A performance testing system and testing method for a fuel cell separation ejector

Abstract

The present invention discloses a performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector, belonging to the technical field of fuel cells. It includes a separation ejector, and also includes: a gas circulation pipeline, which includes an input port, a front test unit, a simulated fuel cell system, a rear test unit, and an output port that are connected in sequence from beginning to end; the input port is connected to the diffuser chamber, and the output port is connected to the intake port; the simulated fuel cell system includes a humidifier for increasing humidity and a fine-tuning valve for releasing hydrogen, and the humidifier and the fine-tuning valve are respectively connected to pipelines; the front test unit and the rear test unit can test the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate of the gas; a water circulation pipeline, with both ends of the water circulation pipeline respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier. The present invention can test the performance of the separation ejector, more realistically simulate the actual environment of the fuel cell stack, has a simple test process, and accurate test results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector. Background Art

[0002] In the hydrogen circulation system of a fuel cell engine, an ejector and a steam-water separator are important functional components, which play an important role in improving the hydrogen utilization rate and the efficiency of the fuel cell system. The integrated design of a fuel cell ejector-separator that combines the two effectively saves space, can achieve hydrogen ejector circulation and steam-water separation functions in a large power range, and greatly reduces the cost of key components of the fuel cell, thus significantly reducing the cost of the fuel cell engine and overcoming the obstacle of high cost in the commercialization of fuel cells.

[0003] The invention creation with the patent number 202221928320X discloses an ejector capable of separating steam and water, which includes: a housing and a steam-water separation component and an ejector component arranged in the housing; the steam-water separation component includes a first separation chamber, a second separation chamber and a water storage tank that are communicated with each other, a baffle for separating liquid water is arranged in the first separation chamber, a swirl vane fixedly connected to the housing is arranged in the second separation chamber, and the swirl vane can drive the air flow to rotate; the water storage tank is respectively communicated with the lower parts of the first separation chamber and the second separation chamber for collecting liquid water; an air inlet communicated with the outside is arranged at one end of the first separation chamber, a communication port is arranged at one end of the second separation chamber, the communication port is communicated with the ejector component, and the ejector component can guide the secondary air flow from the communication port to the fuel cell.

[0004] In order to conveniently distinguish the ejector capable of separating steam and water from an ordinary ejector, the ejector capable of separating steam and water is specifically named a separation ejector. The existing ejector test system is difficult to test the separation ejector, there is a mismatch, and the condition parameters under various working conditions cannot be better restored during the test, and the performance of the separation ejector cannot be accurately evaluated. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector to solve the problem of the lack of a performance test system and test method for a separation ejector with an integrated steam-water separator and ejector.

[0006] The present invention provides a performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector, including a separation ejector, the separation ejector includes a spray inlet for inputting a primary air flow, an air inlet for inputting a secondary air flow, a drain port for discharging steam and water, and a diffuser chamber, and further includes:

[0007] Gas circulation pipeline, the gas circulation pipeline includes an input port, a front test unit, a simulated fuel cell system, a rear test unit and an output port that are connected in series from beginning to end; the input port is connected to the diffuser chamber, and the output port is connected to the intake port; the simulated fuel cell system includes a humidifier for increasing the humidity of hydrogen inside the simulated fuel cell and a fine-tuning valve for releasing hydrogen, and the humidifier and the fine-tuning valve are respectively connected to pipelines; the front test unit and the rear test unit can test the temperature, pressure, humidity and flow rate of the gas;

[0008] Water circulation pipeline, both ends of the water circulation pipeline are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier.

[0009] Further, the simulated fuel cell system further includes a heater, a second pressure reducing valve, a three-way valve and a third mass flowmeter that are connected in series. Both ends of the humidifier are respectively connected to the front test unit and the heater through pipelines, the fine-tuning valve is connected to the third mass flowmeter, and the third channel of the three-way valve is connected to the rear test unit.

[0010] Further, a first humidity sensor is provided between the humidifier and the heater, a third temperature sensor is provided between the heater and the second pressure reducing valve, and a third pressure sensor is provided between the second pressure reducing valve and the three-way valve.

[0011] Further, the front test unit includes a second pressure sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a second mass flowmeter that are connected to each other through pipelines.

[0012] Further, the rear test unit includes a humidity sensor, a fourth temperature sensor, a volume flowmeter, and a fourth pressure sensor that are connected to each other through pipelines.

[0013] Further, a manual valve for controlling the opening and closing of the gas circulation pipeline is provided between the output port and the rear test unit.

[0014] Further, a water storage tank, a water pump and a liquid level sensor are provided on the water circulation pipeline. Both ends of the water storage tank are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier through pipelines. The water pump is arranged between the water storage tank and the humidifier, and the liquid level sensor is arranged on the water storage tank.

[0015] Further, the injection port is connected to a gas supply unit. The gas supply unit includes a gas cylinder, a first pressure reducing valve, an electromagnetic proportional valve and a check valve that are connected in series through pipelines. The check valve is connected to the injection port through a pipeline.

[0016] Further, it is characterized in that a first temperature sensor, a first mass flowmeter and a first pressure sensor are provided on the pipeline of the gas supply unit.

[0017] A test method for a performance test system of a fuel cell separation ejector, which uses the opening and closing degrees of the first pressure reducing valve and the second pressure reducing valve to simulate the pressure change inside the fuel cell stack, uses the opening size of the fine adjustment valve to simulate the gas consumption, and uses the heater to simulate the temperature change inside the stack, so as to realize the performance test of the separation ejector under different working conditions; then the working performance of the separation ejector is obtained through the temperature, pressure, humidity and flow rate under each working condition.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] (1) The performance test system and test method of a fuel cell separation ejector of the present invention are provided with a gas circulation pipeline, and the gas circulation pipeline includes an input port, a front test unit, a simulated fuel cell system, a rear test unit and an output port that are connected in sequence from beginning to end; the input port is connected to the diffuser chamber, and the output port is connected to the intake port. The front test unit and the rear test unit can test the temperature, pressure, humidity and flow rate of the gas to obtain the working performance of the separation ejector. The simulated fuel cell system includes a humidifier for increasing humidity and a fine adjustment valve for releasing hydrogen. The humidifier can adjust the moisture in hydrogen according to the test conditions to simulate the moisture content in the hydrogen at the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack. The fine adjustment valve can release hydrogen outward and can accurately control the gas consumption from the simulated fuel cell. Thus, the changes of the inlet and outlet gases passing through the fuel cell stack in the stack are simulated more comprehensively and meticulously, making the gas composition, ratio and humidity in the pipeline closer to the real situation and ensuring that the test results are more accurate and effective.

[0020] (2) The performance test system and test method of a fuel cell separation ejector of the present invention are provided with a water circulation pipeline. The two ends of the water circulation pipeline are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier, and the water discharged from the drain port can be input into the humidifier to realize the recycling of moisture. It can not only effectively treat the steam and water generated by the separation ejector, but also does not need to provide too much water source for the humidifier. Description of the Drawings

[0021] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the performance test system of the fuel cell separation ejector in the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic test flow diagram of the performance test system and test method of the fuel cell separation ejector in the present invention;

[0024] In the figure, 1 - gas cylinder, 2 - first pressure reducing valve, 3 - electromagnetic proportional valve, 4 - first temperature sensor, 5 - first mass flowmeter, 6 - check valve, 7 - first pressure sensor, 8 - separation ejector, 9 - second pressure sensor, 10 - second temperature sensor, 11 - second mass flowmeter, 12 - humidifier, 13 - first humidity sensor, 14 - heater, 15 - third temperature sensor, 16 - second pressure reducing valve, 17 - third pressure sensor, 18 - three - way valve, 19 - third mass flowmeter, 20 - fine - tuning valve, 21 - second humidity sensor, 22 - fourth temperature sensor, 23 - volume flowmeter, 24 - fourth pressure sensor, 25 - manual valve, 26 - water storage tank, 27 - liquid level sensor, 28 - water pump, 29 - simulated fuel cell stack system, 30 - front - test unit, 31 - rear - test unit, 32 - gas supply unit. Detailed implementation manners

[0025] The following will specifically describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings form a part of this application and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the principles of the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0026] A performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector relate to the technical field of fuel cells. This test system uses a simulated fuel cell stack to test a specialized separation ejector, which can effectively avoid damage to the fuel cell stack during use. Adding the fuel cell stack for testing later can reduce the test cost and protect the test device. In addition, this system and method can more realistically simulate the internal environment changes of the fuel cell stack, making the measurement results more accurate.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a performance test system and test method for a fuel cell separation ejector in this embodiment include a separation ejector. The separation ejector includes: a housing and a steam - water separation component and an ejector component arranged in the housing; the steam - water separation component includes a first separation chamber, a second separation chamber and a reservoir that are interconnected. A baffle for separating liquid water is provided in the first separation chamber, and a swirl vane fixedly connected to the housing is provided in the second separation chamber. The swirl vane can drive the air flow to rotate; the reservoir is respectively connected to the lower parts of the first separation chamber and the second separation chamber for collecting liquid water; one end of the first separation chamber is provided with an air inlet communicating with the outside, and one end of the second separation chamber is provided with a communication port, and the communication port is connected to the ejector component. The ejector component can guide the secondary air flow from the communication port to the fuel cell. The injection port is used to input the primary air flow, the air inlet is used to input the secondary air flow, the drain port is used to discharge the steam - water mixture, and the diffuser chamber is directly docked with the simulated fuel cell stack system of the fuel cell.

[0028] A performance test system for a fuel cell separation ejector further includes a gas circulation pipeline and a water circulation pipeline. The gas circulation pipeline includes an input port, a front test unit 30, a simulated fuel cell system 29, a rear test unit 31, and an output port that are connected in sequence from beginning to end; the input port is connected to the diffuser chamber, and the output port is connected to the intake port. The front test unit 30 and the rear test unit 31 can test the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate of the gas to obtain the working performance of the separation ejector 8. The simulated fuel cell system 29 includes a humidifier 12 for increasing humidity and a fine-tuning valve 20 for releasing hydrogen. The humidifier 12 can increase the moisture in the pipeline to simulate the change in the humidity of the reaction gas during the operation of the fuel cell. The fine-tuning valve 20 can release hydrogen outward and can accurately control the gas consumption in the simulated fuel cell. Thus, the gas changes in the fuel cell can be simulated more comprehensively and meticulously to ensure that the test results are more accurate and effective.

[0029] Both ends of the water circulation pipeline are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier 12. The water discharged from the drain port can be input into the humidifier 12 to realize the recycling of moisture. It can not only effectively treat the steam-water generated by the separation ejector 8 but also does not need to provide too much water source for the humidifier 12.

[0030] During use, the gas output from the diffuser chamber of the separation ejector 8 first passes through the front test unit 30, and the front test unit 30 records the pressure, flow rate, and temperature of the gas. Then the gas enters the simulated fuel cell system 29. The humidifier 12 in the simulated fuel cell system 29 can simulate the humidity change of the fuel cell, and the fine-tuning valve 20 can simulate the gas consumption in the fuel cell. Next, the gas enters the rear test unit 31, and the rear test unit 31 can test the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate of the gas passing through the simulated fuel cell system 29. Finally, the gas is connected to the intake port through the output port and returns to the separation ejector 8. The steam-water discharged from the drain port enters the humidifier 12 for reuse.

[0031] The simulated stack system 29 further includes a heater 14, a second pressure reducing valve 16, a three-way valve 18, and a third mass flow meter 19 that are connected in sequence. The heater 14 is specifically a PTC heater, which can heat the gas to simulate the gas heating inside the fuel cell stack. Adjusting the second pressure reducing valve 16 can change the pressure difference on both sides of the second pressure reducing valve 16 to simulate the pressure drop of the fuel cell stack. Both ends of the humidifier 12 are connected to the pre-test unit 30 and the heater 14 through pipelines. The fine adjustment valve 20 is connected to the third mass flow meter 19. The third mass flow meter 19 can monitor the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the fine adjustment valve 20. The fine adjustment valve 20 is specifically a needle valve, and the valve flap of the needle valve is needle-shaped and acts along the fluid movement direction to change the cross-sectional area of the flow passage to cut off or adjust the flow rate. As a further implementation method, a first humidity sensor 13 is provided between the humidifier 12 and the heater 14, a third temperature sensor 15 is provided between the heater 14 and the second pressure reducing valve 16, and a third pressure sensor 17 is provided between the pressure reducing valve 16 and the three-way valve 18. The first humidity sensor 13 can monitor the operation of the humidifier 12 and detect changes in gas humidity. The third temperature sensor 15 can monitor the operation of the heater 14 and monitor the temperature of the gas in the pipeline in real time. The third pressure sensor 17 can measure the gas pressure before passing through the second pressure reducing valve 16.

[0032] The pre-test unit 30 includes a second pressure sensor 9, a second temperature sensor 10, and a second mass flow meter 11 that are connected to each other through pipelines. The second pressure sensor 9 can measure the pressure of the gas before passing through the simulated stack system 29. The second temperature sensor 10 can measure the temperature of the gas before passing through the simulated stack system 29. The second mass flow meter 11 can measure the mass flow rate of the gas before passing through the simulated stack system 29.

[0033] The post-test unit 31 includes a second humidity sensor 21, a fourth temperature sensor 22, a volume flow meter 23, and a fourth pressure sensor 24 that are connected to each other through pipelines. The second humidity sensor 21 can measure the humidity of the gas after passing through the simulated stack system 29. The fourth temperature sensor 22 can measure the temperature of the gas after passing through the simulated stack system 29. The volume flow meter 23 can measure the volume flow rate of the gas after passing through the simulated stack system 29. The fourth pressure sensor 24 can measure the pressure of the gas after passing through the simulated stack system 29.

[0034] A manual valve 25 for controlling the opening and closing of the gas circulation pipeline is provided between the output port and the post-test unit 31. After the manual valve 25 and the fine-tuning valve 20 are closed, the entire gas circulation pipeline can be detected for leaks. A water storage tank 26, a liquid level sensor 27, and a water pump 28 are provided on the water circulation pipeline. Both ends of the water storage tank 26 are communicated with the drain port and the humidifier 12 through pipelines respectively. The liquid level sensor 27 is arranged on the water storage tank 26, and the water pump 28 is arranged on the pipeline between the humidifier 12 and the water storage tank 26. Under the action of the water pump 28, the liquid in the water storage tank 26 can be pumped into the humidifier 12, and the liquid level sensor 27 can monitor the water storage tank 26 to avoid overflow of the water storage tank 26.

[0035] A gas supply unit 32 is connected to the primary air inlet of the separation ejector 8. The gas supply unit 32 includes a gas cylinder 1, a first pressure reducing valve 2, an electromagnetic proportional valve 3, and a check valve 6 that are connected in sequence through pipelines. The check valve 6 is connected to the primary air inlet through a pipeline. The electromagnetic proportional valve 3 can adjust the gas supply amount by controlling the opening degree, and adjusting the first pressure reducing valve 2 can change the gas pressure entering the primary air inlet of the separation ejector 8. As a further implementation, a first temperature sensor 4, a first mass flow meter 5, and a first pressure sensor 7 are provided on the pipeline of the gas supply unit 32. The first temperature sensor 4 can measure the temperature in the pipeline of the gas supply unit 32, and the first mass flow meter 5 can measure the mass flow in the pipeline of the gas supply unit 32. The first pressure sensor 7 is arranged between the first pressure reducing valve 2 and the separation ejector 8, and the first pressure sensor 7 can measure the gas pressure processed by the first pressure reducing valve 2. It should be noted that a gas cylinder valve is provided on the gas cylinder 1 to prevent the gas pressure from being too high and adjust the pressure and flow rate.

[0036] A test method for a performance test system of a fuel cell separation ejector uses the opening and closing degrees of the first pressure reducing valve 2 and the second pressure reducing valve 16 to simulate the pressure change inside the fuel cell stack. The pressure reducing valve can change the pressure on both sides of the valve body to simulate the gas pressure change input into the stack through the separation ejector 8. The fine-tuning valve 20 is adjusted to control the opening size of the fine-tuning valve 20, so as to output gas to the outside to simulate the hydrogen consumption in the stack. The heater 14 releases heat to heat the gas in the pipeline to simulate the gas heating inside the stack. Finally, by measuring the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate under various working conditions, the true working performance of the separation ejector 8 is obtained.

[0037] The working process is as follows:

[0038] (1) Determine the target pressure of the first pressure sensor, the target hydrogen consumption of the stack, and the target pressure drop according to the power point of the tested stack.

[0039] (2) During the test, first fix the opening degree of the electromagnetic proportional valve 3, adjust the first pressure reducing valve 2 until the reading of the first pressure sensor 7 reaches the required target pressure, and record the readings of the third pressure sensor 17, the fourth pressure sensor 24, and the second mass flowmeter 11.

[0040] (3) Calculate the actual hydrogen consumption and pressure drop of the fuel cell stack under this working condition according to the data measured by the second mass flowmeter 11 and the third pressure sensor 17. Adjust the needle valve opening degree of the fine adjustment valve 20 so that the discharged gas is equal to the target hydrogen consumption of the stack, and adjust the second pressure reducing valve 16 so that the difference between the third pressure sensor 17 and the fourth pressure sensor 24 is the target pressure drop of the fuel cell stack.

[0041] (4) According to the hydrogen flow rate requirements at the air inlet for different stack powers, control the opening degree of the proportional valve to conduct tests at different stack powers. Record the gas humidity measured by the second humidity sensor 21, denoted as Rh, the temperature measured by the fourth temperature sensor 22, denoted as t4, the mass flow rates per unit time measured by the first mass flowmeter 5 and the second mass flowmeter 11, denoted as Q1 and Q2 respectively, and the volume flow rate per unit time measured by the volume flowmeter 23, denoted as Q3. The liquid level sensor 27 measures the change in the liquid level of the water storage tank 26 per unit time, denoted as ht. The separation efficiency α = S * ht / (Rh * Mt4 * Q3), where S is the bottom area of the water storage tank 26, and Mt4 is the water content of saturated humid air at the temperature t4. The entrainment coefficient ω = (Q2 - Q1) / Q1. The two performance parameters of the steam-water separation efficiency and the entrainment coefficient of the separation and entrainment device 8 can be calculated according to the above method.

[0042] As described above, it is only the preferred specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A performance test system for a fuel cell separating ejector, comprising a separating ejector, wherein the separating ejector includes an injection port for inputting a primary air flow, an air inlet for inputting a secondary air flow, a drain port for discharging steam and water, and a diffuser chamber, and is characterized in that, It also includes: A gas circulation pipeline, which includes an input port, a front test unit, a simulated stack system, a rear test unit, and an output port that are connected in sequence from start to end; the input port is connected to the diffuser chamber, and the output port is connected to the intake port; the simulated stack system includes a humidifier for increasing the humidity of hydrogen inside the simulated stack and a fine-tuning valve for releasing hydrogen, and the humidifier and the fine-tuning valve are respectively connected to pipelines; the front test unit and the rear test unit can test the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate of the gas. The injection port is connected to a gas supply unit, which includes a gas cylinder, a first pressure reducing valve, an electromagnetic proportional valve, a first mass flow meter, and a check valve that are connected in sequence through pipelines, and the check valve is connected to the injection port through a pipeline. A water circulation pipeline, with both ends of which are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier. A water storage tank, a water pump, and a liquid level sensor are provided on the water circulation pipeline. Both ends of the water storage tank are respectively connected to the drain port and the humidifier through pipelines. The water pump is arranged between the water storage tank and the humidifier, and the liquid level sensor is arranged on the water storage tank. The front test unit includes a second pressure sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a second mass flow meter that are connected to each other through pipelines. The rear test unit includes a second humidity sensor, a fourth temperature sensor, a volume flow meter, and a fourth pressure sensor that are connected to each other through pipelines. A manual valve for controlling the opening and closing of the gas circulation pipeline is provided between the output port and the rear test unit. After the manual valve and the fine-tuning valve are closed, it is used to detect whether there is leakage in the entire gas circulation pipeline. During the test, different power levels of the fuel cell stack were tested by controlling the opening of the proportional valve, and the gas humidity measured by the second humidity sensor was recorded. Rh , the temperature measured by the fourth temperature sensor t4 , the mass flow rate per unit time measured by the first mass flow meter and the second mass flow meter Q1 and Q2 , the volume flow rate per unit time measured by the volume flow meter Q3， The liquid level sensor measures the change in the liquid level of the water storage tank per unit time ht , the separation efficiency of the separation ejector α = S * ht / (Rh * Mt4 * Q3) , where S is the bottom area of the water storage tank, Mt4 is t4 the water content of saturated humid air at the temperature; Ejector coefficient of the separating ejector ω = (Q2 - Q1) / Q1 。 2. The performance testing system of a fuel cell separation ejector according to claim 1, wherein The simulated stack system also includes a heater, a second pressure reducing valve, a three-way valve, and a third mass flow meter that are connected in sequence. Both ends of the humidifier are respectively connected to the front test unit and the heater through pipelines. The fine-tuning valve is connected to the third mass flow meter, and the third channel of the three-way valve is connected to the rear test unit.

3. The performance test system of a fuel cell separation ejector according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first humidity sensor is provided between the humidifier and the heater, a third temperature sensor is provided between the heater and the second pressure reducing valve, and a third pressure sensor is provided between the second pressure reducing valve and the three-way valve.

4. The performance testing system of a fuel cell separation ejector according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first temperature sensor and a first pressure sensor are provided on the pipeline of the gas supply unit.

5. The test method of the performance test system according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The opening and closing degrees of the first pressure reducing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are used to simulate the pressure change inside the fuel cell stack, the opening size of the fine-tuning valve is used to simulate the gas consumption, and the heater is used to simulate the temperature change inside the stack, so as to realize the performance test of the separating ejector under different working conditions; then the working performance of the separating ejector is obtained through the temperature, pressure, humidity, and flow rate under each working condition.

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