KR101335504B1 - Fuel cell apparatus with single discharge port - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port by allowing condensed water of a gas-liquid separator to flow into a cooling water tank. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell having a fuel supply unit, a power generation unit, and a heat exchanger is provided. An apparatus, comprising: a cooling water tank for supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger, and a gas-liquid separator installed at an upper side of the cooling water tank and separating gas and liquid from a gas passing through the heat exchanger, wherein the gas-liquid separator is the cooling water tank. Provided is a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, characterized in that it is in communication with the connecting pipe.

Description

FUEL CELL APPARATUS WITH SINGLE DISCHARGE PORT}

The present invention relates to a fuel cell device, and more particularly to a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, the condensate discharge port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the cooling water tank.

A fuel cell system is a power generation device that generates electric energy by causing an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen using a fuel containing hydrogen and air containing oxygen.

This fuel cell system has a configuration as follows schematically. In other words, the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack in which an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is induced, a fuel processor for reforming the fuel gas into a reformed gas containing hydrogen, and supplying the fuel gas stack to the fuel cell stack, and air containing oxygen. An air supply device for supplying a fuel cell stack is provided as a main component.

In the fuel cell system, a plurality of pipes are connected and installed between the fuel cell stack and the fuel processor, the fuel cell stack, and the air supply device, and the reactant gas such as reformed gas or air is supplied or discharged through these pipes.

Such a reaction gas generally contains a predetermined amount or more of water, and thus has a problem of lowering a reaction action in a fuel cell stack or a fuel processor.

Therefore, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0954431 (Patent Document 1), a gas-liquid separator is installed on a pipe that is a flow passage of the reaction gas to separate water contained in the reaction gas, and a condensate discharge port of the gas-liquid separator is provided. It is necessary to discharge to outside.

On the other hand, in the conventional fuel cell system, the high temperature fuel gas generated by the reforming reaction in the reformer, the exhaust gas generated by the combustion in the burner, and the off gas of the fuel cell stack pass through the heat exchanger to the gas-liquid separator. The heat exchanger is supplied with coolant from the coolant tank.

The coolant circulates through the heat exchanger and the coolant tank. During this process, when the coolant temperature rises (for example, above 45 ° C), the coolant tank is discharged to the outside through the coolant discharge port and fresh water is supplied directly to the coolant. Will be replaced.

That is, the water introduced into the fuel cell system is discharged to the outside through the condensate discharge port of the gas-liquid separator and the cooling water discharge port of the cooling water tank. Therefore, according to the conventional fuel cell system, two water discharge ports must be manufactured and provided separately. There is a problem of increasing the manufacturing and maintenance costs.

In order to solve this problem, when the condensate discharge port of the gas-liquid separator and the cooling water discharge port of the coolant tank are unified, the cooling water discharge pressure of the cooling water tank is relatively high compared to the condensate discharge pressure of the gas-liquid separator. There is a problem that the normal operation of the entire system as well as gas-liquid separator is difficult to flow back to the gas-liquid separator.

Patent Document 1: Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-0954431

The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, by connecting the condensate discharge port of the gas-liquid separator to the cooling water tank, the condensate of the gas-liquid separator through the cooling water discharge port of the cooling water tank The present invention relates to a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port in which water discharge ports, which had to be manufactured separately in the conventional fuel cell system, are unified into one.

At this time, the cooling water in the cooling water tank, which is relatively high pressure compared to the gas-liquid separator, is to be prevented from flowing back to the gas-liquid separator.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a fuel cell device having a fuel supply unit, a power generation unit, and a heat exchanger, a coolant tank for supplying coolant to the heat exchanger and an upper side of the coolant tank are provided to pass through the heat exchanger. And a gas-liquid separator for separating gas and liquid from a gas, the gas-liquid separator being provided with a single water discharge port, wherein the gas-liquid separator is in communication with the cooling water tank.

Here, the cooling water tank is preferably an open tank that is open to the atmosphere.

In this case, the cooling water tank may be opened to the vent pipe is provided on one side of the cooling water tank is connected to the gas discharge pipe of the gas-liquid separator.

In addition, the fuel supply unit includes a reformer for reacting fuel gas with water vapor and reforming hydrogen into a reforming gas containing a main component, and a heating burner for supplying a heat source required for the reforming reaction of the reformer.

The power generation unit includes a fuel cell stack receiving reformed gas from the fuel supply unit and generating electricity by an electrochemical reaction, and power for converting the electricity generated in the fuel cell stack into an alternating current for use at a place of use. Includes an inverter.

The heat exchanger is installed between the fuel supply unit and the power generation unit, and takes heat from the hot gas discharged from the fuel supply unit and the power generation unit by the cooling water supplied from the cooling water tank.

In addition, the heating pipe is connected to the cooling water tank, it is possible to supply hot water by heat exchange.

In addition, the gas-liquid separator is communicated to the cooling water tank by the connecting pipe, the condensed water of the gas-liquid separator is discharged to the outside through the cooling water discharge port of the cooling water tank.

At this time, the steam generated from the cooling water tank is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe of the gas-liquid separator via the connecting pipe.

In addition, a vapor discharge pipe is connected between the gas-liquid separator and the cooling water tank so that steam generated from the cooling water tank may be discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe of the gas-liquid separator via the steam discharge pipe.

According to the fuel cell device having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention, by unifying the water discharge port provided separately in the conventional gas-liquid separator and the cooling water tank into one, the effect of reducing the manufacturing and maintenance costs There is.

In addition, the conventional cooling water tank has to be manufactured as a large-capacity high pressure tank of 100 ~ 200L, the production cost was considerable, the risk of high pressure was present, the cooling water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is open to the atmosphere Therefore, the design freedom and the cost, and the safety is improved.

1 is a block diagram of a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a configuration of a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the thicknesses of the lines and the sizes of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation.

In addition, the terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user, the operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

In addition, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but merely as exemplifications of the constituent elements set forth in the claims of the present invention, and are included in technical ideas throughout the specification of the present invention, Embodiments that include components replaceable as equivalents in the elements may be included within the scope of the present invention.

Example

1 is a configuration of a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fuel cell device 10 having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention, the fuel supply unit 20, the power generation unit 30, the heat exchanger 40, and as shown in FIG. It includes a gas-liquid separator 50, the gas-liquid separator 50 is in communication with the coolant tank 60 for supplying coolant to the heat exchanger (40).

That is, the lower end of the gas-liquid separator 50 is connected to the cooling water tank 60 by the connecting pipe 71, the condensate of the gas-liquid separator 50 is stored in the cooling water tank 60, and then discharged the cooling water of the cooling water tank 60 It is discharged to the outside through the port 62.

Here, the fuel supply unit 20 includes a reformer 21 and a heating burner 22. The reformer 21 reacts the supplied fuel gas with water vapor to reform the gas into a reformed gas (soriasis gas) mainly composed of hydrogen. In this case, the fuel gas is supplied with a hydrocarbon-based fuel such as LNG, LPG, kerosene.

Typically, a reformer that reacts fuel gas with water vapor to produce hydrogen gas, a shift converter and a selective oxidation reactor that removes carbon monoxide so that the generated hydrogen gas does not poison the catalyst of the fuel cell stack. It is also referred to collectively as a reformer, including a Prox reactor, and it is noted that the reformer 21 mentioned later refers to a reformer of this general meaning.

The heating burner 22 is to maintain an appropriate temperature so that the endothermic reforming reaction is smoothly performed in the reformer 21. The burner 22 receives burner gas with air at room temperature from inside or outside of the fuel cell system to burn the reformer. Supply the heat source. At this time, the burner gas is a hydrocarbon-based fuel of the same type as the fuel gas.

The power generation unit 30 includes a fuel cell stack 31 and a power converter 32. The fuel cell stack 31 is supplied with reformed gas to generate electricity by an electrochemical reaction, and the power converter 32 is The direct current (DC) generated in the fuel cell stack 31 serves to convert the electricity to alternating current (AC) for use in the place of use.

The heat exchanger 40 is installed between the fuel supply unit 20 and the power generation unit 30, and the high temperature discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 and the power generation unit 30 by the coolant circulating in the heat exchanger 40. Takes heat away from the gas.

At this time, the hydrogen gas generated in the reformer 21 is introduced into the fuel cell stack 31 in a state where the temperature is lowered through the heat exchanger 40, and the off-gas that has passed through the fuel cell stack 31 and the heating burner. The exhaust gas combusted at 22 is introduced into the gas-liquid separator 50 described later via the heat exchanger 40.

The coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 40 is supplied from a coolant tank 60 installed at one side of the heat exchanger 40, and the gas-liquid separator 50 is a gas from off gas and exhaust gas which have passed through the heat exchanger 40. The liquid is separated from the liquid and is installed at one upper side of the cooling water tank 60.

At this time, the upper end of the gas-liquid separator 50 is provided with a gas discharge pipe 51 for discharging the separated gas to the outside, the lower end of the gas-liquid separator 50 is connected to the upper end of one side of the cooling water tank 60 ( 71).

Therefore, the gas separated from the gas-liquid separator 50 is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe 51, the liquid separated into the condensed water to the coolant tank 60 through the connection pipe 71 at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 50 Induced. Therefore, since there is no need for a separate condensate discharge port for discharging the condensate of the gas-liquid separator 50 to the outside, the manufacturing cost is reduced.

The coolant tank 60 is installed at a position relatively lower than the gas-liquid separator 50 so that the condensed water of the gas-liquid separator 50 may naturally flow into the coolant tank 60 along the connection pipe 71 by gravity. Preferably, the lower end portion of the cooling water tank 60 is provided with a direct water supply port 61, and the upper end portion is provided with a cooling water discharge port 62.

In addition, when the temperature of the cooling water rises in the process of circulating the heat exchanger 40 (for example, 45 ° C. or more), the warmed cooling water of the cooling water tank 60 is discharged to the outside, and cold direct water is supplied from the outside to receive new cooling water. Will be used.

Here, the supply of the direct water is made through the direct water supply port 61, while the high pressure direct water flows into the cooling water tank 60, and the existing cooling water is externally supplied through the cooling water discharge port 62 by the supply pressure of the direct water. Is discharged. At this time, the condensate separated from the gas-liquid separator 50 and introduced into the cooling water tank 60 is also discharged together with the cooling water.

On the other hand, the heat of the cooling water heated in the cooling water tank 60 can be used for heating or hot water supply, for example, as shown in Figure 1 by heating the heating pipe 80 to the cooling water tank 60 by heating by heat exchange Alternatively, hot water can be supplied.

In the conventional fuel cell device, the cooling water tank is configured in the form of a sealed high-pressure tank having a large capacity of 100 to 200 L, for example, when the upper part is configured in an open form, for example, operation of the fuel cell system in winter, especially at low atmospheric temperature. As a result, when the temperature of the coolant is increased, steam is generated in the coolant tank, and the steam is spread through the open upper portion into the fuel cell device, which may cause an unexpected operation error.

However, in the case of configuring a coolant tank with a high-capacity sealed high pressure tank of 100 to 200L, it must be made of a material capable of withstanding high pressure, and the tank must be designed and manufactured to have a pressure-resistant structure, thereby manufacturing cost and time. This increases, of course, there is a problem that the risk of high pressure after installation is present.

In addition, in the case of constituting the cooling water tank with such a large-capacity closed high pressure tank, when the gas-liquid separator 50 is connected to the cooling water tank 60 through the connecting pipe 71 as in the present invention, the cooling water is supplied at a high pressure of the direct water supply. There is a problem that the cooling water of the tank 60 flows back to the gas-liquid separator 50 through the connection pipe 71. In order to avoid this, when the cooling water tank 60 is configured as an open structure, the cooling water tank 60 is introduced into the fuel cell device as described above. There is a problem of vapor diffusion.

In order to solve this problem, in the fuel cell device 10 having a single water discharge port according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling water tank 60 is opened to the atmosphere through the gas discharge pipe 51 of the gas-liquid separator 50. Since it is configured in the form of an open tank, it is not necessary to manufacture the coolant tank 60 as a high pressure tank, thereby reducing the manufacturing and maintenance costs and improving the safety of the device.

At this time, by appropriately selecting the diameter of the connection pipe 71 in consideration of the specifications of the cooling water tank 60 and the gas-liquid separator 50 and the flow rate of condensate production, the condensed water from the gas-liquid separator 50 through the connection pipe 71. Simultaneously with the coolant tank 60, the steam may flow from the coolant tank 60 through the connection pipe 71 to the gas-liquid separator 50 to be discharged through the gas discharge pipe 51.

That is, the coolant tank 60 is opened to the atmosphere through the gas discharge pipe 51 of the connection tube 71 and the gas-liquid separator 50, thereby preventing the cooling water of the coolant tank 60 from flowing back to the gas-liquid separator 50. And, the steam generated in the coolant tank 60 is discharged to the outside through the connecting pipe 71 and the gas discharge pipe 51 in order.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, one end of the vent pipe 72 is connected to one side of the upper end of the cooling water tank 60, and the other end of the vent pipe 72 is a gas discharge pipe 51 of the gas-liquid separator 50. ) To open the coolant tank 60 to the atmosphere. At this time, the steam generated in the coolant tank 60 is discharged to the gas discharge pipe 51 through the connection pipe 71 and the vent pipe 72.

In addition, by connecting the vent pipe 72 to a vent box (not shown) to open the air, it is possible to prevent the diffusion of steam into the fuel cell device.

On the other hand, Figure 2 is a block diagram of a fuel cell device 10 'is further provided with a steam discharge pipe 73 between the cooling water tank 60 and the gas-liquid separator 50 according to another embodiment of the present invention, according to this , One end of the steam discharge pipe 73 is connected to the upper end of the coolant tank 60 and the other end is connected to the upper one side of the gas-liquid separator 50, the steam of the coolant tank 60 through the vapor discharge pipe 73 After flowing into the 50, it is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe 51. At this time, of course, the steam discharge pipe 73 also serves to open the cooling water tank to the atmosphere.

10,10 ': Fuel cell device
20: fuel supply unit
21: reformer
22: heating burner
30: power generation unit
31: fuel cell stack
32: power converter
40: heat exchanger
50: gas-liquid separator
51: gas discharge pipe
60: coolant tank
71: connector
72: vent pipe
73: steam discharge pipe
80: heating piping

Claims (10)

In a fuel cell device having a fuel supply unit, a power generation unit, and a heat exchanger,
A coolant tank for supplying coolant to the heat exchanger, and a gas-liquid separator installed at an upper side of the coolant tank and separating gas and liquid from the gas passing through the heat exchanger,
The gas-liquid separator is in communication with the cooling water tank by a connection pipe, the fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, characterized in that the condensed water of the gas-liquid separator is stored in the cooling water tank.
The method according to claim 1,
The coolant tank is a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, characterized in that the open tank that is open to the atmosphere.
The method according to claim 1,
The coolant tank is a fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, characterized in that the air opening through the vent pipe provided on one side of the coolant tank.
The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel supply unit,
A fuel cell device having a single water discharge port comprising a reformer for reacting fuel gas with steam and reforming hydrogen as a main component, and a heating burner for supplying a heat source required for the reforming reaction of the reformer.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the power unit,
A fuel cell stack receiving reformed gas from the fuel supply unit to generate electricity by an electrochemical reaction, and a power converter converting the electricity generated from the fuel cell stack into alternating current for use in a place of use; A fuel cell device having a single water discharge port.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger,
A single water discharge port is provided between the fuel supply unit and the power generation unit, and takes heat from the hot gas discharged from the fuel supply unit and the power generation unit by the coolant supplied from the cooling water tank. Fuel cell device.
The method according to claim 1,
Heating pipe is connected to the cooling water tank, the fuel cell device having a single water discharge port, characterized in that the supply of hot water by heat exchange.
The method according to claim 1,
The gas-liquid separator is communicated to the cooling water tank by the connecting pipe, the condensate of the gas-liquid separator is discharged to the outside through the cooling water discharge port of the cooling water tank is provided with a single water discharge port.
The method according to claim 1,
And a steam discharged from the cooling water tank is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe of the gas-liquid separator through the connection pipe.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A steam discharge pipe is connected between the gas-liquid separator and the cooling water tank so that steam generated from the cooling water tank is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge pipe of the gas-liquid separator through the steam discharge pipe. Fuel cell device.

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