# US 2014/0193727 A1 · Fuel cell system

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- Number: US 2014/0193727 A1
- Document ID: US20140193727A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/342,817
- Filed: 2012-08-23
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-07
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tetsuya Ogawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193727A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04164: {by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters}
- H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange
- H01M 8/04373: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners}
- H01M 8/04619: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/04761: {of fuel cell exhausts}
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- H01M 2250/405: Cogeneration of heat or hot water
- Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module for generating electrical energy by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and a condenser for condensing water vapor in an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module by heat exchange between the exhaust gas and a coolant to collect the condensed water and supplying the collected condensed water to the fuel cell module. The condenser includes an air cooling condensing mechanism using the oxygen-containing gas as the coolant, and a water cooling condensing mechanism using the hot water stored in the hot water storage unit as the coolant. The air cooling condensing mechanism includes a thermoelectric converter for performing thermoelectric conversion by a temperature difference between the exhaust gas and the oxygen-containing gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell module for generating electrical energy by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas; and
a condenser for condensing water vapor in an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module by heat exchange between the exhaust gas and a coolant to collect the condensed water and supplying the collected condensed water to the fuel cell module,
wherein the condenser includes an air cooling condensing mechanism using the oxygen-containing gas as the coolant; and
the air cooling condensing mechanism includes a thermoelectric converter for performing thermoelectric conversion by a temperature difference between the exhaust gas and the oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a hot water storage unit for storing hot water, wherein the condenser includes a water cooling condensing mechanism using the hot water stored in the hot water storage unit as the coolant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a control device, wherein the control device includes:
an electrical power comparator for comparing supplied electrical power with a predetermined demanded electrical power range; and
a heat quantity comparator for comparing supplied heat quantity with a predetermined demanded heat quantity range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein the hot water storage unit includes:
a hot water level detector for detecting a water level of the hot water; and
a hot water temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the hot water.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the condenser includes a water container for storing the condensed water and a condensed water level detector for detecting a water level of the condensed water in the water container.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The fuel cell system according to claim 2, further comprising a regulator valve for regulating the flow rate of the exhaust gas supplied to the air cooling condensing mechanism and the flow rate of the exhaust gas supplied to the water cooling condensing mechanism.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a fuel cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells, the fuel cells each including an electrolyte electrode assembly and a separator stacked together, the electrolyte electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode;
a heat exchanger for heating an oxygen-containing gas before the oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the fuel cell stack;
an evaporator for evaporating water to produce a mixed fuel of water vapor and a raw fuel chiefly containing hydrocarbon; and
a reformer for reforming the mixed fuel to produce the fuel gas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell module is a solid oxide fuel cell module.