A fuel cell and control system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of fuel cell and control system.Therein, fuel cell includes false battery monomer and true battery module, wherein, the false battery monomer is parallelly connected with true battery module, the false battery monomer is set to the downstream of hydrogen gas flow direction in fuel cell, the true battery module is set to the upstream of hydrogen gas flow direction in fuel cell, the hydrogen gas inlet of the false battery monomer is communicated with the hydrogen gas inlet of true battery module;The false battery monomer is used to collect impurity particles in hydrogen gas;The true battery module is used to convert chemical energy into electric energy.The technical scheme of the embodiment of the application overcomes the hydrogen gas pipeline flow channel caused by additional filter device in the hydrogen gas pipeline outside fuel cell, and the deficiency of affecting system performance, improves the stability of fuel cell system performance, while ensuring the smoothness of hydrogen gas pipeline flow channel.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, in particular to a fuel cell and a control system. BACKGROUND

[0002] The fuel cell system engine is a power system for a new energy vehicle. The fuel cell (FC for short) is a power generation device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy by electrochemical means at isothermal temperature. The electrochemical reaction is the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to generate water and release heat.

[0003] The hydrogen required for the fuel cell reaction needs high purity, usually ≥99.99%. However, in actual use, the hydrogen entering the hydrogen supply circulation system or the hydrogen main pipeline is mixed with a small amount of solid impurities such as metal debris, metal powder and other pipeline sealing material debris. These impurities will flow into the fuel cell with the hydrogen, and over time, they will accumulate at the inlet of the stack and eventually block the inlet of the stack, resulting in reduced performance of the fuel cell system or damage to components.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a filter device is usually arranged in the hydrogen supply circulation system or the hydrogen main pipeline close to the stack at the front end, so as to prevent the hydrogen mixed with impurities from entering the fuel cell. However, during the use of the fuel cell, the solid impurities mixed in the hydrogen will gradually be adsorbed in the filter device, not only affecting the smoothness of the hydrogen pipeline flow channel, but also possibly damaging the stack and other components by breaking through the filter device, affecting the stability of the performance of the fuel cell system. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application is proposed to overcome the defects of the prior art, and provides a fuel cell and a control system, which improves the stability of the performance of the fuel cell system and also ensures the smoothness of the hydrogen pipeline flow channel.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell, comprising a dummy cell and a real cell module, wherein the dummy cell and the real cell module are arranged in parallel, the dummy cell is arranged downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the real cell module is arranged upstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, and the hydrogen inlet of the dummy cell is in communication with the hydrogen inlet of the real cell module.

[0007] The dummy cell is used to collect impurity particles in the hydrogen;

[0008] The real cell module is used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.

[0009] Further, the pseudo battery monomer comprises a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen flow channel, a hydrogen outlet and a conductive component, the conductive component comprises an anode plate, a cathode plate and a gas diffusion layer between the anode plate and the cathode plate, wherein:

[0010] The hydrogen inlet is connected with the first end of the hydrogen flow channel, and is used for making hydrogen flow into the hydrogen flow channel when in an open state.

[0011] The hydrogen flow channel is located between the anode plate and the gas diffusion layer, and is used for collecting impurity particles in hydrogen during hydrogen flow.

[0012] The hydrogen outlet is connected with the second end of the hydrogen flow channel, and is used for making hydrogen flow out of the hydrogen flow channel.

[0013] The conductive component is used for conducting current between the anode plate and the cathode plate through the gas diffusion layer.

[0014] Further, the pseudo battery monomer further comprises an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet, wherein, when the hydrogen inlet is in the open state, the air inlet and the air outlet are both in a closed state, and the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet are both in a closed state.

[0015] Further, the hydrogen flow channel is provided with an impurity outlet, which is used for discharging impurity particles from the hydrogen flow channel when in an open state.

[0016] Further, the number of the pseudo battery monomers is at least one.

[0017] Further, the flow resistance of the pseudo battery monomer is the same as that of a monomer battery in a real battery module.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell control system, comprising the fuel cell of any one of the first aspect, and further comprising a controller and an impurity monitor, the controller is connected with the impurity monitor and the pseudo battery monomer respectively, and the impurity monitor is arranged in a hydrogen delivery main pipeline, wherein:

[0019] The impurity monitor is used for monitoring whether hydrogen in the hydrogen delivery main pipeline contains impurity particles, and if the impurity particles are monitored, the monitoring result is fed back to the controller.

[0020] The controller controls the pseudo battery monomer to collect impurity particles in hydrogen according to the monitoring result.

[0021] Further, the controller controls the pseudo battery monomer to collect impurity particles in hydrogen according to the monitoring result, comprising:

[0022] The controller controls the hydrogen inlet in the dummy cell to be opened according to the monitoring result, so that the impurity particles enter the hydrogen flow channel.

[0023] Further, the controller is connected with the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet respectively, and before the hydrogen inlet in the dummy cell is controlled to be opened, the controller controls the air inlet and the air outlet to be closed, and the controller controls the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet to be closed.

[0024] Further, the controller is connected with the impurity outlet, and is used for controlling the impurity outlet to be opened, so that the impurity particles are discharged from the hydrogen flow channel.

[0025] The fuel cell in the embodiment of the present application comprises a dummy cell and a real cell module, wherein the dummy cell is arranged in parallel with the real cell module, the dummy cell is arranged downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the real cell module is arranged upstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, and the hydrogen inlet of the dummy cell is communicated with the hydrogen inlet of the real cell module; the dummy cell is used for collecting impurity particles in hydrogen; and the real cell module is used for converting chemical energy into electric energy. Through arranging the dummy cell downstream of the hydrogen flow direction and arranging the real cell module upstream of the hydrogen flow direction, based on the fluid distribution principle, the impurity particles in hydrogen mainly gather in the dummy cell downstream, the gathering of the impurity particles in the real cell module is reduced, the problem of the real cell module stack being blocked is greatly relieved, and the stability of the performance of the fuel cell system is improved. Meanwhile, the technical solution changes the structure of the fuel cell itself, instead of adding a filtering device in the hydrogen pipeline outside the fuel cell, and the flow channel of the hydrogen pipeline is ensured to be smooth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of the present application will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. It is to be understood that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the application, for which reference should be made only to the appended claims. Merely by way of example, an embodiment of the application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 1a is a structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 1b is a structural schematic diagram of a dummy cell provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell control system provided by the second embodiment of the present application.

[0030] The reference signs are as follows:

[0031] 11. a dummy cell; 111. a hydrogen inlet of the dummy cell; 112. a hydrogen flow channel; 113. a hydrogen outlet; 1141. an anode plate; 1142. a cathode plate; 1143. a gas diffusion layer; 12. a real cell module; 121. a hydrogen inlet of the real cell module; 21. a fuel cell; 22. a controller; 23. an impurity monitor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the technical features, objectives and effects of the present application clearer, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0034] Embodiment one

[0035] Figure 1a A structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell is provided in the embodiment one of the present application. As shown in the figure, Figure 1a the fuel cell comprises a dummy cell 11 and a real cell module 12, wherein the dummy cell 11 and the real cell module 12 are arranged in parallel, the dummy cell 11 is arranged at the downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the real cell module 12 is arranged at the upstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, and the hydrogen inlet 111 of the dummy cell 11 is in communication with the hydrogen inlet 121 of the real cell module 12; the dummy cell 11 is used for collecting impurity particles in hydrogen; and the real cell module 12 is used for converting chemical energy into electric energy.

[0036] The false battery cell 11 is a monoblock battery with a conductive function but does not participate in the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell, and the true battery module 12 is a stack structure composed of a plurality of monoblock batteries participating in the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. In actual work, hydrogen flows into the hydrogen inlet 121 of the true battery module 12 and the hydrogen inlet 111 of the false battery cell 11 in sequence from the main pipeline, and enters the corresponding monoblock battery. The impurity particles in the hydrogen gas are solid and have large inertia relative to the hydrogen gas, so according to the fluid distribution principle, the impurity particles in the hydrogen gas will mainly gather in the false battery cell 11 downstream of the hydrogen flow direction, reducing the accumulation of impurity particles in the true battery module 12, greatly alleviating the problem of stack blockage of the true battery module 12. It can be understood that each monoblock battery in the true battery module 12 is provided with a hydrogen inlet. In this embodiment, the true battery module 12 is the whole of each monoblock battery, and the hydrogen inlet 121 of the true battery module 12 is also the whole of each corresponding hydrogen inlet. It can also be understood that although the sealing problem of the fuel cell is not mentioned in this embodiment, in order to ensure the working performance of the fuel cell, sealing devices can be provided at the actual sealing positions, which will not be described hereinafter.

[0037] Preferably, the number of false battery cells 11 is at least one. In this embodiment, the number of false battery cells 11 can be one, or multiple, for example, three or four, etc. The specific number of false battery cells 11 can be set according to actual conditions, and the above examples are only illustrative and do not have a limiting effect. For example, with three false battery cells 11, the specific structure of the fuel cell is described as follows: the three false battery cells 11 are arranged in parallel, the hydrogen inlets 111 of the three false battery cells 11 are sequentially communicated to obtain a false battery module; the false battery module is arranged in parallel with the true battery module 12, the false battery module is arranged downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the true battery module 12 is arranged upstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, and the hydrogen inlet of the false battery module is communicated with the hydrogen inlet 121 of the true battery module 12.

[0038] Preferably, the flow resistance of the false battery cell 11 is the same as or similar to that of the monoblock battery in the true battery module 12. Specifically, if the flow resistance of the false battery cell 11 is much smaller than that of the monoblock battery in the true battery module 12, it will cause the hydrogen to flow out of the false battery cell 11 quickly, and then cause the hydrogen in the monoblock battery in the true battery module 12 to be insufficient, affecting the performance of the fuel cell, and at the same time, the impurity particles are not easy to accumulate in the false battery cell 11; if the flow resistance of the false battery cell 11 is much greater than that of the monoblock battery in the true battery module 12, it will cause it difficult for hydrogen and impurity particles to enter the false battery cell 11, and then cause the impurity particles to accumulate in the monoblock battery in the true battery module 12, and even block the monoblock battery.

[0039] This embodiment provides a fuel cell comprising a dummy cell and a real cell module. The dummy cell and the real cell module are connected in parallel. The dummy cell is positioned downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, while the real cell module is positioned upstream. The hydrogen inlet of the dummy cell is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the real cell module. The dummy cell collects impurity particles in the hydrogen. The real cell module converts chemical energy into electrical energy. By positioning the dummy cell downstream of the hydrogen flow direction and the real cell module upstream, based on fluid distribution principles, impurity particles in the hydrogen will mainly accumulate in the downstream dummy cell, reducing the accumulation of impurity particles in the real cell module. This significantly alleviates the problem of stack blockage in the real cell module and improves the stability of the fuel cell system performance. Furthermore, this technical solution addresses the issue by modifying the structure of the fuel cell itself, rather than adding an additional filter device to the external hydrogen pipeline, ensuring unobstructed flow in the hydrogen pipeline.

[0040] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dummy battery cell provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1b As shown, the dummy battery cell 11 further includes a hydrogen inlet 111, a hydrogen flow channel 112, a hydrogen outlet 113, and conductive components. Figure 1b (Not shown in the image), the conductive component includes an anode plate 1141, a cathode plate 1142, and a gas diffusion layer 1143 located between the anode plate 1141 and the cathode plate 1142, wherein: the hydrogen inlet 111 is connected to the first end of the hydrogen flow channel 112, for allowing hydrogen to flow into the hydrogen flow channel 112 when it is in the open state; the hydrogen flow channel 112 is located between the anode plate 1141 and the gas diffusion layer 1143, for collecting impurity particles in the hydrogen during the hydrogen flow process; the hydrogen outlet 113 is connected to the second end of the hydrogen flow channel 112, for allowing hydrogen to flow out of the hydrogen flow channel 112; the conductive component is used to conduct current between the anode plate 1141 and the cathode plate 1142 through the gas diffusion layer 1143. The gas diffusion layer 1143 may include an anode gas diffusion layer and a cathode gas diffusion layer; specifically, the hydrogen flow channel 112 is located between the anode plate 1141 and the anode gas diffusion layer. The structure of the aforementioned dummy battery cell 11 is similar to that of the single cell in the real battery module 12. Therefore, the dummy battery cell 11 can be obtained by improving upon the structure of the single cell in the real battery module 12, or it can be manufactured according to the production process of the single cell. The manufacturing process of the aforementioned dummy battery cell is simple and the materials are readily available.

[0041] Optionally, the hydrogen inlet 111 can be an open design, i.e., the hydrogen inlet 111 is always open, or can be a switch structure that can be opened or closed, i.e., can be opened or closed according to the control instruction, so as to perform the closing operation on the hydrogen inlet 111 at any time when the impurity particles are not collected by using the false battery monomer 11. For example, the switch structure is a square structure, and the side of the square structure is fixed. When receiving the control instruction of opening the hydrogen inlet 111, the opening mode of the switch structure can be rotating to open upstream of the hydrogen flow direction with the fixed side of the square as the axis, or rotating to open downstream of the hydrogen flow direction with the fixed side of the square as the axis. In the embodiment, the specific shape or opening mode of the switch structure can be set according to the actual situation. The above examples are only illustrative and are not limited.

[0042] On the basis of the above embodiments, further, the false battery monomer 11 further includes an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet, wherein when the hydrogen inlet 111 is in an open state, the air inlet and the air outlet are in a closed state, and the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet are in a closed state.

[0043] Optionally, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet can be a closed design, i.e., the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet are always closed, or can be a switch structure that can be opened or closed, i.e., can be opened or closed according to the control instruction, so as to perform the closing operation on the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet at any time when the impurity particles are collected by using the false battery monomer 11. In the above embodiment, it is mentioned that the false battery monomer 11 can be improved based on the structure of the monomer battery in the true battery module 12, and the structure of the monomer battery in the true battery module 12 usually includes the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet, etc. Therefore, in order to save the improvement cost, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet, etc. can be retained during the improvement process, and only the corresponding inlet or outlet needs to be plugged.

[0044] On the basis of the above embodiments, further, the hydrogen flow channel 112 is provided with an impurity outlet, which is used to discharge the impurity particles from the hydrogen flow channel 112 when in an open state.

[0045] Over time, impurity particles gradually accumulate in the hydrogen flow channel 112 and may even block it, ultimately preventing the dummy cell 11 from collecting impurity particles from the hydrogen. Therefore, an impurity outlet can be provided on the hydrogen flow channel 112 to discharge impurity particles without affecting fuel cell performance and airtightness. It is understood that the impurity outlet remains closed during fuel cell operation; when the fuel cell stops operating, the impurity outlet can be opened to discharge impurity particles. Preferably, the opening or closing of the impurity outlet can be determined based on received control commands.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell control system provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the fuel cell control system includes the fuel cell 21 described in the above embodiments, and also includes a controller 22 and an impurity monitor 23. The controller 22 is connected to the impurity monitor 23 and the dummy battery cell 11, respectively. The impurity monitor 23 is located in the hydrogen delivery main pipeline (…). Figure 2 In the (not shown in the image), the impurity monitor 23 is used to monitor whether the hydrogen in the hydrogen delivery main pipeline contains impurity particles. If impurity particles are detected, the monitoring result is fed back to the controller 22. The controller 22 controls the dummy battery cell 11 to collect the impurity particles in the hydrogen according to the monitoring result.

[0048] Preferably, the controller 22 controls the dummy battery cell 11 to collect impurity particles in hydrogen based on the monitoring results, including: the controller 22 controls the hydrogen inlet in the dummy battery cell 11 to open based on the monitoring results, so that the impurity particles enter the hydrogen flow channel.

[0049] The embodiment provides a fuel cell control system, which comprises the fuel cell in the above-mentioned embodiments, a controller and an impurity monitor, the controller is connected with the impurity monitor and the dummy cell respectively, the impurity monitor is arranged in a hydrogen delivery main pipeline, and the controller is connected with the dummy cell.

[0050] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, further, the controller 22 is connected with an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet, and before the hydrogen inlet in the dummy cell 11 is controlled to be opened, the controller 22 controls the air inlet and the air outlet to be closed, and the controller 22 controls the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet to be closed.

[0051] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, further, the controller 22 is connected with an impurity outlet, and is used for controlling the impurity outlet to be opened, so that the impurity particles are discharged from the hydrogen flow channel.

[0052] The present application is described by several specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications and equivalent replacements can be made to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. In addition, various modifications can be made to the present application for specific situations or specific conditions without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the disclosed specific embodiments, but should include all the embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A fuel cell, characterized by comprising: The fuel cell comprises a false battery cell and a true battery module, wherein the false battery cell is arranged in parallel with the true battery module, the false battery cell is arranged downstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the true battery module is arranged upstream of the hydrogen flow direction in the fuel cell, the hydrogen inlet of the false battery cell is communicated with the hydrogen inlet of the true battery module; The false battery cell is used for collecting the impurity particles in the hydrogen; The true battery module is used for converting chemical energy into electrical energy; In actual work, the hydrogen flows into the hydrogen inlet of the true battery module and the hydrogen inlet of the false battery cell in sequence from the main pipeline, and enters the corresponding single cell; according to the fluid distribution principle, the impurity particles in the hydrogen will mainly gather in the false battery cell downstream of the hydrogen flow direction.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized by The false battery cell comprises a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen flow channel, a hydrogen outlet and a conductive component, the conductive component comprises an anode plate, a cathode plate and a gas diffusion layer between the anode plate and the cathode plate, wherein: The hydrogen inlet is connected with the first end of the hydrogen flow channel, and is used for making the hydrogen flow into the hydrogen flow channel when being in an open state; The hydrogen flow channel is located between the anode plate and the gas diffusion layer, and is used for collecting the impurity particles in the hydrogen during the hydrogen flow; The hydrogen outlet is connected with the second end of the hydrogen flow channel, and is used for making the hydrogen flow out of the hydrogen flow channel; The conductive component is used for conducting the current between the anode plate and the cathode plate through the gas diffusion layer.

3. The fuel cell of claim 2, wherein The false battery cell further comprises an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet, wherein when the hydrogen inlet is in the open state, the air inlet and the air outlet are both in the closed state, and the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet are both in the closed state.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by The hydrogen flow channel is provided with an impurity outlet, and the impurity outlet is used for discharging the impurity particles from the hydrogen flow channel when being in an open state.

5. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein The number of the false battery cell is at least one.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein The flow resistance of the false battery cell is the same as that of the single cell in the true battery module.

7. A fuel cell control system characterized by comprising: The fuel cell comprises the fuel cell of any one of claims 1-5, further comprising a controller and an impurity monitor, the controller is connected with the impurity monitor and the false battery cell respectively, and the impurity monitor is arranged in the hydrogen conveying main pipeline, wherein: The impurity monitor is used for monitoring whether the hydrogen in the hydrogen conveying main pipeline contains impurity particles, and if the impurity particles are monitored, the monitoring result is fed back to the controller; The controller controls the false battery cell to collect the impurity particles in the hydrogen according to the monitoring result.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein, The controller controls the hydrogen inlet of the false battery cell to open to make the impurity particles enter the hydrogen flow channel according to the monitoring result. The controller is connected with the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet respectively, and before controlling the hydrogen inlet of the false battery cell to open, the controller further controls the air inlet and the air outlet to be closed, and the controller further controls the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet to be closed.

9. The control system of claim 7, wherein, ​ 10. A control system according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that, The controller is connected to the impurity outlet for controlling the opening of the impurity outlet to discharge the impurity particles from the hydrogen flow channel.

Images