JPH0622145B2 - Fuel cell - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to improvements in fuel cells.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 12, a fuel cell generally used in the past has a pair of electrodes, that is, a fuel electrode 1 and an oxidizer electrode 2.
And an electrolyte matrix 3 is interposed between the two electrodes, and in order to supply a predetermined gas to the fuel electrode 1 and the oxidizer electrode 2, the antielectrolyte matrix of these electrodes, that is, the antielectrolyte matrix of each electrode is provided. Usually, gas flow passages 4 and 5 are formed on the side.

The operation is such that the fuel gas 6 is supplied to the gas flow passage 4 and the oxidant gas 7 is supplied to the gas flow passage 5, and these react with the electrolyte through the electrodes to take out electric power from each electrode. ing.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, in this structure, the supplied gas reacts sufficiently with the supply gas near the inlet of the gas flow passage,
I hate that it is not done near the exit. That is, in the vicinity of the gas outlet, the gas after the reaction that has reacted near the inlet of the gas flow passage is supplied in a state of being mixed with the unreacted gas, and the reaction state is different near the gas outlet and near the gas inlet. I will end up. Therefore, the current density differs depending on the position of the electrode surface, and the temperature also varies.

Therefore, it has been desired to develop a fuel cell of this type in which gas having a substantially same concentration is supplied to the entire electrode surface, that is, the entire electrolyte surface even if gas is supplied from one direction. It was

The present invention has been conceived in view of this, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell of this kind in which a gas having substantially the same concentration is supplied to the entire electrolyte surface.

Incidentally, one related to this type of fuel cell is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-
No. 24167 is cited.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, a gas flow path is opened on the electrode surface side, the gas supply side and the gas discharge side are isolated, and a plurality of gas reaction chambers extending from the gas supply side to the gas discharge side and in the same direction as the gas reaction chambers. The gas supply side is open and the gas discharge side is isolated, and the gas supply chamber isolated from the electrode side and the gas reaction chamber extend in the same direction as the gas reaction chamber and are adjacently arranged to discharge the gas. The side is open and the gas supply side is isolated, and the electrode side and the isolated gas discharge chamber are partitioned by a partition wall, and between the gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber and between the gas reaction chamber and the gas discharge chamber. The intended purpose is achieved by providing a plurality of small holes in the partition wall in the gas supply direction or the gas discharge direction, respectively.

[Action]

According to this structure, the supplied gas flows into the gas reaction chamber at right angles through the plurality of small holes between the gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber, that is, a uniform gas supply is provided over the entire gas reaction chamber. The reaction is performed, and the gas after the reaction is discharged to the gas discharge chamber without being circulated in the gas reaction chamber for a long time, that is, since the gas after the reaction and the unreacted gas are discharged without being mixed, A high concentration and uniform gas can always be supplied to the entire surface of the electrolyte.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a fuel cell including a pair of electrodes 1 and 2, an electrolyte matrix 3, and cell containers 8 and 9. An electrolyte matrix 3 is provided between the pair of electrodes 1 and 2.
And the gas flow passages 10 and 11 are formed on the anti-electrolyte matrix side of the electrode, that is, between the electrode 1 and the container 8 or between the electrode 2 and the container 9.

Particularly, in this case, the gas flow passage is formed in three types of chambers as follows. That is, as shown in a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2, the gas reaction chamber R1 having the electrode surface side (lower side in the figure) opened by the corrugated plate 12 and the gas supply side, that is, the gas supply It is partitioned into a gas supply chamber R2 that is open on the side on which is performed and a gas discharge chamber R3 that is open on the side from which the gas is discharged, that is, the side from which the gas after the reaction is discharged.

Furthermore, these chambers communicate under certain conditions. That is, the gas reaction chamber R1 and the gas supply chamber R2 communicate with each other through a plurality of small holes H1, and the gas reaction chamber R1 and the gas discharge chamber R3 communicate with each other through a plurality of small holes H2. In this case, it is desirable that the small holes H1 and H2 are arranged at a certain constant interval in the gas supply or discharge circulation direction. The condition of the size of the small holes is that the gas supply chamber R2 is provided. It goes without saying that the supplied gas is of a size that flows into the gas reaction chamber through the small holes substantially evenly over the entire length of the supply chamber.

Also, as shown in the figure, among these small holes, small holes H1 provided in the partition wall between the gas supply chamber R2 and the gas reaction chamber R1 are closely arranged on the electrode side, and If the small holes H2 provided in the partition wall between the gas discharge chambers R3 are arranged in close proximity to each other on the side opposite to the electrode, a desirable shape will be obtained in terms of gas flow.

Next, referring to the operation of the fuel cell thus formed, first, the gas supplied from the outside through the manifold (not shown) flows into the gas supply chamber R2. The gas supply chamber R2 is in a tubular state, and in particular, here, the gas does not come into contact with the electrolytic matrix, so that the gas reaction does not occur. The gas flowing into the gas supply chamber R2 then flows into the gas reaction chamber R1 at right angles to the gas supply direction through a small hole H1 provided between the gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber R1. In this case, the gas is evenly introduced through the plurality of small holes provided at a certain interval. That is, a uniform gas supply is performed over the entire length of the gas reaction chamber R1 extending in one direction, and therefore, a uniform gas reaction is performed here over the entire electrolytic matrix surface. The gas after the reaction is discharged into the gas discharge chamber R3 through a small hole H2 provided between the gas reaction chamber R1 and the gas discharge chamber R3. In this case as well, since the small holes H2 are provided with a certain interval as described above, the gas flowing into the gas reaction chamber R1 is discharged to the discharge chamber R3 immediately after the reaction, that is, in the reaction chamber R1. Since the generated gas does not leave the gas reaction chamber in the state of being mixed with the unreacted gas, a high concentration and uniform gas is always supplied to the entire electrolyte surface.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing this gas flow, and it is better that the gas flow from the gas supply chamber to the discharge chamber flows at a right angle to the gas supply or discharge direction. You will see clearly.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in FIG. 3, the gas reaction chamber R1 is divided into a plurality of parts by a separator plate 17 to form a small chamber. As a result, the gas flow in the gas reaction chamber R1 flows in a direction more perpendicular to the gas supply direction or the gas discharge direction, and the gas reacted on the gas supply side can be prevented from mixing with the supply gas, resulting in a more uniform and high concentration. Gas can be supplied.

In the above description, the gas flow passage is divided into three kinds of gas chambers, that is, a gas supply chamber, a gas reaction chamber, and a gas discharge chamber, but one embodiment has been described, but such a chamber is formed. There may be various other configurations.

Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 or 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 5 which is an enlarged view of the invention portion of FIG.
The two corrugated plates 12a and 12b shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are arranged in a small direction, and a cylindrical space formed between the corrugated plates is formed in the gas supply chamber R.
2. The recessed space formed on the electrode side is defined as the gas reaction chamber R1, and the recessed space formed on the counter electrode side is defined as the gas discharge chamber R3. Needless to say, similar to the above-described embodiment, a plurality of small holes H1 and H2 are provided between the gas supply chamber R2 and the gas reaction chamber R1 and between the gas reaction chamber R1 and the gas discharge chamber R3, respectively. Absent.

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an AA cross section of FIG. Like the gas reaction chamber shown in FIG. 3, the gas reaction chamber R1 is divided into a plurality of parts by the corrugated plate 12B shown in FIG.

If formed in this way, the same effects as those described above can be obtained, and both sides of the gas reaction chamber R1 become gas supply chambers, and gas is supplied to the gas reaction chamber R1 from both sides, so that a more uniform concentration can be obtained. It is effective because gas can be supplied to the electrolyte part.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the shape of the corrugated plate may be the same as the upper and lower corrugated plates, but the relationship of the size of each chamber depends on the flow rate condition of the gas flowing through each chamber. For example, the ninth
It would also be possible to make the gas discharge chamber R3 larger as shown, or vice versa, i.e. a corrugated plate such that the gas supply chamber R2 becomes larger.

Further, another embodiment is shown in FIG. In this example, the reformer is built in the battery.
In the figure, R4 indicates a reforming chamber, and the reforming catalyst layer 15 is arranged on the inner wall. Further, in the reforming chamber R4, like the gas reaction chamber R1, the gas supply side and the discharge side are closed, and catalyst deterioration due to the electrolyte can be prevented. In particular, in this case, the gas supply chamber R2 and the reforming chamber R4 are partitioned by a thin plate 16. However, if a plurality of small holes H3 are provided in this thin plate at a predetermined equal interval, the reformed state of the gas will be good and effective. Ah

In forming each chamber as described above, the corrugated plate is mainly formed, but in addition to this, a flat plate is cut,
It would be possible to weld or form a combination of tubes.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, the conventional fuel cell and the fuel cell of the present invention will be compared based on their effects.

This figure shows the relationship between the electrode position and the electrical output in the gas flow direction, and is an experiment conducted by combining a plurality of batteries in the gas flow direction.

A curved line X1 shown by a chain line in this figure is one that has been generally adopted in the past, that is, experimentally, a plurality of electrodes arranged in parallel are supplied with gas and discharged along the parallel direction. . As is clear from this figure, the electrical output is large and more effective immediately after the supply with respect to the gas flow, but it is found that the electrical output decreases greatly as it approaches the gas discharge side.

The average output in this case is shown by the dotted line X2. On the other hand, what is indicated by a solid line Y in the figure is that of the present invention.
From this, it can be seen that the average value is improved compared to the conventional one.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, the gas passage is opened on the electrode surface side, the gas supply side is opened, the gas supply chamber is isolated from the electrode side, and the gas discharge side is opened, and is isolated from the electrode side. The gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber and the gas reaction chamber and the gas discharge chamber are communicated with each other by a plurality of small holes, so that the gas reaction chamber is evenly distributed over the entire gas reaction chamber. Gas is supplied, and the gas after the reaction is discharged to the gas discharge chamber without flowing through the gas reaction chamber for a long time.Therefore, it is possible to supply the gas having almost the same concentration to the entire electrolyte surface. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing an embodiment of the fuel cell of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the gas flow passage in an enlarged manner, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a gas flow in the gas flow passage, and FIG. 4 is a vertical section showing another embodiment of the present invention. A side view, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side view showing the gas flow passage portion in an enlarged manner, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are the gas flow passages. 9 is a perspective view of a corrugated sheet forming a groove, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are vertical side views of a gas ventilation section showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is an electrical output and gas flow in the electrode section. And FIG. 12 is a sectional perspective view showing a conventional fuel cell. 1, 2 ... Electrode, 3 ... Electrolytic matrix, 8, 9 ...
Container, 12, 12a, 12b ... corrugated plate, R1 ... gas reaction chamber, R2 ... gas supply chamber, R3 ... gas discharge chamber, H
1, H2 ... small holes.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pair of electrodes, an electrolyte matrix interposed between the electrodes, and a gas channel formed on the surface of the electrode opposite to the matrix side, and a predetermined gas is supplied to the gas channel. In the fuel cell in which the electric field is circulated to take out electric power from between the electrodes, the gas flow path is opened at the electrode surface side, and the gas supply side and the gas discharge side are isolated, and the gas discharge side from the gas supply side. A plurality of gas reaction chambers extending to the side, and the gas reaction chambers that are adjacent to each other and extend in the same direction as the gas reaction chamber, the gas supply side is open and the gas discharge side is isolated, and the gas supply chamber is isolated from the electrode side. And the gas reaction chamber is arranged adjacently extending in the same direction, the gas discharge side is open, and the gas supply side is isolated, and the electrode side and the isolated gas discharge chamber are partitioned by a partition wall, and A fuel cell, characterized in that a plurality of small holes are provided in a partition wall between the gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber and between the gas reaction chamber and the gas discharge chamber in the gas supply direction and the gas discharge direction, respectively. 2. Small holes provided in a partition wall between the gas supply chamber and the gas reaction chamber are closely arranged on the electrode side, and small holes provided in the partition wall between the gas reaction chamber and the gas discharge chamber. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cells are arranged in close proximity to each other on the side opposite to the electrode. 3. A pair of electrodes, an electrolyte matrix interposed between the electrodes, and a gas channel formed on the surface of the electrode opposite to the matrix side, and a predetermined gas is supplied to the gas channel. In the fuel cell in which the electric field is circulated to take out electric power from between the electrodes, the gas flow path is opened at the electrode surface side, and the gas supply side and the gas discharge side are isolated, and the gas discharge side from the gas supply side. A plurality of gas reaction chambers that extend to the side, a sealed reforming chamber that extends in the same direction as the gas reaction chamber and is arranged adjacent to each other, and a reforming catalyst inside The gas supply side is open, the gas discharge side is isolated, and the gas supply chamber is isolated from the electrode side, and the gas discharge side is open and the gas supply side is isolated, and the electrode side is isolated. With a gas discharge chamber A partition wall and a plurality of partition walls between the gas supply chamber and the reforming chamber, between the reforming chamber and the gas reaction chamber, and between the gas reaction chamber and the gas discharge chamber. A fuel cell characterized by having small holes.