Rotary expansible chamber devices – Working member has planetary or planetating movement – Helical working member – e.g. – scroll
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2002-07-30
Koczo, Michael (Department: 3746)
Rotary expansible chamber devices
Working member has planetary or planetating movement
Helical working member, e.g., scroll
C418S055400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06425746
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fuel cell system having a compressor and a regenerator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell is connected to a fuel cell in a fuel cell device used for a car as, for example, described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-14599. In fuel cells in general, a pair of separators is disposed one on each side of an electrolyte layer. Feed grooves for supplying fuel and an oxygen-containing gas are formed in these separators. One of the separators supplies a hydrogen-containing fuel and the other separator supplies an oxygen-containing gas such as air. In consequence, electrons move, due to the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, to provide a current. A fuel feed pipe and an air feed pipe are connected to the upstream side of such a fuel cell to supply the fuel and air, respectively. The air feed pipe is open to the atmosphere through a compression mechanism portion that is driven by a motor. The compression mechanism portion pressurizes air from the atmosphere to a predetermined pressure and supplies the air to the fuel cell. An air exhaust pipe is connected to the downstream side of the fuel cell to exhaust an exhaust gas, after oxygen is extracted from air inside the fuel cell, to the atmosphere. A regenerative mechanism portion is connected to the air exhaust pipe so as to assist the motor operating the compression mechanism portion, using power that is generated as the exhaust gas is expanded. In the fuel cell device of this kind, each of the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion use a separate compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell. In this fuel cell device, the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are constituted so that they can be operated by the same driving source.
However, the conventional compressor and regenerator. for a fuel cell involves the problem that it takes large installation area and its mountability in a car, for example, is bad, because the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are separate from each other. This problem may be solved if the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are integrated with each other.
Even if the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are thus integrated, another problem remains to be solved. If a compression chamber and a regenerative chamber are. greatly spaced apart from each other, the route of a pipe for connecting the compression chamber and the regenerative chamber through the fuel cell is long, and a pressure loss in the oxygen-containing gas is likely to occur in the interim. Therefore, the oxygen-containing gas does not have sufficient pressure when supplied to the fuel cell, with the result that power generation performance of the fuel cell drops, or the regenerative mechanism portion cannot sufficiently assist the driving source because an exhaust gas having sufficient pressure is not supplied thereto.
To cope with this problem, the compression chamber for increasing the pressure of the oxygen-containing gas to a high pressure in the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative chamber for assisting the driving source by the exhaust gas in the regenerative mechanism portion may be disposed adjacent to each other. In this case, however, the exhaust gas is likely to form a by-path leaked from the regenerative chamber side to the compression chamber side. In other words, oxygen of the exhaust gas is to be extracted in the fuel cell. Therefore, if exhaust gas having a low density of oxygen leaks to the compression chamber, the pressure of this exhaust gas having a low density of oxygen is elevated to a high pressure in the compression mechanism portion and is then supplied to the fuel cell. In this case, a sufficient amount of oxygen for generating a current in the fuel cell cannot be supplied, and power generation performance of the fuel cell consequently drops.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell that can sufficiently assist a driving source and can ensure a high power generation performance of a fuel cell.
A compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell according to the present invention includes a compression mechanism portion having a compression chamber for pressurizing an oxygen-containing gas to a high pressure to supply this oxygen-containing gas to a fuel cell; and a regenerative mechanism portion having a regenerative chamber for assisting a driving source by an exhaust gas exhausted from the fuel cell; wherein the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are constituted in such a manner as to be operated by the same driving source; wherein the compression chamber and the regenerative chamber are disposed adjacent to each other; and wherein sealing means, for preventing a leaked by-path of the exhaust gas from the regenerative chamber to the compression chamber, is interposed between the compression chamber and the regenerative chamber.
In the compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell according to the present invention, the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion are so constituted as to be operated by the same driving source and are integrated with each other. Therefore, the installation area is small, and excellent mountability to a car, for example, can be achieved.
In the compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell according to the present invention, the compression chamber and the regenerative chamber are disposed adjacent to each other. Therefore, the route for pipes for connecting the compression chamber to the regenerative chamber through the fuel cell becomes short, and the pressure loss in the oxygen-containing gas does not occur so easily in this route. Therefore, the oxygen-containing gas retains a pressure sufficient for it to be supplied to the fuel cell, and a good power generation performance of the fuel cell can be maintained. An exhaust gas having a sufficient pressure is supplied to the regenerative mechanism portion, and the power of the driving source can be sufficiently assisted.
In the compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell according to the present invention, sealing means for preventing a leaked by-path of the exhaust gas to the compression chamber is interposed between the compression chamber and the regenerative chamber. Therefore, the sealing means prevents the exhaust gas, that has a low density of oxygen, from forming a by-path leaked to the compression chamber and can thus prevent the exhaust gas having a low density of oxygen from being pressurized by the compression mechanism portion and supplied to the fuel cell. In consequence, oxygen can be supplied in a sufficient amount for generating the current in the fuel cell, and power generation performance of the fuel cell can be maintained.
For these reasons, the compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell according to the present invention can sufficiently assist the driving source and can keep the power generation performance of the fuel cell high.
The compression mechanism portion constituted as a scroll type includes a housing, one surface of a side plate which orbit by the rotation of a drive shaft and a first spiral member protruding from this surface. The regenerative mechanism portion constituted as a scroll type includes the housing forming the compression mechanism portion, the other surface of the side plate opposite to the surface of the side plate forming the compression mechanism portion, and a second spiral member formed on this other surface to protrude therefrom. This construction can provide a quiet and light compressor and regenerator for a fuel cell. Because the compression mechanism portion and the regenerative mechanism portion can share the side plate from which the first and second spiral members protrude, the total leng
Kawaguchi Ryuta
Mori Hidefumi
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
Koczo Michael
Woodcock & Washburn LLP
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