# US 10,122,027 B2 · High-temperature operating fuel-cell module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,027 B2 - Document ID: US10122027B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/419,365 - Filed: 2017-01-30 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-16 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai; Hideki Nakata; Aichi Aida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122027B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion} - H01M 8/04738: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner} - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning - H01M 8/2425: High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes - H01M 8/0625: {in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A high-temperature operating fuel-cell module includes a fuel-cell stack; a fuel-cell stack container in which the fuel-cell stack is contained and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; a cathode off-gas collector that is provided in the fuel-cell stack container and in which the cathode off-gas is collected; an anode off-gas passage through which anode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; and a combustor that combusts the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector and the anode off-gas flowing through the anode off-gas passage, the combustor comprising: a combustion chamber in which the anode and cathode off-gas are mixed and combusted, an ejector that is connected to the anode off-gas passage and ejects the anode off-gas into the combustion chamber, and a diffusion plate that surrounds the ejector so that the ejector is located at the center of the diffusion plate, and ejects the cathode off-gas into the combustion chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A high-temperature operating fuel-cell module comprising: a fuel-cell stack that generates power by utilizing an electrochemical reaction of oxidant gas supplied to a cathode and reformed gas supplied to an anode; a fuel-cell stack container in which the fuel-cell stack is contained, cathode off-gas discharged from the cathode of the fuel-cell stack flowing in a space of the fuel-cell stack container in which the fuel-cell stack is contained; a cathode off-gas collector that is provided in the fuel-cell stack container, the cathode off-gas collector being a space in which the cathode off-gas is collected; an anode off-gas passage through which anode off-gas discharged from the anode of the fuel-cell stack flows; and a combustor that combusts the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector and the anode off-gas flowing through the anode off-gas passage, the combustor comprising: a combustion chamber that is a space in which the anode off-gas and the cathode off-gas are mixed and combusted, an ejector that is connected to the anode off-gas passage and ejects the anode off-gas into the combustion chamber, and a diffusion plate that surrounds the ejector so that the ejector is located at the center of the diffusion plate, and ejects the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector into the combustion chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the fuel-cell stack container includes an air heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the oxidant gas that has not been supplied to the cathode of the fuel-cell stack yet and the cathode off-gas flowing in the fuel-cell stack container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 2, wherein a side wall of the fuel-cell stack container includes an inner wall and an outer wall; and the air heat exchanger is constituted by the inner wall, the outer wall, and a flow passage that is a space between the inner wall and the outer wall and through which the oxidant gas flows, the air heat exchanger exchanging heat between the oxidant gas and the cathode off-gas with the inner wall interposed therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the ejector has a plurality of anode off-gas ejection holes from which the anode off-gas is ejected into the combustion chamber; and the diffusion plate has a plurality of cathode off-gas ejection holes from which the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector is ejected in a direction that is substantially opposed to a direction of a jet flow of the anode off-gas ejected from the anode off-gas ejection holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, further comprising a reformer that generates reformed gas by reforming supplied fuel by a reforming reaction, the reformer being heated by heat of exhaust gas generated by mixing and combusting the anode off-gas and the cathode off-gas in the combustion chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 5, wherein the combustor is provided between the reformer and the fuel-cell stack. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the fuel-cell stack container has a combustor outer peripheral wall that is provided so as to surround the diffusion plate, the cathode off-gas collector being provided in a space surrounded by the combustor outer peripheral wall and the diffusion plate; and the fuel-cell stack is disposed in the fuel-cell stack container on a side opposite to a direction in which a flame formed by combustion in the combustion chamber is directed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber is opened so that a flame formed by combustion in the combustion chamber is directed upward in a vertical direction, and the fuel-cell stack is disposed below the combustion chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the cathode off-gas collector has an opening through which the cathode off-gas flowing in the fuel-cell stack container flows; and a projected area of the opening is smaller than that of the fuel-cell stack. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the cathode off-gas collector has an opening through which the cathode off-gas flowing in the fuel-cell stack container flows; and an area of the opening through which the cathode off-gas passes is smaller than a cross sectional area of a flow passage through which the cathode off-gas that has not reached the opening yet flows. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 9, wherein the opening of the cathode off-gas collector is narrow; and the cathode off-gas flowing in the fuel-cell stack container flows into the cathode off-gas collector through the narrow opening. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 9, further comprising a flow straightening plate that is provided in the opening of the cathode off-gas collector and straightens flow of the cathode off-gas flowing into the cathode off-gas collector through the opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The high-temperature operating fuel-cell module according to claim 1, wherein the ejector has a cylindrical shape and the diffusion plate surrounds the ejector so that the center thereof is located at a central axis of the ejector; and the fuel-cell stack and the fuel-cell stack container are disposed so that a central line passing midpoints of the fuel-cell stack and the fuel-cell stack container in a width direction thereof coincides with the central axis of the ejector.