CN116598526A - Polar plate, fuel cell and heat exchange method of fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular to a pole plate, a fuel cell and a heat exchange method for the fuel cell. The pole plate includes: a pole plate body with a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on both sides of the pole plate body, the first surface is provided with a reaction zone, and the reaction zone is used to provide electrochemical reaction. space; the heat exchange flow field is set on the second surface, the heat exchange flow field includes the inlet area and the heat exchange area, the projection of the reaction area along the thickness direction of the plate body is located within the range of the heat exchange area, and the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet zone flows to the heat exchange zone, and exchanges heat with the plate body to adjust the temperature of the reaction zone; wherein, the heat exchange flow field also includes a transition zone and a gas chamber zone, and the inlet zone and the heat exchange zone are connected through the transition zone, and the gas chamber zone is located in Above the heat exchange area and connected to the transition area, the bubbles in the heat exchange medium are buoyantly lifted in the transition area and enter the air chamber area, so that the bubbles cause the problem of local overheating in the reaction area.

Description

A kind of polar plate, fuel cell and fuel cell heat exchange method

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular, to a pole plate, a fuel cell and a heat exchange method for the fuel cell.

Background technique

A fuel cell is generally formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cell cells, and each fuel cell cell is fed with a reaction gas (such as hydrogen or air) to perform electrochemical reactions and generate electric current. Each fuel cell unit includes two pole plates, and each pole plate is provided with a reaction zone facing the inside of the fuel cell unit, and the reaction zone has a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals, and these grooves serve as channels for the flow of the reactant gas. In the gas flow channel, the electrochemical reaction mainly occurs near the reaction zone.

During the electrochemical reaction, heat will be generated and the temperature will rise, which will affect the performance and service life of the fuel cell. In order to maintain a suitable temperature, at present, a heat exchange flow field is mainly set on the side of the pole plate facing the outside of the battery cell, and the heat exchange medium flows in the heat exchange flow field to reduce the temperature of the fuel cell through heat exchange. Among them, on the side of each pole plate away from the inside of the fuel cell unit, the corresponding position of the gas flow channel is a protrusion, and there is a groove between two adjacent gas flow channels, and the groove can be used as a heat exchange medium Flowing heat exchange runners.

In actual use, there is a phenomenon that the heat exchange flow channel is blocked, and the blockage of the heat exchange flow channel is likely to cause local overheating of the fuel cell monomer, which affects the performance and life of the fuel cell. How to avoid blockage of heat exchange channels and prevent local overheating is a technical problem to be solved urgently in this field.

Contents of the invention

It is found through research that sometimes air bubbles are mixed in the heat exchange medium, and the air bubbles easily block the heat exchange flow channel after entering the heat exchange flow channel.

The purpose of the present application is to provide a pole plate, a fuel cell, and a heat exchange method for the fuel cell, so as to alleviate the problem that the heat exchange channel is blocked by air bubbles, so as to avoid local overheating of the fuel cell.

The embodiment of the application is realized like this:

In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrode plate for a fuel cell, and the electrode plate includes:

The pole plate body has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on both sides of the pole plate body, the first surface is provided with a reaction zone, and the reaction zone is used for To provide space for electrochemical reactions;

A heat exchange flow field is arranged on the second surface, the heat exchange flow field includes an inlet area and a heat exchange area, and the projection of the reaction area along the thickness direction of the plate body is located within the range of the heat exchange area Inside, the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet area to the heat exchange area, and exchanges heat with the plate body to adjust the temperature of the reaction area;

Wherein, the heat exchange flow field further includes a transition area and an air chamber area, the inlet area and the heat exchange area communicate through the transition area, the air chamber area is located above the heat exchange area, and is connected to the The transition zone is connected, so that the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium are lifted by buoyancy in the transition zone and enter the air chamber zone.

In the technical solution provided by this application, the heat exchange area is the area corresponding to the reaction area, and the air chamber area and the reaction area are staggered. Since the bubbles in the heat exchange medium mainly enter the air chamber area of the heat exchange flow field, they enter the heat exchange area. The content of air bubbles in the heat exchange medium is greatly reduced, and the air bubbles have little effect on the temperature of the reaction zone, and the flow channel in the heat exchange area is not easily blocked by air bubbles, which alleviates the problem of local overheating caused by the heat exchange flow channel being blocked by air bubbles.

In one embodiment of the present application, the polar plate further includes:

An exhaust flow channel is arranged on the second surface, one end of the exhaust flow channel is connected to the air chamber area, and the other end is connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell.

In the above technical solution, the air bubbles in the air chamber area are independently discharged through the exhaust channel, further preventing the air bubbles from entering the heat exchange area and causing blockage.

In an embodiment of the present application, one end of the exhaust flow channel connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell is higher than the end of the exhaust flow channel connected to the air chamber region.

In the above technical solution, the inlet of the exhaust flow channel is lower than the outlet, and the outlet of the exhaust flow channel is located above the liquid level of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field, and the air bubbles with lower density are easy to rise and discharge along the exhaust flow channel. Air chamber.

In one embodiment of the present application, the air chamber region is conical, the larger end of the conical shape is connected to the transition region, and the smaller end of the conical shape is connected to the discharge of the fuel cell. manifold.

In the above technical solution, the air bubbles are easy to enter the air chamber area from the larger end of the cone, and converge toward the smaller end, which facilitates the collection and discharge of the air bubbles.

In an embodiment of the present application, the heat exchange flow field further includes:

The first outlet area communicates with the heat exchange area for the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange area to flow out;

The second outlet area communicates with the air chamber area for the air bubbles in the air chamber area to flow out.

In the above technical solution, by setting corresponding outlet areas for the heat exchange area and the air chamber area, the contents of the heat exchange area and the air chamber area are discharged independently, further avoiding the impact of air bubbles on the heat exchange area, and also facilitating separation The opening and closing control or flow control of the first outlet area and the second outlet area is used to adjust the internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field and switch the pressure outlet, which is beneficial to control the collection and discharge of air bubbles.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell, which includes:

A plurality of battery cells arranged in a stack, each of which includes the electrode plate according to any one of the first aspect;

a first discharge manifold communicated with the heat exchange area of the plate to discharge the heat exchange medium;

a second discharge manifold in communication with the plenum region of the plate to discharge gas bubbles;

a first valve for regulating flow in the first discharge manifold;

a second valve for regulating flow in the second discharge manifold.

In the fuel cell provided in the embodiment of the present application, the heat exchange area corresponding to the reaction area of each battery cell has the characteristics of being less prone to blockage and higher heat exchange efficiency, and each battery cell is not prone to local overheating , the performance of the fuel cell is better and the service life is longer.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a heat exchange method for a fuel cell, which is used in the fuel cell described in the second aspect, and the heat exchange method includes:

Separation step: open the first valve to open the first discharge manifold, so that the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet area through the transition area to the heat exchange area in the heat exchange flow field of each plate, so that at least Part of the air bubbles rise under the action of buoyancy and enter the air chamber area above the heat exchange area from the transition area;

Discharging step: opening the second valve to open the second discharge manifold, so that the air bubbles in the air chamber area are discharged from the second discharge manifold.

In the heat exchange method provided by the present application, during the heat exchange process of the heat exchange medium flowing, the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium separate and rise in the transition area and enter the air chamber area, which alleviates the influence of the air bubbles on the heat exchange area, and the heat exchange in the heat exchange area The thermal effect is good, the heat exchange area is not easy to block and cause local overheating, and the safety is high; at the same time, the air bubbles concentrated in the air chamber area are discharged through the discharge step, reducing the gas in the heat exchange flow field, and ensuring subsequent air bubble collection. Therefore, the present application can effectively alleviate the influence of air bubbles on the heat exchange area and reaction area by performing the separation step and the discharge step alternately or simultaneously, and avoid the problem of local overheating of the fuel cell.

In one embodiment of the present application, in the discharge step, the first valve is adjusted to reduce the flow of the first discharge manifold.

In the above technical solution, by adjusting the first valve to reduce the flow rate of the first discharge manifold, the liquid level of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field rises rapidly or the internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field increases, so that the Air bubbles are quickly extruded from the plenum area to the second discharge manifold, accelerating the speed of air bubble discharge.

In one embodiment of the present application, during said separating step, adjusting said second valve to reduce the flow of said second discharge manifold;

The discharge step is performed after a certain volume of air bubbles is stored in the air chamber region, and in the discharge step, the second valve is adjusted to increase the flow rate of the second discharge manifold.

In the above technical solution, the flow rate of the second discharge manifold is reduced in the separation step, so that most of the heat exchange medium mainly flows along the inlet zone, the transition zone, the heat exchange zone, and the second outlet zone, and a small part of the heat exchange medium pushes the air bubbles Flow towards the air chamber area and the first outlet area, on the one hand, it can ensure a better heat exchange effect, on the other hand, it can better collect air bubbles, and some air bubbles can be discharged during the separation step, extending the air chamber area to reach the set air bubbles The storage time; and increasing the flow rate of the second discharge manifold in the discharge step can increase the flow area to prevent larger air bubbles from blocking the opening of the second valve, improve the exhaust effect, and accelerate the discharge of air bubbles.

In an embodiment of the present application, in the separation step, the heat exchange flow field has a first internal pressure; the pressure threshold of the second valve is greater than the first internal pressure.

In the above technical solution, since the second valve is closed or semi-closed to reduce the flow rate in the separation step, the second valve receives a relatively high pressure in the separation step, by setting the pressure threshold of the second valve to be greater than The first internal pressure prevents the second valve from being damaged or invalidated due to excessive pressure in the separation step, and ensures that a large proportion of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field enters the heat exchange area, thereby ensuring the heat exchange effect.

Description of drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the accompanying drawings that are required in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application, and thus It should be regarded as a limitation on the scope, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other related drawings based on these drawings without creative work.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a fuel cell provided by an embodiment of the present application;

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fuel cell provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of a pole plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the first surface of the pole plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the second surface of the pole plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a fuel cell heat exchange method provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Icons: 1000-fuel cell, 100-battery cell, 101-plate, 1011-first surface, 1012-second surface, 102-diffusion reaction layer, 200-liquid supply manifold, 301-first discharge manifold , 302-second discharge manifold, 401-first valve, 402-second valve, 500-reaction zone, 600-heat exchange flow field, 601-inlet zone, 602-transition zone, 603-heat exchange zone, 604 - air chamber zone, 6051 - first outlet zone, 6052 - second outlet zone, 606 - exhaust runner.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments It is a part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. The components of the embodiments of the application generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations.

The fuel cell 1000 is a chemical device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. As shown in FIG. 1 , a fuel cell 1000 includes a plurality of battery cells 100 stacked. As shown in FIG. 2 , each battery cell 100 includes two pole plates 101 .

As shown in Figure 3, the embodiment of the present application provides a pole plate 101, the pole plate 101 includes a pole plate 101 body, the pole plate 101 body has a first surface 1011 and a second surface 1012, the first surface 1011 and the second surface 1012 They are respectively located on both sides of the pole plate 101 body.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the first surface 1011 is the side facing the inside of the battery cell 100, the first surface 1011 is provided with a gas flow field, the gas flow field includes a reaction zone 500, and the reaction zone 500 is provided with a number of gas flow channels, so as to Reactive gases are conveyed along several gas flow channels.

The battery cell 100 generally also includes a diffusion reaction layer 102. The diffusion reaction layer 102 generally includes two gas diffusion layers, two catalyst layers and a proton exchange membrane. The two catalyst layers are respectively arranged on both sides of the proton exchange membrane. Diffusion layers are respectively arranged on the surfaces of the two catalyst layers.

In the embodiment of the present application, at least the projection of the catalyst layer in the diffusion reaction layer 102 along the thickness direction of the electrode plate 101 body is located in the reaction zone 500, and the reaction gas diffuses to the diffusion reaction layer during the transmission of the gas channel in the reaction zone 500. 102. An electrochemical reaction is generated through the action of the catalyst layer. That is to say, at least the catalyst layer in the diffusion reaction layer 102 is located in the space formed by the reaction zone 500 of the two plates 101 , in other words, the reaction zone 500 is used to provide a space for electrochemical reaction.

There are many ways to form the gas channel. For example, several partition plates are arranged on the surface of the electrode plate 101 body, and several heat exchange channels are separated in the reaction zone 500 by several partition plates. As another example, several heat exchange channels are formed on the surface of the pole plate 101 body by stamping or etching.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the second surface 1012 is the side facing the outside of the battery cell 100, and the second surface 1012 is provided with a heat exchange flow field 600, and the heat exchange flow field 600 includes an entrance area 601, a transition area 602, and a heat exchange area. 603 and plenum zone 604.

The fuel cell 1000 generally has a liquid supply manifold 200, as shown in FIG. The liquid supply manifold 200 can be an integral structure, for example, an integral pipeline is used as the liquid supply manifold 200, and each structural layer of the fuel cell 1000 (such as the pole plate 101, the proton exchange membrane, etc.) Through holes, the liquid supply manifold 200 passes through the through holes of each layer in turn, and openings are provided on the side walls of the liquid supply manifold 200 to communicate with the heat exchange flow field 600 . Or, the liquid supply manifold 200 can be a split structure, for example, in each structural layer of the fuel cell 1000 (such as the pole plate 101, the proton exchange membrane, etc.), a through hole penetrating along the thickness direction is set, and each structural layer is sealed by a gasket. Stack, assemble and seal in sequence, so that the through holes of each structural layer are connected in sequence to form a liquid supply manifold 200, and the side wall of the liquid supply manifold 200 has an opening (for example, an opening is provided on the side wall of the through hole of the gasket or the pole plate 101) , to communicate with the heat exchange flow field 600.

The inlet area 601 of the heat exchange flow field 600 is a through hole provided on the pole plate 101 for the liquid supply manifold 200 to pass through, or for forming the liquid supply manifold 200 . The heat exchange medium can enter the heat exchange flow field 600 from the inlet zone 601 .

The inlet area 601 and the heat exchange area 603 are connected through the transition area 602. The heat exchange area 603 is provided with a number of heat exchange channels. After the heat exchange medium enters the heat exchange flow field 600 from the inlet area 601, it enters the heat exchange area through the transition area 602 603 , so that the heat exchange medium is roughly evenly distributed in several heat exchange channels, and flows along the heat exchange channels.

The air chamber area 604 is located above the heat exchange area 603 , and the air chamber area 604 is connected with the transition area 602 . The up-down direction mentioned in this application refers to the vertical direction, that is, the direction of gravity. When the heat exchange medium passes through the transition area 602 , the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium rise up under the action of buoyancy and enter the upper air chamber area 604 .

Wherein, the projection of the reaction zone 500 along the thickness direction of the pole plate 101 body is located within the range of the heat exchange zone 603, that is to say, the position of the reaction zone 500 corresponds to the position of the heat exchange zone 603, and the area of the heat exchange zone 603 is greater than or equal to The area of the reaction zone 500.

Since the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction mainly acts on the reaction zone 500 of the electrode plate 101, and the heat exchange channel of the reaction zone 500 is a structure that is easily blocked by air bubbles, the reaction zone 500 is an area where the electrode plate 101 is easily overheated.

In the embodiment of this application, the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium mainly enter the air chamber area 604 of the heat exchange flow field 600, and the content of air bubbles in the heat exchange medium entering the heat exchange area 603 is greatly reduced, and the heat exchange flow in the heat exchange area 603 The channel is not easily blocked by air bubbles, and the heat exchange medium can flow smoothly in the heat exchange flow channel, so that the heat exchange area 603 maintains a high heat exchange efficiency, wherein the projection of the reaction area 500 along the thickness direction of the electrode plate 101 body is located Therefore, the heat exchange medium can quickly take away the heat of the reaction area 500, and alleviate the problem of local overheating caused by the blockage of the heat exchange channel by bubbles in the prior art.

It should be noted that the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application is not only applicable to the scenario of reducing the temperature of the pole plate 101, but also applicable to the scenario of raising the temperature of the pole plate 101 through the heat exchange medium. In the heating scene, the problem of local low temperature caused by the blockage of the heat exchange channel by bubbles can be alleviated, so that the entire area of the reaction zone 500 is at a suitable working temperature.

In some embodiments, the air chamber area 604 and the heat exchange area 603 share an outlet area, and the air bubbles bypass the heat exchange area 603 and flow out of the heat exchange flow field 600 through the air chamber area 604, so as to prevent air bubbles from clogging the heat exchange flow of the heat exchange area 603 lead to localized overheating.

In some other embodiments, the air chamber area 604 and the heat exchange area 603 are respectively provided with outlet areas.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the heat exchange flow field 600 further includes a first outlet area 6051 and a second outlet area 6052 . The first outlet area 6051 communicates with the heat exchange area 603 for the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange area 603 to flow out. The second outlet area 6052 communicates with the air chamber area 604 for the air bubbles in the air chamber area 604 to flow out.

The content in the gas chamber area 604 may include a mixture of heat exchange medium and air bubbles; when there are more bubbles, the heat exchange medium in the air chamber area 604 may also be squeezed out by the gas, so that the air chamber area 604 is full of gas; When there are no air bubbles in the heat exchange medium, the air chamber region 604 may also be filled with the heat exchange medium. Thus, the content flowing from the plenum region 604 may be a mixture of heat transfer medium and air bubbles, gas only, or heat transfer medium only.

By setting corresponding outlet areas for the heat exchange area 603 and the air chamber area 604 respectively, the contents of the heat exchange area 603 and the contents of the air chamber area 604 are discharged independently, further avoiding the impact of air bubbles on the heat exchange area 603, such as avoiding bubble blockage The outlet area has adverse effects on the circulation of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange area 603 .

In addition, through the opening and closing control or flow control of the first outlet area 6051 and the second outlet area 6052, the internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field 600 can be adjusted and the pressure outlet can be switched, which is beneficial to control the collection and discharge of air bubbles.

In the normal operation state of the fuel cell 1000, if the flow rate of the first outlet area 6051 is increased and the flow rate of the second outlet area 6052 is decreased, the flow ratio of the heat exchange medium flowing away from the gas chamber area 604 will decrease, and the flow rate of the heat exchange medium will flow away from the heat exchange area 603 The flow rate ratio increases, and the heat exchange effect of the reaction zone 500 is better.

In some embodiments, the location of the second outlet zone 6052 is higher than the location of the first outlet zone 6051 . That is, in the direction of gravity, the second outlet area 6052 is higher than the first outlet area 6051 , so that the air bubbles floating above the heat exchange flow field 600 are easily discharged. In the prior art, the outlet of the heat exchange flow field is generally located in the middle, so that the distance between each heat exchange flow channel and the outlet is relatively balanced, which also makes it difficult to completely discharge the air bubbles. However, in the embodiment of the present application, by setting the first outlet zone 6051 and the second outlet zone 6052, and make the position of the second outlet zone 6052 higher, which is conducive to the discharge of air bubbles floating above.

The fuel cell 1000 generally also has a discharge manifold, which is a channel inside the fuel cell 1000 for discharging the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field 600 out of the fuel cell 1000 . The discharge manifold can be an integral structure, for example, an integral pipeline is used as the discharge manifold, and through holes penetrating through the thickness direction are respectively arranged on each structural layer of the fuel cell 1000 (such as the pole plate 101, the proton exchange membrane, etc.) to discharge The manifold passes through the through holes of each layer in turn, and openings are provided on the side wall of the discharge manifold to communicate with the heat exchange flow field 600 . Alternatively, the discharge manifold can be a split structure, for example, through holes penetrating through the thickness direction are provided in each structural layer of the fuel cell 1000 (such as the pole plate 101, the proton exchange membrane, etc.), and the structural layers are stacked sequentially through the gasket. Assembled and sealed, so that the through holes of each structural layer are connected in turn to form a discharge manifold, and the side wall of the discharge manifold has an opening (such as an opening is provided on the side wall of the through hole of the gasket or the pole plate 101) to communicate with the heat exchange flow. Field 600.

The outlet area of the heat exchange flow field 600 is a through hole provided on the pole plate 101 for passing through the discharge manifold, or the outlet area is used to form the discharge manifold. The heat exchange medium exits the heat exchange flow field 600 from the outlet zone into the discharge manifold.

In the embodiment where the heat exchange flow field 600 includes a first outlet area 6051 and a second outlet area 6052 , as shown in FIG. 2 , the fuel cell 1000 includes a first exhaust manifold 301 and a second exhaust manifold 302 . The first exhaust manifold 301 passes through the first outlet area 6051 , or the first outlet area 6051 is used to form the first exhaust manifold 301 . The second exhaust manifold 302 passes through the second outlet area 6052 , or the second outlet area 6052 is used to form the second exhaust manifold 302 .

The heat exchange flow field 600 further includes an exhaust flow channel 606 disposed on the second surface 1012 , one end of the exhaust flow channel 606 is connected to the gas chamber region 604 , and the other end is connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell 1000 . That is to say, in the embodiment where the air chamber area 604 and the heat exchange area 603 share an outlet, the air chamber area 604 communicates with the discharge manifold of the battery through the exhaust flow channel 606; In the embodiment in which an outlet is provided, the plenum area 604 communicates with the first exhaust manifold 301 through the exhaust flow channel 606 .

Wherein, the exhaust flow channel 606 is connected to one end of the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell 1000 , and is higher than the end of the exhaust flow channel 606 connected to the gas chamber region 604 . The inlet of the exhaust flow channel 606 is lower than the outlet, and the outlet of the exhaust flow channel 606 is located above the liquid level of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field 600, and the air bubbles with lower density are easy to rise along the exhaust flow channel 606 and exit the air chamber , which is beneficial for the air bubbles to completely discharge from the heat exchange flow field 600 .

In some embodiments, the plenum region 604 is tapered, the larger end of the taper is connected to the transition region 602 , and the smaller end of the taper is connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell 1000 . Air bubbles are easy to enter the air chamber region 604 from the larger end of the cone, and converge toward the smaller end, which is convenient for the air bubbles to be discharged.

In the second aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a fuel cell 1000. As shown in FIG. The pole plate 101 provided in the above embodiments. That is to say, at least one pole plate 101 of each battery cell 100 is the pole plate 101 provided in the above embodiments.

The stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 100 is the horizontal direction, and each pole plate 101 is parallel to the vertical plane, so that the air chamber area 604 is located above the heat exchange area 603 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the fuel cell 1000 further includes a first exhaust manifold 301 , a second exhaust manifold 302 , a first valve 401 and a second valve 402 .

The first discharge manifold 301 communicates with the heat exchange area 603 of the pole plate 101, and the first valve 401 is used to adjust the flow rate of the first discharge manifold 301. When the first valve 401 opens the first discharge manifold 301, the heat exchange medium can The heat exchange flow field 600 is discharged from the first discharge manifold 301 , and the first valve 401 can control the flow rate of the first discharge manifold 301 .

The second discharge manifold 302 communicates with the air chamber region 604 of the pole plate 101, and the second valve 402 is used to adjust the flow rate of the second discharge manifold 302. When the second valve 402 opens the second discharge manifold 302, air bubbles can flow from the second discharge manifold 302 The second discharge manifold 302 discharges the heat exchange flow field 600 , and the second valve 402 can control the flow rate of the second discharge manifold 302 .

In the fuel cell 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application, each battery cell 100 includes at least one electrode plate 101 in each embodiment of the first aspect, so that the surface of each battery cell 100 has the aforementioned heat exchange flow field 600 , which makes the heat exchange area 603 corresponding to the reaction area 500 of each battery cell 100 have the characteristics of being less prone to blockage and higher heat exchange efficiency, and each battery cell 100 is not prone to local overheating. 1000 has better performance and longer life.

The pole plate 101 and the fuel cell 1000 of the embodiment of the present application are described above, and the heat exchange method of the fuel cell 1000 will be described below, and for the detailed description, please refer to the foregoing embodiments.

As shown in Figure 6, the heat transfer methods include:

S1 separation step: open the first valve 401 to open the first discharge manifold 301, so that the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet area 601 to the heat exchange area 603 through the transition area 602 in the heat exchange flow field 600 of each plate 101, Furthermore, at least part of the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium rise up under the action of buoyancy, and enter the air chamber area 604 above the heat exchange area 603 from the transition area 602 .

S2 discharge step: open the second valve 402 to open the second discharge manifold 302 , so that the air bubbles in the air chamber area 604 are discharged from the second discharge manifold 302 .

In some embodiments, step S1 and step S2 may be performed simultaneously, and the heat exchange medium exchanges heat with the plate 101 to reduce the temperature of the reaction zone 500 , and at the same time, the bubbles are discharged through the transition zone 602 and the gas chamber zone 604 .

In some other embodiments, step S2 may be performed first, and then step S1 may be performed, and the gas in the gas chamber area 604 is evacuated first, and the air chamber area 604 is filled with the heat exchange medium to prepare for the subsequent accommodation of air bubbles. Exemplarily, the discharge step S2 is performed when the fuel cell 1000 is in an idling, cold or standby state, so as to prepare for subsequent heat exchange in the fuel cell 1000 operating state.

In some other embodiments, step S1 may be performed first, and then step S2 may be performed. When the heat exchange medium exchanges heat with the pole plate 101 to reduce the temperature of the reaction zone 500, the bubbles enter the gas chamber zone 604 through the transition zone 602 for storage. Finally, the air bubbles stored in the air chamber area 604 are discharged. That is, in the S1 separation step, the first valve 401 is opened to open the first discharge manifold 301 , and the second valve 402 is closed to block the second discharge manifold 302 .

Exemplarily: when the fuel cell 1000 is in operation, the S1 separation step is performed, while the heat exchange medium flows in the heat exchange flow field 600 along the sequence of the inlet zone 601, the transition zone 602, the heat exchange zone 603, and the outlet zone, Through the heat exchange between the heat exchange medium and the plate 101, the reaction zone 500 is at a suitable working temperature; on the other hand, the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium with low density rise in the transition zone 602 by buoyancy, and enter from the transition zone 602 under the force of the fluid The air chamber area 604 above the heat exchange area 603 is stored. After a certain amount of air bubbles are stored in the air cell region 604, the S2 discharge step is performed.

Optionally, the discharging step also includes: setting the time period for storing a certain amount of air bubbles in the gas chamber region 604 according to the gas content in the heat exchange medium per unit volume, such as the time period for the gas chamber region 604 to be filled with gas, for the convenience of description, let the The duration is the set duration. After the time for performing the S1 separation step reaches the set duration, the S2 discharge step is performed. Preferably, the set time period is shorter than the time period when the gas chamber region 604 is just filled with gas.

Optionally, a detection device may also be provided in the air chamber area 604 to acquire the storage amount of air bubbles in the air chamber area 604 . For example, a liquid level sensor is set in the air chamber area 604, and the liquid level sensor is close to the upper and lower boundary line between the air chamber area 604 and the heat exchange area 603. When the liquid level of the heat exchange medium is lower than the liquid level sensor, execute S2 discharge step.

When performing the S1 separation step, the second valve 402 may not be completely closed and block the second discharge manifold 302, or the second valve 402 may be adjusted to reduce the flow rate of the second discharge manifold 302, so that most of the The heat medium mainly flows along the entrance area 601, the transition area 602, the heat exchange area 603, and the second exit area 6052, and a small part of the heat exchange medium pushes the air bubbles to flow toward the gas chamber area 604 and the first exit area 6051. The thermal effect, on the other hand, can better collect air bubbles, and part of the air bubbles can be discharged during the S1 separation step, prolonging the time for the air chamber region 604 to reach the set air bubble storage capacity.

After a certain amount of air bubbles are stored in the gas chamber area 604, the discharge step is performed. In the discharge step, the second valve 402 is adjusted to increase the flow rate of the second discharge manifold 302, so as to prevent larger air bubbles from blocking the opening of the second valve 402. Improve the exhaust effect.

Because in the S1 separation step, the second valve 402 is closed or half-closed to reduce the flow rate, the pressure received by the second valve 402 in the S1 separation step is greater than the pressure received in the S2 discharge step. Assuming that in the S1 separation step, there is a first internal pressure in the heat exchange flow field 600, the pressure threshold of the second valve 402 is set to be greater than the first internal pressure, so as to prevent the second valve 402 from being overpressured in the S1 separation step. Large and damaged or ineffective. Optionally, if the maximum internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field 600 is greater than the first internal pressure, the pressure threshold of the second valve 402 may be set to be greater than the maximum internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field 600 .

In the discharge step S2, when the second valve 402 is opened to open the second discharge manifold 302, the first valve 401 is adjusted to reduce the flow rate of the first discharge manifold 301, so that the liquid level of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange flow field 600 The rapid rise or increase of internal pressure is used to quickly squeeze out the air bubbles from the air chamber area 604 to the second discharge manifold 302 to accelerate the speed of air bubble discharge. Wherein, "reducing the flow rate of the first discharge manifold 301" refers to reducing or zeroing the flow rate of the first discharge manifold 301 .

Since the first valve 401 is closed or half-closed to reduce the flow rate in the S2 discharge step, the pressure received by the first valve 401 in the S2 discharge step is greater than the pressure received in the S1 discharge step. Assuming that in the S2 discharge step, there is a second internal pressure in the heat exchange flow field 600, the pressure threshold of the first valve 401 is set to be greater than the second internal pressure, so as to prevent the first valve 401 from being damaged due to excessive pressure in the S2 discharge step. damage or failure. Optionally, if the maximum internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field 600 is greater than the second internal pressure, the pressure threshold of the first valve 401 may be set to be greater than the maximum internal pressure of the heat exchange flow field 600 .

According to Fig. 1-Fig. 6, the embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell 1000, the fuel cell 1000 includes a plurality of battery cells 100, a liquid supply manifold 200, a first discharge manifold 301 and a second discharge manifold 302. A plurality of battery cells 100 are stacked horizontally, each battery cell 100 includes two pole plates 101, the pole plates 101 are substantially parallel to the vertical plane, and each pole plate 101 has a first surface 1011 and a second surface 1012, the first surface 1011 is the inner wall of the battery cell 100 where the pole plate 101 is located, the first surface 1011 has a reaction zone 500, and the reaction zone 500 is used to provide a space for electrochemical reaction, and the second surface 1012 is the pole plate The outer wall of the battery cell 100 where 101 is located, the second surface 1012 is provided with a heat exchange flow field 600, and the heat exchange flow field 600 includes an inlet area 601, a transition area 602, a heat exchange area 603, an air chamber area 604, and a first outlet area 6051 and the second outlet area 6052, where the inlet area 601, the transition area 602, the heat exchange area 603, and the first outlet area 6051 are connected in sequence, and the air chamber area 604 is separated from the heat exchange area 603, and the air chamber area 604 is located in the heat exchange area Above zone 603 , plenum zone 604 connects between transition zone 602 and second outlet zone 6052 . The liquid supply manifold 200 , the first discharge manifold 301 and the second discharge manifold 302 extend along the stacking direction of a plurality of battery cells 100 , and the liquid supply manifold 200 communicates with the inlet area 601 of each heat exchange flow field 600 respectively. , the first exhaust manifold 301 communicates with the first outlet area 6051 of each heat exchange flow field 600 respectively, and the second exhaust manifold 302 communicates with the second outlet area 6052 of each heat exchange flow field 600 respectively.

The embodiment of the present application provides the heat exchange method of the above-mentioned fuel cell 1000 as follows.

In the running state of the fuel cell 1000, the S1 separation step is performed:

Open the first valve 401 to open the first discharge manifold 301, close the second valve 402 to block the second discharge manifold 302, pass the heat exchange medium into each heat exchange flow field 600 through the liquid supply manifold 200, and make the heat exchange The medium flows in each heat exchange flow field 600 along the path of the inlet zone 601, the transition zone 602, the heat exchange zone 603, and the first outlet zone 6051, wherein the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium rise under the action of buoyancy and flow from the transition zone 602 Enter the air chamber area 604 located above the heat exchange area 603 for storage.

After the air bubbles stored in the gas chamber region 604 reach a certain volume, or when the fuel cell 1000 is in an idle, cold or standby state, perform the S2 discharge step:

Close the first valve 401 to block the first discharge manifold 301, open the second valve 402 to open the second discharge manifold 302, pass the heat exchange medium into each heat exchange flow field 600 through the liquid supply manifold 200, and the heat exchange flow When the liquid level of the heat exchange medium in the field 600 rises or the internal pressure increases while the liquid level remains unchanged, the air bubbles stored in the gas chamber region 604 are squeezed out from the second outlet region 6052 and discharged through the second discharge manifold 302 .

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphases. For the part that is not described in detail in a certain embodiment, refer to the detailed description of other embodiments above, and will not be repeated here.

Meanwhile, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of the present application. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and/or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment . In addition, certain features, structures or characteristics of one or more embodiments of the present application may be properly combined.

In the same way, it should be noted that in order to simplify the expression disclosed in this application and help the understanding of one or more embodiments, in the foregoing description of the embodiments of the application, sometimes multiple features are combined into one embodiment, appended figure or its description. This method of disclosure does not, however, imply that the subject matter of the application requires more features than are recited in the claims. Indeed, embodiment features are less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

It should be noted that similar numbers and letters denote similar items in the drawings of this application, therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not require further definition and explanation in subsequent drawings .

In the description of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner" and "outer" appear, the orientation or positional relationship indicated is Based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the application product is usually placed in use, it is only for the convenience of describing the application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must Having a particular orientation, being constructed and operating in a particular orientation, and therefore not to be construed as limiting the application. In addition, if the terms "first", "second" and the like appear in the description of the present application, they are only used to distinguish the description, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of this application, it should also be explained that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting", "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed The connection can also be a detachable connection or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary, and it can be the internal communication of two components. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application in specific situations.

Each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other material, such as article, book, specification, publication, document, etc., cited in this application is hereby incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety, except for the contents of this application Inconsistent or conflicting application history documents are excluded, as are documents (currently or hereafter appended to this application) that limit the broadest scope of the claims of this application. It should be noted that if there is any inconsistency or conflict between the descriptions, definitions, and/or terms used in the attached materials of this application and the contents of this application, the descriptions, definitions and/or terms used in this application shall prevail .

Claims (10)

1. A pole plate for a fuel cell, characterized in that the pole plate comprises: The pole plate body has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on both sides of the pole plate body, the first surface is provided with a reaction zone, and the reaction zone is used for To provide space for electrochemical reactions; A heat exchange flow field is arranged on the second surface, the heat exchange flow field includes an inlet area and a heat exchange area, and the projection of the reaction area along the thickness direction of the plate body is located within the range of the heat exchange area Inside, the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet area to the heat exchange area, and exchanges heat with the plate body to adjust the temperature of the reaction area; Wherein, the heat exchange flow field further includes a transition area and an air chamber area, the inlet area and the heat exchange area communicate through the transition area, the air chamber area is located above the heat exchange area, and is connected to the The transition zone is connected, so that the air bubbles in the heat exchange medium are lifted by buoyancy in the transition zone and enter the air chamber zone. 2. The polar plate according to claim 1, wherein the polar plate further comprises: An exhaust flow channel is arranged on the second surface, one end of the exhaust flow channel is connected to the air chamber area, and the other end is connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell. 3. The electrode plate according to claim 2, wherein the end of the exhaust flow channel connected to the exhaust manifold of the fuel cell is higher than the end of the exhaust flow channel connected to the gas chamber area . 4. The pole plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, the air chamber area is conically arranged, the larger end of the taper is connected to the transition area, and the smaller end of the taper is connected to The exhaust manifold of the fuel cell. 5. The pole plate according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the heat exchange flow field further comprises: The first outlet area communicates with the heat exchange area for the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange area to flow out; The second outlet area communicates with the air chamber area for the air bubbles in the air chamber area to flow out. 6. A fuel cell, characterized in that it comprises: A plurality of battery cells stacked, each of which includes the pole plate according to any one of claims 1-5; a first discharge manifold communicated with the heat exchange area of the plate to discharge the heat exchange medium; a second discharge manifold in communication with the plenum region of the plate to discharge gas bubbles; a first valve for regulating flow in the first discharge manifold; a second valve for regulating flow in the second discharge manifold. 7. A heat exchange method for a fuel cell, used for the fuel cell according to claim 6, characterized in that the heat exchange method comprises: Separation step: open the first valve to open the first discharge manifold, so that the heat exchange medium flows from the inlet area through the transition area to the heat exchange area in the heat exchange flow field of each plate, so that at least Part of the air bubbles rise under the action of buoyancy and enter the air chamber area above the heat exchange area from the transition area; Discharging step: opening the second valve to open the second discharge manifold, so that the air bubbles in the air chamber region are discharged from the second discharge manifold. 8 . The heat exchange method for a fuel cell according to claim 7 , wherein, in the discharge step, the first valve is adjusted to reduce the flow of the first discharge manifold. 9. The heat exchange method for a fuel cell according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, in the separating step, the second valve is adjusted to reduce the flow of the second discharge manifold; The discharge step is performed after a certain volume of air bubbles is stored in the air chamber region, and in the discharge step, the second valve is adjusted to increase the flow rate of the second discharge manifold. 10. The heat exchange method for a fuel cell according to claim 9, characterized in that, in the separation step, the heat exchange flow field has a first internal pressure; The pressure threshold of the second valve is greater than the first internal pressure.