JPH06140058A - Fused carbonate type fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve utilization efficiency of raw material gas and catalyst by eliminating a pass part to communicate from a raw material gas inlet to an outlet while dispersing parts in which gas remains without being used since corrugated plates are arranged distributively. CONSTITUTION:Four corrugated plates 11 and 12 divided vertically in a gas flowing direction are provided. In the plates 11, the upper ends are brought into close contact with a wet sealing part 2, and bypass parts (a) are arranged between the lower ends and a wet sealing part 2'. In the plates 12, the lower ends are brought into close contact with the sealing part 2', and bypass parts (a) are arranged between the upper ends and the sealing part 2, and the plates 11 and 12 are arranged alternately. Reforming catalyst is filled in the corrugated plates on the anode side, and comes into contact with supply fuel gas, and reforming reaction gas is generated. At this time, raw material gas passed through the bypass parts (a) comes into contact with the catalyst in the next corrugated plates. In this way, since a pass part to communicate from a raw material gas inlet to an outlet is eliminated, utilization efficiency of the raw material gas and the catalyst can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a molten carbonate fuel cell having a corrugated plate. More specifically, the present invention relates to a direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell in which the corrugated plate on the anode chamber side is divided into a plurality of parts in order to improve the utilization efficiency of the raw material gas and the contact efficiency with the catalyst. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A molten carbonate fuel cell is formed by sandwiching an electrolyte matrix plate impregnated with an alkali carbonate, and arranging a cathode (air electrode) on one surface and an anode (fuel electrode) on the other surface. In addition, the unit cells and the separation plates (separators) for the fuel gas and the oxidant gas (air) are alternately laminated and assembled.

The most general structure of a separator is
The fuel gas flow channel and the oxidant gas flow channel are provided so as to intersect each other on both sides, and the convex portion of the groove cross section makes contact with the electrode to also function as a united body of each unit cell. . Here, in the direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell, the reforming catalyst is directly filled in the fuel gas flow channel (anode chamber) of the separator.

On the other hand, unlike the separator having the above structure, a structure is also well known in which a corrugated plate which also serves as a bonded body and serves as a flow path groove for power generation gas is arranged on the separator plate. Various structures have also been proposed for this corrugated plate, and in this case, the reforming catalyst is arranged in the valley of the anode-side corrugated plate. FIG. 3 shows an example of the laminated structure. In FIG. 3, between the wet seal part and members inside thereof, such as electrodes and corrugated plates, are heated to a predetermined high battery operating temperature, so that the cell stack is pressed to expand in the lateral direction. Deformation due to thermal expansion or the like, especially the corrugated plate, causes some gaps.

When a gap is formed between the corrugated plate and the wet seal portion, a bypass route from the gas inlet to the outlet is formed, so that the gas easily flows through this portion, and the gas utilization efficiency and the catalyst contact efficiency are improved. descend.

Therefore, a method has been adopted in which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the corrugated board is calculated and the dimensions of the corrugated board are determined so that the corrugated board and the wet seal portion are in contact with each other during operation. Proper control is difficult and not always satisfactory.

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the molten carbonate fuel cell having such a conventional corrugated plate, and is excellent in gas utilization efficiency and catalyst contact efficiency. The purpose of the invention is to provide a carbonate fuel cell.

[0008]

The inventors of the present invention have conducted various studies to develop a molten carbonate fuel cell having the above-mentioned excellent characteristics, and as a result, have arranged corrugated plates in a plurality of divisions and have used raw materials as raw materials. It was found that the object can be achieved by dispersing at least a portion where a loss due to gas bypassing occurs between adjacent corrugated plates so as not to be connected, and the present invention has been completed based on this finding. .

That is, according to the present invention, an electrolyte matrix plate impregnated with a molten salt, a cathode arranged on one side sandwiching the electrolyte matrix plate and an anode arranged on the other side, and arranged outside the anode. In the direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell provided with a corrugated plate serving as a fuel gas flow path and a reforming catalyst holder, the corrugated plate crosses the fuel gas flow path. And / or has a structure in which it is divided into a plurality of parts in the flow path direction, and is adjacent in the gas flow direction so that the gap formed between the corrugated plate and the unit cell member at at least one of the ends in the cross direction is not continuous. The present invention provides a direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell characterized by arranging a corrugated plate.

The anode-side corrugated plate used in the present invention is filled with a reforming catalyst, and this catalyst comes into contact with the fuel gas supplied to the corrugated plate to generate a reforming reaction gas. At this time, the raw material gas that has passed through the bypass portion is effectively used because it is conducted to the catalyst filling portion in the next corrugated plate.

A specific example of the divided arrangement of the corrugated plate will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the corrugated plate and the wet seal portion on the same plane, which is perpendicular to the gas flow direction. Using four divided corrugated plates, one end (upper end in the drawing) is brought into close contact with the wet seal portion 2 and the other end (lower end in the drawing)
And another wet seal portion 2 ′, a corrugated plate 11 having a bypass portion a is provided between the corrugated plate 11 and the wet seal portion 2 ′ so that the other end (lower end in the figure) is brought into close contact with the wet seal portion 2 ′. Corrugated plates 12 provided with a bypass portion a between the end) and another wet seal portion 2 are alternately arranged as shown in the figure.

Next, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view similar to FIG. 1, in which six corrugated plates are used, and a corrugated plate having bypass portions a provided between both ends and the wet seal portions 2 and 2 '. 13 and a corrugated plate 14 having one end closely contacting the wet seal part 2 and the other end facing the central bypass part a.
And a combination of a corrugated plate 15 having one end closely contacting the wet seal portion 2'and the other end facing the central bypass portion a are alternately arranged as shown in the drawing.

[0013]

In the fuel cell of the present invention, the corrugated plates are arranged in a divided manner, and by dispersing the portions where a gap may remain without the gas being used, for example, a path communicating from the raw gas inlet to the outlet can be obtained. Since there is no portion, the utilization efficiency of the raw material gas and the contact efficiency between the raw material gas and the catalyst are improved in the entire battery, and the catalyst filled in the anode chamber is effectively used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an example of an arrangement state of corrugated plates in a fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing another example of the arrangement state of corrugated plates in the fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional molten carbonate fuel cell.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Corrugated board 2, 2'Wet seal part a Bypass part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor ▲ Sai ▼ Akira Akira 1-3-1, Nishitsurugaoka, Oi-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture Tonen Corporation Research Institute (72) Satoshi Sakurada Oi-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture Nishi-Tsurugaoka 1-3-1 Tonen Co., Ltd. Research Institute (72) Inventor Toshihiko Saito 2-18 Keiyohondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Prefecture Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Yasue Miyake Keihanmoto, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Prefecture 22-18 Tsudori Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Riichi Nakajima 2-18-18 Keihan Hondori Moriguchi City, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrolyte matrix plate impregnated with a molten salt, a cathode arranged on one side sandwiching the electrolyte matrix plate and an anode arranged on the other side, and a fuel arranged outside the anode. In a direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell provided with a corrugated plate that serves as a gas flow passage and as a holding body for the reforming catalyst, the corrugated plate crosses the fuel gas flow passage and / or in a flow direction. Arranging corrugated plates that are divided into a plurality of parts in the road direction and that are adjacent to each other in the gas flow direction so that the gap between the corrugated plate and the unit cell member is not continuous at at least one of the ends in the cross direction. A direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell characterized by the above.