Kyocera Corporation

Dainichi Co., Ltd.

Naruto Takahashi

Takashi Ono

Michiaki Nishimura

Masatoshi Ikeda

Kazumasa Maruya

Mitsuhiro Nakamura

Naoki Yokoo

Shinpei Shiraishi

Takayuki Maruyama

Tatsuya Kanbayashi

Osamu Yamazaki

Ono Takashi

Shunsuke Shintani

Norihisa Shibasaki

Kazutaka Uchi

A reformer of the present disclosure includes a reformer body having a cylindrical shape that carries out a reforming reaction by a raw fuel gas and water supplied thereto, the reformer body including therein a vaporization portion which generates steam and a reforming portion which reacts the steam generated in the vaporization portion with the raw fuel gas to generate a reformed gas, at least one of a convex portion and a rough portion having a higher degree of surface roughness than that of other portions, being disposed on at least one of an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of the reformer body.

Reformer, cell stack apparatus, fuel cell module, and fuel cell apparatus

A reformer of the present disclosure includes a reformer body which has a cylindrical shape and extends horizontally, introducing raw fuel and water to perform a reforming reaction, the reformer body including therein a vaporization portion which generates steam, and a reforming portion which reacts the steam generated in the vaporization portion with raw fuel to generate a reformed gas; a raw fuel introduction pipe which introduces the raw fuel into the reformer body; a water introduction pipe including therein a water passage which introduces water into the reformer body; and a vaporization accelerating portion which is disposed in at least one of the vaporization portion and the water introduction pipe and accelerates vaporization of water in the vaporization portion.

A fuel cell device is improved for operating conditions during a partial load operation. The fuel cell device comprises a cell stack formed by electrically connecting fuel cells for generating power by fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas; a fuel gas supply unit for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cells; and a power adjustment unit for adjusting the amount of current that is supplied to an external load and a controller for controlling the fuel gas supply unit and the power adjustment unit. The controller adjusts, during the partial load operation of the fuel cell device and when the fuel gas supplied to the cell stack is at a low flow rate. The relationship between a fuel utilization rate of the cell stack and the amount of power generated by the cell stack can be nonlinear.

Fuel cell device

A fuel cell device is improved for operating conditions during a partial load operation. The fuel cell device comprises a cell stack formed by electrically connecting fuel cells for generating power by fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas; a fuel gas supply unit for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cells; and a power adjustment unit for adjusting the amount of current that is supplied to an external load and a controller for controlling the fuel gas supply unit and the power adjustment unit. The controller adjusts, during the partial load operation of the fuel cell device and when the fuel gas supplied to the cell stack is at low flow rate. The a relationship between a fuel utilization rate of the cell stack and the amount of power generated by the cell stack can be nonlinear.

A cell unit includes a cell stack, two manifolds. The cell stack includes cells. Each cell has a elliptical columnar shape. The each cell includes an inner electrode layer, a solid oxide solid electrolyte layer, an outer electrode layer, a first portion, a second portion, a middle portion and a distribution hole. The solid oxide solid electrolyte layer is on the inner electrode layer. The outer electrode layer is on the solid oxide solid electrolyte layer. The first portion is at one end of the each cell in the length direction of the cells. The second portion is at the other end of the each cell in the length direction. The middle portion is located between the first portion and the second portion. The distribution hole passes through from the first portion to the second portion. A first manifold fixes the first portions. A second manifold fixes the second portions.

Cell unit, cell stack device, cell unit device and module

[Object] To provide a cell stack device, the power generation efficiency of which is improved, and a fuel cell module and a fuel cell device that include the cell stack device. [Solution] A cell stack deviceincludes a cell stackthat includes a plurality of fuel cellselectrically connected to one another and arranged, the fuel cellsthat each includes a gas channel through which a reactant gas flows. In the cell stack device, the fuel cellsof the cell stackare provided in the form of fuel cell groups that each include an arbitrary number of the fuel cells. In the cell stack device, the fuel cell groups are arranged such that average pressure loss values of the fuel cellsof the fuel cell groups increase sequentially from a central portion to an end portion side in a fuel cellarrangement direction. Thus, the power generation efficiency of the cell stack devicecan be improved.

Cell stack device, fuel cell module, fuel cell device, and method of fabricating cell stack device

Method of operating a fuel cell apparatus in which a reforming reaction in the reforming portion is selected by a controller at the starting time of the apparatus by comparing a first starting temperature of a reforming portion to a temperature Tat which steam reforming can be performed and comparing a second starting temperature of a vaporizing portion to a temperature Tat which a predetermined amount of steam can be generated by steam reforming. A reforming reaction starting with an autothermal reforming reaction is performed when the first starting temperature is not lower than Tand the second starting temperature is lower than T

Method of operating a fuel cell apparatus

A fuel cell assembly has a housing defining an electricity generation/combustion chamber, and electricity generation/combustion means disposed within the housing. A fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas are supplied to the electricity generation/combustion means, and a combustion gas formed within the electricity generation/combustion chamber is discharged from the electricity generation/combustion chamber. A heat exchanger having a first channel and a second channel is disposed on at least one surface of the housing, the combustion gas is discharged from the interior of the electricity generation/combustion chamber through the first channel of the heat exchanger, and one of the oxygen-containing gas and the fuel gas is supplied to the electricity generation/combustion means through the second channel of the heat exchanger. A plurality of electricity generation units are arranged in parallel within the housing, and each of the electricity generation units includes a cell stack constituting the electricity generation/combustion means.

Growing community of inventors

Kirishima, Japan

Naruto Takahashi