JP2010269954A - Reforming system and fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reforming system which suppresses a backward flow of a fuel or a fuel gas from a combustor side, and a fuel cell system. <P>SOLUTION: The reforming system has a combustor 2 which combusts a fuel with air, an air feeder 3 which feeds air to the combustor 2, a reformer 4 which reforms a fuel for reforming, a case 1 which has a housing chamber 10, a ventilator 6 which generates a ventilation flow which ventilates the housing chamber 10, and a control part 100. The control part 100 stops or moves in reverse the operation of the ventilator 6 so as to suppress a backward flow of a fuel or a combustion exhaust gas of the combustor 2 side to the housing chamber 10, when a fault occurs in the air feeder 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reforming system and a fuel cell system used in a fuel cell system and the like.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel cell system in which the interior of a system casing is separated into a gas passage chamber and a non-gas passage chamber by a partition, and the inside of the gas passage chamber through which flammable gas flows is ventilated by a ventilation fan. Proposed. According to this, power consumption required for ventilation can be reduced.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a ventilation intake port, a ventilation exhaust port, a ventilation fan that discharges air sucked from the ventilation intake port from the ventilation exhaust port, and reforming the fuel material to generate anode gas. A fuel cell system having a reforming section and a fuel cell that generates electricity with an anode gas and a cathode gas is disclosed. According to this, the exhaust gas that may contain a combustible gas is exhausted while being diluted with the ventilation air flow by the ventilation fan. As a result, exhaust gas that may contain combustible gas is prevented from being sucked into the ventilation inlet.

JP 2002-329515 A JP 2007-48704 A

  According to the technique described above, it is not always sufficient to suppress the backflow from the combustor. In particular, according to the technique according to Patent Document 2, the ventilation fan rotates even when the combustion air blower fails, and therefore the suction ventilation action based on the rotation of the ventilation fan is continued. There is a possibility that flammable gas in the combustor may be sucked into the housing, which is not preferable.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is advantageous for suppressing the backflow of fuel or combustion exhaust gas from the combustor even when a malfunction occurs in an air supply device such as a combustion air blower. It is an object to provide a simple reforming system and fuel cell system.

  The reforming system according to the present invention includes (i) a combustor that burns flammable fuel with air, (ii) an air supply device that supplies air to the combustor, and (iii) heating based on the combustor. A reformer for reforming the reforming fuel; (iv) a housing having a storage chamber for storing the combustor, an air supply device and the reformer; and (v) sucking outside air into the storage chamber; A ventilator for venting the storage chamber by releasing the air in the storage chamber to the outside; and (vi) suppressing a backflow of combustor-side fuel or flue gas into the storage chamber when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device. And a controller that stops or reverses the operation of the ventilator.

  The combustor burns flammable fuel with air. The fuel may be a fuel material itself, or a hydrogen gas or a hydrogen-containing gas obtained by reforming the fuel material. The combustion in the combustor may be combustion that heats the reformer in the solid polymer fuel cell system, or combustion that heats the reformer in the solid oxide fuel cell system. Also good. The air supply device supplies air to the combustor as combustion air, and may be a pump, a blower, a fan, or the like. The ventilation device sucks external air into the storage chamber and releases the air in the storage chamber to the outside to ventilate the storage chamber, and may be a fan, a blower, a pump, or the like.

  When the reforming system is operated, flammable fuel is supplied to the combustor and air is supplied from the air supply device to the combustor. Thereby, fuel burns with air in the combustor. In this case, the reformer is heated so as to be suitable for the reforming reaction by combustion in the combustor. When the reforming system is operated in this way, unexpected circumstances and the like may occur, so it cannot be said that there is no possibility that a problem occurs in the air supply device. In this way, when the air supply device is malfunctioning, if the ventilator continues to operate, it has flammability that exists on the combustor side due to the suction action generated by the operation of the ventilator. There is a risk of fuel or combustion exhaust gas flowing back into the storage chamber. In this case, it is not preferable for smooth operation of the system.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, when a problem occurs in the air supply device, the control unit stops or reverses the operation of the ventilation device. If the operation of the ventilator is stopped in this way, the generation of the suction action due to the operation of the ventilator is suppressed, and the possibility that flammable fuel or flue gas existing on the combustor side will flow back into the storage chamber is suppressed. . Alternatively, if the operation of the ventilator is reversed, not only the suction action caused by the operation of the ventilator can be suppressed, but also positive pressure can be promoted, and flammable fuel or flue gas existing on the combustor side flows backward. The risk of doing so is reduced. Fuel or combustion exhaust gas means fuel and / or combustion exhaust gas. The malfunction in the air supply device means a malfunction that causes a possibility that flammable fuel or flue gas existing on the combustor side flows backward into the storage chamber.

  A fuel cell system according to the present invention includes (i) a combustor that burns flammable fuel with air, (ii) an air supply device that supplies air to the combustor, and (iii) heating based on the combustor. A reformer that reforms the reforming fuel; (iv) a fuel cell that generates electricity by supplying the gas reformed by the reformer as an anode gas; and (v) a combustor, an air supply device, and a reformer. A housing having a storage chamber for storing the device and the fuel cell; (vi) a ventilation device for sucking outside air into the storage chamber and releasing the air in the storage chamber to the outside to ventilate the storage chamber; And a controller that stops or reverses the operation of the ventilator so as to prevent the fuel or flue gas on the combustor side from flowing back into the storage chamber when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, when a problem occurs in the air supply device, the control unit stops or reverses the operation of the ventilation device. If the operation of the ventilator is stopped in this way, the generation of the suction action due to the operation of the ventilator is suppressed, and the possibility that flammable fuel or flue gas existing on the combustor side will flow back into the storage chamber is suppressed. . Alternatively, if the operation of the ventilator is reversed, not only the suction action caused by the operation of the ventilator can be suppressed, but also positive pressure can be promoted, and flammable fuel or flue gas existing on the combustor side flows backward. The risk of doing so is reduced.

  According to the present invention, when a problem occurs in the air supply device, the control unit stops or reverses the operation of the ventilation device, so that the suction action due to the operation of the ventilation device is suppressed. Therefore, the possibility that flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor side will flow backward to the storage chamber side is suppressed. For this reason, the protection of the system can be further enhanced.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control executed by a control unit of the system according to the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which concerns on Embodiment 2 and shows a system typically. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a system according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a system according to a fifth embodiment.

  It is preferable that a failure detection element such as a sensor for detecting occurrence of a failure in the air supply device is provided. In this case, when the failure detection signal of the failure detection element is input to the control unit, the control unit outputs a command to stop or reverse the operation of the air supply device to the air supply device. The concept of a stop includes a complete stop and a substantial stop to such an extent that the ventilation function in the storage room is negligible. This is included in the concept of substantial shut down when the air supply device operates at very slow speed (less than 10% or less than 5% of the ventilator output during rated operation) so that the ventilation function in the containment room is negligible. It is.

  As the above-described malfunction detection element, a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of air supplied to the combustor by the air supply device, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of air supplied to the combustor by the air supply device, and a blower blade of the air supply device At least one of a rotational speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the drive unit that rotates the motor can be employed. When the physical quantities detected by these sensors are significantly different from the command values, the control unit can determine that a problem has occurred in the air supply device.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows the concept of the first embodiment. The reforming system is also a fuel cell system having a stack 7 in which a plurality of polymer electrolyte fuel cells are assembled. The reforming system includes a casing 1 having a storage chamber 10, a combustor 2 that burns flammable fuel with air, and an air supply device 3 such as a pump and a blower that supplies air to the combustor 2. And a reformer 4 for reforming the reforming fuel by heating based on the combustor 2 and a ventilator 6 for generating a ventilation flow for ventilating the storage chamber 10.

  A housing chamber 10 of the housing 1 houses a combustor 2, an air supply device 3, a reforming device 4, a ventilation device 6, and a stack 7. A combustion fuel passage 20 that supplies combustible combustion fuel to the combustor 2 is disposed in the storage chamber 10. A reforming fuel passage 40 for supplying the reforming fuel to the reforming device 4 is disposed in the storage chamber 10. The air supply device 3 has a suction port 31 for sucking air in the storage chamber 10 and an air supply mechanism 32. The suction port 31 is located in the accommodation chamber 10, and in particular, is located between the intake port 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. Here, when the air supply mechanism 32 incorporated in the air supply device 3 operates and rotates, the air in the storage chamber 10 is sucked from the suction port 31 and is combusted air via the air supply passage 34 as the combustion air. And used for the combustion reaction in the combustor 2. The combustion fuel and reforming fuel are preferably gaseous.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a cathode gas passage 70 extends from the cathode of the stack 7. The cathode gas passage 70 is provided with a humidifier 71 for humidifying the cathode gas, and a cathode gas pump 72 (cathode gas transport source) for supplying the air in the storage chamber 10 to the cathode of the stack 7 via the humidifier 71 as the cathode gas. It has been. Since the air (cathode gas) in the storage chamber 10 is warmed by heat radiation from the reformer 4 and the stack 7, the efficiency of the power generation reaction is increased. The cathode offgas that has finished the power generation reaction at the cathode of the stack 7 is discharged from the cathode offgas discharge port 74 to the outside 14 via the cathode offgas passage 73 disposed in the storage chamber 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 1 has a box shape and includes at least a ceiling wall 1u, a bottom wall 1d, a first side wall 1e, and a second side wall 1f. An air inlet 11 is formed at the lower part of the first side wall 1 e so that outside air can be sucked into the lower part of the storage chamber 10. An exhaust port 12 is formed in the upper part of the second side wall 1 f so that the air in the upper part of the storage chamber 10 can be discharged to the outside 14. The ventilation device 6 includes a ventilation blade 60 and a drive unit that rotationally drives the ventilation blade 60, and is disposed so as to face the intake port 11 of the housing 1 directly or via another member. The air in the outside 14 is easily sucked into the storage chamber 10. When the ventilation device 6 is activated and the ventilation blade 60 is rotated, a suction action is generated on the back surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 on the intake port 11 side. For this reason, the air outside the housing 1 is sucked into the storage chamber 10 from the intake port 11 of the housing 1 in the direction of the arrow X1, flows through the storage chamber 10, and flows from the exhaust port 12 toward the arrow X2 of the housing 1. It is discharged to the outside 14. Thereby, ventilation of the storage chamber 10 is performed. As shown in FIG. 1, the air supply device 3 is disposed between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. Therefore, the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 is disposed between the intake port 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. For this reason, when the ventilation device 6 is activated and fresh air in the outside 14 is sucked into the storage chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow X1, fresh air having a high oxygen concentration is satisfactorily sucked into the air supply device 3 from the suction port 31. Can do. In this case, the combustion efficiency in the combustor 2 is increased.

  In general, when the reforming system is performing reforming operation, that is, during operation of the fuel cell system (not only during power generation operation, start-up operation and stop (cooling) processing operation are performed. Sometimes it is preferred to activate the ventilator 6), and the ventilator 6 is actuated to ventilate the air in the containment chamber 10 as described above. For this reason, even if a gas leak occurs from the piping, the leaked gas is diluted by the ventilating action of the ventilator 6 and immediately discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the outside 14, thus improving safety. It has been.

  A water supply passage 44 is extended in the reformer 4. In the water supply passage 44, raw water such as condensed water generated by the system is stored, and a purifier 45 for purifying raw water with a purification material such as an ion exchange resin, and water having high purity purified by the purifier 45 are reformed. And a tank 46 for storing water. When the unillustrated feed water pump is operated, the water in the tank 46 is supplied to the evaporation section of the reformer 4 as reformed water through the feed water passage 44 and is vaporized. The generated steam is supplied to the reforming unit of the reformer 4. Further, the steam reforms the fuel material supplied from the reforming fuel passage 40 to the reformer 4.

  When the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, flammable fuel is supplied to the combustor 2 through the combustion fuel passage 20. Further, since the air supply device 3 operates, the air in the storage chamber 10 is supplied to the combustor 2 through the air supply passage 34 from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3. As a result, the combustion fuel burns with air in the combustor 2. Thus, the air in the storage chamber 10 is supplied to the combustor 2 as combustion air. Here, since the air in the storage chamber 10 is warmed by the heat radiation from the reformer 4 and the stack 7, the combustion efficiency in the combustor 2 is increased.

  Since the combustion fuel is burned in the combustor 2 as described above, the reforming section of the reformer 4 is heated to a high temperature so as to be suitable for the reforming reaction. In this state, reforming fuel is supplied from the reforming fuel passage 40 to the reforming device 4, and water stored in the tank 46 is supplied as reforming water to the evaporation section of the reforming device 4. Steamed. The generated steam reforms the reforming fuel in the reforming section of the reformer 4. As a result, anode gas mainly containing hydrogen is generated. The produced anode gas is supplied to the anode of the stack 7 through the anode gas passage 78 and the inlet valve 79i, and used for power generation reaction. Since the anode off-gas that has undergone the power generation reaction retains a combustible component such as hydrogen, it is supplied to the combustor 2 through the outlet valve 79p and the anode off-gas passage 77, burned in the combustor 2, and combusted as combustion exhaust gas. 2 is discharged to the outside 14 through an exhaust port (not shown). The anode inlet of the stack 7 can be opened and closed by an inlet valve 79i. The outlet of the anode can be opened and closed by an outlet valve 79p.

  During operation of the system, the cathode gas pump 72 (cathode gas transfer source) operates, so that the air in the storage chamber 10 is supplied from the inlet 72i to the cathode of the stack 7 via the humidifier 71 as the cathode gas. Thus, when the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, the ventilator 6 operates and the ventilation blades 60 rotate, and a suction action is generated on the back surface 6r side of the ventilator 6 on the intake port 11 side. For this reason, air in the outside 14 of the housing 1 is sucked into the storage chamber 10 from the intake port 11 of the housing 1 in the direction of the arrow X1, flows through the storage chamber 10, and flows from the exhaust port 12 toward the direction of the arrow X2. It is discharged to the outside 14 of. Thereby, ventilation of the storage chamber 10 is performed.

  As described above, when the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, an unexpected situation or the like may occur. For this reason, it cannot be said that there is no possibility that a problem occurs in the air supply device 3. When the system is operated as described above, when a problem occurs in the air supply device 3 for some reason, the air supply force of the air supply device 3 may be reduced or lost. At this time, when the ventilation device 6 is normal and the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is continuously rotated, the suction action is performed on the rear surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 by the rotation operation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6. Continues to occur. In this case, flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side may flow backward in the direction of arrow R from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the housing chamber 10.

  That is, flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the housing chamber 10 through the air supply passage 34 in the direction of the arrow R, and the air supply device 3 There is a possibility of being discharged from the suction port 31 to the storage chamber 10. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, when the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 is located between the intake port 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6, the front surface of the ventilation device 6 on the air discharge side. A suction action occurs on the back surface 6r side, which is located on the opposite side to 6f. Therefore, flammable fuel or combustion gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the storage chamber 10 through the air supply passage 34 in the direction of arrow R, and the storage chamber 10 may be released. In this case, it is not preferable for smooth operation of the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when a problem occurs in the air supply device 3 and the air supply force of the air supply device 3 decreases or disappears, the control unit 100 determines that the system is abnormal and performs a stop process for stopping the system. The power generation of the stack 7 is stopped. In this case, the supply of the fuel material and reforming water to the reformer 4 is stopped. Thereby, the supply of the anode gas to the anode of the stack 7 is also stopped. The operation of the cathode gas pump 72 is also stopped, and the supply of the cathode gas to the cathode of the stack 7 is stopped. In this case, it is preferable to close the valves 79i and 79p.

  When a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3 described above, and the air supply capability of the air supply device 3 decreases or disappears, the control unit 100 outputs a command to stop the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the suction effect by the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation apparatus 6 is suppressed. Accordingly, the generation of a suction action (negative pressure) between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6 is suppressed. As a result, the possibility that flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the housing chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow R is suppressed. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced.

  A gas leak sensor 100m is disposed in the upper part of the storage chamber 10. In the unlikely event that a gas leak occurs from a pipe or the like in the storage chamber 10, it is detected by the gas leak sensor 100m. Further, when flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the storage chamber 10 through the air supply passage 34 in the direction of the arrow R, the fuel flows backward. Fuel or combustion exhaust gas should be detected by the gas leak sensor 100m.

According to the present embodiment, when a problem occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 issues a command to stop the operation of the ventilation device 6 regardless of whether the gas leakage sensor 100m detects gas leakage. Output promptly. Therefore, regardless of the detection of the gas leak sensor 100m, the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is stopped, and the generation of the suction action due to the rotation operation of the ventilation blade 60 is suppressed. 100 increases the output per unit time of the air supply device 3, increases the air supply force per unit time of the air supply device 3, and forcibly supplies the air in the storage chamber 10 to the combustor 2. As a result, an air purge process is carried out to expel flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas remaining in the combustor 2 from the combustor 2 and the reformer 4. However, as described above, when the air supply device 3 is out of order, the air supply force of the air supply device 3 is limited, so that the air purge process described above is limited. Therefore, fuel or combustion exhaust gas remaining on the combustor 2 side may flow backward in the arrow R direction from the air supply passage 34 and the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the housing chamber 10 side of the housing 1. Therefore, stopping the operation of the ventilator 6 as described above is effective for preventing the backflow.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 38 that detects a failure of the air supply device 3 that supplies air to the combustor 2 is provided in the air supply passage 34 in the storage chamber 10 as a failure detection element. A signal from the sensor 38 is input to the control unit 100. Examples of the sensor 38 include a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of air supplied from the air supply device 3 toward the combustor 2, and a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of air supplied from the air supply device 3 toward the combustor 2. At least one of them can be adopted. In addition, as the sensor 38 for detecting the malfunction, in addition to the sensor 38 provided in the air supply passage 34, the rotational speed for detecting the rotational speed per unit time of the drive unit that rotates the blower blade built in the air supply device 3 A sensor may be used. Based on the physical quantities detected by these sensors 38, the control unit 100 can determine that a problem has occurred in the air supply device 3 based on the signals from the sensors 38.

  It is preferable that the control unit 100 immediately stops the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 6 when detecting a malfunction of the air supply device 3 based on the signal of the sensor 38. In some cases, when the control unit 100 detects a malfunction in the operation of the air supply device 3 based on the signal of the sensor 38, the control unit 100 reduces the output of the ventilation device 6 at a predetermined speed to gradually reduce the suction action, and finally In addition, the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 6 may be stopped within a predetermined time (for example, within 30 seconds, within 20 seconds, within 10 seconds) from the time when the malfunction is detected.

  In the above-described operation, the operation of the ventilation blade 60 is stopped in order to suppress the backflow. However, in some cases, if the rotation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is operated in the reverse direction (reverse movement), Occurrence of the suction action on the back surface 6r side of the ventilator 6 due to the operation of the ventilator 6 is suppressed, and not only that, but the positive pressure on the back surface 6r side of the ventilator 6 that is close to the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 Can be promoted. Therefore, the possibility that flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side will flow backward in the direction of arrow R is effectively suppressed. In this case, the housing chamber 10 is ventilated so that the air in the outside 14 is sucked from the exhaust port 12 of the housing 1, flows through the housing chamber 10 of the housing 1, and is discharged from the air inlet 11 to the outside 14. The As described above, when the ventilator 6 is moved backward, the inlet valve 79i is preferably closed, and in particular, the inlet valve 79i and the outlet valve 79p are preferably closed. The reverse time can be set as appropriate.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a control rule executed by the control unit 100. The flowchart is not limited to this. First, the control unit 100 reads the power generation information of the system (step S100) and determines whether or not the system is in operation (step S102). If in operation (YES in step S102), the signal from the sensor 38 is read (step S104), and it is determined whether the operation of the air supply device 3 is normal based on the signal from the sensor 38 (step S106). . If the operation of the air supply device 3 is not normal (NO in step S106), the control unit 100 executes a stop process for stopping the operation of the system (step S108). In this case, it is preferable to close the inlet valve 79i and the outlet valve 79p of the anode of the stack 7. However, even if the anode inlet valve 79i and the outlet valve 79p are closed, the inlet valve 79i may be opened for a predetermined time when the reforming fuel flows into the anode of the stack 7 and is purged. Further, if the operation of the air supply device 3 is not normal (NO in step S106), a command for stopping the operation of the ventilation device 6 is output to the ventilation device 6 to stop the operation of the ventilation device 6 (step S110). The alarm is issued to the user side and / or the maintenance person side, and the process returns to the main routine. The above-described operation may be a power generation operation, a start-up operation, or a stop processing operation for stopping the system operation. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a solid polymer fuel cell, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a solid oxide fuel cell. However, in this case, the humidifier 71 can be eliminated. A ventilation device 6 may be provided at the exhaust port 12.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment. This embodiment has basically the same configuration and the same function and effect as the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, an electrical component 8 including an inverter is disposed between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. The ventilation device 6 is provided on the surface 8f on the side away from the intake port 11 instead of the surface 8r on the side close to the intake port 11 of the casing 1 in the electrical component 8 which is an electrical system device. When the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, the ventilation device 6 is activated and the ventilation blades 60 are rotated, so that a suction action is generated on the back surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 on the intake port 11 side. The housing of the electrical component 8 has an inlet and an outlet for a passage through which air passes through the housing. For this reason, the suction action of the ventilation device 6 extends through the inside of the housing of the electrical system component 8 to the housing surface 8r side. Therefore, the air can flow inside the housing of the electrical system component 8 by the operation of the ventilation device 6.

  Here, due to the suction action, air outside the housing 1 is sucked into the housing chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow X1 from the air inlet 11 of the housing 1, flows through the housing chamber 10, and flows in the direction of the arrow X2 from the exhaust port 12. And discharged to the outside 14 of the housing 1. Thereby, ventilation of the storage chamber 10 is performed. When the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is rotated in this way, fresh air sucked into the accommodation chamber 10 from the intake port 11 passes through the inside of the housing of the electric system component 8 and is positively applied to the components in the housing. To touch. For this reason, cooling of the electrical system component 8 is promoted, and overheating of the electrical system component 8 is suppressed.

  Also in the present embodiment, during operation of the system, a problem may occur in the air supply device 3 due to unexpected circumstances or the like, and the air supply force of the air supply device 3 may be reduced or lost. In this case, when a problem occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 determines that the system is abnormal based on the signal from the sensor 38, and shifts to a stop process for stopping the operation of the system. Furthermore, the control unit 100 outputs a command for stopping the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. For this reason, the rotation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is stopped, and the generation of the suction action by the ventilation blade 60 is suppressed. Therefore, the generation of a suction action (negative pressure) between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6 is suppressed. As a result, the possibility of flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side from flowing backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the containing chamber 10 side through the air supply passage 34 in the direction of arrow R is suppressed. . For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced. In addition, when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 may output a command to reverse the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6.

  Even when the process is shifted to the stop process for stopping the operation of the system and the backflow is suppressed as described above, if the ventilator 6 is moved backward, the air in the external 14 flows from the exhaust port 12 in the direction opposite to the arrow X2 direction. The air is sucked toward the storage chamber 10, flows through the storage chamber 10, and is discharged from the intake port 11 toward the outside 14 in the direction opposite to the arrow X1 direction. Thus, if the ventilator 6 is moved backward, the electric system component 8 is cooled, the overheating of the electric system component 8 is suppressed, and the protection of the electric system component 8 can be improved.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment. The present embodiment has basically the same configuration and the same function and effect as the above-described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a ventilation device 6 is provided at a position facing the air inlet 11 of the housing 1. An electrical system component 8 including an inverter is arranged on the side opposite to the air inlet 11 in the ventilation device 6. The ventilation device 6 is provided not on the surface 8 f far from the air inlet 11 in the electrical component 8 but on the surface 8 r closer to the air inlet 11. Also in the present embodiment, when the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, the ventilation device 6 is operated and the ventilation blade 60 is rotated, and the suction action is performed on the rear surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 on the intake port 11 side. appear. For this reason, air in the outside 14 of the housing 1 is sucked into the housing chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow X1 from the intake port 11 of the housing 1, and further, the air passes through the electric system component 8 and passes in the direction of the arrow X2 from the exhaust port 12. Toward the outside 14 of the housing 1. Thereby, ventilation of the storage chamber 10 is performed. Thus, when the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 is rotated, the air sucked into the storage chamber 10 comes into contact with the electrical system component 8, so that the cooling of the electrical system component 8 is promoted and the electrical system component 8 is overheated. It is suppressed.

  Also in the present embodiment, when a problem occurs in the air supply device 3 and the air supply force of the air supply device 3 decreases or disappears, the control unit 100 determines that the system is abnormal based on the signal from the sensor 38, and the system Shift to stop processing to stop Furthermore, the control unit 100 outputs a command for stopping the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the suction effect (negative pressure) by the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation apparatus 6 is suppressed. As a result, the possibility that flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 toward the housing chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow R is suppressed. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced. In addition, since the action | operation of the ventilation apparatus 6 stops, the air cooling of the electrical system component 8 by ventilation is suppressed.

  In addition, when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 may output a command to reverse the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6 instead of stopping the ventilation device 6. If the ventilator 6 is moved backward, the air in the outside 14 is sucked into the housing chamber 10 from the exhaust port 12, flows through the housing chamber 10, and is discharged from the air inlet 11 to the outside 14. For this reason, the electric system component 8 is cooled, the overheating of the electric system component 8 is suppressed, and it can contribute to the lifetime improvement.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment. The present embodiment has basically the same configuration and the same function and effect as the above-described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, an electrical system component 8 including an inverter is disposed between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. An air guide duct 15 is provided between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6. The air guide duct 15 is disposed in the storage chamber 10, and includes a first air guide duct 15 f that connects the communication port 80 a of the housing 80 that forms the outline of the electrical component 8 and the air intake port 11, and a first air guide duct. The second air guide duct 15s is branched from the branch portion 15m of 15f and communicated with the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3. The housing of the electrical system component 8 has an inlet and an outlet communicating with the interior thereof.

  Also in the present embodiment, when the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system is operated, the ventilation device 6 is operated and the ventilation blade 60 is rotated, and the suction action is performed on the rear surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 on the intake port 11 side. appear. This suction action extends to the inside of the housing of the electrical component 8. Then, due to the suction action, air outside the housing 1 is sucked into the first air duct 15f in the housing chamber 10 in the direction of the arrow X1 from the air inlet 11 of the housing 1, and the air is further supplied to the electric system component 8. It flows through the inside and the inside of the housing, passes while cooling the electric system component 8, and is discharged from the ventilation blade 60 facing the outlet of the housing into the housing chamber 10. Further, air is discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the outside 14 of the housing 1 in the direction of the arrow X2. Thereby, ventilation of the storage chamber 10 is performed. When the ventilation blades 60 of the ventilation device 6 are rotated as described above, the air in the outside 14 is sucked into the first air guide duct 15f and comes into contact with the electrical system component 8, so that the cooling of the electrical system component 8 is promoted. The overheating of the electrical system component 8 is suppressed. The air sucked into the first air duct 15f is branched and flows in the second air duct 15s, and is supplied from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the combustor 2 through the air supply passage 34. It is used as combustion air for the combustion reaction in the combustor 2.

  Also in this embodiment, when the system is operating, there is a possibility that a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3 due to unexpected circumstances and the air supply force of the air supply device 3 is reduced or disappears. In this case, the control unit 100 determines that the system is abnormal based on the signal from the sensor 38 and shifts to a stop process for stopping the system. Furthermore, the control unit 100 outputs a command for stopping the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the suction effect by the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation apparatus 6 is suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of a suction action (negative pressure) in the air guide duct 15 existing between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6 is suppressed. As a result, the possibility that flammable fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side flows backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the air guide duct 15 in the direction of the arrow R is suppressed. Furthermore, the possibility that fuel or combustion exhaust gas flows backward to the electrical system component 8 and the storage chamber 10 side is suppressed. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced.

  When a problem occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 may output a command to reverse the rotation of the ventilation blades 60 of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. If the ventilator 6 is moved backward as described above, the air in the outside 14 is sucked into the accommodating chamber 10 from the exhaust port 12, flows through the accommodating chamber 10, passes through the ventilating device 6 and the electrical system component 8, and the first guide. The air is discharged from the air inlet 11 to the outside 14 through the wind duct 15f. As a result, it is possible to promote the positive internal pressure of the first air guide duct 15f and the second air guide duct 15s. As a result, combustible fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side may flow backward from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 into the first air duct 15f through the air supply passage 34 in the direction of the arrow R. Is suppressed. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced. When reversely moving, it is preferable that the valves 79i and 79p are closed to prevent gas from entering the anode of the stack 7. However, it is not limited to this.

  The time for reversely moving the ventilator 6 can be selected as appropriate, and the fuel or combustion exhaust gas remaining on the combustor 2 side can be selected from a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes) that can be discharged from the discharge port on the combustor 2 side. ) You may reverse it. Alternatively, the reverse movement of the ventilator 6 may be continued while the air cooling of the electrical system component 8 is also used until maintenance is performed for the malfunction of the air supply device 3.

  Further, if the output of the ventilator 6 during rated operation is P1, and the output of the ventilator 6 during reverse operation is P2, any of P1 = P2, P1≈P2, P1> P2, and P2> P1 may be used. If P1> P2, a moderate backflow prevention effect and a moderate air cooling performance of the electrical system component 8 can be obtained, and the electrical energy that reversely moves the ventilator 6 can be saved. When P2> P1, the backflow prevention effect is high, and the amount of air per unit time contacting the electric system component 8 can be increased during reverse movement, and the air cooling performance of the electric system component 8 can be improved.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 6 shows a fifth embodiment. This embodiment has basically the same configuration and the same function and effect as the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing chamber 10 of the housing 1 is divided by a partition wall 18 into a lower first housing chamber 10f and an upper second housing chamber 10s. The first storage chamber 10 f communicates with the intake port 11. The second storage chamber 10 s communicates with the exhaust port 12. A ventilation device 6 is provided on the partition wall 18. The power generation module 9 is accommodated in the second storage chamber 10s. The power generation module 9 includes a stack 7 formed by assembling a plurality of fuel cells, a reformer 4 that reforms a reforming fuel material with steam to generate an anode gas containing hydrogen as a main component, and a reformer. It has a combustor 2 that forms a combustion space located between the device 4 and the stack 7, and a heat insulating wall 90 having high heat insulating properties that covers the combustor 2, the stack 7, and the reformer 4 from the outside. The fuel cell constituting the stack 7 is in the form of a solid oxide, and the operating temperature during the power generation operation is as high as 400 ° C. or higher, 500 ° C. or higher, and 600 ° C. or higher.

  In FIG. 6, when the air supply device 3 arranged in the first storage chamber 10f is activated, the air in the first storage chamber 10f is conveyed from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the air supply passage 34, and further generates power. The air is supplied as combustion air or cathode gas into the heat insulating wall 90 of the module 9.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the reformer 4 includes an evaporation unit 410 that generates steam from the reforming water, and a reforming unit 420 that includes a reforming catalyst. The reforming fuel is supplied from the reforming fuel passage 40 to the reforming unit 420 via the evaporation unit 410. The reforming fuel supplied to the reforming unit 420 is reformed by the water vapor generated by the evaporation unit 410 and becomes an anode gas containing hydrogen. The anode gas generated in the reforming unit 420 is supplied to the anode of the stack 7 through the anode gas passage 78 and used for the power generation reaction, and rises to the combustor 2 on the upper side of the stack 7. Are burned with combustion air as a combustion fuel to form a combustion flame. Thus, the combustion flame in the combustor 2 heats the evaporation unit 410 and the reforming unit 420 of the reformer 4.

  When the system is in operation, the ventilator 6 is activated and the ventilation blades 60 are rotated, and a suction action is generated on the back surface 6r side of the ventilator 6. Then, fresh air in the outside 14 is sucked into the first storage chamber 10f from the intake port 11 of the housing 1, flows through the opening 19 of the partition wall 18 along the arrow X5 direction, and enters the second storage chamber 10s. Furthermore, after contacting the heat insulation wall 90 of the power generation module 9 and cooling the power generation module 9 in the second storage chamber 10 s, it is discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the outside 14 in the direction of the arrow X2. When the system is operated in this way, the ventilator 6 operates to ventilate the first storage chamber 10f and the second storage chamber 10s.

  Also in the present embodiment, when the system is operating as described above, there is a possibility that a problem occurs in the air supply device 3 and the air supply force of the air supply device 3 is reduced or disappears. In this case, if the ventilation device 6 continues to rotate and generates a suction action on the rear surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6, the fuel (anode gas) or combustion exhaust gas existing in the power generation module 9, that is, combustion There is a possibility that fuel or combustion exhaust gas in the container 2 or the like flows backward in the direction of the arrow R from the suction port 31 of the air supply device toward the first housing chamber 10f side through the air supply passage 34.

  For this reason, when the system is operating as described above, if the air supply device 3 malfunctions and the sensor 38 detects that the air supply force of the air supply device 3 decreases or disappears, The unit 100 immediately determines that the system is abnormal based on the signal from the sensor 38, and shifts to a stop process for stopping the system. Further, the control unit 100 immediately outputs a command to stop the operation of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6 immediately. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the suction effect by the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation apparatus 6 is suppressed.

  Therefore, the suction action (negative pressure) is suppressed from occurring on the back surface 6r side of the ventilation device 6 in the first storage chamber 10f. That is, in the first storage chamber 10f, the generation of a suction action (negative pressure) between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6 is suppressed. As a result, the fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing in the power generation module 9, that is, the fuel or combustion exhaust gas in the combustor 2 or the like is moved from the suction port 31 of the air supply device through the air supply passage 34 to the accommodation chamber 10 side by the arrow R. The risk of backflow in the direction is reduced. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced.

  As described above, when the sensor 38 detects that a problem occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 outputs a command to reverse the rotation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. You may do it. If the ventilation blades 60 of the ventilation device 6 are moved backward in this way, the air in the outside 14 is sucked into the second storage chamber 10s along the direction opposite to the arrow X2 direction from the exhaust port 12, and further, the power generation module 9 While cooling the heat insulating wall 90, the opening 19 of the partition wall 18 flows in the direction opposite to the arrow X5 direction, further flows through the first storage chamber 10f, and extends from the intake port 11 along the direction opposite to the arrow X1 direction. Released toward the outside 14. This can promote positive pressure in the first storage chamber 10f. That is, positive pressure of the suction port 31 of the air supply device can be promoted.

  As a result, the risk of fuel or combustion exhaust gas existing on the combustor 2 side from flowing back in the direction of the arrow R from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the first housing chamber 10f side is further suppressed. For this reason, the protection in the reforming system, that is, the fuel cell system can be enhanced. In the present embodiment, the air supply device 3 is disposed between the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the ventilation device 6, but the air ventilation device 6 is connected to the air inlet 11 of the housing 1 and the air supply device 3. You may arrange | position between.

(Embodiment 6)
Since this embodiment basically has the same configuration and the same operation and effect as the above-described embodiments, FIGS. 1 to 6 can be applied mutatis mutandis. When a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3, even if the operation of the ventilation device 6 is stopped, the inertial force of the ventilation blades 60 rotating in the forward direction of the ventilation device 6 may be affected. In this case, even if the power supply to the ventilator 6 is stopped, depending on the structure and method of the ventilator 6, the ventilation blade 60 may rotate in the forward direction due to inertial force. In this case, the fuel existing on the combustor 2 side may flow backward in the direction of arrow R from the suction port 31 of the air supply device 3 to the housing chamber 10 side. For this reason, even if the operation of the ventilation device 6 is stopped when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device 3, the control unit 100 first reverses the rotation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 for a predetermined time (minute time). The first command to be outputted is output to the ventilator 6, and the rotational force in the direction opposite to the inertial force is applied to substantially cancel the inertial force. Thereafter, the control unit 100 outputs a second command for stopping the rotation of the ventilation blade 60 of the ventilation device 6 to the ventilation device 6. Thereby, even if it is a case where the inertial force of the ventilation apparatus 6 cannot be disregarded, generation | occurrence | production of a backflow is suppressed.

  (Others) The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist. Each of the above embodiments is applied to a fuel cell system having a stack of fuel cells. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to a system having no stack, that is, a reforming system for reforming a fuel material. good. In the first embodiment, the present invention is applied to a solid polymer fuel cell. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a solid oxide fuel cell. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to phosphoric acid fuel cells and molten carbonate fuel cells.

  The present invention can be used for, for example, a stationary fuel cell system, a vehicle, an electric device, an electronic device, a portable fuel cell system, and the like.

  1 is a housing, 10 is a storage chamber, 11 is an intake port, 12 is an exhaust port, 15 is an air duct, 18 is a partition wall, 2 is a combustor, 3 is an air supply device, 31 is a suction port, and 4 is a modified Quality device, 6 is a ventilation device, 8 is an electrical system component, and 100 is a control unit.

Claims (3)

A combustor that burns flammable fuel with air;
An air supply device for supplying air to the combustor;
A reformer for reforming reforming fuel by heating based on the combustor;
A housing having a storage chamber for storing the combustor, the air supply device, and the reformer;
A ventilator for sucking external air into the storage chamber and releasing the air in the storage chamber to ventilate the storage chamber;
A controller that stops or reverses the operation of the ventilator so as to prevent the fuel or flue gas on the combustor side from flowing back into the housing chamber when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device. Reforming system.   In Claim 1, the malfunction detection element which detects generation | occurrence | production of the malfunction in the said air supply apparatus is provided, and if the malfunction detection signal of the said malfunction detection element is input into the said control part, the said control part will be the said ventilation apparatus. A reforming system that outputs a command to stop or reverse the operation of the engine to the ventilator. A combustor that burns flammable fuel with air;
An air supply device for supplying air to the combustor;
A reformer for reforming reforming fuel by heating based on the combustor;
A fuel cell that generates electricity by supplying the gas reformed by the reformer as an anode gas;
A housing having a storage chamber for storing the combustor, the air supply device, the reformer, and the fuel cell;
A ventilator for sucking external air into the storage chamber and releasing the air in the storage chamber to ventilate the storage chamber;
A controller that stops or reverses the operation of the ventilator so as to prevent the fuel or flue gas on the combustor side from flowing back into the housing chamber when a malfunction occurs in the air supply device. Fuel cell system.

Images