CN1612394A - Air supply device for fuel cell and related collecting pipe structure - Google Patents
Air supply device for fuel cell and related collecting pipe structure Download PDFInfo
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- CN1612394A CN1612394A CNA2003101067513A CN200310106751A CN1612394A CN 1612394 A CN1612394 A CN 1612394A CN A2003101067513 A CNA2003101067513 A CN A2003101067513A CN 200310106751 A CN200310106751 A CN 200310106751A CN 1612394 A CN1612394 A CN 1612394A
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- air
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- electrode
- fuel cell
- flow path
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Abstract
The structure of air supply unit and collecting tube includes following parts: fuel poles and air poles are stacked on two sides of electrolyte membrane; spacer plates form each fuel flow path and airflow path on each surface contacted to each pole; in the fuel cell system composed of multiple single cell including spacer plate and a side face of pole, airflow of each single cell is connected to next airflow in series. Advantages are: supplying air to each single cell evenly, raising velocity of airflow and performance of fuel cell. Thus, air pump in small capacity is capable of supplying air favorably so as to reduce unnecessary power consumption.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system for generating electric energy using fuel cells, and more particularly, to an air supply device for a fuel cell capable of uniformly supplying air to each single cell.
Background
Most of the energy used by humans is derived from fossil fuels. However, the use of these fossil fuels has a very serious negative impact on the environment, such as pollution of the atmosphere, formation of acid rain, global warming, and the like, and also has a problem of low energy efficiency.
Unlike a normal battery (2-pole battery), the fuel cell is a battery series that generates electricity and heat in an electrochemical reaction in which fuel (hydrogen gas or hydrocarbon) is supplied from the outside to an anode and oxygen gas is supplied to a cathode, and then the reverse reaction of water electrolysis is performed.
The power generation method by the fuel cell is a method of directly converting theenergy difference before and after the reaction into electric energy by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen without a combustion (oxidation) reaction of the fuel.
Fuel cells are classified by the type of electrolyte: phosphoric acid fuel cells that start at around 200 ℃, potassium electrolyte fuel cells that start at 60 ℃ to 110 ℃, polymer electrolyte fuel cells that start at normal temperature to 80 ℃, molten carbonate electrolyte fuel cells that start at high temperatures of about 500 ℃ to 700 ℃, solid oxide fuel cells that start at high temperatures of 1000 ℃ or higher, and the like.
These fuel cells include, as shown in fig. 1: a fuel cell stack 10 having a fuel electrode and an air electrode for generating electric energy by electrochemically reacting hydrogen and oxygen; boron Hydride (BH) in the form of an aqueous solution containing hydrogen4) In practice, sodium borohydride (NaBH)4) A fuel supply portion 20 that supplies fuel to the fuel electrode; an air supply unit 30 for supplying air containing oxygen to the air electrode; the electric power generated in the fuel cell stack 10 is supplied to the electric power output portion 40 of the load.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the fuel cell stack 10 is formed by stacking a plurality of single cells 11, and the upper and lower sides thereof are fixed by respective manifolds 12/13.
Each single cell 11 includes: the electrolyte membrane 11 a; a fuel electrode 11b and an air electrode 11c superposed on both sides of this electrolyte membrane 11 a; and separation plates 11d/11e which are stacked outside the fuel electrode 11b and the air electrode 11c and which allow fuel and air to circulate while contacting the fuel electrode 11b and the air electrode 11c, respectively.
The electrolyte membrane 11a transmits H+The polymer membrane of (2) is, for example, a polymer ion exchange membrane which is conductive in a wet state.
The fuel electrode 11b and the air electrode 11c are composed of a support (not shown) made of metallic nickel as a template, and a catalyst layer (not shown) formed of a hydrogen-containing storage alloy suitable for the oxidation of hydrogen and the reduction of oxygen and stacked on both sides of the support.
The separator plates 11d/11e are made of a graphite-like metal having high conductivity and high corrosion resistance, and inner side surfaces in contact with the fuel electrode 11b and the air electrode 11c form a fuel passage Cf through which fuel passes and an air passage Co through which air passes.
Further, the separation plates 11d/11e disposed between the single cells 11 have one side formed with the fuel channels Cf and the other side formed with the air channels Co, and only the inner side surfaces of the separation plates 11d/11e disposed at both side end portions of the fuel cell stack 10 have the fuel channels Cf or the air channels Co formed thereon.
The manifold 12/13 is formed on the inner side surface in contact with each single cell 11: fuel passages 12a/13a through which a fuel supply pipe 22 communicating with the fuel supply portion 20 communicates with the fuel passages Cf of the individual cells 11; and air passages 12b and 13b which communicate with the air supply pipe 31 of the air supply unit 30 and the air passages of the individual cells 11.
The operation of the above-mentioned conventional fuel cell is as follows:
that is, when fuel is supplied from the fuel tank 21 to the fuel electrode 11b by the fuel pump 23, air is simultaneously supplied from the atmosphere to the air electrode 11c by the air pump 32, and in the course of passing through the fuel flow path Cf and the air flow path Co of the respective separation plates 11b/11e, hydrogen in the fuel electrochemically reacts with oxygen in the air to produce water, and current is generated between the two electrodes.
More specifically, first, the fuel pump 23 causes the fuel to flow from the fuel tank 21 into the fuel passage 12a of the inlet-side manifold 12 through the fuel supply pipe 22, and the fuel is uniformly distributed from the fuel passage 12a to the fuel flow paths Cf in the fuel-side separation plates 11d of the individual cells 11, so that the fuel undergoes an electrochemical oxidation reaction (for example: )。
in contrast, air flows from the atmosphere through the air supply pipe 31 into the air passage 12b of the inlet-side manifold 12 via an air filter (not shown) by the air pump 32, is uniformly distributed from the air passage 12b to the air flow paths Co in the air-side separation plates 11e of the respective single cells 11, and undergoes an electrochemical reduction reaction (for example: )。
in this process, an electromotive force is generated between the fuel electrode 11b and the air electrode 11c, and the electromotive force is supplied to a load after outputting a current through current collecting plates (not shown) provided at both ends of the fuel cell stack 10 in which a plurality of single cells 11 are stacked.
However, in the above-described conventional fuel cell stack, the air flow path Co is blocked by water, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), or the like generated from the air electrode 11c, and the distribution of the air in one air flow path Co to a plurality of air flow paths Co inevitably causes a decrease in the inertia of the air, which leads to a problem of a decrease in the performance of the fuel cell. Further, supplying air in parallel causes a decrease in the flow rate of air, and in order to supplement the above-mentioned need, it is necessary to use a large-capacity air pump 32, which increases unnecessary power consumption.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention is directed to overcoming the above-mentioned shortcomings, and to providing an air supply device for a fuel cell and a manifold structure thereof, which can uniformly distribute air to air flow paths of individual cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell and a related manifold structure capable of increasing the flow rate of air and reducing unnecessary power consumption using a small capacity air pump.
The technical scheme for solving the technical problems is as follows:
an air supply device of fuel cell and relative manifold structure, which comprises an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; in a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by successively stacking a separator plate in contact with one side of each electrode, air flow paths of the single cells are connected in series.
An air supply device of fuel cell and relative manifold structure, which comprises an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; in a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by continuously stacking a separator plate in contact with one side surface of each electrode, the plurality of single cells are collectively connected in contact with the fuel flow path and the air flow path of each single cell at the inlet and outlet thereof, and a plurality of air passages formed at regular intervals are provided in the fuel cell so as to connect the air flow paths of the single cells in series.
The invention has the beneficial effects that: the air supply device of the fuel cell and the related collecting pipe structure of the invention are a structure for supplying air to the air flow path in series, which can uniformly supply air to the air flow path of each single cell, thereby not only greatly improving the performance of the fuel cell, but also improving the flow rate of the air, using a small-capacity air pump to smoothly supply the air and reducing unnecessary power consumption.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art fuel cell construction system;
FIG. 2 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a fuel cell stack of an existing fuel cell;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell stack of a prior art fuel cell;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the fuel cell construction system of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell of the present invention;
fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fuelcell stack of a fuel cell of the present invention.
Detailed Description
The invention provides an air supply device of a fuel cell and a related manifold structure, comprising an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; in a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by continuously stacking a separator plate in contact with one side of each electrode, the air flow paths Co of the single cells 110 are connected in series.
The air flow passage Co of the single cell 110 communicates with a plurality of air passages 122/132 arranged in order on the collective pipe 120/130.
An air supply device of fuel cell and relative manifold structure, which comprises an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; in a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by continuously stacking a separator plate in contact with one side surface of each electrode, the plurality of single cells 110 are collectively connected in contact with the inlet and outlet of the fuel flow path Cf and the air flow path Co of each single cell 110, and a plurality of air passages 122/132 formed by connecting the air flow paths Co of the single cells 110 in series at a predetermined interval are provided in the interior thereof.
The air duct 122/132 has a side surface provided with a fuel duct 121/131 connected in parallel to the fuel flow paths Cf of the individual cells 110.
The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
as shown in fig. 4 to 6, the fuel cell stack of the present invention, which has a fuel electrode and an air electrode for generating electric energy by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, is formed by stacking a plurality of single cells 110 and connecting them to an inlet-side manifold 120 and an outlet-side manifold 130, and each manifold 120/130 is connected in parallel to the fuel flow paths Cf of the single cells 110 and connected in series to the air flow paths Co.
The single battery 110 includes: the electrolyte membrane 111; a fuel electrode 112 and an air electrode 113 superimposed on both sides of the intermediate electrolyte membrane 111; the separator 114/115, which is superimposed on the outer sides of the fuel electrode 112 and the air electrode 113, serves to circulate the fuel and the air to the fuel electrode 112 and the air electrode 113, respectively.
The electrolyte membrane 111 is a membrane for transmitting H+The polymer ion exchange membrane of (2) is preferably a polymer ion exchange membrane having conductivity in a wet state.
The fuel electrode 112 and the air electrode 113 are composed of a support (not shown) made of a template made of metallic nickel and a catalyst layer (not shown) made of a hydrogen-containing storage alloy suitable for oxidation of hydrogen and reduction reaction of oxygen, which are stacked on both sides of the support.
The separator 114/115 is made of a graphite-like metal having good electrical conductivity and high corrosion resistance, and the inner side surfaces in contact with the fuel electrode 112 and the air electrode 113 form a fuel passage Cf through which fuel passes and an air passage Co through which air passes.
In addition, the separation plates 114/115 provided between the single cells 110 have fuel channels Cf formed on one side and air channels Co formed on the other side, and only the inner surfaces of the separation plates 114/115 provided at both side ends of the fuel cell stack 100 have the fuel channels Cf or the air channels Co formed thereon.
The inlet-side manifold 120 and the outlet-side manifold 130 are formed as plates capable of accommodating the width of all the single cells 110, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, and have facing inner side surfaces each forming one fuel passage 121/131 and a plurality of air through holes 122/132.
The fuel passage 121/131 is formed to be able to communicate with the fuel flow paths Cf of all the single cells 110 in a parallel fashion, and is preferably formed to have a predetermined depth and width and to be elongated.
The air duct 122/132 is formed so that the air flow paths Co of the individual cells 110 are in series communication with each other in a zigzag shape, and the inlet-side manifold 120 and the outlet-side manifold 130 are out of phase with each other. The air passages 122/132 are formed in a U shape with both ends exposed on the inner surface of the manifold 120/130 so that the air flow paths Co of the adjacent single cells 110 can be independently connected to each other. In addition, for convenience in processing, it may be formed as a recess of a predetermined depth and width (not shown).
The same portions in the drawings as before are given the same symbols.
The fuel cell of the present invention operates as follows:
that is, the fuel and air supplied to the fuel passage Cf and the air passage Co of the separator 114/115 pass through the fuel electrode (anode) 112 and the air electrode (cathode) 113, respectively, and in this process, the hydrogen gas in the fuel electrochemically reacts with the oxygen gas in the air to generate water, and at the same time, an electric current is generated between the two electrodes.
More specifically, first, the fuel pump 23 causes the fuel to flow from the fuel tank 21 into the fuel passage 121 of the inlet-side manifold 120 through the fuel supply pipe 22, and the fuel is uniformly distributed from the fuel passage 121 to the fuel flow paths Cf in the fuel-side separation plates 114 of the individual cells 110, so that the fuel passes through the fuel flow paths Cf to undergo an electrochemical oxidation reaction (for example: )。
in contrast, air flows from the atmosphere into the first air passage 122 of the inlet-side manifold 120 through the air supply pipe 31 by the air pump 32, flows into the first air passage 132 of the outlet-side manifold 130 through the air flow passage Co of the outermost single cell 110, then flows into the air passage 122 of the 2 nd single cell 110 of the inlet-side manifold 120 through the air flow passage Co of the 2 nd single cell 110 again, and performs an electrochemical reduction reaction (for example: )。
the manifold 120/130 is formed by a fuel channel 121/131 and a plurality of air channels 122/132, wherein the air through holes 122/132are continuously connected to the air flow paths Co of the single cells 110, so that air is sequentially supplied along the air through holes 122/132 and the air flow paths Co of the single cells 110, and the air flow paths Co of the single cells 110 can continuously and uniformly receive the air supply, thereby improving the performance of the fuel cell.
Further, the reaction of the fuel cell generates water and sodium hydroxide on the air flow path Co, and the air passes through the air passage 122/132 and the air flow path Co continuously, so that the flow rate of the air is increased, that is, the air is smoothly supplied even when the small capacity air pump 32 is used, thereby reducing power consumption.
Claims (4)
1. An air supply device of fuel cell and relative manifold structure, which comprises an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; in a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by successively stacking a separator plate in contact with one side surface of each electrode, air flow paths (Co) of the single cells (110) are connected in series.
2. The air supply system and the related manifold structure for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the air flow path (Co) of the single cell (110) is communicated with a plurality of air passages (122/132) formed in a sequential order on a manifold (120/130) which is combined together.
3. An air supply device of fuel cell and relative manifold structure, which comprises an electrolyte membrane; superposing a fuel electrode and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte membrane; a separation plate which forms a fuel flow path and an air flow path on the surface contacting with each electrode, and generates ions when the fuel and the air circulate in the flow paths independently; a fuel cell comprising a plurality of single cells formed by bringing a separator into contact with one side surface of each electrode, wherein the plurality of single cells (110) are brought into contact with and coupled to the inlet and outlet of the fuel flow path (Cf) and the air flow path (Co) of each single cell (110) at the same time, and a plurality of air passages (122/132) formed at a predetermined interval are provided in the interior of the fuel cell so that the air flow paths (Co) of the single cells (110) are connected in series.
4. The air supply apparatus for a fuel cell and the manifold structure thereof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air passage (122/132) has a fuel passage (121/131) formed at a side thereof and connected in parallel with the fuel flow path (Cf) of each single cell (110).
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA2003101067513A CN1612394A (en) | 2003-10-30 | 2003-10-30 | Air supply device for fuel cell and related collecting pipe structure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA2003101067513A CN1612394A (en) | 2003-10-30 | 2003-10-30 | Air supply device for fuel cell and related collecting pipe structure |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN1612394A true CN1612394A (en) | 2005-05-04 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA2003101067513A Pending CN1612394A (en) | 2003-10-30 | 2003-10-30 | Air supply device for fuel cell and related collecting pipe structure |
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| Country | Link |
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| CN (1) | CN1612394A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN105431974A (en) * | 2013-08-01 | 2016-03-23 | 夏普株式会社 | Metal electrode cartridge and metal-air battery |
-
2003
- 2003-10-30 CN CNA2003101067513A patent/CN1612394A/en active Pending
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN105431974A (en) * | 2013-08-01 | 2016-03-23 | 夏普株式会社 | Metal electrode cartridge and metal-air battery |
| CN105431974B (en) * | 2013-08-01 | 2018-05-15 | 夏普株式会社 | Metal electrode box and metal-air battery |
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| WD01 | Invention patent application deemed withdrawn after publication |