Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Tomio Miyazaki

Tetsuya Ogawa

Shuji Nagatani

Jun Yamamoto

Kimiko Fujisawa

Bunichi Saito

Yukihisa Kanao

A case configuring a fuel cell system is divided into a module section, a first fluid supply section, a second fluid supply section, and an electric section. The electric section is provided with a first intake vent for intake of an oxidant gas from outside the case into the electric section. The second fluid supply section is provided with a second intake vent for intake of the oxidant gas subjected to intake from the first intake vent, into an oxidant gas supply device. The case is internally provided with first and second internal partitions which generate a bypass path for blocking straight flow of the oxidant gas from the first intake vent to the second intake vent.

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system includes a first heating mechanism and a second heating mechanism. The first heating mechanism directly heats a reformer using some of an exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack. The second heating mechanism supplies the remaining exhaust gas to a heat exchanger and indirectly heats the reformer by the heat generated in the heat exchanger. The reformer performs preliminary reforming to produce a reformed gas. The reformed gas is supplied to an anode. At the anode, water produced in the power generation is present as a water vapor. The reformed gas is further reformed by steam reforming to produce a hydrogen gas.

Fuel cell system having heat exchanger and preliminary reformer and method of operating the fuel cell system

An evaporator includes a double pipe provided between an outer cylindrical member and an inner cylindrical member. The double pipe includes an inner pipe as a passage of water and an outer pipe as a passage of raw fuel. The inner pipe has a plurality of small holes connected to the outer pipe for maintaining the pressurized state of the water in the inner pipe. When the water gushes out of the small holes of the inner pipe in the outer pipe, phase transition of the water from the liquid phase to the gas phase occurs, and the water vapor is mixed with the raw fuel in the gas phase in the outer pipe.

Evaporator and vapor production method

A separator includes sandwiching sections for sandwiching electrolyte electrode assemblies. A fuel gas channel and an oxygen-containing gas channel are formed in each of the sandwiching sections. Further, the separator includes first bridges connected to the sandwiching sections and a manifold connected to the first bridges. A fuel gas supply channel is formed in the first bridge for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas channel. A fuel gas supply passage extends through the manifold in the stacking direction for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas supply channel. At the time of starting operation, the heated air is distributed to the oxygen-containing gas channel and the fuel gas channel through a circumferential portion of the electrolyte electrode assembly.

Fuel cell system and method of starting operation of the fuel cell system

A casing of a fuel cell system is divided into a module area, a fluid supply area, and an electric parts area. The fluid supply area is provided on a first side surface of the module area, and an electric parts area is provided on a second side surface of the module area. A fuel cell module and a combustor are provided in the module area.

Fuel cell system with rotation mechanism

A fuel cell system includes a first heating mechanism and a second heating mechanism. The first heating mechanism supplies a reformer with some of an exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack as a heat source for directly heating the reformer. The second heating mechanism supplies the remaining exhaust gas to the heat exchanger and utilizes the heat generated in the heat exchanger as a heat source for indirectly heating the reformer. Temperature sensors are attached to the reformer. An open/close valve is adjusted based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors to control the ratio between the amount of heat supplied from the first heating mechanism to the reformer and the amount of heat supplied from the second heating mechanism to the reformer.

Fuel cell system and method of operating the fuel cell system

A casing of a fuel cell system is divided into a module area, a first fluid supply area, a second fluid supply area, and an electric parts area. The first fluid supply area is provided on a first side surface of the module area, and an electric parts area is provided on a second side surface of the module area. The second fluid supply area is provided under a bottom surface of the module area. A fuel cell module and a combustor are provided in the module area.

A reformer includes first and second reforming units which are stacked together. A first hole is formed at the center of a first receiver member of the first reforming unit, and a plurality of holes are formed in a peripheral portion of a second receiver member of the second reforming unit. In the structure, a reforming channel having a serpentine pattern going through the first and second holes is formed. In each of the first and second receiver members, a single layer of catalyst pellets is provided. Both end surfaces of the catalyst pellets substantially contact the first and second receiver members.

Reformer

A fuel cell system includes a raw fuel supply channel. A raw fuel supply apparatus, a desulfurizer, and a flow rate meter are provided in the raw fuel supply channel such that the desulfurizer is provided downstream of the raw fuel supply apparatus, and the flow rate meter is provided downstream of the desulfurizer. The raw fuel supply channel includes a first channel area provided upstream of the raw fuel supply apparatus, a second channel area provided downstream of the raw fuel supply apparatus, and upstream of the flow rate meter, a bypass channel having both ends connected to the first channel area and the second channel area, and an open/close valve for opening and closing the bypass channel based on the pressure in the first channel area and the pressure in the second channel area.

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Hadano, Japan

Tomio Miyazaki