A natural gas fuel cell device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a natural gas fuel cell device, the anode plate, proton exchange membrane and cathode plate are set gradually along material direction in battery main part, the cooling tank is located at the bottom of battery main part, the inside of cooling tank is provided with heat exchange pipe, the side of battery main part is close to the cathode plate and has the oxidant inlet pipe, the preheating box is placed in the outside of battery main part, the spiral pipe way is provided in the preheating box, one end of spiral pipe way is located in the outside of preheating box, one end of spiral pipe way extends to battery main part and is contacted with anode plate, the lateral wall of preheating box has the water inlet pipe and return pipe, the input end of heat exchange pipe is linked with return pipe, the output end of heat exchange pipe is linked with water inlet pipe, the utility model utilizes the waste heat energy of battery main part and preheats natural gas, reduces the demand of system to external energy, reduces energy consumption, avoids the heat pollution caused by direct waste heat emission simultaneously.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fuel cell device technology, specifically a natural gas fuel cell device. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell is a chemical device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. From the perspective of energy conservation and environmental protection, fuel cells have broad development prospects.

[0003] Existing fuel cells are typically based on solid oxide fuel cell technology, a type of oxygen-free fuel cell. Their working principle involves conducting oxygen ions at high temperatures to achieve an electrochemical reaction, directly converting the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy. While existing fuel cells can convert chemical energy into electrical energy, they suffer from the following problems: the electrochemical reactions in fuel cells release heat. Without proper heat dissipation, the heat inside the fuel cell cannot be dissipated in time, leading to a continuous rise in temperature, resulting in performance degradation, increased safety hazards, and reduced system efficiency, which is detrimental to the use of fuel cells. Therefore, heat dissipation is generally required for fuel cell devices. Existing heat dissipation methods rely on forced airflow using fans to remove heat from the fuel cell surface. However, this method has low thermal efficiency and directly releases heat into the external environment, easily causing thermal pollution and significant energy waste. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a natural gas fuel cell device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A natural gas fuel cell device includes a battery body, a cooling box, and a preheating box;

[0007] An anode plate, a proton exchange membrane, and a cathode plate are sequentially arranged along the material direction inside the battery body; a cooling box is located at the bottom of the battery body; a heat exchange tube is installed inside the cooling box; an oxidant inlet pipe is connected to the side of the battery body near the cathode plate; the anode plate and the cathode plate are electrically connected.

[0008] The preheating box is located outside the battery body; a spiral pipe is installed inside the preheating box, with one end of the spiral pipe located outside the preheating box and the other end extending to the battery body and contacting the anode plate; an inlet pipe and a return pipe are connected to the side wall of the preheating box; the input end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the return pipe; and the output end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the inlet pipe.

[0009] Further specified, an outlet pipe is provided between the output end of the heat exchange tube and the inlet pipe; a water pump is provided on the outlet pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the input end of the heat exchange tube is also connected to a water storage tank.

[0011] Furthermore, a heat-conducting block is provided between the bottom of the battery body and the cooling box.

[0012] Furthermore, the heat-conducting blocks are multiple, and the multiple heat-conducting blocks are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery body.

[0013] Further specified, a first diffusion layer and a first catalyst layer are sequentially disposed between the anode plate and the proton exchange membrane along the material flow direction; an electrode flow field structure is disposed between the anode plate and the first diffusion layer; the electrode flow field structure is close to the first diffusion layer.

[0014] Further specified, a second catalytic layer and a second diffusion layer are sequentially disposed between the proton exchange membrane and the cathode plate along the material flow direction; an electrode flow field structure is disposed between the cathode plate and the second diffusion layer; the electrode flow field structure is close to the second diffusion layer.

[0015] Furthermore, the natural gas fuel cell device also includes a filter box located on the outer periphery of the battery body; the filter box is equipped with a filter screen, and the oxidant inlet pipe extends through the filter screen into the battery body and contacts the surface of the cathode plate.

[0016] Further specified, the filter box is provided with a first detection head and a second detection head respectively; the first detection head and the second detection head are arranged on both sides of the filter screen; a differential pressure sensor is provided on the filter box, and both the first detection head and the second detection head are connected to the differential pressure sensor signal.

[0017] Furthermore, slide rails are provided on both sides of the filter screen, and slide grooves are respectively opened on the symmetrical inner walls of the filter box; the slide rails are matched to make the filter screen and the filter box slide connected.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0019] 1. This utility model comprises a battery body, a cooling box, and a preheating box. The preheating box is located outside the battery body. A spiral pipe is installed inside the preheating box, with one end of the spiral pipe located outside the preheating box and the other end extending to the battery body and contacting the anode plate. An inlet pipe and a return pipe are connected to the side wall of the preheating box. The input end of the heat exchange pipe is connected to the return pipe, and the output end of the heat exchange pipe is connected to the inlet pipe. The heat generated by the battery body during operation is transferred to the cooling box. A cooling medium is introduced into the heat exchange pipe in the cooling box to exchange heat with the transferred heat, thereby heating the cooling medium. The medium then enters the preheating box to preheat the natural gas entering the spiral pipe. This converts the waste heat energy of the battery body into the internal energy of the natural gas, using the waste heat energy to preheat the natural gas, raising the temperature of the natural gas before it enters the battery body. This reduces the system's demand for external energy, lowers overall energy consumption, and avoids thermal pollution caused by direct waste heat discharge.

[0020] 2. In this utility model, a heat-conducting block is also provided between the bottom of the battery body and the cooling box. The heat generated by the battery body during operation is absorbed by the heat-conducting block and then conducted to the cooling box, thereby improving the heat transfer efficiency. Furthermore, there are multiple heat-conducting blocks, which are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery body to improve the conduction speed and enhance the heat utilization rate.

[0021] 3. This utility model provides a filter box on the outer periphery of the battery body; the filter box is equipped with a filter screen, and the oxidant inlet pipe extends through the filter screen into the battery body and contacts the surface of the cathode plate. The filter box removes impurities in the oxidant, prevents clogging of the electrode flow field structure or the pores of the second diffusion layer, and improves the performance of the fuel cell.

[0022] 4. This utility model has slide rails on both sides of the filter screen and slide grooves on the symmetrical inner walls of the filter box; the matching of slide rails allows the filter screen and the filter box to slide together, realizing the detachable connection of the filter screen, which is convenient for installation and cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a frontal cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a top view of the cooling box structure of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the preheating box of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the filter box structure of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 For the present utility model Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 1. Battery body; 2. Anode plate; 3. Cathode plate; 4. Preheating box; 5. Gas inlet; 6. Oxidant inlet pipe; 7. Filter box; 8. Plate flow field structure; 9. First diffusion layer; 10. Proton exchange membrane; 11. First catalyst layer; 12. Cooling box; 13. Heat-conducting block; 14. Heat exchange tube; 15. Liquid outlet pipe; 16. Water pump; 17. Spiral pipe; 18. Differential pressure sensor; 19. Filter screen; 20. Interface; 21. Slide rail; 22. First detection head; 23. Second detection head; 24. Second diffusion layer; 25. Second catalyst layer. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0032] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0034] Please see Figure 1-5 One embodiment of this utility model is a natural gas fuel cell device comprising a battery body 1, a cooling box 12, and a preheating box 4.

[0035] In this embodiment, an anode plate 2, a proton exchange membrane 10, and a cathode plate 3 are sequentially arranged along the material direction inside the battery body 1; the anode plate 2 and the cathode plate 3 are electrically connected. An oxidant inlet pipe 6 is externally connected to the side of the battery body 1 near the cathode plate 3. A preheating box 4 is placed outside the battery body 1; a spiral pipe 17 is arranged inside the preheating box 4, with one end of the spiral pipe 17 located outside the preheating box 4 and the other end extending to the battery body 1 and contacting the anode plate 2. The design of the spiral pipe 17 increases the residence time of natural gas in the preheating box 4, improving preheating efficiency.

[0036] In this embodiment, a first diffusion layer 9 and a first catalyst layer 11 are sequentially disposed between the anode plate 2 and the proton exchange membrane 10 along the material flow direction; a second catalyst layer 25 and a second diffusion layer 24 are sequentially disposed between the proton exchange membrane 10 and the cathode plate 3 along the material flow direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, an electrode flow field structure 8 is provided between the anode plate 2 and the first diffusion layer 9; the electrode flow field structure 8 is close to the first diffusion layer 9.

[0038] In this embodiment, an electrode flow field structure 8 is provided between the cathode plate 3 and the second diffusion layer 24; the electrode flow field structure 8 is close to the second diffusion layer 24.

[0039] In this embodiment, both the anode plate 2 and the cathode plate 3 are made of conductive materials and are connected by external wires to form a closed circuit. The anode plate 2 and the cathode plate 3 are respectively welded or crimped with wires, and the wires extend to the outside through the insulating interface of the battery body 1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the spiral pipe 17 has a gas inlet 5 at one end outside the preheating box 4. Natural gas enters the spiral pipe 17 through the gas inlet 5, then enters the battery body 1 and reaches one side of the anode plate 2. Through the flow of the electrode flow field structure 8, it diffuses along the material flow direction to the first diffusion layer 9 and then to the first catalyst layer 11. An oxidation reaction occurs at the first catalyst layer 11, producing protons and electrons. The protons are transferred to the cathode plate 3 through the proton exchange membrane 10, and the electrons are transferred to the cathode plate 3 through the external wire, forming an electric current. At the same time, the oxidant enters through the oxidant inlet pipe 6 and reaches one side of the cathode plate 3. Then, through the flow of the electrode flow field structure 8, it diffuses to the second diffusion layer 24 and then to the second catalyst layer 25, where it undergoes a reduction reaction with the protons and electrons transferred from the first catalyst layer 11, completing the entire electrochemical reaction process, generating electrical energy and outputting it to the outside.

[0041] During the electrochemical reaction process described above, heat is generated inside the battery body 1. To eliminate the impact of heat on the performance of the battery body 1, a cooling box 12 is installed at the bottom of the battery body 1. A heat exchange tube 14 is installed inside the cooling box 12. A water inlet pipe and a water return pipe are connected to the side wall of the preheating box 4. The input end of the heat exchange tube 14 is connected to the water return pipe. The output end of the heat exchange tube 14 is connected to the water inlet pipe.

[0042] Preferably, an outlet pipe 15 is provided between the output end of the heat exchange tube 14 and the inlet pipe; a water pump 16 is provided on the outlet pipe 15.

[0043] Preferably, the inlet end of the heat exchange tube 14 is also connected to a water storage tank. When the cooling medium circulating in the heat exchange tube 14 and the preheating box 4 is insufficient or the temperature of the cooling medium after preheating the natural gas is high, fresh cooling medium is added to the heat exchange tube 14 through the water storage tank to maximize the removal of heat generated by the battery body 1, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency and preheating effect.

[0044] Preferably, the heat exchange tube 14 has a coiled structure, which enters from the front left side of the cooling box 12 and coils in an S-shape from the front to the rear and from the left to the right, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and heat exchange distance and achieving high heat recovery efficiency.

[0045] In this embodiment, a heat-conducting block 13 is also provided between the bottom of the battery body 1 and the cooling box 12. Specifically, heat-conducting blocks 13 are evenly distributed at the bottom of the battery body 1, and the bottom ends of the heat-conducting blocks 13 are all embedded inside the cooling box 12. When an electrochemical reaction occurs inside the battery body 1 to generate heat, the heat-conducting blocks 13 evenly distributed at the bottom of the battery body 1 absorb the heat generated by the battery body 1 and transfer it to the cooling box 12.

[0046] Preferably, the heat-conducting blocks 13 are all made of copper alloy.

[0047] In this embodiment, there are multiple heat-conducting blocks 13, which are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery body 1.

[0048] Preferably, multiple heat-conducting blocks 13 are evenly distributed in a matrix on the bottom of the battery body 1.

[0049] During operation, a cooling medium, such as cooling water, is introduced into the heat exchange tubes 14 inside the cooling box 12. The cooling medium exchanges heat with the heat absorbed by the heat-conducting block 13, heating the cooling medium. The water pump 16 then starts, transporting the heated cooling medium from the heat exchange tubes 14 to the preheating box 4 through the outlet pipe 15. When natural gas enters the spiral pipe 17 inside the preheating box 4 from the gas inlet 5, the heated cooling medium in the preheating box 4 preheats the natural gas in the spiral pipe 17, raising its temperature before it enters the battery body 1. This reduces the system's demand for external energy, lowers overall energy consumption, and avoids thermal pollution caused by direct waste heat discharge. During operation, the flow direction of the natural gas is opposite to that of the heated cooling medium, increasing the contact time and improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0050] Another embodiment of the present invention: the natural gas fuel cell device further includes a filter box 7 located on the outer periphery of the battery body 1; a filter screen 19 is provided inside the filter box 7, and the oxidant inlet pipe 6 extends through the filter screen 19 into the battery body 1 and contacts the surface of the cathode plate 3.

[0051] Preferably, the side of the oxidant inlet pipe 6 closest to the battery body 1 is a through-port 20, through which the oxidant inlet pipe 6 is connected to the interior of the battery body 1. In use, the oxidant enters the filter box 7 through the oxidant inlet pipe 6, is filtered by the filter screen 19 to remove impurities, and then enters the cathode plate 3 side inside the battery body 1. This prevents clogging of the pores of the electrode flow field structure 8 or the second diffusion layer 25, thereby improving the performance of the fuel cell.

[0052] The filter box 7 is equipped with a first detection head 22 and a second detection head 23, which are positioned on both sides of the filter screen 19. A differential pressure sensor 18 is installed on the filter box 7, and both the first and second detection heads 22 and 23 are connected to the differential pressure sensor 18 for signal transmission. During use, the first and second detection heads 22 and 23 are used to detect the pressure difference across the filter screen 19 to determine whether the filter screen 19 is clogged. If clogged, it can be cleaned or replaced in a timely manner.

[0053] Preferably, slide rails 21 are provided on both sides of the filter screen 19, and sliding grooves are respectively opened on the symmetrical inner walls of the filter box 7; the slide rails 21 match to make the filter screen 19 and the filter box 7 slide together, which facilitates the installation and removal of the filter screen 19. The specific model and specifications of the water pump 16 and the differential pressure sensor 18 need to be determined by selection calculation based on the specifications and parameters of the device. The selection calculation method is existing technology, so it will not be described in detail.

[0054] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A natural gas fuel cell device, characterized in that, It includes the battery body (1), cooling box (12) and preheating box (4); The battery body (1) is provided with an anode plate (2), a proton exchange membrane (10) and a cathode plate (3) arranged sequentially along the material direction; the cooling box (12) is located at the bottom of the battery body (1); the cooling box (12) is provided with a heat exchange tube (14); an oxidant inlet pipe (6) is connected to the side of the battery body (1) near the cathode plate (3); the anode plate (2) and the cathode plate (3) are electrically connected. The preheating box (4) is placed outside the battery body (1); a spiral pipe (17) is installed inside the preheating box (4), one end of the spiral pipe (17) is located outside the preheating box (4), and the other end of the spiral pipe (17) extends to the battery body (1) and contacts the anode plate (2); an inlet pipe and a return pipe are connected to the side wall of the preheating box (4); the input end of the heat exchange tube (14) is connected to the return pipe; and the output end of the heat exchange tube (14) is connected to the inlet pipe.

2. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An outlet pipe (15) is provided between the output end of the heat exchange tube (14) and the inlet pipe; a water pump (16) is provided on the outlet pipe (15).

3. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The input end of the heat exchange tube (14) is also connected to a water storage tank.

4. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A heat-conducting block (13) is also provided between the bottom of the battery body (1) and the cooling box (12).

5. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 4, characterized in that, There are multiple heat-conducting blocks (13), and the multiple heat-conducting blocks (13) are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery body (1).

6. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first diffusion layer (9) and a first catalyst layer (11) are sequentially arranged between the anode plate (2) and the proton exchange membrane (10) along the material flow direction; an electrode flow field structure (8) is arranged between the anode plate (2) and the first diffusion layer (9); the electrode flow field structure (8) is close to the first diffusion layer (9).

7. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 6, characterized in that, A second catalyst layer (25) and a second diffusion layer (24) are sequentially arranged between the proton exchange membrane (10) and the cathode plate (3) along the material flow direction; an electrode flow field structure (8) is arranged between the cathode plate (3) and the second diffusion layer (24); the electrode flow field structure (8) is close to the second diffusion layer (24).

8. The natural gas fuel cell device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The natural gas fuel cell device also includes a filter box (7) located on the outer periphery of the battery body (1); the filter box (7) is provided with a filter screen (19), and the oxidant inlet pipe (6) extends through the filter screen (19) into the battery body (1) and contacts the surface of the cathode plate (3).

9. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The filter box (7) is provided with a first detection head (22) and a second detection head (23); the first detection head (22) and the second detection head (23) are arranged on both sides of the filter screen (19); a differential pressure sensor (18) is provided on the filter box (7), and the first detection head (22) and the second detection head (23) are both connected to the differential pressure sensor (18).

10. The natural gas fuel cell device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The filter screen (19) is provided with slide rails (21) on both sides, and the filter box (7) is provided with sliding grooves on its symmetrical inner walls; the slide rails (21) match each other so that the filter screen (19) and the filter box (7) are slidably connected.

Images