# US 12,015,179 B2 · Fuel cell system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,015,179 B2
- Document ID: US12015179B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/774,949
- Filed: 2019-11-07
- Published: 2022-12-15
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-07
- Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahiro Usuda; Susumu Maeshima; Tomokatsu Himeno
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015179B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04022: {Heating by combustion}
- H01M 8/0606: with means for production of gaseous reactants
- 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 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- 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 fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving a working gas, a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell, a heat exchange device configured to supply the working gas to the fuel cell, and perform heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, and a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device. The manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving an anode gas, which is a fuel gas, and a cathode gas, which is an oxidant gas;
a combustor disposed outside of the fuel cell and configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell;
a heat exchange device disposed outside of the fuel cell and configured to supply the anode gas and the cathode gas to the fuel cell, while performing heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, wherein the heat exchange device includes a cathode heat exchanger configured to heat the cathode gas using heat of a discharged gas from the combustor, and a reformer configured to reform a raw fuel into the anode gas using the heat of the discharged gas;
a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device, wherein:
the manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor, and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device, wherein:
the discharged gas flow path comprises a first discharged gas flow path along which a part of the discharged gas from the combustor is guided to the cathode heat exchanger, and a second discharged gas flow path along which a remaining part of the discharged gas from the combustor is guided to the reformer, wherein:
the combustor includes a first catalyst combustor configured to combust the off-gas, and a vaporizer configured to vaporize a raw fuel by exchanging heat with the discharged gas generated by the first catalyst combustor, and supply a vaporized fuel to a flow path portion of the combustor; and
the manifold comprises a second catalyst combustor located in the discharged gas flow path and configured to combust a discharged gas flowing into the manifold through the vaporizer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein:
the second catalyst combustor is located in each of the first and second discharged gas flow paths.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein:
a size of the second catalyst combustor disposed in the first discharged gas flow path and a size of the second catalyst combustor disposed in the second discharged gas flow path are different from each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein:
a plurality of the second catalyst combustors are respectively disposed in the first discharged gas flow path and the second discharged gas flow path, and
a number of the second catalyst combustors disposed in the first discharged gas flow path and a number of the second catalyst combustors disposed in the second discharged gas flow path are different from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according claim 1, wherein:
the second catalyst combustor includes a carrier in which a plurality of flat plates are arranged so as to be parallel to a gas flow direction, and a catalyst supported on the carrier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein:
the second catalyst combustor includes a carrier as a tubular honeycomb structure, and a catalyst supported on the carrier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a supply pipe configured to supply the raw fuel to the second catalyst combustor in the manifold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The fuel cell system according to claim 7, wherein:
the supply pipe is attached to the manifold in a state in which a tip portion thereof is inserted into the manifold, and
the tip portion includes a plurality of fuel supply ports along a pipe extension direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system according to claim 8, wherein:
the plurality of fuel supply ports are disposed such that the raw fuel is supplied toward downstream of the discharged gas flow path.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein:
the manifold further includes an anode flow path along which the anode gas generated by the reformer is supplied to the fuel cell, and
in a width direction of the manifold, the off-gas flow path is located on one end side of the manifold, the anode flow path is located on the other end side of the manifold, and the discharged gas flow path is located between the off-gas flow path and the anode flow path.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein:
the manifold further includes a cathode flow path along which the cathode gas heated by the cathode heat exchanger is supplied to the fuel cell, and
in a direction orthogonal to the width direction, the cathode flow path is located between the first discharged gas flow path and the second discharged gas flow path.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The fuel cell system according to claim 10, wherein:
on an end surface of the manifold on a side where the fuel cell is disposed, a portion facing the cathode flow path is formed as a protruding portion protruding toward the fuel cell, and
the protruding portion is formed with a supply port through which the cathode gas is supplied to the fuel cell.