Fuel cell gas supply system with fast response capability

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability, the fuel cell gas supply system comprises a filter, an air compressor, a gas storage tank, an electronic throttle and an intercooler, the air inlet end of the air compressor is connected to the air outlet end of the filter; the air inlet end of the gas storage tank is connected to the air outlet end of the air compressor; the air inlet end of the electronic throttle is connected to the air outlet end of the gas storage tank; the air inlet end of the intercooler is connected to the air outlet end of the electronic throttle, and the air outlet end of the intercooler is used to be connected to the air inlet end of the fuel cell. The present invention realizes the rapid response of the fuel cell, which is more conducive to improving the service life of the air compressor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability. Background Art

[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, low operating temperature, zero pollution, high energy density and rapid start-up. It is an efficient and environmentally friendly new energy power generation device.

[0003] When starting a fuel cell, an air compressor is required to compress the air to a preset pressure before supplying air to the fuel cell. However, this air supply method requires a certain buffer time for the air compressor to compress the air when the fuel cell needs to be started frequently, which results in a long response time for the fuel cell. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability, aiming to solve the technical problem of long response time of fuel cells.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability, the fuel cell gas supply system includes a filter, an air compressor, a gas tank, an electronic throttle and an intercooler, the air inlet end of the air compressor is connected to the air outlet end of the filter; the air inlet end of the gas tank is connected to the air outlet end of the air compressor; the air inlet end of the electronic throttle is connected to the air outlet end of the gas tank; the air inlet end of the intercooler is connected to the air outlet end of the electronic throttle, and the air outlet end of the intercooler is used to connect to the air inlet end of the fuel cell.

[0006] Preferably, it also includes a first collecting unit for collecting state parameters of air input into the air compressor and a second collecting unit for collecting state parameters of air input into the air storage tank.

[0007] Preferably, a cooling system is also included, which includes a water pump, an electronic fan radiator and a three-way flow distributor, the water outlet of the water pump is connected to the water inlet of the electronic fan radiator, the water inlet of the three-way flow distributor is connected to the water outlet of the electronic fan radiator, and one of the water outlets of the three-way flow distributor is connected to the water inlet of the intercooler, and the other water outlet is connected to the water inlet of the air compressor, the water outlet of the intercooler is connected to the water inlet of the water pump, and the water outlet of the air compressor is connected to the water inlet of the water pump.

[0008] Preferably, the system further comprises a third collecting unit for collecting state parameters of air input to the fuel cell and a fourth collecting unit for collecting state parameters of coolant input to the intercooler.

[0009] Preferably, the air outlet of the intercooler is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell through a humidifier.

[0010] Preferably, the humidifier comprises a water vapor storage space and a humidification space separated by a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane, the air inlet and the air outlet of the humidifier are both connected to the humidification space, the water vapor storage space has a water inlet and a water outlet, and the water inlet of the water vapor storage space is used to communicate with the water outlet of the fuel cell.

[0011] Preferably, the water inlet of the water storage steam space is provided with a steam-water separator for communicating with the water outlet of the fuel cell.

[0012] Preferably, the system further comprises a fifth collecting unit for collecting state parameters of water vapor output by the fuel cell.

[0013] Preferably, the water outlet of the water storage steam space is provided with a one-way valve and a back pressure valve connected in sequence, the air outlet of the air compressor is provided with an anti-surge valve connected to the air inlet of the back pressure valve, and the water outlet of the steam-water separator is provided with a drain valve.

[0014] The fuel cell gas supply system provided by the embodiment of the present invention is convenient for supplying gas to the fuel cell by using a filter, an air compressor, a gas tank, an electronic throttle and an intercooler which are connected in sequence, and using a filter to filter the air, an air compressor to compress the air, a gas tank to store gas, an electronic throttle to control the size of the air flow output by the gas tank, and an intercooler to cool the air output by the gas tank. At the same time, by storing gas in the gas tank, the fuel cell can be directly supplied with gas through the electronic throttle when the fuel cell is started. Compared with the prior art, the present invention is conducive to shortening the response time of the fuel cell, and is more conducive to avoiding frequent starting of the air compressor, thereby increasing the service life of the air compressor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of a fuel cell gas supply system of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the cooling system is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, but are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] The present invention proposes a fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability, the fuel cell gas supply system comprising a filter 1, an air compressor 2, a gas tank 3, an electronic throttle 4 and an intercooler 5, the air inlet end of the air compressor 2 is connected to the air outlet end of the filter 1; the air inlet end of the gas tank 3 is connected to the air outlet end of the air compressor 2; the air inlet end of the electronic throttle 4 is connected to the air outlet end of the gas tank 3; the air inlet end of the intercooler 5 is connected to the air outlet end of the electronic throttle 4, and the air outlet end of the intercooler 5 can be connected to the air inlet end of the fuel cell 21.

[0019] In this embodiment, Figure 1As shown, the connection between the filter 1 and the air compressor 2, the connection between the air tank 3 and the air compressor 2, the connection between the electronic throttle 4 and the air tank 3, and the connection between the intercooler 5 and the electronic throttle 4 can be connected through an air duct, which can be made of metal material or rubber material. In order to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the air duct and various components, the air duct can be fixed by a throat clamp. The filter 1 filters the air to help protect the fuel cell 21. At the same time, in order to facilitate the rapid response of the fuel cell 21, the air tank 3 will store the air compressed by the air compressor 2, so that when the fuel cell 21 is started next time, the electronic throttle 4 directly controls the air in the air tank 3 to be input into the fuel cell 21 through the intercooler 5, so there is no need to wait for the air compressor 2 to compress the air. Specifically, the existing air compressor 2 needs about 1.5 seconds to compress the air to supply the fuel cell 21. After a certain amount of air is stored in the air tank 3, when the fuel cell 21 is started, only the electronic throttle 4 is needed to input an appropriate amount of air to the fuel cell 21. At this time, the response time of the fuel cell 21 can be controlled within 1 second. At the same time, by adding the air tank 3 for storing air, the frequent startup of the fuel cell 21 can be avoided to reduce the service life of the air compressor 2. The electronic throttle 4 can control the flow rate of the air output by the air tank 3, so as to facilitate the change of the flow rate of the air input into the fuel cell 21 according to the actual situation. Since the air compressor 2 will increase the temperature of the air when compressing the air, the intercooler 5 can cool the air output by the air compressor 2, so that the air meets the requirements of the fuel cell 21. A muffler is also provided on the pipeline between the intercooler 5 and the fuel cell 21 to facilitate the elimination of the noise of the air input to the fuel cell 21, thereby facilitating the improvement of the service life of the fuel cell 21. The control of the entire gas supply system can be shared with the controller 6 of the fuel cell, that is, a fuel cell controller (FCU) can be adopted, or a corresponding processor can be separately set. All automatic control components in the gas supply system are connected to the controller 6. In this embodiment, the filter 1, the air compressor 2, the gas storage tank 3, the electronic throttle 4 and the intercooler 5 are connected in sequence, and the filter 1 is used to filter the air, the air compressor 2 is used to compress the air, the gas storage tank 3 is used to store the gas, the electronic throttle 4 is used to control the size of the air flow output by the gas storage tank 3, and the intercooler 5 is used to cool the air output by the gas storage tank 3, so as to facilitate the gas supply to the fuel cell 21. At the same time, the gas is stored in the gas storage tank 3, which is conducive to directly supplying gas to the fuel cell 21 when the fuel cell 21 is started, thereby shortening the response time of the fuel cell 21, realizing the rapid response of the fuel cell, and more conducive to avoiding the frequent start-up of the air compressor, thereby improving the service life of the air compressor.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in order to facilitate cooling of the air supply system, a cooling system 7 is provided to facilitate cooling of the above-mentioned components to ensure the service life of each component. The cooling system 7 includes a water pump 18, an electronic fan radiator 19, a three-way flow distributor 20 and a fourth collection unit 11, and the water pump 18, the electronic fan radiator 19 and the three-way flow distributor 20 are connected in sequence through a water pipe. At this time, the intercooler 5, the fuel cell 6 and the air compressor 2 are preferably water-cooled, one of the water outlets of the three-way flow distributor 20 is connected to the water inlet of the intercooler 5, the other water outlet of the three-way flow distributor 20 is connected to the water inlet of the air compressor 2, the water outlet of the intercooler 5 is connected to the water inlet of the water pump 18, the water outlet of the air compressor 2 is connected to the water inlet of the controller 6, and the water outlet of the controller 6 is connected to the water inlet of the water pump 18. The driving motor of the water pump 18 is preferably a servo motor, which is conducive to controlling the flow rate of the coolant output by the water pump 18. The electronic fan radiator 19 is used to cool the passing coolant. The specific arrangement form can be that the electronic fan radiator 19 includes a heat dissipation body and a heat dissipation fan. The surface of the heat dissipation body is used for heat transfer to cool the coolant. The size of the heat dissipation surface of the radiator body can be selected according to actual conditions. At the same time, the heat dissipation fan is used to enhance the circulation of air to increase the heat dissipation efficiency. The temperature of the coolant can be controlled by controlling the speed of the heat dissipation fan. Specifically, the speed of the heat dissipation fan can be controlled according to the data collected by the acquisition unit. In order to facilitate the cooling of the coolant, a water storage tank can also be set. The water storage tank is preferably an expansion tank to facilitate the temperature change of the stored coolant. At this time, the water inlet of the water pump 18 is connected to the water tank, and the water outlet of the intercooler 5 and the water outlet of the controller 6 are both connected to the water storage tank. At the same time, in order to filter the coolant entering the intercooler 5 and the air compressor 2, a liquid filter is also provided between the electronic fan radiator 19 and the three-way flow distributor 20. At this time, the water outlet of the electronic fan radiator 19 is connected to the water inlet of the liquid filter, and the water inlet of the three-way flow distributor 20 is connected to the water outlet of the liquid filter. The liquid filter preferably adopts a Y-type filter, which is conducive to preventing impurities in the coolant from entering the air compressor 2 and the intercooler 5, thereby preventing impurities in the coolant from damaging the air compressor 2 and the intercooler 5. In this embodiment, by separately providing a cooling system 7 for the air supply system, compared with sharing a cooling circuit with the fuel cell 21, it is conducive to reducing the ion precipitation rate in the coolant, thereby improving the service life of the deionization tank in the fuel cell 21.

[0021] like Figure 1As shown, in order to increase the service life of the fuel cell 21, a humidifier 13 is also provided, and the air outlet of the intercooler 5 is connected to the air inlet of the humidifier 13, and the air outlet of the humidifier 13 can be connected to the fuel cell 21 to facilitate humidification of the air, so that the air input to the fuel cell 21 reaches a preset humidity standard. One arrangement form of the humidifier 13 can be that the humidifier 13 has a humidification space, and the air inlet and the air outlet of the humidifier are both connected to the humidification space, and the humidification method can be that an atomizer is provided in the humidifier, and water is atomized in the humidification space, so that the air passing through the humidification space can meet the corresponding humidity and then be input to the fuel cell 21, wherein the specific structure of the atomizer can refer to the existing household humidifier. Another arrangement form of the humidifier 13 can also be that the humidifier 13 has a water vapor storage space and a humidification space separated by a perfluorosulfonic acid diaphragm, and in this case, the air inlet and the air outlet of the humidifier 13 are both connected to the ventilation space. The water storage vapor space has a water inlet and a water outlet. The water inlet of the water storage vapor space is connected to the water outlet of the fuel cell 21. Since the water discharged from the fuel cell 21 has a certain temperature, the water discharged from the fuel cell 21 is divided into gaseous water and liquid water. Therefore, the gaseous water of the fuel cell 21 can be input into the water storage vapor space, and the gaseous water can enter the humidification space through the characteristics of the perfluorosulfonic acid diaphragm, so as to humidify the air in the humidification space. Among them, the method of separating the gaseous water and liquid water in the water discharged from the fuel cell 21 can be to set a gas-water separator, the water outlet of the fuel cell 21 can be connected to the inlet of the gas-water separator, and the water inlet of the humidifier 13 is connected to the steam outlet of the gas-water separator. Of course, the method for separating the gaseous water and liquid water in the water discharged from the fuel cell 21 can also be to use a T-shaped pipe to respectively connect the humidifier 13 and the fuel cell 21. The specific connection method is that one of the ports of the T-shaped pipe is connected to the fuel cell 21, and a section of the pipe where the port is located is preferably arranged in a horizontal state. At the same time, the diameter of the section of the pipe is based on being able to discharge gaseous water and liquid water at the same time. The other port of the T-shaped pipe is connected to the water inlet of the humidifier 13, and the port is arranged upward. The T-shaped pipe also has a port arranged downward and serves as a port for discharging liquid water.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, in order to facilitate the discharge of excess water vapor in the water vapor storage space of the humidifier 13, a one-way valve 14 and a drain valve 15 are also provided. Among them, the water outlet of the humidifier 13 is connected to the inlet of the one-way valve 14, and the water outlet of the steam-water separator is connected to the water inlet of the drain valve 15. An anti-surge valve 16 and a back pressure valve 17 are also provided, and the air inlet of the anti-surge valve 16 is connected to the air outlet of the air compressor 2, so as to prevent the air compressor 2 from surging when the output air flow is small. At the same time, the air outlet of the anti-surge valve 16 is connected to the inlet of the back pressure valve 17, and the outlet of the one-way valve 14 is also connected to the inlet of the back pressure valve 17.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in order to facilitate the controller to control the air supply system, a first acquisition unit 8, a second acquisition unit 9, a third acquisition unit 10, a fourth acquisition unit 11 and a fifth acquisition unit 12 are also provided. Among them, the first acquisition unit 8 includes a first air pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor and a gas flow sensor located between the filter 1 and the air compressor 2, so as to facilitate the acquisition of the air flow rate input into the air compressor 2 and the flow temperature and pressure data of the air before the air compressor is input, so as to facilitate the controller 6 to control the power of the air compressor 2 according to the temperature, pressure and flow of the air input to the air compressor 2. The second acquisition unit 9 includes a second air pressure sensor located between the air storage tank 3 and the electronic throttle 4, so as to facilitate the acquisition of the air pressure data of the air discharged from the air storage tank 3, so as to facilitate the controller 6 to control the flow rate of the air output by the electronic throttle 4 according to the data collected by the second air pressure sensor. The third acquisition unit 10 includes a third air pressure sensor and a second temperature sensor located at the air outlet of the humidifier 13, so as to facilitate the acquisition of the temperature and pressure data of the air input to the fuel cell 21, so that the controller 6 controls the power of the cooling fan according to the temperature data collected by the second temperature sensor. For example, when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor exceeds a preset value, the controller 6 controls the cooling fan to increase the speed, so as to increase the heat dissipation of the coolant to reduce the temperature of the coolant. Alternatively, the controller 6 controls the water pump 18 to increase the power to increase the flow rate of the coolant, so as to reduce the temperature of the air in the intercooler 5. The fourth acquisition unit 11 includes a third temperature sensor located between the three-way flow distributor 20 and the intercooler 5, so as to facilitate the acquisition of the temperature of the coolant output by the electronic fan radiator 19, so as to facilitate the controller 6 to control the power of the electronic fan radiator 19. For example, when the temperature of the coolant exceeds a preset value, the controller 6 controls the cooling fan to increase the speed to reduce the temperature of the coolant. The fifth acquisition unit 12 includes a fourth temperature sensor and a fourth air pressure sensor located at the entrance of the steam-water separator, so as to facilitate the acquisition of the temperature and pressure data of the gaseous water discharged from the fuel cell 21, so as to facilitate the controller 6 to control the operation of the corresponding components according to the temperature and pressure of the gaseous water entering the water storage steam space. Specifically, when the pressure of the gaseous water entering the water storage steam space exceeds a preset value, the controller 6 can control the back pressure valve 17 to open so as to discharge an appropriate amount of gaseous water. It can also be that when the temperature of the gaseous water entering the water storage steam space exceeds a preset value, the controller 6 can control the cooling fan to increase the speed, thereby reducing the temperature of the air entering the intercooler 5. The controller 6 specifically controls each component according to each acquisition unit. After the fuel cell is started, the controller controls the power of the air compressor and the flow rate of the air output by the electronic throttle according to the power of the fuel cell and the pressure data and flow rate data of the air collected by the acquisition unit. At the same time, the controller can also control the power of the water pump and the cooling fan according to the temperature data of the air collected by each acquisition unit and the temperature and flow rate data of the coolant. The specific model of the sensor in the above acquisition unit can be selected according to the actual situation, and no detailed description is given here.

[0024] The control method of the fuel cell gas supply system in this embodiment can be as follows:

[0025] The electronic throttle is controlled according to the starting power of the fuel cell to input the air in the gas tank into the fuel cell. When the fuel cell needs to be started, since compressed air is stored in the gas tank, the controller can control the electronic throttle to open according to the preset starting power of the fuel cell, thereby allowing the air in the gas tank to be input into the fuel cell through the intercooler. Therefore, when transporting air to the fuel cell, there is no need to wait for the air compressor to compress the air, thereby shortening the response time of the fuel cell.

[0026] When the air pressure in the air tank drops to a preset value, the air compressor is controlled to run and compressed air is input into the air tank. Of course, when the air tank supplies air to the air compressor, the air compressor can be started to compress the air and deliver the compressed air to the air tank (that is, opening the electronic throttle and starting the air compressor can be done simultaneously).

[0027] The intercooler cools the air input to the fuel cell. Since the temperature of the air compressed by the air compressor will increase, the air needs to be cooled before it is input to the fuel cell. When the air passes through the intercooler, the heat dissipation characteristics of the intercooler can be used to cool the air.

[0028] The flow rate of the air input to the fuel cell is controlled according to the state parameters of the air collected by the first collection unit, the second collection unit and the third collection unit and the real-time power of the fuel cell. Specifically, the size of the opening of the electronic throttle is controlled according to the flow rate data of the air input to the fuel cell collected by the collection unit, and the power of the air compressor is controlled according to the air pressure data in the air storage tank collected by the collection unit. By collecting the data collected by each collection unit, it is beneficial to accurately control each component according to the real-time power of the fuel cell, such as controlling the power of the filter and the air compressor and the size of the output air flow of the electronic throttle.

[0029] The above are only partial or preferred embodiments of the present invention. Neither the text nor the drawings can limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the overall concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell gas supply system with rapid response capability, characterized in that: It includes a filter, an air compressor, an air storage tank, an electronic throttle and an intercooler, wherein the air inlet end of the air compressor is connected to the air outlet end of the filter; the air inlet end of the air storage tank is connected to the air outlet end of the air compressor; the air inlet end of the electronic throttle is connected to the air outlet end of the air storage tank; the air inlet end of the intercooler is connected to the air outlet end of the electronic throttle, and the air outlet end of the intercooler is used to communicate with the air inlet end of the fuel cell; It also includes a first acquisition unit for acquiring state parameters of air input into the air compressor and a second acquisition unit for acquiring state parameters of air input into the air storage tank; It also includes a cooling system, which includes a water pump, an electronic fan radiator and a three-way flow distributor, the water outlet of the water pump is communicated with the water inlet of the electronic fan radiator, the water inlet of the three-way flow distributor is communicated with the water outlet of the electronic fan radiator, one of the water outlets of the three-way flow distributor is communicated with the water inlet of the intercooler, the other water outlet is communicated with the water inlet of the air compressor, the water outlet of the intercooler is communicated with the water inlet of the water pump, and the water outlet of the air compressor is communicated with the water inlet of the water pump; The system also includes a third collecting unit for collecting state parameters of air input to the fuel cell and a fourth collecting unit for collecting state parameters of coolant input to the intercooler.

2. The fuel cell gas supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air outlet of the intercooler is communicated with the air inlet of the fuel cell through the humidifier.

3. The fuel cell gas supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The humidifier comprises a water vapor storage space and a humidification space separated by a perfluorosulfonic acid diaphragm, the air inlet and the air outlet of the humidifier are both connected to the humidification space, the water vapor storage space has a water inlet and a water outlet, and the water inlet of the water vapor storage space is used to communicate with the water outlet of the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell gas supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The water inlet of the water storage steam space is provided with a steam-water separator for communicating with the water outlet of the fuel cell.

5. The fuel cell gas supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The system also includes a fifth acquisition unit for acquiring state parameters of water vapor output by the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell gas supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water outlet of the water storage steam space is provided with a one-way valve and a back pressure valve which are connected in sequence, the air outlet of the air compressor is provided with an anti-surge valve which is connected with the air inlet of the back pressure valve, and the water outlet of the steam-water separator is provided with a drain valve.

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