Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.

Fuji Electric Corporate Research and Developement Ltd.

Toshio Hirota

Osamu Yamamoto

Tomoyoshi Kamoshita

Hiroyuki Tajima

Tomohiro Sugiyama

Kaoru Kondou

Takashi Ujile

Takashi Ohuchi

A plurality of fuel-cell stacks operated in electrically parallel connection are individually controlled for amounts of reaction gases fed thereto corresponding to ratios of allotment of load thereto such that each of the stacks can maintain standard gas utilization factor. Among the fuel-cell stacks operated in parallel connection, those stacks which have particularly small ratios of allotment of load are controlled so that their gas utilization factors are changed to be decreased, thus controlling the amounts of the reaction gases to be increased.

Fuel-cell power-generation system

A lateral layer-built fuel cell stack comprising a fuel cell layered body including a plurality of unit cells each of which has a matrix layer for holding an electrolyte, a pair of electrode layers which are disposed on both sides of the matrix layer and a plurality of separators. Each of the separators has a plurality of vertical passages for reaction gases which are vertically arranged on one of major surfaces of the separators and a plurality of horizontal passages for reaction gases which are horizontally arranged on the other of the major surfaces of the separators. The unit cells and the separators are alternately superimposed so that each of the surfaces of the plurality of unit cells and separators is vertically arranged. A pair of first manifolds is provided which are disposed on the sides of the upper and the lower surfaces of the fuel cell layered body and which are communicated with the plurality of vertical passages. A pair of second manifolds are provided which are disposed on the side of opposite side surfaces of the fuel cell layered body and which are communicated with the plurality of horizontal passages. An oxidizing agent is supplied to the vertical passages and a fuel gas is supplied to the horizontal passages, respectively. The manifold positioned on the lower side of the fuel cell layered body also serves as a supporting member. The electrolyte is supplemented to each unit cell from the upper part thereof.

Lateral layer-built fuel cell stack and module structure thereof

A fuel cell cooling device includes a plurality of plate-like fuel cell units arranged in a vertical stack and having singly interspersed therein cooling plates. A main coolant pipe supplies coolant at a pressure above the saturation point thereof to the cooling plates through corresponding inlet cooling pipes. A throttle is provided in each inlet cooling pipe to produce a pressure drop such that coolant entering a cooling plate is at a pressure below the saturation point thereof.

Fuel cell cooling device

A fuel cell manifold mounted airtightly on the side walls of a fuel cell stack, the manifold comprising a seal layer covering the periphery of a wall of the fuel cell stack, a frame-shaped seal spacer having one side mounted airtightly on the seal layer and penetrated by a pipe carrying a cooling solution or electrolyte, and a box-shaped manifold cover mounted airtightly on the opposite side of the seal spacer. A second embodiment employs a hollow seal spacer that functions in place of the pipes carrying cooling solution or electrolyte.

Fuel cell manifolds

Herein disclosed is a cell stack assembly structure for a fuel cell, comprising a plurality of units each of which is composed of a plurality of cell elements laminated in advance and which are stacked and fastened under a predetermined pressure to construct a cell stack assembly. Each of a plurality of end plates is interposed between any adjacent two of the units. Removable pressure means are provided for fastening under a predetermined pressure any two of the end plates, that are positioned at the two ends of a corresponding one of the units.

Cell stack assembly structure for fuel cell

The present invention relates to a fuel cell having separate plates acting as bipolar plates which are sandwiched between the two adjacent cell elements. A cell stack of a fuel cell is formed therein with tunnel-shaped cooling gas passages extending between and open at two opposite sides thereof. Reactive gas supply passages for fuel gases and air are isolated from the cooling gas passages and extend between and open at the two opposite sides thereof which are different from those of the cooling gas passages. Therefore, the separate plates have their reactive gas supply passages supplied through manifolds, which are arranged at the sides of the fuel cell in a manner to face the entrance and exit ports of the reactive gas supply passages. The reactive gases are supplied at rates sufficient to be consumed by the galvanic reaction. The cooling gas passages are supplied through manifolds, which are arranged at the other sides of the fuel cell, i.e. different from the sides of the reactive gas supply passages. The cooling gases take no part in the galvanic reaction at a proper flow rate, whereby the respective cell elements constructing the cell stack of the fuel cell is cooled uniformly without establishing a temperature difference between the cell elements.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Toshio Hirota