JPH05299112A - Assembly of solid electrolyte fuel battery cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the strength against external force by strengthening an assembly against the force in the dislocation direction and facilitating the manufacture and the installation of the assembly. CONSTITUTION:This is an assembly in which a plurality of cylindrical and longitudinal stripe type solid electrolyte fuel battery cells 10 and a plurality of cylinder type ceramic tubes 12 having nearly the same diameter as the cells 10 are respectively arranged in one line so as to be nearly parallel with their axis and these cell arrays and the ceramic tube arrays are alternately arranged. The respective cells 10 and the respective ceramic tubes 12 are surrounded by six pieces of cells 10 or ceramic tubes 12 and arranged so that the distance between the center of the central cells 10 or the ceramic tubes 12 and the center of six pieces of cells 10 or ceramic tubes 12 surrounding the former becomes nearly equal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solid electrolyte fuel cell assembly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a conventional solid electrolyte fuel cell assembly has a structure in which only the cells 10 are arranged in a grid and the nickel felts 16 are modularized (assembled) in parallel and in series. Was adopted.

[0003]

When such a conventional modularized structure is adopted, there are the following problems.

1. The cell assembly is weak against the force in the displacement direction. 2. Due to the above reasons, a high degree of caution is required in manufacturing the cell assembly. 3. It is difficult to install a fuel gas introduction pipe (also serving as a cooler of the cell assembly) for preheating the fuel gas inside the cell assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cell assembly having a structure that is strong against a force in the direction of displacement and that can be provided with a fuel gas introducing pipe for preheating the fuel gas and cooling the assembly. There is a place to do it.

[0006]

A solid electrolyte fuel cell assembly of the present invention comprises a plurality of cylindrical vertical stripe type solid electrolyte fuel cells, and a plurality of cylindrical ceramic tubes having substantially the same diameter as the cells. So that the axes of are almost parallel,
A cell array and a ceramic tube array, each of which is arranged in a row and is alternately arranged, wherein each cell and each ceramic tube are surrounded by six cells or ceramic tubes, and a central cell or The ceramic tubes are arranged so that the distances connecting the centers of the ceramic tubes and the six cells surrounding them or the centers of the ceramic tubes are substantially equal to each other (claim 1).

In this assembly, a conductive tube having substantially the same diameter as the ceramic tube may be installed at one end of the ceramic tube row to electrically connect the solid electrolyte fuel cell cell rows. 2).

It is preferable that the entire assembly has a structure of hexagons or a combination of hexagons (claim 3).

The ceramic tube may be made of a heat conductive material and used as a fuel gas introduction tube (claim 4).

[0010]

[Operation] With the structure as claimed in claim 1, the aggregate becomes stable and strong against the force in the displacement direction. A zirconia tube, an alumina tube, or the like can be used as the ceramic tube.

With the structure as claimed in claim 2,
You can connect cells in each row in series or in parallel,
An electrical connection between columns can be achieved. As the conductive tube, a ceramic tube coated with a metal such as a metal plating or a heat-resistant metal tube can be used.

When the entire assembly has a hexagonal shape or a combination of hexagonal shapes, the strength of the assembly is further increased.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the ceramic tube is made of a heat-conductive material to form a fuel gas introduction tube, and low-temperature fuel gas is passed through the tube to exchange heat through the ceramic tube. The gas can be preheated and the assembly can be cooled.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a large number of cylindrical vertical stripe type solid electrolyte fuel cells 10 and a large number of cylinders having substantially the same diameter as the cells 10 are provided. The mold ceramic tubes 12 are arranged in a line so that their axes are substantially parallel to each other. These cell rows and ceramic tube rows are alternately arranged to form an aggregate.

Each cell 10 is surrounded by two cells 10 and four ceramic tubes 12 and has a central cell 10
The distance between the center of the cell and the center of two cells 10 surrounding it and the distance between the center of the center cell 10 and the center of four ceramic tubes 12 surrounding it are all substantially equal. A large number of cells 10 are arranged in a line in the same direction, and at the location of the interconnector 14, the adjacent cell 1
0 and the nickel felt 16 are connected in series. The ceramic tube 12 is made of high-purity alumina. This ceramic tube 12 has 4
It is surrounded by one cell 10 and two ceramic tubes 12, and the distance between the center of the central ceramic tube 12 and the center of four cells 10 surrounding it, and the center of the central ceramic tube 12 and this All of the distances connecting the centers of the two ceramic tubes 12 surrounding the are substantially equal. The ceramic tubes 12 are connected to each other and the ceramic tube 12 and the cell 10 are connected by nickel felts 16, respectively.

The entire assembly of this embodiment has a hexagonal structure or a combination of hexagons (hexagonal symmetric mesh structure).
It has high strength and is extremely stable against external force.

Further, in this embodiment, the ceramic tube 12 serves as a fuel gas introduction pipe into the inside of the assembly, and the cell 10 is provided while the low-temperature fuel gas passes therethrough.
Since it exchanges heat with the high-temperature fuel gas flowing outside, the introduced fuel gas is preheated and the assembly is cooled.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a conductive tube 18 having substantially the same diameter as the ceramic tube 12 is installed at one end of the row of ceramic tubes 12. The conductive tube 18 is composed of a ceramic tube coated with nickel, and electrically connects the cell rows to each other in series. In addition, this conductive tube 18
Even if the cell 10 is installed instead of, the electrical connection is achieved.

[0019]

According to the structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the assembly becomes stronger against the force in the direction of displacement, which facilitates the manufacture and installation of the assembly. Also, it becomes stronger against external force.

By adopting the structure as claimed in claim 2, cells in each column can be connected in series or in parallel, and electrical connection between columns can be achieved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by making the entire assembly a hexagonal shape or a combination of hexagonal shapes, it becomes more stable against external force.

As described in claim 4, the ceramic tube is used as the fuel gas introduction tube and is used as the fuel gas preheater and the cooler of the cell assembly to improve the cooling capacity inside the cell assembly and to make the temperature distribution uniform. Therefore, the performance of the entire fuel cell can be improved. Further, since the cooler is placed inside the assembly, heat transfer to the outside is reduced, and thermal design is facilitated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing an assembly of conventional solid oxide fuel cell units.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Solid Electrolyte Fuel Cell 12 Cylindrical Ceramic Tube 14 Interconnector 16 Nickel Felt 18 Conductive Tube

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Shoji Otoshi 4-1-2 1-2 Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Minoru Suzuki 4-1-2 1-2 Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka No. within Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of cylindrical vertical stripe type solid electrolyte fuel cells and a plurality of cylindrical ceramic tubes having substantially the same diameter as the cells are arranged in a line so that their axes are substantially parallel to each other. In the assembly in which these cell rows and ceramic tube rows are alternately arranged, each cell and each ceramic tube are surrounded by 6 cells or ceramic tubes, and a center cell or the center of the ceramic tube is provided. A solid electrolyte fuel cell unit which is arranged so that the distance between the six cells surrounding them or the center of the ceramic tube is approximately equal. 2. A ceramic tube row is provided with a conductive tube having substantially the same diameter as the ceramic tube at one end to electrically connect the solid electrolyte fuel cell cell rows. A collection of. 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the entire assembly has a hexagonal shape or a structure in which hexagonal shapes are combined.
Aggregation described in. 4. The fuel tube for introducing a fuel gas, wherein the ceramic tube is made of a heat conductive material.
The aggregate according to any one of 1 to 3.