Fuel cell bipolar plate and performance evaluation method

Abstract

The invention discloses a fuel cell bipolar plate and a performance evaluation method. The fuel cell bipolar plate comprises a cathode plate and an anode plate which are matched with each other, a cathode in-pile manifold, a cathode out-pile manifold, a cathode distribution area and a cathode reaction area are arranged on the cathode plate; the anode plate is provided with an anode in-pile manifold, an anode out-pile manifold, an anode distribution area and an anode reaction area; the cathode distribution area and the anode distribution area are both of a forked structure, and turbulent flow structures are arranged at the two ends of the cathode reaction area and the two ends of the anode reaction area. Each flow field is uniformly distributed, and a flowing dead zone caused by non-uniform fluid in an oxidant flow channel of a reaction zone can be avoided; through the design of the coolant flow channel, cooling is uniform and sufficient, waste heat generated by the stack can be effectively discharged out of the stack, and the operation stability of the fuel cell stack is ensured; according to the performance evaluation method, the performance of the bipolar plate can be rapidly evaluated under the condition of no physical prototype, and the advantages of shortening the development period and reducing the development risk are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a fuel cell bipolar plate and a performance evaluation method. Background Art

[0002] With the depletion of traditional energy resources, environmental pollution problems and the increasing awareness of limited energy resources, fossil fuels are gradually being replaced by clean, renewable alternative energy sources. In order to reduce the harm of fossil energy consumption to the environment, improve energy conversion efficiency, and reduce the emission of pollutants such as nitrogen compounds, sulfides and particulate matter, efforts to find and develop new clean energy are important ways to solve the problems of traditional energy resource depletion and environmental pollution. In the energy structure, hydrogen is considered to be one of the best substitutes for fossil fuels. Hydrogen fuel cells are energy conversion devices that directly convert fuel chemical energy into electrical energy without a combustion process. They do not follow the traditional fossil energy conversion path from chemical energy-thermal energy-mechanical energy-electrical energy. Therefore, they break through the limitations of the Carnot cycle and are considered to be the preferred clean and efficient power generation technology in the 21st century.

[0003] Hydrogen fuel cells are considered to be a new generation of energy carriers due to their high efficiency and environmental friendliness. As the core component of fuel cells, bipolar plates account for 30-45% of the total cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. One of the functions of bipolar plates is to provide sufficient reaction gas for the electrochemical reaction of fuel cells, while making the reaction gas evenly distributed during transportation, and to discharge the gas and reaction products that are not involved in the reaction in time. Therefore, the bipolar plate flow field design is a direct factor affecting the battery output performance. In addition, as the skeleton of the fuel cell, it also plays the role of separating gases, conducting current, and discharging heat; therefore, the structural design of the bipolar plate is also a related factor affecting the battery output performance.

[0004] The processing technology of traditional graphite bipolar plates is complicated, and the cost of mass production remains high; composite bipolar plates use metal materials and composite materials as bipolar plate materials, but due to their own processing performance, conductivity, heat transfer, etc., they have an adverse effect on the performance when made into fuel cells. Metal bipolar plates can reduce the volume of fuel cells due to their thin thickness, greatly improving the power density of battery stacks; in addition, they are easy to use stamping technology to achieve large-scale stamping processing, and have good corrosion resistance and conductivity after surface coating treatment, and are considered to be ideal materials for bipolar plates. The structure of the bipolar plate should have the advantages of evenly distributing gas to the reaction layer of the electrode for electrode reaction, maintaining uniform battery temperature field, and resisting impact and vibration. Using computer-aided engineering to solve and analyze fluid dynamics and structural mechanical properties from different dimensions when designing the plate, the performance of various aspects of the bipolar plate can be evaluated in the design and development stage, providing a basis for flow field and structural optimization.

[0005] In the existing technology, there are problems such as poor fluid distribution, large flow resistance during gas flow, and early flow dead zones. These problems can lead to abnormal operation of the fuel cell stack, such as uneven chemical reaction, internal energy loss, local hot spots caused by heat that cannot be discharged, and high system parasitic losses that affect efficiency. At the same time, if these problems cannot be identified and the bipolar plate structure cannot be optimized in the early stage of design, it will affect the progress of product development, consume a lot of human and financial resources, and even lead to product development failure.

[0006] For example, a patent for a bipolar plate (publication number CN116190701A, publication date 2023-05-30) provides a bipolar plate, including a bipolar plate body, an air flow field, a cooling flow field, a hydrogen flow field, an air inlet channel, a coolant inlet channel, a hydrogen inlet channel, an air exhaust channel, a coolant exhaust channel, and a hydrogen exhaust channel; the cooling flow field includes a cooling flow field cavity formed in the bipolar plate body corresponding to the position of the reaction zone and a cooling flow field lattice arranged in the cooling flow field cavity, and the cooling flow field lattice includes a plurality of support points arranged at intervals in the cooling flow field cavity and used to support the two cavity walls of the cooling flow field cavity. The invention uses the form of a lattice to form a cooling flow field on the opposite side of the plate while generating a gas flow field in the flow field area. Since the flow field has no forced flow guide structure, it is easy to form local vortices in the flow field, resulting in a flow dead zone, which will cause local blockage and inability to generate electricity.

[0007] For example, the patented monopolar plate and bipolar plate (publication number CN 114864985 A, publication date 2022-08-05) provides a monopolar plate and a bipolar plate, wherein the monopolar plate includes a plate body and a flow field, the flow field is opened on the working surface of the plate body, the flow field includes a first inlet, a first distribution area, a flow channel and a first outlet which are connected in sequence, the first guide column and the second guide column are respectively arranged and installed in the first distribution area at intervals, the first guide column is installed close to the first inlet, the second guide column is installed close to the flow channel, and the first guide column and the second guide column are arranged in an alternating manner. Its beneficial effects are: the fluid enters the first distribution area through the first inlet of the flow field; the first guide column first distributes the fluid, which is conducive to the fluid passing through the intervals of the adjacent first guide columns uniformly, thereby improving the effective reaction activity area ratio of the present invention; the second guide column can change the pressure drop of the fluid, and by changing the cross-sectional shape of the second guide column, the pressure drop of the fluid is adjusted according to the design target to improve the performance of the fuel cell. This invention adopts a dot matrix in the distribution area and a flow channel in the flow field area. Although the flow dead zone can be avoided in the flow field area, the distribution of the reaction gas using the dot matrix flow field is prone to uneven fluid distribution. When the uneven gas enters the flow channel in the flow field area, it will cause uneven chemical reaction, resulting in internal loss of the circuit and reducing the performance of the fuel cell stack.

[0008] For example, the patent fuel cell bipolar plate (publication number CN 117691147 A, publication date 2024-03-12) provides a fuel cell bipolar plate, including an anode plate and a cathode plate, the anode plate and the cathode plate are stacked, and the end faces of the anode plate and the cathode plate that are arranged opposite to each other have a plurality of flow channels arranged at intervals, and in a projection plane orthogonal to the direction in which the anode plate and the cathode plate are stacked, the projection of the end of any flow channel of any of the anode plate and the cathode plate is located within the projection of any flow channel of the other plate. In the fuel cell bipolar plate of the embodiment of the present invention, in a projection plane orthogonal to the direction in which the plates are stacked, the projection of the end of any flow channel of any of the bipolar plates is located within the projection of any flow channel of the other plate, so as to avoid the formation of a flow dead zone of the cooling medium at the end of the flow channel. This invention adopts the form of forced distribution in the distribution area and flow channels in the flow field area, which can avoid flow dead zones while ensuring gas distribution. However, the structure of the cooling field distribution area has the disadvantage of large distribution flow resistance, which will cause a large workload on the water pump, one of the external accessories of the fuel cell stack. On the one hand, it affects the life of the water pump, and on the other hand, it affects the overall efficiency of the fuel cell stack after it is assembled into a system. Summary of the invention

[0009] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a fuel cell bipolar plate and a performance evaluation method, wherein the internal flow field is evenly distributed, the flow resistance is small, and the cooling is even and sufficient.

[0010] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0011] A fuel cell bipolar plate comprises a matched cathode plate and an anode plate; the cathode plate is provided with a cathode inlet manifold, a cathode outlet manifold, a cathode distribution area and a cathode reaction area; the anode plate is provided with an anode inlet manifold, an anode outlet manifold, an anode distribution area and an anode reaction area; the cathode distribution area and the anode distribution area are both of a forked structure, and both ends of the cathode reaction area and the anode reaction area are provided with a turbulent structure.

[0012] The cathode inlet manifold and the cathode outlet manifold, and the anode inlet manifold and the anode outlet manifold are all arranged obliquely symmetrically.

[0013] The spoiler structure is a flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure.

[0014] A bipolar plate heat exchange area for coolant flow and heat exchange is formed between the cathode plate and the anode plate. The bipolar plate heat exchange area is formed by the ridges of the cathode reaction area of ​​the cathode plate and the anode reaction area of ​​the anode plate corresponding to the flow channel area during stamping.

[0015] The flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure is a group of arc-shaped hollow structures arranged side by side.

[0016] The two ends of the polar plate are respectively provided with a coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet manifold connected to the bipolar plate heat exchange area; a group of distribution areas for uniformly distributing the coolant into the bipolar plate heat exchange area is provided corresponding to the coolant inlet manifold.

[0017] The group of distribution areas comprises a first-stage coolant distribution area and a second-stage coolant distribution area which are connected in sequence; a first-stage coolant distribution area support protrusion for initially distributing the coolant is arranged in the first-stage coolant distribution area.

[0018] The coolant second-stage distribution area is provided with corresponding coolant second-stage distribution area cathode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping grooves and coolant second-stage distribution area anode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping grooves.

[0019] The bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the anode distribution area of ​​the coolant second-stage distribution area is provided with a coolant second-stage distribution area groove bottom support protrusion, and the end of the coolant second-stage distribution area groove bottom support protrusion is arranged in contact with the bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the cathode distribution area of ​​the coolant second-stage distribution area, thereby forming a flow gap cavity.

[0020] A method for evaluating the performance of the fuel cell bipolar plate comprises the following steps:

[0021] S1. 3D modeling: Establish 3D digital model of bipolar plate and fluid domain;

[0022] S2. Grid division: divide the grid for the fluid domain;

[0023] S3. Model setting: set the flow model, add fluid domain physical parameters, set boundary conditions, and select calculation algorithm;

[0024] S4. Calculation and solution: General or special CFD software can be used for calculation and solution;

[0025] S5. Result processing: mainly evaluate the flow resistance between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold of each flow field, the uniformity of fluid distribution in each flow channel in the reaction area, and the dead zone of the flow channel.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] The fuel cell bipolar plate and performance evaluation method are reasonably designed. The distribution areas of the cathode plate and the anode plate are in a forked form, and flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structures are provided at the flow channel ends of the cathode reaction zone and the anode reaction zone. Each flow field is evenly distributed, and the flow dead zone caused by uneven oxidant flow in the reaction zone can be avoided. Through the coolant flow channel design, the cooling is uniform and sufficient, and the waste heat generated by the stack can be effectively discharged from the stack to ensure the operating stability of the fuel cell stack. This performance evaluation method can quickly evaluate the performance of the bipolar plate without a physical prototype, which has the advantages of shortening the development cycle and reducing development risks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The following is a brief description of the contents and symbols in the drawings of this specification:

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the bipolar plate assembly of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the bipolar plate structure of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cathode plate structure of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the anode plate structure of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the special-shaped structure of the cathode flow field region of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the special-shaped structure of the anode flow field region of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the bipolar plate distribution area of ​​the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 Flow chart for numerically calculating and evaluating the performance of bipolar plates according to the present invention.

[0037] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the fluid distribution uniformity analysis results of the present invention.

[0038] In the figure:

[0039] 1- cathode plate; 2- anode plate; 11- cathode inlet manifold; 12- cathode outlet manifold; 13- cathode distribution area; 131- cathode forced shunt groove; 132- cathode forced shunt ridge; 14- cathode reaction area; 141- cathode reaction area flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure; 21- anode inlet manifold; 22- anode outlet manifold; 23- anode distribution area; 231- anode forced shunt groove; 24- anode reaction area; 241- anode reaction area flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure; 31 -Coolant inlet manifold; 32-Coolant outlet manifold; 33-Coolant distribution area; 332-Coolant first-stage distribution area; 3321-Coolant first-stage distribution area support protrusion; 333-Coolant second-stage distribution area; 3331-Coolant second-stage distribution area groove bottom support protrusion; 3332-Coolant second-stage distribution area cathode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping groove; 3333-Coolant second-stage distribution area anode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping groove; 334-Flow gap cavity; 34-Bpolar plate heat exchange area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The specific implementation modes of the present invention will be further explained in detail below through the description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Although the present invention is shown and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the equivalent scope and range of the claims without departing from the present invention. In the accompanying drawings, the same item numbers refer to the same elements.

[0042] In the specification, relative terms such as "horizontal", "vertical", "upward", "downward", "top" and "bottom" and derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontal", "downward", "upward", etc.) should be interpreted as referring to the direction being described or shown in the drawings being discussed. These relative terms are for convenience of description and are generally not intended to require a particular orientation.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the fuel cell metal bipolar plate includes a matching cathode plate 1 and an anode plate 2; the cathode plate 1 is provided with a cathode inlet manifold 11, a cathode outlet manifold 12, a cathode distribution area 13 and a cathode reaction area 14; the anode plate 2 is provided with an anode inlet manifold 21, an anode outlet manifold 22, an anode distribution area 23 and an anode reaction area 24; the cathode distribution area and the anode distribution area are both forked structures, and both ends of the cathode reaction area and the anode reaction area are provided with spoiler structures.

[0044] The cathode inlet manifold 11 and the cathode outlet manifold 12, as well as the anode inlet manifold 21 and the anode outlet manifold 22 are arranged obliquely symmetrically; and the coolant inlet manifold 31 and the coolant outlet manifold 32 are respectively arranged at both ends of the electrode plate; the cathode inlet manifold, the anode outlet manifold and the coolant inlet manifold are arranged corresponding to one end of the substrate, and the cathode outlet manifold, the anode inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold are arranged corresponding to the other end of the substrate; the integrated arrangement has a compact structure.

[0045] The flow disturbance structure is a flow channel ridge shaped flow disturbance structure; the flow channel ridge shaped flow disturbance structure is a group of arc-shaped hollow structures arranged side by side. The two ends of the reaction zone flow channel have special-shaped dimensions. At the end where the gas flows in, it plays a role in further distributing the gas, and at the end where the gas flows out, it suppresses the tail flow and plays a role in bypassing the flow; Figure 5 and Figure 6 The disclosed cathode reaction zone flow channel ridge irregular flow spoiler structure 141 and the anode reaction zone flow channel ridge irregular flow spoiler structure 241.

[0046] A bipolar plate heat exchange area 34 for coolant flow and heat exchange is formed between the cathode plate and the anode plate. The bipolar plate heat exchange area is formed by the flow channel area corresponding to the ridges of the cathode reaction area of ​​the cathode plate and the anode reaction area of ​​the anode plate during stamping.

[0047] The two ends of the plate are respectively provided with a coolant inlet manifold 31 and a coolant outlet manifold 32 connected to the bipolar plate heat exchange area; a group of distribution areas for evenly distributing the coolant into the bipolar plate heat exchange area are provided corresponding to the coolant inlet manifold.

[0048] Preferably, Figure 7 As shown, a group of coolant distribution areas 33 includes a first-stage coolant distribution area 332 and a second-stage coolant distribution area 333 connected in sequence; a first-stage coolant distribution area support protrusion 3321 for initially distributing the coolant is provided in the first-stage coolant distribution area.

[0049] The coolant second-stage distribution area is provided with corresponding coolant second-stage distribution area cathode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping groove 3332 and coolant second-stage distribution area anode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping groove 3333.

[0050] A second-stage coolant distribution area groove bottom support protrusion 3331 is provided at the bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the anode distribution area of ​​the second-stage coolant distribution area, and the end of the second-stage coolant distribution area groove bottom support protrusion is arranged in contact with the bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the cathode distribution area of ​​the second-stage coolant distribution area, thereby forming a flow gap cavity 334.

[0051] The method for evaluating the performance of the fuel cell bipolar plate of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0052] S1. 3D modeling: Establish 3D digital model of bipolar plate and fluid domain;

[0053] S2. Grid division: divide the grid for the fluid domain;

[0054] S3. Model setting: set the flow model, add fluid domain physical parameters, set boundary conditions, and select calculation algorithm;

[0055] S4. Calculation and solution: General or special CFD software can be used for calculation and solution;

[0056] S5. Result processing: mainly evaluate the flow resistance between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold of each flow field, the uniformity of fluid distribution in each flow channel in the reaction area, and the dead zone of the flow channel.

[0057] General or special CFD software usually comes with its own result post-processing software. When it cannot meet the requirements, the calculation results can also be exported to special data processing software such as Excel for processing.

[0058] The structural design of the metal bipolar plate of the fuel cell of the present invention is that the bipolar plate is formed by a specific connection process after the cathode and anode monopolar plates are stamped, and the gas side has the advantages of uniform distribution of reaction gas and sufficient gas reaction in the flow channel; the cooling side is formed after the gas side of the cathode and anode monopolar plates are formed, and the cooling side has the advantages of uniform distribution and small flow resistance. In order to verify the distribution uniformity and flow resistance characteristics of each flow field in the design stage, a method using computer-aided calculation is proposed. This method can quickly evaluate the performance of the bipolar plate without the condition of a physical prototype, which has the advantages of shortening the development cycle and reducing development risks.

[0059] In order to solve the shortcomings of the prior art such as poor fluid distribution effect, large flow resistance during gas flow and premature flow dead zones that may lead to abnormal operation of the fuel cell stack, such as uneven chemical reaction resulting in internal energy loss, local hot spots resulting from inability to discharge heat, and high system parasitic losses affecting efficiency, and at the same time, if these problems cannot be identified and the bipolar plate structure cannot be optimized in the early stage of design, it will affect the progress of product development, consume a lot of human and financial resources, and may even lead to product development failure. The present invention provides a fuel cell metal bipolar plate and a method for evaluating the performance of the bipolar plate.

[0060] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are:

[0061] Usually, a fuel cell stack is assembled by stacking dozens or hundreds of bipolar plates. The bipolar plate is composed of a cathode plate 1 and an anode plate 2. The main structures of the cathode plate 1 are a cathode inlet manifold 11, a cathode outlet manifold 12, a cathode distribution area 13, and a cathode reaction area 14. The cathode inlet manifold 11 and the cathode outlet manifold 12 of the cathode plate 1 are arranged in rotational symmetry. The cathode inlet manifold 11 evenly transmits the oxidant transported by the external auxiliary parts of the fuel cell stack to the cathode reaction area 14 corresponding to each bipolar plate through the cathode distribution area 13 of the bipolar plate, and the fuel gas in the cathode reaction area 14 and the anode plate reaction area 24 react chemically to generate electricity. The cathode distribution area 13 uses a bifurcated form, which can force the gas to be evenly distributed in the cathode reaction area 14. Both ends of the reaction area flow channel have a cathode reaction area flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure 141, which plays a role in further distributing the gas at the end where the gas flows in, and suppresses the tail flow at the end where the gas flows out, and plays a role in bypassing, further avoiding the uneven flow of the oxidant flow channel in the reaction area and causing a dead zone.

[0062] The main structures of the anode plate 2 are the anode inlet manifold 21, the anode outlet manifold 22, the anode distribution area 23, and the anode reaction area 24. The anode inlet manifold 21 and the cathode outlet manifold 22 of the anode plate 2 are rotationally symmetrically arranged. The anode inlet manifold 21 evenly transmits the fuel gas transported by the external auxiliary parts of the fuel cell stack to the anode reaction area 24 corresponding to each bipolar plate through the anode distribution area 23 of the bipolar plate, and the anode reaction area 24 reacts chemically with the oxidant in the cathode plate reaction area 14 to generate electricity. The anode distribution area 23 adopts a forked form, which can force the gas to be evenly distributed in the anode reaction area 24 while forcing the gas to be distributed. Both ends of the reaction zone flow channel have an anode reaction zone flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure 241, which plays a role in further distributing the gas at the end where the gas flows in, and suppresses the wake flow at the end where the gas flows out to play a role in bypassing, further avoiding the flow dead zone caused by uneven oxidant flow in the reaction zone.

[0063] Waste heat is generated while the chemical reaction generates electricity. The waste heat is taken out by the flow of coolant in the bipolar plate heat exchange area 34 formed between the cathode plate 1 and the anode plate 2 of the bipolar plate. The bipolar plate heat exchange area 34 is formed by the ridges of the anode reaction area 24 of the cathode plate 1 and the anode reaction area 24 of the anode plate 2 during stamping to generate flow channels, which are specifically in a meandering staggered shape. The coolant flows through the heat exchange area to discharge the waste heat in the form of heat conduction, so that the fuel cell stack operates under suitable temperature conditions. The coolant is distributed to each bipolar plate through the coolant inlet manifold 31, and is evenly distributed to the bipolar plate heat exchange area 34 corresponding to the cathode plate reaction area 14 and the anode plate reaction area 24 after mixing in the coolant first-stage distribution area 332 and the coolant second-stage distribution area 333 for cooling. The heated coolant is then transported out of the stack through the coolant outlet manifold 32, and circulates after being cooled by external accessories, and the operation is stable and reliable.

[0064] A coolant first distribution area support convex point 3321 is provided in the coolant first distribution area 332, which can play a role in preliminary distribution of coolant. The corresponding coolant second distribution area cathode distribution area flow ridge mapping groove 3332 is formed by punching the opposite surface of the cathode plate distribution area 13 of the bipolar plate, and the corresponding coolant second distribution area anode distribution area flow ridge mapping groove 3333 is formed by punching the opposite surface of the anode plate distribution area 23. At the same time, there is a coolant second distribution area groove bottom support convex point 3331 at the bottom of the anode plate distribution area groove, and its end It is in contact with the bottom structure of the groove of the distribution area of ​​the cathode plate, that is, the end of this protrusion is in contact with the bottom of the groove of the cathode forced diverter groove 131, and the anode forced diverter groove 231 corresponds to the cathode forced diverter ridge 132, thereby forming a flow gap cavity 334 to increase the distribution space of the coolant and reduce the distribution flow resistance. At the same time, the bottom support protrusion 3331 of the coolant second-stage distribution area groove plays a role in redistributing the coolant, which can evenly distribute the coolant to the reaction area, avoid flow dead zones, and discharge the waste heat generated by the stack out of the stack to ensure the continuous operation of the fuel cell stack.

[0065] In order to verify the fluid distribution effect of the bipolar plate, evaluate the flow resistance and identify the flow dead zone, computer-aided calculation can be used to evaluate the rationality of the structural design, optimize the results, and quickly realize the preliminary design and development of the product. The specific operations are S1. Three-dimensional modeling: establish a three-dimensional digital model and fluid domain of the bipolar plate; S2. Meshing: divide the mesh for the fluid domain; S3. Model setting: set the flow model, add fluid domain physical parameters, set boundary conditions, and select the calculation algorithm; S4. Calculation and solution: general or special CFD software can be used for calculation and solution; S5. Result processing: mainly evaluate the flow resistance between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold of each flow field, the uniformity of fluid distribution in each flow channel of the reaction zone, and the dead zone of the flow channel. General or special CFD software generally comes with result post-processing software. When it cannot meet the requirements, the calculation results can also be exported to special data processing software such as Excel for processing.

[0066] The fuel cell bipolar plate and performance evaluation method of the present invention are reasonably designed, the distribution areas of the cathode plate and the anode plate are in a forked form, and the flow channel ends of the cathode reaction zone and the anode reaction zone are provided with flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structures, the various flow fields therein are evenly distributed, and the uneven flow of the oxidant flow channel in the reaction zone can be avoided to cause flow dead zones; through the coolant flow channel design, the cooling is uniform and sufficient, the waste heat generated by the stack can be effectively discharged from the stack, and the operating stability of the fuel cell stack can be ensured; this performance evaluation method can quickly evaluate the performance of the bipolar plate without the need for a physical prototype, which has the advantages of shortening the development cycle and reducing development risks.

[0067] The above is only an explanation of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the above technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form multiple embodiments of the present invention.

[0068] The present invention is described above by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned method. As long as various non-substantial improvements are made using the concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the concept and technical solution of the present invention are directly applied to other occasions without improvement, they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell bipolar plate, comprising a matched cathode plate and an anode plate; the cathode plate has a cathode inlet manifold, a cathode outlet manifold, a cathode distribution area and a cathode reaction area; the anode plate has an anode inlet manifold, an anode outlet manifold, an anode distribution area and an anode reaction area; characterized in that: The cathode distribution area and the anode distribution area are both bifurcated structures, and both ends of the cathode reaction area and the anode reaction area are provided with flow disturbance structures.

2. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode inlet manifold and the cathode outlet manifold, and the anode inlet manifold and the anode outlet manifold are all arranged obliquely symmetrically.

3. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spoiler structure is a flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure.

4. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: A bipolar plate heat exchange area for coolant flow and heat exchange is formed between the cathode plate and the anode plate. The bipolar plate heat exchange area is formed by the ridges of the cathode reaction area of ​​the cathode plate and the anode reaction area of ​​the anode plate corresponding to the flow channel area during stamping.

5. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flow channel ridge special-shaped spoiler structure is a group of arc-shaped hollow structures arranged side by side.

6. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two ends of the polar plate are respectively provided with a coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet manifold connected to the bipolar plate heat exchange area; a group of distribution areas for uniformly distributing the coolant into the bipolar plate heat exchange area is provided corresponding to the coolant inlet manifold.

7. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 6, characterized in that: The group of distribution areas comprises a first-stage coolant distribution area and a second-stage coolant distribution area which are connected in sequence; a first-stage coolant distribution area support protrusion for initially distributing the coolant is arranged in the first-stage coolant distribution area.

8. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 7, characterized in that: The coolant second-stage distribution area is provided with corresponding coolant second-stage distribution area cathode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping grooves and coolant second-stage distribution area anode distribution area flow channel ridge mapping grooves.

9. The fuel cell bipolar plate according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the anode distribution area of ​​the coolant second-stage distribution area is provided with a coolant second-stage distribution area groove bottom support protrusion, and the end of the coolant second-stage distribution area groove bottom support protrusion is arranged in contact with the bottom of the flow channel ridge mapping groove of the cathode distribution area of ​​the coolant second-stage distribution area, thereby forming a flow gap cavity.

10. A method for evaluating the performance of a fuel cell bipolar plate according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The performance evaluation method comprises the following steps: S1. 3D modeling: Establish 3D digital model of bipolar plate and fluid domain; S2. Grid division: divide the grid for the fluid domain; S3. Model setting: set the flow model, add fluid domain physical parameters, set boundary conditions, and select calculation algorithm; S4. Calculation and solution: General or special CFD software can be used for calculation and solution; S5. Result processing: mainly evaluate the flow resistance between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold of each flow field, the uniformity of fluid distribution in each flow channel in the reaction area, and the dead zone of the flow channel.

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