KR101442694B1 - Apparatus for supplying air for fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an air supplying apparatus for a fuel cell, which can contribute to noise reduction and miniaturization of a fuel cell and improve the efficiency of a fuel cell. A fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, a cathode provided on a surface of the electrolyte membrane and exposed to the atmosphere, and an anode provided on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane. An air supplying apparatus for supplying air to the fuel cell includes a source electrode which is exposed to the atmosphere, adjacent to the cathode; and a ground electrode which is exposed to the atmosphere, adjacent to the source electrode, and which cooperates with the source electrode to generate ionic wind that forcibly moves air around the cathode.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell, and more particularly, to an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell capable of improving the efficiency of the fuel cell and contributing to a reduction in noise reduction.

In general, fuel cells are regarded as one of next generation clean energy generation systems as pollution-free power supply devices. The fuel cell-based power generation system can be used in a large-scale building such as an autogenerator, an electric vehicle power source, a portable power supply, etc., and can use various fuels such as natural gas, city gas, naphtha, methanol, There are advantages.

Fuel cells are fundamentally operated on the same principle and can be used in accordance with the electrolyte used such as a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC ), An alkali fuel cell (AFC), and the like.

Among the above-described fuel cells, the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is classified into a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) according to the fuel used. .

Since the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell uses a solid polymer as an electrolyte, there is no danger of corrosion or evaporation due to electrolyte, and a high current density per unit area can be obtained. Furthermore, the output characteristic is much higher than other types of fuel cells Since the operating temperature is low, it is being actively studied as a mobile power source for supplying electric power to automobiles, a dispersive power source for supplying power to houses or public buildings, and a small power source for supplying power to electronic devices and the like.

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell basically comprises a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) composed of an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, and a channel for fuel or oxidant flow, And a separator or a current collector stacked on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly to perform a function of collecting electricity of the membrane electrode assembly.

In addition, the polymer electrolyte fuel cell can be largely classified into an active type and a passive type according to whether a device for forcibly supplying air to the cathode electrode is used or not.

In the case of a passive or semipassive type polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which ambient air is supplied to the cathode electrode as the cathode electrode, the cathode electrode side is operated in an open state to the atmosphere, When the air is not sufficiently convected on the cathode electrode side, the efficiency of the fuel cell is deteriorated, and the performance of the fuel cell is deteriorated due to heat generated during operation.

On the other hand, an air pump or a fan can be used as an air supply device for supplying air forcefully to the cathode electrode side. However, when an air pump or a fan is used, it is difficult to miniaturize the device, There is a problem that it is difficult to apply to a fuel cell which must be operated in a quiet environment.

Recently, various studies have been made on the air supply device for a fuel cell which can improve the efficiency of the passive type fuel cell and contribute to low noise and miniaturization, but it is still insufficient and development thereof is urgently required.

The present invention provides an air supply device for a fuel cell capable of improving the efficiency and performance of the fuel cell.

Particularly, the present invention provides an air supply device for a fuel cell capable of forcibly causing air to flow using an ion wind.

Further, the present invention provides an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell having low noise characteristics and contributing to downsizing.

The present invention also provides an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell which can simplify the structure and supply air in various directions at various positions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrolyte membrane comprising: an electrolyte membrane; a cathode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane and exposed to the atmosphere; an anode provided on the other surface of the electrolyte; An air supply device for supplying air to the fuel cell, the air supply device comprising: a source electrode exposed to the atmosphere so as to be adjacent to the cathode; And a ground electrode exposed in the atmosphere adjacent to the source electrode and cooperatively generating ionic wind with the source electrode, and air around the cathode is forced to flow by the ion wind.

The source electrode and the ground electrode can be arranged in a variety of structures that can force air to or around the cathode. For example, the source electrode and the ground electrode may be horizontally arranged to generate ion wind in a horizontal direction to the cathode. In another example, the ground electrode may be provided in a hollow form, and the source electrode may be disposed inside the ground electrode to generate an ion wind in a direction perpendicular to the cathode. Alternatively, it is also possible to configure the cathode to generate an ion wind in an inclined direction or in other directions.

In addition, the cathode has a plurality of air flow holes exposed in the atmosphere, and circulated air in the atmosphere can flow through the air flow holes. The air flow holes may be formed in various shapes according to the required conditions and design specifications, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure and arrangement of the air flow holes. In one example, the plurality of air flow holes may be arranged in a line or in a lattice shape so as to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval.

The source electrode and the ground electrode are mounted so as to be exposed to the atmosphere so as to be adjacent to the cathode. In one example, the source electrode and the ground electrode may be mounted on the outer surface of the cathode. In some cases, the source electrode and the ground electrode may be mounted apart from the fuel cell via other members.

According to the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention, the efficiency and performance of the fuel cell can be improved.

In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency and performance of a fuel cell by using the ion wind to induce a forced flow of the air around the cathode exposed in the air.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to generate an ion wind by simply using a source electrode and a ground electrode without using a separate air pump or fan, so that it has low noise characteristics and contributes to downsizing.

Further, according to the present invention, the structure can be simplified, and there is an advantage that the ion wind can be supplied in various directions at various positions without structural constraints.

1 is a perspective view for explaining an air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining a modified example of the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention.
4 and 5 are views for explaining an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining the output density according to the voltage of the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are graphs for explaining the correlation between the generated output of the fuel cell and the consumed output of the air supply apparatus, according to the present invention.
9 to 13 are views for explaining the air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. For reference, the same numbers in this description refer to substantially the same elements and can be described with reference to the contents described in the other drawings under the above-mentioned rules, and the contents which are judged to be obvious to the person skilled in the art or repeated can be omitted.

2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention. Fig.

1 and 2, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention supplies air to a passive or semipassive type fuel cell 100 that supplies ambient air, Lt; / RTI >

The fuel cell 100 has a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) including an electrolyte membrane 110, a cathode 120 and an anode 130, and a channel for fuel or oxidant flow The cathode 120 may include a separator or a current collector stacked on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly to collect the electricity of the anode 130 or the cathode 120, Is configured to be supplied with ambient air in the atmosphere.

The membrane electrode assembly electrochemically reacts fuel supplied to the anode 130 and oxygen supplied to the cathode 120 to generate electricity.

As the fuel, a hydrocarbon-based fuel such as methanol, ethanol, butane gas, or pure hydrogen may be used, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the kind and characteristics of the fuel.

The electrolyte membrane 110 may be made of a solid polymer having a predetermined thickness. For example, the electrolyte membrane 110 may be made of a proton conductive polymer. Examples of the proton conductive polymer include a fluoropolymer, a ketone polymer, a benzimidazole polymer, an ester polymer, an amide polymer, an imide polymer , A sulfonic polymer, a styrenic polymer, a hydrocarbon polymer, and the like, and the present invention is not limited or limited by its kind and characteristics.

The cathode 120 may include a catalyst layer (not shown) and a backing layer (not shown), and the anode 130 may include a catalyst layer (not shown) and a support layer (not shown) .

The catalyst layers of the cathode 120 and the anode 130 are in contact with both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 110. The fuel supplied from the outside chemically reacts rapidly and the oxygen introduced from the outside chemically reacts rapidly You can play a role.

The catalytic layer of the cathode 120 and the anode 130 may be formed of any one of platinum, ruthenium, osmium, platinum-ruthenium alloy, platinum-osmium alloy, platinum-palladium alloy and platinum- , At least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn). The catalyst layer of the cathode and the anode may be platinum, ruthenium, osmium, platinum-ruthenium alloy, platinum-osmium alloy, platinum-palladium alloy and platinum-M alloy (M is Ga, Ti, V , At least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn). For the reference, the carrier may be any material having conductivity, for example, a carbon support may be used.

The supporting layer of the cathode 120 and the anode 130 supports the catalyst layer of the cathode 120 and the anode 130 and functions to disperse fuel, water, air, etc., Thereby preventing the catalyst layer material from disappearing. For example, the support layer may be formed of carbon based material such as carbon cloth or carbon paper.

In addition, the cathode 120 has a plurality of air flow holes 122 exposed in the air, and circulated air in the air can flow through the air flow holes 122. The air flow holes 122 may be formed in various shapes according to required conditions and design specifications, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure and arrangement of the air flow holes 122. For example, the air flow holes 122 may be circular, elliptical, rectangular, polygonal, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of rectangular air flow holes 122 may be arranged in a line so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In some cases, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of rectangular air flow holes 122 'may be arranged in a lattice form.

The air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to the present invention includes a source electrode 210 and a ground electrode 220 and is configured to generate an ion wind for forcedly flowing air around the cathode 120.

The source electrode 210 is mounted so as to be exposed to the atmosphere so as to be adjacent to the cathode 120. For example, the source electrode 210 may be mounted on an outer surface of the cathode 120. In some cases, the source electrode may be mounted apart from the fuel cell via other members.

The source electrode 210 may be provided in various forms according to required conditions and design specifications. For example, the source electrode 210 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape.

The ground electrode is mounted adjacent to the source electrode 210 so as to be exposed to the atmosphere, and can generate ionic wind in cooperation with the source electrode 210. For example, the ground electrode may be mounted on the outer surface of the cathode 120 so as to be horizontally aligned with the source electrode 210.

The ground electrode may be provided in various forms according to required conditions and design specifications. For example, the ground electrode may be formed in the shape of a square plate corresponding to the source electrode 210.

When a high voltage is applied to the source electrode 210, a corona discharge is generated between the source electrode 210 and the ground electrode 220 due to a voltage difference between the source electrode 210 and the ground electrode 220 And the ion wind can be generated due to the movement of the charges accordingly.

In the structure in which the source electrode 210 and the ground electrode 220 are arranged horizontally to each other, ion wind may be generated in the horizontal direction of the cathode 120 as the voltage is applied to the source electrode 210 have.

As described above, the ion wind generated between the source electrode 210 and the ground electrode 220 can supply air toward the cathode 120 or forcefully flow air passing through the air flow hole 122 described above So that the convection phenomenon of the air passing through the air flow hole 122 can be more activated.

In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the ion wind is generated in a horizontal direction in the cathode 120 by the source electrode 210 and the ground electrode 220. However, The ion wind can be generated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the ion wind.

4 and 5 are views for explaining an air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same or equivalent portions as those in the above-described configuration are denoted by the same or equivalent reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a source electrode 210 'exposed to the atmosphere so as to be adjacent to the cathode 120' And a ground electrode 220 'that is exposed to the atmosphere adjacent to the source electrode 210' and generates ionic wind cooperatively with the source electrode 210 ', wherein the ground electrode 220' is provided in a hollow form The source electrode 210 'may be disposed inside the ground electrode 220' to generate an ion wind in a direction perpendicular to the cathode 120 '.

For example, the ground electrode 220 'may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and disposed perpendicularly to the cathode 120, and the source electrode 210' may be formed in a substantially needle electrode shape so that the ground electrode 220 ' As shown in Fig. Accordingly, the ion wind can be generated in a direction perpendicular to the cathode 120 as power is applied to the source electrode 210 '.

In the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the ion wind is generated in the horizontal or vertical direction on the cathode. However, in some cases, the cathode may be configured to generate an ion wind in an inclined direction Do.

FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining the output density according to the voltage of the air supply device for a fuel cell according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the output power FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining the parasitic output ratio of the air supply device divided by the generation output of the air supply device according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining purely available output, .

Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the output of the fuel cell increases as the applied voltage to the source electrode increases. However, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the exhaust power of the air supply apparatus becomes higher than a certain level, the purely available power of the fuel cell becomes lower. Therefore, the exhaust power of the supply and supply apparatus is set to a certain level It is preferable to be adjusted.

9 to 13 are views for respectively illustrating an air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same or equivalent portions as those in the above-described configuration are denoted by the same or equivalent reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

9, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of source electrodes 1210 provided to be spaced apart from each other and a plurality of ground electrodes 1220 provided to be spaced apart from each other, The source electrode 1210 and the ground electrode 1220 may be interleaved with each other.

Such a structure allows the ion wind generated between the plurality of source electrodes 1210 and the plurality of ground electrodes 1220 to be scattered when crossing each other, so that the forced air flow by the ion wind can be more effectively performed.

10, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of source electrodes 2210 provided to be spaced apart from each other and a plurality of ground electrodes 2220 provided to be spaced apart from each other, The source electrodes 2210 may be disposed on the plurality of ground electrodes 2220 so as not to overlap each other toward the cathode.

Such a structure allows the ion wind generated between the source electrode 2210 and the ground electrode 2220 to be supplied directly to the cathode side of the fuel cell without being blocked by the ground electrode 2220 so that the forced air flow by the ion wind This can be done more effectively.

11, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a source electrode 3210 and a ground electrode 3220, wherein the source electrode 3210 is relatively higher than the ground electrode 3210 And the ion wind generated between the source electrode 3210 and the ground electrode 3220 can be supplied at an angle to the cathode side.

12, the air supply apparatus for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of hollow ground electrodes 4220 arranged to form a predetermined matrix, and a plurality of hollow ground electrodes 4220 arranged corresponding to the respective ground electrodes 4220 And a plurality of source electrodes 4210. Such a structure can minimize the dead zone and maximize the area where the ion wind is generated, as compared with a structure (for example, FIG. 4) in which a single ground electrode and a source electrode are disposed. In addition, the matrix of the ground electrode 4220 can be appropriately changed according to the required conditions and design specifications corresponding to the shape and size of the fuel cell, and preferably, the matrix of the ground electrodes is set .

Referring to FIG. 13, the air supply device for a fuel cell according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a hollow ground electrode 220 'and a source electrode 210' disposed in the ground electrode 220 ' And an air discharge hole 102 may be formed on the cathode side. That is, the ground electrode 220 'and the source electrode 210' may be mounted on the guide plate 124 'coupled to the outer surface of the cathode 120, and the air discharge hole 102 may be formed on the guide plate 102 As shown in FIG. Such a structure allows the air that has been supplied to the membrane electrode assembly through the air flow holes to be discharged to the outside through the air discharge hole 102, so that the airflow can be more effectively performed.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It can be understood that

100: fuel cell 110: electrolyte membrane
120: cathode 130: anode
210: source electrode 220: ground electrode

Claims (10)

An electrolyte membrane, a cathode provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and exposed to the atmosphere, and an anode provided on the other side of the electrolyte, wherein the cathode is operated by receiving ambient air, In a fuel cell of a passive type, a supply device for forcibly disturbing the air on the cathode side,
A source electrode in the form of a plate that is exposed to the atmosphere and attached to an outer surface of the cathode; And
An ionic wind is applied to an outer surface of the cathode so as to cooperate with an outer surface of the cathode so as to be parallel to the source electrode, And a ground electrode,
Wherein the air around the cathode is forcedly disturbed by the ion wind in a horizontal direction on the outer surface of the cathode. delete An electrolyte membrane, a cathode provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and exposed to the atmosphere, and an anode provided on the other side of the electrolyte, wherein the cathode is operated by receiving ambient air, In a fuel cell of a passive type, a supply device for forcibly disturbing the air on the cathode side,
A ground electrode exposed in the atmosphere and provided in the form of a hollow disk having an axis perpendicular to an outer surface of the cathode, the ground electrode being attached to an outer surface of the cathode; And
And a cathode electrode disposed in the vicinity of the ground electrode and exposed to the atmosphere and disposed along the axial direction within the ground electrode so as to cooperate with the ground electrode to generate ionic wind in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the cathode A source electrode of a needle type,
Wherein the air around the cathode is forcedly disturbed by the ion wind in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the cathode. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
Wherein the cathode includes a plurality of air flow holes exposed in the atmosphere,
And the air flow forcibly flows air passing through the air flow holes. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the plurality of air flow holes are arranged in a line in a row or arranged in a lattice form. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the source electrode and the ground electrode are spaced apart from each other,
Wherein the plurality of the source electrodes and the ground electrodes are interdigitated with each other. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the source electrode and the ground electrode are spaced apart from each other,
Wherein the plurality of the source electrodes and the ground electrodes are disposed so as not to overlap each other toward the cathode. delete The method of claim 3,
Wherein a plurality of the ground electrodes are provided to form a matrix corresponding to the fuel cells, and a plurality of the source electrodes are provided corresponding to the ground electrodes. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The ground electrode and the source electrode are mounted on a guide plate coupled to an outer surface of the cathode,
Wherein the guide plate is provided with an air discharge hole for discharging the air inside the guide plate to the outside.

Images