CN102195049A

CN102195049A - Novel high-efficiency fuel cell humidifier

Info

Publication number: CN102195049A
Application number: CN201010118209XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 沈建跃
Original assignee: SUZHOU QINGJIE POWER SUPPLY TECHNOLOGY Co Ltd
Current assignee: SUZHOU QINGJIE POWER SUPPLY TECHNOLOGY Co Ltd
Priority date: 2010-03-05
Filing date: 2010-03-05
Publication date: 2011-09-21

Abstract

The invention relates to a novel high-efficiency Nafinon tube humidifier which heats and humidifies raw material gas with a tail gas of a fuel cell. The humidifier comprises a Nafion tube bundle, a shell, an end cap, a seal ring, fixed screws and the like, wherein the Nafion tube bundle is a major humidifying unit fixed in the shell with the end cap and the seal ring to form a tube layer and a shell layer and moisture balance is formed between the two layers. Compared with the conventional humidifier technology used by the fuel cell, the humidifier provided by the invention has the advantages of good humidification effect, easy sealing, no maintenance, simple manufacturing, low cost and the like.

Description

A kind of highly efficient fuel cell humidifier

Technical field:

The present invention relates to a kind of new method, particularly for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells air inlet humidification that carries out and the method for heating to gas humidification.

Background technology:

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells be a kind of be electrolyte with perfluorinated sulfonic acid type solid polymer membrane, platinum/carbon or platinum-ruthenium/carbon is eelctro-catalyst, hydrogen and oxidant can be transformed into the device of electric energy and other product by electrochemical reaction, this device is by membrane electrode, formations such as conductive plate, wherein membrane electrode is the place of fuel and oxidant reaction, by carbon paper, catalyst and proton exchange membrane constitute, at anode, hydrogen molecule loses electronics and becomes proton, and proton passes proton exchange membrane by electromigration and arrives negative electrode.Conductivity principle according to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells inside perfluorinated sulfonic acid type solid polymer membrane electrolyte, in order to make proton reach negative electrode smoothly, perfluorinated sulfonic acid type solid polymer membrane must keep certain humidity, usually be to be best under 100% the condition in humidity, so, when the operation Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, need carry out the necessary humidification and the operation of heating to hydrogen fuel and oxidant in order to guarantee that fuel battery performance gives full play of.

According to the mode difference of humidification, existing Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells humidifier has following several form usually:

The one, bubble type, utilize resistance wire to add hot deionized water, feed hydrogen simultaneously or fuel gas brings out steam, reach purpose to gas humidification and heating, this method volume is big, need additionally add water with extra energy heating, use and keep in repair very inconveniently, majority can only use on fixing testboard.

The 2nd, utilize proton exchange membrane that humidifier is processed into the version of fuel cell pile, the one side water flowing simultaneously feeds reaction gas, and this air-humidification method also is that to have a volume too big, effectively utilize area too little, efficient is low, need additionally add shortcomings such as water, processing cost height.

The 3rd, utilize a kind of micropore of pottery to come moisture absorption, heat absorption to make ceramic rotary drum, also claim enthalpy wheel humidifier, under the situation of rotation, tail gas and unstripped gas enter the both sides by humidifier respectively, make that unstripped gas is heated, humidification, and this way should not seal, need add motor in addition drives, air penetrability is too high, influences the unstripped gas utilance, and can not use in hydrogen gas side.

Because proton exchange model fuel cell is had many uses, can be used for Miniature Power Unit, electric bicycle, battery-operated motor cycle, electric automobile or the like, so ensureing the humidifier of the normal operation of fuel cell system is in great demand too, in order to make more practicability of fuel cell, commercialization, this patent has overcome the existing technological deficiency of conventional fuel cell humidifier, provide a kind of humidification, heating effectively to utilize area big, volume is little, in light weight, the fuel cell humidifier of the novel efficient that cost is low.

Summary of the invention:

Innovation of the present invention mainly is in conjunction with being applied on the fuel cell humidifier the structure of Nafion pipe and pipe heat exchanger, its purpose can be achieved through the following technical solutions: a kind of Nafion of utilization manages the version that the big characteristic of distinctive water absorption and effective area is designed to fuel cell humidifier a kind of traditional pipe heat exchanger, increased heat exchange humidification effective area greatly, adopt the fuel battery negative pole discharge tail gas to come hydrogen or fuel gas are carried out humidification and heats operation, comprise one group of Nafion tube bank, shell, two end sockets, four sealing rings and two fixed screws etc., described Nafion tube bank is main humidifying component, earlier bonding by a kind of colloid (epoxy glue), be inserted in interior pipe, perhaps directly bonding in interior pipe, be fixed in the outer tube shell by end socket and sealing ring again, form the balance that Nafion manages layer and shell and form moisture between two positions.Described each end socket has three openings, is respectively applied for the fuel cell tail gas air inlet, unstripped gas air inlet and screw fixing port, and described each interior pipe has two openings, is respectively applied for tail gas air inlet and screw and fixes.Wherein fuel cell tail gas is walked the shell passage as required, unstripped gas can be entered and by humidifier, simultaneously by humidification and heating, is to guarantee heating by Nafion pipe layer, the effect of humidification, described two kinds of gases should the mode with adverse current pass through humidifier in humidifier.

Two of described four sealing rings are used between interior pipe and the end socket and the sealing between outer tube and the end socket.

By engineering plastics processing, cost is low except that Nafion tube bank and fixed screw for described all parts, is fit to processing in enormous quantities.

The quantity of the Nafion tubule in the described Nafion tube bank will guarantee that smaller air resistance falls.

The present invention is owing to adopted above technical scheme, battery tail gas is walked the humidifier shell, raw material is made Nafion pipe layer leave with rage, two kinds of not directly contacts of fluid, utilize the water absorption character of Nafion material, the high efficiency of pipe heat exchanger reaches the purpose of the most effective humidification and heating, guarantee the operation of rate normally and efficiently of fuel cell, compare with the humidifier of existing several modes and have following advantage:

1, increased the effective area of heat exchange and humidification greatly, more effectively ensured the reliability of fuel cell system, prolonged fuel battery service life;

2, reclaim moisture and energy in the fuel cell system tail gas, do not need other heating, add water, improve system effectiveness, easy to use, the purposes scope is wide;

3, avoid unstripped gas directly to contact, sealing has reduced gas permeation greatly easily;

4, there is not moving-member, reach useful life more than 8000 hours, freedom from repairs has basically improved the cost performance of humidifier greatly;

5, simple in structure, be easy to assembling, easy realization of large-scale production;

6, selection is common, and volume is little, and is in light weight, reduced processing cost, improved the energy density of fuel cell system;

7, there is not moving-member, do not need additional power source to drive, improve the efficient of fuel cell system.

Description of drawings:

Fig. 1 is the outside drawing of new and effective humidifier of the present invention

Fig. 2 is the schematic diagram that does not comprise the humidifier of end socket

Fig. 3 is interior pipe, and outer tube and Nafion restrain interconnective schematic diagram

Embodiment:

The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with instantiation.

As Fig. 1, Fig. 2, shown in Figure 3, a kind of new fuel cell humidifier, comprise one group of Nafion

tube bank

4,3, two thin slightly interior pipe short tubes 15 of an outer tube and 16, two

end sockets

1 and 2, a raw

material gas inlet

7,5, one 6 and two fixed screws 9 of tail gas outlet of 8, one fuel cell tail gas imports of a unstripped gas outlet and 10.Seal by two

sealing rings

13 and 14 between described outer tube 3 and

end socket

1 and 2, pipe is sealed by sealing

ring

11 and 12 between

end socket

1 and 2 in described, a plurality of Nafion tubules in described one group of Nafion tube bank 4 by epoxy glue bonding and be fixed in

pipe

15 and 16 the insides

In order to reach the needs of application, the needed air inflow of fuel cell according to different sizes, can suitably increase or reduce Nafion tubule quantity in the Nafion tube bank 4, making into, the pile unstripped gas reaches suitable temperature and humidity, also to change the caliber size of outer tube 3 and

interior pipe

15,16 accordingly, and

air inlet

6,7 and the size of

gas outlet

5,8.

Claims

1. a highly efficient fuel cell humidifier uses the Nafion tube bank to be main humidifying component, utilize fuel cell tail gas to raw material air inlet heat, humidification, mainly comprise Nafion tube bank, shell, end socket, sealing ring and fixed screw etc., it is characterized in that described Nafion tube bank is main humidifying component, fuel cell tail gas is through the shell of humidifier, the raw material air inlet is by the pipe layer of Nafion tube bank, utilize the distinctive water absorption of Nafion film, form the balance of managing layer and shell and between two positions, forming moisture.

2. the main humidifying component Nafion tube bank that relates to of this new and effective humidifier also can be the tube bank with water absorption and air-locked any material manufacturing by other.

3. the structure of this new and effective humidifier is the pipe heat exchanger structure, and described Nafion tube bank is fixed on (to call outer tube in the following text) in the shell by end socket and four sealing rings.

4. the critical piece Nafion of this new and effective humidifier tube bank two is bonding and be fixed on one than (to call interior pipe in the following text) in the thin short plastic tube of shell by a kind of epoxy glue.

5. this new and effective humidifier can be applied to vapour-gas humidification and water-gas humidification dual mode, and promptly the fluid of shell both can be the gas of band water vapour, also can be water, can obtain humidification and heating by this dual mode through the gas of managing layer.