CN2768218Y

CN2768218Y - Fuel cell with compact structure

Info

Publication number: CN2768218Y
Application number: CNU2005200393967U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 章波; 付明竹; 胡里清
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: 2006-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2015-02-01

Abstract

The utility model relates to a fuel battery with compact structure, which includes a fuel battery pile, a hydrogen storage apparatus, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifier, a hydrogen water-vapor separator, a hydrogen cycle pump, a water tank, a coolant recycle pump, a cooling water radiator, an air filtration device, an air compression supply apparatus and an air humidifier. The air compression supply apparatus includes a high pressure blower or an air compressor and a water-cooled machine which drives the high pressure blower or the air compressor. Compared with the prior art, the utility model can make the fuel battery volume reduced, weight relieved, structure compact and noise lowered, and meanwhile the power of the fuel battery can be enhanced.

Description

Fuel cell with compact structure

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a fuel cell especially relates to a compact structure'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 trenches on 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 cathodeoxidant 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 is 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 shows a typical current 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, 5 is an air compression supply device, 6 is a hydrogen water-vapor separator, 6' is an air water-vapor separator, 7 is a water tank, 8 is a cooling water circulation pump, 9 is a cooling water radiator, 10 is a hydrogen circulation pump, 11 is a hydrogen humidifying device, and 12 is an air humidifying device.

In a typical fuel cell power generation system at present, an air-cooled motor is generally adopted as an air compression supply device, and the air-cooled motor has the advantages of large volume, heavy weight and high noise, and simultaneously, the fuel cell has the advantages of large volume, high power consumption and insufficiently compact structure.

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 low power consumption and compact structure.

The purpose of the utility model can be realized through the following technical scheme: a fuel cell with compact structure comprises a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifying device, a hydrogen water-vapor separator, a hydrogen circulating pump, a water tank, a cooling water circulating pump, a cooling water radiator, an air filtering device, an air compression supply device and an air humidifying device, and is characterized in that the air compression supply device comprises a high-pressure fan or an air compressor and a water-cooling motor for driving the high-pressure fan or the air compressor.

The water-cooled motor is cooled by cooling water in a fuel cell cooling system.

The cooling water of the fuel cell stack flows into the water tank and then is pumped into the cooling water radiator through the cooling water circulating pump, the cooling water outlet of the cooling water radiator is divided into two paths, one path is connected with the cooling water inlet of the fuel cell stack, and the other path is connected with the cooling water inlet end of the water-cooled motor.

And a cooling water outlet end of the water-cooled motor is connected with the water tank, and cooling water flowing out of the water-cooled motor flows back to the water tank.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses a water cooled machine driven high pressure positive blower or air compressor cools off its water cooled machine as air compression feeding mechanism, utilizes the cooling water among the fuel cell cooling system simultaneously, makes fuel cell's volume reduction, weight reduction, and the structure is compacter, and the noise reduces to make fuel cell's power improve to some extent.

Drawings

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

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the fuel cell of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

Example 1

As shown in figure 2, the 1-200 KW fuel cell with a compact structure comprises a fuel cell stack 1, a hydrogen storage device 2, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve 3, a hydrogen humidifying device 11, an air filtering device 4, a high-pressure fan 5 driven by a water-cooling motor, an air humidifying device 12, a hydrogen water-vapor separator 6, a hydrogen circulating pump 10, an air water-vapor separator 6', a water tank 7, a cooling water circulating pump 8 and a radiator 9, wherein the water-cooling motor (not shown) for driving the high-pressure fan 5 is cooled by cooling water in a fuel cell cooling system. The cooling water of the fuel cell stack 1 flows into the water tank 7 and then is pumped into the cooling water radiator 9 through the cooling water circulating pump 8, the cooling water outlet of the cooling water radiator 9 is divided into two paths, one path is connected with the cooling water inlet of the fuel cell stack 1, the other path is connected with the cooling water inlet end of the water-cooling motor for driving the high-pressure fan 5, and the inflowing cooling water carries out water cooling on the water-cooling motor for driving the high-pressure fan 5. The cooling water outlet end of the water-cooled motor for driving the high-pressure fan 5 is connected with the water tank 7, and the cooling water flowing out of the water-cooled motor for driving the high-pressure fan 5 flows back to the water tank 7 and passes through the cooling water circulating pump 8 and the cooling water radiator 9, so that the heat in the fluid can be consumed and recycled again.

Example 2

Referring to fig. 2, a 1-200 KW fuel cell with a compact structure includes a fuel cell stack 1, a hydrogen storage device 2, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve 3, a hydrogen humidifying device 11, an air filtering device 4, an air compressor 5 driven by a water-cooled motor, an air humidifying device 12, a hydrogen water-vapor separator 6, a hydrogen circulating pump 10, an air water-vapor separator 6', a water tank 7, a cooling water circulating pump 8, and a radiator 9, wherein the water-cooled motor (not shown) driving the air compressor 5 is cooled by cooling water in a fuel cell cooling system. The rest of the structure is the same as in example 1.

Claims

1. A fuel cell with compact structure comprises a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen humidifying device, a hydrogen water-vapor separator, a hydrogen circulating pump, a water tank, a cooling water circulating pump, a cooling water radiator, an air filtering device, an air compression supply device and an air humidifying device, and is characterized in that the air compression supply device comprises a high-pressure fan or an air compressor and a water-cooling motor for driving the high-pressure fan or the air compressor.

2. A compact fuel cell as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water cooled electric machine is cooled by cooling water in a fuel cell cooling system.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the cooling water of the fuel cell stack flows into the water tank and then is pumped into the cooling water radiator through the cooling water circulating pump, and the cooling water outlet of the cooling water radiator is divided into two paths, one path is connected with the cooling water inlet of the fuel cell stack, and the other path is connected with the cooling water inlet of the water-cooled motor.

4. A fuel cell in a compact configuration according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a cooling water outlet of the water-cooled motor is connected to a water tank, and cooling water flowing out of the water-cooled motor is returned to the water tank.