Abnormality Detection Device For Catalyst Combustor

Abstract

A controller determines whether a rate of temperature rise on an upstream side of a catalyst portion is at a determination criterion value or higher, and, when the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion is at the determination criterion value or higher, the controller determines that a combustor is in an abnormal combustion state. Therefore, an abnormal combustion state of the combustor can be detected before temperature of the combustor becomes high.

1 . An abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor, which mixes anode off gas emitted from a fuel electrode of a fuel cell with oxidant gas in accordance with an operation state of a fuel cell system, and performs a combustion treatment for the anode off gas in an catalyst portion, comprising:
 upstream side temperature measuring means for measuring gas temperature on an upstream side of the catalyst portion; and   abnormal combustion detecting means for detecting an abnormal combustion state of a catalyst combustor by comparing at least one of gas temperature or rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of a catalyst with a determination criterion value.   
   
   
       2 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 downstream side temperature measuring means for measuring gas temperature on a downstream side of the catalyst portion,   wherein the abnormal combustion detecting means detects an abnormal combustion state of the catalyst combustor by comparing at least one of gas temperature and a rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion with at least one of gas temperature and a rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion.   
   
   
       3 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the oxidant gas is cathode off gas emitted from an oxidant electrode of the fuel cell,   the abnormality detection device comprises cathode off gas temperature measuring means for measuring temperature of the cathode off gas, and   the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormal combustion state of the catalyst combustor by comparing at least one of the gas temperature and the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion with at least one of the gas temperature and the rate of temperature rise of cathode off gas.   
   
   
       4 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a first determination criterion is satisfied as the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       5 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a first determination criterion is satisfied as the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition, and when a second determination criterion is satisfied as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible temperature specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       6 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a third determination criterion is satisfied as a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst and the rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       7 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a first determination criterion is satisfied as the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition, and when a third determination criterion is satisfied as a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion and the rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       8 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a second determination criterion is satisfied as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible temperature specified in accordance with an operation condition, and when a third determination criterion is satisfied as a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion and the rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       9 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a first determination criterion is satisfied as the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition, when a second determination criterion is satisfied as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible temperature specified in accordance with an operation condition, and when a third determination criterion is satisfied as a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion and the rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       10 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a first determination criterion is satisfied as the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a permissible rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition, and/or when a third determination criterion is satisfied as a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion and the rate of temperature rise on the downstream side of the catalyst portion becomes equal to or higher than a rate of temperature rise specified in accordance with an operation condition, and when a fourth determination criterion is satisfied as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion becomes higher than the gas temperature on the downstream side of the catalyst portion by at least a temperature width specified by an operation condition.   
   
   
       11 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines an abnormal combustion state of the catalyst combustor by using fifth and sixth determination criteria, in substitution for the first and/or the third determination criteria, to which a difference between the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion and the rate of temperature rise of cathode off gas is applied instead of the rate of temperature rise on the upstream side of the catalyst portion in the first and third determination criteria.   
   
   
       12 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines an abnormal combustion state of the catalyst combustor by using seventh and eighth determination criteria, in substitution for the second and/or a fourth determination criteria, to which a difference between gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst combustor and temperature of cathode off gas is applied instead of the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst combustor in the second and fourth determination criteria.   
   
   
       13 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a ninth determination criterion is satisfied as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion increases to a temperature higher than the temperature of cathode off gas by at least a temperature width specified by an operation condition.   
   
   
       14 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when a ninth determination criterion is satisfied in substitution for the second, fourth, seventh, and eighth determination criteria, as the gas temperature on the upstream side of the catalyst portion increases to a temperature higher than the temperature of cathode off gas by at least a temperature width specified by an operation condition.   
   
   
       15 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormal combustion state of the catalyst combustor by using several of determination criteria.   
   
   
       16 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when the determination criterion is satisfied consecutively during a time period specified in accordance with an operation condition.   
   
   
       17 . The abnormality detection device for a catalyst combustor according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the abnormality detecting means determines that the catalyst combustor is in an abnormal combustion state when the determination criterion is satisfied for a predetermined percentage of a time period specified in accordance with an operation condition.