Fuel cell generation apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel cell system comprising a hydrogen generator ( 1 ) which generates hydrogen gas by allowing a source material to undergo a reforming reaction and a fuel cell ( 3 ) which is equipped with a anode and an cathode and which generates electric power by allowing the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other. The fuel cell system further comprises a water recovering portion ( 5 ) configured to recover water from water vapor discharged from at least one of the fuel and cathodes, a water storing portion ( 6 ) which is equipped with a tank ( 6 a ) for storing water recovered by the water recovering portion ( 5 ), and a water supply portion ( 10 ) configured to supply water stored in the tank ( 6 a ) to the hydrogen generator ( 1 ), wherein the tank ( 6 a ) is configured, in order to prevent water stored in the tank ( 6 a ) from decaying, such that the stored water is dischargable to the outside, and wherein the fuel cell system is so configured as to make a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside for the prevention of water decay.

1 . A fuel cell system comprising: 
 a hydrogen generator configured to generate hydrogen gas by allowing a source material to undergo a reforming reaction;    a fuel cell equipped with a anode and an cathode and configured to generate electric power by allowing the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other;    a water recovering portion configured to recover water from water vapor discharged from at least one of the fuel and cathodes;    a water storing portion which is equipped with a tank for storing water recovered by said water recovering portion; and    a water supply portion configured to supply water stored in the tank to said hydrogen generator,    wherein:    the tank is configured, in order to prevent water stored in the tank from decaying, such that the stored water is dischargable to the outside, and    said fuel cell system is so configured as to make a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside for the prevention of water decay.    
     
     
         2 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a discharge prompting information output portion configured to output, when it is decided that water stored in the tank is to be discharged outside, discharge prompting information indicative of the discharging of the stored water to the outside.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said fuel cell system is so configured as to make, on the basis of the accumulated operating time of said fuel cell system, a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside.  
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said fuel cell system is so configured as to make, on the basis of the accumulated downtime of said fuel cell system, a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside.  
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 2 , 
 wherein:    said water supply portion has a pump for transporting water stored in the tank,    a filter, disposed between the tank and the pump, for water purification, and    said fuel cell system is so configured as to make, on the basis of a flow rate of water output from the pump, a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside.    
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 2 , 
 wherein:    said water supply portion has a pump for transporting water stored in the tank,    a filter, disposed between the tank and the pump, for water purification, and    said fuel cell system is so configured as to make, on the basis of the operating state of the pump, a decision on whether or not to discharge the stored water to the outside.    
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the inside of the tank is dried after the discharging of the water stored in the tank to the outside.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 7  further comprising a heater for heating the tank, 
 wherein the inside of the tank is dried by application of heat to the tank by said heater.    
     
     
         9 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said heater heats the tank at a temperature within the range of 100 to 130 degrees Centigrade.  
     
     
         10 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said heater heats the tank when water is stored in the tank.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a water purifier for water purification, and    a cooler for cooling water heated by said heater,    wherein said water supply portion supplies water cooled by said cooler to said hydrogen generator through said water purifier.    
     
     
         12 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the tank is provided with an openable and closable exhaust opening so that gas generated by heating by said heater is dischargable to the outside.  
     
     
         13 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein gas discharged from the tank is supplied to said hydrogen generator.  
     
     
         14 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 7 , 
 wherein:    the tank is supplied with water from the outside, and    after the discharging of the stored water in the tank to the outside, the inside of the tank is cleaned by a supply of water to the tank from the outside, and thereafter the inside of the tank is dried.    
     
     
         15 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the concentration of chlorine in said water supplied from the outside falls within the range of 0.1 to 5 mg/l.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 1 , 
 wherein:    the tank is supplied with water from the outside, and    after the discharging of the stored water in the tank to the outside, the inside of the tank is cleaned by a supply of water to the tank from the outside.    
     
     
         17 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 2 , 
 wherein:    said water storing portion has a plurality of tanks which sequentially store water, and    said fuel cell system is so configured as to make a decision on whether or not to discharge water, stored in a tank of the plurality of tanks which is not storing water, to the outside.    
     
     
         18 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 17 , 
 wherein the inside of the tank is dried after the discharging of the water stored in the tank to the outside.    
     
     
         19 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 18  further comprising a heater for heating the tank, 
 wherein the inside of the tank is dried by application of heat to the tank by said heater.    
     
     
         20 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a gas drawing portion for drawing gas into the tank from the outside.  
     
     
         21 . The fuel cell system as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein a filter for removing solid impurity components from gas is disposed upstream of said gas drawing portion relative to the direction in which the gas flows.