CN2763989Y

CN2763989Y - Fuel cell capable of raising operation stability

Info

Publication number: CN2763989Y
Application number: CNU2005200393882U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吴忻; 胡里清; 肖伟强
Original assignee: Shanghai Shen Li High Tech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Shenli Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-02-01
Filing date: 2005-02-01
Publication date: 2006-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2015-02-01

Abstract

The utility model relates to a fuel battery capable of raising operation stability, which includes a fuel battery pile, a hydrogen storage apparatus, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifier, an air filtration device, an air compression supply apparatus, an air humidifier, an out galvanic pile hydrogen gas-vapor separator, a hydrogen cycle pump, an out galvanic pile air water-vapor separator, a water tank, a coolant recycle pump, a radiator and a humidification air water-vapor separator. The humidification air water-vapor separator includes a housing, a cyclone, a water droplet or water mass gatherer. The cyclone is installed at the humidification air inlet end in the housing; the water droplet water or mass gatherer is installed at the mid-upper part of the housing inner wall; the inlet end of the humidification air water-vapor separator is connected with the outlet end of the air humidifier and the outlet end of the humidification air water-vapor separator is connected with the air inlet end of the fuel battery pile. Compared with the prior art, the utility model removes the liquid water in the humidification air that can greatly enhance the running stability of the fuel battery and prolong its service life.

Description

Fuel cell capable of improving operation stability

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a fuel cell especially relates to a can improve operating stability's fuel cell.

Background

An electrochemical fuel cell is a device capable of converting hydrogen and an oxidant into electrical energy and reaction products. The inner core component of the device is a Membrane Electrode (MEA), which is composed of a proton exchange Membrane and two porous conductive materials sandwiched between two surfaces of the Membrane, such as carbon paper. The membrane contains a uniform and finely dispersed catalyst, such as a platinum metal catalyst, for initiating an electrochemical reaction at the interface between the membrane and the carbon paper. The electrons generated in the electrochemical reaction process can be led out by conductive objects at two sides of the membrane electrode through an external circuit to form a current loop.

At the anode end of the membrane electrode, fuel can permeate through a porous diffusion material (carbon paper) and undergo electrochemical reaction on the surface of a catalyst to lose electrons to form positive ions, and the positive ions can pass through a proton exchange membrane through migration to reach the cathode end at the other end of the membrane electrode. At the cathode end of the membrane electrode, a gas containing an oxidant(e.g., oxygen), such as air, forms negative ions by permeating through a porous diffusion material (carbon paper) and electrochemically reacting on the surface of the catalyst to give electrons. The anions formed at the cathode end react with the positive ions transferred from the anode end to form reaction products.

In a pem fuel cell using hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen-containing air as the oxidant (or pure oxygen as the oxidant), the catalytic electrochemical reaction of the fuel hydrogen in the anode region produces hydrogen cations (or protons). The proton exchange membrane assists the migration of positive hydrogen ions from the anode region to the cathode region. In addition, the proton exchange membrane separates the hydrogen-containing fuel gas stream from the oxygen-containing gas stream so that they do not mix with each other to cause explosive reactions.

In the cathode region, oxygen gains electrons on the catalyst surface, forming negative ions, which react with the hydrogen positive ions transported from the anode region to produce water as a reaction product. In a proton exchange membrane fuel cell using hydrogen, air (oxygen), the anode reaction and the cathode reaction can be expressed by the following equations:

and (3) anode reaction:

and (3) cathode reaction:

in a typical pem fuel cell, a Membrane Electrode (MEA) is generally placed between two conductive plates, and the surface of each guide plate in contact with the MEA is die-cast, stamped, or mechanically milled to form at least one or more channels. The flow guide polar plates can be polar plates made of metal materials or polar plates made of graphite materials. The fluid pore channels and the diversion trencheson the diversion polar plates respectively guide the fuel and the oxidant into the anode area and the cathode area on two sides of the membrane electrode. In the structure of a single proton exchange membrane fuel cell, only one membrane electrode is present, and a guide plate of anode fuel and a guide plate of cathode oxidant are respectively arranged on two sides of the membrane electrode. The guide plates are used as current collector plates and mechanical supports at two sides of the membrane electrode, and the guide grooves on the guide plates are also used as channels for fuel and oxidant to enter the surfaces of the anode and the cathode and as channels for taking away water generated in the operation process of the fuel cell.

In order to increase the total power of the whole proton exchange membrane fuel cell, two or more single cells can be connected in series to form a battery pack in a straight-stacked manner or connected in a flat-laid manner to form a battery pack. In the direct-stacking and serial-type battery pack, two surfaces of one polar plate can be provided with flow guide grooves, wherein one surface can be used as an anode flow guide surface of one membrane electrode, and the other surface can be used as a cathode flow guide surface of another adjacent membrane electrode, and the polar plate is called a bipolar plate. A series of cells are connected together in a manner to form a battery pack. The battery pack is generally fastened together into one body by a front end plate, a rear end plate and a tie rod.

A typical battery pack generally includes: (1) the fuel (such as hydrogen, methanol or hydrogen-rich gas obtained by reforming methanol, natural gas and gasoline) and the oxidant (mainly oxygen or air) are uniformly distributed in the diversion trenches of the anode surface and the cathode surface; (2) the inlet and outlet of cooling fluid (such as water) and the flow guide channel uniformly distribute the cooling fluid into the cooling channels in each battery pack, and the heat generated by the electrochemical exothermic reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell is absorbed and taken out of the battery pack for heat dissipation; (3) the outlets of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas and the corresponding flow guide channels can carry out liquid and vapor water generated in the fuel cell when the fuel gas and the oxidant gas are discharged. Typically, all fuel, oxidant, and cooling fluid inlets and outlets are provided in one or both end plates of the fuel cell stack.

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell can be used as a power system of vehicles, ships and other vehicles, and can also be used as a movable and fixed power generation device.

When the proton exchange membrane fuel cell can be used as a vehicle power system, a ship power system or a mobile and fixed power station, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell must comprise a cell stack, a fuel hydrogen supply system, an air supply subsystem, a cooling and heat dissipation subsystem, an automatic control part and an electric energy output part.

Fig. 1 is a fuel cell power generation system, in fig. 1, 1 is a fuel cell stack, 2 is a hydrogen storage bottle or other hydrogen storage device, 3 is a pressure reducing valve, 4 is an air filtering device, and 5 is an air compression supply device; 6. the hydrogen and air separator 6' is the hydrogen and air separator, the water tank 7, the cooling fluid circulating pump 8, the radiator 9, the hydrogen circulating pump 10, and the hydrogen and air humidifier 11, 12.

The operation of the fuel cell requires humidifying the air side to ensure the normal operation of the fuel cell. Because the humidifier is located a distance from the fuel cell air inlet, water droplets tend to separate out of the air stream, however, the collision between the water droplets creates largerwater droplets, even as a water mass suspended in the air stream, as shown in fig. 2. Once entering the galvanic pile, the large water drops or water clusters suspended in the air flow can cause the blockage of the air diversion groove on the diversion pole plate in the galvanic pile, so that the electrode is in an oxidant starvation state, thereby causing great influence on the performance of the electrode, reducing the service life of the electrode and scrapping the electrode in severe cases.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention is directed to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a fuel cell with improved operation stability, which can make the humidified air entering the reactor to participate in the reaction contain no liquid substance, thereby improving the operation stability and prolonging the service life of the fuel cell.

The purpose of the utility model can be realized through the following technical scheme: a fuel cell capable of improving operation stability comprises a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifying device, an air filtering device, an air compression supply device, an air humidifying device, a stack-out hydrogen gas-steam separator, a hydrogen circulating pump, a stack-out air gas-steam separator, a water tank, a cooling fluid circulating pump and a radiator.

The air-water-vapor separator of the humidified air is vertically arranged, the bottom of the shell is provided with a humidified air inlet, and the top of the shell is provided with a humid air outlet.

A blade plate is arranged in the cyclone and is inclined; the humidified air with water droplets coming from the humidified air inlet is rotated by the inclinedvanes and collides with the housing.

The water drop or water mass collector and the inner wall of the shell are integrally arranged to form a double-layer shell structure, the outer shell and the shell wall of the double-layer shell structure are hermetically arranged, and the inner shell is communicated with the inner cavity and is provided with a water receiving port.

And a drain pipe is arranged at the bottom of the water drop or water mass collector.

The shell is cylindrical.

The humidifying air water-vapor separator is made of engineering plastics or metal materials such as stainless steel and the like.

The utility model discloses set up a high-efficient vapor separator of spiral-flow type on getting into fuel cell's humidified air pipe, because the effect air current of each lamina can advance like the helix when making the humidified air flow through this separator to produce centrifugal force, under the effect of centrifugal force, get rid of the water droplet or the water group in the humidified air current to the wall, through a wall bilayer structure with water droplet or water group wet air in advancing separately, arrange, reach the purpose of getting rid of the moisture in the humidified air. The utility model discloses owing to got rid of the liquid water in the humidification air, consequently can show the stability that improves fuel cell operation, prolong its life.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional fuel cell;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the formation of water droplets or clusters in the conduit between the outlet of the air humidifier and the air inlet of the stack in a prior art fuel cell;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of the gas-water-vapor separator of the humidified air of the fuel cell of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a swirler vane plate of the humidifying air-water-vapor separator of the fuel cell of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example 1

As shown in figure 3, the 1-200 KW fuel cell capable of improving the operation stability comprises a fuel cell stack 1, a hydrogen storage device 2, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve 3, an air filtering device 4, an air compression supply device 5, a stack-outlet hydrogen gas-steam separator 6, a stack-outlet air gas-steam separator 6', a water tank 7, a cooling fluid circulating pump 8, a radiator 9, a hydrogen circulating pump 10, a hydrogen humidifying device 11, an air humidifying device 12 and a humidified air gas-steam separator 13.

The humidified air water-vapor separator 13 includes a housing 131, a cyclone 132, and a water droplet or water mass collector 133, the cyclone 132 is disposed at a humidified air inlet end 134 (i.e., at the bottom) of the housing, and the water droplet or water mass collector 133 is disposed at an upper middle portion (i.e., above the cyclone) of an inner wall of the housing.

The humidified air water-vapor separator 13 is vertically arranged, the bottom of the shell is provided with a humidified air inlet 134, and the top of the shell is provided with a humid air outlet 135.

The swirler 132 is internally provided with a blade plate 140, and the blade plate 140 is inclined; the humidified air with water droplets coming from the humidified air inlet is rotated by the inclined louver 140 and collides with the housing 131; wherein entrained water droplets 122 or water mass 123 enter a water droplet or water mass collector 133.

The water drop or water mass collector 133 and the inner wall of the shell are integrally arranged to form a double-layer shell structure, the outer shell 136 and the shell wall of the double-layer shell structure are hermetically arranged, and the inner shell 137 is communicated with the inner cavity and is provided with a water receiving port 138.

The bottom of the water drop or water mass collector 133 is provided with a drain pipe 139.

The housing 131 is cylindrical.

The inlet 134 of the humidified air water-vapor separator 13 is communicated with the outlet of the air humidifying device 12, and the outlet 135 thereof is communicated with the air inlet of the fuel cell stack 1.

The humidified air water-vapor separator 13 is made of engineering plastics or metal materials such as stainless steel and the like.

Referring to fig. 2, in this embodiment, the humidified air from the outlet of the air humidifier 12 passes through a section of the pipe 121 and inevitably condenses some water droplets 122 or water clusters 123, and after the humidified air enters the humidified air inlet 134 of the air-water-vapor separator 13 of the present invention, the humidified air passes through a cyclone 132 from bottom to top, so that the humidified air is thrown to the wall by centrifugal force to separate and discharge the water droplets or water clusters from the advancing humid air by a double-layer structure of the wall, so that only the humid air composed of vapor water and air passes through, and the humid air immediately enters the air inlet of the fuel cell stack1 after exiting from the humid air outlet 135 to participate in the reaction. Since the humidified air entering the fuel cell stack 1 to take part in the reaction does not contain liquid water, the operation stability of the fuel cell is remarkably improved.

Claims

1. A fuel cell capable of improving operation stability comprises a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifying device, an air filtering device, an air compression supply device, an air humidifying device, a stack-out hydrogen gas-steam separator, a hydrogen circulating pump, a stack-out air gas-steam separator, a water tank, a cooling fluid circulating pump and a radiator.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the humidified air water-vapor separator is vertically disposed, and has a humidified air inlet at a bottom of the housing and a humidified air outlet at a top of the housing.

3. A fuel cell for improving operation stability according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the swirler has vanes, which are inclined; the humidified air with water droplets coming from the humidified air inlet is rotated by the inclined vanes and collides with the housing.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the water drop or water mass collector is integrally formed with the inner wall of the housing to form a double-layered housing structure, the outer housing of the double-layered housing structure is hermetically sealed with the housing wall, and the inner housing of the double-layered housing structure is communicated with the inner cavity and provided with a water receiving port.

5. The fuel cell for improving operation stability of claim 4, wherein a drain is provided at a bottom of the water droplet or water mass collector.

6. A fuel cell having improved operational stability according to claim 1 wherein said housing is cylindrical.