JPH09139217A - Closed type fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a perfectly closed system to eliminate fuel consumption and emission matter, and make the system clean and compact by using the hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated by electrolysis of water as fuel and oxidizing agent. SOLUTION: The water stored in a water tank 3 is pressurized by a water pump 2 and sent to a solid electrolyte water electrolytic device 1. Power is supplied by a solar battery 5 to electrolyze the water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The generated hydrogen gas and oxygen gas are increased in purity by gas purifying devices 6a, 6b after moisture is removed by first gas-liquid separators 5a, 5b, pressurized by compressors 9a, 9b, and stored in a hydrogen tank 10 and an oxygen tank 13, respectively. The hydrogen for the fuel of a solid electrolytic fuel cell 12 and the oxygen for oxidizing agent are stored in the tank 10 and the tank 13, respectively, and when required, they are guided to the cell 12 after humidified to a saturated steam pressure by a humidifier 11 through valves 7e, 7f to generate electricity. Thus, a closed system can be provided, and the system can be made clean and compact.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a closed-type fuel cell system applicable to a power supply device for a mobile body or a power supply device installed in a remote island such as a lighthouse where people cannot move easily.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, conventional fuel cells use natural gas, coal gasification gas, etc. as fuels, so that the surplus is returned to a fuel supply system or supplied as a working fluid to a gas turbine, etc. The generated water was collected in the water treatment device. Therefore, the fuel cell becomes one component of the combined power generation system, and the entire system becomes large-scale.
The components have also become complicated. It is also a fuel-consuming system that only generates electricity.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and uses a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas generated by electrolysis of water as a fuel and an oxidizer of a fuel cell, thereby providing a system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clean and compact closed-type fuel cell system that completely eliminates fuel consumption and emissions.

[0004]

The present invention is directed to a solid electrolyte water electrolysis device, a water tank containing water to be supplied to the water electrolysis device, a power supply device for supplying electricity to the water electrolysis device, and A first gas-liquid separator that removes water from hydrogen and oxygen generated in a water electrolyzer and returns it to the water tank, a hydrogen tank that stores hydrogen generated in the water electrolyzer, and the water electrolyzer An oxygen tank for storing the oxygen generated in the above, a solid electrolyte fuel cell for reacting hydrogen from the hydrogen tank and oxygen from the oxygen tank to generate electricity, and a hydrogen and oxygen system of the solid electrolyte fuel cell. A second gas-liquid separator that removes water from the exhaust gas and returns it to the water tank, and a compressor that returns the gas from which water has been removed by the second gas-liquid separator to the hydrogen tank and the oxygen tank What to do Is a closed-type fuel cell system comprising.

That is, the closed type fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises, as a fuel supply system, a water tank for storing water, a water pump for absorbing the water in the water tank and sending it downstream, a solid electrolyte water electrolysis device, and the same water. Power supply device for supplying electricity to the electrolyzer, first gas-liquid separator for separating water from hydrogen and oxygen generated in the water electrolyzer, hydrogen tank, oxygen tank, compressor, piping and water and hydrogen gas , Equipped with a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of oxygen gas, and as a product discharge system, a second gas-liquid separator, a pipe for sending water separated by the gas-liquid separator to the water tank, and a part of the same It is characterized by having a pipe and a plurality of valves for returning hydrogen and oxygen gas separated by the liquid separation device to the respective tanks.

In the present invention, when there is surplus power (for example, when the solar cell is operating), water is led from the water tank to the solid electrolyte water electrolysis device and electrolyzed into oxygen and hydrogen. Store the generated hydrogen and oxygen separately in the tank. Collect excess water in a water tank. Further, when electric power is required, the gas stored in the hydrogen tank and the oxygen tank is led to the fuel electrode and the air electrode of the solid electrolyte fuel cell to generate electricity. Collect the generated water in a water tank. Unreacted hydrogen and oxygen gases are returned to their respective tanks.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 1 shows a system in which the present invention is installed in space equipment such as artificial hygiene for aviation in outer space. Reference numeral 1 in the figure is a solid electrolyte water electrolysis apparatus. A water tank 3 is connected to the water electrolysis device 1 via a pipe in which a water pump 2 is interposed. Further, a solar cell 4 as a power supply device is connected to the water electrolysis device 1. The water electrolysis device 1 includes a first gas-liquid separator 5
a and 5b are connected. Here, a gas purification device 6a is connected to one gas-liquid separator 5a, and a second gas-liquid separator 8a is further connected to this gas purification device 6a via valves 7a and 7b. A gas purification device 6b is connected to the other gas-liquid separator 5b, and a second gas-liquid separator 8b is further connected to this gas purification device 6b via valves 7c and 7d. The second gas-liquid separators 8a and 8b are both connected to the water tank 3.

A compressor 9a, a hydrogen tank 10, a valve 7e, a humidifier 11 and a solid electrolyte fuel cell 12 are provided in the path connecting the pipe between the valves 7a and 7b and the second gas-liquid separator 8a.
Are sequentially provided. Further, a compressor 9b, an oxygen tank 13, a valve 7f, the humidifier 11 and a solid electrolyte fuel cell 12 are sequentially installed in a path connecting the pipe between the valves 7c and 7d and the second gas-liquid separator 8b. ing. In the figure, reference numerals 7g, 7h, 7i denote valves, and reference numeral 14 denotes an electric output of the solid electrolyte fuel cell 12.

The operation of the closed type fuel cell system having such a structure is as follows. First, the water stored in the water tank 3 is pressurized by the water pump 2 and sent to the water electrolysis device 1. Here, power is supplied from the solar cell 4 and electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen gas. The generated hydrogen gas and oxygen gas are respectively fed to the first gas-liquid separators 5a and 5a.
After the water is removed in b, the purity is increased by the gas purifiers 6a and 6b, the pressure is increased by the compressors 9a and 9b, and the hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen tank 10 and the oxygen tank 13. The water separated by the first gas-liquid separators 5a and 5b is returned to the water tank 3 via the valves 7h and 7i.

Hydrogen of the fuel of the solid electrolyte fuel cell 12 is stored in the hydrogen tank 10 and oxygen of the oxidant is stored in the oxygen tank 13, and is humidified to the saturated vapor pressure by the humidifier 11 via the valves 7e and 7f when necessary. After that, the solid electrolyte fuel cell 12 is guided to generate electric power. The water source of the humidifier 11 is branched from the water pump outlet of the water supply system of the solid electrolyte water electrolysis apparatus 1. The water produced by the fuel cell is separated by the second gas-liquid separator 8b generated on the air electrode side and collected in the water tank 3. Excess hydrogen and oxygen are returned to the hydrogen tank 10 and the oxygen tank 13, respectively, after removing water in the gas-liquid separators 8a and 8b.

The closed-type fuel cell system according to the above-mentioned embodiment uses a water tank 3 for storing water as a fuel supply system, a water pump 2 for absorbing water in the water tank 3 and sending it downstream.
Solid electrolyte water electrolysis device 1, solar cell 4 for supplying electricity to the same water electrolysis device 1, first gas-liquid separators 6a, 6b for separating water from hydrogen and oxygen generated in the same water electrolysis device, hydrogen tank , Oxygen tank 13, compressors 9a and 9b, piping and a plurality of valves 7a to 7i for controlling the flow of water, hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, and a second gas-liquid separation device 8a as a product discharge system. , 8b, a pipe for sending water separated by the same gas-liquid separator to the water tank 3, a pipe and a plurality of valves for returning hydrogen and oxygen gas separated by the same gas-liquid separator to the respective tanks 10, 13. It is characterized by having. Therefore, it has the following effects.

(1) A closed-type fuel system capable of effectively utilizing surplus power and capable of charging and discharging can be assembled. (2) It is a clean fuel cell system with no fuel and no emissions.

(3) Since pure oxygen is used, the efficiency of the fuel cell is higher than that when air is used. (4) Since it is compact and easy to handle, it can be mounted on a moving body.
In the above embodiments, the present invention is described as being mounted on space equipment such as artificial hygiene for aviation in outer space. However, the invention is not limited to this, and other power sources for moving bodies, lighthouses on remote islands, etc. It is possible to apply to the power supply device installed in the place where it is difficult to move.

[0014]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
By using hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated by electrolysis of water as the fuel and oxidizer of the fuel cell, the system is completely closed, which eliminates fuel consumption and emissions, and is a clean and compact closed type. A fuel cell system can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a closed type fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Solid electrolyte water electrolyzer, 2 ... Water pump, 3 ... Water tank, 4 ... Solar cell, 5a, 5b, 8
a, 8b ... Gas-liquid separator, 6a, 6b ... Gas purification device, 7
a to 7i ... Valve, 9a, 9b ... Compressor, 10 ... Hydrogen tank, 11 ... Humidifier, 12 ... Solid electrolyte fuel cell, 13 ... Oxygen tank, 14 ... Electric output.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Akira Yamada 5-717-1, Fukahori-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki Sanryo Heavy Industries Ltd. Nagasaki Research Institute

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A solid electrolyte water electrolysis device, a water tank containing water to be supplied to the water electrolysis device, a power supply device for supplying electricity to the water electrolysis device, and hydrogen produced by the water electrolysis device. And a first gas-liquid separator for removing water from oxygen and returning it to the water tank, a hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen produced by the water electrolysis device, and an oxygen produced by the water electrolysis device An oxygen tank, a solid electrolyte fuel cell that reacts hydrogen from the hydrogen tank and oxygen from the oxygen tank to generate electricity, and removes water from the hydrogen and oxygen-based exhaust gas of the solid electrolyte fuel cell, respectively. A closed type comprising a second gas-liquid separator for returning to the water tank, and a compressor for returning the gas from which water has been removed by the second gas-liquid separator to the hydrogen tank and the oxygen tank. fuel Battery system.