with respect to the support member 100, the flange 75A is suitable as a part to which the support member 100 is attached when supporting the pipe 75 from a plurality of directions.

  One flange portion 102 is formed in parallel to the pipe 75 passed through the through hole 101a. One flange portion 102 has a plate shape, and a through hole 102a through which a bolt 110 for fixing the support member 100 to the fuel cell 20 is inserted is passed through the through hole 101a. It is formed so as to be perpendicular to the pipe 75.

  The other flange portion 103 is formed to be perpendicular to the one flange portion 102. The other flange portion 103 also has a plate shape, and the one flange portion 102 and the other flange portion 103 are arranged so as to form a right angle. In the flange portion 103, a through hole 103 a through which a bolt 111 for fixing the support member 100 to the fuel cell 20 is inserted is formed in parallel to the pipe 75 passed through the through hole 101 a.

  While holding member 100 is fixed at a fixed position of piping 75, one flange portion 102 is brought into contact with the side surface of end plate 20A of fuel cell 20, and the other flange portion 103 is connected to the lower end surface of end plate 20A. Abut. Then, while maintaining this state, the bolt 110 is inserted into the through hole 102a formed in the one flange portion 102, and is fastened to a female screw hole (not shown) opened on the side surface of the end plate 20A.

  Similarly, a bolt 111 is inserted into a through hole 103a formed in the other flange portion 103, and is fastened to a female screw hole (not shown) opened at the lower end surface of the end plate 20A. Thereby, the piping 75 is fixed to the fuel cell 20 via the support member 100.

  In the fuel cell system configured as described above, one flange portion 102 extending from the holding portion 101 of the support member 100 is fixed to the side surface of the fuel cell 20, and the other flange portion 103 extending from the holding portion 101 is the fuel cell. 20 is fixed to the lower surface. The support member 100 opposes vibration acting in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the fuel cell 20 by fixing one flange portion 102 to the side surface of the fuel cell 20. Further, the support member 100 opposes vibrations acting in a direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the fuel cell 20 by fixing the other flange portion 103 to the lower surface of the fuel cell 20.

  Thereby, even if the support member 100 is subjected to vibration including amplitude in the direction perpendicular to the side surface of the fuel cell 20 (double arrow X in the drawing) on the pipe 75, or the direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the fuel cell 20. Even if the vibration including the amplitude (the double-headed arrow Y in the figure) acts, the fuel cell 20 functions as a mass with respect to those vibrations, so that the vibration is transferred to other places via the pipe 75 and the pipe 76 connected thereto. Propagation can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the flange portion 102 is in contact with the side surface of the fuel cell 20 and the flange portion 103 is in contact with the lower surface of the fuel cell 20, the amplitude in the direction parallel to both the side surface and the lower surface of the fuel cell 20 (both in FIG. Even if the vibration including the arrow Z) is applied, the vibration propagates to other places through the pipe 75 and the pipe 76 connected thereto due to the friction with respect to each surface of the fuel cell 20 of the support member 100 made of rubber. Can be suppressed.

  That is, according to the fuel cell system of the present embodiment, even if vibration including amplitudes in all directions acts on the pipe 75, it is possible to more effectively suppress the vibration from propagating to other places.

1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a fuel cell system according to the present invention. It is a figure showing a 1st embodiment of a fuel cell system concerning the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing a fuel cell and piping fixed to a fuel cell. It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment of the fuel cell system which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is sectional drawing of a supporting member and piping. It is a figure which shows the modification of 2nd Embodiment of the fuel cell system which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is the top view which looked at the support member for fixing piping to a fuel cell from the side. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of the fuel cell system which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is the top view which looked at the supporting member from the downward direction.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fuel cell system, 20 ... Fuel cell, 30 ... Hydrogen supply source (fuel supply source), 74 ... Hydrogen supply flow path (fuel supply flow path), 74A, 74B, 74C, 75, 76 ... Piping, 75A ... Flange , 80 ... injector (variable gas supply device), 85 ... rubber hose (elastic member), 90, 100 ... support member

Claims (6)

A fuel cell;
A pipe defining a fuel gas supply flow path for flowing fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply source to the fuel cell;
A variable injection pipe disposed in the pipe for injecting gaseous fuel, and adjusting the gas state on the upstream side of the fuel gas supply flow path by switching the opening area of the injection hole and supplying it to the downstream side A gas supply device;
A control unit that controls a gas injection time and a gas injection timing of the variable gas supply device, and the pipe upstream of the variable gas supply device is fixed to the fuel cell via a support member. Fuel cell system.   2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the pipe is fixed to end plates disposed at both ends in a stacking direction of the fuel cell having a stack structure via the support member.   3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein a part of the pipe between the fixing portion to the fuel cell by the support member and the variable gas supply device is configured by an elastic member.   The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein the support member and the elastic member are insulators.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the support member supports the pipe from a plurality of different directions.   The fuel cell system according to claim 5, wherein a flange provided in the pipe is fixed to the fuel cell via the support member.

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