Fuel cell heat exchanger, fuel cell system, and vehicle utilizing liquid hydrogen

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of fuel cell systems, and more specifically to a fuel cell heat exchanger, fuel cell system, and vehicle utilizing liquid hydrogen. The fuel cell heat exchanger is provided with an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring and the outer ring being connected via a plurality of fins. The inner ring is provided with a hydrogen inlet, the outer ring is provided with a hydrogen outlet, and an air flow cavity is formed between the plurality of fins and the housing of the fuel cell heat exchanger, the air flow cavity including an air inlet and an air outlet. The heat exchanger of the present invention achieves heat exchange between air and liquid hydrogen, can fully utilize the cold energy contained in the liquid hydrogen, and increase the temperature of the air; its application in a fuel cell system improves the energy utilization rate and economy of the fuel cell system, and the system operates cleanly and environmentally friendly, in line with the general trend of energy conservation and emission reduction; it reduces the demand for intercoolers and radiators, reduces the power consumption of the fuel system auxiliary system, and simplifies the structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of fuel cell systems, and in particular to a fuel cell heat exchanger, a fuel cell system and a vehicle utilizing liquid hydrogen. Background Art

[0002] The consumption of fossil fuels has led to increasingly severe energy depletion and environmental pollution, making the large-scale development and utilization of renewable energy imperative. Hydrogen, as an effective energy storage method, converts electrical energy into chemical energy and stores it in hydrogen during peak renewable energy generation periods. During peak electricity demand periods, the energy carried by the hydrogen is converted back into electrical energy through fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with their zero emissions, zero pollution, and high efficiency, are a highly promising new energy vehicle.

[0003] When a hydrogen fuel cell engine is matched with a liquid hydrogen or high-pressure hydrogen system, the liquid hydrogen or high-pressure hydrogen first needs to be decompressed, vaporized or heated to about 50°C before entering the fuel cell stack. This process requires the absorption of a large amount of heat. The fuel cell stack will generate a large amount of waste heat during operation, and coolant is usually used to dissipate the heat from the stack so that the internal temperature of the stack is always within the efficient operating temperature range. In order to ensure the power of the fuel cell stack, the air entering the stack needs to be pressurized. The use of a boosting device such as a blower to compress the air will increase the air temperature. Cooling the compressed air before it enters the stack can increase the density of the intake air while reducing the temperature of the air before entering the stack. In the prior art, the centrifugal air compressor of the fuel cell system has a high speed, usually more than 100,000 revolutions per minute, and has high requirements for motor technology. The fuel cell system has the following disadvantages:

[0004] 1. Fuel cell auxiliary system components consume large amounts of power;

[0005] 2. Insufficient utilization of energy ladder;

[0006] 3. The heat dissipation requirements of fuel cells place increasing demands on heat exchangers;

[0007] 4. The intercooler is large in size;

[0008] 5. Cooling of fuel cells requires cooling medium.

[0009] It can be seen that how to achieve the comprehensive utilization of internal energy of fuel cell vehicles and improve the overall efficiency is an urgent problem to be solved. A simple and easy design to reduce the outlet temperature of the air compressor is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of the technical defects and technical drawbacks in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a fuel cell heat exchanger, a fuel cell system, and a vehicle using liquid hydrogen that overcome or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0011] As one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell heat exchanger utilizing liquid hydrogen is provided. The fuel cell heat exchanger is provided with an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring and the outer ring being connected via a plurality of fins, the inner ring being provided with a hydrogen inlet, the outer ring being provided with a hydrogen outlet, an air flow cavity being formed between the plurality of fins and the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger, the air flow cavity including an air inlet and an air outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, the air circulation cavity includes an air inlet cavity formed between adjacent fins and an air outlet cavity formed around one end of the fins connected to the inner ring. The air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity are connected through the gaps between the fins, the air outlet is connected to the hollow ring cavity of the inner ring, and the air inlet is connected to the air inlet cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the air inlet and the air outlet are respectively arranged on opposite end surfaces of the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger, and the inner ring and the outer ring are arranged on the end surfaces.

[0014] Furthermore, the air flow cavity includes an air inlet cavity and an air outlet cavity. The air inlet cavity is formed by the plurality of fins and the shell being sealed. The air outlet cavity is connected to the inner ring. A connecting cavity is provided between the bottom of the fin and the bottom of the shell. The air outlet cavity is connected to the air inlet cavity through the connecting cavity. The air inlet and the air outlet are respectively provided at the top of the shell.

[0015] Furthermore, the fin includes an inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet are respectively communicated with the inner cavity and are respectively arranged at two ends of the inner cavity; or

[0016] The fin comprises an inner cavity, a heat dissipation pipeline is provided in the inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet are respectively connected to two ends of the heat dissipation pipeline.

[0017] Furthermore, the fins are arranged in a spoke-like manner between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the side surfaces of the fins are flat and / or curved.

[0018] Furthermore, the cross section of the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger is set to be circular, and the inner ring and the outer ring are coaxially arranged.

[0019] As another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell system is provided. The fuel cell system includes the fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen as described in any one of the above.

[0020] Furthermore, the air outlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the air compressor, the air compressor is connected to the air path of the fuel cell stack, and the air inlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the atmosphere; the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the hydrogen bottle, and the hydrogen outlet is connected to the hydrogen path of the fuel cell stack.

[0021] As another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising the fuel cell system as described in the above embodiments.

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention achieve at least the following technical effects:

[0023] The fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen in the embodiment of the present invention realizes heat exchange between air and liquid hydrogen, which can make full use of the cold energy contained in the liquid hydrogen. Applying the heat exchanger to the fuel cell system can improve the energy utilization rate in the fuel cell system, thereby improving the economy, and the system operation is clean and environmentally friendly, which is in line with the general trend of energy conservation and emission reduction; in addition, it can also achieve the reduction or elimination of the intercooler; the air compressor outlet temperature is directly reduced by the setting of the heat exchanger, thereby reducing the power consumption of the fuel system auxiliary system, and the radiator can be further reduced or eliminated, so that no additional cooling medium is required, simplifying the structure; and it can increase the working range of the air compressor.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood by practicing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures described in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of fixing a heat exchanger for a fuel cell using liquid hydrogen in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Description of the drawings: 1. Inner ring; 2. Outer ring; 3. Fins; 4. Hydrogen inlet; 5. Hydrogen outlet; 6. Air inlet; 7. Air outlet; 8. Support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To illustrate the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following description is given in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0033] The accompanying drawings and the following description describe alternative embodiments of the present invention to teach those skilled in the art how to implement and reproduce the present invention. For the purpose of teaching the technical solution of the present invention, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations or substitutions derived from these embodiments will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the following features can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the following alternative embodiments, but is defined solely by the claims and their equivalents.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] This embodiment provides a fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen, referring to Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell heat exchanger is provided with an inner ring 1 and an outer ring 2, the inner ring 1 and the outer ring 2 are connected through a plurality of fins 3, the inner ring 1 is provided with a hydrogen inlet 4, and the outer ring 2 is provided with a hydrogen outlet 5, and an air flow cavity is formed between the plurality of fins 3 and the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger, and the air flow cavity includes an air inlet 6 and an air outlet 7.

[0036] In this embodiment, a plurality of fins can be arranged in a spoke-like layout, wherein a plurality of fins can be provided. The more fins there are, the better the heat exchange effect. The air flows in the cavity outside the fins, exchanges heat with the fins, and cools the air. Low-temperature hydrogen flows in the fins, wherein the hydrogen inlet can flow in liquid hydrogen or vaporized liquid hydrogen. The hydrogen in the fins exchanges heat with the air, and the hydrogen is heated.

[0037] In this embodiment, for the purpose of heat exchange, the hydrogen inlet 4 and the hydrogen outlet 5 can also be exchanged, and the air inlet 6 and the air outlet 7 can also be exchanged. The air inlet 6 and the air outlet 7 can be set on the shell or at both ends.

[0038] Preferably, the air circulation cavity includes an air inlet cavity formed between adjacent fins and an air outlet cavity formed by surrounding one end of the plurality of fins connected to the inner ring. The air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity are connected through the gaps between the plurality of fins. The air outlet is connected to the hollow annular cavity of the inner ring. The air inlet is connected to the air inlet cavity. In this embodiment, the air circulation cavity is divided into two parts. One end of the spoke-shaped fin is connected to the shell, and the other end is arranged inside the shell. The top of the end arranged inside the shell is connected to the inner ring, and there is a gap between them, which allows air to flow to the middle of the shell. In this embodiment, preferably, the air inlet and air outlet are respectively arranged on the end faces of the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger that are opposite to each other. The inner ring and the outer ring are arranged on the end faces to ensure sufficient contact between air and fins and ensure heat exchange effect.

[0039] In this embodiment, preferably, the fin includes an inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet are respectively connected to the inner cavity and are respectively arranged at both ends of the inner cavity; in this embodiment, hydrogen flows freely in the inner cavity of the fin and absorbs heat through the air temperature outside the fin.

[0040] Preferably, the fins are arranged in a spoke-like manner between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the side surfaces of the fins are flat.

[0041] In this embodiment, the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger may be square or other polygonal. Preferably, for better heat exchange effect, the cross section of the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger is set to be circular, and the inner ring and outer ring are coaxially arranged.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiment, refer to Figure 2 As shown, in the fuel cell heat exchanger utilizing liquid hydrogen provided in this embodiment, the fins are arranged in a spoke-like pattern between the inner and outer rings, and the side surfaces of the fins are curved. The curved surface has a preferred angle range and can be designed based on actual conditions, for example, 10°. The rotation angle of the curved surface increases the contact area and improves the convective heat transfer coefficient, thereby increasing heat exchange efficiency and further accelerating the cooling efficiency of the air flow process.

[0044] Preferably, the fin includes an inner cavity, a heat dissipation pipeline is disposed within the inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and hydrogen inlet are respectively connected to the ends of the heat dissipation pipeline. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation pipeline is arranged within the inner cavity of the fin, hydrogen flows within the heat dissipation pipeline, and the heat dissipation pipeline dissipates heat through the fin and the air.

[0045] Example 3

[0046] Based on the same technical concept as the above-mentioned embodiment, in the fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen provided in this embodiment, the air flow cavity includes an air inlet cavity and an air outlet cavity, the air inlet cavity is formed by the plurality of fins and the shell being sealed, the air outlet cavity is connected to the inner ring, a connecting cavity is provided between the bottom of the fin and the bottom of the shell, the air outlet cavity is connected to the air inlet cavity through the connecting cavity, and the air inlet and air outlet are respectively provided at the top of the shell.

[0047] In this embodiment, in the two parts of the air circulation cavity, the fins are arranged at one end inside the shell to form a sealed connection, so that an air outlet cavity connected to the inner ring is formed inside the shell to isolate the flow of air. The air flows in the two cavities through the connecting cavity at the bottom. The air outlet and the air inlet can be arranged on the same side to further ensure that the air is in full contact with the fins including low-temperature hydrogen.

[0048] Example 4

[0049] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiment, this embodiment applies the above fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen to a fuel cell system. Figure 4 The fuel cell system provided herein has an air path connected to the fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen as described above. Figure 3 As shown, the fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen can be fixed by the support plate 8. In this embodiment,

[0050] The fuel cell system fully utilizes the cold energy contained in liquid hydrogen, significantly improving the fuel's energy efficiency and fuel economy. The system also operates cleanly and environmentally friendly, aligning with the broader trend of energy conservation and emission reduction. Furthermore, by cooling the air in this embodiment, the intercooler can be reduced or eliminated, lowering the compressor outlet temperature and reducing or eliminating the radiator. This eliminates the need for additional cooling media, thereby reducing power consumption in the fuel system's auxiliary components and extending the compressor's operating range.

[0051] Preferably, the fuel cell heat exchanger's air outlet is connected to an air compressor, which is connected to the fuel cell stack's air circuit. The fuel cell heat exchanger's air inlet is connected to the atmosphere. The fuel cell heat exchanger's hydrogen inlet is connected to a hydrogen bottle, and the hydrogen outlet is connected to the fuel cell stack's hydrogen circuit. The air inlet and air outlet can be located at one end of the heat exchanger or at both ends, depending on the internal fin structure.

[0052] Example 5

[0053] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiments, this embodiment applies the above fuel cell system to a vehicle, and provides a vehicle including the fuel cell system in any of the above embodiments. In this embodiment, the vehicle adopts a fuel cell heat exchanger that utilizes liquid hydrogen in the fuel cell system, which fully utilizes the cold energy contained in the liquid hydrogen, greatly improves the energy utilization rate of the fuel, thereby improving fuel economy, and the system operates cleanly and environmentally friendly, in line with the general trend of energy conservation and emission reduction, and reduces the demand for intercoolers and radiators. The structure is more compact and can save space. In addition, no additional cooling medium is required, and the comprehensive energy of the fuel cell is more reasonably utilized, saving costs.

[0054] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the specification and claims to modify corresponding elements does not in itself mean that the elements have any ordinal number, nor does it represent the order of one element with respect to another element. The use of such ordinal numbers is only used to clearly distinguish one element with a certain name from another element with the same name.

[0055] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present invention and aid understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various features of the present invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this inventive approach should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Accordingly, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention and the claims, all of which are protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen, characterized in that: The fuel cell heat exchanger is provided with an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring and the outer ring are connected through a plurality of fins, the inner ring is provided with a hydrogen inlet, the outer ring is provided with a hydrogen outlet, an air flow cavity is formed between the plurality of fins and the housing of the fuel cell heat exchanger, and the air flow cavity includes an air inlet and an air outlet; The air flow cavity includes an air inlet cavity formed between adjacent fins and an air outlet cavity formed around one end of the fins connected to the inner ring. The air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity are connected through the gaps between the fins. The air outlet is connected to the hollow annular cavity of the inner ring. The air inlet is connected to the air inlet cavity. The air flow cavity includes an air inlet cavity and an air outlet cavity. The air inlet cavity is formed by the plurality of fins and the shell being sealed. The air outlet cavity is connected to the inner ring. A connecting cavity is provided between the bottom of the fin and the bottom of the shell. The air outlet cavity is connected to the air inlet cavity through the connecting cavity. The air inlet and the air outlet are respectively provided at the top of the shell. Wherein, the fin includes an inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet are respectively connected to the inner cavity and are respectively arranged at two ends of the inner cavity; Alternatively, the fin includes an inner cavity, a heat dissipation pipeline is provided in the inner cavity, and the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet are respectively connected to two ends of the heat dissipation pipeline.

2. The fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fins are arranged in a spoke-like manner between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the side surfaces of the fins are flat and / or curved.

3. The fuel cell heat exchanger using liquid hydrogen according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross section of the shell of the fuel cell heat exchanger is arranged to be circular, and the inner ring and the outer ring are arranged coaxially.

4. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: The fuel cell system includes the fuel cell heat exchanger utilizing liquid hydrogen according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein: The air outlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the air compressor, the air compressor is connected to the air path of the fuel cell stack, and the air inlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the atmosphere; The hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell heat exchanger is connected to the hydrogen bottle, and the hydrogen outlet is connected to the hydrogen path of the fuel cell stack.

6. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes the fuel cell system according to claim 5 .

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