Osaka Gas Company Limited

Kosuke Akagi

Hiromitsu Mori

Hiroki Kitahata

A fuel cell includes a plurality of cells each of which includes a solid electrolyte layer having an oxygen electrode on one side thereof and a fuel electrode on the other side thereof, the cells being stacked one above another with a predetermined space therebetween so as to form an oxygen-containing gas passage facing the oxygen electrode and a fuel gas passage facing the fuel electrode, a passage forming member interposed between the adjacent cells to section the oxygen-containing gas passage and the fuel gas passage, the passage forming member having electric conductivity; and a conductive member charged within a space between the passage forming member and the fuel electrode or between the passage forming member and the oxygen electrode, the conductive member having a porous construction to allow passage of gas therethrough as well as flexibility. The adjacent cells are electrically conductively connected with each other via the passage forming member and the conductive member. A void portion is provided in the space charged with the conductive member in the form of a continuous gas passage extending between opposed ends of the fuel cell along a direction of gas flow.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell includes a multi-layered cell assembly having a stacked plurality of unit cells. Each unit includes a plate-like electrolyte layer having an oxygen electrode on one face thereof and a fuel electrode on the other face thereof, an oxygen-containing gas passage facing the oxygen electrode and a fuel gas passage facing the fuel electrode. An exhaust gas passage is formed adjacent end faces of the stacked unit cells. The oxygen-containing gas passage discharges oxygen-containing gas to the exhaust gas exhaust passage, whereas the fuel gas passage discharges fuel gas to the exhaust gas exhaust passage. The oxygen-containing gas passage includes an oxygen-containing gas passage extension portion for forming an oxygen-containing gas passage exit opening remotely from the end face of the unit cell, and the fuel gas passage includes a fuel gas passage extension portion for forming a fuel gas passage exit opening remotely from the end face of the unit cell.

Solid electrolyte fuel cell

A fuel cell system includes cells (40) in form of rectangular plates stacked in a spaced relationship to form a cell assembly (41), with intercellular passages (y) formed between the cells. Each cell is held by a pair of cell holders (5) and includes an electrolyte layer (1) having an oxygen electrode (2) applied to one surface thereof and a fuel electrode (3) applied to the other surface, and a passage-defining member (4) for defining intracellular passages (x) opposed to the oxygen electrode (2) or the fuel electrode (3). The intracellular passages (x) are open at one pair of opposite sides and closed at the other pair of opposite sides of each cell. The intercellular passages (y) are closed at open sides (40b) where the intracellular passages (x) are open, and open at closed sides (40c) where the intracellular passages (x) are closed. The cell holders (5) define notches (51) for receiving the opposite sides (40a) where the intracellular passages (x) are open. The notches (51) each include contact surfaces (53) for tight contact with the closed sides (40c) adjacent opposite ends of each of the open sides (40a), each of the notches having substantially the same depth as a thickness of one of the cells. The cell assembly (41) is formed by the cells (40) stacked with the open sides (40a) fitted into the notches (51) of opposed pairs of the cell holders (5).

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell assembly includes a plurality of fuel cells. Each cell has a solid electrolyte plate, an oxygen electrode attached on one side of the electrolyte plate, a fuel electrode attached on the other side of the electrolyte plate and an electrically conductive flow-channel forming member disposed in opposition to the oxygen electrode for forming an oxygen-bearing gas channel or in opposition to the fuel electrode for forming a fuel gas channel. The fuel cells are stacked one on another with a predetermined space therebetween for forming the oxygen-bearing or fuel gas channel, in which an elastic electrically conductive member is provided for allowing electrical conduction as well as elasticity and gas permeability between the adjacently stacked fuel cells. An electrically conductive film element is interposed between the flow-channel forming member and the elastic conductive member, with film element being conductively affixed to the flow-channel forming member and being fused to the elastic conductive member.

Fuel cell assembly and method of producing the same

In a fuel cell, a plurality of cells juxtaposed side by side to constitute together a cell layer and a plurality of cell layers thus prepared are stacked one above another to constitute together a multi-layered fuel cell assembly, In each cell layer, adjacent cells are interconnected and supported via a cell connecting plate member. This connecting plate member includes a cutout extending from one edge to the other opposite edge of the member along the entire length thereof for allowing insertion of opposed opened sides of the adjacent cells to which the inner cell flow passages are opened. The cutout has a depth substantially same as the thickness of the cell. An abutment face is defined in each end face of a pair of partition wall portions adjacent the cutout and a corresponding abutment face is defined in each closed side of the cell adjacent the opened side. As the cutout is partitioned by the opposed partition wall portions of the cutout and by a further adjacent cell connecting plate member, there is formed a connecting flow passage which interconnects the inner cell passages of the adjacent cells of the layer and which is partitioned from an inter-cell flow passage formed between the cells adjacently stacked in the assembly.

A fuel cell includes an electrolyte layer in form of a plate, an oxygen electrode formed on one surface of the electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode formed on the other surface of the electrolyte layer, and a conductive separator opposed to the oxygen electrode or fuel electrode for defining oxygen-containing gas passages or fuel gas passages. The separator includes a plate-like portion opposed to and spaced from the oxygen electrode or fuel electrode, a pair of strip-shaped projections extending along opposite ends of the plate-like portion for contacting opposite edges of the electrolyte layer, and a plurality of ridges for defining gas passages in form of grooves between the pair of strip-shaped projections. A fuel cell system includes a plurality of such fuel cells stacked one over another in a spaced relationship to define fuel gas passages or oxygen-containing gas passages in between. A flexible conductive element is disposed between an adjacent pair of the fuel cells.

Fuel cell system and fuel cells therefor

A fuel cell system in which first partition members are arranged in a substantially parallel pair, with opposite end faces thereof placed in tight contact with contact surfaces of columns. One cell is placed on the pair of first partition members. Second partition members are placed between the cell and the columns such that end faces of the second partition members are in tight contact with the contact surfaces of the columns. Then, a further pair of first partition members is stacked on the cell and second partition members. This construction is repeated to form a cell assembly.

A solid-electrolyte fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cells stacked to form a cell assembly. Each cell has an electrolyte layer, an oxygen electrode applied to one surface of the electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode applied to the other surface of the electrolyte layer, an oxygen-containing gas passage opposed to the oxygen electrode, and a fuel gas passage opposed to the fuel electrode. An oxygen-containing gas supply passage is disposed at one end of the cell assembly, as seen in a stacking direction of the fuel cells, to communicate with the oxygen-containing gas passage. Fuel gas supply passages are disposed at opposite sides of the cell assembly. A combustion chamber is disposed at the other end of the cell assembly to communicate with the oxygen-containing gas passage and fuel gas passage for burning an oxygen-containing gas exhausted from the oxygen-containing gas passage and a fuel gas exhausted from the fuel gas passage.

Solid-electrolyte fuel cell system

A fuel cell includes a plurality of cells. Each cell has a three-layer plate member having an electrolyte layer, an oxygen electrode attached to one face of the electrolyte layer and a fuel electrode attached to the other face of the electrolyte layer. The cell also has a separator affixed only to the oxygen electrode and an oxygen-containing gas flow passage formed between the oxygen electrode and the separator. A plurality of fuel flow passages are formed between an adjacent pair of the cells as assembled. First and second partition wall members are respectively disposed tightly adjacent a pair of opposed end faces of the cell to which faces the oxygen-containing gas flow passage is closed by the separator. Third and fourth partition wall members are respectively disposed along a pair of opposed cell edge portions where the oxygen-containing gas flow passage is open between the pair of cells. The first and second partition wall members have end portions thereof projecting relative to the cell. The third and fourth partition wall members have end portions thereof projecting relative to the cell and placed in tight overlapping contact with the end portions of the first and second partition wall members.

A fuel cell has a plurality of first and second plate members laid one on another with a predetermined phase relationship therebetween. Each first plate member houses a cell. The first plate member includes a cell-housing portion, a cell-insertion opening having two spaces communicating with opposed openings of an inner-cell flow passage of the housed cell and a plurality of communication openings. The second plate member includes an inter-cell flow passage forming portion facing the cell housed in the first plate member, an inter-cell flow passage forming opening having two spaces and a plurality of a plurality of communication openings. The inter-cell flow passage forming portion forms an inter-cell flow passage between adjacently disposed cells as the first and second plate members are laid one on the other. The communication openings and the spaces of the plate members provide air feed passages and air exhaust passages for the inter-cell flow passage and the inner-cell flow passage.

A solid-electrolyte fuel cell system comprising a plurality of solid-electrolyte fuel cells, a plurality of oxygen gas passage devices, and a plurality of fuel gas passage devices. Each cell includes an electrolyte layer, an oxygen electrode applied to one surface of the electrolyte layer, and a fuel electrode applied to the other surface of the electrolyte layer. Each oxygen gas passage device defines oxygen-containing gas passages opposed to the oxygen electrode, and has a conductive portion. Each fuel gas passage device defines fuel passages opposed to the fuel electrode, and have a conductive portion. Adjacent cells are laminated in a conductive state through the oxygen gas and fuel gas passage devices. Certain of the fuel gas passage devices include a pair of spacers provided to maintain an adjacent gas passage device spaced apart from one of the cells, the spacers being spaced from each other to define the fuel passages, and a flexible conductive member filled between the spacers for allowing passage of a gas. The flexible conductive member has a water-cooling jacket mounted therein to be out of contact with the adjacent gas passage device and cell.

There is disclosed a hot gas generator comprising a compressor for supplying compressed air to a combustion chamber, a gas turbine driven by hot gas flowing from the combustion chamber and operatively connected to the compressor by means of a common rotary shaft, a blower for starting the compressor, an air pressure sensor for detecting an inlet pressure of air supplied to the compressor, a flame monitoring sensor for confirming ignition, a valve for controlling fuel gas supply to the combustion chamber, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is operable to open the valve to a certain extent and actuate an ignition device at the same time upon a predetermined time lapse after blower actuation, to stop the ignition device and open the valve at a predetermined speed at the same time in response to an ignition confirmation signal from the flame monitoring sensor, and to stop the blower in response to a signal from the air pressure sensor indicating that the generator is in self-sustaining operation.

Growing community of inventors

Ikoma, Japan

Kosuke Akagi