WO2004079838A2 - セパレータ、燃料電池装置及び燃料電池装置の温度調整方法 - Google Patents
セパレータ、燃料電池装置及び燃料電池装置の温度調整方法 Download PDFInfo
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- WO2004079838A2 WO2004079838A2 PCT/JP2004/002891 JP2004002891W WO2004079838A2 WO 2004079838 A2 WO2004079838 A2 WO 2004079838A2 JP 2004002891 W JP2004002891 W JP 2004002891W WO 2004079838 A2 WO2004079838 A2 WO 2004079838A2
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- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- separator
- heat radiating
- fuel cell
- heat
- power generator
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
- H01M8/04059—Evaporative processes for the cooling of a fuel cell
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F3/00—Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements
- F28F3/02—Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations
- F28F3/04—Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations the means being integral with the element
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F3/00—Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements
- F28F3/12—Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/02—Details
- H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
- H01M8/0204—Non-porous and characterised by the material
- H01M8/0223—Composites
- H01M8/0228—Composites in the form of layered or coated products
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/02—Details
- H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
- H01M8/0247—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the form
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/02—Details
- H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
- H01M8/0258—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
- H01M8/0263—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant having meandering or serpentine paths
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/02—Details
- H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
- H01M8/0267—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
- H01M8/04067—Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
- H01M8/04074—Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/24—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
- H01M8/241—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
- H01M8/242—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/24—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
- H01M8/2465—Details of groupings of fuel cells
- H01M8/2483—Details of groupings of fuel cells characterised by internal manifolds
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a separator, a fuel cell device, and a method for adjusting the temperature of a fuel cell device, which can maintain the temperature of the fuel cell device substantially uniform when generating power.
- a fuel cell is a power generating element that generates power by electrochemically reacting a fuel gas such as a hydrogen gas and an oxidizing gas such as an oxygen gas contained in air.
- Fuel cells have attracted attention in recent years as power generation elements that do not pollute the environment because the product generated by power generation is water. Further, the fuel cell can increase the amount of power output by combining a plurality of power generation cells.
- a power generation body is formed by forming a joined body in which electrodes are formed on both surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and the power generation body is sandwiched between separators to form a power generation cell.
- a fuel cell using a fuel cell body having a stack structure in which such power generation cells are stacked as a power generation unit has been developed.
- the fuel cell body is a power generation section that substantially generates power. This is not preferable for stable power generation.
- a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having a power generator composed of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and electrodes sandwiching the solid polymer electrolyte membrane the amount of water contained in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane increases with increasing temperature. In some cases, leading to a defect called dry-up. Therefore, in order to stably generate electric power in a state in which moisture is suitably absorbed in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a technique of radiating heat to the outside from a power generation unit which is a fuel cell body is important.
- Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-162842
- Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-214140
- Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-2000. — No. 3 5 3 5 3 6)
- the temperature when the temperatures are compared between the upper part, the center part, and the lower part of the power generation part during power generation, the temperature may be different in each part according to the position in the stacking direction described above. Specifically, the temperature of the power generation cell located at the center of the power generation unit in the stacking direction is The temperature of the power generation cells constituting the upper and lower parts of the power generation unit tends to be lower. As described above, when power is generated in a state where a temperature gradient is generated from the center to the upper part of the power generation unit and from the center to the lower part of the power generation unit. Power generation cells with higher temperatures than other power generation cells, especially Problems such as dry-up may occur in the power generation cell located near the center of the power generation unit, which may make it difficult for the power generation unit to perform stable power generation.
- Patent Documents 2 and 3 similar to the technology described in Patent Document 1, there is no description about the technology of adjusting the temperature of the power generation cell according to the position of the power generation cell disposed in the power generation unit. It is not mentioned, and it is not possible to improve the temperature gradient that occurs in the stacking direction of the power generator and the separator body in the power generation unit having a stack structure, and to generate power while maintaining the temperature of the entire power generation unit uniformly. difficult.
- the radiating fins for radiating heat from the power generation unit are formed of a metal material such as aluminum or have a flat plate shape. There is no mention of the detailed shape of the heat dissipation fins that can increase the heat dissipation efficiency.
- a heat pipe is used as a heat transfer member for radiating heat to the outside of the power generation unit.
- the structure of the fuel cell becomes complicated, which hinders miniaturization of the fuel cell. There are cases. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can efficiently radiate heat from the fuel cell and generate stable power, and that can sufficiently cope with miniaturization of the fuel cell.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a separator, a fuel cell device, and a method for adjusting the temperature of a fuel cell device, which can generate power while maintaining uniformity.
- the present invention provides a separator, a fuel cell device, and a fuel cell device that can increase the efficiency of heat radiation from the power generation unit and reduce the size of the fuel cell. It is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature adjustment method. Disclosure of the invention
- the separator according to the present invention is a separator that is laminated so as to electrically connect a power generator to another power generator.
- the separator protrudes from a separator main body in contact with the power generator and a side edge of the separator main body.
- a heat radiating section provided in the radiating section. It is characterized by having. According to the separator of the present invention, since the amount of heat transmitted from each separator body to the heat radiating portion varies depending on the cross-sectional area of the heat radiating portion, each separator body has a uniform temperature throughout the power generating portion. A predetermined amount of heat can be transmitted from the unit to each heat radiating unit.
- the cross-sectional area of the heat radiating portion is equal to the cross-sectional area of the heat radiating portion provided outside the heat radiating portion in the stacking direction in the fuel cell body in which the power generator and the separator main body are stacked.
- the amount of heat transferred from the power generating cell to the heat radiating portion can be adjusted according to the position where the power generating cell including the power generator and the separator main body is disposed.
- the temperature of each power generation cell can be made substantially uniform in the stacking direction in which the body and the separator body are stacked.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the heat radiating portion is substantially flat. According to such a heat radiating portion, the cross-sectional area can be accurately set by changing a predetermined dimension of the heat radiating portion when setting the cross-sectional area of the heat radiating portion.
- the cross-sectional area of the heat radiating section is set by changing at least one of the width dimension and the thickness dimension of the heat radiating section. According to such a separator, not only can the temperature of the entire power generation section be made uniform by changing at least one of the width dimension and the thickness dimension of the heat radiation section, but also the temperature of the entire power generation section can be made uniform.
- the heat radiator can be easily designed so that the degree is substantially uniform.
- the separator according to the present invention is a separator that is laminated so as to electrically connect a power generator to another power generator.
- the separator protrudes from a separator main body in contact with the power generator and a side edge of the separator main body.
- a heat radiating portion provided, and a surface area of the heat radiating portion is set so as to be different according to a difference in a position where the separator main body is disposed in a stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator main body are stacked. It is characterized by having been done.
- the amount of heat radiated from each radiator is adjusted according to the surface area of the radiator, and a predetermined amount of heat is radiated from each radiator so that the temperature of the entire power generation unit becomes uniform.
- the surface area of the heat radiating portion can be substantially uniform in the fuel cell main body in which the power generator and the separator main body are stacked in the stacking direction. The characteristic is that the surface area is larger than the surface area of the heat radiating portion provided outside the heat radiating portion.
- the amount of heat dissipated from the heat dissipating part can be adjusted according to the position where the power generation cell composed of the power generator and the separator main body is disposed.
- the temperature of each power generation cell can be made substantially uniform in the stacking direction in which the main body is stacked.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the heat radiating portion is formed in a substantially flat plate shape. According to such a heat radiator, the surface area can be accurately set by changing a predetermined dimension of the heat radiator when setting the surface area of the heat radiator.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface area of the heat radiating portion is set by changing at least one of the width, length, and thickness of the heat radiating portion. According to such a separator, not only can the temperature of the entire power generation section be made uniform, but also the power generation can be achieved by changing at least one of the width, length, and thickness dimensions of the heat radiation section.
- the heat radiation part can be easily designed so that the temperature of the whole part becomes substantially uniform.
- the separator according to the present invention is a separator that is laminated so as to electrically connect a power generator to another power generator.
- the separator protrudes from a separator main body in contact with the power generator and a side edge of the separator main body.
- the heat radiation rate of the heat radiation part differs according to the difference in the position where the separator body is arranged in the stacking direction of the power generator and the separator body. Is set as follows. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the separator which concerns on this invention, the amount of heat radiated
- the heat radiation rate of the heat radiating portion is And a separator main body portion, wherein the fuel cell body is characterized in that the heat radiation rate of the heat radiating portion provided outside the heat radiating portion in the stacking direction is larger than the heat radiation rate.
- the amount of heat dissipated from the heat dissipating part can be adjusted according to the position where the power generation cell composed of the power generator and the separator main body is disposed.
- the temperature of each power generation cell can be made substantially uniform in the stacking direction in which the main body is stacked.
- the heat emissivity of the heat radiating portion is set by changing the surface roughness of the surface of the heat radiating portion. According to such a separator, the amount of heat radiation from the heat radiating portion can be changed without changing the design of the heat radiating portion, such as the size and the outer shape.
- the heat radiation rate of the heat radiating portion is set by changing a surface treatment for the surface of the heat radiating portion. According to such a separator, the amount of heat radiation from the heat radiating portion can be changed without changing the design of the heat radiating portion, such as the size and the external shape.
- a fuel cell device is a fuel cell device provided with a fuel cell main body in which a separator for electrically connecting a power generator and another power generator is stacked, wherein the separator is a separator main body portion in contact with the power generator. And a heat dissipating portion protruding from a side edge of the separator main body, wherein a distance between adjacent heat dissipating portions in a stacking direction in which a power generator and the separator main body are stacked is different in a stacking direction.
- the heat radiating portion is characterized in that a required interval is set according to a difference in a position where the heat radiating portion is disposed in the fuel cell main body.
- the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating portion can be changed by changing the flow rate of the air flowing between the adjacent heat radiating portions according to the position of the heat radiating portion in the stacking direction. It is. As a result, the temperature of the entire fuel cell body is The degree can be made uniform, and stable power generation can be performed.
- the fuel cell device according to the present invention is characterized in that the oxidizing fluid supplied to the fuel cell main body is caused to flow between the heat radiating portions to radiate heat from the heat radiating portions.
- the oxidizing fluid is supplied to the fuel cell body, and the amount of heat radiation from the heat radiating portion is changed by adjusting the flow rate of the oxidizing fluid flowing between the adjacent heat radiating portions. It becomes possible. Thereby, the temperature of the entire fuel cell body can be made uniform, and stable power generation can be performed.
- the fuel cell device is characterized in that the predetermined interval is smaller than the interval between adjacent heat radiating portions located outside the fuel cell main body in the stacking direction. According to such a fuel cell device, by suppressing the amount of heat radiated from the outer power generation cells whose temperature rise is smaller than that of the central portion of the fuel cell body, the temperature rise of the entire fuel cell body is suppressed, and The temperature of the battery body can be made substantially uniform.
- the thickness dimension of the separator main body portion is smaller in the stacking direction as the separator main body portion is located outside the fuel cell main body.
- the adjacent heat radiators are arranged according to the thickness of the adjacent separator main body. The distance between the heat radiating portions is determined, and the distance between the adjacent heat radiating portions becomes smaller as the heat radiating portion is located outside the fuel cell body. As a result, the temperature rise of the fuel cell main body is suppressed, and the heat radiation amount located outside the fuel cell main body is suppressed in the heat radiation amount, so that the entire temperature of the fuel cell main body can be made uniform.
- the difference between the thickness of the heat radiating portion and the thickness of the separator body where the heat radiating portion protrudes is related to the stacking direction. In addition, it is characterized in that it is smaller on the outer side of the fuel cell body.
- the distance between adjacent heat dissipating parts is determined according to the difference between the thickness of the heat dissipating part and the thickness of the separator body on which the heat dissipating part protrudes. The distance from the heat radiating part is reduced.
- the amount of heat radiation is suppressed more at the heat radiating portion located on the outer side of the battery main body, and the heat radiating amount from the heat radiating portion is adjusted according to the position where the power generation cell is arranged, so that the entire temperature of the fuel cell main body is uniform Can be
- the fuel cell device is a fuel cell device including a fuel cell main body in which a power generator and a separator that electrically connects the power generator adjacent to the power generator are stacked, wherein the separator is a power generator.
- the separator body includes a contacting separator body and a heat radiating portion protruding from a side edge of the separator body, and a cross-sectional area of the heat radiating portion is such that the separator body in the stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator body are stacked. It is characterized in that it is set differently according to the difference in the arrangement position. According to such a fuel cell device, the amount of heat transferred from each separator body to the heat radiating portion is adjusted, and power can be generated in a stable state while maintaining a uniform temperature of the entire fuel cell body. .
- a fuel cell device is a fuel cell device including a fuel cell main body in which a separator for electrically conducting a power generator and another power generator is stacked, wherein the separator is a separator in contact with the power generator. It has a main body and a heat radiating portion projecting from the side edge of the separator main body, and the surface area of the heat radiating portion is arranged with respect to the laminating direction in which the power generator and the separator main body are stacked. Is set differently depending on the position And features. According to such a fuel cell device, the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating portions is adjusted by each of the heat radiating portions, and power can be generated in a stable state while maintaining the entire temperature of the fuel cell body uniformly.
- a fuel cell device is a fuel cell device including a fuel cell main body in which a separator for electrically conducting a power generator and another power generator is stacked, wherein the separator is a separator in contact with the power generator.
- the fuel cell device since the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating portion can be adjusted without changing the design of the heat radiating portion and the external shape, the fuel cell device can be easily adjusted without changing the design of the fuel cell body.
- the temperature of the entire fuel cell body can be maintained substantially uniform.
- the temperature adjustment method for a fuel cell device is directed to a fuel cell device that adjusts the temperature of a fuel cell main body including a power generator, and a separator that electrically connects the power generator to another power generator.
- a temperature adjustment method in which a separator is constituted by a separator body in contact with a power generator and a heat radiating portion protruding from a side edge of the separator body to radiate a cooling fluid for cooling the fuel cell body. It is characterized in that the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating portion is adjusted according to the difference in the position where the heat radiating portion is disposed in the stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator are stacked in the vicinity of the portion.
- the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating portion can be adjusted so that the temperature of the fuel cell body having a stack structure becomes substantially uniform in the stacking direction, and stable power generation is achieved. It can be performed.
- a separator according to the present invention is a separator laminated so as to electrically connect a power generator to another power generator, and a separator in contact with the power generator. And a heat radiating portion protruding from the side edge of the separator main body. At least a part of the edge of the heat radiating portion is thinner than the thickness of the central portion of the heat radiating portion.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that a cooling fluid for cooling the heat radiating portion flows around the heat radiating portion. According to such a separator, a new cooling fluid can flow around the heat radiating portion while discharging the cooling fluid that has received heat from the heat radiating portion, so that a sufficient heat capacity is always provided when generating power. Can radiate heat to the cooling fluid having
- the edge of the heat radiating portion faces the inlet side where the cooling fluid flows between the heat radiating portions located adjacent to each other in the stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator body are stacked. It is characterized by the following. According to such a separator, the cooling fluid can smoothly flow between the adjacent heat radiating portions. Therefore, even when the space between the adjacent heat radiating portions is narrowed, the flow rate of the cooling fluid does not decrease, and the heat radiation efficiency from the heat radiating portion hardly decreases.
- the edge of the heat radiating portion is located at the outlet side where the cooling fluid flows from between the heat radiating portions located adjacent to each other in the stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator body are stacked. It is characterized by facing. According to such a separator, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss generated on the outlet side between the adjacent heat radiating portions. Therefore, even when the space between the adjacent heat radiating portions is narrowed, the flow rate of the cooling fluid is not reduced, so that the heat radiating efficiency is improved. Almost no reduction.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the ⁇ portion of the heat radiating portion extends along a direction in which the heat radiating portion protrudes from the side edge portion of the separator main body and extends. According to such a separator, the pressure loss when the cooling fluid flows can be reduced in the entire heat radiating portion, and the heat can be efficiently radiated from the entire surface of the heat radiating portion.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the edge has a tapered cross section. According to such a separator, the flow of the cooling fluid smoothly flows without being hindered by the edge of the heat radiating portion.
- Such a separator is characterized in that the cross section at the center is rectangular and the edge has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the surface at the center. According to such a separator, when the cooling fluid flows from the edge portion to the center portion, the cooling fluid can flow smoothly, and the cooling fluid flowing along the surface of the heat radiating portion; Interference with the cooling fluid flowing between the adjacent heat radiating portions can be suppressed. Thus, the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing between the adjacent heat radiating portions is not reduced, and the heat radiating efficiency is hardly reduced.
- such a separator is characterized in that the boundary between the central surface and the inclined surface is a curved surface. According to such a separator, the cooling fluid can flow smoothly between the adjacent heat radiating portions along the surface of the heat radiating portion by smoothly connecting the edge portion and the central portion with a curved surface.
- the boundary between the inclined surface and the end surface of the edge is a curved surface. According to such a separator, by smoothly connecting the end surface of the edge and the inclined surface, the cooling by the edge is achieved. The flow of the fluid is hardly hindered.
- such a separator is characterized in that the curvature of the curved surface that is the boundary between the center surface and the inclined surface is larger than the curvature of the curved surface that is the boundary between the inclined surface and the end surface of the edge. I do.
- the cooling fluid can flow smoothly along a curved surface that is a boundary between the end surface of the edge and the main surface of the edge. Further, interference between the cooling fluid flowing between the adjacent heat radiating portions and the cooling fluid flowing in a region near the surface of the heat radiating portion can also be suppressed.
- the boundary between the surface of the central portion and the inclined surface is determined according to the difference in the position where the heat radiating portion is disposed in the stacking direction in which the power generator and the separator body are stacked.
- the curvature of the curved surface and the curvature of the curved surface which is the boundary between the inclined surface and the edge surface are set to have required values. According to such a separator, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the cooling fluid for each radiator in accordance with the temperature of the power generator and the separator body in the stacking direction.
- the amount of heat radiation from the separator body can be higher than that of other power generators and the separator body.
- the edge of the heat radiating portion is a tip portion of the heat radiating portion provided so as to extend from the side edge of the separator main body. According to such a separator, when the cooling fluid flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the heat radiating portion extends, it is almost impossible for the flow of the cooling fluid to be hindered by the tip of the heat radiating portion. And does not reduce the flow rate of the cooling fluid.
- the separator according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface of the heat radiating portion has a required surface roughness so as to reduce the resistance that hinders the flow of the cooling fluid for cooling the heat radiating portion.
- the flow rate of the cooling fluid can be adjusted not only by the shape of the heat dissipating part but also by the surface of the heat dissipating part, and even when the space between adjacent heat dissipating parts is narrowed, a sufficient flow rate can be ensured and heat can be dissipated. .
- the fuel cell device is a fuel cell device including a fuel cell main body in which a power generator and a separator that electrically connects the power generator to another power generator are stacked.
- a separator body in contact with the power generator and a heat radiating portion protruding from the side edge of the separator body are provided. At least a part of the edge of the heat radiating portion is thicker than the thickness of the central portion of the heat radiating portion. It is characterized in that it is set to be thin. According to such a fuel cell device, a sufficient flow rate can be secured without obstructing the flow of the cooling fluid when the cooling fluid flows between the adjacent heat radiating portions.
- the temperature adjustment method for a fuel cell device is directed to a fuel cell device that adjusts the temperature of a fuel cell main body including a power generator, and a separator that electrically connects the power generator to another power generator.
- a separator is constituted by a separator main body in contact with a power generator and a heat radiating portion protruding from a side edge of the separator main body, and at least a part of an edge of the heat radiating portion is reduced in thickness. It is characterized in that it is set to be thinner than the thickness of the central portion of the heat radiating portion, and a cooling fluid for cooling the fuel cell body flows around the heat radiating portion.
- FIG. 2 A to Figure 2 D is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a fuel cell system according to the present invention is a structural diagram showing a structure of a housing of a fuel cell according to the present invention 2A is a side view, FIG. 2B is a side view showing another side, FIG. 2C is an end view, and FIG. 2D is an end view showing another end.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an overview of a power generation unit included in the fuel cell device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a power generation unit included in the fuel cell device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5A and 5B are structural views showing a basic structure of a separator constituting the fuel cell according to the present invention.
- FIG. 5A is a plan view showing the structure on the front side of the separator.
- FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the structure on the back side.
- FIG. 6 is a side view of an example of a power generation unit suitable for the fuel cell device according to the present invention as viewed from the side.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective sectional view schematically showing a radiation fin provided in the power generation unit shown in FIG.
- FIG. 8 is a side view of an example of a power generation unit suitable for the fuel cell device according to the present invention, as viewed from the side.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective sectional view schematically showing the radiation fins provided in the power generation unit shown in FIG.
- FIG. 10 is a side view of an example of a power generation unit suitable for the fuel cell device according to the present invention, as viewed from the side.
- FIG. 11 is a side view of an example of a power generation unit suitable for the fuel cell device according to the present invention, as viewed from the side.
- FIGS. 12A to 12C are cross-sectional views schematically showing heat radiation fins suitable for the separator according to the present invention
- FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the heat radiation fin having a smooth surface.
- Fig. 12C is a cross-sectional view of a heat dissipation fin with a large surface roughness.
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an overview of a power generation unit included in the fuel cell device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a power generation unit constituting a fuel cell device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an overview of the separator according to the present invention.
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the radiation fin provided in the separator.
- FIGS. 17A and 17B are plan views showing the structure of the separator.
- FIG. 17A is a plan view showing the structure on the front side of the separator
- FIG. 17B is the plan view showing the structure on the back side.
- FIG. 17A is a plan view showing the structure on the front side of the separator
- FIG. 17B is the plan view showing the structure on the back side.
- Fig. 18A and Fig. 18B are diagrams illustrating the flow of air near the heat dissipation fins.
- Fig. 18A shows the flow of air near the heat dissipation fins with a rectangular cross section.
- FIG. 18B is a diagram for explaining the flow of air in the vicinity of the radiation fin provided in the separator according to the present invention.
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing another example of the separator according to the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
- the separator according to the present invention has a feature in a heat radiating portion, and further includes a separator according to the present invention.
- a fuel cell main body composed of a separator, that is, a fuel cell device equipped with a power generation unit is a fuel cell device capable of generating power while maintaining a uniform temperature of the power generation unit by making use of the characteristics of the heat radiation unit. .
- the fuel cell device 1 includes a housing 10, a control board 20, a power generation unit 70, a cooling fan 51, an air supply fan 52, 53, a hydrogen purge pulp 54, and a regulator 5. 5 and manual valve 56 are provided. Further, the fuel cell device 1 receives the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen storage cartridge 60 storing the hydrogen gas, and performs power generation.
- the casing 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, has a hollow interior so as to cover various devices mounted on the fuel cell device 1, and has an open bottom surface. ing.
- the housing 10 has exhaust ports 11, 12, and 13, and the intake ports 14, 15; the upper end of the housing 10 has the exhaust ports 11, 12, 23. It is a slope facing the side. As shown in FIG. 2A, the exhaust port 11 and the exhaust ports 12 and 13 are formed so as to be adjacent to the side surface of the housing 10, and the fuel cell device 1 is cooled to cool the power generation unit 70. The air that has flowed in the chamber and the air that has undergone the power generation reaction by the power generation unit 70 are exhausted from the exhaust ports 11, 12, and 13, respectively.
- the exhaust port 11 is a discharge port that discharges air from the fuel cell device 1 in order to radiate heat from a radiator provided in a separator constituting the power generator 70.
- the exhaust port 11 is opened in a substantially rectangular shape on the side surface of the housing 10, and a plurality of the exhaust ports 11 are formed in a vertical direction.
- the exhaust ports 12 and 13 are discharge ports for discharging exhaust gas after the power generation unit 70 has generated power.
- the air outlets 12 and 13 are opened in a rectangular shape on the side surface of the housing 10, and a plurality of air outlets are formed vertically along the air outlet 11.
- the intake ports 14 and 15 are The air and the power generator 70 are formed on the side opposite to the side of the housing 10 in which the air outlets 12 and 13 are formed, and for cooling the power generator 70 from the air inlets 14 and 15.
- the air containing oxygen used for the power generation reaction by the fuel cell is taken into the fuel cell device 1.
- the intake port 14 is an intake port for taking in air for radiating heat from a radiating section provided in a separator constituting the power generation section 70, and has a substantially rectangular shape on a side surface of the housing 10. It has openings and is formed vertically in multiple directions.
- the intake port 15 is an intake port for taking in the air supplied to the power generation section 70 when the power generation section 70 performs power generation. Similarly to the intake port 14, the intake port 15 is formed on the side surface of the housing 10. It has a rectangular opening, and a plurality of openings are formed in the vertical direction along the intake port 14.
- one end face of the housing 10 has a connection hole 16 and a notch through which wiring for transmitting and receiving various signals between the fuel cell device 1 and the outside passes.
- a part 17 is formed.
- the notch 17 is formed in a part of the lower side of the end face where the connection hole 16 is formed, and a wiring for transmitting and receiving various signals between the outside and the inside of the fuel cell device 1 is formed in the notch 1.
- 2D as shown in FIG. 2D, the connection hole 16 and the notch 1 are also formed on the end face opposite to the end face where the connection hole 16 and the notch 17 are formed.
- Connection holes 18 for passing wiring and the like are formed in the same manner as 7.
- control board 20 is disposed above the power generation unit 70 and forms a control circuit for controlling various devices constituting the fuel cell device 1.
- the control circuit are not shown in detail in the figure, for example, control of the drive of the cooling fan 51, the air supply fans 52, 53, or the control circuit of the opening / closing operation of the hydrogen purge valve 54, the power generation unit 7
- a voltage / conversion circuit such as a DC / DC converter that boosts the voltage output by 0 can be mounted on the control board 20.
- the indication may be made by a circuit mounted on the control board 20.
- control board 20 is provided inside the fuel cell device 1, but the control board 20 may be provided outside the fuel cell device 1, for example, Alternatively, the control board 20 may be provided in various electronic devices to which electric power for driving is provided from the fuel cell device 1.
- the power generation unit 70 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed on the base 57.
- the power generating section 70 is composed of power generating cells each having a bonded body 72 as a power generating body sandwiched between nine separators 71, and eight of these power generating cells are connected in series. It has a structure. Since such a power generation cell can output a voltage of about 0.6 V by one element, the entire power generation unit 70 can output a voltage of 4.8 V.
- the power generation unit 70 can pass a current of about 2 A, and the output power is ideally 9.6 W, but the actual output power is ideal output due to heat generation in the power generation reaction. It is about 6.7 W, which is about 70% of the electric power.
- the output power can be further increased by adjusting the amount of water contained in the joined body 72 and smoothly supplying hydrogen gas to the power generation unit 70.
- the number of power generation cells forming the power generation unit 70 is not limited to eight as in this example, and a required number of power generation cells are required in accordance with the output power required to drive various electronic devices.
- the power generation unit 70 can be formed. Openings 77 formed in each separator 71 face the side surface 79 of the power generation unit 70. The side opposite to the side surface 79 of the power generation unit 70 also corresponds to each opening 77. An opening 40 is formed. Air is supplied to and discharged from the power generation unit 70 through the opening 77 and the opening 40 facing the side opposite to the side 79 facing the opening 77.
- the separator 71 is composed of a separator main body 74 and a heat radiating fin 73.
- the separator body 74 is laminated with the joined body 72.
- the heat radiating fins 73 are provided on side portions of the separator main body 74 and radiate heat to suppress a rise in the temperature of the power generating unit 70 when power is generated.
- the heat radiation fins 73 have different widths depending on the height direction of the power generation unit 70, that is, the position where the separator 71 and the joined body 72 are arranged in the stacking direction. .
- the length from the side edge of the separator body 74, that is, the length of the heat dissipation fin 73, is the same for each heat dissipation fin constituting the power generation unit 70. You.
- a cooling fan 51 and air supply fans 52, 53 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other.
- the cooling fan 51 allows air to flow between the heat radiation fins 73 from the side surfaces of the heat radiation fins 73 and radiates heat from the heat radiation fins 73.
- the air supply fans 52, 53 are arranged so as to face the opening 77, and allow the air to flow in the power generation unit 70 through the opening 77.
- the joined body 72 sandwiched between the separators 71 includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 36 having ion conductivity when absorbing moisture and an electrode 3 sandwiching the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 36 from both sides. Formed from 7. Further, a sealing member 35 for sealing between the separator 71 and the joined body 72 when the stack structure is formed is arranged near the periphery of the joined body 72. The sealing member 35 may be made of a material that can sufficiently insulate the peripheral edge of the separator 71 from the peripheral edge of the joined body 72.
- the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 36 for example, a sulfonic acid-based solid polymer electrolyte membrane can be used.
- Electrodes 37 carry a catalyst such as platinum to promote the power generation reaction.
- the used electrode can also be used.
- the power generation cell constituting the power generation unit 70 is formed by two separators 71 and a joined body 72 sandwiched between the separators 71.For example, FIG. 4 shows two power generation cells 5 connected in series. 0 is shown.
- FIG. 5A and 5B are plan views showing the structure of the separator 71.
- FIG. Grooves 38, 43 are formed on both sides of the separator 71, respectively. When the generator 70 is assembled, the groove 43 comes into contact with the fuel electrode of the assembly 72, and the groove is formed.
- the separator 71 has a groove
- the supply hole 4 2 and the discharge hole 4 1 connected to 4 3, the connection portion 4 5 connecting the groove 4 3 and the supply hole 4 2, and the connection portion 4 6 connecting the groove 4 3 and the discharge hole 4 1 Is formed. Further, a heat dissipating fin 73 is provided on a side edge of the separator main body 74 in which the grooves 38 and 43 are formed.
- the groove 43 is an in-plane flow path for supplying hydrogen gas, which is a fuel gas, to the joined body 72.
- the groove portion 43 is formed so as to meander inside the surface of the separator 71 in order to increase the efficiency of the power generation reaction, and has a shape such that hydrogen gas is supplied to the entire fuel electrode of the assembly 72.
- the supply hole 42 is used as a flow path for hydrogen gas when hydrogen gas is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit such as a hydrogen storage cartridge 60 provided outside the power generation unit 70 to the groove 43.
- the connection portion 45 connects the groove portion 4 3 and the supply hole 42, and supplies hydrogen gas to the groove portion 43.
- the connecting portion 46 connects the groove portion 43 and the discharge hole 41, and discharges the hydrogen gas after the power generation reaction from the groove portion 43.
- the cross-sectional area of the connecting portions 45 and 46 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the groove portion 43 when the stack structure is formed by the separators 71 and the joined body 72.
- it is formed such that the width of the connection portions 45 and 46 is smaller than the width of the groove portion 43.
- the width of the connection portion 45 is formed so as to be smaller than the width of the connection portion 46, and hydrogen gas is introduced into the groove portion 43. Make the width of the mouth narrower than the width of the outlet.
- the supply hole 42 and the discharge hole 41 are connected between the separators 71 stacked when the stack structure is formed, and a supply path for supplying hydrogen gas to each separator 71 and a hydrogen gas after power generation.
- a discharge path for discharging water When water accumulates in the groove 43, the discharge path is opened to the atmosphere by the hydrogen purge pulp 54 to create a pressure difference between the supply path side and the discharge path side of the water accumulated in the groove 43, and this pressure Water can be drained by the difference. Furthermore, even when water is accumulated in the groove 43 of any separator 71 when the stack structure is formed, a pressure difference is instantaneously generated only in the groove 43 where water is accumulated. It is possible to discharge water and supply hydrogen gas to the power generation unit 70 stably.
- the grooves 38 are formed on the back side of the surface of the separator 71 on which the grooves 43 are formed, and serve as flow paths for flowing air containing oxygen.
- the groove 38 is formed so as to extend in the width direction of the separator 71 and opens on the side surface of the separator 71. Further, a plurality of grooves 38 are formed along the longitudinal direction of separator 71. Further, air containing oxygen is supplied to the groove 38 through the openings 77 and 40 in which the groove 38 opens on the side surface of the separator 71, and is exhausted.
- the width of the openings 77, 40 is made larger than the width of the groove 38, and the openings 77, 40 are formed such that the side walls of the openings 77, 40 are tapered with respect to the side walls of the groove 38. , 40. According to such openings 77, 40, it is possible to reduce the flow resistance to air when air is taken into or discharged from the groove 38, and the groove 38 is smoothly inserted into the groove 38. The air can be made to flow. Also, the openings 77, 40 are formed so that the opening width along the height direction of the openings 77, 40 is larger than the height dimension of the groove 38, and the flow path resistance is reduced. It is possible to further reduce.
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the power generation unit 70 as viewed from the side.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the heat radiation fin provided on the separator constituting the power generation unit 70.
- the separators 71 are referred to as separators 71 a to 71 i in order according to a position arranged from the upper side to the lower side of the power generation unit 70, and the heat radiation fins 73 are similarly used. It will be described as 73a to 73i.
- the power generation section 70 is composed of a joined body 72 that is sandwiched between separators 71a to 71i and separators 71a to 71i to form a power generation cell.
- the separators 71 a to 71 i are provided with heat radiating fins 73 a to 73 i at the side edges of the separator body 74 directly in contact with the joined body 72.
- a plurality of openings 77 for supplying air to the joined body 72 are formed on the side surfaces of the separator body portions 74 of the separators 71a to 71i, respectively. Air is supplied to the opening 77 from the provided air supply fan.
- the cooling fan arranged adjacent to the air supply fan along the side of the power generation unit 70 allows air to flow around the heat radiating fins 73 a to 73 i so that the heat radiating fins 73 a Heat is radiated from ⁇ 7 3 i.
- the heat radiating fins 73a to 73i extend from the sides of the separator body 74 provided on the separators 71a to 71i, and have a substantially flat shape.
- the length dimensions of the heat radiating fins 73 a to 73 i that is, the lengths from the side edge of each separator body 74 to the tip of each heat radiating fin 73 a to 73 i are substantially equal to each other.
- the thicknesses of the radiation fins 73 a to 73 i are substantially equal to each other, and the thickness of the separator body 74 of the separators 71 a to 71 i is also substantially equal.
- the radiating fins 73a to 73i are arranged such that the center of the radiating fins 73a to 73i substantially coincides with the center of the separators 71a to 71i in the width direction, that is, the depth direction in the drawing.
- the separator body 7 of each separator 7 1 a to 7 1 i 4 is provided.
- the power generation unit 70 is arranged along the stacking direction of the separators 71 a to 71 i. substantially centrally located radiator Fi down 7 3 d the width w 4 is the largest of the. radiator Fi down 7 3 above the d, i.e. located outside the side of the power generation unit 7 0 along the stacking direction radiating Fi Nhodo Small width.
- the width w 4 is the largest, is set smaller as the width dimension of the radiation fins turn located outside of the width w 3, w 2, W l I have.
- the largest width dimension of the separator constituting the power generation unit 70 is the heat radiation fin 73 e located substantially at the center of the power generation unit 70, and is located below the heat radiation fin 73 e.
- the radiating fins 73 f to 73 i have smaller widths in order toward the outside.
- the heat radiation fins 73e and the heat radiation fins 73f to 73i located below the heat radiation fins are not described in detail, but the heat radiation fins 73a to 73d Similarly, the width dimension is set in the stacking direction, and the heat radiation amount is adjusted.
- Each of the heat radiating fins 73a to 73 has the smallest cross-sectional area S i of the heat radiating fin 73a and the larger cross-sectional area in the order of the heat radiating fins 73b, 73c, and 73d. Radiation fins 73 a to 73 d are provided by adjusting the width dimensions w to w 4 of d.
- the cross-sectional area S 4 of the heat radiation fin 73 d located near the center of the power generation unit 70 along the stacking direction is the largest, and the power generation unit
- the width dimension W i W of the heat radiation fins 73 a to 73 d is set so that the cross-sectional area decreases in the order of S 3, S 2 , and S toward the outside of 0.
- the heat radiation fins 73a to 73d are the same as those of the heat radiation fins 73a to 73d. This is a heat radiating part for dissipating heat from the separator body 74 of each of the separators 71a to 71d. The larger the cross-sectional area of the heat dissipation fin, the more heat is radiated from the separator body 74. The amount of heat transmitted to the fin increases. Accordingly, in the stacking direction, the amount of heat transmitted from the separator body of the separator 71 1d disposed near the center of the power generation unit 70 to the heat radiation fin 73d is located outside the heat radiation fin 73d. Increase the heat radiation fin.
- the temperature of the separator disposed near the center of the power generation unit 70 tends to be higher than that of the other separators.
- the temperature tends to decrease as it is disposed outside the power generation unit 70 in the stacking direction. Therefore, in the stacking direction, the separator disposed closer to the center of the power generation unit 70 has a larger amount of heat transfer via the heat dissipation fins than the other separators, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the power generation cell, and It is possible to make the temperature of each power generation cell uniform.
- the cross-sectional area of the heat radiation fin is set smaller for the heat radiation fin located outside the power generation part 70, and the heat radiation from each power generation cell The amount of heat transfer to the fins can be adjusted.
- the surface area of the heat radiation Fi down 7 3 a ⁇ 7 3 d since the thickness of the heat dissipation buoy down 7 3 a ⁇ 7 3 d are equal, it determines atmospheric of the size of width w Interview ⁇ w 4 .
- the surface area of the radiation fin 73a located at the uppermost position of the power generation part 70 is the smallest, and the surface area increases in the order of the radiation fins 73b to 73d. so as to width W l to w 4 of the heat radiation Fi down 7 3 a ⁇ 7 3 d is set.
- the surface area of the heat radiation fin 73d located near the center of the power generation unit 70 along the stacking direction is the largest, and the heat radiation fins 73d are located outside the power generation unit 70.
- the surface area of the radiating fins 73 c to 73 a That is, the width dimensions of the heat radiation fins 73a to 73d are set so as to decrease in order.
- the temperature of the separator 71 d tends to be higher than that of the other separators 71 a to 71 c, and the temperature of the separator located outside the power generation unit 70 tends to be lower. is there. Therefore, in the stacking direction, the separator disposed closer to the center of the power generation unit 70 has a larger surface area and the amount of heat radiated through the heat radiation fins is made larger than that of the other separators. It is possible to suppress the temperature rise and reduce the temperature gradient generated inside the power generation unit 70 in the stacking direction, thereby making the temperature of each power generation cell uniform.
- the lower part which constitutes the power generation unit 70 and includes the separators 71 e to 71 i and the joined body 72, has a separator 71 a due to the power generation unit 70 being disposed on the base 57. It is considered that the heat transfer and heat dissipation are slightly different from those of the upper part of the power generation part 70 consisting of the heat sinks 7 3 a to 73 d. The widths of e to 73i are set smaller for the radiation fins located lower from the center of the power generation unit 70.
- the overall temperature of the power generation unit 70 is reduced. It can be maintained substantially uniform.
- the heat radiation fins from each separator body 74 can be set.
- the temperature of 70 can be made substantially uniform. As described above, according to the power generation unit 70 in which the temperature at the time of power generation is substantially uniform, the temperature of a specific power generation cell does not become higher than that of the other power generation cells, and the temperature of the power generation unit becomes stable Power generation can be performed.
- FIG. 8 is a side view of the power generation unit 80 as viewed from the side
- FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view schematically showing a heat radiation fin constituting the power generation unit 80. Since the fuel cell device according to the present example has substantially the same configuration as the fuel cell device 1, description of the overall configuration of the fuel cell device will be omitted. Note that the fuel cell device according to the present example is characterized by the radiation fins 83 a to 83 i that constitute the power generation unit 80.
- the power generation unit 80 includes heat radiation fins 8 provided on each of the separators 81 a to 81 i arranged in order from the upper side to the lower side of the power generation unit 80.
- 3 a ⁇ 8 3 i Propelled by one characterized by the thickness t ⁇ t 9 of, regarding the stacking direction the separator 8 with 1 a ⁇ 8 1 i and assembly 82 are stacked, the heat dissipation Fi down 8 thickness ti ⁇ t 9 according to the position of 3 a ⁇ 8 3 i is the required value.
- a plurality of openings 85 for supplying air to the joined body 82 are formed on the side surfaces of the separators 81a to 81i, respectively.
- the thickness of the separator main body 84 constituting the separators 81 a to 81 i is equal to each other, and the thickness t to t 9 of the heat radiation fins 83 a to 83 i is the power generation unit along the stacking direction.
- the thicknesses t 3 and t 4 of the heat dissipation fins 83 c and 83 d located above the heat dissipation fin 83 e are equal to each other, and the thickness of the heat dissipation fins 83 a and 83 b located above the heat dissipation fins 83 c
- the dimensions tt 2 are also equal to each other. Further, the thickness tt 2 relative thickness t 3, t 4 is set to a small value.
- radiating Fi down 8 3 radiator located under the e Fi down 8 3 f, 8 3 ⁇ of thickness 1: 6, t 7 is The thicknesses t 8 and t 9 of the heat dissipating fins 83 h and 83 i located on the lower side are also equal to each other. Further, the thickness t 8, t 9 the thickness dimension t 6, t 7 is a small value.
- the width W of the radiating fins 83a to 83i is the same for all the fins 83a to 83i, and the lengths of the fins 83a to 83i are all the same.
- the cross-sectional area of each heat radiation fin is reduced to the center of the power generation unit 80. are either smaller towards the outside (also radiating Buin 8 3 e of the thickness t 5 larger set than the other radiating fin, the thickness of the heat dissipation Fi down to be disposed outside of the power generation unit 8 0
- the dimensions may be set smaller in order.
- the cross-sectional areas of the heat radiation fins 83a to 83e located above the power generation unit 80 are denoted by S ⁇ ⁇ to Si 5 , respectively. Since the width W of the radiating Huy emissions 8 3 a ⁇ 8 3 e are equal, the cross-sectional area S i to S 5 is determined by the thickness t ⁇ t 5, the cross-sectional area S 5 is the largest, the other radiating fin 8 3 a ⁇ sectional area S ⁇ ⁇ 3 14 of 8 3 d is the cross-sectional area S 15 is less than value.
- cross-sectional areas S 13 and S 14 have the same value, and the cross-sectional area S 12 also has the same value.
- the sectional area S 2 is smaller than the sectional areas S 3 and S 14 .
- the cross-sectional area S! Of the heat radiation fins 83 e provided on the separator 81 e which is arranged near the center of the power generation unit 80 and has the largest temperature rise in the power generation unit 80. 5 was bigger cross-sectional area S 1] L ⁇ S 14 good Ri other radiating fin 8 3 a to 8 3 e, increase the amount of heat transferred from the separator body portion 8 4 of the separator 8 1 e than other separators be able to. Furthermore, the cross-sectional areas S 3 , S!
- the heat radiation fins 83 c and 83 a located above the heat radiation fins 83 e are sealed. Since i is set to be a smaller value in order, the heat transfer amount from the separator body 84 of the separators 81c and 81a provided with the radiation fins 83c and 83a respectively is transferred to the separator 81e. On the other hand, the heat radiation fin located on the outer side can suppress the heat transfer amount.
- the power generation unit 80 By adjusting the amount of heat transferred to the generator, it is possible to cause the power generation unit 80 to generate power while maintaining the temperature of the power generation cells equipped with these separators uniformly, regardless of the position where the separators are provided. It becomes.
- the thickness of the heat radiation fins is reduced so that the separators disposed outside the power generation unit 80 have a smaller heat transfer amount in order, so that the temperature tends to increase in the central portion.
- the heat transfer amount of the heat dissipation fin 83 e located in the area can be made larger than that of the other heat dissipation fins.
- power generation can be easily performed while maintaining the temperature of the power generation unit 80 uniformly without changing the design of the power generation unit 80.
- the thickness dimensions ti to t 9 of the radiation fins 83 a to 83 i constituting the power generation unit 80 the surface area of the radiation fins 83 a to 83 i can be reduced. It can be adjusted according to the position where 3i is arranged.
- each separator body 84 to the radiation fins 83 a to 83 i is radiated to the outside from the surface of the radiation fins 83 a to 83 i.
- the heat radiation fins 83a have the smallest surface area, and the heat radiation fins 83b, 83c, and 83d have the surface area increasing in this order.
- the fins are provided on each separator main body 84.
- the amount of heat radiation from the radiation fins 83a located at the uppermost position of the power generation section 80 is the smallest, and it is located in the approximate center of the power generation section 80.
- the heat radiation of 83 d is the largest.
- the surface area of the radiating fins 83a to 83c is adjusted according to the position along the stacking direction, the amount of heat radiation can be adjusted and the temperature of the separators 81a to 81d can be made uniform. It becomes.
- the lower part of the power generation part 80 has a smaller surface area and a smaller amount of heat radiation as the radiation fins are located outside the power generation part 80.
- the radiating fins 83a to 83i have a flat shape, the cross-sectional shape is rectangular, and the width or thickness of the radiation fins 83a to 83i must be set to the required values. Accordingly, it is also possible to set the surface area accurately and easily to adjust the amount of heat radiation.
- the heat radiation fins 83 a and 83 b have the same thickness dimension as a set of two heat radiation fins. Depending on the thickness of each heat radiation fin, the output power, the size of the power generation unit 80, and the thermal conductivity of the material constituting the power generation unit 80, etc., make the temperature of the power generation unit 80 uniform. As required.
- FIG. 10 is a side view of the power generation unit 90 as viewed from the side.
- the fuel cell device according to this example is also a fuel cell device. Since it has substantially the same configuration as the device 1, the power generation unit 90 will be described in detail.
- the power generation unit 90 has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70, and is characterized by heat radiation fins 93a to 93i.
- separators 91 a to 91 i are stacked in order from the upper side, and a joined body 92 is sandwiched between the separators 91 a to 91 i. Be composed.
- the heat radiation fins 93 a to 93 i provided on the separators 91 a to 91 i have the same width.
- the power generation unit 90 has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70, and includes the heat radiation fins 93a to 93i provided in the separators 91a to 91i constituting the power generation unit 90.
- Length dimensions L1 to: L9 is a required value in the stacking direction.
- the temperature rise tends to be the highest among the separators 91a to 91i constituting the power generation unit 90, and the heat radiation filter provided in the separator 91e disposed in the center of the power generation unit 90
- the length dimension of the pin 93 e is the largest.
- the radiation fins located above and below the separator 91 e are smaller in length than the radiation fins 93 e.
- the lengths L 6 to L 9 are equal to L 4 to L 1 in order, and are not shown in the drawing.
- the radiation fins 93 a to 93 d provided to extend from the side edge of each separator main body 94 substantially in parallel along the radiation fin 93 e are provided.
- the lengths L1 to L4 are set to be larger in the order of the heat radiation fins 93a to 93d.
- the length L 6 to L 9 of the heat radiating fins 93 f to 93 i located below the heat radiating fin 93 e is smaller than the length L 5 of the heat radiating fin 93 e and further longer. Dimensions are set to smaller values in the order of L6 to L9.
- the surface area of the heat radiation fin 93 e is the largest, and the heat radiation fins 93 a to 93 arranged above the heat radiation fin 93 e.
- the surface area of d is set to be larger in the order of the radiation fins 93 d to 93 a.
- the heat radiation fins 93 f The surface area of 993i is increased in the order of radiating fins 93f 993i.
- the power generation unit 90 By forming the power generation unit 90 with the separators 91 a to 91 i provided with such heat radiation fins 93 a to 93 i, the power generation composed of the separators 91 a to 91 i is provided.
- the amount of heat radiated from the cells is adjusted by the surface area of the radiating fins 93 a to 93 i, and power can be generated while keeping the temperature of the power generation unit 90 uniform in the stacking direction.
- the combination of the lengths of the radiation fins may be any combination as long as the power generation unit 90 can be maintained at a substantially uniform temperature, and is not limited to the combination of the lengths in the present example.
- the thickness dimensions t to t 9 of the radiation fins 93 a to 93 i are equal to each other, the width dimensions of the heat radiation fins 93 a to 93 i are equal to each other, and thus the cross-sectional area is Are uniform, and the cross-sectional areas of the radiation fins 93 a to 93 i are uniform. If only the lengths of the radiating fins 93 a to 93 i are different from each other with a uniform cross-sectional area, the side edges of the separator body 94 due to the heat resistance inside the radiating fins The rate at which heat is transmitted from the part to the tips of the radiating fins 93a to 93i becomes uneven. Therefore, even if the surface area of the heat radiation fin is adjusted to a relatively large value, it may not be possible to obtain a sufficient amount of heat radiation with the increased surface area.
- the thickness t t , -t 19 of the heat radiation fins 93 a to 93 i is adjusted to be the thickest to reduce the thermal resistance, and the upper and lower sides of the radiating fins 93 e, that is, from the center of the power generation unit 90 to the outside. Adjust the thickness of the radiating fins to be small.
- t s is adjusted to be the thickest, and is positioned above and below the radiation fins 93 e.
- the thickness of the radiating fins to be placed shall be reduced in order as they are located outside the power generation unit.
- the temperature of the power generation unit 90 can be adjusted such that the temperature of each unit of the power generation unit 90 is substantially constant.
- the power generation unit 100 has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70, and is characterized by intervals between the heat radiation fins 103a to 103i.
- FIG. 11 is a side view of the power generation unit 100 viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 11, the power generation unit 100 has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70, except that the joined body 102 and the separators 101 a to 101 i are stacked.
- the distance between the heat radiation fins 103 a to 103 i adjacent in the direction is set to a predetermined distance based on the position of the heat radiation fins 103 a to 103 i in the stacking direction.
- the power generation unit 100 has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70, and the openings 105 for supplying air to the joined body 102 have separators 101a to 101i. Are formed on the side surface of the separator main body 104 constituting the same.
- the power generation unit 100 is configured by sandwiching the joined body 102 between the separators 101a to 101i and the separators 101a to 101i.
- Separator 101a-: L01i is provided with heat-dissipating fins 103a-103i at the side edges of separator body 104, respectively.
- the intervals between the heat radiation fins 103 a to 103 i adjacent in the stacking direction from the upper side of the power generation unit 100 are d to d 8 in order.
- the power generation unit 1 Air is supplied to 00 from the side of the power generation unit 100, and the air flows between the heat radiation fins 103a to 103i. Heat is transmitted from the radiation fins 103 a to 103 i to the air flowing between the radiation fins 103 a to 103 i, and the air is discharged to the outside of the device and the heat is released. Get heated.
- the distances d to d 8 are set such that the closer the heat radiation fins located near the center of the power generation unit 100, the larger the distance between them and the smaller the distance to the outside of the power generation unit 100.
- the distance d 5 between the adjacent heat radiation fins 103 e and 103 f which is disposed substantially at the center of the power generation unit 100 is largest,
- the intervals d 4 , d 3, d 2 are set to be smaller in this order.
- the distances d 6 to d 8 between the adjacent heat radiation fins are the distances d 6 , d 7 , d
- the interval is set to be smaller in the order of 8 . Therefore, the flow rate of the air flowing between the heat radiation fins differs according to the size of the distance dds, and the heat radiation fins provided in the separation rake that constitutes the power generation cell where the temperature of the power generation unit 100 easily rises.
- the heat radiation amount from the addition c can be increased over other heat dissipating fins, the spacing d 1 to d 4 smaller than the distance d 5, large distance between the radiating fins fit Ri next in the order of distance d 2 to d 4 It is adjusted to become.
- the distance d 6 to d 8 between the adjacent heat radiation fins of the heat radiation fins 103 located below the heat radiation fin 103 e is smaller than the distance d 5 and the distance d is as 6 small in the order of ⁇ d 8.
- the amount of heat radiated from the radiating fins 103 a to 103 i is adjusted according to the flow rate of air, that is, the size of the distance d to d R. Therefore, the amount of heat radiation from the radiation fins 103 d and 103 e arranged at the center of the power generation unit 100 is made larger than the amount of heat radiation from the other radiation fins.
- the power generation cell disposed in the center of the power generation unit 100 is likely to have a high temperature during power generation.
- the amount of heat radiation is increased as compared with other power generation cells, and the temperature can be made substantially uniform along the stacking direction of the power generation unit 100.
- the distances d to d 8 can be adjusted by setting the thickness dimension of each separator main body 104 and the thickness dimension of the radiation fins to required values.
- the thickness of the separator main body 104 of the separators 101 a to 101 i is made uniform.
- the distance d can be set. it is possible to adjust the ⁇ d 8.
- the lower surface of the separator body 104 and the lower surface of the heat radiation fins 103a to 103i are flush with each other.
- the power generator 100 having the required intervals di to d 8 should be configured. Can be.
- the cross-sectional area and surface area of the fins or the distance between adjacent fins can be adjusted to reduce the temperature.
- the power generation unit and the separator to be uniform have been described, these external dimensions are not limited to the combination in the above example, and the width, length, and thickness of the heat radiation fin and the thickness of the separator body Of course, it is only necessary to form a radiation fin that can secure a required amount of heat release and heat transfer according to the position of the separator provided in the power generation unit.
- the separation according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12C.
- Another example of the fuel cell device will be described.
- the fuel cell device according to the present example has substantially the same configuration as the fuel cell device 1, and the power generation unit mounted on the fuel cell device according to the present example also has substantially the same structure as the power generation unit 70.
- the separator and the power generation unit of this example since the surface of the heat radiation fin has characteristics, the surface of the heat radiation fin will be described in detail, and the description of the detailed configuration of the fuel cell device and the power generation unit will be omitted. .
- FIGS. 12A to 12C are cross-sectional views each showing a cross section of a part of the heat radiation fins that constitute the power generation unit according to the present example and are located in the stacking direction in which the separator and the assembly are stacked. According to the separator and the fuel cell device of this example, the temperature of the power generation unit can be maintained substantially uniform without changing the size or design of the power generation unit due to the surface roughness of the radiating fins or differences in surface treatment. Can not
- the radiation fins 11 13a to 13c are radiation fins provided on a separator constituting a power generation unit mounted on the fuel cell device according to the present embodiment.
- the heat radiation fins 113a are located near the center of the power generation part in the stacking direction, and the heat radiation fins 113b and 113c are located outside the power generation part from the heat radiation fins 113 in this order. .
- the width, length, and thickness of the heat dissipation fins 113a to 113c are equal.
- the surface 1 1 4a of the heat radiation fin 1 13a shown in Fig. 12A is almost smooth, whereas the surface 1 1 4b of the heat radiation fin 1 13b shown in Fig.
- the surface 114c of the radiation fins 113c shown in FIG. 12C has a larger surface roughness than the surface 114b.
- the surface area of the heat radiating fins 113a to 113c is equal to the surface area calculated by the external dimensions of the heat radiating fins, that is, the width, thickness, and length. Since the surface roughness of 1 14 c is different, the actual surface area is different.
- the surface area of the heat radiation fins 113 b is substantially larger than the surface area of the heat radiation fins 113 a, and is substantially smaller than the surface area calculated from the outer dimensions of the heat radiation fins 113 b. Surface area can be increased.
- the surface area of the radiation fins 113c is substantially larger than the surface area of the radiation fins 113b. Therefore, even with the radiation fins having the same external dimensions, the radiation fin having a larger surface roughness can increase the substantial surface area, and the heat radiation can be increased according to the surface area. Furthermore, the thermal emissivity can be increased by increasing the surface roughness. That is, the heat radiation fins 113a to 113c can have a required value of the thermal emissivity according to the difference in the arrangement position in the stacking direction. Therefore, in the case of this example, the radiation emissivity can be set smaller for the radiation fins disposed outside the power generation unit, and the amount of heat radiation from each radiation fin can be adjusted so that the entire power generation unit has a uniform temperature. .
- the amount of heat radiation from each radiation fin can be increased as compared with other separators. That is, it is sufficient to dispose a radiation fin having a required surface roughness so that the temperature of the power generation unit is substantially uniform.
- the surface roughness of a separator constituting a power generation cell disposed substantially at the center of the power generation unit is sufficient.
- the thermal emissivity of the radiation fin can be adjusted by surface treatment of the radiation fin.
- different plating processes can be performed on the surface of each heat radiation fin, and the difference in the thermal emissivity of the plated plating film can be used.
- the surface treatment is not limited to this, and any surface treatment that can adjust the thermal emissivity can be applied to the heat radiation vine. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of heat radiated from each heat radiation fin, and to stably generate power while making the temperature of the power generation unit substantially uniform along the stacking direction. Therefore, as in the case of adjusting the surface roughness, the external dimensions of the heat radiation fins are not adjusted, so that it is not necessary to change the size of the power generation unit and the design.
- the amount of radiated heat is adjusted according to the difference in the position where the radiating fins are disposed. It is possible to perform power generation by making the temperature of the power generation unit having the stack structure substantially uniform. Specifically, the heat radiation amount can be adjusted by setting the surface area and cross-sectional area of the heat radiation fin, the interval between adjacent heat radiation fins, and the heat emissivity of the heat radiation fin to required values.
- the separator, the fuel cell device, and the method of adjusting the temperature of the fuel cell device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 13 to FIG.
- the fuel cell device 1 has the same configuration as the fuel cell device shown in FIG. 1 in the first embodiment.
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the power generation unit 130.
- the power generation unit 130 in FIG. 13 corresponds to the power generation unit 70 shown in FIG.
- the power generation unit 130 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed on the base 57.
- the power generating section 130 is a power generating cell in which a joined body 132 as a power generating body is sandwiched between nine separators 131. And has a structure in which eight power generation cells are connected in series. Since such a power generation cell can output a voltage of about 0.6 V with one element, the entire power generation section 130 can output a voltage of 4.8 V.
- the power generation unit 130 can pass a current of about 2 A, and the output power is ideally 9.6 W, but the actual output power is ideal due to heat generation in the power generation reaction. It is about 6.7 W, which is about 70% of the output power.
- the output power can be further increased by adjusting the amount of water contained in the joined body 132 and smoothly supplying hydrogen gas to the power generation unit 130.
- the number of power generation cells forming the power generation unit 130 is not limited to eight as in this example, and a required number of power generation cells are required in accordance with the output power required to drive various electronic devices.
- the power generation section 130 can be formed. Openings 134 formed in the separators 13 1 face the side surface 13 of the power generation unit 130, and also on the side opposite to the side surface 13 9 of the power generation unit 130, as described later. An opening 140 is formed to correspond to each opening 134. Air is supplied to and discharged from the power generation unit 130 through the opening 134 and the opening 140 facing the side opposite to the side surface 130 facing the opening 134.
- the cooling fan 51 and the air supply fans 52, 53 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other.
- the separators 13 1 constituting the power generation section 13 0 are laminated so as to sandwich the joined body 13 2 as a power generator between the separators 13 1.
- the separator body 1 3 contacting the joined body 13 2 A heat radiating fin 133 is provided on the side edge of 1a.
- the radiating fins 133 are composed of a central portion 172 having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and an edge portion 171 having a substantially tapered cross-sectional shape.
- the cooling fan 51 allows air to flow from the side of the heat radiation fins 133 to between the heat radiation fins 133 and radiates heat from the heat radiation fins 133.
- the cooling fan 51 discharges the heat-transferred air from the radiating fins 13 3, and air having a sufficient heat capacity is supplied between the radiating fins 13 from outside the device. As a result, air flows between the heat radiation fins 1 3 3.
- the power generation unit 130 shown in FIG. 13 shows a state in which the insulating member disposed on the uppermost side of the power generation unit 70 shown in FIG. 1 has been removed.
- the cooling fan 51 forces the air to flow between the radiating fins 13 3, so that the heat radiation efficiency from the radiating fins 13 3 is hardly reduced, and the power generation section 130 Thus, it is possible to cause the power generation unit 130 to perform stable power generation by suppressing the temperature rise.
- the cooling fan 51 allows the space between the heat radiation fin 13 3 Almost no reduction in the flow rate of air supplied and exhausted to Further, when the cooling fan 51 and the air supply fan 52 53 are driven by the output power output by the power generation unit 130, the power generation by the power generation unit 130 and the cooling fan 51 and the air supply fan 5 2 and 5 3 can be driven stably, suppressing the power loss of the cooling fan 51 and stabilizing the whole of the fuel cell device 1 on which the power generation section 130 and various devices are mounted.
- FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the power generation unit 130
- FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the separator 13
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the heat radiation fin 13 3
- FIG. 17 is a separator 13. 1 is a plan view of FIG.
- the power generation unit 130 has a stack structure in which a plurality of power generation cells 150 each formed by stacking a separator 131 and a joined body 132 are stacked.
- the power generating cell 150 constituting the power generating unit 130 is formed by two separators 13 1 and a joined body 13 2 sandwiched between the separators 13 1 .For example, in FIG. Two power generation cells 150 are shown.
- the separator 13 1 is composed of a separator main body 13 1 a having a groove 14 3 on the surface thereof and a heat radiation fin 13 33 provided on a side edge of the separator main body 13 1 a.
- the joined body 13 2 sandwiched by the separator body 13 1 a is an electrode that sandwiches the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 13 6 and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 13 6 that have ion conductivity when absorbing moisture. Formed from 1 3 7 Further, a sealing member 135 for sealing between the main body 13a of the separator and the joined body 132 when the stack structure is formed is arranged near the periphery of the joined body 1332. ing.
- the sealing member 135 may be made of a material that can sufficiently insulate the periphery of the separator 13a from the periphery of the joined body 132.
- the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 136 for example, a sulfonic acid-based solid polymer electrolyte membrane can be used.
- the electrode 137 an electrode carrying a catalyst such as platinum for promoting a power generation reaction may be used.
- the separator 13 1 has a separator body 13 1 a provided with a groove 14 3 and a heat radiation fin provided on a side edge of the separator body 13 1 a. Consists of 1 3 3
- the edge 17 1 of the heat radiating fin 13 3 is inclined with respect to the end face 17 3 facing almost perpendicular to the air flow and the surface of the central portion 17 2 of the heat radiating fin 13 3.
- the cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 171 has an inclined surface 174 and is substantially tapered.
- One edge 1 7 1 It faces the inlet side of the air flowing between the radiation fins 13 3 adjacent in the stacking direction, and the other edge 171 faces the outlet side of the air.
- the inclined surfaces 1 74 facing the upper side and the lower side of the surface of the edge 1 71 respectively extend from the side edge of the separator main body 1 3 1 a to the tip of the radiation fin 1 3 3,
- the heat fins 1 3 3 can reduce the resistance to air as a whole.
- the radiation fins 13 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
- the cross-sectional shape of the central portion 17 2 of the heat radiation fins 13 3 is substantially rectangular, and the upper and lower surfaces of the central portion 17 2 are substantially parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the separator body 13 1 a. Is done.
- the cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 17 1 of the heat radiation fin 13 3 is substantially tapered, and the edge portion 17 1 is at the center with the end surface 17 3 facing the air flow substantially perpendicularly and the end surface 17 3 It has an inclined surface 174 connecting the upper surface and the lower surface of the portion 172 respectively.
- the end surface 1 7 3 and the inclined surface 1 7 4 are connected by a curved surface 1 7 5, the inclined surface 1 7 4 and the upper and lower surfaces of the central portion 1 7 2 are connected by a curved surface 1 7 6, and the end surface 1 7
- the surface of the heat radiation fins 133 continuous from 3 to the upper surface and the lower surface of the central portion 172 is formed.
- the curvature R of the curved surface 176 is set to be larger than the curvature r of the curved surface 175. Since the cross-sectional shape of the edge 171, which faces the air flow inlet side, between the adjacent heat radiation fins 13 3 is substantially tapered, the air flow is smaller than when the cross-sectional shape is rectangular.
- curved surface 1 7 The curvature R of 6 and the curvature r of the curved surface 17 5 are set to required values according to the difference in the position where the heat radiation fins 13 33 are arranged in the stacking direction, and the resistance to the flow of air in the stacking direction is reduced. Can also be set. Since the resistance to air in the stacking direction is different, the amount of heat radiated from each radiating fin 133 can be adjusted, the temperature gradient in the power generating unit 130 is reduced, and the temperature of the entire power generating unit 130 is substantially reduced. It can be uniform. In addition, by adjusting the surface roughness of the surface of the heat radiation fins 13 3, the resistance to the air flowing along the surface of the heat radiation fins 13 3 is reduced, so that the air flows between the adjacent heat radiation fins 13 3. Air flow can also be maintained.
- FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are plan views showing the structure of the separator 13.
- Grooves 1 3 8 and 1 4 3 are formed on both surfaces of the separator main body 1 3 1 a, respectively.
- the groove 1 4 3 is connected to the fuel electrode of the assembly 1 3 2
- the groove 1 38 contacts the air electrode of the joined body 1 32.
- the separator body 1 3 1a has a supply port 1 4 2 and a discharge port 1 4 1 connected to the groove 1 4 3, and a connection 1 4 connecting the groove 1 4 3 and the supply hole 14 2. 5.
- a connecting portion 144 for connecting the groove portion 144 to the discharge hole 141 is formed.
- radiation fins 133 are provided on the side edges of the separator main body 1311a in which the grooves 1338 and 144 are formed.
- the groove portion 144 is an in-plane flow path for supplying hydrogen gas, which is a fuel gas, to the joined body 132.
- the groove portion 14 3 is formed so as to meander inside the surface of the separator main portion 13 1 a in order to increase the efficiency of power generation reaction, and hydrogen gas is supplied to the entire fuel electrode of the joined body 13 2
- the shape is as follows.
- the supply hole 144 is provided with a hydrogen gas flow path for supplying hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas storage unit such as a hydrogen storage cartridge 60 provided outside the power generation unit 130 to the groove unit 144. Is done.
- the connecting part 144 connects the groove part 144 with the supply hole 142, and supplies hydrogen gas to the groove part 144.
- the connecting portion 146 connects the groove portion 144 to the discharge hole 141, and discharges the hydrogen gas after the power generation reaction from the groove portion 144.
- the cross-sectional area of the connecting portions 1 45 and 1 46 is the cross-sectional area of the groove 1 43 when the stacked structure is formed by the separator 1 31 and the joined body 1 32. It is formed so as to be smaller, for example, so that the width of the connection portions 144 and 146 is smaller than the width of the groove portion 144. Further, the width of the connecting portion 145 is formed so as to be smaller than the width of the connecting portion 146, and the width of the inlet side of the hydrogen gas into the groove portion 143 is made smaller than the width of the outlet side.
- the supply hole 14 2 and the discharge hole 14 1 are connected between the separators 13 1 stacked when the stack structure is formed, and are connected to a supply path for supplying hydrogen gas to each separator 13 1.
- this discharge path is opened to the atmosphere by the hydrogen purge valve 54 to create a pressure difference between the supply path and the discharge path of the water accumulated in the groove 144.
- water can be discharged by this pressure difference.
- a pressure difference should be instantaneously generated only in the groove 14 3 where water is accumulated. It is possible to discharge water and supply hydrogen gas to the power generation unit 130 stably.
- the grooves 1 38 are formed on the side of the separator main body 13 1 a where the grooves 14 3 are formed, and are used to flow oxygen-containing air. Road.
- the groove 1338 is formed to extend in the width direction of the separator 131, and opens on the side surface of the separator main body 1311a. Further, a plurality of grooves 138 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the separator main body 131a.
- oxygen containing air is supplied to the grooves 1 38 through the openings 1 34 and 1 40 in which the grooves 1 38 are opened on the side surfaces of the separator main body 1 31 a, respectively, and is exhausted. .
- the width of the openings 1 3 4 and 1 40 is the groove
- the openings 1 3 4 and 1 4 0 are made larger than the width of 1 3 8 so that the side walls of the openings 1 3 4 and 1 4 0 have a tapered shape inclined with respect to the side walls of the groove 1 3 8. be able to.
- openings 13 4 and 140 it is possible to reduce the flow path resistance to air when air is taken into or discharged from the groove 1 38. Air can flow smoothly to 1 3 8.
- the openings 134 and 140 are formed so that the opening width along the height direction of the openings 134 and 140 is larger than the height of the groove 138. Road resistance can be further reduced.
- FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are diagrams illustrating the flow state of air around the heat radiation fin.
- FIG. 18A is a diagram for explaining a flow state of air between the heat radiation fins 180 in which heat radiation fins 180 having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape are arranged at regular intervals.
- 18B is a diagram for explaining the flow state of air between the heat radiating fins 133 constituting the power generation unit 130.
- FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are diagrams illustrating the flow state of air around the heat radiation fin.
- FIG. 18A is a diagram for explaining a flow state of air between the heat radiation fins 180 in which heat radiation fins 180 having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape are arranged at regular intervals.
- 18B is a diagram for explaining the flow state of air between the heat radiating fins 133 constituting the power generation unit 130.
- the air flow between the radiation fins 180 provided on the side edges of the separator main body 18 1 is represented by the air flows A, B, and C indicated by arrows in the figure. It can be classified into three.
- the air flow A is an air flow flowing into the space between the heat radiation fins 180 without directly hitting the heat radiation fins 180.
- the air flow A is an air flow that contributes most of the heat radiation from the heat radiation fins 180.
- the air flow B is an air flow whose flow direction is bent by the end face 180 a of the radiation fin 180, and the end face 18 facing the flow of air flowing in parallel with the radiation fin 180. The air flow was bent by 0a.
- the flow B of air is blocked by the end face 180 a of the radiating fin 180 and the flow is bent, and the air flows into the space between the radiating fin 180. Get into it.
- the air flow B interferes with the air flow A, and the flow rate of the air flowing along the air flow A decreases.
- the degree of interference between the air flows A and B increases, and the rate at which the flow rate of the air flowing along the air flow A decreases also increases. .
- the flow rate of the air flowing through the space between the heat radiating fins 180 decreases, the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating fins 180 decreases, making it difficult to efficiently suppress the temperature rise of the power generation unit.
- an air flow C in which the air flows in a spiral shape is generated.
- the air flow C is generated when the air flows out into a larger space than the space between the heat radiation fins 180, and is particularly likely to occur as the space between the heat radiation fins 180 becomes narrower. In other words, as the space between the radiation fins is reduced in order to reduce the size of the fuel cell device, the air flow C is more likely to occur.
- the air flow C obstructs the air flow A flowing out of the space between the radiating fins 180, thereby reducing the flow rate of the air flow A.
- the amount of heat radiation from the heat dissipation fin 180 depends largely on the air flow A, and it is important to secure a sufficient flow rate due to the air flow A.
- a decrease in the flow rate of the air flow A due to the air flows B and C leads to a reduction in the temperature control range of the power generation unit. Therefore, suppressing such air flows B and C is important for controlling the air flow rate and adjusting the temperature of the power generation unit.
- the air flow A due to the air flow A can be sufficiently reduced with almost no air flow B and C shown in Fig. 18A. Can be secured.
- the cross-sectional shape of the edge of the heat radiation fins 133 is substantially tapered, and the space between the heat radiation fins is gradually narrowed from the edge to the center of the heat radiation fins 133. Has been. Therefore, the space between the radiation fins 1 3 3, that is, the air flow path is narrowed smoothly, so that the air flow B ′ corresponding to the air flow B is smooth at the air inlet side. It flows into the space between the heat dissipation buins and merges with the air flow A.
- the pressure loss in the space between the heat radiation fins is reduced by forming the cross-sectional shape of the edge of the heat radiation fins into a tapered shape, and further forming the boundary between the surfaces facing the air flow into a curved surface.
- This allows air to flow smoothly. Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the flow rate of the air supplied to the space between the radiating fins, thereby adjusting the amount of heat radiated from the radiating fins to accurately control the temperature of the power generation unit. Can be.
- the air can flow at the required flow rate while suppressing the output of the cooling fan, and the power required to perform stable power generation is suppressed while generating power. It is possible to perform Therefore, the fuel cell device can be a small-sized device with reduced power consumption when generating power.
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the structure of the separator.
- the separator 1991 is composed of a seno, a temperature sensor body 1991a, a heat radiation fin 1993, and a force.
- the separator body 1991a is almost the same as the separator body 1311a. Having a structure.
- a groove 198 for supplying hydrogen gas as a fuel to the power generator is provided on the surface of the separator body 19a, and a groove for supplying air to the power generator is formed on the back side. ing.
- the edge portion 201 of the heat radiation fin 193 is inclined with respect to the end surface 203 facing the air flow substantially perpendicularly and the surface of the central portion 202 of the heat radiation fin 193. It has an inclined surface 204 and the cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 201 is substantially tapered.
- One edge 201 faces the inlet side of the air flowing between the heat dissipating fins 93 that are arranged adjacent to each other when forming a power generation unit having a stack structure, and the other edge 201 faces the other edge.
- the part 201 faces the air outlet side.
- the inclined surface 204 of the edge 201 extends from the side edge of the separator main body 191a to the tip of the heat radiation fin 93, and the edge 202 of the heat radiation fin 193.
- the cross-sectional shape of the tip portion 205 of the heat radiation fin 193 extends substantially in parallel with the side edge portion of the separator main body 191a, and is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 201. It has a tapered shape.
- the separator 1991 according to the present example compared to the case where the cross-sectional shape of the edge portion 201 has a substantially tapered shape, the flow of air in the space between the heat radiation The resistance to this can be further reduced, and air can flow smoothly in the vicinity of the edge of the radiating fin 1993, which is the leading end 205. It becomes possible to reduce the resistance to the flow.
- the heat radiation fins 19 3 arranged at regular intervals in the laminating direction are formed.
- the resistance at the time of flowing air can be reduced, and the flow rate of air to which heat can be transmitted from the radiation fins 193 can always be sufficiently secured. That is, since the air can be flowed at a constant flow rate, the amount of heat radiated from the heat radiating fins 193 can be adjusted according to the flow rate of the air, and the temperature of the power generation unit can be accurately adjusted. Can be.
- a power generation unit having a stack structure is constituted by the above-described heat radiating fins 133 or the separator including the heat radiating fins 19, Air flows around the fins By moving it, heat can be dissipated to the air that smoothly switches in the space between the radiating fins, and the amount of heat dissipated can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate with a cooling fan. Therefore, the temperature of the power generation unit can be accurately adjusted.
- the flow rate of air can be kept constant without increasing the output of the cooling fan, when the cooling fan and various devices mounted on the fuel cell device are driven by the power supplied from the power generation unit This leads to a reduction in drive power loss.
- the separator and the fuel cell device of the present invention even when the power generation unit serving as the fuel cell main body has a stack structure, the power generation unit is disposed in the stacking direction in which the separator and the assembly are stacked. Therefore, it is possible to stably generate power while maintaining the temperature of the entire power generation unit at a substantially uniform temperature without causing a temperature gradient.
- the amount of heat radiated by each radiating fin can be adjusted without changing the external dimensions of the separator, and without changing the size of the power generation unit / design. It is possible to provide a fuel cell device whose temperature is made substantially uniform during power generation. According to such a separator and the fuel cell device, it is possible to mount a small-sized fuel cell device on various electronic devices driven by receiving driving power from the fuel cell device.
- the air is made to flow around the heat radiating fins, and the heat radiating fins are provided to dissipate the heat radiated to the flowing air.
- the temperature of the power generation section which is the main body of the fuel cell, can be cooled and adjusted.
- the separator and the fuel cell device of the present invention when driving power for driving various devices mounted on the fuel cell device is supplied from the power generation unit, the power consumption of these devices is reduced. It is possible to improve the power generation efficiency of the entire fuel cell device.
- the flow rate of air can be accurately controlled by a cooling fan or the like, so that the temperature of the power generation unit can be accurately adjusted according to the flow rate of air and the temperature can be controlled. It is possible to widen the adjustment range of according to the flow rate.
- the separator and the fuel cell device of the present invention even when the space between the heat radiation fins is reduced when the fuel cell device is downsized, a sufficient flow rate is provided for the space between the heat radiation fins. Air can flow. Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of heat radiation from the heat radiation fins, and it is possible to further reduce the size of the radiation fins and further downsize the fuel cell device according to the increase in the amount of heat radiation.
Description
Claims
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US10/541,690 US20060105213A1 (en) | 2003-03-05 | 2004-03-05 | Separator, fuel cell device, and temperature control method for fuel cell device |
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JP2003058399A JP2004273140A (ja) | 2003-03-05 | 2003-03-05 | セパレータ、燃料電池装置及び燃料電池装置の温度調整方法 |
JP2003066996A JP2004281079A (ja) | 2003-03-12 | 2003-03-12 | セパレータ、燃料電池装置及び燃料電池装置の温度調整方法 |
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US20060110635A1 (en) * | 2004-11-10 | 2006-05-25 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell system, gas replacement method for fuel cell system, and device for fuel cell system |
WO2008041593A1 (fr) * | 2006-09-27 | 2008-04-10 | Kyocera Corporation | Empilement de cellules de pile à combustible et pile à combustible |
JP5162937B2 (ja) * | 2007-03-29 | 2013-03-13 | ソニー株式会社 | 燃料電池 |
JP2009283150A (ja) * | 2008-05-19 | 2009-12-03 | Toshiba Corp | 燃料電池 |
US20110136030A1 (en) * | 2009-12-03 | 2011-06-09 | Enerfuel, Inc. | High temperature pem fuel cell with thermal management system |
KR101841520B1 (ko) * | 2010-12-07 | 2018-03-23 | 알리손 트랜스미션, 인크. | 하이브리드 전기 자동차를 위한 에너지 저장 시스템 |
FR2982085B1 (fr) | 2011-10-28 | 2014-05-16 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | Systeme electrochimique type electrolyseur ou pile a combustible haute temperature a gestion thermique amelioree |
WO2014058643A1 (en) * | 2012-10-09 | 2014-04-17 | Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc. | Design of bipolar plates for use in conduction-cooled electrochemical cells |
US10686198B2 (en) * | 2013-07-30 | 2020-06-16 | Temasek Polytechnic | Fuel cell assembly |
DE102014209208A1 (de) * | 2014-05-15 | 2015-11-19 | Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. | Lufttemperierter Brennstoffzellenstapel mit Strömungsverteiler zur Verringerung des Temperaturgradienten im Brennstoffzellenstapel |
FR3038916B1 (fr) | 2015-07-16 | 2017-07-28 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | Procedes d' (de co) electrolyse de l'eau (soec) ou de production d'electricite a haute temperature a echangeurs integres en tant qu'etages d'un empilement de reacteur (eht) ou d'une pile a combustible (sofc) |
KR101749059B1 (ko) * | 2015-09-04 | 2017-06-20 | 주식회사 경동나비엔 | 굴곡 플레이트 열교환기 |
FR3056230B1 (fr) | 2016-09-19 | 2020-02-28 | Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives | Systeme d'electrolyse reversible de l'eau a haute temperature comportant un reservoir d'hydrures couple a l'electrolyseur |
JP2018132024A (ja) * | 2017-02-17 | 2018-08-23 | エドワーズ株式会社 | コントローラ及び真空ポンプ装置 |
KR102149078B1 (ko) * | 2017-07-26 | 2020-08-27 | 주식회사 엘지화학 | 연료전지 스택 구조 |
DE102019108160A1 (de) * | 2019-03-29 | 2020-10-01 | Airbus Operations Gmbh | Bipolarplatte zur Verwendung in einem Brennstoffzellenstapel |
JP7353132B2 (ja) * | 2019-10-31 | 2023-09-29 | 新光電気工業株式会社 | ループ型ヒートパイプ及びその製造方法 |
CN111312959B (zh) * | 2020-03-04 | 2022-06-21 | 宁波市亿嘉汽车电器有限公司 | 一种用于汽车的锂电池装置 |
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JP2001143769A (ja) * | 1999-11-18 | 2001-05-25 | Hitachi Ltd | 電池モジュール及び電力供給装置 |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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EP1686642A1 (en) | 2005-01-28 | 2006-08-02 | Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. | fuel cell stack and fuel cell system having the same |
EP1686642B1 (en) * | 2005-01-28 | 2008-08-13 | Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. | fuel cell stack and fuel cell system having the same |
EP1962358A3 (en) * | 2005-01-28 | 2009-01-07 | Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. | Fuel cell stack and fuel cell system having the same |
FR2901352A1 (fr) * | 2006-05-17 | 2007-11-23 | Air Liquide | Dispositif de refroidissement par echange thermique force avec un fluide tel que de l'air et pile a combustible comportant un tel dispositif |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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WO2004079838A3 (ja) | 2004-11-04 |
US20060105213A1 (en) | 2006-05-18 |
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