Fuel cell module, method of assembling same, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a fuel cell module, an assembling method thereof and a vehicle. In the fuel cell module, an insulating supporting assembly is arranged between a box body and a galvanic pile, and the insulating supporting assembly is in contact with each side surface of the galvanic pile, so that the side surfaces of the galvanic pile can be supported, and inter-layer slippage of the galvanic pile is resisted. More than two cross beams are arranged between the box body and the electric pile, and the bearing frame applies fastening force towards the air inlet end through the cross beams, so that the box body is packaged. The upper cover plate of the box body is provided with the avoiding opening, the cross beam extends into the bearing frame through the avoiding opening, the arrangement of the upper cover plate does not affect the installation of the cross beam, the electric pile can be installed in place before press fitting, the structural strength of the bearing frame at the upper opening is enhanced, and the upper cover plate and the bearing frame jointly resist lateral extrusion of the electric pile in the assembly process. Deformation of the bearing frame and the insulating supporting piece at the upper opening is prevented, so that the assembly consistency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular, relates to a fuel cell module and an assembly method thereof, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell stack is composed of multiple single cells connected in series, with collecting plates, insulating plates, air intake end plates, blind end plates and other parts distributed at both ends. It is necessary to apply a certain tightening force through packaging components such as tie rods, steel belts, and screws for stacking.

[0003] As the industrialization of fuel cells accelerates, the trend towards ultra-high power is obvious. The existing technologies mainly include the following two technical routes to increase the output power of the stack: Route 1 is to design multiple stacks in series and parallel, using the form of current series connection and gas-liquid parallel connection; Route 2 is to increase the active area and output performance of a single cell, increase the number of cells, and improve the output power and power density of a single stack.

[0004] At present, the more technically challenging is the second technical route. During the use of the fuel cell stack, it is necessary to withstand external vibrations, impacts and other stimuli. For ultra-high power fuel cells, due to the large number of single cells and large size, it is more necessary to focus on how to improve the stack's ability to resist interlayer slippage to avoid collapse or instability in the middle of the stack. Conventional packaging components are fixed to the stack as a whole, and can support the sides of the stack while applying a pressing force to resist interlayer slippage (also known as stack collapse). For example, invention application CN115411332A discloses a fuel cell stack that achieves stack anti-collapse function through tie rods and / or steel belts.

[0005] Fuel cell modules that use integral packaging (also called box packaging) usually require the outer shell to be pressed against the sides of the stack to prevent slippage between the layers of the stack. However, this solution makes it difficult to assemble the stack. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a fuel cell module and an assembly method thereof, as well as a vehicle, which can prevent the battery stack from collapsing, have low assembly difficulty and good consistency of the battery stack after assembly.

[0007] In a first aspect of the present application, a fuel cell module is provided, comprising:

[0008] The box body comprises a bearing frame, an upper cover plate, an air inlet end side plate, a blind end side plate and an upper packaging member, wherein the bearing frame is provided with an upper opening, an air inlet port and a blind end port which are interconnected; the upper cover plate is connected to the bearing frame and covers the upper opening; the air inlet end side plate is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the air inlet port; the blind end side plate is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the blind end port; the upper packaging member is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the upper cover plate;

[0009] A battery stack is arranged in the box;

[0010] The high voltage component and the low voltage component are both electrically connected to the battery stack;

[0011] An insulating support assembly is provided between the box and the battery stack, the insulating support assembly is in contact with each side surface of the battery stack and each inner side surface of the box; the insulating support assembly includes a plurality of insulating support members spaced apart along the circumference of the battery stack;

[0012] Two or more cross beams are spaced and distributed at one end of the box body close to the blind end side plate; both ends of the two or more cross beams are limited by the supporting frame, so that the supporting frame passes through the cross beams and cooperates with the air intake end side plate to apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack;

[0013] Among them, an avoidance opening is provided at one end of the upper cover plate close to the blind-end side plate, and the two or more beams extend into the supporting frame through the avoidance opening; the upper cover plate abuts against the insulating support member at a corresponding position.

[0014] In some embodiments, the side wall of the upper opening of the supporting frame has a sunken step structure, and the upper cover plate is placed on the step surface of the step structure and connected to the step structure.

[0015] In some embodiments, the upper packaging component is a plate, and the output portion of the high-voltage component is sealed and installed in the through hole and extends out of the box body.

[0016] In some embodiments, the fuel cell module further includes a voltage converter, which is sealed to the supporting frame and covers the upper cover plate to form the upper package; the voltage converter is electrically connected to the output portion of the high voltage component.

[0017] In some embodiments, one or more longitudinal beams are disposed in the upper opening of the load-bearing frame, and the one or more longitudinal beams are staggered with the two or more transverse beams; the upper cover plate is connected to the longitudinal beams and the body of the load-bearing frame.

[0018] In some embodiments, both ends of the crossbeam are connected to the load-bearing frame via threaded fasteners.

[0019] In some embodiments, the outer end surface of the blind end plate assembly of the fuel cell stack is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves, and the cross beams are arranged one by one in the corresponding limiting grooves; at least one of the cross beams is pressed against the groove wall of the corresponding limiting groove.

[0020] In some embodiments, one side of the supporting frame is provided with an outer protrusion, and the upper cover plate and the outer protrusion at least partially do not overlap.

[0021] In some embodiments, the high-voltage component includes a copper busbar assembly and an output terminal electrically connected to the copper busbar assembly, the copper busbar assembly is located in the outer protrusion, a through hole is opened on the upper package, and the output terminal is installed on the outer protrusion and extends out through the through hole.

[0022] In some embodiments, a high-pressure operation port is provided on the outer protrusion, and the high-pressure connection of the copper busbar assembly is exposed to the outside through the high-pressure operation port; the box body also includes a high-pressure operation cover plate, which is sealingly connected to the supporting frame and covers the high-pressure operation port.

[0023] In some embodiments, the supporting frame is further provided with a low-voltage assembly port, wherein the low-voltage assembly port and the outer protrusion are located on the same side, and the low-voltage component is electrically connected to the tabs of the single cells of the battery stack through the low-voltage assembly port; the box body also includes a low-voltage package, which is sealingly connected to the supporting frame and covers the low-voltage assembly port.

[0024] In some embodiments, a side opening is provided on the supporting frame on a side opposite to the outer protrusion; the box body further includes a side cover plate, which is sealingly connected to the supporting frame, covers the side opening, and abuts against the corresponding insulating support member.

[0025] In some embodiments, at least one of the insulating support members is provided with a ridge, and the end surface of the ridge is in contact with the battery stack and / or the box body; and / or the inner side surface of the box body is provided with one or more local outer convex surfaces for contacting the insulating support member.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present application, a method for assembling the above-mentioned fuel cell module is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0027] Connecting the air intake end side plate to the supporting frame;

[0028] Placing the components of the air intake end of the fuel cell stack into the inner cavity of the supporting frame;

[0029] A plurality of insulating support members are placed in the inner cavity along two adjacent side surfaces of the supporting frame at intervals, wherein at least two of the insulating support members are provided with the through grooves, and the at least two insulating support members provided with the through grooves are distributed on different side surfaces of the supporting frame;

[0030] Placing four or more positioning rods in the inner cavity at intervals along each side surface of the supporting frame, and at least two of the positioning rods extend into the corresponding through slots;

[0031] A fixing bracket is installed at the blind end of the supporting frame, and the position of the positioning rod is fixed by the fixing bracket, so that the end surface of the positioning rod located in the through groove facing the fuel cell stack protrudes outside the through groove, and the area surrounded by each positioning rod is completely consistent with the outer contour of the core of the fuel cell stack;

[0032] Stacking other components of the battery stack in sequence in the area of ​​the inner cavity surrounded by the four or more positioning rods;

[0033] Placing a plurality of the insulating support members at intervals along the side where the upper opening is located in the inner cavity of the bearing frame, and installing the upper cover plate so that the upper cover plate abuts against the insulating support members at corresponding positions;

[0034] Compressing the blind end plate assembly of the battery stack by a press to press the battery stack to a set height;

[0035] The crossbeam is installed on the blind end plate assembly of the stack through the avoidance opening of the upper cover plate, and the end of the crossbeam extends between the blind end plate assembly and the supporting frame, and then the press is evacuated;

[0036] Installing the high voltage assembly, the low voltage assembly and the remaining insulating support members;

[0037] Take out all the positioning rods and disassemble the fixing bracket;

[0038] The supporting frame is packaged to complete the assembly of the fuel cell module.

[0039] In a third aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising the fuel cell module described in the first aspect.

[0040] According to the fuel cell module provided by one or more embodiments of the present application, an insulating support assembly is provided between the box and the stack, and the insulating support assembly is in contact with each side of the stack, and can support the side of the stack to resist interlayer slippage of the stack. The insulating support assembly includes a plurality of insulating support members distributed at intervals, and the insulating support members are independent of the box and the stack. Compared with the anti-collapse structure of the stack in which the box is directly pressed against the stack, the independent plurality of insulating support members are more convenient to install, and the difficulty of assembling the stack is low.

[0041] According to the fuel cell module provided by one or more embodiments of the present application, more than two crossbeams are arranged between the box body and the battery stack, and each crossbeam is spaced and distributed at one end of the box body close to the blind end side plate, and both ends are limited by the main shell. The load-bearing frame applies a fastening force toward the air inlet end through the crossbeam, and cooperates with the air inlet end side plate to apply a fastening force toward the blind end, and jointly applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the battery stack to achieve box packaging. The pressing force of the press is transferred by a number of crossbeams arranged at one end of the battery stack, and a number of crossbeams distributed at intervals form a limiting surface, which jointly apply a fastening force to the battery stack, and the force distribution of the battery stack is uniform. Since the beams are distributed at intervals, the intervals between them can be used for the pressure head of the press to pass through, which will not affect the pressing operation of the press, and facilitates the assembly of the battery stack.

[0042] In the box body of the fuel cell module, an escape hole is provided at one end of the upper cover plate close to the blind end side plate, and the crossbeam extends into the bearing frame through the escape hole. The setting of the upper cover plate will not affect the installation of the crossbeam, so the upper cover plate can be installed in place before the battery stack is pressed. The upper cover plate covers the upper opening and strengthens the structural strength of the bearing frame at the upper opening. The upper cover plate abuts against the insulating support member corresponding to the position, which can support the insulating support member at that location. The upper cover plate and the bearing frame jointly resist the lateral extrusion of the battery stack during assembly, prevent the bearing frame and the insulating support member at the upper opening from deforming, and the upper cover plate and the bearing frame provide lateral support force for the single battery, thereby improving assembly consistency.

[0043] According to the fuel cell module provided in one or more embodiments of the present application, box packaging is achieved by arranging insulating support assemblies and cross beams. The insulating support assemblies fully cover the fuel cell stack from all directions to achieve a full core anti-slip effect. The load-bearing frame is strengthened by arranging an upper cover plate and supporting the insulating support parts to resist lateral extrusion of the fuel cell stack during assembly, thereby improving assembly consistency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0046] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the fuel cell module from another perspective.

[0047] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 Exploded view of the fuel cell module.

[0048] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a supporting frame of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0049] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of an upper cover plate of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0050] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Bottom view of the upper cover.

[0051] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a side support member of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0052] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a corner support member of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0053] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell module in another one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0054] Fig.10 Shows Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the fuel cell module from another perspective.

[0055] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the assembly process of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0056] Fig.12 Shows Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the blind end side of the fuel cell module.

[0057] Fig.13 A schematic diagram showing the lateral extrusion force during stack pressing is shown.

[0058] Fig.14 A structural block diagram of a vehicle in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0059] Description of reference numerals: 1000 - fuel cell module.

[0060] 10-insulation support assembly; 11-insulation support member, 11a-side support member, 11b-corner support member; 12-convex ridge; 13-through groove; 20-cross beam; 30-positioning rod; 40-fixing bracket; 50-shock-absorbing column.

[0061] 100-box, 101-upper opening, 102-inlet port, 103-blind port, 104-high-pressure operation port, 105-low-pressure assembly port, 106-side opening; 110-bearing frame, 111-external protrusion, 112-longitudinal beam, 113-step structure; 120-blind end side plate, 121-limiting column; 130-upper cover plate, 131-protrusion of upper cover plate, 132-avoidance; 140-side cover plate, 141-protrusion of side cover plate; 150-high-pressure operation cover plate; 160-inlet end side plate; 170-low-pressure packaging component; 180-upper packaging component, 181-through hole.

[0062] 200-cell stack; 210-intake end plate assembly; 220-core; 230-blind end plate assembly, 231-limiting groove. 300-high voltage assembly; 310-copper busbar assembly; 320-output terminal. 400-low voltage assembly. 500-voltage converter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] In order to make the technical personnel in the technical field to which the present application belongs to understand the present application more clearly, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0064] In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present application provides various specific examples of processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0065] The stack (fuel cell stack) includes multiple alternately stacked membrane electrodes and bipolar plates, with seals set between the membrane electrodes and bipolar plates. Insulation plates, current collecting plates, stack end plates and other components are set at both ends of the core formed by the membrane electrodes and bipolar plates to isolate high voltage, collect output energy, provide fastening force, etc. The stack end plates are fastened by strapping, tie rods, screws, etc., or the shell provides a pressing force. Under the action of the catalysts on the cathode and anode on both sides of the proton exchange membrane inside the membrane electrode, the cathode and anode reaction media undergo electrochemical reactions to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.

[0066] As the industrialization of fuel cells accelerates, the trend of ultra-high power (output power exceeding 300KW) is obvious, which requires improving the efficiency of membrane electrode reaction, and / or increasing the membrane electrode reaction area, and / or increasing the number of cells in the stack, and the size of the fuel cell module will also increase simultaneously. Research has found that in related technologies, due to the large number of cells (usually more than 500 pieces) in ultra-high power fuel cells, during the stacking and press-assembly of cells, the tooling or parts that constrain the lateral displacement of the cells will be deformed by lateral extrusion perpendicular to the direction of the cell stacking, such as Fig.13 As shown, the assembly consistency is affected. This problem is particularly prominent in fuel cell modules that are packaged in a box.

[0067] To this end, the present application provides a fuel cell module and an assembly method thereof, as well as a vehicle, which aims to solve the technical problems of difficult assembly and poor assembly consistency of box-packaged fuel cells in the related art to a certain extent.

[0068] The present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the specific implementation methods and the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the specific definitions of the concepts such as "inlet end", "blind end", and "stacking direction" in this application are explained as follows: In a certain fuel cell, the end close to the reaction medium input end is defined as the inlet end, and the end away from the reaction medium input end is defined as the blind end. Correspondingly, the end plate of the stack located at the inlet end is defined as the inlet end plate, and the end plate located at the blind end is defined as the blind end end plate. In a conventional stack, the end plate at the inlet end, the insulating plate at the inlet end, the current collector at the inlet end, the core, the current collector at the blind end, the insulating plate at the blind end, and the end plate at the blind end are stacked in sequence. The stacking direction of each component of the stack is defined as the stacking direction. When the fuel cell is installed on the vehicle, it is usually installed with the large surface (the side with the largest area of ​​the fuel cell) facing down. In the installation posture, the lower surface of the fuel cell is the "bottom surface", and the corresponding orientation is the "bottom end"; the upper surface is the "top surface", and the corresponding orientation is the "top end". For the convenience of expression, the abbreviations of each interpretation are used in the following embodiments.

[0069] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10, respectively showing the overall diagram and exploded diagram of the fuel cell module 1000 provided by different embodiments of the first aspect of the present application. The fuel cell module 1000 is a whole including a stack 200, a high-voltage assembly 300, a low-voltage assembly 400 and an externally packaged box 100. Specifically including a box 100, a stack 200, a high-voltage assembly 300, a low-voltage assembly 400, an insulating support assembly 10 and two or more beams 20. The box 100 cooperates with the insulating support assembly 10 and the two or more beams 20 to form an integral package for the stack 200, and jointly applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the stack 200, so that the stack 200 does not need to be additionally provided with a fastening assembly for providing a fastening force. The high-voltage assembly 300 is electrically connected to the collector plate of the stack 200 for outputting the electric energy generated by the stack 200. The low-voltage assembly 400 is electrically connected to the core 220 of the stack 200 to perform voltage inspection on the bipolar plate or single cell. The fuel cell stack 200 , the high voltage assembly 300 and the low voltage assembly 400 are all installed and fixed by the box body 100 . The specific structures of the high voltage assembly 300 and the low voltage assembly 400 will be described later.

[0070] The battery stack 200 is disposed in the box 100. The battery stack 200 may be completely disposed in the inner cavity of the box 100; or a portion of the battery stack 200 may be disposed in the inner cavity of the box 100. For example, the air intake end plate of the battery stack 200 also serves as the air intake end side plate 160 of the box 100 to form an air intake end plate assembly 210. In some embodiments, the air intake end plate of the battery stack 200, the air intake end insulation plate, and the air intake end side plate 160 of the box 100 may be integrated into one part.

[0071] See also Figure 3 The box body 100 includes a load-bearing frame 110, an upper cover plate 130, an air inlet side plate 160, a blind side plate 120 and an upper packaging member 180. Figure 4 The supporting frame 110 is provided with an upper opening 106 , an air inlet port 102 and a blind port 103 which are all in communication with the inner cavity thereof.

[0072] Ultra-high power fuel cells are large in size and have large dimensions in the stacking direction. If manual stacking is used, the operator needs to hold the components and reach down to a relatively deep area to place the components at the initial stage of stacking. If the dimensions of the fuel cell in the stacking direction exceed the operator's arm length, the components can only fall naturally, which may damage the components or the components that have been stacked. By setting the upper opening 106, it is convenient for the operator to support the components through the upper opening 106 when stacking the components of the stack 200, so that the components are placed lightly on the stacked components to avoid damage to the components. Since the upper opening 106 has a large area, it is easy to operate. Therefore, the setting of the upper opening 106 is very important for the assembly of the ultra-high power fuel cell module 1000.

[0073] The upper cover plate 130 is connected to the supporting frame 110 and covers the upper opening 106. The upper cover plate 130 is only fixedly connected to the supporting frame 110, but does not have a sealing function. The air inlet end side plate 160 is sealedly connected to the supporting frame 110 and covers the air inlet port 102. The air inlet end side plate 160 is fixedly connected to the supporting frame 110, and a sealant is provided at the connection, such as a sealing ring or a sealant is applied to achieve the sealing of the air inlet end side of the box 100. The blind end side plate 120 is sealedly connected to the supporting frame 110 and covers the blind port 103. The blind end side plate 120 is fixedly connected to the supporting frame 110, and a sealant is provided at the connection, such as a sealing ring or a sealant is applied to achieve the sealing of the blind end side of the box 100. The upper packaging component 180 is sealed and connected to the supporting frame 110 and covers the upper cover plate 130 . The upper packaging component 180 is fixedly connected to the supporting frame 110 , and a sealing component is provided at the connection, such as a sealing ring or a sealant, to achieve sealing of the top of the box body 100 .

[0074] In some embodiments, the air intake end plate assembly 210 is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves, and the blind end side plate 120 is provided with a plurality of limiting posts 121. Figure 3 As shown. The positions of the multiple limiting posts 121 correspond one-to-one to the multiple insulating support members 11. One end of the insulating support member 11 extends into the mounting groove, and the mounting groove provides the insulating support member 11 with a limit in the long side / short side direction of the bipolar plate. The other end of the insulating support member 11 abuts against the limiting post 121 of the blind end side plate 120, and the limiting post 121 provides the insulating support member 11 with a limit in the stacking direction. In this way, not only can the insulating support member 11 be fixed without using threaded fasteners, but also the insulating support member 11 can be prevented from moving when the fuel cell module 1000 is subjected to vibration or impact.

[0075] The insulating support assembly 10 is disposed between the box 100 and the battery stack 200. The insulating support assembly 10 is in contact with each side of the battery stack 200 and each inner side of the box 100, and can support the side of the battery stack 200 to resist interlayer slippage of the battery stack 200. The insulating support assembly 10 is in contact with each side of the battery stack 200, which means that each side of the battery stack 200 has a part in contact with the insulating support assembly 10, for example, only the core 220 in the battery stack 200 is in contact with the insulating support assembly 10.

[0076] See also Figure 3 and Fig.11The insulating support assembly 10 includes a plurality of insulating support members 11 spaced apart along the circumference of the battery stack 200. The insulating support members 11 have a certain rigidity, and at least the surface of the outer surface thereof that contacts the battery stack 200 and the box 100 is made of insulating material. For example, the insulating support members 11 can be made of plastic with good rigidity, or the insulating support members 11 can be made of metal, and an insulating layer is attached to the outer surface. The insulating support members 11 are independent components outside the box 100 and the battery stack 200. Compared with the anti-collapse structure in which the box directly presses against the battery stack 200, the independent plurality of insulating support members 11 are more convenient to install, and the battery stack 200 is easy to assemble.

[0077] Two or more beams 20 are spaced apart and distributed at one end of the box 100 close to the blind end side plate 120. Both ends of the two or more beams 20 are limited by the supporting frame 110, so that the supporting frame 110 passes through the beams 20 and cooperates with the intake end side plate 160 to apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the stack 200. Fig.11 , more than two beams 20 are spaced apart and located between the blind end plate assembly 230 of the battery stack 200 and the blind end side plate 120 of the box 100, and the box 100 applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the battery stack 200 through the beams 20. The beams 20 are parallel to the long side direction or the short side direction of the bipolar plates of the battery stack 200, and both ends of the beams 20 extend into the box 100. They will not be displaced due to the restriction of the box 100, thereby applying a fastening force along the stacking direction to the battery stack 200. Since more than two beams 20 are spaced apart, a fastening force can be applied to the entire surface of the blind end plate assembly 230, achieving uniform distribution of the press-fitting force, and effectively reducing the problem of plate deformation caused by large press-fitting force of the high-power battery stack 200.

[0078] See also Fig.11 In some embodiments, a plurality of beams 20 are arranged at intervals along the long side direction of the bipolar plate, and the number and arrangement position of the beams 20 are comprehensively determined based on the long side dimension of the blind end plate assembly 230, the pressing force value of the stack 200 and other factors. In some embodiments, the number of beams 20 is 3 to 5. A plurality of beams 20 may be evenly distributed at equal intervals, or unevenly distributed. In some embodiments, the spacing between two adjacent beams 20 located in the middle is less than or equal to the spacing between two adjacent beams 20 located at the edge, so that the distribution of the beams 20 presents a state of being dense in the middle and sparse at both ends. The middle beams 20 are relatively dense, which can provide a larger pressing force to the central area of ​​the stack 200, and cooperate with the box 100 located at the edge of the stack 200 to achieve uniform distribution of the pressing force on the entire end surface.

[0079] In some embodiments, the cross beam 20 is parallel to the short side direction of the bipolar plate, the insulating support member 11 is parallel to the stacking direction, and the cross beam 20 is perpendicular to the insulating support member 11. Each cross beam 20 and each insulating support member 11 can be staggered and distributed; or the ends of some insulating support members 11 can be pressed against the corresponding cross beam 20, thereby reducing the size of the box 100 in the distribution direction of the cross beam 20.

[0080] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the fuel cell module 1000 further includes a plurality of shock absorbing columns 50 that are spaced apart, and the shock absorbing columns 50 are located between the box body 100 and the stack 200, and are pressed against the stack 200. Each shock absorbing column 50 is staggered with each cross beam 20, and the shock absorbing column 50 cooperates with the cross beam 20 to apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the stack 200. The shock absorbing column 50 can exist independently of the stack 200 and the box body 100, or it can be fixedly installed on the box body 100. In some embodiments, a plurality of shock absorbing columns 50 are connected to the blind end side plate 120, and a plurality of mounting platforms are provided on the blind end side plate 120, and the shock absorbing column 50 is mounted on the mounting platform by screws.

[0081] See also Fig.12 In some embodiments, both ends of the crossbeam 20 are connected to the load-bearing frame 110 by threaded fasteners, and the crossbeam 20 is limited by the load-bearing frame 110. The outer end surface of the blind end plate assembly 230 of the stack 200 is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves 231, and the crossbeams 20 are arranged in the corresponding limiting grooves 231 one by one, and at least one crossbeam 20 is pressed against the groove wall of the corresponding limiting groove 231. The crossbeam 20 provides the blind end plate assembly 230 with limiting along the stacking direction and the spacing arrangement direction of the crossbeams 20.

[0082] The fuel cell module 1000 of the present application adopts a single stack solution. In the installation posture, the stacking direction of the stack 200 is parallel to the horizontal direction. The fuel cell box 100 is usually a cubic structure. When installed, the upper cover plate 130 and the upper packaging part 180 are both located at the top of the box 100. The area of ​​the upper opening 106 of the supporting frame 110 is larger than the area of ​​other openings of the supporting frame 110, which reduces the structural strength of the supporting frame 110 at the upper opening 106 and will be deformed by the lateral extrusion of the stack during the press-fitting process. The higher the power of the fuel cell module 1000, which means the larger the number and area of ​​the single cells, the greater the lateral extrusion force. The direction of the lateral extrusion force is as follows: Figure 1 However, since the cross beam 20 needs to be installed through the upper opening 106 , the upper opening 106 cannot be closed before the stack 200 is pressed and installed to avoid affecting the installation of the cross beam 20 .

[0083] To resolve the above contradiction, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6, the upper cover plate 130 of the present application is provided with a avoidance opening 132 at one end close to the blind end side plate 120, and two or more beams 20 extend into the supporting frame 110 through the avoidance opening 132. The avoidance opening 132 can be a hole or an open groove, and its size is larger than the cross-sectional size of the beam 20. By setting the avoidance opening 132, the installation of the upper cover plate 130 will not affect the subsequent installation of the beam 20, so the upper cover plate 130 can be installed in place before the battery stack 200 is pressed. The upper cover plate 130 covers the upper opening 106 and strengthens the structural strength of the supporting frame 110 at the upper opening 106. The upper cover plate 130 abuts against the insulating support member 11 at the corresponding position, and can play a supporting role for the insulating support member 11 at this location. The upper cover plate 130 and the supporting frame 110 jointly resist the lateral extrusion of the battery stack 200 during the assembly process, and prevent the deformation of the supporting frame 110 and the insulating support member 11 at the upper opening 106, thereby improving the assembly consistency.

[0084] It should be noted that the structure of the upper cover plate 130 is not limited to a flat plate. In other embodiments, the upper cover plate 130 may also be a frame structure or a hollow plate. The upper cover plate 130 can meet the requirements of resisting the lateral extrusion force applied by the battery stack 200 during the assembly process, and its specific structure is not limited in this application.

[0085] To improve the structural strength of the upper cover plate 130, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The main body of the upper cover plate 130 includes a plurality of longitudinal beams and transverse beams that are crisscrossed, bolt mounting holes are provided at or near the intersections of the longitudinal beams and the transverse beams, and bolt mounting holes are provided at corresponding positions of the load-bearing frame 110, and the two are fastened and connected by bolts. In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions 131 are provided on the inner side of the upper cover plate 130. To reduce the mass of the upper cover plate 130, the protrusions 131 can be provided as a groove structure, and the extension range of the groove wall of the groove structure is greater than the extension range of the ridge 12 of the insulating support member 11 located on the upper side of the stack 200.

[0086] Since the upper opening 106 has a large area, in order to improve the structural strength of the top surface of the supporting frame 110, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, one or more longitudinal beams 112 are disposed in the upper opening 106 of the load-bearing frame 110, and the one or more longitudinal beams 112 are staggered with the two or more cross beams 20. The longitudinal beams 112 extend along the stacking direction, or are inclined relative to the stacking direction at an angle not exceeding 45°. The upper cover plate 130 is connected to the longitudinal beams 112 and / or the body of the load-bearing frame 110.

[0087] At the top of the supporting frame 110, the upper cover plate 130 is mainly used to support the corresponding insulating support member 11, and does not bear the sealing function. The upper packaging member 180 covers the upper cover plate 130 and plays a sealing role. In other words, the top of the supporting frame 110 has a double-layer plate structure. Figure 4 In some embodiments, the side wall of the upper opening 106 of the supporting frame 110 has a sunken step structure 113, and the upper cover plate 130 is placed on the step surface of the step structure 113 and connected to the step structure 113. The thickness of the upper cover plate 130 is not greater than the sunken dimension of the step structure 113, ensuring that the top of the supporting frame 110 remains flat after the upper cover plate 130 is installed, and does not affect the sealing of the upper packaging component 180 and the supporting frame 110.

[0088] The insulating support 11 is located between the battery stack 200 and the box 100, and realizes the transmission and transfer of external excitation by a single part. When external vibration and impact excitation act on the battery stack 200, it can be transferred to the box 100 through the insulating support 11 that is fully covered on all sides. Therefore, the insulating support 11 needs to be in direct contact with the battery stack 200 and the box 100, and the surface quality of the contact surface should be as high as possible. Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, at least one insulating support member 11 is provided with a ridge 12, and the end face of the ridge 12 is in contact with the fuel cell stack 200 and / or the housing 100. By providing the ridge 12, on the one hand, the contact surface area between the insulating support member 11 and the fuel cell stack 200 and / or the housing 100 is reduced and does not exceed the area of ​​the end face of the ridge 12. The ridge 12 protrudes outward, which facilitates the processing of the end face. After the insulating support member 11 is manufactured, only the contact surface needs to be finely processed, which facilitates the realization of high flatness in a limited area and reduces the manufacturing difficulty. On the other hand, the weight of the insulating support member 11 can be reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the entire fuel cell module 1000.

[0089] In some embodiments, the inner side surface of the box body 100 is provided with one or more local convex surfaces for contacting the insulating support member 11. The local convex surfaces are in contact with the locally processed surface of the insulating support member 11, which can not only ensure the matching accuracy of the contact surface, but also reduce the processing area of ​​the inner surface of the box body 100, thereby facilitating the realization of high flatness in a limited area and reducing the manufacturing difficulty.

[0090] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8In some embodiments, at least one insulating support member 11 is provided with a through groove 13, and the through groove 13 can be provided on one of the side surfaces of the insulating support member 11, or the through groove 13 is provided on both sides of the insulating support member 11. The groove wall of the through groove 13 contacts the battery stack 200 and / or the box body 100 to form a ridge 12. In some embodiments, the through groove 13 passes through the insulating support member 11 along the stacking direction, and the through groove 13 is used to install the positioning rod 30 when the battery stack 200 is stacked. Then, the insulating support member 11 used to install the positioning rod 30 cannot be pressed against the crossbeam 20, otherwise the crossbeam 20 will hinder the installation of the positioning rod 30.

[0091] The specific distribution positions of the insulating support members 11 may be distributed on each side and / or corner of the stack 200. In some embodiments, the number of insulating support members 11 is sufficient to provide one insulating support member 11 at each corner of the stack 200. The insulating support members 11 distributed at the corners of the stack 200 are in contact with two adjacent sides of the stack 200 at the same time, and multiple insulating support members 11 can fully cover the stack 200 from all directions, achieving a fully covered anti-slip effect for the core 220.

[0092] In some embodiments, in addition to providing one insulating support member 11 at each corner of the battery stack 200, the insulating support members 11 may also be arranged on the side of the battery stack 200, for example, at least one insulating support member 11 is arranged on each side. Taking the bipolar plate as a rectangular bipolar plate with different sides as an example, the number of insulating support members 11 may be 4, and the 4 insulating support members 11 are arranged at the 4 corners of the battery stack 200 respectively; the number of insulating support members 11 may be 6, of which 4 insulating support members 11 are arranged at the 4 corners of the battery stack 200 respectively, and the remaining 2 insulating support members 11 may be arranged at the long side or short side of the battery stack 200 respectively; the number of insulating support members 11 may be 8, of which 4 insulating support members 11 are arranged at the 4 corners of the battery stack 200 respectively, and the remaining 4 insulating support members 11 may be arranged at the long side and short side of the battery stack 200 respectively. For the convenience of description, the insulating support members 11 distributed on the side of the battery stack 200 are referred to as side support members 11a. Figure 7 As shown; the insulating support members 11 distributed at the corners of the battery stack 200 are referred to as corner support members 11b. Figure 8 shown.

[0093] In some embodiments, the bipolar plates of the stack 200 are rectangular bipolar plates with different lengths of two sides, and the insulating support assembly 10 includes 10 insulating support members 11: 4 corner support members 11b are respectively arranged at the 4 corners of the stack 200, 4 side support members 11a are distributed in pairs on each long side of the stack 200, and the remaining 2 side support members 11a are distributed in pairs on each short side of the stack 200. In some embodiments, the positions of the 4 side support members 11a located on the two long sides of the stack 200 can correspond to each other, or can be staggered along the long sides; the positions of the 2 side support members 11a located on the two short sides of the stack 200 can correspond to each other, or can be staggered along the short sides.

[0094] In some embodiments, the positions of the insulating support members 11 located on two opposite sides of the battery stack 200 do not correspond, that is, the positions of the side support members 11a located on different sides of the battery stack 200 do not correspond, for example, the positions of the side support members 11a located on different long sides of the battery stack 200 do not correspond. On the one hand, this facilitates the assembly of the battery stack 200, and on the other hand, the force positions of the long sides of the battery stack 200 are different, the force is more uniform, and stress concentration is avoided.

[0095] The high-voltage assembly 300 generally includes an electrically connected copper busbar assembly 310 and an output terminal 320. The copper busbar assembly 310 is encapsulated in the carrier frame 110 and electrically connected to the current collector of the stack 200. The electric energy generated by the stack 200 is output through the output terminal 320. The low-voltage assembly 400 is electrically connected to the core 220 of the stack 200 to perform voltage inspection on the bipolar plates or single cells of the stack 200.

[0096] To facilitate the installation of the high voltage assembly 300, please refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments, the carrier frame 110 is further provided with a high-voltage operation port 104 connected to both the air inlet port 102 and the blind port 103, and the high-voltage connection of the copper busbar assembly 310 is exposed to the outside through the high-voltage operation port 104. A through hole 181 is provided on the upper package 180, and the output terminal 320 is provided in the through hole 181 to output electrical energy to the outside. Correspondingly, the box body 100 also includes a high-voltage operation cover plate 150, which is sealed and connected to the carrier frame 110 and covers the high-voltage operation port 104.

[0097] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, an outer protrusion 111 is provided on one side of the supporting frame 110, the copper busbar assembly 310 is located in the outer protrusion 111, the high-voltage operation port 104 is provided on the side of the outer protrusion 111 along the protruding direction, and the output terminal 320 is installed on the outer protrusion 111 and extends outward through the through hole 181.

[0098] In some embodiments, the upper cover plate 130 does not overlap with the outer protrusion 111 at least partially, that is, the upper cover plate 130 is only located on the main body of the supporting frame 110, and is staggered with the outer protrusion 111 to prevent the upper cover plate 130 from covering the outer protrusion 111 and affecting the installation of the copper busbar assembly 310. In other embodiments, the upper cover plate 130 extends to cover a portion of the outer protrusion 111, and the uncovered area serves as a visible area for workers when installing the copper busbar assembly 310.

[0099] The low voltage assembly 400 can be directly mounted on the box 100. In some embodiments, the low voltage assembly 400 can also be arranged outside the box 100 and connected to the stack 200 only through the display. Figure 4 In some embodiments, the load-bearing frame 110 is further provided with a low-voltage assembly port 105, and the low-voltage component 400 is electrically connected to the tabs of the single cells of the battery stack 200 through the low-voltage assembly port 105. Correspondingly, the housing 100 further includes a low-voltage package 170, which is sealed and connected to the load-bearing frame 110 and covers the low-voltage assembly port 105. In some embodiments, the low-voltage assembly port 105 and the convex portion 111 are located on the same side, so that the low-voltage component 400 is installed below the convex portion 111, and the space below the convex portion 111 is reasonably utilized. The high-voltage component 300 and the low-voltage component 400 are separated by the convex portion 111. Since the housing 100 is usually made of metal material, the convex portion 111 can effectively achieve electromagnetic shielding of high voltage and low voltage.

[0100] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, a side opening 107 is provided on the side of the supporting frame 110 opposite to the outer protrusion 111. Correspondingly, the box body 100 further includes a side cover plate 140, which is sealed and connected to the supporting frame 110, covers the side opening 107, and abuts against the corresponding insulating support member 11. By providing the side cover plate 140, the installation of the corresponding insulating support member 11 is facilitated. In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions 141 are provided on the inner surface of the side cover plate 140. In order to reduce the mass of the side cover plate 140, the protrusions 141 can be provided as a groove structure, and the extension range of the groove wall of the groove structure is greater than the extension range of the ridge 12 of the corresponding insulating support member 11.

[0101] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the upper package 180 is a plate, and a sealing groove is provided around the through hole 181 of the upper package 180. The output terminal 320 is installed in the through hole 181 and extends out of the box body 100. The output terminal 320 presses the sealing ring in the sealing groove to achieve sealing there.

[0102] See also Fig. 9 and Fig.10In other embodiments, the fuel cell module 1000 is integrated with a voltage converter 500 (DCDC for short), which is electrically connected to the output terminal 320 to convert the voltage generated by the stack 200 into a voltage suitable for the vehicle's electrical equipment and output it. The voltage converter 500 is sealed and connected to the supporting frame 110 and covered on the upper cover plate 130 to form an upper package 180. When DCDC is used as the upper package 180, one seal can be reduced, specifically, the seal used to seal the through hole 181 is reduced. The connection between DCDC and the output terminal 320 is located in the space enclosed by DCDC and the supporting frame 110, and DCDC is sealed and connected to the supporting frame 110, so that the seal around the output terminal 320 can be eliminated.

[0103] See also Fig.11 and Fig.12 The second aspect of the present application provides a method for assembling the fuel cell module 1000 according to any one of the first aspects, comprising the following steps:

[0104] S1. Connect the air intake end side plate 160 to the supporting frame 110.

[0105] If the air intake end plate of the stack 200 also serves as the air intake end side plate 160 of the box 100, the air intake end plate of the stack 200 is connected to the supporting frame 110, and the air intake end plate closes the air intake port 102 of the supporting frame 110. The blind port 103 of the supporting frame 110 is open as an installation entrance for other parts.

[0106] After the air inlet end side plate 160 is connected to the supporting frame 110 , the supporting frame 110 is placed vertically, with the air inlet end side plate 160 facing downward and the blind port 103 facing upward.

[0107] S2. Place the components of the air intake end of the fuel cell stack 200 into the inner cavity of the supporting frame 110 .

[0108] If the inlet end plate of the fuel cell stack 200 has been connected to the supporting frame 110, in this step, only other components located at the inlet end of the core 220 are placed into the inner cavity, such as the inlet end insulation plate and the inlet end collector plate 230. In some embodiments, the inlet end plate and the inlet end collector plate 230 are configured as one body, and only the inlet end collector plate 230 needs to be placed.

[0109] S3. In the inner cavity of the supporting frame 110, a plurality of insulating support members 11 are placed at intervals along two adjacent side surfaces of the supporting frame 110. Among the plurality of insulating support members 11, at least two insulating support members 11 are provided with through grooves 13, and at least two insulating support members 11 provided with through grooves 13 are distributed on different sides of the supporting frame 110.

[0110] The insulating support 11 extends between the components of the gas inlet end of the stack 200 and the supporting frame 110. The already placed stack components can ensure that the insulating support 11 does not fall over after installation. All the positioning rods 30 are placed in the inner cavity at intervals along the sides of the supporting frame 110, and at least two positioning rods 30 extend into the corresponding through grooves.

[0111] Because several insulating support members 11 have been placed on two adjacent sides of the inner cavity of the box 100 before the positioning rods 30 are placed, the positioning rods 30 located on the two adjacent sides are inserted into the through slots 12 of the corresponding side support members 11a, and the remaining positioning rods 30 are placed on the remaining two adjacent sides and avoid the installation positions of the insulating support members 11 on the remaining two adjacent sides. The positioning rods 30 inserted into the through slots 12 are blocked by a part of the components of the battery stack 200 installed in step S2, and will be stably set in the through slots 12 and will not slide out of the notches of the through slots 12.

[0112] In some embodiments, a plurality of insulating support members 11 are placed at intervals along two adjacent sides of the box body 100 inside the load-bearing frame 110, and the plurality of insulating support members 11 include both corner support members 11b and side support members 11a. The two adjacent sides include a side on the short side of the bipolar plate and a side on the long side of the bipolar plate. In some embodiments, the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly 400 of the fuel cell module 1000 are arranged on the same side and are both located on the short side of the bipolar plate, and the two adjacent sides are the bottom surface and the side where the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly 400 are located. A side support member 11a is placed on the side where the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly 400 are located, two side support members 11a are placed on the bottom surface, and a corner support member 11b is placed at the corner of the two adjacent sides.

[0113] S4. Install a fixing bracket 50 at the blind end of the supporting frame 110, and fix the position of the positioning rod 30 by the fixing bracket 50, so that the end surface of the positioning rod 30 located in the through groove 12 facing the fuel cell stack 200 protrudes outside the through groove 12, and the area enclosed by each positioning rod 30 is completely consistent with the outer contour of the core 220 of the fuel cell stack 200.

[0114] In step S4, the position of each positioning rod 30 can be adjusted by the battery stack profiling tooling, and then the position of the positioning rod 30 is fixed by the fixed bracket 50. When the battery stack 200 is assembled, the assembly basis of each side is the positioning rod 30. As a tooling part, the positioning rod 30 has a high manufacturing precision, which further ensures the consistency of the battery stack 200 during the assembly process.

[0115] S5. Other components of the battery stack 200 are stacked in sequence in the area of ​​the inner cavity surrounded by four or more positioning rods 30 .

[0116] In step S4, positioning rods 30 are arranged around the inner cavity of the box body 100, and the area surrounded by the positioning rods 30 is the theoretical assembly position of the stack 200 in the fuel cell module 1000. The other components of the stack 200 are stacked and placed in this area in sequence. When the stack is assembled, the height of the stack 200 is h1, and the top of the positioning rod 30 needs to be higher than the top surface of the stack 200 to ensure that all components of the stack 200 are located in the area surrounded by the positioning rods 30.

[0117] When stacking other components of the battery stack 200 , the operator can support the components through the upper opening 106 , slowly lower them, and gently place them on the already stacked components.

[0118] S6. Place a plurality of insulating support members 11 at intervals along the side where the upper opening 106 is located in the inner cavity of the supporting frame 110, and install the upper cover plate 130 so that the upper cover plate 130 abuts against the insulating support members 11 at corresponding positions.

[0119] The upper cover plate 130 is installed before press-fitting. The upper cover plate 130 is fixedly connected to the supporting frame 110 and covers the upper opening 106, thereby strengthening the structural strength of the supporting frame 110 at the upper opening 106, so that the upper cover plate 130 and the supporting frame 110 can jointly resist lateral extrusion of the components of the battery stack 200 during the subsequent press-fitting process.

[0120] S7. Use a press to press the blind end plate assembly 230 of the fuel cell stack 200 and press the fuel cell stack 200 to a set height.

[0121] After the stacking is completed, the press presses the outermost plate at the blind end of the battery stack 200, that is, the blind end plate assembly 230. In some embodiments, the blind end plate assembly 230 only includes a blind end plate 271, then the press presses the blind end plate 271 and applies a pressing force downward in the stacking direction; in some embodiments, the blind end plate assembly 230 includes a blind end plate 271, a disc spring 273 and a disc spring support plate 272, then the press presses the disc spring support plate 272 and applies a pressing force downward in the stacking direction. The components of the stacked battery stack 200 will move down a distance under the pressure of the press, and the downward distance is mainly caused by the compression deformation of the seals between the components. The press presses the battery stack 200 to a set height h2, and the height difference Δh of the battery stack 200 before and after pressing is h1-h2.

[0122] S8. Install the crossbeam 20 on the blind end plate assembly 230 of the stack 200 through the avoidance opening 132 of the upper cover plate 130, with the end of the crossbeam 20 extending between the blind end plate assembly 230 and the supporting frame 110, and then evacuate the press.

[0123] Before the press is withdrawn, the pressure of the press needs to be transferred to the housing 100, and the housing 100 maintains the compression of the stack 200. After the press presses the stack 200 to the set height h2, two or more beams 20 are placed on the blind end plate assembly 230 of the stack 200, and the ends of the beams 20 are extended between the blind end plate assembly 230 and the bearing frame 110, so that the beams 20 are constrained between the blind end plate assembly 230 and the bearing frame 110. The beams 20 extend into the bearing frame 110 through the avoidance opening 132 of the upper cover plate 130.

[0124] Since the cross beams 20 are distributed at intervals and contact all positions on the surface of the blind end plate assembly 230, after the press presses the battery stack 200 to the set height h2, the distance between the surface of the blind end plate assembly 230 in contact with the cross beam 20 and the surface of the frame 110 in contact with the cross beam 20 is exactly equal to the thickness of the cross beam 20, so a plurality of cross beams 20 can simulate the press applying pressure to the battery stack 200. After the cross beams 20 are installed in place, the press can be evacuated. Since the cross beams 20 are distributed at intervals, the intervals between them can be used for the press head to pass through, which will not affect the press installation and evacuation operations.

[0125] S9, installing the high voltage assembly 300, the low voltage assembly 400 and the remaining insulating support members 11.

[0126] In certain embodiments, the high voltage assembly 300 is installed through the high voltage operation port 104, the low voltage assembly 400 is installed through the low voltage assembly port 105, and the remaining insulating support members 11 are installed at corresponding positions through the side openings 107. This can avoid damaging the core 220 when the remaining insulating support members 11 are inserted downwardly from the blind port 103 along the stacking direction between the fuel cell stack 200 and the supporting frame 110.

[0127] After the high voltage assembly 300, the low voltage assembly 400 and the remaining insulating support members 11 are installed, the side cover plate 140, the high voltage operation cover plate 150 and the low voltage packaging member 170 can be installed accordingly to seal the side opening 107, the high voltage operation port 104 and the low voltage assembly port 105, respectively. Fig.11 shown.

[0128] In some embodiments, the side cover plate 140 , the high voltage operating cover plate 150 , and the low voltage packaging component 170 may also be installed in step S11 .

[0129] S10, taking out all the positioning rods 30 and disassembling the fixing bracket 50.

[0130] In the present application, all the positioning rods 30 are removed after the high-voltage assembly 300, the low-voltage assembly 400 and the remaining insulating support members 11 are installed, so that the stack 200 is still limited by the positioning rods 30 with higher precision when the high-voltage assembly 300, the low-voltage assembly 400 and the remaining insulating support members 11 are installed, so that the installation positions of the high-voltage assembly 300, the low-voltage assembly 400 and the insulating support members 11 are closer to the theoretical position. If the high-voltage assembly 300, the low-voltage assembly 400 and the insulating support members 11 are installed after all the positioning rods 30 are removed, the stack 200 may be deformed to a certain extent, making it difficult to install the high-voltage assembly 300, the low-voltage assembly 400 and the insulating support members 11.

[0131] S11 , packaging the supporting frame 110 to complete the assembly of the fuel cell module 1000 .

[0132] This step mainly involves installing the blind end side plate 120 and the upper packaging member 180, closing the blind end 103 and the upper opening 106, and the assembled fuel cell module 1000 is as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 If the upper package 180 is a DCDC, the output terminal 320 needs to be connected to the DCDC first, and then the DCDC is sealed and installed on the supporting frame 110 and the upper opening 106 is closed. The assembled fuel cell module 1000 is as shown. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 shown.

[0133] See also Fig.14 , the third aspect of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising at least one fuel cell module 1000 as described in any embodiment of the first aspect. Specifically, the vehicle includes a fuel cell power system, the fuel cell power system includes a fuel cell system, a DCDC, a drive motor and its motor controller, and an on-board energy storage device, the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module 1000 and a fuel cell auxiliary system, and the fuel cell system can work normally under the condition of an external fuel supply source.

[0134] The fuel cell auxiliary system of the fuel cell system includes an air supply subsystem, a fuel supply subsystem, a thermal management subsystem and an automatic control system, wherein the air supply subsystem is used to provide air to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000, and can optionally filter, humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the air, and the air supply subsystem is connected to the air inlet and air outlet of each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000; the fuel supply subsystem is used to provide fuel to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000, and can optionally humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the fuel to convert it into a fuel gas suitable for operation in the fuel cell stack. Taking hydrogen as a fuel, for example, the fuel supply subsystem is connected to the hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet of each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000; the thermal management subsystem is connected to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000 to provide coolant to cool and / or heat the stack 200, and to recycle the water generated by the stack 200.

[0135] The automatic control system is electrically connected to the fuel cell module 1000, the air supply subsystem, the fuel supply subsystem and the thermal management subsystem, respectively. The automatic control system is an assembly including sensors, actuators, valves, switches and control logic components to ensure that the fuel cell system can operate normally without human intervention. In other embodiments, the fuel cell auxiliary system may also include a ventilation system for exhausting the gas in the housing of the fuel cell system to the outside by mechanical means. In this embodiment, the fuel cell auxiliary system in the fuel cell system has not been improved, so more detailed content can refer to the relevant disclosure of the prior art, which will not be described here.

[0136] In the fuel cell power system, the DCDC is electrically connected to the output terminal 320 of the stack 200 to achieve voltage conversion, and the voltage generated by the stack 200 is regulated and output to high-voltage devices such as drive motors, automobile air conditioner compressors, and power storage devices such as batteries. The DCDC and the fuel cell module 1000 can be two independent components. In some embodiments, the DCDC of the fuel cell power system is integrated into the fuel cell module 1000, such as Fig. 9 and Fig.10 shown.

[0137] The drive motor is electrically connected to the DCDC to provide the torque required for the vehicle to travel; the motor controller is electrically connected to the drive motor to control the start, stop, torque output, etc. of the drive motor; the motor controller is connected to the vehicle control to receive the driving signal from the vehicle controller, and the motor controller can also be electrically connected to the automatic control system of the fuel cell system. The on-board energy storage device is used to store electrical energy to power other electronic devices in the vehicle. The on-board energy storage device is electrically connected to the DCDC, for example, the on-board energy storage device is a battery.

[0138] In this embodiment, the driving motor and its motor controller as well as the on-board energy storage device in the fuel cell power system have not been improved, so more detailed contents can be referred to the relevant disclosure of the prior art and will not be elaborated here.

[0139] In addition, the vehicle also needs to include a transmission system and a fuel storage device for storing fuel. The transmission system transmits the torque of the drive motor to drive the wheels to rotate. The fuel storage device functions similarly to the fuel tank in a fuel vehicle. The fuel storage device is connected to the fuel supply subsystem of the fuel cell system through a pipeline.

[0140] Therefore, the vehicle can be a hydrogen energy vehicle or a hydrogen energy + charging hybrid electric vehicle, and can be a family car, a bus, a truck, etc. Since the specific structure of the vehicle is not improved in this embodiment, the structure of the vehicle that has not been changed in this embodiment can refer to the prior art, and the specific content is not described here. Therefore, the vehicle has all the features and advantages described above for the fuel cell module 1000, which will not be repeated here.

[0141] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0142] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0143] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0144] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0145] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this application are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0146] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0147] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0148] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fuel cell module, characterized in that: include: The box body comprises a bearing frame, an upper cover plate, an air inlet end side plate, a blind end side plate and an upper packaging member, wherein the bearing frame is provided with an upper opening, an air inlet port and a blind end port which are interconnected; the upper cover plate is connected to the bearing frame and covers the upper opening; the air inlet end side plate is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the air inlet port; the blind end side plate is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the blind end port; the upper packaging member is sealedly connected to the bearing frame and covers the upper cover plate; A battery stack is arranged in the box; The high voltage component and the low voltage component are both electrically connected to the battery stack; An insulating support assembly is provided between the box and the battery stack, the insulating support assembly is in contact with each side surface of the battery stack and each inner side surface of the box; the insulating support assembly includes a plurality of insulating support members spaced apart along the circumference of the battery stack; Two or more cross beams are spaced and distributed at one end of the box body close to the blind end side plate; both ends of the two or more cross beams are limited by the supporting frame, so that the supporting frame passes through the cross beams and cooperates with the air intake end side plate to apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack; Among them, an avoidance opening is provided at one end of the upper cover plate close to the blind-end side plate, and the two or more beams extend into the supporting frame through the avoidance opening; the upper cover plate abuts against the insulating support member at a corresponding position.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall of the upper opening of the supporting frame has a sunken step structure, and the upper cover plate is placed on the step surface of the step structure and connected to the step structure.

3. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper packaging member is a plate member, and the output portion of the high-voltage assembly is sealed and installed in the through hole and extends out of the box body; Alternatively, the fuel cell module further includes a voltage converter, which is sealedly connected to the supporting frame and covers the upper cover plate to form the upper packaging component; the voltage converter is electrically connected to the output portion of the high voltage component.

4. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: One or more longitudinal beams are arranged in the upper opening of the load-bearing frame, and the one or more longitudinal beams are staggered with the two or more cross beams; the upper cover plate is connected to the longitudinal beams and the body of the load-bearing frame.

5. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Both ends of the crossbeam are connected to the load-bearing frame by threaded fasteners; The outer end surface of the blind end plate assembly of the battery stack is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves, and the cross beams are arranged in the corresponding limiting grooves one by one; at least one of the cross beams is pressed against the groove wall of the corresponding limiting groove.

6. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: One side of the carrying frame is provided with an outer protrusion, and the upper cover plate and the outer protrusion at least partially do not overlap; The high-voltage assembly includes a copper bar assembly and an output terminal electrically connected to the copper bar assembly, the copper bar assembly is located in the outer protrusion, a through hole is opened on the upper package, and the output terminal is installed on the outer protrusion and extends out through the through hole; The outer protrusion is provided with a high-pressure operation port, and the high-pressure connection of the copper busbar assembly is exposed to the outside through the high-pressure operation port; the box body also includes a high-pressure operation cover plate, which is sealed and connected to the supporting frame and covers the high-pressure operation port.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The load-bearing frame is further provided with a low-voltage assembly port, the low-voltage assembly port and the outer protrusion are located on the same side, and the low-voltage assembly is electrically connected to the tab of the single cell of the battery stack through the low-voltage assembly port; the box body also includes a low-voltage packaging component, which is sealed and connected to the load-bearing frame and covers the low-voltage assembly port; A side opening is provided on the supporting frame at a side opposite to the outer protrusion; the box body also includes a side cover plate, which is sealed and connected to the supporting frame, covers the side opening, and abuts against the corresponding insulating support member.

8. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: At least one of the insulating support members is provided with a ridge, and the end surface of the ridge is in contact with the battery stack and / or the box body; and / or the inner side surface of the box body is provided with one or more local outer convex surfaces for contacting the insulating support member.

9. An assembly method for assembling a fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The steps include: Connecting the air intake end side plate to the supporting frame; Placing the components of the air intake end of the fuel cell stack into the inner cavity of the supporting frame; A plurality of insulating support members are placed in the inner cavity along two adjacent side surfaces of the supporting frame at intervals, wherein at least two of the insulating support members are provided with the through grooves, and the at least two insulating support members provided with the through grooves are distributed on different side surfaces of the supporting frame; Placing four or more positioning rods in the inner cavity at intervals along each side surface of the supporting frame, and at least two of the positioning rods extend into the corresponding through slots; A fixing bracket is installed at the blind end of the supporting frame, and the position of the positioning rod is fixed by the fixing bracket, so that the end surface of the positioning rod located in the through groove facing the fuel cell stack protrudes outside the through groove, and the area surrounded by each positioning rod is completely consistent with the outer contour of the core of the fuel cell stack; Stacking other components of the battery stack in sequence in the area of ​​the inner cavity surrounded by the four or more positioning rods; Placing a plurality of the insulating support members at intervals along the side where the upper opening is located in the inner cavity of the bearing frame, and installing the upper cover plate so that the upper cover plate abuts against the insulating support members at corresponding positions; Compressing the blind end plate assembly of the stack by a press to press the stack to a set height; The crossbeam is installed on the blind end plate assembly of the stack through the avoidance opening of the upper cover plate, and the end of the crossbeam extends between the blind end plate assembly and the supporting frame, and then the press is evacuated; Installing the high voltage assembly, the low voltage assembly and the remaining insulating support members; Take out all the positioning rods and disassemble the fixing bracket; The supporting frame is packaged to complete the assembly of the fuel cell module.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising the fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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