JPH0338941Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Technical field to which the idea belongs]

This invention relates to a stacked fuel cell placed in a pressure vessel, and in particular to a fuel cell with improved safety against vibrations and shocks received during earthquakes.

[Prior art and its problems]

This type of fuel cell has hundreds of cells stacked over several meters, and the stack is assembled by tightening the upper and lower end plates with tie rods and fixing the lower end plate to the pressure vessel with bolts.
It is configured. However, because this laminate is interposed with a matrix that holds the electrolyte, the tightening tie rods are only loosely tightened, and the number of tightening tie rods is small.
It's also thin and long. Therefore, the tightening tie rod does not support the laminate from bending due to horizontal loads. On the other hand, since fuel cells are stationary devices, the horizontal vibration acceleration during operation can reach approximately 0.3 g during an earthquake. This horizontal acceleration bends the laminate, and the current fixing method is a cantilevered beam that fixes the lower end plate to the container, creating large bending stresses and strains. This causes relative movement between the cells and loss of surface pressure, resulting in damage to the seals and damage to the matrix. This may cause gas leakage during operation, leading to a serious accident such as an explosion. For this reason, the applicant has previously filed Utility Application No. 59-30348.
Then, a plurality of protrusions with screw holes are attached to either the upper end plate of the laminate and the corresponding inner surface of the container, and a support is erected on the other side, and a protrusion is inserted between the protrusions and the support. We proposed a fuel cell protection device that is tensioned by a push bolt screwed into a screw hole. However, with this configuration in which the cell stack is fixed to the case with push bolts, there is a risk that excessive thermal stress will be applied to the cell stack due to the difference in thermal expansion between the case and the cell stack.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention was developed in view of the above, and reduces the bending stress and bending strain that is applied to cell stacks over several meters long due to earthquakes, etc., thereby reducing damage to battery seals and matrices. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell equipped with a vibration damping structure capable of relieving stress applied in the stacking direction due to the difference in thermal expansion between the fuel cell and the fuel cell.

[Key points of the idea]

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by providing a fuel cell in which a laminate in which a plurality of single cells having fuel electrodes and oxidizer electrodes facing each other with an electrolyte in between are laminated with separators in a container is placed in a container. a plurality of protrusions provided on one of the upper end plate and the corresponding inner surface of the container and having screw holes therein; a support provided on the other side; and a screw screwed into the protrusion. As the screw advances and retreats, a slight amount of material is formed between the tip of the screw and the support column, or between a member that advances and retreats according to the advance and retreat of the screw, and the support column to restrain the movement of the laminate in the horizontal direction. This is achieved by providing a gap.

[Example of idea]

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of this invention, in which a battery cell 1 is tightened between an upper end plate 2 and a lower end plate (not shown) using a tightening tie rod 8 to form a laminate. , is contained in the container 3. A plurality of protruding bolt supports 6 having screw holes are provided on the upper part of the upper end plate 2, and support posts 5 are erected on the inner surface of the container 3 corresponding to the bolt supports 6. A push bolt 7 screwed into the screw hole of the bolt support 6 is used between the bolt support 6 and the support column 5 to allow support by opening a narrow gap, thereby reducing the horizontal load applied to the battery stack during transportation. For example, bending stress can be reduced to 1/4 and bending strain to 1/10. It is preferable to open a manhole 4 at an appropriate position in the container 3 so that the push bolt 7 can be tightened and loosened without disassembling the container 3. Also, if a gap check plug 10 is attached, it is convenient to set the gap and check it later. FIG. 3 shows a structure in which a viscoelastic cushion 9 is attached to the surface of the support column 5 facing the push bolt, and with such a structure, vibrations can be actively damped. FIG. 4 shows a structure in which the same effect is obtained by using taper bolts 12a and 12b as members that move forward and backward in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the screw 13 instead of the push bolt.

[Effect of the idea]

As is clear from the above description, according to this invention, a fuel cell is constructed by placing a stacked body in which a plurality of single cells having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode facing each other with an electrolyte in between are stacked together with a separator interposed in a container. A plurality of protrusions provided on either one of the upper end plate of the laminate and the inner surface of the container corresponding thereto and having screw holes formed therein, and a strut provided on the other one and screwed into the protrusions. and horizontal movement of the laminate between the tip of the screw and the support column or between the support and a member that moves forward and backward in accordance with the movement of the screw. Since a small gap is provided to restrain the battery, the horizontal load applied to the battery stack during an earthquake can be alleviated, and damage to the seal and matrix can be prevented. In addition, a cell stack is a stack of several hundred cells.
Since the height is as high as 4m, a slight error in the thickness of the single cell will cause the cell to tilt upward by 10mm to 20mm, but according to this invention, the position of the support can be adjusted with a screw, so the above error can be eliminated. can be tolerated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a longitudinal sectional view and Figure 2 being A of Figure 1.
-A sectional view, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 are longitudinal sectional views showing other embodiments of the present invention, respectively. 1... Battery cell, 2... Upper end plate,
3... Container, 4... Manhole, 5... Support, 6
... Bolt support as a projection with a screw hole, 7 ... Push bolt, 8 ... Tightening stud, 1
0...Gap check valve, 12a, 12b...Tapered plug as a member that moves forward and backward in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the screw.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a fuel cell in which a laminate in which a plurality of unit cells having fuel electrodes and oxidizer electrodes facing each other with an electrolyte are stacked with separators in between is placed in a container, an upper end plate of the laminate and a container corresponding thereto. A plurality of protrusions provided on one of the inner surfaces and having screw holes formed therein, a support provided on the other one of the inner surfaces, and a screw screwed into the protrusions, and the screws are moved back and forth to cause the A slight gap is provided between the tip of the screw and the support, or between the support and a member that moves forward and backward in accordance with the advance and retreat of the screw, for restraining horizontal movement of the laminate. fuel cell.