US 2006/0216574 A1Published application

Fuel battery

AssigneeFujitsu Limited

InventorsKensuke Yoshida, Fumio Takei, Masami Tsutsumi, Hiroaki Yoshida, Youichi Takasu, Nawalage Cooray, Seiji Hibino

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Abstract

A fuel battery 20 includes a fuel supplier 32, and a battery cell structure 31A and a battery cell structure 31B which are arranged to face each other respectively and to sandwich the fuel supplier 32, and in the battery cell structure 31A and the battery cell structure 31B, fuel battery cells CA1 through CA6, and CB1 through CB6 are arranged. Due to separators 40a and 40b, in the battery cell structure 31A, from the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell CA1 to the air electrode of the fuel battery cell CA6, and in the battery cell structure 31B, from the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell CB6 to the air electrode of the fuel battery cell CB1, are electrically connected in series. With the cell connector 35, the air electrodes of the fuel battery cells on the diagonal lines of the battery cell structure 31A and the battery cell structure 31B are connected electrically in parallel. Even when the surface of the liquid fuel filling the fuel supplier 32 changes, and some fuel battery cells stop electricity generation, the counterpart fuel battery cells connected in parallel can generate electricity. As a result, it is possible to easily make the fuel battery compact and light, and to prevent stoppage of power supply under various usage conditions of the fuel battery for stable power supply. Disclosure is also made of a fuel battery in which fuel battery cells facing each other are arranged to be perpendicular to each other.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A fuel battery, comprising:

a plurality of fuel battery cells each of the cells including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode;
and
a fuel supplier that is filled with a liquid fuel and supplies the fuel electrode with the liquid fuel;
wherein
a first battery cell structure and a second battery cell structure are formed on a first surface and a second surface constituting the fuel supplier, each of the first battery cell structure and the second battery cell structure includes n said fuel battery cells arranged from one end of the fuel supplier to another end of the fuel supplier,
in the first battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series in order of the arrangement so that the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell on the one end serves as an output side of the first battery cell structure, and the air electrode of the fuel battery cell on the other end serves as a grounding side of the first battery cell structure,
in the second battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series in order opposite to said arrangement order so that the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell on the other end serves as an output side of the second battery cell structure, and the air electrode of the fuel battery cell on the one end serves as a grounding side of the second battery cell structure,
the first battery cell structure and the second battery cell structure are electrically connected in parallel, and
a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the one end of the first battery cell structure is electrically connected with a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the other end of the second battery cell structure, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and m is an integer having at least one value from 1 to n−1.

6 more elements

A fuel battery, comprising:

a plurality of fuel battery cells each of the cells including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode;
and
a fuel supplier that is filled with a liquid fuel and supplies the fuel electrode with the liquid fuel;
wherein
a first battery cell structure and a second battery cell structure are formed on a first surface and a second surface constituting the fuel supplier, each of the first battery cell structure and the second battery cell structure includes n said fuel battery cells,
in the first battery cell structure, the n fuel battery cells are arranged from a first end of the fuel supplier to a second end of the fuel supplier opposite to the first end,
in the second battery cell structure, the n fuel battery cells are arranged from a third end of the fuel supplier to a fourth end of the fuel supplier opposite to the third end in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction of the fuel battery cells in the first battery cell structure,
in the first battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series in order of the arrangement so that the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell on the first end side serves as an output side of the first battery cell structure, and the air electrode of the fuel battery cell on the second end side serves as a grounding side of the first battery cell structure,
in the second battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series in order of the arrangement so that the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell on the third end side serves as an output side of the second battery cell structure, and the air electrode of the fuel battery cell on the fourth end side serves as a grounding side of the second battery cell structure, and
a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the first end of the first battery cell structure is electrically connected with a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the third end of the second battery cell structure, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and m is an integer having at least one value from 1 to n−1.

7 more elements

A fuel battery, comprising:

a plurality of fuel battery cells each of the cells including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode;
and
a fuel supplier that is filled with a liquid fuel and supplies the fuel electrode with the liquid fuel;
wherein
a first battery cell structure and a second battery cell structure are formed on a first surface and a second surface constituting the fuel supplier, each of the first battery cell structure and the second battery cell structure includes n said fuel battery cells,
in the first battery cell structure, the n fuel battery cells are arranged from a first end of the fuel supplier to a second end of the fuel supplier opposite to the first end,
in the second battery cell structure, the n fuel battery cells are arranged from a third end of the fuel supplier to a fourth end of the fuel supplier opposite to the third end in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction of the fuel battery cells in the first battery cell structure,
in the first battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series in order of the arrangement so that the fuel electrode of the fuel battery cell on the first end side serves as an output side of the first battery cell structure, and the air electrode of the fuel battery cell on the second end side serves as a grounding side of the first battery cell structure,
in the second battery cell structure, the fuel battery cells are electrically connected in series so that the fuel electrode of a first fuel battery cell near a center from the third end serves as an output side of the second battery cell structure, and the air electrode of a second fuel battery cell near the center from the third end but different from the first fuel battery cell serves as a grounding side of the second battery cell structure, and
a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the output side of the first battery cell structure among the fuel battery cells connected in series in the first battery cell structure is electrically connected with a connector for electrically connecting an m-th fuel battery cell and an (m+1)-th fuel battery cell from the output side of the second battery cell structure among the fuel battery cells connected in series in the second battery cell structure, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 4, and m is an integer having at least one value from 1 to n−1.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/443,122Filed 31 May 2006
Priority: JP 2004-04812524 Feb 2004
Published: 28 Sep 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H01M 8/241
Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
H01M 8/242
With solid or matrix-supported electrolytes: comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets
H01M 8/0247
Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors: characterised by the form
H01M 8/04201
Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration: reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes