Single segment multi-chamber megawatt fuel cell stack
By employing a single-section multi-chamber design and a series connection of fluid parallel circuits, the problem of increasing fuel cell stack power was solved, enabling MW-level stack design and promoting the application of hydrogen energy in high-power power generation devices.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202210813855.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-07-11
AI Technical Summary
The limited power output of existing fuel cell stacks, which makes it difficult to break through the MW level, restricts their application in the field of high-power power generation devices.
The design adopts a single-section, multi-chamber structure, in which the flow fields of fuel, oxidant, and coolant in each power generation chamber are independent. These are connected in series and parallel via current collector circuits to form a fuel cell stack, thereby improving the uniformity of fluid distribution and the performance of the stack.
It has achieved MW-level fuel cell stack design, improved the output power of the fuel cell stack, reduced the number of fluid supply subsystems and control complexity, and promoted the application of hydrogen energy in the field of high-power power generation devices.
Smart Images

Figure CN115172836B_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, in particular to a single-stage multi-chamber megawatt fuel cell stack. BACKGROUND
[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an advanced direction of hydrogen energy development, and is an important substitute for heat engines using primary energy as fuel. In the whole world, PEMFC has been widely used in passenger cars, commercial light trucks, long-distance heavy trucks, unmanned aerial vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, portable power sources and backup power sources, etc. The industry is in the early stage of commercialization, and the single stack power is generally between 100kW and 200kW. However, with the in-depth development of hydrogen energy, the power of a single fuel cell stack has been restricted, and it is difficult to break through the MW level. This limits its application in the fields of transportation that require MW-level power sources such as locomotives, ships, heavy machinery, as well as power generation scenarios such as power plants and off-grid power stations. These applications are of great significance to the in-depth development of hydrogen energy, and are an important direction for the development of hydrogen energy in China and even the world.
[0003] Chinese patent CN112768723B discloses a biomimetic phase change cooling system and method for high-power hydrogen fuel cell stack, aiming to solve the problem of poor heat exchange capacity of traditional high-power hydrogen fuel cell stack cooling technology. The core biomimetic heat exchange unit includes a box-shaped shell, two groups of semi-elliptical cooling plates, two liquid guide pipes and two gas guide pipes. However, the heat power of the stack it targets ranges from only 127.27kW to 190.91kw, and according to the proportional relationship between fuel cell heat power and electric power, the power generation power of the stack is about 200kW, which is at the advanced level of the current industry, but still has a considerable gap from the MW level.
[0004] Chinese utility model patent CN215365999U discloses a megawatt hydrogen fuel cell power station, which includes a hydrogen production unit, a hydrogen storage unit, a power generation unit and a water heating unit. The power generation unit is used for hydrogen power generation and ultimately grid-connected; it includes a second hydrogen conditioning subunit, a fuel cell subunit and an output power conditioning subunit; wherein the fuel cell subunit is composed of multiple stacks of fuel cell groups connected in series and parallel to achieve megawatt output power.
[0005] Chinese utility model patent CN215675427U discloses a heat recovery system of a megawatt hydrogen energy storage power station. However, this patent does not disclose any details of the fuel cell stack.
[0006] A kind of megawatt fuel cell stack based on metal bipolar plate disclosed in the previous application of the present research group Chinese patent CN202010065856A, including interlaced bipolar plate and membrane electrode, bipolar plate includes anode plate and cathode plate, the opposite face of anode plate and cathode plate is equipped with anode cooling flow channel and cathode cooling flow channel respectively, non-opposite face is equipped with fuel gas flow channel and oxidizing gas flow channel respectively, cooling liquid flow field seal extrusion is embedded in the sealing groove on another face to form semi-adhesive combination, anode cooling flow channel and cathode cooling flow channel are communicated to form sealed cooling liquid cavity.The embodiment disclosed in the patent can be seen, high heat dissipation performance, single voltage consistency is high, and the peak power of stack measured reaches 120kW, but there is not small gap from MW level. SUMMARY
[0007] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a single-segment multi-chamber megawatt fuel cell stack, which greatly improves the power level of the stack.
[0008] The purpose of the present application can be achieved by the following technical solutions:
[0009] A single-segment multi-chamber megawatt fuel cell stack includes a single-segment power generation module, the single-segment power generation module includes single cells with consistent structure stacked in sequence, the single cells include a plurality of power generation chambers, the fuel, oxidizing gas and cooling liquid flow fields in each power generation chamber of the single cell are independent of each other, when the fuel cell stack is assembled, each power generation chamber is aligned and assembled, the power generation chambers are connected in series through a current collection circuit, and the fuel, oxidizing gas and cooling liquid required by each power generation chamber enter and exit the stack in parallel.
[0010] Preferably, the structure, area and performance of the power generation chamber are completely consistent.
[0011] Preferably, the single cell includes a cathode plate, a membrane electrode and an anode plate arranged in sequence, one side of the cathode plate contacting the membrane electrode is provided with an oxidizing gas flow channel, one side of the anode plate contacting the membrane electrode is provided with a fuel gas flow channel, the other side of the anode plate is provided with a cooling liquid flow channel, the cathode plate and the anode plate are divided into a plurality of regions in correspondence, each region forms an independent power generation chamber, the oxidizing gas flow channel, the fuel gas flow channel and the cooling liquid flow channel of each region are independent of each other, and each region is provided with an oxidizing gas inlet and outlet, a fuel gas inlet and outlet and a cooling liquid inlet and outlet.
[0012] Preferably, the power generation chamber is provided with four, each power generation chamber is in the shape of 1 / 4 circle, and the four power generation chambers form a complete circle.
[0013] Preferably, the oxidation gas flow channel is distributed circumferentially along the power generation chamber, and the oxidation gas inlet and outlet include an oxidation gas inlet and an oxidation gas outlet, which are located at the edge of the power generation chamber and connected to the oxidation gas flow channel.
[0014] Preferably, the fuel gas flow channels are radially distributed along the power generation chamber, and the fuel gas inlet and outlet include a fuel gas inlet and a fuel gas outlet, which are respectively connected to the fuel gas flow channels.
[0015] Preferably, each power generation chamber is provided with multiple sets of fuel gas flow channels, and each set of fuel gas flow channels is equipped with a set of fuel gas inlet and outlet.
[0016] Preferably, the coolant flow channels are radially distributed along the power generation chamber, and the coolant inlet and outlet are staggered with the fuel gas flow channel inlet and outlet. The coolant inlet and outlet include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and the coolant inlet and outlet are respectively connected to the coolant flow channels.
[0017] Preferably, the current collection circuit includes a front current collector, a rear current collector, and a current collection copper busbar. The front current collector and the rear current collector are located at the beginning and end of the single-segment power generation module, respectively. The front current collector is provided with positive terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment, and the rear current collector is provided with negative terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment. The positive and negative terminals of each power generation compartment are connected in series via the current collection copper busbar.
[0018] Preferably, a fluid connector is provided on the front end plate of the fuel cell stack, and each power generation compartment is equipped with an independent fluid connector, which includes an oxidant inlet / outlet connector, a fuel gas inlet / outlet connector, and a coolant inlet / outlet connector.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0020] (1) This invention achieves a MW-level stack design with series circuits and parallel fluids by increasing the area and number of sections without sacrificing the uniformity of fluid distribution through a unique single-section multi-chamber design. This breaks through the current bottleneck of the PEMFC industry and can effectively promote the application of hydrogen energy in the field of high-power power generation devices.
[0021] (2) The fuel, oxidant and coolant required by each power generation cell of the present invention enter the stack in parallel. The uniformity of their distribution in each power generation cell is improved through good fluid design. While ensuring the performance and stability of the stack, the number of liquid supply subsystems and control complexity are reduced. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1This is the external outline of the megawatt-class fuel cell stack of the present invention. Figure 1 ;
[0023] Figure 2 This is the external outline of the megawatt-class fuel cell stack of the present invention. Figure 2 ;
[0024] Figure 3 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the megawatt-level fuel cell stack of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the front side of the cathode plate of the present invention (with an oxidation gas flow channel);
[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the back side of the cathode plate of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the front side of the anode plate (with fuel gas flow channel) of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the back side of the anode plate (with coolant flow channels) of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the membrane electrode structure of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the front-end board and the connector of the present invention;
[0031] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of hydrogen flow in the front-end board of the present invention;
[0032] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the front-end plate hole structure of the present invention;
[0033] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the back-end board structure of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 13 This is a circuit connection diagram for the present invention.
[0035] In the diagram, 1 is the cathode plate, 2 is the membrane electrode, 3 is the anode plate, 4 is the single cell, 5 is the core, 6 is the front current collector, 7 is the front insulation plate, 8 is the front plate, 9 is the fluid connector, 10 is the rear current collector, 11 is the rear insulation plate, 12 is the rear plate, 13 is the inner positioning rod, 14 is the current collector copper busbar, 15 is the lead screw, 16 is the outer positioning rod, 17 is the disc spring, and 18 is the disc spring pressure plate.
[0036] 101 is the cathode of chamber I, 102 is the main inlet of coolant, 103 is the inlet of coolant compartment, 104 is the outlet of coolant chamber I, 105 is the inlet of hydrogen chamber I, 106 is the outlet of hydrogen chamber I, 107 is the inlet of air chamber I, 108 is the outlet of air chamber I, 109 is the inlet of air chamber II, 110 is the outlet of air chamber II, 111 is the inlet of air chamber III, 112 is the outlet of air chamber III, 113 is the inlet of air chamber IV, 114 is the outlet of air chamber IV, 115 is the inner positioning hole, 116 is the outer positioning hole, 117 is the injection vent, 118 is the air flow channel, 119 is the air seal, and 120 is the inspection pin hole.
[0037] 201 is the active area, 202 is the border, and 203 is the inner positioning rod hole;
[0038] 301 is the anode of chamber I, 302 is the main coolant inlet, 303 is the coolant compartment inlet, 304 is the coolant outlet of chamber I, 305 is the hydrogen inlet of chamber I, 306 is the hydrogen outlet of chamber I, 307 is the air inlet of chamber I, 308 is the air outlet of chamber I, 309 is the air inlet of chamber II, 310 is the air outlet of chamber II, 311 is the air inlet of chamber III, 312 is the air outlet of chamber III, 313 is the air inlet of chamber IV, 314 is the air outlet of chamber IV, 315 is the inner positioning hole, 316 is the outer positioning hole, 317 is the injection vent, 318 is the hydrogen flow field, 319 is the hydrogen field seal, 320 is the voltage inspection pin hole, 321 is the coolant chamber, 322 is the coolant field seal 1, 323 is the coolant field seal 2, and 324 is the coolant flow field.
[0039] 601 is the positive terminal for chamber I, 602 is the positive terminal for chamber II, 603 is the positive terminal for chamber III, 604 is the positive terminal for chamber IV, 1001 is the negative terminal for chamber I, 1002 is the negative terminal for chamber II, 1003 is the negative terminal for chamber III, and 1004 is the negative terminal for chamber IV.
[0040] 902 is the coolant inlet connector, 903 is the coolant outlet connector, 904 is the hydrogen inlet connector, 905 is the hydrogen outlet connector, 906 is the I chamber air inlet connector, 907 is the I chamber air outlet connector, 908 is the II chamber air inlet connector, 909 is the II chamber air outlet connector, 910 is the III chamber air inlet connector, 911 is the III chamber air outlet connector, 912 is the IV chamber air inlet connector, 913 is the IV chamber air outlet connector, and 929 is the hydrogen outlet and coolant inlet connector assembly.
[0041] 802 is the main coolant inlet, 804 is the coolant I chamber outlet, 805 is the hydrogen I chamber inlet, 806 is the hydrogen I chamber outlet, 807 is the air I chamber inlet, 808 is the air I chamber outlet, 809 is the air II chamber inlet, 810 is the air II chamber outlet, 811 is the air III chamber inlet, 812 is the air III chamber outlet, 813 is the air IV chamber inlet, 814 is the air IV chamber outlet, 815 is the internal positioning hole, 816 is the external positioning hole, 825 is the screw hole, 826 is the hydrogen collection tank, 827 is the terminal hole, and 828 is the fuel cell stack mounting hole. Detailed Implementation
[0042] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Note that the following description of the embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit its applicability or use, nor is the present invention limited to the following embodiments.
[0043] Example
[0044] To overcome the current power limitations of existing single-reactor designs, one can either increase the reactor's cross-sectional area to boost the operating current or increase the number of reactor sections to amplify the operating voltage; both of these methods can increase the reactor's rated power. However, both increasing the area and the number of sections introduce the problem of uneven distribution of reactant gases and coolant. This invention patent, through a unique single-section multi-chamber design, achieves a single-reactor design with MW-level output power by simultaneously increasing both the area and the number of sections without sacrificing fluid distribution uniformity.
[0045] Based on the above, this embodiment provides a single-segment multi-chamber megawatt-level fuel cell stack, including a single-segment power generation module. The single-segment power generation module includes single cells 4 with identical structures stacked sequentially. Each single cell 4 includes multiple power generation chambers, and the structure, area, and performance of each power generation chamber are completely identical. The three flow fields of fuel, oxidant, and coolant in each power generation chamber of the single cell 4 are independent of each other. When forming the fuel cell stack, each power generation chamber is aligned and assembled. The power generation chambers are connected in series through a current collector circuit. The fuel, oxidant, and coolant required by each power generation chamber enter and exit the stack in parallel.
[0046] The core design concept of this invention's single-segment multi-chamber fuel cell stack is as follows: each single cell consists of multiple power generation chambers with identical structure, area, and performance (i.e., multi-chamber); the fuel, oxidant, and coolant fluids in the power generation chambers are connected in parallel without interference; the circuits are connected in series. A certain number of single cells form a complete power generation module (i.e., a single segment), thus achieving the design goal: a single stack capable of outputting MW-level electrical power.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2The diagram shown is a schematic of the fuel cell stack designed in this invention.
[0048] The single cell 4 includes a cathode plate 1, a membrane electrode 2, and an anode plate 3 arranged in sequence. An oxidation gas flow channel is provided on the side of the cathode plate 1 that contacts the membrane electrode 2, a fuel gas flow channel is provided on the side of the anode plate 3 that contacts the membrane electrode 2, and a coolant flow channel is provided on the other side of the anode plate 3. The cathode plate 1 and the anode plate 3 are respectively divided into multiple regions, each region forming an independent power generation chamber. The oxidation gas flow channel, fuel gas flow channel, and coolant flow channel of each region are independent of each other, and each region is provided with an oxidation gas inlet / outlet, a fuel gas inlet / outlet, and a coolant inlet / outlet.
[0049] In a preferred embodiment, four power generation chambers are provided, each chamber being a quarter circle, forming a complete circle. Oxidation gas flow channels are distributed circumferentially along the power generation chambers, with oxidation gas inlets and outlets located at the edges of the chambers and connected to the oxidation gas flow channels. Fuel gas flow channels are distributed radially along the power generation chambers, with fuel gas inlets and outlets connected to the fuel gas flow channels. Multiple sets of fuel gas flow channels are provided in each power generation chamber, with each set of channels having its own set of inlets and outlets. Coolant flow channels are distributed radially along the power generation chambers, with the inlets and outlets of the coolant flow channels interleaved with those of the fuel gas flow channels. Coolant inlets and outlets include coolant inlets and outlets connected to the coolant flow channels.
[0050] The following section uses a single-section, four-chamber, megawatt-class fuel cell stack as an example to illustrate the design of the stack.
[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the fuel cell stack includes a core 5, a front current collector 6, a front insulation plate 7, a front plate 8, a rear current collector 10, a rear insulation plate 11, and a rear plate 12. Individual cells 4 are stacked to form the core 5. Inner positioning rods 13 and outer positioning rods 16 are used for positioning and assembly between the core 5 and external components. Disc springs 17 and disc spring pressure plates 18 ensure uniform stress distribution across the stack cross-section, especially in the central region. After assembly, the stack is connected and assembled with three current collector copper busbars 14, several lead screws 15, and several fluid connectors 9 to form a complete fuel cell stack structure.
[0052] Each cell 4 consists of a cathode plate 1, a membrane electrode 2, and an anode plate 3, and is the most numerous repeating unit in the stack. Each cell is composed of a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber, and a fourth chamber.
[0053] like Figure 4 , Figure 5The cathode plate 1 is divided into four equal power generation chambers. The front side has an oxidation gas flow field (i.e., an air flow field), while the back side has no flow field. Air enters each chamber through its respective air inlet: chamber I air inlet 107, chamber II air inlet 109, chamber III air inlet 111, and chamber IV air inlet 113. The reacted air and generated water flow through the air field channel 118 and then exit from the respective chamber outlets: chamber I air outlet 108, chamber II air outlet 110, chamber III air outlet 112, and chamber IV air outlet 114. The large circular hole 102 near the center serves as the main inlet for the coolant.
[0054] The cathode plate 1 can be made of graphite (including granular graphite, expanded graphite, various artificial graphite, etc.), metal (including aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, titanium, and various alloys, etc.), and their composite materials, graphite-resin composite materials, etc. It is divided into multiple power generation chambers, which are responsible for uniformly distributing oxidizing gas (usually air) to the cathode surface of the membrane electrode 2 through the air field channel 118 to participate in the electrochemical reaction; at the same time, the water generated by the reaction is discharged from the stack through the air field channel 118.
[0055] like Figure 6 As shown, the front of the anode plate 3 is also divided into four equal power generation chambers, corresponding to the cathode plate 1. Its front side has a fuel gas flow field (i.e., a hydrogen flow field), and its back side has a coolant flow field. Hydrogen enters from the inlet of each chamber, passes through the hydrogen flow field, and then flows out from the hydrogen outlet near the large circular hole in the center. For example, in chamber I, hydrogen enters the active area through inlet 305, passes through hydrogen flow field 318, and finally flows out from outlet 306. The other chambers are similar.
[0056] The anode plate 3 can be graphite (materials include granular graphite, expanded graphite, various artificial graphite, etc.), metals (materials include aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, titanium, and various alloys, etc.), and their composite materials, graphite-resin composite materials, etc. It is divided into multiple power generation chambers. Its front side is responsible for uniformly distributing fuel (usually hydrogen) to the surface of the anode catalyst layer of the membrane electrode 2 through the hydrogen flow field 318 to participate in the electrochemical reaction; at the same time, the coolant flow field 324 on the back side of the hydrogen electrode removes the waste heat of the reaction from the fuel cell stack.
[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, the coolant enters the four power generation chambers from the main coolant inlet 302 at the center of the hydrogen plate. In chamber I, the coolant is diverted through the main inlet 302 and enters chamber I inlet 303. After passing through the coolant flow field 324, it flows out from the coolant outlet 304 of chamber I. The other chambers are similar.
[0058] like Figure 8As shown, the membrane electrode 2 includes an active region 201, a frame 202, and an inner positioning rod hole 203. The membrane electrode 2 consists of a proton exchange membrane and an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer coated on both sides (processes can include spraying, slot spraying, scraping, and transfer printing, etc.), forming a three-in-one power generation unit. The proton exchange membrane separates hydrogen and air, utilizing the hydrogen oxidation reaction on the anode side and the oxygen reduction reaction on the cathode side, respectively serving as the negative and positive electrodes of the fuel cell, thereby generating voltage and current to perform electrical work.
[0059] The combination and sealing of the three key components, cathode plate 1, membrane electrode 2 and anode plate 3, can be separate and can be disassembled later; or they can be integrated and then bonded with sealant to become a whole piece that cannot be disassembled later.
[0060] Working principle of proton exchange membrane fuel cells:
[0061] 1. Hydrogen gas undergoes the following reaction under the action of an anode catalyst:
[0062]
[0063] 2. Hydrogen ions reach the cathode through the electrolyte, while electrons reach the cathode through the external circuit. Under the action of the cathode catalyst, they react with oxygen to produce water. The reaction formula is as follows:
[0064]
[0065] 3. In summary, the overall reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell is:
[0066] 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O E 0 =1.229 V (3)
[0067] It is through this battery reaction that the battery outputs electrical energy. As long as the supply of hydrogen and air or oxygen is guaranteed, the fuel cell can continuously generate electrical energy. For proton exchange membrane fuel cells, since they are not constrained by the Carnot cycle, the ideal maximum conversion efficiency under standard conditions is 83%. However, in practical applications, due to various influencing conditions, the actual efficiency of the fuel cell system is approximately 45% to 60%. The operating voltage of each power generation unit when performing electrical work is only about 0.5 to 0.8V, and the current density is about 0.5 to 4A / cm². 2 .
[0068] Combination Figure 9 and Figure 11As shown, a fluid connector 9 is provided on the front-end plate 8 of the fuel cell stack. Each power generation compartment is equipped with an independent fluid connector 9, which includes an oxidant inlet / outlet connector, a fuel gas inlet / outlet connector, and a coolant inlet / outlet connector. As can be seen from the figure, the front-end plate 8 is provided with a coolant main inlet 802, a coolant I compartment outlet 804, a hydrogen I compartment inlet 805, a hydrogen I compartment outlet 806, an air I compartment inlet 807, an air I compartment outlet 808, an air II compartment inlet 809, an air II compartment outlet 810, an air III compartment inlet 811, an air III compartment outlet 812, an air IV compartment inlet 813, an air IV compartment outlet 814, an inner positioning hole 815, an outer positioning hole 816, a screw hole 825, a hydrogen collection tank 826, a terminal hole 827, and a fuel cell stack mounting hole 828. Corresponding to the designed flow channel, the fluid connector 9 includes the coolant inlet connector 902, coolant outlet connector 903, hydrogen inlet connector 904, hydrogen outlet connector 905, chamber I air inlet connector 906, chamber I air outlet connector 907, chamber II air inlet connector 908, chamber II air outlet connector 909, chamber III air inlet connector 910, chamber III air outlet connector 911, chamber IV air inlet connector 912, and chamber IV air outlet connector 913 arranged in the figure. Among them, the coolant inlet connector 902 and the hydrogen outlet connector 905 constitute the hydrogen outlet and coolant inlet connector assembly 929.
[0069] like Figure 10 The diagram shows the hydrogen flow of the front-end plate 8. Taking chamber I as an example, the two hydrogen outlets 306 on the anode plate 3 are collected by the hydrogen collection tank 826 and then enter the hydrogen outlet 806 of chamber I, and are discharged from the hydrogen outlet connector 905.
[0070] The current collector circuit includes a front current collector board 6, a rear current collector board 10, and a current collector copper busbar 14. The front current collector board 6 and the rear current collector board 10 are located at the beginning and end of the single-segment power generation module, respectively. The front current collector board 6 has positive terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment, and the rear current collector board 10 has negative terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment. The positive and negative terminals of each power generation compartment are connected in series through the current collector copper busbar 14. Specifically, as shown... Figure 13 As shown, in each power generation compartment, the individual cells are connected in series, and are, in order: positive terminal 601 of compartment I, negative terminal 1001 of compartment I, positive terminal 602 of compartment II, negative terminal 1002 of compartment II, positive terminal 603 of compartment III, negative terminal 1003 of compartment III, positive terminal 604 of compartment IV, and negative terminal 1004 of compartment IV. Positive terminal 601 of compartment I and negative terminal 1004 of compartment IV are also the positive and negative terminals of the entire fuel cell stack, respectively.
[0071] A single MW reactor is divided into M cells, and N individual cells are stacked in series to form the core 5. Cells with the same number are stacked separately and then connected in series via an external circuit. Assuming each cell generates a current of I and a voltage of V, the power it can provide externally is: I × V × M × N.
[0072] In this embodiment, the core diameter is 780mm, the height is 960mm, the core volume is 460.00L, and the core weight is 825.64kg. It is compact, lightweight, and has high power density. The single-chamber active area is 600cm². 2 Each segment has a MEA performance of 1.4W / cm 2 Calculations show that with a total of 300 individual cells, the rated power can reach 1.01MW, and the power density at the rated power can reach 2.19kW / L and 1.20kW / kg, respectively.
[0073] This invention relates to a single-stage, multi-chamber fuel cell stack. Through an M-chamber, N-section stack design, it achieves a MW-level single stack with series circuitry and parallel fluid flow, breaking through current bottlenecks in the PEMFC industry and effectively promoting the application of hydrogen energy in high-power power generation devices. The fuel, oxidant, and coolant required for each power generation chamber enter the stack in parallel. Excellent fluid design improves the uniformity of their distribution within each power generation chamber, ensuring stack performance and stability while reducing the number and control complexity of each liquid supply subsystem.
[0074] The above embodiments are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the present invention. These embodiments can also be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. A single-stage, multi-chamber, megawatt-class fuel cell stack, characterized in that, The fuel cell stack includes a single-segment power generation module, which includes a single cell (4) with the same structure stacked sequentially. The single cell (4) includes multiple power generation chambers. The three flow fields of fuel, oxidant and coolant in each power generation chamber of the single cell (4) are independent of each other. When the fuel cell stack is formed, the power generation chambers are aligned and assembled. The power generation chambers are connected in series through a current collector circuit. The fuel, oxidant and coolant required by each power generation chamber enter and exit the stack in parallel. The single-cell battery (4) includes a cathode plate (1), a membrane electrode (2) and an anode plate (3) arranged in sequence. An oxidation gas flow channel is provided on the side of the cathode plate (1) that contacts the membrane electrode (2), a fuel gas flow channel is provided on the side of the anode plate (3) that contacts the membrane electrode (2), and a coolant flow channel is provided on the other side of the anode plate (3). The cathode plate (1) and the anode plate (3) are divided into multiple regions, each region forming an independent power generation chamber. The oxidation gas flow channel, fuel gas flow channel and coolant flow channel of each region are independent of each other, and each region is provided with an oxidation gas inlet / outlet, a fuel gas inlet / outlet and a coolant inlet / outlet respectively. The aforementioned power generation chambers are arranged in four sections, each chamber being a quarter circle, with the four chambers forming a complete circle; The oxidation gas flow channel is distributed around the circumference of the power generation chamber, and the oxidation gas inlet and outlet include an oxidation gas inlet and an oxidation gas outlet, which are located at the edge of the power generation chamber and connected to the oxidation gas flow channel. The fuel gas flow channels are radially distributed along the power generation chamber, and the fuel gas inlet and outlet include a fuel gas inlet and a fuel gas outlet, which are respectively connected to the fuel gas flow channels. The front end plate (8) of the fuel cell stack is provided with a fluid connector (9), and each power generation cell is provided with an independent fluid connector (9). The fluid connector (9) includes an oxidant inlet / outlet connector, a fuel gas inlet / outlet connector and a coolant inlet / outlet connector.
2. The single-section multi-chamber megawatt-level fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The structure, area, and performance of the power generation chamber are completely identical.
3. The single-section multi-chamber megawatt-level fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each power generation chamber is equipped with multiple sets of fuel gas flow channels, and each set of fuel gas flow channels is configured with a set of fuel gas inlet and outlet.
4. The single-section multi-chamber megawatt-level fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coolant flow channels are radially distributed along the power generation chamber, and the coolant flow channel inlets and outlets are staggered with the fuel gas flow channel inlets and outlets. The coolant inlets and outlets include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and the coolant inlet and coolant outlet are respectively connected to the coolant flow channels.
5. A single-section multi-chamber megawatt-class fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current collection circuit includes a front current collector (6), a rear current collector (10), and a current collection copper busbar (14). The front current collector (6) and the rear current collector (10) are located at the beginning and end of the single-segment power generation module, respectively. The front current collector (6) is provided with positive terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment, and the rear current collector (10) is provided with negative terminals corresponding to each power generation compartment. The positive and negative terminals of each power generation compartment are connected in series through the current collection copper busbar (14).
Citation Information
Patent Citations
High-power metal plate fuel cell stack
CN111180754A
A biomimetic phase change cooling system and method for high-power hydrogen fuel cell stacks
CN112768723B
Megawatt power station
CN215365999U
Heat recovery system based on megawatt hydrogen energy storage power station
CN215675427U
Bipolar plate and preparation process thereof, single cell and proton exchange membrane fuel cell
CN109244502A