Background technology
Electrochemical fuel cell is a kind of device that hydrogen fuel and oxidant can be changed into electric energy and product.The internal core parts of this device are membrane electrode (Membrane Electrode Assembly are called for short MEA), and membrane electrode (MEA) is made up of as carbon paper a proton exchange membrane, two porous conductive materials of film two sides folder.The catalyst that contains the initiation electrochemical reaction of even tiny dispersion on two boundary faces of film and carbon paper is as the metal platinum catalyst.The electronics that the membrane electrode both sides can will take place to generate in the electrochemical reaction process with conductive body is drawn by external circuit, constitutes current circuit.
At the anode tap of membrane electrode, fuel can pass porousness diffusion material (carbon paper) by infiltration, and electrochemical reaction takes place on catalyst surface, lose electronics, form cation, cation can pass proton exchange membrane by migration, arrives the other end cathode terminal of membrane electrode.At the cathode terminal of membrane electrode, contain the gas of oxidant (as oxygen), as air, pass porousness diffusion material (carbon paper), and the generation electrochemical reaction obtains electronics on catalyst surface, forms anion by infiltration.The cation of coming in the anion and the anode tap migration of cathode terminal formation reacts, and forms product.
Adopting hydrogen is fuel, and the air that contains oxygen is in the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells of oxidant (or pure oxygen is an oxidant), and fuel hydrogen has just produced hydrogen cation (or being proton) in the catalytic electrochemical reaction of anode region.Proton exchange membrane helps the hydrogen cation to move to the cathodic region from the anode region.In addition, proton exchange membrane is separated the air-flow and the oxygen containing air-flow of hydrogen fuel, they can not mixed mutually and produces explosion type reaction.
In the cathodic region, oxygen obtains electronics on catalyst surface, forms anion, and moves the hydrogen cation reaction of coming, reaction of formation product water with the anode region.In the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells that adopts hydrogen, air (oxygen), anode reaction and cathode reaction can be expressed in order to following equation:
Anode reaction: H
2→ 2H
++ 2e
Cathode reaction: 1/2O
2+ 2H
++ 2e → H
2O
In typical Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, membrane electrode (MEA) generally all is placed in the middle of the pole plate of two conductions, and quarter is milled by die casting, punching press or machinery in the surface that every conductive plate contacts with membrane electrode, and formation is the guiding gutter of one or more at least.These conductive plates can be the pole plates of metal material, also can be the pole plates of graphite material.Water conservancy diversion duct on these conductive plates and guiding gutter import fuel and oxidant the anode region and the cathodic region on membrane electrode both sides respectively.In the structure of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells monocell, only there is a membrane electrode, the membrane electrode both sides are respectively the guide plate of anode fuel and the guide plate of cathode oxidant.These guide plates are both as current collector plate, also as the mechanical support on membrane electrode both sides, guiding gutter on the guide plate acts as a fuel again and enters the passage of anode, cathode surface with oxidant, and as the passage of taking away the water that generates in the fuel cell operation process.
In order to increase the gross power of whole Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, two or more monocells can be connected into battery pack or be unified into battery pack by the mode that tiles usually by straight folded mode.In straight folded, in-line battery pack, can there be guiding gutter on the two sides of a pole plate, and wherein one side can be used as the anode guide face of a membrane electrode, and another side can be used as the cathode diversion face of another adjacent membranes electrode, and this pole plate is called bipolar plates.A series of monocell connects together by certain way and forms a battery pack.Battery pack tightens together by front end-plate, end plate and pull bar usually and becomes one.
A typical battery stack generally includes: the water conservancy diversion import and the flow-guiding channel of (1) fuel and oxidant gas are distributed to fuel (as hydrogen, methyl alcohol or the hydrogen-rich gas that obtained by methyl alcohol, natural gas, gasoline) and oxidant (mainly being oxygen or air) in the guiding gutter of each anode, cathode plane equably after reforming; (2) import and export and the flow-guiding channel of cooling fluid (as water) are evenly distributed to cooling fluid in each battery pack inner cooling channel, the heat absorption that hydrogen in the fuel cell, the exothermic reaction of oxygen electrochemistry are generated and take battery pack out of after dispel the heat; (3) outlet of fuel and oxidant gas and corresponding flow-guiding channel, fuel gas and oxidant gas are when discharging, and portability goes out the liquid that generates in the fuel cell, the water of steam state.Usually, the import and export of all fuel, oxidant, cooling fluid are all opened on the end plate of fuel battery or on two end plates.
Proton exchange membrane is passed in positive hydrogen ion migration in the anode region, need carry a large amount of hydrones usually and pass through together, so surface, the both sides of film must keep hydrone to exist, just can make just hydrionic migration electricity lead unaffected.Therefore, fuel and oxidant gas must carry out humidifying entering before the fuel cell active region reacts, and are in water humidifying saturation condition so that guarantee the film in the membrane electrode.
Can be distributed on the surface, whole membrane electrode both sides and don't produce mixedly in order to ensure the fuel in the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and oxidant gas, Sealing Technology is just very crucial.If seal badly, may produce two kinds of situations, a kind of situation is that fuel gas and oxidant gas are mixed at fuel battery inside, in adopting the fuel cell of hydrogen and oxygen operation, this mixing is very fatal, in case explosion caused, destructive power is very big; Another kind of situation be fuel gas or oxidant gas to the outside seepage of fuel cell, this situation not only can reduce the efficient of fuel cell, and in case when fuel hydrogen outside boundary's concentration accumulate when acquiring a certain degree, will blast.
In common fuel cell, the preparation of membrane electrode all adopts the area of proton exchange membrane more than the porousness backing material in the membrane electrode, much bigger as carbon paper, the film that exposes the outside is not the active region of electrochemical reaction, and has two carbon papers to press together above the electrochemical active regions film both sides respectively.After the membrane electrode of this way was placed on two guide plate centres, the film that wherein is exposed on the outside directly was used as the base material of encapsulant, and played adjacent two guide plates directly contact and the effect of short circuit of preventing.There is following defective in this method for designing:
(1), proton exchange membrane (as low temperature, how much water generates in the different running statuses of fuel cell, gas humidity etc.) suction under is different with flexible situation, especially at battery by running status or long-term not running status do not change under the situation of running status, the telescopic level of film more strengthens, to cause wearing out, breaking after permanent, so that seepage.
(2), proton exchange membrane generally is somewhat expensive material, after exposing in a large number, is not fully used, waste is serious.
(3), proton exchange membrane is a kind of Corrosive Materia with strong acid, it contacts for a long time with sealing ring on the guide plate, and chemical reaction takes place unavoidably.
(4), proton exchange membrane directly is subjected to aging easily the breaking of pressure of guide plate.In addition, if when using very thin proton exchange film production membrane electrode, even the generating efficiency of membrane electrode can improve greatly, but can make above-mentioned situation more serious, so this design almost can't use very thin proton exchange membrane to make membrane electrode.
(5), this design also needs to need on each piece flow guiding electrode plate accurately to be carved with the seal groove of placing sealing ring.
Shenli Science and Technology Co Ltd, Shanghai provides the (application for a patent for invention number 01105975.3 of a kind of novel kind of fuel cell seal assembly structure for the defective that overcomes above-mentioned prior art and exist, utility application number 01238847.5), be characterized in, comprise following processing step: the first step, adopt the live part of proton exchange membrane, catalyst, porousness carbon paper compacting membrane electrode earlier, be called the first part, the porousness carbon paper on the described first part is than the short 1mm~10mm of proton exchange membrane or same long; Second step, make above-mentioned first extension set frame part partly, be called the second part; In the 3rd step, first, second two parts are engaged complete membrane electrode of formation; The 4th step, make guide plate and sealing ring is set at the periphery of guide plate, perhaps sealing device partly is set in second; In the 5th step, clamping one above-mentioned membrane electrode in the middle of subsides are incorporated in relatively with two guide plates constitutes the sealing of cell of fuel cell.
But this encapsulating method is different with black box and three-in-one electrode two sections of material, bonding mutually specification requirement is very high, and two handing-over tape thickness after partly bonding divide thickness much at one with original two parts, this has increased bonding difficulty again, and has only when this and two partly work good and just can reach sealing effectiveness.
Shenli Science and Technology Co Ltd, Shanghai provides the (application for a patent for invention number 03141812.0 of a kind of improved fuel cell assembly in order to overcome above-mentioned defective, utility application number 03255926.7), be characterized in that guide plate or bipolar plates and membrane electrode produce a complete assembly by glueing joint sealing.The centre of described flow-guide double-pole plate section is a but fluid slot of conduction cooling, and two limits are respectively hydrogen flow guiding groove and airflow guiding groove, and the groove face of described hydrogen flow guiding groove and the anode surface of membrane electrode glued joint sealing, thereby constitute a fuel-cell stack assembly.
It is very big that but this encapsulating method, membrane electrode and bipolar plates carry out glued difficulty.
Summary of the invention
Purpose of the present invention is exactly the novel kind of fuel cell seal assembly structure that a kind of detachable, good airproof performance are provided for the defective that overcomes above-mentioned prior art existence.
Purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: novel kind of fuel cell seal assembly structure, comprise guide plate or bipolar plates, membrane electrode, sealing ring, it is characterized in that, described sealing ring lower end is adhesive in the seal groove of leading the hydrogen anode surface of guide plate or bipolar plates, the sealing circle is arranged on two kinds of zones, a kind of for being arranged on the inboard and membrane electrode junction of pole plate, sealing ring in this zone is indentation up and down, the inboard is provided with the ligule opening that is complementary with membrane electrode, membrane electrode inserts in this ligule opening, two bipolar plates pressing crush seal circles about during by integrated encapsulation make the ligule opening sting tight membrane electrode sealing; Another kind is arranged on pole plate or each seal groove place, pod apertures edge of bipolar plates, and this place's sealing ring is indentation up and down, two pole plates or the sealing of bipolar plates pressing crush seal circle up and down during by integrated encapsulation.
Described membrane electrode can be if do not establish frame, and the area of middle proton exchange membrane has slightly than the porousness layer of support material in the membrane electrode and prolongs or equally long, makes to be ligule around the membrane electrode and to insert in the sealing ring ligule opening.
Described sealing ring adopts the material with elastic extension, and guide plate or bipolar plates crush seal circle clamp membrane electrode up and down, and this guide plate or bipolar plates compress the back sealing through repeating to be assembled into battery pile with screw rod.
Described sealing ring comprises a sawtooth up and down at least, the part of this serrate projections and guide plate or bipolar plates to lead the hydrogen anode surface bonding, adhering method can pass through the moulding of rubber mold disposal pouring.
Described sealing ring is indentation up and down, and this zigzag comprises circular arc, V-arrangement, rectangle.
Described membrane electrode can freely take out replacing.
Compared with prior art, bipolar plates of the present invention lead hydrogen anode surface seal groove die casting sealing ring, form fixed structure, this structure cooperates with three-in-one membrane electrode assembly and is ligule up and down, reaches sealing effectiveness through pushing up and down, if any damage, can freely change, reduce the loss, and membrane electrode is not established frame, reduce cost, for batch process provides safeguard.
Embodiment
Below in conjunction with drawings and Examples, the invention will be further described.
Embodiment 1
As Fig. 2~shown in Figure 6, a kind of seal component architecture of rectangle fuel cell, comprise guide plate or bipolar plates, membrane electrode, sealing ring, described sealing ring lower end gluing 5 is in the seal groove of leading hydrogen anode surface 2 of guide plate or bipolar plates, the sealing circle is divided into two kinds of sealing areas, a kind of sealing area is for being arranged on pole plate internal membrane electrode junction 7 (as Fig. 2, Fig. 6), this place's sealing ring is indentation up and down, the inboard end of this whole area peripheral edge is provided with the ligule opening that is complementary with membrane electrode, membrane electrode can be if do not establish frame, the area of middle proton exchange membrane has prolongation or equally long slightly than the porousness layer of support material in the membrane electrode, makes membrane electrode be ligule 3 all around and inserts in the sealing ring ligule openings.Another kind is arranged on pole plate and baffler periphery seal groove 6 places, and this place's sealing ring is indentation up and down, about do not establish opening, described two bipolar plates pressing crush seal circles sealing.
Described sealing ring adopts the material with elastic extension, membrane electrode inserts in the sealing ring one end 3 ligule openings, the oxygen cathode face of leading 1 of top guide plate or bipolar plates clamps membrane electrode 3 with the hydrogen anode surface 2 crush seal circles 4 of leading of following guide plate or bipolar plates, this guide plate or bipolar plates reach sealing effectiveness through repeating to be assembled into battery pile after compressing with screw rod.Described guide plate or bipolar plates are rectangle, and membrane electrode is rectangle (as shown in Figure 6).
Bipolar plates of the present invention lead hydrogen anode surface seal groove die casting sealing ring, form fixed structure, this structure cooperates with three-in-one membrane electrode assembly and is ligule up and down, reach sealing effectiveness through pushing up and down,, can freely change if any damage, reduce the loss, and membrane electrode do not establish frame, reduces cost, for batch process provides safeguard.
Embodiment 2
As Fig. 2~Fig. 5, shown in Figure 7, a kind of seal component architecture of square pole plate fuel cell, comprise guide plate or bipolar plates, membrane electrode, sealing ring, it is characterized in that, described sealing ring lower end gluing 5 is in the seal groove of leading hydrogen anode surface 2 of guide plate or bipolar plates, the sealing circle is divided into two kinds, a kind of for being arranged on pole plate internal membrane electrode junction 7 (as Fig. 2, Fig. 6), this regional seal circle is indentation up and down, whole area peripheral edge inboard is provided with the ligule opening that is complementary with membrane electrode, membrane electrode can be if do not establish frame, and the area of middle proton exchange membrane has prolongation slightly than the porousness layer of support material in the membrane electrode, makes to be ligule 3 around the membrane electrode and to insert in the sealing ring ligule openings.Another sealing area is arranged on each pod apertures of pole plate periphery seal groove 6 places, and this place's sealing ring is indentation up and down, about do not establish opening, described two bipolar plates pressing crush seal circles sealing.
Described sealing ring adopts the material with elastic extension, membrane electrode inserts in the sealing ring one end 3 ligule openings, the oxygen cathode face of leading 1 of top guide plate or bipolar plates clamps membrane electrode 3 with the hydrogen anode surface 2 crush seal circles 4 of leading of following guide plate or bipolar plates, this guide plate or bipolar plates reach sealing effectiveness through repeating to be assembled into battery pile after compressing with screw rod.Described guide plate or bipolar plates are square, and membrane electrode is octangle (as shown in Figure 7).
Bipolar plates of the present invention lead hydrogen anode surface seal groove die casting sealing ring, form fixed structure, this structure cooperates with three-in-one membrane electrode assembly and is ligule up and down, reach sealing effectiveness through pushing up and down,, can freely change if any damage, reduce the loss, and membrane electrode do not establish frame, reduces cost, for batch process provides safeguard.
Above-mentioned black box is fit to the various guide plates of fuel cell.