METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING FUEL CELL

• Main Authors: KAWAMATA NAOYUKI, FUNAHASHI KIMIHIRO, TSUJI HIROSHI, ITO HAYAMIZU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.08.1986
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

PURPOSE:To reduce the consumption of reforming raw material at starting by heating a reformer by combustion in the reformer at starting and heating a fuel cell main body with exhaust gas from the reformer through a cooling air circulation line. CONSTITUTION:Methanol of reforming raw material is reformed to hydrogen with steam in a reformer 12, and the hydrogen is supplied to an air cooling type phosphoric acid fuel cell main body 13 for power generation. An exhaust gas line 15 of the reformer 12 is connected to a cooling air circulation line 16 to cool the fuel cell main body 13 during the normal operation. At starting, the reformer is heated by combustion in the reformer 12, and the exhaust gas is supplied to the cell main body 13 with a blower 31 in the cooling air circulation line 16 to heat the cell main body 13, and excessive exhaust gas is discharged to the outside from an exhaust line 20. The consumption of methanol at starting is reduced and starting is effectively operated without a starting equipment.