CN220456461U - Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell - Google Patents
Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell Download PDFInfo
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- CN220456461U CN220456461U CN202320991040.1U CN202320991040U CN220456461U CN 220456461 U CN220456461 U CN 220456461U CN 202320991040 U CN202320991040 U CN 202320991040U CN 220456461 U CN220456461 U CN 220456461U
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 76
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- 239000003054 catalyst Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 109
- 239000002826 coolant Substances 0.000 claims description 26
- 239000000376 reactant Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000005538 encapsulation Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000012495 reaction gas Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910021536 Zeolite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- MCMNRKCIXSYSNV-UHFFFAOYSA-N ZrO2 Inorganic materials O=[Zr]=O MCMNRKCIXSYSNV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- GUJOJGAPFQRJSV-UHFFFAOYSA-N dialuminum;dioxosilane;oxygen(2-);hydrate Chemical compound O.[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3].O=[Si]=O.O=[Si]=O.O=[Si]=O.O=[Si]=O GUJOJGAPFQRJSV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- HNPSIPDUKPIQMN-UHFFFAOYSA-N dioxosilane;oxo(oxoalumanyloxy)alumane Chemical compound O=[Si]=O.O=[Al]O[Al]=O HNPSIPDUKPIQMN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910052901 montmorillonite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- RVTZCBVAJQQJTK-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxygen(2-);zirconium(4+) Chemical compound [O-2].[O-2].[Zr+4] RVTZCBVAJQQJTK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000741 silica gel Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910002027 silica gel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
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- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 37
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- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 abstract description 4
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- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000003487 electrochemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 3
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 2
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- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000565 sealant Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000009825 accumulation Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
-
- 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
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- Fuel Cell (AREA)
Abstract
The present utility model relates to a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises at least: a proton exchange membrane; and a cathode catalyst layer and an anode catalyst layer disposed on both sides of the proton exchange membrane, respectively, wherein the membrane electrode assembly has a first end portion configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas supply manifold of the fuel cell and an opposite second end portion configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas exhaust manifold of the fuel cell, wherein the membrane electrode assembly has hygroscopic particles whose distribution density gradually decreases from the first end portion to the second end portion. The utility model also relates to a corresponding fuel cell. It is possible to advantageously retain the product water produced by the reaction inside the membrane electrode assembly and achieve a water content that is uniformly distributed inside the membrane electrode assembly.
Description
Technical Field
The present utility model relates to the field of fuel cells, and more particularly, to a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell. The utility model also relates to a corresponding fuel cell.
Background
In recent years, with the development of society and economy, there has been an increasing concern about problems such as air pollution and energy loss. A fuel cell is a highly efficient power generation device that directly converts chemical energy in fuel and oxidant into electrical energy in an electrochemical reaction without a combustion process. Since the reaction product is mainly water and does not substantially discharge harmful gases, the fuel cell has a remarkable advantage of being clean and environment-friendly and can be advantageously used in the fields of vehicles, generators, and the like.
During operation of the fuel cell, hydrogen gas is decomposed into protons and electrons at the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly under the action of a catalyst, and the protons flow from the anode to the cathode through a proton exchange membrane, which is a permselective membrane and provides a transfer channel only for the protons, and combine with oxygen molecules of the cathode to generate water molecules. In this process, the proton exchange membrane needs to be properly wetted and maintain a certain water content, which determines the conductivity of protons, thereby affecting the operation performance of the fuel cell. When the water content is too low, a 'membrane dry' fault is generated, so that the resistivity is increased, the heat generation of the proton exchange membrane is increased, the energy conversion efficiency is further reduced, the membrane is even torn, the output performance and the residual life are seriously affected, and when the humidity in the fuel cell is too high, the water content of the proton exchange membrane can be increased to reduce the resistivity, but a 'flooding' fault is possibly generated, the transmission of a gas reactant is blocked, the active area of a catalyst is reduced due to the coverage of water, and thus the concentration difference loss and the activation loss are obviously increased.
In the operation process of the fuel cell, the fuel cell needs to be at a higher operating temperature to ensure that the operation characteristics of high catalyst activity, low power consumption and the like are realized. However, particularly in self-humidifying fuel cell systems lacking an external humidifier, high operating temperatures tend to cause "dry film" failure of the fuel cell, thereby adversely affecting the output performance of the fuel cell. In addition, the dry air flows as cathode gas into the cathode gas inlet region of the membrane electrode assembly, resulting in the inlet region of the cathode side being relatively dry, and water generated at the cathode side of the fuel cell flows toward the cathode gas outlet region of the membrane electrode assembly under the drive of the cathode gas flow, so that product water gathers in the middle region and the outlet region of the cathode side, thereby resulting in uneven water content distribution in the longitudinal extension direction of the membrane electrode assembly, which further reduces the operation performance of the fuel cell.
Disclosure of Invention
The object of the present utility model is therefore to provide an improved membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, which advantageously allows the product water produced by the reaction to remain inside the membrane electrode assembly and to achieve a water content which is distributed uniformly inside the membrane electrode assembly, so that the occurrence of "membrane dry" faults is avoided without the provision of a cathode humidification system and/or at high operating temperatures and a stable relative humidity of the proton exchange membrane and the catalyst layer is ensured over the entire longitudinal extension of the membrane electrode assembly, in order to significantly improve the current density and the output performance of the fuel cell.
According to a first aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises at least:
-a proton exchange membrane; and
a cathode catalyst layer and an anode catalyst layer respectively arranged on both sides of the proton exchange membrane,
wherein the membrane electrode assembly has a first end portion configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas supply manifold of the fuel cell and an opposite second end portion configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas exhaust manifold of the fuel cell, wherein the membrane electrode assembly has hygroscopic particles whose distribution density gradually decreases from the first end portion to the second end portion.
In the membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell according to the present utility model, it is possible to absorb and retain product water generated by an electrochemical reaction inside the membrane electrode assembly by the moisture absorbing particles disposed in the membrane electrode assembly, thereby preventing water from being directly discharged from the cathode outlet and the anode outlet of the membrane electrode assembly and increasing the water content of the membrane electrode assembly to prevent occurrence of a "membrane dry" failure and to improve the operation performance of the fuel cell, compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles at the first end of the membrane electrode assembly facing the cathode gas supply manifold is greater than the distribution density at the second end facing the cathode gas exhaust manifold, which allows for a targeted distribution of more hygroscopic particles in the relatively dry cathode gas inlet region of the membrane electrode assembly when the membrane electrode assembly is arranged in a fuel cell, whereby an even distribution of the water content in the membrane electrode assembly is achieved and local dry regions are avoided by an optimized distribution of said hygroscopic particles, ensuring that the membrane electrode assembly produces an even current density over the whole extension plane and an improved output performance of the fuel cell.
Within the framework of the present utility model, a "longitudinal extension direction" is understood to mean a direction of the main flow of the reactant gases, in particular of the cathode reactant gases, when they flow through the membrane electrode assembly.
Illustratively, the distribution density of the absorbent particles varies in a stepwise fashion or continuously.
Illustratively, the first end is configured to face a cathode gas supply manifold and an anode gas exhaust manifold of the fuel cell, and the second end is configured to face a cathode gas exhaust manifold and an anode gas supply manifold of the fuel cell such that a flow direction of cathode gas on the membrane electrode assembly is opposite to a flow direction of anode gas on the membrane electrode assembly.
Illustratively, the hygroscopic particles are disposed on the proton exchange membrane and/or the cathode catalyst layer and/or the anode catalyst layer in a sprayed or coated manner.
Illustratively, the hygroscopic particles have a distribution density on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly that is greater than a distribution density on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly; and/or the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly is less than a prescribed threshold value, which is determined from experimental data and/or empirical data.
Illustratively, the hygroscopic particles comprise at least one of the group consisting of: montmorillonite, zeolite, silica gel, zirconium dioxide.
Illustratively, the membrane electrode assembly includes two gas diffusion layers covering the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer on the cathode side and the anode side, respectively.
According to a second aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell includes at least:
-a membrane electrode assembly according to the utility model;
-an envelope frame surrounding the membrane electrode assembly and provided with at least a cathode gas supply manifold, a cathode gas exhaust manifold, an anode gas supply manifold and an anode gas exhaust manifold to supply and exhaust a reactant gas to and from the membrane electrode assembly; and
-plates arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly and the encapsulation frame and configured to be adapted to distribute the reactant gases onto the membrane electrode assembly.
Illustratively, the cathode gas supply manifold and the cathode gas exhaust manifold are arranged along a diagonal of the fuel cell and the anode gas supply manifold and the anode gas exhaust manifold are arranged along another diagonal of the fuel cell such that a first end of the membrane electrode assembly faces the cathode gas supply manifold and the anode gas exhaust manifold of the fuel cell and a second end of the membrane electrode assembly faces the cathode gas exhaust manifold and the anode gas supply manifold of the fuel cell; and/or the plate is configured as a bipolar plate.
The fuel cell further includes a coolant supply portion and a coolant discharge portion provided in the encapsulation frame, the coolant supply portion being connected to the coolant discharge portion through a coolant flow passage of the electrode plate, wherein the coolant supply portion faces the first end portion of the membrane electrode assembly and the coolant discharge portion faces the second end portion of the membrane electrode assembly.
Drawings
The principles, features and advantages of the present utility model may be better understood by describing the present utility model in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings include:
fig. 1a and 1b show an exploded view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model;
fig. 2 shows a schematic view of a fuel cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model.
Detailed Description
In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous technical effects to be solved by the present utility model more apparent, the present utility model will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments.
It should be appreciated that the expressions "first", "second", etc. are used herein for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or as implying any particular order of number of technical features indicated. Features defining "first", "second" or "first" may be expressed or implied as including at least one such feature.
Fig. 1a and 1b show an exploded view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a fuel cell 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model. Fig. 1b is a sectional view of fig. 1a perpendicular to the longitudinal extension x.
As shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the fuel cell 100 includes a membrane electrode assembly 10 which is a core component of the fuel cell 100 and includes at least a proton exchange membrane 11 and a cathode catalyst layer 12 and an anode catalyst layer 13 respectively disposed at both sides of the proton exchange membrane 11, wherein the proton exchange membrane 11 is a thin film having a thickness of a micrometer scale, provides a transfer path for protons and serves as a separator to separate an anode gas and a cathode gas and to isolate electron transport. When the fuel cell 100 is operated, an anode gas, typically hydrogen, is supplied to the anode catalyst layer 13 and is decomposed into protons and electrons are released under the catalysis of an anode catalyst, for example, platinum, and the released electrons form an electric current in an external circuit, and the protons pass through the proton exchange membrane 11 and are combined with cathode gas, for example, oxygen and electrons in the air, reaching the cathode catalyst layer 12 under the catalysis of a cathode catalyst to generate product water. Here, the membrane electrode assembly 10 needs to have a certain water content to appropriately wet the proton exchange membrane 11, thereby ensuring the proton transfer capability of the proton exchange membrane 11. Here, the membrane electrode assembly 10 may be manufactured by CCM (catalyst-coated membrane) technology.
As illustrated in fig. 1a and 1b, the membrane electrode assembly 10 further comprises two gas diffusion layers 14 covering the cathode catalyst layer 12 and the anode catalyst layer 13 on the cathode side and the anode side, respectively. The gas diffusion layer 14 provides a uniform transport path for the reaction gas supplied to the membrane electrode assembly 10 and the generated water and supports the cathode catalyst layer 12 and the anode catalyst layer 13 to stabilize the entire electrode structure.
As shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the fuel cell 100 includes an encapsulation frame 20 surrounding the membrane electrode assembly 10 in the circumferential direction, whereby the encapsulation frame 20 acts as a seal with the sealant 33 of the electrode plate 30 to prevent leakage of supplied hydrogen and air and to ensure safe and efficient operation of the fuel cell 100. Here, manifold portions, which may function as a cathode gas supply manifold 21, a cathode gas exhaust manifold 22, an anode gas supply manifold 23, and an anode gas exhaust manifold 24, respectively, to supply the reactant gas to the membrane electrode assembly 10 and exhaust the reactant gas from the membrane electrode assembly 10, respectively, are provided in the envelope frame 20, depending on functions.
As shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the fuel cell 100 further includes a plate 30 disposed on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly 10 and the encapsulation frame 20 with sandwiching therebetween, wherein the plate 30 has a gas distribution structure 31 by which the reaction gas from the manifold portion can be uniformly distributed to the membrane electrode assembly 10, thereby optimizing the reaction efficiency of the fuel cell 100, and leakage of the reaction gas from the membrane electrode assembly 10 can be prevented by cooperation of the encapsulation frame 20 with the sealant 33 on the plate 30. In particular, the plate 30 is configured as a bipolar plate that can be used simultaneously between two stacked fuel cells. Here, the gas distribution structure 31 may function as an anode gas distribution structure for guiding and distributing hydrogen gas at the anode side and a cathode gas distribution structure for guiding and distributing air at the cathode side, respectively, depending on the position of the plate 30. The reactant gas supplied by the manifold portion flows through the membrane electrode assembly 10 in a longitudinal direction x of extension of the membrane electrode assembly 10, which corresponds to or is parallel to the main flow direction of the reactant gas.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of a fuel cell 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model.
As shown in fig. 2, the membrane electrode assembly 10 of the fuel cell 100 has a main extension plane formed by a longitudinal extension direction x and a perpendicular transverse extension direction y, the membrane electrode assembly 10 being inserted into the envelope frame 20 in a thickness direction z perpendicular to the main extension plane such that the envelope frame 20 encloses the membrane electrode assembly 10 in a circumferential direction, wherein the membrane electrode assembly 10 has a first end 1 and an opposite second end 2 in the longitudinal extension direction x.
As shown in fig. 1a and 2, a cathode gas supply manifold 21, a cathode gas exhaust manifold 22, an anode gas supply manifold 23, and an anode gas exhaust manifold 24 are provided in the enclosure frame 20, wherein the cathode gas supply manifold 21 and the cathode gas exhaust manifold 22 are preferably arranged along a diagonal line of the fuel cell 100, and the anode gas supply manifold 23 and the anode gas exhaust manifold 24 are preferably arranged along another diagonal line of the fuel cell, wherein a cathode inlet region and an anode outlet region of the membrane electrode assembly 10 are superposed on each other as viewed in a thickness direction z of the membrane electrode assembly 10. In particular, the first end portion 1 of the membrane electrode assembly 10 faces the cathode gas supply manifold 21 and the anode gas exhaust manifold 24 of the fuel cell 100, and the second end portion 2 of the membrane electrode assembly 10 faces the cathode gas exhaust manifold 22 and the anode gas supply manifold 23 of the fuel cell 100. In this case, a cathode gas, such as dry air, flows from the first end portion 1 into the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 via the cathode gas supply manifold 21 and flows from the second end portion 2 via the cathode gas exhaust manifold 22, while an anode gas, such as hydrogen, flows from the second end portion 2 into the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 via the anode gas supply manifold 23 and flows from the first end portion 1 via the anode gas exhaust pipe 24, so that the flow direction of the cathode gas on the membrane electrode assembly 10 is opposite to the flow direction of the anode gas on the membrane electrode assembly 10, which facilitates convective transport of product water between the cathode side and the anode side, wherein the product water generated on the cathode side flows toward the cathode gas outlet region, i.e., the second end portion 2, under the driving of the cathode gas flow. It is also conceivable that the cathode gas supply manifold 21 and the anode gas supply manifold 23 are arranged on the same side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, and the cathode gas exhaust manifold 22 and the anode gas exhaust manifold 24 are arranged on the other side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, as seen in the longitudinal extension direction x, so that the cathode gas and the anode gas flow through the membrane electrode assembly 10 in the same flow direction.
As shown in fig. 2, the membrane electrode assembly 10 includes moisture absorbing particles 15 distributed on a main extension plane of the membrane electrode assembly 10, and product water generated by an electrochemical reaction can be absorbed through the moisture absorbing particles 15, thereby preventing the product water from directly flowing out of the membrane electrode assembly 10 to increase the water content of the membrane electrode assembly 10. Here, the distribution density of the moisture absorbent particles 15 gradually decreases from the first end portion 1 to the second end portion 2, which allows a targeted distribution of more moisture absorbent particles 15 in the dry cathode inlet region of the membrane electrode assembly 10 and a distribution of less moisture absorbent particles 15 in the cathode outlet region of greater humidity to achieve a uniformly distributed water content in the longitudinal extension direction x of the membrane electrode assembly 10, thereby ensuring a uniform current density over the entire longitudinal extension dimension of the membrane electrode assembly 10 and enhancing the output performance of the fuel cell 100 as a whole.
Illustratively, the hygroscopic particles 15 can be disposed on the proton exchange membrane 11 of the membrane electrode assembly 10 in a spray or coating manner. However, it is also conceivable that the hygroscopic particles 15 are arranged on the cathode catalyst layer 12 and/or the anode catalyst layer 13. This enables a flexible arrangement of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the membrane electrode assembly 10 as well as a simple and cost-effective construction of the membrane electrode assembly 10, as desired.
Illustratively, as shown in fig. 2, the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the cathode catalyst layer 12 gradually decreases from the first end portion 1 to the second end portion 2, so that more hygroscopic particles 15 can be distributed in the dry cathode inlet region of the membrane electrode assembly 10, and less hygroscopic particles 15 can be distributed in the intermediate region where product water accumulates and the cathode outlet region, whereby product water on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 can remain more in the cathode inlet region, i.e., at the first end portion 1, which balances the blowing action of the cathode gas flow toward the cathode outlet region, i.e., the second end portion 2, thereby achieving a uniformly distributed water content in the longitudinal extension direction x of the membrane electrode assembly 10. However, it is also conceivable that the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the side of the proton exchange membrane 11 facing the cathode catalyst layer 12 decreases gradually from the first end portion 1 to the second end portion 2.
Illustratively, as shown in fig. 2, the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the anode catalyst layer 13 gradually decreases from the first end portion 1 to the second end portion 2, so that relatively more hygroscopic particles 15 are provided in the anode outlet region of the membrane electrode assembly 10, while relatively less hygroscopic particles 15 are provided in the middle region and the anode inlet region of the membrane electrode assembly 10, which allows more water to remain in the anode outlet region on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, which is opposite to the cathode inlet region in the thickness direction z of the membrane electrode assembly 10, thereby increasing the relative humidity difference between the anode outlet region and the cathode inlet region and promoting diffusion of water from the anode outlet region to the cathode inlet region, thereby further increasing the water content of the cathode inlet region. However, it is also conceivable that the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the side of the proton exchange membrane 11 facing the anode catalyst layer 13 decreases gradually from the first end portion 1 to the second end portion 2.
Illustratively, the distribution density of the moisture-absorbing particles 15 on the membrane electrode assembly 10 varies in a stepwise manner such that the membrane electrode assembly 10 is divided into a plurality of sections along the longitudinal extension direction x, the distribution density of the moisture-absorbing particles 15 remains unchanged in each section, and the distribution density of the moisture-absorbing particles 15 decreases in adjacent sections along the longitudinal extension direction x. This enables easy placement of the moisture absorbing particles 15 on the membrane electrode assembly. It is also contemplated that the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 over the membrane electrode assembly 10 is continuously varied to achieve a more uniform distribution of the water content of the membrane electrode assembly 10.
Illustratively, the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 is greater than the distribution density on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, thereby enhancing the hygroscopic effect of the hygroscopic particles 15 and allowing the product water to remain more directly in the cathode inlet area. It is of course also possible to have a distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 that is smaller than the distribution density on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, depending on the actual conditions and stack design.
Illustratively, the distribution density of the hygroscopic particles 15 on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10 is less than a prescribed threshold, which is determined from experimental and/or empirical data. This can avoid excessive accumulation of water in the anode outlet region at the anode side, thereby preventing "flooding" failure from occurring when the water content is too high, so that the transport of the gas reactant is hindered and the active area of the anode catalyst is reduced by the coverage of water.
Illustratively, the absorbent particles 15 may comprise at least one of the group of: montmorillonite, zeolite, silica gel, zirconium dioxide. Of course, other materials that would be considered interesting by the person skilled in the art are also contemplated, such as activated carbon, etc.
As illustrated in fig. 1a and 2, the fuel cell 100 further includes a coolant supply part 25 and a coolant discharge part 26 provided in the encapsulation frame 20, the coolant supply part being connected to the coolant discharge part through a coolant flow channel 32 of the electrode plate 30, and temperature control of the membrane electrode assembly 10 being achieved by coolant flowing in the coolant flow channel 32, so as to avoid an excessively high operating temperature of the membrane electrode assembly 10 to cause a "membrane dry" failure. Here, the coolant supply portion 25 faces the first end portion 1 of the membrane electrode assembly 10, and the coolant discharge portion 26 faces the second end portion 2 of the membrane electrode assembly 10, so that the coolant supply portion 25 is arranged between the cathode gas supply manifold 21 and the anode gas discharge manifold 24 in the lateral extending direction y, and the coolant discharge portion 26 is arranged between the cathode gas discharge manifold 22 and the anode gas supply manifold 23 in the lateral extending direction y, which enables a compact arrangement of the fuel cell and improves the cooling effect of the coolant on the membrane electrode assembly 10.
The foregoing explanation of the embodiments describes the utility model only in the framework of the examples. Of course, the individual features of the embodiments can be combined with one another freely without departing from the framework of the utility model, as long as they are technically interesting.
Other advantages and alternative embodiments of the utility model will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the utility model in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, the representative structures, and illustrative examples shown and described. Rather, various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the utility model.
Claims (10)
1. A membrane electrode assembly (10) for a fuel cell (100), the membrane electrode assembly (10) comprising at least:
-a proton exchange membrane (11); and
a cathode catalyst layer (12) and an anode catalyst layer (13) respectively arranged on both sides of the proton exchange membrane (11),
wherein the membrane electrode assembly (10) has a first end (1) configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas supply manifold (21) of the fuel cell (100) and an opposite second end (2) configured to be adapted to face a cathode gas exhaust manifold (22) of the fuel cell (100), wherein the membrane electrode assembly (10) has hygroscopic particles (15) with a distribution density gradually decreasing from the first end (1) to the second end (2).
2. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein,
the distribution density of the moisture-absorbing particles (15) varies in a stepwise manner or continuously.
3. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,
the first end (1) is configured to be adapted to face the cathode gas supply manifold (21) and anode gas exhaust manifold (24) of the fuel cell (100), and the second end (2) is configured to be adapted to face the cathode gas exhaust manifold (22) and anode gas supply manifold (23) of the fuel cell (100) such that a flow direction of cathode gas on the membrane electrode assembly (10) is opposite to a flow direction of anode gas on the membrane electrode assembly (10).
4. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,
the hygroscopic particles (15) are arranged on the proton exchange membrane (11) and/or the cathode catalyst layer (12) and/or the anode catalyst layer (13) in a spray or coating manner.
5. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,
the distribution density of the moisture absorption particles (15) on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly (10) is greater than the distribution density on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly (10); and/or
The distribution density of the hygroscopic particles (15) on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly (10) is less than a prescribed threshold value, which is determined from experimental and/or empirical data.
6. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,
the hygroscopic particles (15) comprise at least one of the group: montmorillonite, zeolite, silica gel, zirconium dioxide.
7. The membrane electrode assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,
the membrane electrode assembly (10) comprises two gas diffusion layers (14) covering the cathode catalyst layer (12) and the anode catalyst layer (13) on the cathode side and the anode side, respectively.
8. A fuel cell (100), characterized in that the fuel cell (100) comprises at least:
-a membrane electrode assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7;
-an envelope frame (20) surrounding the membrane electrode assembly (10) and provided with at least a cathode gas supply manifold (21), a cathode gas exhaust manifold (22), an anode gas supply manifold (23) and an anode gas exhaust manifold (24) to supply a reactant gas to the membrane electrode assembly (10) and to exhaust a reactant gas from the membrane electrode assembly (10); and
-a plate (30) arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly (10) and the encapsulation frame (20) and configured to be suitable for distributing the reaction gas onto the membrane electrode assembly (10).
9. The fuel cell (100) according to claim 8, wherein,
-the cathode gas supply manifold (21) and the cathode gas exhaust manifold (22) are arranged along a diagonal of the fuel cell (100), and-the anode gas supply manifold (23) and the anode gas exhaust manifold (24) are arranged along another diagonal of the fuel cell (100) such that a first end (1) of the membrane electrode assembly (10) faces the cathode gas supply manifold (21) and the anode gas exhaust manifold (24) of the fuel cell (100), and a second end (2) of the membrane electrode assembly (10) faces the cathode gas exhaust manifold (22) and the anode gas supply manifold (23) of the fuel cell (100); and/or
The pole plate (30) is configured as a bipolar plate.
10. The fuel cell (100) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that,
the fuel cell (100) further comprises a coolant supply (25) and a coolant discharge (26) provided in the encapsulation frame (20), the coolant supply being connected to the coolant discharge through a coolant flow channel (32) of the plate (30), wherein the coolant supply (25) faces the first end (1) of the membrane electrode assembly (10) and the coolant discharge (26) faces the second end (2) of the membrane electrode assembly (10).
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202320991040.1U CN220456461U (en) | 2023-04-27 | 2023-04-27 | Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell |
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202320991040.1U CN220456461U (en) | 2023-04-27 | 2023-04-27 | Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell |
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| CN220456461U true CN220456461U (en) | 2024-02-06 |
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| CN202320991040.1U Active CN220456461U (en) | 2023-04-27 | 2023-04-27 | Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell |
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