JP2012036023A - Liquid storing vessel, hydrogen production apparatus and fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid storing vessel which can supply a liquid stably even if the vessel inclines in any direction; and to provide a hydrogen production apparatus and a fuel cell system using the same.SOLUTION: The liquid storing vessel includes a vessel body 21, a lid body 10, a liquid introducing pipe 11 having an inflexible pipe 6a penetrating the lid body 10 and extending to near the center of the vessel body 21, and having a flexible pipe 5a whose one end is connected to the inflexible pipe 6a and whose other end is an introducing port 14, and introducing a liquid from the introducing port 14 into the vessel body 21 through the inflexible pipe 6a and the flexible pipe 5a, a float 13 to float the introducing port 14 on the liquid surface by the buoyancy, a liquid discharging pipe 12 having an inflexible pipe 6b penetrating the lid body 10 and extending to near the center of the vessel body 21, and having a second flexible pipe 5b whose one end is connected to the inflexible pipe 6b and whose other end is a water sucking port 8, and sucking the liquid in the vessel body 21 from the water sucking port 8 and discharging the liquid outward through the flexible pipe 5b and the inflexible pipe 6b, and a weight 7 immersing the water sucking port 8 in the liquid by the gravity.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage container for storing a liquid such as liquid fuel and water, and a hydrogen production apparatus and a fuel cell system using the same.

  The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) operates at low temperatures from room temperature to 100 ° C or less, and has features such as quick start / stop and high power density. It is expected to be used as a power generator for mobile devices such as cogeneration and automobiles, and as a portable power source.

  In general, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is a porous polymer cell comprising a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane as an electrolyte layer, a catalyst layer disposed on both sides thereof, and a gas diffusion layer disposed on both sides thereof. Electrode / electrolyte integrated body (MEA) composed of a high quality electrode base material.

  Hydrogen, ethanol, and the like have been proposed as fuels for use in solid polymer fuel cells, and various developments have been made. However, a solid polymer fuel cell using hydrogen as a fuel in terms of enabling high energy density. Is expected.

  As a method for producing hydrogen used as a fuel for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, for example, a hydrogen generating material containing a hydrogen generating material such as aluminum, magnesium, silicon, and zinc is chemically reacted with water to generate hydrogen. The method is known.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, water is supplied to a hydrogen generation material storage container that stores a hydrogen generation material, hydrogen is generated by reacting the hydrogen generation material and water in the hydrogen generation material storage container, and the generated hydrogen is A hydrogen production apparatus that supplies fuel cells through a hydrogen discharge pipe provided in a hydrogen generating material container is described. However, when the water storage container is inclined and the water inlet of the water supply pipe is positioned on the water surface, air may enter the water supply pipe and water may not be stably supplied to the hydrogen generating substance storage container. . In this case, the amount of hydrogen generation decreases, and there is a possibility that stable power generation cannot be performed. However, Patent Document 1 has not proposed any countermeasure for such a problem.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, for example, a submerged immersion means comprising a weight and a float is provided at the tip of a flexible supply pipe that supplies liquid from the inside of a tank that stores liquid such as fuel. A method has been proposed in which the liquid can be supplied by immersing the tip of the supply pipe in the liquid even if the liquid level changes vertically or tilts. In addition, by forming a bellows structure around the joint between the tank body and the supply pipe, when the amount of liquid in the tank decreases, the bellows part is changed to follow it and the tip of the supply pipe is lowered. A method has been proposed.

JP 2008-105926 A JP 2007-335144 A

  However, in the method described in Patent Document 2, when the tank is turned upside down with a particularly small amount of liquid in the tank, air may enter the supply pipe and stable supply may not be possible. Moreover, no method has been proposed for collecting liquid in the tank regardless of the inclination of the tank.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a liquid container that can stably supply a liquid even when tilted in any direction, and a hydrogen production apparatus and a fuel cell system using the same. To do.

  The liquid container according to the present invention includes a container main body capable of storing a liquid, a lid for sealing the container main body, a first inflexible tube extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container main body, A first flexible tube having one end connected to the first inflexible tube and an introduction port at the other end, and the liquid from the introduction port through the first inflexible tube and the first flexible tube. A liquid introduction pipe to be introduced into the container main body, a float for floating the introduction port above the liquid surface by buoyancy, a second inflexible pipe extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container main body, A second flexible tube connected to the second non-flexible tube and having a water suction port at the other end, and the liquid in the container body is sucked from the water suction port, and the second flexible tube and the second non-flexible tube. A liquid discharge pipe for discharging to the outside through a weight and a weight for immersing the water suction port in the liquid by gravity. Characterized in that was.

  The hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention is a hydrogen production apparatus for producing hydrogen by supplying water to a hydrogen generating material that generates hydrogen by a reaction with water. In a gas containing hydrogen generated by a reaction between a hydrogen generating material and water, comprising a gas-liquid separation container that separates gas and liquid, and a liquid storage container of the present invention that stores water supplied to the hydrogen generating material. The liquid component contained in is separated by the gas-liquid separation container and stored in the liquid storage container.

  The fuel cell system of the present invention includes the hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention and a fuel cell using hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus as a fuel.

  According to the present invention, there are provided a liquid container that can stably supply a liquid even when tilted in any direction, and a hydrogen production apparatus and a fuel cell system using the same.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of the liquid container of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the other example of the liquid container of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the other example of the liquid container of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the hydrogen production apparatus provided with the liquid container of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the hydrogen production apparatus provided with the liquid container of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of the gas-liquid separation container used for the hydrogen production apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the other example of the gas-liquid separation container used for the hydrogen production apparatus of this invention. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows an example of the fuel cell which can be used for the fuel cell system of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an internal state when the liquid container shown in FIG. 1 is tilted in four different directions.

  The liquid container according to the present invention includes a container main body capable of storing a liquid, a lid for sealing the container main body, a first inflexible tube extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container main body, A first flexible tube having one end connected to the first inflexible tube and an introduction port at the other end, and the liquid from the introduction port through the first inflexible tube and the first flexible tube. A liquid introduction pipe to be introduced into the container main body, a float for floating the introduction port above the liquid surface by buoyancy, a second inflexible pipe extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container main body, A second flexible tube connected to the second non-flexible tube and having a water suction port at the other end, and the liquid in the container body is sucked from the water suction port, and the second flexible tube and the second non-flexible tube. A liquid discharge pipe for discharging to the outside through a weight and a weight for immersing the water suction port in the liquid by gravity. Characterized in that was. Thereby, even if it inclines in all directions, a liquid can be supplied stably. In addition, since the liquid introduction pipe and the liquid discharge pipe are configured as inflexible pipes to the vicinity of the center of the container main body, it is possible to prevent the liquid supply pipe and the liquid recovery pipe from being entangled.

  The hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention is a hydrogen production apparatus for producing hydrogen by supplying water to a hydrogen generating material that generates hydrogen by a reaction with water. In a gas containing hydrogen generated by a reaction between a hydrogen generating material and water, comprising a gas-liquid separation container that separates gas and liquid, and a liquid storage container of the present invention that stores water supplied to the hydrogen generating material. The liquid component contained in is separated by the gas-liquid separation container and stored in the liquid storage container. Thereby, even if it inclines in all directions, hydrogen can be manufactured stably. Therefore, the hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention can be used as a fuel source for fuel cells. Further, since the liquid separated in the gas-liquid separation container is stored in the liquid storage container as the water supplied to the hydrogen generating material, regardless of the tilt direction of the apparatus main body, the water use efficiency can be improved.

  The fuel cell system of the present invention includes the hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention and a fuel cell using hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus as a fuel. As a result, hydrogen can be stably supplied to the fuel cell regardless of the inclination direction of the fuel cell system, and the output of the fuel cell is reduced due to liquid being mixed into the fuel cell due to the backflow from the gas-liquid separation container or liquid container Can be prevented. As a result, the fuel cell can stably generate power freely in any direction.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, an example of the liquid container of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the liquid container of the present embodiment.

  The liquid storage container 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has an opening (not labeled) at the top, and opens and closes a container main body 21 that can store liquid and the opening of the container main body 21. Thus, a prism 10 having a lid 10 that can seal the container body 21, a liquid introduction pipe 11 that introduces liquid into the container body 21, and a liquid discharge pipe 12 that discharges the liquid inside the container body 21 to the outside. The container.

  The liquid introduction tube 11 has a non-flexible tube 6a extending through the lid 10 to the vicinity of the center of the container body 21, one end (terminal) connected to the non-flexible tube 6a, and an introduction port 14 at the other end (tip). The liquid existing outside the flexible tube 5a is introduced into the container body 21 from the introduction port 14 through the non-flexible tube 6a and the flexible tube 5a. Near the tip of the flexible tube 5a, there is provided a float 13 that floats the inlet 14 on the liquid surface by buoyancy. The float 13 is used for floating to hold the inlet 14 at a position higher than the liquid surface. A weight 15 is provided. Thereby, since the inlet 14 is arrange | positioned above a liquid level, it can prevent that the water 4 flows back into the inlet 14. FIG. In FIG. 1, a connecting pipe 20 is provided in a part of the inflexible pipes 6a and 6b. The connecting pipe 20 may be inflexible or flexible. By bending the non-flexible tubes 6a and 6b downward in the direction of gravity, it is possible to suppress the bending of a flexible tube 5b (described later) having a weight 7 provided at the tip.

  The liquid discharge pipe 12 has a non-flexible pipe 6b extending through the lid 10 to the vicinity of the center of the container body 21, one end (terminal) connected to the non-flexible pipe 6b, and a water inlet 8 at the other end (tip). It consists of the flexible tube 5b, and the liquid in the container main body 21 is sucked from the water suction port 8 and discharged to the outside through the flexible tube 5b and the non-flexible tube 6b. A weight 7 for immersing the water suction port 8 in the liquid by gravity is provided at the tip of the flexible tube 5b. As a result, the water inlet 8 moves in the direction of gravity in the liquid container 1 due to the action of the weight 7, so that the liquid container 1 can come into contact with the liquid in the container no matter what direction the liquid container 1 is tilted. Therefore, the liquid in the liquid container 1 can be sucked from the water inlet 8 and discharged to the outside regardless of the inclination direction of the liquid container 1.

  Since both the liquid discharge pipe 12 and the liquid introduction pipe 11 are composed of an inflexible pipe up to the vicinity of the center of the container main body 21, it is possible to suppress entanglement of each other.

  Three joints 16 are provided at regular intervals at the connection between the non-flexible tube 6a and the flexible tube 5a and at the connection between the non-flexible tube 6b and the flexible tube 5b. Thereby, the bending angle of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b can be relaxed.

  The inflexible tubes 6 a and 6 b are fixed by a fixing band 9. As a result, in addition to maintaining the strength of the inflexible tube, it is possible to suppress loosening, and the flexible tubes are less likely to be entangled.

  The liquid container 1 is not particularly limited as long as it has inflexibility and is excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance. For example, it is made of hard polypropylene, made of acrylic resin, made of aluminum, or the like. Are preferably used. Since the liquid storage container 1 has inflexibility, when the liquid in the liquid storage container 1 is discharged to the outside, the internal pressure of the liquid storage container 1 is reduced, and a suction force is generated accordingly, and the liquid introduction pipe is externally supplied. 11 can introduce liquid. When the liquid container 1 is made of a flexible material, the container bends as the internal pressure of the liquid container 1 decreases, and the liquid cannot be efficiently introduced from the outside through the liquid introduction tube 11. 1 is preferably made of an inflexible material. The shape of the liquid container 1 is a prismatic shape here, but a cylindrical shape or a spherical shape can also be adopted.

  The flexible tubes 5a and 5b are not particularly limited as long as they are hollow and flexible, but a fluorocarbon tube and a silicon tube excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance are preferably used.

  The inflexible tubes 6a and 6b are not particularly limited as long as they have excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance. For example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), hard silicon, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polycarbonate, four Resin tubes such as ethylene fluoride and polysulfone, and metal pipes such as SUS pipes are preferably used.

  The weight 7 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent chemical resistance, but for example, a plated lead or stainless steel is preferably used. Further, the weight of the weight 7 is not particularly limited, for example, when the liquid to be collected is water, and is not less than the specific gravity (d = 1.0) and larger than the weight obtained by subtracting the buoyancy of the flexible tube 5b. However, the specific gravity (d ≧ 10) or more is preferable from the responsiveness of the weight. The size of the weight 7 is not particularly problematic as long as it does not hit the wall surface or piping in order to ensure directionality, but is preferably less than 10% of the total volume of the liquid container.

  The fixing band 9 is not particularly limited as long as it does not corrode easily, but for example, the same material as the container can be used.

  The float 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can hold air inside, but a polypropylene or a fluororesin excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance is preferably used. The outer diameter of the float 13 is not particularly limited as long as the buoyancy can be obtained, but a small float having an outer diameter of 10 mm to 30 mm is desirable. This is because the smaller one can use the internal volume of the liquid container 1 to the maximum.

  The floating weight 15 is not particularly limited as long as it is excellent in chemical resistance like the weight 7. For example, a lead-made plated material or a stainless steel weight is preferably used.

  The node 16 is not particularly limited as long as it is hollow, but a Freon tube excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance and a silicon tube are preferably used. The width of the node 16 is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the inner diameters of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b, but is preferably in the range of 2 mm to 10 mm. Further, the number of the node portions 16 is not particularly limited as long as the bending of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b can be prevented, but 2 to 5 are preferable.

  Here, the reason why the inner side ends of the inflexible tubes 6a and 6b are arranged near the center of the liquid container 1 will be described. When the inner side ends of the inflexible tubes 6a and 6b are arranged near the center of the liquid storage container 1, the length of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b is such that the container shown in FIG. ), The length reaches the inner bottom surface of the liquid container 1 from the vicinity of the center of the liquid container 1. In this case, even if the container is turned upside down, the liquid can be introduced without flowing back by floating the tip of the flexible tube 5a on the liquid surface, and the tip of the flexible tube 5b. Can reach the bottom of the container and can drain liquid. However, when the inner side ends of the non-flexible tubes 6a and 6b are arranged above the vicinity of the center of the liquid storage container 1, the lengths of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b are increased, and therefore, the flexible tubes 5a and 6b are easily entangled with each other. On the other hand, when the inner side ends of the inflexible tubes 6a and 6b are arranged below the center vicinity of the liquid storage container 1, the length of the flexible tubes 5a and 5b is shortened, so that the amount of stored water in the containers is large. If the container is turned upside down, the inlet 14 at the tip of the flexible tube 5a cannot be floated on the liquid surface, or if the container is turned upside down with a small amount of stored water, The water inlet 8 at the tip of the tube 5b does not reach the bottom of the container, and water cannot be discharged. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the inner side ends of the inflexible tubes 6 a and 6 b in the vicinity of the center of the liquid container 1.

  The operation of the liquid container 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 is a schematic diagram when the liquid container 1 shown in FIG. 1 is tilted in four different directions, FIG. 9A is a normal state (not tilted), and FIG. 9B is a state tilted 90 degrees to the left. FIG. 9C shows a state tilted 90 degrees to the right, and FIG. 9D shows a state turned upside down.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, when the liquid storage container 1 is in a normal state, the water 4 stored in the liquid storage container 1 is sucked from the water inlet 8 located at the bottom of the container by the action of the weight 7 to be flexible. It is discharged to the outside through the tube 5b and the inflexible tube 6b. At this time, the internal pressure of the liquid storage container 1 is reduced, and accordingly, a force for suctioning from the outside of the liquid introduction pipe 11 to the inside of the container is generated. Using this suction force, external water is introduced into the container body 21 from the introduction port 14 through the inflexible tube 6a and the flexible tube 5a of the liquid introduction tube 11.

  On the other hand, when the liquid storage container 1 is tilted as shown in FIGS. 9B to 9D, the water inlet 8 is always moved to the bottom of the container by the action of the weight 7, and the inlet 14 is always on the liquid surface by the action of the float 13. Is located. Therefore, even in the inclined state as shown in FIGS. 9B to 9D, the water 4 can be sucked from the water inlet 8 and discharged to the outside. That is, the liquid can be stably supplied regardless of the inclination of the liquid container 1. Further, since the introduction port 14 is always arranged upward with respect to the liquid level by the floating weight 15 of the float 13, it is possible to prevent the water 4 in the liquid container 1 from entering the introduction port 14.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, another example of the liquid container according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the liquid container of the present embodiment. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid storage container 2 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the shape of the container main body 22 is substantially cylindrical. Since the shape of the container body 22 is substantially cylindrical, the corners are fewer than the prismatic container 1 as in the first embodiment, so that even if the liquid storage container 2 is tilted, the water suction port 8 becomes liquid. It becomes easy to immerse and the liquid can be discharged more stably.

(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, another example of the liquid container according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the liquid container of the present embodiment. 3, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid container 3 of the present embodiment includes a water supply lid body 17 installed on the bottom surface of the container body 21, a safety valve 18 installed on the lid body 10, The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except that, for example, a connector 19 is installed as an attachment / detachment mechanism on both the liquid discharge pipes 12.

  In the case of the first embodiment, when water is supplied, it is necessary to remove the lid 10 and to take out all the liquid introduction pipe 11 and the liquid discharge pipe 12 attached to the lid 10 to the outside. There is a possibility that the liquid introduction pipe 11, the liquid discharge pipe 12, the float 13 and the weight 7 provided on these may be damaged. In addition, when the lid 10 is attached to the container body 21 after the water supply is finished, the taken out liquid introduction pipe 11, liquid discharge pipe 12, float 13 and weight 7 must be accommodated in the container body 21. It takes time and effort. On the other hand, in this embodiment, it is possible to supply water into the container body 21 without removing the lid body 10 by separately installing the water supply lid body 17 at the lower portion of the container body 21. Can be used stably over a long period of time.

  The safety valve 18 is a check valve that opens to the outside when the internal pressure of the liquid container 3 exceeds the safety region, and a generally used safety valve can be used. The valve opening pressure of the safety valve 18 depends on the size of the liquid storage container 3, but a range of 50 kPa to 200 kPa is preferably used. The safety valve 18 is not particularly limited as long as it is a mechanism that discharges gas to the outside when the internal pressure rises, including hydrogen, but it is not less than a certain pressure fluctuation such as a pressure reducing valve, a safety valve, a relief valve (check valve), etc. A pressure control valve or the like having a structure for naturally discharging gas is preferably used. Further, the above-exemplified valve can be electrically controlled by using an electromagnetic valve that can be electrically driven.

  The connector 19 is provided outside the container body 21 of the liquid introduction pipe 11 and the liquid discharge pipe 12. With this connector 19, the liquid container 3 can be separated from, for example, a gas-liquid separation container connected to the tip of the liquid introduction pipe 11 and, for example, a hydrogen generating material storage container connected to the tip of the liquid discharge pipe 12. For example, when the liquid storage container 3 is used as a cartridge of the fuel cell system, when the water in the liquid storage container 3 decreases, the liquid storage container 3 can be easily removed from the fuel cell system by the connector 19 and a new amount of water 4 is stored. Since the container 3 can be replaced, it is not necessary to take the fuel cell system to the liquid replenishment place, and the liquid can be easily replenished. The connector 19 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent heat resistance, chemical resistance, and strength, but is preferably made of a resin such as polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polycarbonate, tetrafluoroethylene, and polysulfone. Used.

(Embodiment 4)
In the fourth embodiment, an example of a hydrogen production apparatus including the liquid container of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the hydrogen production apparatus of the present embodiment. 4, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The liquid container 1 in FIG. 4 is a simplified representation of FIG.

  The hydrogen production apparatus 100a of this embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes a hydrogen generating material storage container 503 that stores a hydrogen generating material 504 that generates hydrogen by a reaction with water, and a liquid storage container 1 in which water 4 is stored. For example, a pump 301 as a transport unit for transporting the water 4 in the liquid storage container 1 to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503, a gas-liquid separation container 101 for separating the gas-liquid mixed fluid into gas and liquid, and a gas-liquid separation container 101 is provided with a three-way valve 401 for recovering the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid by the liquid container 1 and producing hydrogen by causing an exothermic reaction between the hydrogen generating material 504 and the water 4. For example, the fuel cell 700 using hydrogen as a fuel is supplied. Since the liquid container 1 has been described in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The gas-liquid separation container 101 in this embodiment includes an introduction pipe 105 that introduces a gas-liquid mixed fluid, two drainage pipes 102 that discharge a liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid, and a gas separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid. It is a hemispherical container which has the exhaust pipe 106 which discharges. In FIG. 4, one of two drainage pipes 102 is connected to the liquid storage container 1 through a pipe 205, and the other is connected to the liquid storage container 1 through a pipe 207, a three-way valve 401, a pump 301, and a pipe 201. 1 is connected. The introduction pipe 105 is connected to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 through the pipe 203. The exhaust pipe 106 is connected to the fuel cell 700 via a pipe 204.

  Here, the reason why the hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention includes a gas-liquid separation container will be described. In the hydrogen generating material storage container 503, the hydrogen generating material 504 and the water 4 react to generate hydrogen, and the generated hydrogen is supplied to a hydrogen discharge path (pipe in FIG. 4) provided in the hydrogen generating material storage container 503. 203 and the pipe 204) and supplied to the fuel cell 700, for example. However, water such as water or water vapor that has not reacted with the hydrogen generating material 504 is supplied to the fuel cell 700 through the hydrogen discharge path together with hydrogen, which may cause problems such as a decrease in the output of the fuel cell 700. On the other hand, in the present invention, a gas-liquid separation container is provided in the middle of the hydrogen discharge path (between the pipe 203 and the pipe 204 in FIG. 4), and the amount of liquid components in the gas containing hydrogen discharged from the pipe 204 This can reduce the malfunction of the fuel cell 700 due to the supply of moisture.

  The gas-liquid separation container is not particularly limited as long as it is made of an inflexible material that has excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance and does not deform. However, a material that does not leak water or hydrogen, or a pressure reduction and pressurization of about 50 kPa. A structure that can withstand internal pressure fluctuations such as the above is more preferable. As a specific material of the container, a material that does not easily transmit water and hydrogen and that does not break even when heated to about 120 ° C. is preferable. For example, a metal such as aluminum or iron, an acrylic resin, a hard polypropylene, Resins such as polyethylene can be used. In addition, the shape of the container is hemispherical here, but other shapes such as a prismatic shape, a cylindrical shape, and a spherical shape can be adopted.

  Below, the detailed structure of the gas-liquid separation container 101 of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the gas-liquid separation container 101 in the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 6, each drainage pipe 102 is disposed on the upper surface of the gas-liquid separation container 101 and extends from the inside of the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the outside. The drainage pipe 102 has a first opening (not labeled) on the inner side of the gas-liquid separation container 101 and discharges liquid from the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the outside. The first opening of each drainage pipe 102 is connected to the end of a flexible water absorption pipe 103, and a weight 104 is provided at the tip of the water absorption pipe 103. The water absorption pipe 103 is bent by the action of the weight 104, and the water absorption port 109 of the water absorption pipe 103 moves in the direction of gravity in the gas-liquid separation container 101, so that the gas-liquid separation container 101 can be tilted in any direction. It will be in the state which can contact with the liquid stored in 101. FIG. Thereby, the liquid stored in the gas-liquid separation container 101 can be sucked and discharged regardless of the inclination of the gas-liquid separation container 101.

  Moreover, the two water absorption pipes 103 are fixed by a fixing band 110 so as not to be entangled with each other. Thereby, the angle at which the water absorption pipe 103 bends is limited, and the entanglement between the water absorption pipes 103 and the entanglement between the water absorption pipe 103 and the drainage pipe 102 or the intake pipe 107 can be suppressed. In addition, the effect which suppresses the said entanglement is not limited to the fixed band 110, It can obtain also by the other mechanism which connects the some water absorption pipe | tube 103. FIG. For example, if the weight 104 also serves to fix the plurality of water absorption pipes 103, the installation of the fixing band 110 can be omitted, and problems such as the fixing band 110 coming off can be avoided.

  The introduction pipe 105 is disposed on the upper surface of the gas-liquid separation container 101 and extends from the inside of the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the outside. The introduction pipe 105 has a second opening (not labeled) on the inner side of the gas-liquid separation container 101, and introduces the gas-liquid mixed fluid from the outside to the inside of the gas-liquid separation container 101.

  The exhaust pipe 106 is disposed on the upper surface of the gas-liquid separation container 101 and extends from the inside of the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the outside. The exhaust pipe 106 has a third opening (not labeled) on the inner side of the gas-liquid separation container 101 and discharges gas from the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the outside. The distal end of the intake pipe 107 is connected to the third opening of the exhaust pipe 106, and the tip of the intake pipe 107 is disposed at the center of the gas-liquid separation container 101. The gas in the gas-liquid separation container 101 is sucked from a certain inlet 108 and transported into the exhaust pipe 106. As a result, as long as the liquid level of the liquid stored in the gas-liquid separation container 101 does not reach the intake port 108, the intake port 108 is not affected by the inclination of the gas-liquid separation container 101 in any direction. It is possible to avoid contact with the liquid inside, and to prevent the liquid from entering the exhaust pipe 106. In FIG. 6, the exhaust pipe 106 and the intake pipe 107 are integrally formed so that they cannot be separated.

  The drainage pipe 102, the introduction pipe 105, and the exhaust pipe 106 are not particularly limited as long as they have excellent heat resistance, chemical resistance, and strength. For example, PTFE, hard silicon, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, Metal pipes such as resin tubes such as polycarbonate, tetrafluoroethylene, and polysulfone, and SUS pipes are preferably used.

  The water absorption tube 103 is not particularly limited as long as it is hollow and flexible, but a fluorocarbon tube or a silicon tube excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance is preferably used.

  The weight 104 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent chemical resistance, but for example, a plated lead or stainless steel is preferably used. Further, the weight of the weight 104 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than the specific gravity (d = 1.0) or more and less than the weight obtained by subtracting the buoyancy of the water absorption tube 103 when the liquid to be collected is water, for example. However, the specific gravity (d ≧ 10) or more is preferable from the responsiveness of the weight. The size of the weight 104 is not particularly problematic as long as it does not hit the wall surface or piping in order to ensure directionality, but it may be less than 10% of the total volume of the gas-liquid separation container 101. preferable.

  The intake pipe 107 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance, but a PTFE tube, a hard silicon tube, or the like is preferably used. The shape of the intake pipe 107 is not particularly limited as long as the intake port 108 can be arranged at the center of the gas-liquid separation container 101, but the intake pipe 107 may be arranged so as not to be entangled with the water absorption pipe 103 that moves in all directions by the weight 104. More preferred.

  The fixing band 110 is not particularly limited as long as it does not corrode easily, but for example, the same material as the container can be used.

  When the gas-liquid mixed fluid is introduced into the gas-liquid separation container 101 having such a configuration, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixed fluid is discharged in the direction of the drain tube 102, and the gas in the gas-liquid mixed fluid is It is discharged in the direction of the exhaust pipe 106. For example, when the gas-liquid mixed fluid contains water and hydrogen, the water in the gas-liquid mixed fluid introduced into the gas-liquid separation container 101 from the introduction pipe 105 is inclined in any direction. Even in such a case, the gas-liquid separation container 101 accumulates downward in the direction of gravity. Then, the stored water is sucked from the water suction port 109 of the water suction pipe 103 bent in the direction of gravity by the action of the weight 104, and discharged through the water suction pipe 103 toward the drainage pipe 102. The power source of the drainage at this time is, for example, the case where liquid is sent via a pump on the flow path of the drainage pipe 102, or by the action of the pump that sends liquid from the liquid storage container to the hydrogen generating material storage container. The liquid can be drained outside the liquid separation container 101. On the other hand, hydrogen in the gas-liquid mixed fluid is sucked from the intake port 108 installed at the center of the gas-liquid separation container 101, and discharged through the intake pipe 107 toward the exhaust pipe 106. This discharged hydrogen can be used as a hydrogen source of the fuel cell.

  This is the end of the description of the gas-liquid separation container 101 using FIG. 6, and the description returns to FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the material and shape of the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 are not particularly limited as long as the hydrogen generating material 504 that generates hydrogen can be stored. However, a material and shape in which water and hydrogen do not leak are preferable. The specific container material is preferably a material that hardly permeates water and hydrogen and that does not break even when heated to about 120 ° C., for example, metals such as aluminum and iron, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyether ether. Resins such as ketones can be used. Further, as the shape of the container, a prismatic shape, a cylindrical shape or the like can be adopted.

  The hydrogen generating material storage container 503 and the liquid storage container 1 can be detachable. For example, a water supply pipe (not labeled) and a hydrogen discharge pipe (not labeled) of the hydrogen generating material storage container 503, a liquid introduction pipe 11 and a liquid discharge pipe 12 of the liquid storage container 1, respectively. The connector 19 (FIG. 3) described in the third embodiment is provided, and the connector is used when the hydrogen generating material 504 in the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 is consumed or the water in the liquid storage container 1 is exhausted. 19, the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 and the liquid storage container 1 are removed and replaced with a hydrogen generating material storage container 503 filled with a predetermined amount of hydrogen generating material 504 and a liquid storage container 1 filled with a predetermined amount of water. Thus, hydrogen can be produced again.

  The water stored in the liquid storage container 1 may be a liquid containing at least water, such as neutral water, an acidic aqueous solution, or an alkaline aqueous solution, and suitable water depending on the reactivity with the hydrogen generating material 504 to be used. Just choose.

  The hydrogen generating material 504 accommodated in the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 is not particularly limited as long as it contains a hydrogen generating material that reacts with water to generate hydrogen, but reacts with water at a low temperature of 120 ° C. or lower. Thus, it is desirable to include a hydrogen generating material capable of generating hydrogen.

  Examples of the hydrogen generating substance include metals such as aluminum, silicon, zinc, and magnesium, alloys mainly composed of one or more elements of aluminum, silicon, zinc, and magnesium, and also sodium borohydride, hydrogenated Metal hydrides such as potassium borohydride and lithium hydride can be preferably used. When the above alloy is used, metal components other than the main element are not particularly limited. The main element means an element contained in an amount of 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more based on the entire alloy. In addition, as a hydrogen generating substance, the thing of the said illustration may be used individually by 1 type, and 2 or more types may be used together.

  It is preferable that the hydrogen generating material 504 further includes a heat generating material (a material other than the hydrogen generating material) that generates heat by reacting with water. In this case, even if water at a low temperature (for example, about 5 ° C.) is supplied, the temperature in the reaction system is increased by the heat generation of the exothermic substance, and rapid hydrogen generation becomes possible. Examples of the exothermic substance that reacts with water and generates heat include, for example, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium sulfate, or the like, which becomes a hydroxide by reaction with water, or generates heat by hydration. And alkali metal or alkaline earth metal oxides, chlorides, sulfuric acid compounds and the like.

  Next, operation | movement of the hydrogen production apparatus 100a of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.

  The water 4 stored in the liquid storage container 1 is transported to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 through the pipe 201 and the pipe 202 by driving the pump 301. Since the liquid container 1 has directionality as described above, the water 4 can be stably supplied regardless of the direction in which the hydrogen production apparatus 100a is inclined, and thus hydrogen can be produced stably. .

  In the hydrogen generating material storage container 503, the hydrogen generating material 504 and the water 4 react to generate hydrogen, and this hydrogen is discharged to the pipe 203. When water vapor is discharged together with hydrogen into the pipe 203, the water vapor is cooled in the pipe 203 to become water, and a gas-liquid mixed fluid of water and hydrogen is introduced into the introduction pipe 105 of the gas-liquid separation container 101. . In the gas-liquid separation container 101, the gas-liquid mixed fluid is separated into a gas containing hydrogen and water due to a difference in gravity.

  The separated gas containing hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell 700 through the exhaust pipe 106 and the pipe 204. Since the gas-liquid separation container 101 has directionality as described above, gas-liquid separation can be performed regardless of the direction of the hydrogen production apparatus, and hydrogen can be stably supplied to the fuel cell 700. In addition, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of problems in the fuel cell 700 due to the supply of moisture.

  On the other hand, the separated water is collected in the liquid container 1 as described below and reused as the water 4 supplied to the hydrogen generating material container 503. Thereby, the utilization efficiency of water can be improved. Furthermore, since the liquid storage container 1 storing water for hydrogen production is also used as a recovery container, there is no need to separately provide a recovery container for recovering water separated by the gas-liquid separation container 101. The whole can be made compact.

  Hereinafter, a mechanism for collecting the water separated in the gas-liquid separation container 101 in the liquid container 1 will be described in detail.

  While the water 4 in the liquid storage container 1 is supplied to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 at a constant rate using the pump 301, the container of the liquid storage container 1 is an inflexible material and has a sealed structure. The pressure inside the container is reduced. In order to compensate for this reduced pressure state, in another pipe 205 connected to the liquid storage container 1, a suction force is generated in the direction from the drainage pipe 102 side of the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the liquid storage container 1 side. By utilizing this phenomenon, the stored water in the gas-liquid separation container 101 can be recovered in the liquid storage container 1. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a pump for transporting the water in the gas-liquid separation container 101 to the liquid storage container 501 in the middle of the pipe 205, and power can be saved.

  On the other hand, when it is not necessary to produce hydrogen, such as at the end of power generation of the fuel cell 700, the drive of the pump 301 is stopped and the water supply to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 is stopped. For a while, the water 4 remaining in the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 reacts with the hydrogen generating material 503 to generate hydrogen, and as a result, water is generated, and this water is stored in the gas-liquid separation container 101. Therefore, it is necessary to collect water from the gas-liquid separation container 101 for a certain time after the water supply is stopped. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the three-way valve 401 is switched to a direction in which the pipe 207 and the pipe 201 are communicated, and the pump 301 is operated in a direction opposite to the direction in which the liquid is supplied from the liquid storage container 1 to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503. Thus, the water accumulated in the gas-liquid separation container 101 is collected into the liquid container 1 through the pipe 207, the three-way valve 401, the pump 301, and the pipe 201. As described above, since both the gas-liquid separation container 101 and the liquid storage container 1 have directionality, the water in the gas-liquid separation container 101 flows backward regardless of the direction in which the hydrogen production apparatus is tilted. Can be recovered without any problems. Further, a gas (air) corresponding to the volume of the water collected in the liquid container 1 is sent from the liquid container 1 to the fuel cell 700 through the pipe 205 and the pipe 204. In this case, since the inlet 14 (FIG. 1) at the tip of the liquid introduction tube 11 is on the liquid surface due to the float 13 of the liquid container 1, the water 4 in the liquid container 1 is introduced into the inlet 14 (FIG. 1). ) Can be prevented from entering the gas-liquid separation container 101 through the pipe 205 by mistake. Moreover, since the internal pressure of the liquid storage container 1 and the gas-liquid separation container 101 does not increase, it is safe.

(Embodiment 5)
In the fifth embodiment, another example of the hydrogen production apparatus including the liquid container according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the hydrogen production apparatus of the present embodiment. 5, the same components as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The liquid container 3 in FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of FIG. The difference from the fourth embodiment is that, instead of the liquid container 1 of the first embodiment, the liquid container 3 of the third embodiment is provided, instead of the gas-liquid separation container 101 shown in FIG. 7 is that the gas-liquid separation container 111 is provided, and the three-way valve 401 is not provided and the pump 302 is provided.

  The hydrogen production apparatus 100b of this embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes a hydrogen generating material storage container 503 that stores a hydrogen generating material 504 that generates hydrogen by a reaction with water, and a liquid storage container 3 in which water 4 is stored. For example, a pump 301 as a transport unit for transporting the water 4 in the liquid container 3 to the hydrogen generating material container 503, a gas-liquid separation container 111 for separating the gas-liquid mixed fluid into gas and liquid, and a gas-liquid separation container For example, a pump 302 serving as a transport unit for transporting the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid to the liquid container 3, and producing hydrogen by causing an exothermic reaction between the hydrogen generating material 504 and the water 4, Hydrogen is supplied to, for example, a fuel cell 700 that uses hydrogen as a fuel. Since the liquid container 3 has been described in the third embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The gas-liquid separation container 111 in the present embodiment has the configuration shown in FIG. 7, and is shown in FIG. 6 except that the drainage pipe 102 and the water absorption pipe 103 are one and there is no fixed band 110. The configuration is the same as that of the gas-liquid separation container 101. Since each configuration has been described in the fourth embodiment, a description thereof is omitted here. In FIG. 5, the drainage pipe 102 is connected to the liquid storage container 3 via a pipe 205, a pump 302, and a pipe 206, and the introduction pipe 105 is connected to a hydrogen generating material storage container 503 via a pipe 203, The pipe 106 is connected to the fuel cell 700 through the pipe 204.

  Next, operation | movement of the hydrogen production apparatus 100b of this embodiment is demonstrated. The operations for hydrogen production and gas-liquid separation are the same as those in the fourth embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here. A different point from the said Embodiment 4 is a mechanism which collect | recovers the stored water in the gas-liquid separation container 111, and it explains in full detail below.

  In this embodiment, regardless of whether the water supply from the liquid storage container 3 to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 by the pump 301 is being executed or stopped, the stored water in the gas-liquid separation container 111 is supplied to the liquid storage container by the pump 302. 3 is transported into. By using the pump 302, the backflow of water from the liquid storage container 3 to the gas-liquid separation container 111 can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the safety valve 18 is always controlled so that the internal pressure of the liquid container 3 does not exceed a certain pressure. In particular, when the water in the gas-liquid separation container 111 is recovered by driving the pump 302 while the water supply to the hydrogen generating material storage container 503 is stopped, the internal pressure of the liquid storage container 3 rises, so the safety valve 18 is used. The increase in internal pressure can be suppressed.

(Embodiment 6)
In the sixth embodiment, an example of the fuel cell system of the present invention will be described.

  The fuel cell system according to the present embodiment includes the hydrogen production apparatus according to the fourth or fifth embodiment, and a fuel cell that generates power using the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus. As a result, hydrogen can be stably supplied to the fuel cell regardless of the inclination direction of the fuel cell system, and the output of the fuel cell is reduced due to liquid being mixed into the fuel cell due to the backflow from the gas-liquid separation container or liquid container Can be prevented. As a result, the fuel cell can stably generate power freely in any direction.

  Here, an example of the fuel cell will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a fuel cell that can be used in the fuel cell system of the present invention.

  A fuel cell 700 in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 8 has a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) 710 electrically connected in series, and generates power using hydrogen as a fuel source. FIG. 8 shows a state in which three MEAs 710 are combined to form one fuel cell 700, but this is an example, and the number of MEAs in the fuel cell as one unit is three. The present invention is not limited, and a plurality of unit fuel cells composed of a plurality of MEAs can be connected to form a single fuel cell.

  In FIG. 8, the fuel cell 700 has a positive electrode composed of a positive electrode diffusion layer 711 and a positive electrode catalyst layer 712, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 713, and a negative electrode composed of a negative electrode diffusion layer 715 and a negative electrode catalyst layer 714 are sequentially laminated. It has three MEA710. Here, the three MEAs 710 are arranged in a planar shape.

  On the positive electrode side of each MEA 710, a positive electrode current collecting plate 724, a positive electrode insulating plate 722, and a positive electrode panel plate 720 are sequentially arranged. Further, a negative electrode current collecting plate 726, a negative electrode insulating plate 723, and a negative electrode panel plate 721 are sequentially arranged on the negative electrode side of each MEA 710. All the MEAs 710 are sandwiched and integrated with the positive electrode panel plate 720 and the negative electrode panel plate 721. Further, although not shown in FIG. 8, adjacent MEAs 710 are connected in series by electrical connection between the positive current collector plate 724 and the negative current collector plate 726.

  The positive electrode current collecting plate 724, the positive electrode insulating plate 722, and the positive electrode panel plate 720 are provided with a plurality of oxygen introducing holes for introducing oxygen outside the fuel cell 700 into the positive electrode. A plurality of oxygen diffusion holes 711 reaching the positive electrode diffusion layer 711 of the MEA 710 from the outer surface of the positive electrode panel plate 720 through the oxygen introduction holes of the positive electrode current collecting plate 724, the oxygen introduction holes of the positive electrode insulating plate 722, and the oxygen introduction holes of the positive electrode panel plate 720. The positive electrode openings 730 are formed, and oxygen (air) outside the fuel cell is supplied from the positive electrode openings 730 to the positive electrode diffusion layer 711 by diffusion.

  The negative electrode current collecting plate 726, the negative electrode insulating plate 723, and the negative electrode panel plate 721 are provided with a plurality of fuel introduction holes for introducing the fuel in the fuel tank portion 729 to the negative electrode. Then, the fuel introduction hole of the negative electrode current collecting plate 726, the fuel introduction hole of the negative electrode insulating plate 723, and the fuel introduction hole of the negative electrode panel plate 721 are formed on the negative electrode diffusion layer 715 of the MEA 710 from the fuel tank portion 729 side surface of the negative electrode panel plate 721. A plurality of negative electrode openings 731, which reach up to, are formed, and fuel (hydrogen) in the fuel tank 729 is supplied to the negative electrode diffusion layer 715 from these negative electrode openings 731.

  The positive panel plate 720 and the negative panel plate 721 (and the fuel tank portion 729) are fixed by bolts 732 and nuts 733. In FIG. 8, reference numerals 728a and 728b denote seal portions.

  The positive electrode diffusion layer 711 and the negative electrode diffusion layer 715 are made of a porous electron conductive material or the like, for example, a porous carbon sheet subjected to a water repellent treatment. In addition, on the catalyst layer side of the positive electrode diffusion layer 711 and the negative electrode diffusion layer 715, a carbon powder paste containing fluororesin particles [PTFE resin particles and the like] is provided for the purpose of further improving water repellency and improving contact with the catalyst layer. It may be applied.

  The positive electrode catalyst layer 712 has a function of reducing oxygen diffused through the positive electrode diffusion layer 711. The positive electrode catalyst layer 712 contains, for example, a carbon powder carrying a catalyst (catalyst carrying carbon powder) and a proton conductive material. Moreover, you may further contain the resin binder as needed.

  The catalyst used in the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 is not particularly limited as long as it can reduce oxygen, and examples thereof include platinum fine particles. The catalyst may be fine particles composed of an alloy of platinum and at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, tin, ruthenium and gold.

As the carbon powder as the catalyst carrier, for example, carbon black having a BET specific surface area of 10 to 2000 m ² / g and an average particle diameter of 20 to 100 nm is used. The catalyst can be supported on the carbon powder by, for example, a colloid method. As a content ratio of carbon powder and a catalyst, it is preferable that a catalyst is 5-400 mass parts with respect to 100 mass parts of carbon powder, for example. This is because such a content ratio can constitute a positive electrode catalyst layer having sufficient catalytic activity. For example, when the catalyst-supporting carbon powder is produced by a method of depositing the catalyst on the carbon powder (for example, a colloid method), the diameter of the catalyst becomes large if the carbon powder and the catalyst have the above content ratio. This is because sufficient catalyst activity is obtained.

  The proton conductive material contained in the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include resins having a sulfonic acid group such as polyperfluorosulfonic acid resin, sulfonated polyether sulfonic acid resin, and sulfonated polyimide resin. Can be used. Specific examples of the polyperfluorosulfonic acid resin include “Nafion (registered trademark)” manufactured by DuPont, “Flemion (registered trademark)” manufactured by Asahi Glass, and “Aciplex (trade name) manufactured by Asahi Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. Or the like.

  The content of the proton conductive material in the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 is preferably 2 to 200 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the catalyst-supporting carbon powder. If the proton conductive material is contained in the above amount, sufficient proton conductivity is obtained in the positive electrode catalyst layer, and the electric resistance value does not become too large, and a fuel cell with good battery performance can be obtained. It is.

  The binder for the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 is not particularly limited. For example, PTFE, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetra Fluoropolymers such as fluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (E / TFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polystyrene, polyester, ionomer, butyl rubber, ethylene -Non-fluorinated resins such as vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / ethyl acrylate copolymer and ethylene / acrylic acid copolymer can be used.

  The binder content in the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 is preferably 0.01 to 100 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the catalyst-supporting carbon powder. This is because if the binder is contained in the above-mentioned amount, sufficient binding properties can be obtained for the positive electrode catalyst layer, and the electric resistance value does not become too large, and a fuel cell with good battery performance can be obtained.

  The negative electrode catalyst layer 714 has a function of oxidizing a fuel such as hydrogen diffused through the negative electrode diffusion layer 715. The negative electrode catalyst layer 714 contains, for example, a carbon powder carrying a catalyst (catalyst-carrying carbon powder) and a proton conductive material. If necessary, a binder such as a resin may be further contained.

  The catalyst related to the negative electrode catalyst layer 714 is not particularly limited as long as it can oxidize a fuel such as hydrogen. For example, each of the catalysts exemplified as the catalyst related to the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 can be used. Regarding the carbon powder, the proton conductive material, and the binder related to the negative electrode catalyst layer 714, the above-described materials exemplified as the carbon powder, the proton conductive material, and the binder related to the positive electrode catalyst layer 712 can be used.

  The solid polymer electrolyte membrane 713 is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a material that can transport protons and does not exhibit electronic conductivity. Examples of materials that can form the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 713 include polyperfluorosulfonic acid resin, specifically, “Nafion (registered trademark)” manufactured by DuPont, and “Flemion (registered trademark)” manufactured by Asahi Glass. "Aciplex (trade name)" manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation. In addition, a sulfonated polyether sulfonic acid resin, a sulfonated polyimide resin, sulfuric acid-doped polybenzimidazole, or the like can also be used as a material for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 713.

  Although not shown in FIG. 8, the MEA of the fuel cell is formed so as to be conductive by connecting the positive electrode and the negative electrode with, for example, a lead body through a resistor and a switch. It is preferable. In this case, at the end of power generation by the fuel cell, the positive electrode and the negative electrode related to the MEA can be short-circuited by, for example, turning on the above-described switch, thereby consuming hydrogen remaining in the fuel cell. Therefore, deterioration of the fuel cell due to hydrogen remaining in the fuel cell at the end of power generation by the fuel cell can be suppressed.

  In the MEA related to the fuel cell, when the positive electrode and the negative electrode are configured to be able to conduct through the resistance as described above, the resistance may be, for example, after the stop of the fuel cell related to the fuel cell system, What is necessary is just to use what has a resistance value that the time required for the voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to be 0.1 V or less is within one minute. As long as the voltage between the negative electrodes can be lowered as described above, the connection may be made by connecting with a lead body or the like only through a switch without using a resistor.

  The effects of the liquid container of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following examples. However, the following examples do not limit the present invention.

Example 1
The liquid container 1 shown in FIG. 1 was tilted in different directions as shown in FIG. Even if the liquid storage container 1 is tilted in any direction, the liquid can be stably supplied from the liquid supply pipe 12 to the outside, and the liquid does not leak from the liquid recovery pipe 11. As the liquid container 1, a cylindrical container made of inflexible high-density polyethylene and having a diameter of 50 mm was used.

  This is because, for example, as shown in FIG. 9D, the inflexible tube 6b projects to the vicinity of the center of the liquid container 1 and the action of the node portion 16 installed at the connection portion between the flexible tube 5b and the inflexible tube 6b. Even if the flexible tube 5b is greatly bent in the direction of gravity by the action of the weight 7, the flexible tube 5b connected to the liquid discharge tube 12 is bent by the node 16 so that the bending angle is relaxed and completely bent. The liquid can be supplied without any problems. On the other hand, since the inlet 14 is always above the liquid level due to the action of the float 13, even if the liquid storage container 1 is tilted, it is possible to prevent water in the liquid storage container 1 from leaking out of the container through the liquid introduction pipe 11. It is thought. Thus, since the liquid container 1 of the present invention can stably supply the liquid regardless of the direction, it has been found that the liquid container 1 has directionality.

  The liquid container of the present invention can be used in various fields as a container that can stably supply a liquid even when tilted in any direction. The hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention can be used as a fuel source for a fuel cell, for example. The fuel cell system using the hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention is particularly suitable for a portable power source that requires directionality and miniaturization.

1, 2, 3 Liquid container 4 Water 5a, 5b Flexible tube 6a, 6b Non-flexible tube 7 Weight 8 Water inlet 9 Fixed band 10 Lid 11 Liquid introduction tube 12 Liquid discharge tube 13 Floating 14 Inlet 15 Floating weight 16 Node 17 Water supply lid 18 Safety valve 19 Connector 20 Connection pipe 100 Hydrogen production apparatus 101, 111 Gas-liquid separation container 102 Drain pipe 103 Water intake pipe 104 Weight 105 Introduction pipe 106 Exhaust pipe 107 Intake pipe 108 Inlet 109 Inlet 109 Fixed band 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207 Piping 301, 302 Pump 401 Three-way valve 503 Hydrogen generating material container 504 Hydrogen generating material 700 Fuel cell 710 Electrode / electrolyte integrated material (MEA)
711 positive electrode diffusion layer 712 positive electrode catalyst layer 713 solid polymer electrolyte membrane 714 negative electrode catalyst layer 715 negative electrode diffusion layer 720 positive electrode panel plate 721 negative electrode panel plate 722 positive electrode insulating plate 723 negative electrode insulating plate 724 positive electrode current collecting plate 726 negative electrode current collecting plate 728a, 728b Seal part 729 Fuel tank part 730 Positive electrode opening 731 Negative electrode opening 732 Bolt 733 Nut

Claims (7)

A container body capable of containing a liquid;
A lid for sealing the container body;
A first inflexible tube extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container body, and a first flexible tube having one end connected to the first inflexible tube and having an inlet at the other end, A liquid introduction pipe for introducing liquid into the container body from the introduction port through the first inflexible pipe and the first flexible pipe;
Floating to float the inlet on the liquid surface by buoyancy;
A second inflexible tube extending through the lid to the vicinity of the center of the container body, and a second flexible tube having one end connected to the second inflexible tube and having a water inlet at the other end, A liquid discharge pipe for sucking the liquid in the container body from the water suction port and discharging the liquid through the second flexible pipe and the second non-flexible pipe;
And a weight for immersing the water suction port in the liquid by gravity.   A plurality of nodes are provided at regular intervals in a connection portion between the first non-flexible tube and the first flexible tube and a connection portion between the second non-flexible tube and the second flexible tube. Item 2. A liquid container according to Item 1.   The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein an attachment / detachment mechanism is provided on the liquid introduction pipe and the liquid discharge pipe.   4. The liquid storage container according to claim 1, wherein the first inflexible tube of the liquid introduction tube and the second inflexible tube of the liquid discharge tube are fixed so as not to be entangled with each other. In a hydrogen production apparatus for producing hydrogen by supplying water to a hydrogen generating material that generates hydrogen by reaction with water,
A gas-liquid separation container for separating a gas-liquid mixed fluid containing a gas and a liquid into a gas and a liquid by a difference in gravity;
The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which contains water to be supplied to the hydrogen generating material,
A hydrogen production apparatus, wherein a liquid component contained in a gas containing hydrogen generated by a reaction between a hydrogen generating material and water is separated by the gas-liquid separation container and stored in the liquid storage container. The gas-liquid separation container is:
An introduction pipe for introducing a gas-liquid mixed fluid from the outside to the inside of the gas-liquid separation container;
An exhaust pipe for discharging the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid from the inside of the gas-liquid separation container to the outside;
A drainage pipe for discharging the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid from the inside of the gas-liquid separation container to the outside;
An intake pipe connected to the exhaust pipe and having an intake port for sucking a gas separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid;
A water suction pipe connected to the drainage pipe and having a water suction port for sucking the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixed fluid;
The intake port of the intake pipe is disposed at the center of the gas-liquid separation container,
The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a weight that moves the water suction port of the water suction pipe in the gravity direction in the gas-liquid separation container is provided in the vicinity of the water suction port of the water suction pipe.   7. A fuel cell system comprising: the hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 5; and a fuel cell using hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus as fuel.

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