JPH05290868A - Ventilation structure for package type fuel cell power generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ventilate the inside of a package forcedly without consuming power or heat energy uselessly by parting the inside of the package by a heat insulation partition wall, taking outer air at a room temperature from a ventilation port, and ventilating the inside of an electric device chamber by a forced air current. CONSTITUTION:The inside of a package 20 is parted by a heat insulation partition wall 22. Air taken from a ventilation port 21 formed in an outer wall of an electric device chamber 20B including a power converting device 6 and a measurement control device 7 is introduced to a high temperature device chamber 20A including a fuel cell 3 and a fuel reforming device 4 through a ventilation hole 23. Temperature- increased air is then taken into the high temperature device chamber 20A by blowers 3B, 4B having intake ports 3I, 4I, so the inside of the package 20 is forcedly ventilated by a generated forced air current 29. As a result, thermal effects from a high temperature part to a low temperature partare shielded by the partition wall 22, and an excessive temperature increase can be restricted by the forced air current flowing from the low temperature part to the high temperature part, thereby the inside of the package 20 can be forcedly ventilated without consuming power or heat energy uselessly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a package type fuel cell power generator which is made compact by housing the entire fuel cell power generator in one package, and more particularly to heat dissipation from high temperature storage equipment. The present invention relates to a ventilation structure for suppressing an increase in temperature inside a package.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional device arrangement for each function of a fuel cell power generator having an output of about 50 kw. A device chamber 1 of the fuel cell power generator is divided by a partition wall 2 into a power generator chamber 1A. The fuel cell stack 3 and the reaction air blower 3B, the fuel reformer 4 and the combustion air blower 4B, and the heat exchanger for recovering the exhaust heat of both devices are defined in the control room 1B. A heat utilization device 5A, a cooling device 5B for keeping the fuel cell 3 as a heating element at a predetermined operating temperature, and a heating device 5 such as a temperature raising device 5C for preheating the fuel cell to its starting temperature. The high temperature part of the power generator, which has a high outer surface temperature, is housed. Further, in the control room 1B, a power converter 6 for converting the generated power of the fuel cell into AC power of a desired voltage and outputting it, a measurement controller 7 for system controlling the entire fuel cell power generator, and various pump motors. The low temperature part of the power generator such as the auxiliary machine 8 is stored. Further, the storage devices in the respective chambers are interconnected by a piping system (not shown), and by supplying fuel gas and reaction air from the fuel reformer 4 and the reaction air blower 3B to the fuel cell 2, power generation based on an electrochemical reaction is performed. Done.

When the fuel cell 2 is a phosphoric acid type fuel cell, its reaction temperature is about 200 ° C, and the temperature of the outer surface of the fuel cell reaches about 180 ° C. Further, a fuel reformer for reforming a raw fuel such as natural gas or methanol into a hydrogen-rich fuel gas is equipped with a burner, and the temperature of the outer surface thereof may reach 300 ° C or higher. Furthermore, the temperature of the outer surface of a thermal device such as a temperature raising device having an auxiliary burner or the like, or a device utilizing heat of exhaust gas also becomes considerably high.
On the other hand, devices including electronic circuits such as the power conversion device 6 and the measurement control device 7 and electric devices such as the auxiliary machine 8 including the drive motor are kept at the respective allowable allowable temperatures or lower, and the performance and It is necessary to prevent deterioration of life characteristics,
For this reason, it is required to keep the ambient temperature at 40 ° C or lower. Therefore, the partition wall 2 having a heat insulating property
The device room 1A and the control room 1B are thermally insulated with each other, and each room is forcedly ventilated or natural convection ventilated to keep the temperature in the control room at the above ambient temperature and to allow the arrangement of equipment in the power generator room 1A Is provided to prevent an abnormal rise in room temperature.

On the other hand, in a relatively small capacity fuel cell power generator having a capacity of about 10 kW, by accommodating it in a package to make it compact and save space, for example, an assembly transportation type or a portable type. There is known a package type fuel cell power generator that is used as a power supply device in this case. In this case, since the high temperature part and the low temperature part are housed in a narrow package, the heat effect from the high temperature part to the low temperature part is affected. Ventilation structures to prevent are particularly important.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a package type fuel cell power generator.
It is an elevational view schematically showing a conventional ventilation structure.
The talclad package 10 has ventilation on one side wall.
The fan 12 and the exhaust port 13 are provided on the side wall surface facing the fan 12.
E, power converter 6 that requires control of ambient temperature, measurement system
Control unit 7, electrical system such as auxiliary machine 8, and further
A raw fuel tank 9 such as a ru alcohol is used as a ventilation fan 12
On the windward side of the forced air flow 19 generated from the
It is stored and the ambient temperature is kept low, and
Fuel cell 3 with high surface temperature 3, fuel reformer 4 and not shown
The thermal equipment is stored on the leeward side of the forced air flow 19 and its surface
Exhaust port 13 of forced air flow 19 whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange
From the package 10
It is configured to suppress an increase in temperature inside. Also, the atmosphere
Cooling the raw fuel tank 9 that requires a particularly low air temperature
A fan 14 is provided to perform forced cooling. Furthermore
A reaction air blower 3B and a combustion air blower 4B
Each intake port 3_IAnd 4 _IOutside the package 10
A fuel cell 3 and a fuel that are provided to inhale outside air
Exhaust port 3 of reformer 4_OAnd 4_OOutside the package
And is configured to discharge hot exhaust gas to the outside.

[0006]

A conventional package type in which the entire fuel cell power generator is housed in a single package for downsizing, and the ambient temperature is prevented from rising by forced ventilation or local forced air cooling. In a fuel cell power plant,
There is a drawback in that the radiant heat from the fuel cell and the fuel reformer whose outer surface temperature exceeds 200 ° C. cannot prevent the thermal influence on the electric system and the raw fuel tank. Further, since power is consumed for forced ventilation and forced air cooling, there arises a problem that the system efficiency of the entire fuel cell power generator is lowered. Furthermore, since a large amount of air whose temperature has been raised by forced ventilation and forced air cooling is discharged to the outside of the package, it adversely affects the environment and wastes heat energy, further lowering system efficiency. The problem also occurs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a package type fuel having a cooling structure capable of forcibly ventilating the inside of the package without wasting electric power and heat energy and preventing thermal influence on a control system. To obtain a battery power generator.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a fuel cell, a fuel reforming device and a reaction air blower for supplying fuel gas and reaction air thereto, and the fuel cell are provided. In a package in which a fuel cell power generation device including a power conversion device arranged on the output side of and a measurement control device for controlling the entire system is housed and integrated in one package, the inside of the package is An adiabatic partition defining a high temperature apparatus chamber including a fuel cell and a fuel reformer and an electric apparatus chamber including the power conversion device and a measurement control device, a ventilation hole formed in the adiabatic partition, and the electric apparatus chamber A ventilation hole formed on the outer wall of the blower and an intake port of a blower that is located in the high temperature device chamber and that sucks in the air whose temperature has risen by flowing into the high temperature device chamber through the ventilation hole and the ventilation hole. Na And things.

The intake port of the blower is the intake port of the reaction air blower for supplying the reaction air to the fuel cell, or the intake port of the combustion air blower for supplying the combustion air to the burner of the fuel reformer. Shall be

[0010]

In the structure of the present invention, the heat insulating partition divides the inside of the package into a high temperature device room including the fuel cell and the fuel reformer, and an electric device room including the power converter and the measurement controller. The air sucked from the ventilation hole formed in the outer wall of the equipment room is guided to the high temperature equipment room through the ventilation hole formed in the heat insulating partition, and the air whose temperature has risen has a suction port in the high temperature equipment room, for example, a reaction. By adopting a ventilation structure in which an air blower or a combustion air blower is used for intake, the electric equipment room is insulated from heat effects including radiant heat from the high temperature equipment room by the heat insulation partition wall, and the power converter is operated by the outside air at room temperature drawn from the ventilation port It is possible to forcibly cool the low temperature part such as the measurement control device. In addition, by forcing the forced airflow that has exchanged heat with high temperature parts such as high temperature fuel cells and fuel reforming equipment into the high temperature equipment room by the existing reaction air blower or combustion air blower, Forced airflow can be generated without consuming auxiliary power, and the heat energy released from the fuel cell and fuel reformer
Since it can be recovered and used effectively for preheating reaction air and combustion air, a package type fuel cell power generator with high thermal efficiency can be obtained.

[0011]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below based on examples. FIG. 1 is a simplified elevational view showing a packaged fuel cell power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those of the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted. To do. In the figure, for example, a metal-clad type package 20 is divided into a high temperature device room 20A and an electric device room 20B by a heat insulating partition 22 having a ventilation hole 23, and the outside wall of the electric device room 20B is provided with outside air. A ventilation hole 21 for taking in is formed. Further, the high temperature apparatus chamber 20A accommodates a high temperature portion of the fuel cell 3, the fuel reformer 4, or a heat generator (not shown) such as a heat generator whose outer surface temperature is higher than 200 ° C. An intake port 3 _I of a reaction air blower 3B for supplying the reaction air and an intake port 4 _I of a combustion air blower 4B for supplying the combustion air to the reforming air burner are arranged, and are passed through a ventilation hole 21 and a ventilation hole 23. As a result, a ventilation structure for generating the forced airflow 29 reaching the intake ports 3 _I and 4 _I of the blower is formed. further,
The electric device room 20B accommodates electric devices such as the power conversion device 6, the measurement control device 7, or the auxiliary device 8 that require control of the ambient temperature, and the low temperature part of the power generator such as the raw fuel tank 9.

In the package type fuel cell power generator constructed as described above, the electric device chamber 20B is provided with a heat insulating partition wall 22.
The heat influence including the radiant heat from the high temperature equipment room 20A is blocked by this, and the outside of the room temperature is sucked through the ventilation hole 21 to forcibly ventilate the electric equipment room, and the power conversion device 6, the measurement control device 7, the auxiliary device 8, In addition, since the ambient temperature of the raw fuel tank 9 and the like can be controlled to, for example, 40 ° C. or lower, it is possible to keep the temperature rise of the storage equipment below the respective allowable temperatures and prevent the performance and life characteristics from being degraded.

Further, the forced airflow 29 which has passed through the ventilation holes 23 of the heat insulating partition wall 22 and exchanged heat with the high temperature fuel cell and the fuel reformer in the high temperature apparatus chamber 20A to raise the temperature is in the high temperature apparatus chamber 20A. Is sucked into the intake port 3 _I or 4 _I of the existing reaction air blower 3B or combustion air blower 4B and used as preheated reaction air or combustion air. Therefore, the forced airflow 29 is generated without consuming auxiliary power required to drive the ventilation fan and the cooling fan in the related art to perform the forced ventilation, and the heat released from the fuel cell 3 and the fuel reformer 4 is released. Since energy can be recovered and effectively used as preheating energy for reaction air or combustion air, a package with high thermal efficiency for the entire power generator.
A di-type fuel cell power generator can be obtained. Furthermore, since the forced airflow 29 that has become hot air is not discharged to the outside of the package 20, it does not have an adverse effect on the environment, and the clean
It is possible to obtain a package type fuel cell power generator which makes use of the characteristics of the fuel cell as an energy source.

[0014]

As described above, the present invention defines a high-temperature equipment room and an electric equipment room by a heat insulating partition having ventilation holes inside the package, and takes in outside air to the outer wall of the electric equipment room. Air at room temperature, which is provided with holes and cools electric equipment such as power converters, measurement control devices, and auxiliary equipment stored in the electric equipment room, flows into the high temperature equipment room through the ventilation holes as a forced air flow, The ventilation structure was configured to draw in the forced airflow that has risen in temperature by exchanging heat with devices with high surface temperatures such as batteries and fuel reformers from the intake ports of the existing reaction air blower and combustion air blower. As a result, the heat effect from the high temperature part to the low temperature part, which was a problem in the conventional package type fuel cell power generator that is made compact by storing the entire power generator in the package, is blocked by the heat insulating partition wall. In addition, since the excessive temperature rise can be suppressed by the forced airflow flowing from the low temperature part to the high temperature part, it is possible to provide a miniaturized package type fuel cell power generator having high reliability.

Further, since the existing reaction air blower and combustion air blower are used as the power source of the forced air flow, the ventilation fan and the cooling fan, which are conventionally required, are no longer required, and the power consumption of auxiliary machinery is reduced accordingly. In addition to being able to reduce the amount, it is possible to effectively use the dissipated heat energy of the fuel cell and fuel reformer for preheating reaction air and combustion air, so it is possible to prevent the decrease in system efficiency that has been a problem with conventional ventilation structures. Therefore, it is possible to economically advantageously provide a package type fuel cell power generator which consumes less auxiliary electric power and has a good heat balance.

Further, since the ventilation structure does not discharge hot air to the outside of the package, it does not adversely affect the environment and provides a package type fuel cell power generator utilizing the characteristics of a clean energy source. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an elevational view schematically showing a packaged fuel cell power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional device arrangement for each function of a fuel cell power generator having an output of about 50 kw.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view schematically showing a conventional ventilation structure of a package type fuel cell power generator.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Equipment Room 1A Power Generation Equipment Room 1B Control Room 2 Partition 3 Fuel Cell 3B Reaction Air Blower 3 _I Intake Port 4 Fuel Reforming Device 4B Combustion Air Blower 4 _I Intake Port 5 Thermal Equipment 6 Power Converter 7 Measurement Control Device 8 Auxiliary Equipment (For example, pump motor) 9 Raw fuel tank 10 Package 12 Ventilation fan 13 Exhaust port 14 Cooling fan 19 Forced air flow 20 Package 20A High temperature equipment room 20B Electric equipment room 21 Ventilation hole 22 Thermal insulation partition wall 23 Ventilation hole 29 Forced air flow

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A fuel cell, a fuel reformer and a reaction air blower for supplying fuel gas and reaction air to the fuel cell, a power converter arranged on the output side of the fuel cell, and measurement for controlling the entire system. A fuel cell power generation device including a control device is housed in one package and integrated, and a high temperature device chamber including the fuel cell and a fuel reformer in the package, the power conversion device, and An insulating partition that is defined in an electrical equipment room including a measurement control device, and a ventilation hole formed in this insulating partition, a ventilation hole formed in the outer wall of the electrical equipment room, and located in the high temperature equipment room, A ventilation structure for a package type fuel cell power generator, comprising: an intake port of a blower that sucks in air whose temperature has risen by flowing into the high temperature apparatus chamber through the ventilation hole and the ventilation hole. 2. The ventilation structure for a package type fuel cell power generator according to claim 1, wherein the intake port of the blower is an intake port of a reaction air blower for supplying reaction air to the fuel cell. 3. The package type fuel cell power generator according to claim 1, wherein the intake port of the blower is an intake port of a combustion air blower for supplying combustion air to the burner of the fuel reformer. Ventilation structure.