Proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on phase-change heat transfer and bipolar plate thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on phase-change heat transfer and a bipolar plate thereof. The bipolar plate of the fuel cell comprises a planar plate, wherein a cathode flow field with a groove structure is arranged on one side surface of the planar plate, an air inlet and a water inlet are arranged on one end of the cathode flow field, an air outlet is arranged on the other end, a water inlet diffusion area is arranged between the water inlet and the cathode flow field, and the water inlet diffusion area is composed of porous substances or polymers embedded in the groove; and an anode flow field with a groove structure is arranged on the other side surface of the planar plate. The bipolar plate has advantages of no cooling channel, small volume and low cost, and adoption of phase-change heat transfer enables heat radiation efficiency to be greatly raised. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell assembled by the bipolar plate does not need a humidifier, a cooling medium storage case, a cooling medium pump and a cooling medium heat exchanger, thereby greatly reducing volume, weight and cost of the system, and reducing a control difficulty.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell based on phase-change heat and a bipolar plate thereof. Background technique [0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cell is a power generation device that directly converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxidant into electrical energy through electrochemical reaction, and its discharge is only pure water. The working principle of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell is as follows: hydrogen is split into protons and electrons at the anode, and the protons penetrate the electrolyte membrane to the cathode and combine with oxygen and electrons passing through the external circuit to generate water to complete the entire reaction. The operating voltage of a single fuel cell is generally set between 0.6 and 0.7V. In order to obtain sufficient power, many single cells are often connected in series to form a stack, and the separator separat...

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Problems solved by technology

However, the cooling channel still exists, and the thickness and volume of the bipolar plate cannot be further reduced

[0006] In addition, proton exchange membrane fuel cells known in the art must work in an environment with a certain relative humidity. Generally, the reaction gas, especially the air side, enters the battery after being humidified, so a special humidifier must be configured for the system , increasing the cost, size, volume and control difficulty of the system

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