CN2847549Y

CN2847549Y - Atmospheric air sucking type operation and cooling fuel cell

Info

Publication number: CN2847549Y
Application number: CNU2005200463211U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 胡里清; 葛栩栩; 王立明; 徐大清; 李创; 蔡建军
Original assignee: Shanghai Shen Li High Tech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Shenli Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-11-07
Filing date: 2005-11-07
Publication date: 2006-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-07

Abstract

The utility model relates to an atmospheric air sucking type operation and cooling fuel cell which comprises two fuel cell modules, a set of air supply device and a set of hydrogen supply device, wherein the two fuel cell modules share a front end plate and a back end plate, the air sucking end faces of air bafflers of the two fuel cell modules are arranged at the outer side, and the air exhalation end faces are arranged at the inner side. The air exhalation end faces of the two fuel cell modules are arranged oppositely, and an air exhalation passage is formed between the air exhalation end faces. The air supply device is arranged on the top of the two fuel cell modules, and the hydrogen supply device is connected with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet that are arranged on the front end plate or the back end plate shared by the two fuel cell modules. Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the advantages of compact structure, low cost, less power consumption, etc.

Description

Normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a fuel cell especially relates to a normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling 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) isgenerally 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 and 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 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 ashydrogen, 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 single-module normal-pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell adopts a fan, the whole fuel cell air flow groove end surface of the single module is covered by a flow collecting cover, a hole is formed in the middle of the air flow collecting cover, and the hole is connected with an air suction port of the fan; when the fan works, negative pressure is generated under the action of the air collecting cover, and air is driven to enter the fuel cell stack from the other side of the fuel cell stack.

The drawbacks of the above fuel cell are: the air flow-collecting end face of the air flow guide groove of each fuel cell module is provided with a fan, each fan consumes the power of the fuel cell, and the combined battery modules are large in size, heavy in weight and high in cost.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a normal pressureair suction type operation and cooling fuel cell with compact structure, low cost and low power consumption for overcoming the defects of the prior art.

The purpose of the utility model can be realized through the following technical scheme: the normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell is characterized in that the fuel cell comprises two fuel cell modules, a set of air supply device and a set of hydrogen supply device, the two fuel cell modules share a front end plate and a rear end plate, the air suction end surfaces of the air guide plates of the two fuel cell modules are arranged on the outer side, the air exhalation end surfaces are arranged on the inner side, the air exhalation end surfaces of the two fuel cell modules are oppositely arranged, an air exhalation channel is formed in the middle, the air supply device is arranged at the top of the two fuel cell modules, and the hydrogen supply device is connected with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet which are arranged on the front end plate or the rear end plate shared by the two fuel cell modules.

And the air suction end surfaces of the two fuel cell module air guide plates are provided with filter screens.

The air exhaling channel formed between the two fuel cell modules has sealed bottom and communicated top to the air inlet of the air supply unit.

The air supply device is a fan which comprises an air flow collecting cover, an air suction opening and an air outlet, wherein air exhaled from an air exhalation channel between the two fuel cell modules is sucked in from the air suction opening through the air flow collecting cover, and the air outlet is exhausted.

And the air collecting cover is hermetically connected with the tops of the two fuel cell modules.

The hydrogen supply device comprises a hydrogen storage tank and a hydrogen discharge electromagnetic valve, wherein the hydrogen storage tank is connected with a hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell, and the hydrogen discharge electromagnetic valve is connected with a hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses the side of all air guiding gutters of two modules is relative, and a fan of sharing, and not only the air is difficult to leak outward, still can reduce fuel cell power generation system's volume and weight, saves the material of fan, reduces fuel cell's cost expense, reduces the loss of power consumption problem that a plurality of fans arouse. The two modules share the unified front end plate and the unified rear end plate, so that the assembly is easy and simple, and the stacking assembly is neat and convenient.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded schematic view of a fuel cell of the present invention;

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 following specific embodiments.

The utility model adopts two fuel cell modules and shares a front end plate and a rear end plate. The single cells of the two fuel cell modules have the same number and length, and can be assembled through the two unified front and rear end plates. When assembling, the air of all the fuel cell air guide plates is inhaled and corresponds to the guide end face formed by exhalation. In such a case, a blower may be used to supply air. As shown in fig. 1: 1. and 2 are fuel cell module stacks respectively. 3. 4 are respectively front and rear end plates common to the two fuel cell modules. An air suction opening 6 of the fan 7 is connected with an opening in the middle of the air collecting cover 5. 13. 14 are positive and negative electrode leads. Air enters from one side end face 9 formed by the air guide grooves of the single module fuel cell stacks 1 and the other side end face of the corresponding single module fuel cell stacks 2 and is exhausted through the air outlet 8 of the suction type fan. In the figure, 15 means that a layer of filter screen is laid on the end surface formed by the air guide groove of the pile No. 1 to block dust and impurities in the air. The corresponding side of pile No. 2 also has such a layer of filter screen. In the drawing, 10 is a hydrogen gas inlet of the fuel cell, 11 is a hydrogen gas outlet of the hydrogen discharge solenoid valve, and 12 is the hydrogen discharge solenoid valve.

Examples

As shown in fig. 2, the normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell power generation system is composed of two fuel cell modules, the weight is about 7.5Kg, the length, width and height of the stack are 155mm × 132mm × 140mm, the fuel cell stack comprises a membrane electrode, a flow guide plate, a flow collection mother plate, a front end plate, a rear end plate, a fastening pull rod, and an air and hydrogen supply device, the air supply device comprises a shared fan 7 and an air flow collection cover 5, the hydrogen supply device comprises a hydrogen storage tank (not shown) and a hydrogen discharge electromagnetic valve 12, and hydrogen enters from 10 and is discharged from 11. Because the fan is of a suction type, negative pressure is generated under the action of the air collecting cover 5, and air enters from the end faces of the air flow channels of the two fuel cell modules, which are paved with the air filter screens 15, and is exhausted from the air outlet 8 of the fan. The power of the fuel cell power generation system can reach 200-400W, which is twice of the power of a single fuel cell power generation system. The two fuel cell modules are connected in series to output about 40-80V voltage, and are connected in parallel to output about 20-40V voltage.

Claims

1. The normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell is characterized in that the fuel cell comprises two fuel cell modules, a set of air supply device and a set of hydrogen supply device, the two fuel cell modules share a front end plate and a rear end plate, the air suction end surfaces of the air guide plates of the two fuel cell modules are arranged on the outer side, the air exhalation end surfaces are arranged on the inner side, the air exhalation end surfaces of the two fuel cell modules are oppositely arranged, an air exhalation channel is formed in the middle, the air supply device is arranged at the top of the two fuel cell modules, and the hydrogen supply device is connected with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet which are arranged on the front end plate or the rear end plate shared by the two fuel cell modules.

2. An ambient air-suction-type operation and cooling fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the air-suction end surfaces of the air deflectors of the two fuel cell modules are provided with a filter screen.

3. An ambient air-suction-type operation and cooling fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the air exhaling passage formed between the two fuel cell modules is sealed at the bottom and the top is communicated with the air inlet of the air supply unit.

4. A normal pressure air suction type operation and cooling fuel cell as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein said air supply means is a blower including an air collecting hood, an air suction opening, and an air outlet, wherein air exhaled from the air exhaling passage between the two fuel cell modules is sucked through the air collecting hood from the air suction opening, and is exhausted from the air outlet.

5. The ambient air-suction run and cool fuel cell according to claim 4, wherein said air manifold is sealingly attached to the top of two fuel cell modules.

6. An atmospheric air-suction type operation and cooling fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said hydrogen supply means includes a hydrogen tank connected to a hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell, and a hydrogen discharge solenoid valve connected to a hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell.