KR20040034026A - A Plate type fuel processor for fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A plate-type fuel modifier for a fuel cell is provided, to reduce a size and weight to allow it to be suitable for the residential fuel cell system. CONSTITUTION: The plate-type fuel modifier comprises a preheater(10) for preheating the water supplied from the exterior; a mixing preheater(20) for mixing the preheated water with the hydrocarbon gas supplied from the exterior and preheating the mixture; a vapor modification reactor(30) where the preheated reaction gas absorbs heat and generates hydrogen by vapor modification reaction; and a burner(40) for supplying the heat for the endothermic reaction of the vapor modification reactor, wherein the preheater, the mixing preheater and the vapor modification reactor are set in plate-type so as to be inter-layered in the inside of an insulation-treated modifier body(50). Preferably the preheater, the mixing preheater and the vapor modification reactor are layered in turns, and the burner is placed below the vapor modification reactor.

Description

Flat fuel reformer for fuel cell {A Plate type fuel processor for fuel cell}

The present invention relates to a planar fuel reformer for a fuel cell, and in particular, it can be miniaturized and reduced in weight to be suitable for a domestic fuel cell system, and can be manufactured at a low cost, and is used for heat absorption from an endothermic reaction, that is, a burner. The present invention relates to a fuel reformer for a domestic fuel cell that has a structure that is advantageous, structurally simple, easy to maintain and repair, and easy to stack with other devices.

A fuel cell supplies hydrogen gas and air obtained by reforming hydrogen, oxygen, or natural gas to a fuel electrode (anode) and an oxygen electrode (cathode), respectively. It is known as a very high power generation system with energy efficiency of about 40%.

Recently, a self-powered system using the above-described fuel cell, that is, a residential fuel cell (residental power generating system), has been developed separately from the commercial power source produced in thermal power, nuclear power, hydroelectric power plants, and the like. In addition, it is possible to obtain heat for heating or hot water supply. Such a self-generating system is expected to be used first in home emergency power supply or in island areas that are difficult to transmit geographically and economically, and then spread to general households in the future.

The hydrocarbon gas is reformed into a simple reactant before it is introduced into a fuel cell, ie an electrochemical converter, which is typically processed through a desulfurizer, reformer, conversion reactor and / or selective oxidation reactor to produce a suitable fuel. .

Among these, the fuel reformer has been constantly studying the main subjects of R & D such as small size, light weight, low price, and efficiency improvement in consideration of the reliability and economic efficiency of the entire fuel cell system. In particular, has become a very important factor in the commercialization and commercialization of small and domestic fuel cells.

The conventional fuel reformer associated with the present invention is shown in FIG.

1 illustrates a conventional fuel reformer disclosed in Korean Patent No. 309869 (September 11, 2001), which is a fuel in which a refractory insulating material is spaced apart from a reforming tube filled with a reforming catalyst and a burner formed thereon. In the reforming apparatus, a mutual heat exchange space 129 of a source gas and a reaction gas is formed above the reforming pipe 124, and the catalyst is filled in the upper portion of the inner annular space 131 partitioned by the cylindrical separation pipe 133. A sphere 139 is formed to allow the reforming catalyst 136 to be filled, and a gas induction plate for separating the flow of the source gas and the reactant gas is formed in the heat exchange space 129, and an upper portion of the reforming pipe 124 is provided. The fuel gas flowing through the fuel inlet 111 of the burner 123 formed at the burner is mixed with the air flowing from the air inlet 122, and the combustion gas is reformed in which the reforming catalyst 136 is filled. Inside of 124) The combustion gas passage 140 is supplied to the reforming catalyst 136 of the inner annular space 131 at the same time as the side and flows the radiant heat necessary for the reaction of the raw material gas to the outside, and to the outside of the exterior 127 of the reforming pipe 124. Is moved along and is discharged through the combustion gas outlet 141, the source gas introduced into the gas heat exchange space 129 through the source gas inlet 137 is once diffused annular separator plate formed in the heat exchange space (129) ( 130 is preheated by mutual heat exchange with the reacted reaction gas passing through the lower portion of the annular separation plate 130 in contact with the surface of the annular separator 130. The reformed catalyst 136 filled in the inner annular space 131 is preheated. The reaction is started by the supply heat of the combustion gas combusted by the burner 123 in the upper layer of), the reaction proceeds while moving in the lower direction of the reforming catalyst 136 layer, and the temperature rises in tandem. At the bottom of 136 Response is shut down and is discharged to the outside through the outer annular space 132, gas heat exchanger room 129 to the reaction gas outlet (138) passing through along the direction of the flow is switched from the lower end of the cylindrical separation tube 133.

Conventional fuel reformers, including the aforementioned Patent No. 309869 (2001.09.11), are mostly cylindrical, and an annular reactor (inner annular space filled with catalyst) is installed vertically inside and a burner is installed on the top. Therefore, the heat generated from the burner for the endothermic reaction is not uniformly transmitted throughout the reactor, which has a disadvantage in that the efficiency is lowered, and even in the manufacture of the fuel reformer itself, the manufacturing cost increases due to the difficulty in processing due to the morphological characteristics of the reactor. There was a problem in that, in addition to the arrangement necessary for the fuel cell and the reactor as a secondary to each other, many restrictions are followed, the overall volume is large, there was a problem that it is difficult to compact and light weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel reformer suitable for a domestic fuel cell system, that is, compact and lightweight, and can be manufactured at low cost, and to absorb heat from a heat source for an endothermic reaction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel reformer for a domestic fuel cell having a structure that is advantageous, structurally simple, easy to maintain and repair, and easy to stack with other devices.

In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present invention, a preheater for preheating water supplied from the outside, a preheater mixed with preheated water and a hydrocarbon gas supplied from the outside in the preheater, the preheater In the fuel reformer comprising a steam reforming reactor for preheating the reactor body absorbs heat to generate a steam reforming reaction to produce hydrogen and a burner for supplying heat for the endothermic reaction of the steam reforming reactor, the preheater, mixing The preheater and the steam reforming reactor are manufactured in a planar shape so as to be mutually laminated inside the insulated reformer body, and the preheater, the mixed preheater, and the steam reforming reactor are sequentially stacked from the upper part of the reformer body to the lower part of the reformer body. The burner is installed in the lower part of the household A fuel reformer for fuel cell.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a fuel reformer in which a flat type conversion reactor for converting carbon monoxide in hydrogen gas generated in a steam reforming reactor into carbon dioxide is stacked on top of the preheater.

In the embodiment of the present invention between the conversion reactor, preheater, mixed preheater, steam reforming reactor that is sequentially stacked inside the reformer body to maintain the heat transferred from the burner at the bottom at the appropriate temperature for each reaction or preheating Install the gas induction plate, but each gas induction plate is made in a size that does not completely block the upper and lower spaces, each space divided by the gas induction plate, that is, the space where the burner and the steam reforming reactor is installed is the heat of the burner The internal temperature of the steam reforming reactor can be directly received to maintain the state of 600 ℃ ~ 800 ℃, and the space where the mixing preheater is installed on it to maintain the internal temperature of the mixing preheater 500 ℃ ~ 600 ℃, The space where the preheater consists of water pipes is installed to maintain the internal temperature of the preheater at 300 ℃ ~ 400 ℃. The space switch is installed in the reactor so that the conversion reactor internal temperature to maintain the state of 200 ℃ ~ 300 ℃.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas induction plate may be manufactured using a heat insulating material to ensure a proper temperature difference between the upper and lower spaces, or may be produced by stacking a heat insulating material on the gas induction plate, the gas induction plate In order to allow the heat generated from the burner at the bottom to be finally discharged through each space to the exhaust port side of the upper part of the reformer body, that is, one side of the steam reforming reactor installation space communicates with one side of the mixing preheater installation space, and the mixing preheater installation space. The other side of the structure is in communication with one side of the preheater installation space of the upper portion and the exhaust port is formed on the other side of the preheater installation space, or the other side of the preheater installation space is communicated to one side of the conversion reactor installation space and the exhaust port on the other side of the conversion reactor installation space Produced by the structure is formed.

In the present invention, the steam reforming reactor that directly receives the combustion heat of the burner and performs the endothermic reaction is preferably manufactured in a fin type to increase the efficiency of surface heat absorption.

The preheater bends the metal tube in a zigzag shape in order to preheat the water supplied from the outside so that the water inside the metal tube is preheated by the waste heat of the combustion gas discharged toward the exhaust port, and the other end of the metal tube of the preheater is installed in the lower space of the preheater. One side of the mixed preheater is connected, and one side of the mixed preheater is connected with a reactor body, that is, a reactor gas inlet tube to which hydrocarbon gas (LNG) is supplied, and the other side of the mixed preheater and one side of the steam reforming reactor below it. In the reactor, a connection pipe is installed in which the preheated fuel is mixed with the reactor gas and water is supplied to the steam reforming reactor. On the other side of the steam reforming reactor, there is an outlet tube through which the endothermic reaction which has completed the endothermic reaction under the catalytic reaction is discharged. Connected.

The outlet pipe is connected to the anode of the fuel cell via a conversion reactor or a selective oxidation reactor as necessary.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional cylindrical fuel reformer,

2 is a perspective view showing a flat fuel reformer according to the present invention;

3 is a cross-sectional view of a flat fuel reformer according to the present invention;

4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a flat fuel reformer according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: preheater (water) 20: mixed preheater (water + reaction gas)

21: reactor gas inlet tube 30: steam reforming reactor

32: connector 34: fin

36: outlet pipe 40: burner

50: reformer body 51, 52, 53, 54: divided spaces

55: exhaust port 56: damper

60,70,80: gas induction plate 90: conversion reactor

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments which do not limit the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a perspective view illustrating a stacked fuel reformer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel reformer illustrated in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the present invention includes a preheater 10 for preheating water supplied from the outside, and a mixture in which the water preheated in the preheater 10 and the hydrocarbon gas supplied from the outside are mixed and preheated. Preheater 20, the heat of the steam reforming reactor 30 and endothermic reaction of the steam reforming reactor 30 and the steam reforming reactor 30, the reactor preheated in the mixed preheater 20 absorbs heat to generate steam reforming reaction to generate hydrogen In the fuel reformer comprising a burner (40) for supplying the preheater (10), the mixing preheater (20), the steam reforming reactor (30) is laminated on the inside of the reformer body (50) heat-insulated. The preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, and the steam reforming reactor 30 are stacked in order from the top of the reformer body 50 to the bottom of the reformer body 50. The lower part of the steam reforming reactor 30 has a structure in which the burner 40 is installed.

In the above embodiment, between the preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, and the steam reforming reactor 30, which are sequentially stacked inside the reformer body 50, combustion heat transferred from the burner 40 at the lower end of each reaction or Two gas induction plates 60 and 70 are provided for maintaining the temperature at the proper temperature for preheating.

The gas induction plate 60 is installed between the preheater 10 and the mixing preheater 20, and the other gas induction plate 70 is installed between the mixing preheater 20 and the steam reforming reactor 30 so that the reformer body ( The internal space of 50 is divided into three spaces 51, 52 and 53.

The steam reforming reactor 30 and the burner 40 are installed in the lower space 53, the mixing preheater 20 is installed in the space 52 in the middle portion, and the zigzag shape is formed in the upper space 51. The preheater 10 is installed.

The upper, middle, and lower three spaces 51, 52, and 53 forming the inner space of the reformer body 50 are separated to match the atmosphere, that is, the temperature condition for steam preheating and the steam reforming reaction condition. The internal temperature of the reforming reactor 30 is maintained at a temperature of 600 ℃ ~ 800 ℃ to maintain a temperature atmosphere suitable for the endothermic reaction, the internal temperature of the mixed preheater is lower than the internal temperature of the steam reforming reactor, preferably 500 ℃ ~ 600 ℃, and the preheater design the size and height of each space (51, 52, 53) to maintain a lower temperature than the internal temperature of the mixing preheater, preferably 300 ℃ ~ 400 ℃ and burner 40 In addition, the thickness and the material of the gas induction plates 60 and 70 are appropriately designed.

The two gas induction plates 60 and 70 dividing the spaces 51, 52, and 53 are manufactured to a size that does not completely block the upper, middle, and lower spaces, and by the gas induction plates 60 and 70. In each of the divided spaces 51, 52, and 53, the high temperature heat generated from the burner 40 at the bottom passes through each of the spaces 53, 52, and 51 in order to improve the steam reforming reactor 30 and the mixed preheater ( 20) and after the heat exchange with the preheater 10 to be finally discharged to the exhaust port 55 side of the reformer body (50).

In the present invention, the movement path of the heat through the spaces (51, 52, 53) is a zigzag communication structure to maximize the heat exchange efficiency bar, one side of the steam reforming reactor installation space 53 is mixed One side of the preheater installation space 52, one side of the mixed preheater installation space 52 is also communicated to one side of the preheater installation space 51 and the exhaust port 55 on the other side of the preheater installation space 51. Formed.

In the present invention, the steam reforming reactor 30, which is installed in the lower space 53 and receives the combustion heat of the burner 40 directly and performs an endothermic reaction, has a plurality of fins on the bottom and the top thereof so as to increase the surface heat absorption efficiency. It is preferable to manufacture it with the structure in which the (34) was formed, The granular catalyst, such as nickel or a noble metal type, is filled in the steam reforming reactor 30 inside.

In the present invention, the steam reforming reactor 30 is formed in a flat plate type, and the heat of combustion generated from the burner 40 is uniformly formed on the bottom surface of the reforming reactor 30 by installing the metal mesh burner 40 at the bottom thereof. Will be delivered.

The preheater 10 is to be preheated by the metal tube in a zigzag form to preheat the water supplied from the outside to preheat the water inside the metal tube by the waste heat of the combustion gas discharged toward the exhaust port 55, the discharge direction of the exhaust gas and Water is supplied in the opposite direction to preheat, and the other end of the metal tube of the preheater 10 is connected to one side of the mixing preheater 20 provided in the lower mixing preheater installation space 20.

One side of the mixed preheater 20 provided in the intermediate space 52 is connected to a reactor body inlet tube 21 to which a reactor gas, that is, hydrocarbon gas (LNG), is connected, and the other side of the mixed preheater 20 and the same. One side of the steam reforming reactor 30 in the lower portion is provided with a connecting pipe 32 for supplying the preheated fuel to the steam reforming reactor 30 by mixing the reactor body and water, and on the other side of the steam reforming reactor 30. In the steam reforming reactor 30, an outlet pipe 36 through which an endothermic reaction which has undergone endothermic reaction under catalysis is discharged.

4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which has a lamination structure similar to that shown in the first embodiment, wherein the reformer body 50 is divided into four spaces 51, 52, 53, and 54. Burner 40, steam reforming reactor 30, mixing preheater 20, preheater 10, and conversion reactor 90 are installed in spaces 53, 52, 51, and 54 from the bottom to the top, respectively. In addition, an outlet pipe 36 from the steam reforming reactor 30 of the lower space 53 is connected to one side of the conversion reactor 90 installed in the upper space 54, and this conversion reactor 90 is connected. After reducing the concentration of carbon monoxide in the generated hydrogen gas, the final discharge pipe 92 is supplied to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell (not shown) through the selective oxidation reactor as necessary.

A gas induction plate 80 is also provided between the uppermost space 54 and the lower space 51, and the exhaust port 55 is formed at one side of the uppermost space 54 and opened to the outside.

The internal temperature of the conversion reactor is designed and controlled to maintain a temperature suitable for the conversion reaction, preferably 200 ℃ to 300 ℃.

As described above, the present invention provides a preheater for preheating the water, a preheater for mixing the preheated water with the reaction gas, and a steam reforming reactor in which the reforming reaction occurs. The preheater, the mixed preheater, and the steam reforming reactor are sequentially stacked from the top of the reformer body to the bottom, and a burner is installed at the bottom of the steam reforming reactor. Lamination is easy and its lamination positions are arranged in the upper, middle, and lower spaces divided by the gas induction plate so as to be suitable for the position suitable for the reaction temperature and the preheating temperature. The preheating of the reactant gas is carried out effectively and the steam reforming reactor at the bottom Since the lower surface absorbs the combustion heat of the burner uniformly, a uniform reforming reaction occurs in the steam reforming reactor, so that high thermal efficiency and hydrogen production rate can be obtained, and even in the installation of a conversion reactor, it can be installed in a minimum space. Not only can it reduce the size and weight of the reformer, but it can also be easily manufactured to reduce the manufacturing cost, and can be used as a fuel reformer for domestic fuel cells. Suitable.

Claims (10)

A preheater for preheating water supplied from the outside, a preheater in which the preheated water and the hydrocarbon gas supplied from the outside are mixed and preheated, and the reactor preheated in the mixed preheater absorb heat to cause a steam reforming reaction. In a fuel reformer comprising a steam reforming reactor for generating hydrogen and a burner for supplying heat for the endothermic reaction of the steam reforming reactor, The preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, steam reforming reactor 30 is a fuel cell, characterized in that produced in a flat (plate type) to be laminated to the inside of the reformer body 50 is heat-insulated treatment Flat fuel reformer. The method according to claim 1, The preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, and the steam reforming reactor 30 are sequentially stacked from the top of the reformer body 50 to the bottom, and a burner 40 is disposed below the steam reforming reactor 30. Flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that installed. The method according to claim 2, Between the preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, and the steam reforming reactor 30, which are sequentially stacked in the reformer body 50, the combustion heat transferred from the burner 40 at the bottom is appropriate for each reaction or preheating. Two gas induction plates (60, 70) to maintain the temperature is installed, the internal space of the reformer body (50) is characterized in that divided into three spaces (upper, middle, lower) 53, 52, 51 Flat fuel reformers for cells. The method according to claim 3, The lower space 53 temperature maintains the internal temperature of the steam reforming reactor 30 at 600 ° C. to 800 ° C., and the internal space of the intermediate space 52 is 500 ° C. to 600 ° C. ℃, the upper space 51 is a flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that the internal temperature of the preheater 10 is maintained at 300 ℃ ~ 400 ℃. The method according to claim 3, One side of the steam reforming reactor installation space 53 communicates with one side of the mixing preheater installation space 52 so as to form a zigzag communication structure through the spaces 51, 52, and 53. One side of the preheater installation space 52 also communicates with one side of the preheater installation space 51 on the upper side, and an exhaust port 55 is formed on the other side of the preheater installation space 51. . The method according to claim 1, The steam reforming reactor (30) is a flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that made of a structure in which a plurality of fin (fin) is formed on the bottom and the upper surface to increase the surface heat absorption efficiency. The method according to claim 1, The burner 40 is a flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that the metal mesh type. The method according to claim 1, The preheater 10 bends the metal tube in a zigzag shape in order to preheat the water supplied from the outside so that the water inside the metal tube is preheated by the waste heat of the combustion gas discharged toward the exhaust port 55, but opposite to the discharge direction of the exhaust gas. Flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that the water is supplied in the direction of. A preheater for preheating water supplied from the outside, a preheater in which the preheated water and the hydrocarbon gas supplied from the outside are mixed and preheated, and the reactor preheated in the mixed preheater absorb heat to cause a steam reforming reaction. In a fuel reformer comprising a steam reforming reactor for generating hydrogen, a burner for supplying heat for the endothermic reaction of the steam reforming reactor, and a conversion reactor for converting carbon monoxide in the gas produced in the steam reforming reactor to carbon dioxide. , The preheater 10, the mixed preheater 20, the steam reforming reactor 30, and the conversion reactor 90 are manufactured in a plate type so as to be stacked on the inside of the reformer body 50 insulated. In addition, the reformer body 50 is divided into four spaces 51, 52, 53, and 54, and a burner 40 and a steam reforming reactor 30 are disposed in the spaces 53, 52, 51, and 54, respectively. ), A mixing preheater 20, a preheater 10, and a conversion reactor 90 are installed, and one side of the conversion reactor 90 installed in the upper space 54 is a steam reforming reactor of the lower space 53. The outlet pipe 36 from 30 is connected, and the conversion reactor 90 reduces the carbon monoxide concentration in the generated hydrogen gas and then passes the hydrogen gas through the final discharge pipe 92 or via an optional oxidation reactor. The exhaust port 55 is formed at one side of the space 54 at the uppermost end of the The plate-like fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that the open. The method according to claim 9, The internal temperature of the uppermost space 54 is a flat fuel reformer for a fuel cell, characterized in that the internal temperature of the conversion reaction is maintained at 200 ℃ ~ 300 ℃.