Nissan Motor Company Limited

Avl List Gmbh

Masanari Yanagisawa

Kentarou Yajima

Shinichi Miyazaki

Tatsuya Yaguchi

Hayato Chikugo

Susumu Maeshima

Tadaki Mano

Mikiya Shinohara

Iwane Inokuchi

Michael Reissig

Jörg Mathé

Bernd Reiter

Vincent Lawlor

Thomas Krauss

Stefan Planitzer

Jürgen Rechberger

The invention relates to a fuel cell system () having a fuel supply unit () and fuel cells () having a cathode (') and an anode (&#x2032;), wherein the cathode (&#x2032;) features a cathode feed line (), the anode (&#x2032;) features an anode feed line (), and the flow in the anode (&#x2032;) is connected with the flow in the fuel supply unit () via the anode feed line (), in which a reforming apparatus () is arranged, and having an anode exhaust line () provided with at least one burner apparatus (). According to the invention, a first heat exchanger () is provided in the cathode feed line (), and a second heat exchanger (), which is arranged upstream of the reforming apparatus (), is provided in the anode feed line (), wherein the anode exhaust line () divides downstream of the burner apparatus () into a first anode exhaust subsidiary line () and a second anode exhaust subsidiary line (), each of which is connected to an exhaust gas outlet (), and wherein the first anode exhaust subsidiary line () leads through a warm side of the first heat exchanger (), and the second anode exhaust subsidiary line () leads through a warm side of the second heat exchanger (), and the vaporizing arrangement () is able to be heated via the second anode exhaust subsidiary line ().

Fuel cell system

Provided is a fuel cell system including a fuel cell module that includes a fuel cell and a reformer. The fuel cell system includes: a housing including a high temperature chamber in which the fuel cell module is disposed, and a low temperature chamber in which a gas supply system configured to supply a fuel and an oxidant to the fuel cell module is disposed; and a heat insulating partition wall that partitions a section of the housing to define the high temperature chamber and the low temperature chamber and that is formed with supply passages configured to allow supply of the fuel and the oxidant to the fuel cell module by the gas supply system.

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cells stacked via separators, each one of which cells has a solid electrolyte plate interposed between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode. The separator is constituted of an uneven member that includes a first abutting portion, a second abutting portion, and a connecting portion, the first abutting portion abuts on one fuel cell of the two adjacent fuel cells, the second abutting portion abuts on the other fuel cell, and the connecting portion connects the first abutting portion to the second abutting portion. At least one abutting portion of the first abutting portion or the second abutting portion has a section modulus greater than a section modulus of the connecting portion.

Fuel cell stack

A solid oxide fuel cell of the present invention includes: a fuel cell unit including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte and an air electrode layered in the written order; a current collection assisting layer that is layered on an air electrode side of the fuel cell unit; air channels disposed on the air electrode side; and fuel gas channels disposed on a fuel electrode side. The air channels and the fuel gas channels are defined and formed by a current collector on the current collection assisting layer and a current collector on the fuel electrode side of the fuel cell unit. The air channels and the fuel gas channels extend in the same direction that is perpendicular to the fuel cell unit layering direction. The current collector on the air electrode side is fixed to the current collection assisting layer at first fixing portions that extend in the air channel extending direction, and the current collector on the fuel electrode side is fixed to the fuel electrode side of the fuel cell unit at second fixing portions that extend in the fuel gas channel extending direction. The solid oxide fuel cell is characterized in that the current collection assisting layer has such flexural rigidity that is lower in a direction perpendicular to the air channel extending direction than in the air channel extending direction.

Solid oxide fuel cell

A fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power. The fuel cell system includes an anode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a cathode discharge passage through which a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join. The fuel cell system further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply a fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage during a system stop.

Fuel cell system and control method for fuel cell system

A fuel cell housing structure includes a fuel cell, an electrically insulated housing, a vent gas intake port and a vent gas exhaust port. The electrically insulated housing contains the fuel cell. The housing is arranged to provide a space within the housing surrounding the fuel cell. At least one of the vent gas intake port and the vent gas exhaust port is fluidly connected to the space at a position above or on the same level as the fuel cell. The at least one of the vent gas intake port and the vent gas exhaust port forms at least one of: vertically extending opening that opens to the external environment, and an opening that faces the space in a direction other than a direction facing the fuel cell.

Fuel cell housing structure

A fuel cell housing structure includes a fuel cell, an electrically insulated housing and a vent gas port. The electrically insulated housing contains the fuel cell. The housing is arranged to provide a space within the housing surrounding the fuel cell. The vent gas port is provided in the housing. The vent gas port connects to the space at a position above or on a same level as the fuel cell. In the fuel cell housing structure, water entering the housing from the vent gas port is blocked from contacting the fuel cell.

An insulating mount structure for a fuel cell, which includes insulating mounts () for mounting the fuel cell stack () on a grounded structure (), and a water barrier () extending in a space between the fuel cell a stack () and the grounded structure (), being electrically isolated from both of the fuel cell () and the grounded structure (). The water barrier () is formed in a container shape having an opening () on upper side thereof.

Insulating mount structure, insulation monitoring system, and insulation monitoring method for fuel cells

In a fuel cell housing structure, an electrically insulated housing contains a fuel cell, and is arranged to provide a space within the housing surrounding the fuel cell. A vent gas intake port and a vent gas exhaust port are provided in the housing. At least one of the vent gas intake port or vent gas exhaust port connects to the space at a position either above or on the same level as the fuel cell. A blocking member, which is also electrically insulated from the fuel cell, blocks water, entering the housing from at least one of the ports, from contact with the fuel cell.

A valve includes a valve body forming a first flow passage and a second flow passage that connects to the-first flow passage through a first opening and a seating element forming a bypass passage that connects the first flow passage and the second flow passage. The bypass passage opening has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first opening. The valve also includes a valve control element that can be repositioned to open both the first opening and the second opening, open the second opening while closing the first opening or close both the first opening and the second opening. The bypass passage may allow fluid to drain through the valve to prevent fluid from building up in the valve. If fluid becomes frozen, the valve may become stuck shut. In some embodiments, the bypass passage opens only if the temperature creates a possibility of freezing in the valve.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Masanari Yanagisawa