Integrated fuel cell circuit structure and fuel cell system

Abstract

The present invention discloses an integrated fuel cell circuit structure, including a shell with a containing cavity, a plurality of circuit pipes arranged in the containing cavity, a plurality of counterweight cavities and functional components arranged in the counterweight cavity. The shell is provided with a plurality of first circuit channels and a plurality of second circuit channels. One end of each circuit pipe is connected to a first circuit channel, and the other end is connected to a second circuit channel. The first circuit channels are respectively used to connect to the circuit interfaces of the battery stack, and the second circuit channels are respectively used to connect to the external cathode circuit, anode circuit and cooling circuit. The present invention integrates the circuit pipes and the functional components to be installed in a shell, and designs a counterweight cavity to accommodate the functional components. The shell and the counterweight cavity serve as the counterweight of the circuit structure, which solves the problem of insufficient counterweight of the existing battery system in a limited space; and the circuit pipes, functional components and counterweights are integrated into one, which improves the space utilization. In addition, the present invention also discloses a fuel cell system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to an integrated fuel cell loop structure and a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that uses hydrogen as fuel to generate electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen. As the cleanest new energy source, hydrogen energy only produces water as a byproduct, and has high electricity conversion efficiency and does not require long-term charging, so it is highly favored. Currently, hydrogen fuel cells have been applied to transportation fields such as electric forklifts and electric vehicles.

[0003] For various vehicles such as electric forklifts and electric vehicles that use hydrogen fuel cells as electric energy to drive motors, especially vehicles with small internal space and strict requirements on counterweight, such as industrial lifting vehicles, the hydrogen fuel cell system needs to add additional counterweight to meet the counterweight requirements of industrial lifting vehicles. However, in the existing hydrogen fuel cell system, the various loop pipes 20' are intertwined with each other, and the distribution of functional components 40' is also scattered and chaotic (such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this results in low internal space utilization and low volume density of the entire battery system. The fuel cell system cannot provide enough space inside (due to space limitations, the gaps between various functional components and loop pipes are small) to increase the counterweight, so it cannot be used in industrial lifting vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an integrated fuel cell circuit structure to solve the problem of insufficient counterweight in a limited space.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides an integrated fuel cell circuit structure, comprising a shell having a accommodating cavity, a plurality of circuit pipes arranged in the accommodating cavity, a plurality of counterweight cavities and functional components arranged in the counterweight cavity, the shell being provided with a plurality of first circuit channels and a plurality of second circuit channels, one end of each of the circuit pipes being connected to a first circuit channel, and the other end being connected to a second circuit channel, the first circuit channels being respectively used to connect to the circuit interfaces of the fuel cell stack, and the second circuit channels being respectively used to connect to the external cathode circuit, anode circuit and cooling circuit.

[0006] Preferably, the upper end of the counterweight chamber is fixed to the loop pipe, the bottom of the counterweight chamber is open, and the shell is provided with a mounting hole that passes through its inner and outer surfaces and faces the bottom of the counterweight chamber, so that the functional component can be installed in the counterweight chamber through the mounting hole.

[0007] Preferably, the integrated fuel cell loop structure includes six loop pipes, three of which are arranged side by side and non-intersecting on one side of the accommodating cavity, and the other three loop pipes are arranged side by side and non-intersecting on the other side of the accommodating cavity.

[0008] Preferably, the shell includes a bottom shell and an upper cover covering the bottom shell, the bottom shell has the accommodating cavity, the upper cover is provided with the first circuit channel, the bottom shell includes a bottom wall and a side wall surrounding the bottom wall, the side wall is provided with the second circuit channel.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom shell further comprises a top wall located at the top of the side wall and in contact with the upper cover, the top wall is provided with a sealing groove, and the sealing groove is provided with a sealing ring to seal the upper cover and the bottom shell.

[0010] Preferably, the top wall extends inward from the outer wall of the side wall, and the upper cover is flush with the outer wall of the side wall.

[0011] Specifically, the upper cover and the bottom shell are fixed by bolts.

[0012] Preferably, the shell and the counterweight cavity are solid structures.

[0013] Specifically, the functional components include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a drain / gas valve.

[0014] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a fuel cell system, including a fuel cell stack and the integrated fuel cell circuit structure as described above, wherein each circuit interface of the fuel cell stack is correspondingly connected to each first circuit channel of the integrated fuel cell circuit structure.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention integrates various loop pipes and the functional components to be installed in a shell, and designs a counterweight cavity to accommodate the functional components. The shell and the counterweight cavity serve as the counterweight of the loop structure, which greatly solves the problem of insufficient counterweight in the limited space of the existing battery system, and can be applied to industrial lifting vehicles; at the same time, the loop pipes, functional components, and counterweights are integrated into one in a certain space, and the installation of complex loop pipes, functional components, etc. in a limited space is realized, thereby improving the space utilization. In addition, when it is necessary to connect to the loop interface of the battery stack, the first loop channel of the entire loop structure can be connected to each loop interface of the battery stack and fixed to the battery stack, which reduces the probability of leakage due to pipeline connection and improves the safety of the fuel cell system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the distribution of various loop pipelines and functional components of a fuel cell system in the prior art.

[0017] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an integrated fuel cell circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the integrated fuel cell loop structure shown.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another angle of .

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the integrated fuel cell circuit structure shown is after removing the upper cover.

[0021] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the loop piping. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to explain the technical content and structural features of the present invention in detail, further description will be given below in combination with the implementation modes and the accompanying drawings.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", "top", "bottom", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the protection content of the present invention.

[0024] See also Figures 2 to 6 The present invention provides a fuel cell system, including a stack (not shown) and an integrated fuel cell circuit structure 100. The stack has multiple circuit interfaces, including cathode circuit inlet and outlet interfaces, anode circuit inlet and outlet interfaces, cooling circuit inlet and outlet interfaces, etc., and each circuit interface is respectively connected to a corresponding circuit pipe 20 of the circuit structure 100. The integrated fuel cell circuit structure 100 includes a housing 10 with a housing cavity 110, a plurality of circuit pipes 20 (cathode circuit pipe, anode circuit pipe, cooling circuit pipe, etc.) arranged in the housing cavity 110, a plurality of counterweight chambers 30, and a functional component 40 arranged in the counterweight chamber 30. The housing 10 is provided with a plurality of first circuit channels 121 and a plurality of second circuit channels 1121. One end of each circuit pipe 20 is connected to a first circuit channel 121, and the other end is connected to a second circuit channel 1121. The first circuit channels 121 are respectively used to connect to each circuit interface of the stack, and the second circuit channels 1121 are respectively used to connect to an external cathode circuit, an anode circuit, and a cooling circuit. The housing 10 and the counterweight cavity 30 are solid structures to maximize the counterweight.

[0025] By the way, it is common knowledge what structures the cathode loop, anode loop and cooling loop of the fuel cell system respectively include. As for how to connect and fix the first loop channel 121 with the corresponding loop pipe 20 in the shell 10, and how to connect and fix the various first loop channels 121 of the integrated fuel cell loop structure 100 with the various loop interfaces of the fuel cell stack, all of which can be achieved through existing pipe connection and fixing technology, which will not be repeated here.

[0026] Specifically, it is adapted to the circuit design of the fuel cell system, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the integrated fuel cell loop structure 100 includes six loop pipes 20, of which three loop pipes 20 are arranged side by side and do not cross each other on one side of the accommodating cavity 110, and the other three loop pipes 20 are arranged side by side and do not cross each other on the other side of the accommodating cavity 110. The loop pipes 20 do not interfere with each other, and each loop pipe 20 is an integrated design, which reduces the probability of water / gas leakage caused by pipe connection and improves the safety of the entire fuel cell system. Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the upper end interfaces of the three loop pipes 20 on the same side are located on the same straight line, and the loop pipes 20 on both sides are arranged opposite each other. Of course, in other embodiments, the setting positions of each loop pipe 20, the first loop channel 121 and the second loop channel 1121 can be adjusted according to the setting positions of the external cathode loop, the anode loop and the cooling loop, so as to make the wiring of the entire fuel cell system simpler and the spatial layout more reasonable, thereby improving the space utilization rate.

[0027] See also Figures 2 to 5 The housing 10 includes a bottom shell 11 and an upper cover 12 covering the bottom shell 11. The bottom shell 11 has a receiving cavity 110 (such as Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper cover 12 is provided with a first circuit channel 121. The bottom shell 11 includes a bottom wall 111 and a side wall 112 surrounding the bottom wall 111. The side wall 112 is provided with a second circuit channel 1121 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first circuit channel 121 is a through hole opened on the upper cover 12 and penetrating the inner and outer surfaces of the upper cover 12, and the second circuit channel 1121 is a through hole opened on the side wall 112 of the bottom shell 11 and penetrating the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall 112. Each first circuit channel 121 is directly opposite to the upper end interface of the first circuit pipe 20, and each second circuit channel 1121 is directly opposite to the lower end interface of the first circuit pipe 20. The structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0028] like Figure 3As shown, the bottom shell 11 also includes a top wall 113 located on the top of the side wall 112 and in contact with the upper cover 12. The top wall 113 is provided with a sealing groove 1131. The sealing groove 1131 is equipped with a sealing ring (not shown). The sealing ring is used to seal and fix the upper cover 12 and the bottom shell 11. In this embodiment, the top wall 113 extends horizontally inward from the outer wall of the side wall 112, that is, the top wall 113 is parallel to the bottom wall 111. Moreover, the upper cover 12 is flush with the outer wall of the side wall 112 (such as Figure 2 In this embodiment, the upper cover 12 and the bottom shell 11 are fixed by bolts, and the fixing method is simple and fast.

[0029] See also Figure 4 , Figure 5 The upper end of the counterweight chamber 30 is fixed to the loop pipe 20, the bottom of the counterweight chamber 30 is open, and the bottom wall 111 of the shell 10 is provided with a mounting hole 1111 that penetrates its inner and outer surfaces and is opposite to the bottom of the counterweight chamber 30. The functional component 40 is installed in the counterweight chamber 30 through the mounting hole 1111. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the upper end of the functional component 40 is fixed to the counterweight chamber 30 by threads, but the present invention should not be limited thereto. The functional component 40 includes a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a drain / gas valve, etc. In a specific implementation, the counterweight chamber 30 is arranged to communicate with the fixed loop pipe 20 according to actual needs, or the counterweight chamber 30 is arranged to be disconnected from the loop pipe 20. In addition, the arrangement positions of the counterweight chamber 30 and the functional component 40 are also arranged according to specific application requirements.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention integrates each loop pipe 20 and the functional components 40 to be installed in a shell 10, and designs a counterweight cavity 30 to accommodate the functional components 40. The shell 10 and the counterweight cavity 30 serve as the counterweight of the loop structure 100, which greatly solves the problem of insufficient counterweight in the existing battery system in a limited space and can be applied to industrial lifting vehicles; at the same time, the loop pipe 20, the functional component 40, and the counterweight are integrated into one in a certain space, and the installation problem of complex loop pipes 20, functional components 40, etc. is realized in a limited space, thereby improving space utilization. In addition, when it is necessary to connect to the loop interface of the battery stack, the first loop channel 121 of the entire loop structure 100 can be matched to each loop interface of the battery stack and fixed to the battery stack, thereby reducing the probability of leakage due to pipeline connection and improving the safety of the fuel cell system.

[0031] The above disclosure is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present invention still fall within the scope covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated fuel cell circuit structure, characterized in that: The battery comprises a shell having a housing cavity, six loop pipes arranged in the housing cavity, a plurality of counterweight chambers and functional components arranged in the counterweight chambers, the shell is provided with a plurality of first loop channels and a plurality of second loop channels, one end of each loop pipe is connected to a first loop channel, and the other end is connected to a second loop channel, the first loop channels are respectively used to connect to the loop interfaces of the battery stack, and the second loop channels are respectively used to connect to the external cathode loop, the anode loop and the cooling loop; The upper end of the counterweight chamber is fixed to the loop pipeline, the bottom of the counterweight chamber is open, and the shell is provided with a mounting hole that penetrates the inner and outer surfaces thereof and faces the bottom of the counterweight chamber, so that the functional component can be mounted in the counterweight chamber through the mounting hole; Three of the loop pipes are arranged side by side and do not cross each other on one side of the accommodating cavity, and another three of the loop pipes are arranged side by side and do not cross each other on the other side of the accommodating cavity; The shell and the counterweight cavity are solid structures; The functional components include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a drain / gas valve.

2. The integrated fuel cell circuit structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes a bottom shell and an upper cover covering the bottom shell, the bottom shell has the accommodating cavity, the upper cover is provided with the first circuit channel, the bottom shell includes a bottom wall and a side wall surrounding the bottom wall, the side wall is provided with the second circuit channel.

3. The integrated fuel cell circuit structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom shell also includes a top wall located on the top of the side wall and in contact with the upper cover. The top wall is provided with a sealing groove, and the sealing groove is provided with a sealing ring to seal the upper cover and the bottom shell.

4. The integrated fuel cell circuit structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top wall extends inward from the outer wall of the side wall, and the upper cover is flush with the outer wall of the side wall.

5. The integrated fuel cell circuit structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper cover and the bottom shell are fixed by bolts.

6. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: It comprises a fuel cell stack and an integrated fuel cell circuit structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each circuit interface of the fuel cell stack is correspondingly connected to each first circuit channel of the integrated fuel cell circuit structure.

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