JPH06349513A - Cylindrical fuel cell module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a utilization factor of air by connecting an air preheating chamber and an air supply tube via an air supply header to perform heat exchange in the air preheating chamber after generation. CONSTITUTION:Plural cell tubes 12 are arranged upward and downward inside a reaction chamber 11, an air exhaust chamber 14 is provided at the lower part thereof and an air preheating chamber 15 is provided at the lower part of the exhaust chamber 14. The preheating chamber 15 to which an air tube 16 to supply air and an air tube 17 to exhaust air are connected is arranged in the reaction chamber 11 along the longitudinal direction of the tubes 12. Air is supplied from the air chamber 16 to the air preheating chamber 15, passed through an air supply tube 18 and an air supply header 19 and led to the upper part of the reaction chamber 11. After used for generation while lowering, air is passed through a ceramics foamer 13 and the air exhaust chamber 14, heat-exchanged in the preheating chamber 15 and exhausted outside. As the quantity of heat in the reaction chamber 11 is used to preheat air, extra one is effectively removed, an air flow rate is decreased accordingly and a utilization factor of air is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cylindrical fuel cell module having a solid oxide fuel cell (hereinafter referred to as SOFC).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a cylindrical fuel cell module. Reference numeral 1 in the figure is a reaction chamber in which a plurality of cell tubes 2 are vertically arranged. A ceramic foam 3 is arranged at the bottom of the reaction chamber 1. An air preheating chamber 5 having an air preheater 4 is provided below the reaction chamber 1. In the reaction chamber 1 and the air preheating chamber 5,
An air discharge pipe 6 connected to the air preheater 4 is provided. An upper end of the air discharge pipe 6 is opened, and the upper end thereof extends close to the inner wall of the reaction chamber 1. An air pipe 7 for supplying air and an exhaust air pipe 8 for discharging air are connected to the air preheater 4.

The operation of the cylindrical fuel cell module having such a structure is as follows. The air is first supplied to the air preheater 4 from the outside of the system, then preheated to about 700 ° C., introduced into the reaction chamber 2 through the ceramic foam 3, and rises in the cell tube 2. Then, the remaining exhaust air consumed for the power generation reaction passes through the air exhaust pipe 6, exchanges heat with the air introduced in the air preheater 4, and is then exhausted to the outside of the system.

[0004]

However, the conventional cylindrical fuel cell module has the following problems. That is, in the case of SOFC, in order to keep the temperature in the reaction chamber constant, it is necessary to discharge the excess heat amount in the reaction chamber as exhaust air to the outside of the system. Therefore, unless the amount of heat in the reaction chamber is effectively removed, the air flow rate cannot be reduced below a certain flow rate (the air utilization rate cannot be increased). This tendency becomes more remarkable as the capacity becomes higher. Further, since there is only one air discharge pipe 6, an air flow is likely to be unbalanced near the upper portion of the reaction chamber.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and the excess heat amount is effectively removed by using the heat amount in the reaction chamber for preheating the air, and the air flow rate is reduced by that amount to improve the air utilization rate. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cylindrical fuel cell module that can alleviate the imbalance of the air flow in the reaction chamber and further reduce the heat transfer area of the air preheater to make it compact.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a reaction chamber having a plurality of cell tubes vertically arranged therein, an air discharge chamber provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber, and a lower part of the air discharge chamber are provided. An air preheater, which is provided with an air pipe for supplying air and an exhaust air pipe for discharging air, respectively, and is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cell tube in the reaction chamber,
A cylindrical fuel characterized by comprising a plurality of air supply pipes whose opened upper ends extend to the vicinity of the upper inner wall of the reaction chamber, and an air supply header which connects the air preheater and the air supply pipes. It is a battery module.

In the present invention, it is considered that the air supply pipe is made of heat-resistant glass or the inside of the air supply pipe made of heat-resistant glass is filled with a ceramic foam in order to promote the heat radiation effect.

[0008]

In the present invention, air is supplied to the air preheater, introduced into the upper part of the reaction chamber through the air supply header and the respective air supply pipes, and is used for power generation in the cell tube, and then the ceramic foam below. After passing through the air exhaust chamber to exchange heat with the air preheater, the air is discharged to the outside of the system.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cylindrical fuel cell module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In addition, the entire module is covered with a heat insulating material (not shown) so that a constant high temperature is maintained inside.

Reference numeral 11 in the drawing is a reaction chamber in which a plurality of bottomed cell tubes 12 mounted inside an upper tube sheet (not shown) are vertically arranged. At the bottom of the reaction chamber 11, a ceramic foam 13 is arranged. An air exhaust chamber 14 is provided below the reaction chamber 11. Here, the air exhaust chamber 14 is connected to a flow path of an exhaust air pipe described later. Below the air discharge chamber 14, an air preheater 15 whose flow paths intersect is provided. In this air preheater 15,
Air pipe 16 for supplying air and exhaust air pipe 17 for discharging air
Are connected to each other. In the reaction chamber 11, a plurality of air supply pipes 18 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cell tube. Here, both ends of the air supply pipe 18 are opened, the upper end extends to the vicinity of the upper inner wall of the reaction chamber 11, and the lower end extends to the ceramic foam 13. Also,
As the air supply pipe 18, an air supply pipe 21 made of heat-resistant glass is used as shown in FIG. 2 (A) in order to promote a heat radiation effect, or a ceramic foam is provided inside as shown in FIG. 2 (B). An air supply tube 21 made of heat resistant glass and filled with the body 22 can be used. An air supply header that connects the air preheater 15 and the air supply pipe 18 in the air discharge chamber 14.
19 are provided. Where this air supply header 19
Is connected to the flow path of the exhaust air pipe 17 and extends to the ceramic foam 13.

Next, the operation of the cylindrical fuel cell module having such a structure will be described. That is, the air is the air pipe 16
It is further supplied to the air preheater 15, passes through the air supply header 19 and the air supply pipe 18, and is guided to the upper part in the reaction chamber 11. Then, after being used for power generation while descending, it passes through the ceramic foam 13, the air discharge chamber 14, undergoes heat exchange with the air preheater 15, and is then discharged to the outside of the system.

As described above, the cylindrical module according to the above embodiment has a reaction chamber in which a plurality of bottomed cell tubes 12 attached to an upper tube sheet (not shown) are vertically arranged, and a reaction chamber A ceramic foam body 13 arranged at the bottom of the chamber 11, an air discharge chamber 14 provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber 11 and connected to the flow path of the air pipe 16, and a lower part of the air discharge chamber 14 are provided. Air preheater 15, an air pipe 16 and an exhaust air pipe 17 connected to the air preheater 15, and a plurality of air supply pipes 18 arranged in the reaction chamber 11 along the longitudinal direction of the cell tube. And an air supply header 19 which is provided in the air discharge chamber 14 and connects the air preheater 15 and the air supply pipe 18. Therefore, it has the following effects.

(1) By using the heat quantity in the reaction chamber 11 for preheating the air, the excess heat quantity can be effectively removed. As a result, the air flow rate can be reduced and the air utilization rate is improved. As a result, overall system efficiency is improved due to reduced auxiliary power for air supply. (2) By using a plurality of air supply pipes 18, the reaction chamber 11
The imbalance of the air flow inside can be eased. (3) Since the temperature of the air preheater outlet can be lowered by the amount of air preheating in the air supply pipe 18, the heat transfer area of the air preheater 15 is reduced, and the size can be reduced.

[0014]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
By using the amount of heat in the reaction chamber to preheat the air, the excess amount of heat is effectively removed, the air flow rate is reduced by that amount, and the air utilization rate is improved, and the imbalance of the air flow in the reaction chamber can be mitigated. It is possible to provide a cylindrical fuel cell module that can be made compact by reducing the heat transfer area of the preheater.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a cylindrical fuel cell module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an explanatory view of an air supply pipe different from the air supply pipe used in the cylindrical fuel cell module of FIG.
(A) is an air supply pipe made of heat-resistant glass, and FIG. 2 (B) is an explanatory view of an air supply pipe made of heat-resistant glass having a ceramic foam filled therein.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a conventional cylindrical fuel cell module.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Reaction chamber, 12 ... Cell tube, 13, 22 ...
Ceramic foam, 14 ... Air exhaust chamber, 15 ... Air preheater, 16 ... Air pipe, 17 ... Exhaust air pipe, 18, 21 ...
Air supply pipe, 19… Air supply header.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A reaction chamber in which a plurality of cell tubes are vertically arranged, an air exhaust chamber provided in a lower portion of the reaction chamber, and an air supply air provided in a lower portion of the air exhaust chamber for supplying air. A pipe and an exhaust air pipe for exhausting air are respectively connected to the air preheater, and are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cell tube in the reaction chamber, and the opened upper end extends to near the upper inner wall of the reaction chamber. A cylindrical fuel cell module comprising: a plurality of air supply pipes; and an air supply header that connects the air preheater and the air supply pipes. 2. The cylindrical fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein the air supply pipe is made of a heat-resistant glass material, and a ceramic foam is filled inside.