JPH07169476A - Heat retaining method for fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To retain the heat of a fuel cell without requiring an external power source by burning the starting fuel for plant operation during the stop of a fuel cell power plant to perform the heat retaining operation of equipment having a possibility of freeze. CONSTITUTION:During the stop of a fuel cell power plant, the material fuel used for plant operation is supplied to a combustor 8 together with the air from a blower 10, and burnt. As this combustor 8, a low temperature catalytic combustor or burner combustor is properly used. The high temperature combustion gas generated here is passed through a piping 9 in a fuel cell body 1 to perform the heat retaining operation of an equipment having a possibility of freeze, for example, a position using phosphoric acid whose freezing temperature is about 50 deg.C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel cell heat insulating method in a fuel cell power plant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A fuel cell power plant is used not only for electric power, but also for on-site installation near a place of consumption, and is used for private power generation as well as exhaust heat for cooling and heating and hot water supply.

Further, fuel cell power plants are attracting attention because of their high power generation efficiency and effective utilization of exhaust heat, and they are also characterized by low pollution such as NOX and SOX in exhaust gas. .

The phosphoric acid used in the fuel cell body is
Since the freezing temperature is as low as 50 ° C, it is necessary to keep the main body above the freezing temperature while the plant is stopped. There are two methods for this heat retention method. One is that even if the plant is stopped, only power is not generated, and when the control device or the like is operating, the battery cooling water line is used to keep the equipment that may be frozen, warm. In other methods, an external power source is used and a heater is installed to keep the equipment warm.

[0005]

However, in any of the heat retaining devices, a large amount of power is required for the control device and the heater, and there are restrictions that the entire plant cannot be completely stopped. Therefore, there is a problem that it cannot be installed in a place where there is no power source outside.

As a conventional example, an apparatus using a heat retaining heater is shown in FIG. The heat insulation heater 2 attached to the fuel cell body 1 is controlled by the temperature controller 4 which inputs the temperature instruction of the temperature measuring device 3 similarly installed, and is controlled to be equal to or higher than the freezing temperature.

FIG. 3 shows a heat retaining device using a battery device for cooling the fuel cell main body 1 during plant operation. The battery cooling water is circulated through the battery main body 1, the electric heater 6 and the steam generator 7 by the circulation pump 5 to remove the heat generation of the battery main body 1 during operation. While the plant is stopped, the temperature controller 4 is controlled by the instruction of the temperature measuring device 3 so that the temperature of the battery cooling water is maintained above the freezing temperature.

As described above, according to the conventional technique, since the electric heater is used as the heat retaining heat source, a separately installed external power source is required. An object of the present invention is to obtain a fuel cell heat retaining method capable of keeping the fuel cell warm without requiring an external power source.

[0009]

A method of keeping heat of a fuel cell according to the present invention is an apparatus having a possibility of freezing by burning a raw fuel used for plant operation in a combustor while a fuel cell power plant is stopped. Perform the heat retention operation. A low temperature catalytic combustor or a burner combustor is used as the combustor.

[0010]

As a result, even when the fuel cell power plant is stopped, it is possible to keep warm the equipment that may freeze, and it is possible to keep the fuel cell warm without the need for an external power source.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the fuel cell main body 1, a pipe 9 for passing a combustion gas having a high temperature, which burns a raw fuel to be connected, is passed from a catalytic combustor 8.

As for the instruction of the temperature measuring device 3, it is judged by the temperature controller 4 whether the temperature is above the freezing temperature, and if the temperature is lowered, the raw fuel is injected into the catalytic combustor 8 and the combustion in the pipe 9 is carried out. Raise the gas temperature.

An air blower 10 is used to improve combustion efficiency and replace the combustion gas in the pipe 9. As described above, in the conventional technique, the electric heater is used as the heat-retaining heat source, so that the external power source installed separately is required. However, according to the present invention, the temperature controller 4 and the air blower 10 have the same small power consumption. The effect is obtained.

Further, the temperature controller 4 has a mechanical type, a catalytic combustor 8
By using a naturally ventilated device, a device that does not use any external power source is possible. The same effect can be obtained by using a burner type combustor for the combustor.

[0015]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION In places where fuel cells are expected to be installed, there are remote areas such as remote islands where electricity is not distributed. At present, it was difficult to install because there was no heat insulation power supply, but this invention made it possible to install without an external power supply.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Fuel cell main body 2 ... Heat insulation heater 3 ... Temperature measuring device 4 ... Temperature controller 5 ... Circulation pump 6 ... Electric heater 7 ... Steam generator 8 ... Catalyst combustor 9 ... Piping 10 ... Air blower

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A fuel cell warming operation, characterized in that, while a fuel cell power plant is stopped, raw fuel used for plant operation is combusted in a combustor to carry out warming operation of equipment that may freeze. Method. 2. A combustor for burning the raw fuel,
The method for keeping heat of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a low-temperature catalytic converter is used. 3. The heat insulation method for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a burner combustor is used as a combustor for combusting the fuel.