A fuel cell based test apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of clean energy, in particular to a testing device and method based on fuel cell. One testing device based on fuel cell, characterized in that, comprising: a power supply unit, used to output a direct current testing voltage, the direct current testing voltage outputted by the power supply unit matches a measured working voltage of a measured stack, the value of the internal resistance of the power supply unit is at least 100 times of the value of the measured working voltage; the measured stack, two ends of the measured stack are connected to two ends of the power supply unit respectively to form a testing loop; a testing device, connected to the measured stack in parallel, used to obtain the working state of the measured stack under the action of the direct current testing voltage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of clean energy testing technology, and specifically to a testing device and method based on fuel cells. Background Technology

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is a power generation device that directly converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. Specifically, hydrogen is delivered to the anode (negative electrode) of the fuel cell. Through the action of a catalyst (platinum), an electron is separated from the hydrogen atom. The hydrogen ion (proton), having lost its electron, passes through the proton exchange membrane and reaches the cathode (positive electrode). Electrons, however, cannot pass through the proton exchange membrane and must reach the cathode via an external circuit, thus generating current in the external circuit. Upon reaching the cathode, the proton recombines with oxygen atoms and hydrogen ions to form water. Since the oxygen supplied to the cathode can be obtained from the air, as long as hydrogen is continuously supplied to the anode and air to the cathode, and water (vapor) is promptly removed, electrical energy can be continuously provided. Hydrogen fuel cells can be applied in automobiles, aircraft, and other devices. Before the gas is switched on, a connection test of the fuel cell stack is required. This test primarily determines whether there are any abnormalities such as short circuits or open circuits (poor soldering) in the stack. Short circuit and open circuit tests are typically performed using both high-voltage and low-voltage methods. High-voltage testing involves applying 400V to the fuel cell stack and reading data from each individual cell to determine if a short circuit or open circuit exists. High-voltage testing carries significant safety risks; for example, a short-circuited cell poses a serious personal safety risk to testing personnel. Furthermore, high voltage affects the distribution of hydrogen ions (protons) in the membrane electrode assembly, thus impacting the overall performance and lifespan of the fuel cell stack. Low-voltage testing typically applies 24V or 50V to the fuel cell stack. This relatively small voltage results in a lower voltage applied to each individual cell, leading to lower accuracy and making it difficult to accurately determine faults. Therefore, individual cells in the stack need to be tested separately, such as testing every three or five cells together. This method is less efficient and unsuitable for mass production testing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a fuel cell-based testing device and method, specifically:

[0004] On one hand, the present invention provides a fuel cell-based testing device, comprising:

[0005] A power supply unit is used to output a DC test voltage. The DC test voltage output by the power supply unit is matched with the operating voltage of a test stack. The internal resistance of the power supply unit is at least one hundred times that of the operating voltage under test.

[0006] The test stack is connected at both ends to the two ends of the power supply unit to form a test circuit.

[0007] The testing device is connected in parallel to the stack under test to obtain the operating status of the stack under test under the DC test voltage.

[0008] Preferably, in the above-mentioned fuel cell-based testing device, the power supply unit is formed by connecting several button cells in series, wherein the voltage of the button cells is 1.5V and the internal resistance is 15.7KΩ.

[0009] Preferably, the above-described fuel cell-based testing device further includes a control switch connected between the power supply unit and the fuel cell stack under test.

[0010] Preferably, in the above-mentioned fuel cell-based testing device, the fuel cell stack under test is formed by connecting at least two single cells in series, and each single cell is formed by stacking bipolar plates, a gas diffusion layer, and a membrane electrode layer in sequence.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-described fuel cell-based testing apparatus, a sealing ring is provided between the membrane electrode of the previous single cell and the bipolar plate of the next cell.

[0012] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a fuel cell-based testing method, comprising the fuel cell-based testing apparatus described in any of the preceding claims, and further comprising:

[0013] Under the condition that the test circuit of the fuel cell-based test device is formed, read the current test data in the test device;

[0014] Determine whether the test data matches the pre-made standard data;

[0015] When the test data matches the pre-set standard data, the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state; otherwise, it is in an abnormal state.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-described fuel cell-based testing method, before determining whether the test data matches pre-prepared standard data, the method further includes:

[0017] When the test data is the voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test, the standard data is the standard voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test.

[0018] In another aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the fuel cell-based testing method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0019] Finally, the present invention provides a computer program product, which includes computer-readable code or a readable storage medium carrying computer-readable code, wherein when the computer-readable code is run in a processor of an electronic device, the processor in the electronic device executes a test method based on a fuel cell as described in any of the above claims.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] In this invention, because a high-voltage, low-energy power supply is used, the internal resistance of the power supply unit is relatively large. When the power unit and the tested battery stack form a loop DC current, the loop DC current is relatively small. Schematic, the maximum loop DC current is 10mA, which is insensitive to the human body and fully complies with the safe DC current range. Furthermore, the high-voltage, low-energy power supply will not cause oxidation of the bipolar plates in the battery stack, nor will it cause electrochemical reactions inside the stack, thus ensuring the overall performance and lifespan of the battery stack. A 420V high voltage is uniformly applied to both ends of the tested battery stack, ensuring that each individual cell in the stack can obtain a identifiable voltage signal. If the voltage of a single cell is much less than 1V, it can be determined that the current single cell is in an open-circuit state. While ensuring the safety of the battery stack performance and the safety of the testing personnel, the entire battery stack can still be measured at once, resulting in relatively high testing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell-based testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a fuel cell-based testing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, in one aspect, the present invention provides a fuel cell-based testing device, comprising:

[0028] A power supply unit is used to output a DC test voltage. The DC test voltage output by the power supply unit is matched with the operating voltage of a test stack. The internal resistance of the power supply unit is at least 100 times the value of the operating voltage under test. Specifically, the matching relationship between the DC test voltage and the operating voltage under test of the test stack is approximately 1:1 to 1.05:1. Schematic, when the operating voltage under test is 400V, the DC test voltage can be 400V to 420V. When the operating voltage under test is 420V, the internal resistance of the power supply unit is 42000Ω.

[0029] The fuel cell stack under test is connected to the two ends of the power supply unit, respectively. Further, the fuel cell stack under test is formed by connecting at least two individual cells in series, each individual cell consisting of a bipolar plate, a gas diffusion layer, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) layer stacked sequentially. Further, in the aforementioned fuel cell-based testing device, a sealing ring is provided between the MEA of one individual cell and the bipolar plate of the next cell. Typically, the operating voltage of a single cell (a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell unit) is 0.8–0.97V. The fuel cell stack under test is formed by connecting several individual cells in series according to the required voltage of the test stack. For example, to form a fuel cell stack with an operating voltage of 400V, at least 410 individual cells need to be connected in series.

[0030] A testing device is connected in parallel to the stack under test (DUT) to acquire the operating status of the DUT under the influence of the DC test voltage. Further, the testing device can be a CVM testing device, powered by a 36V DC voltage, connected in parallel across the DUT to acquire the operating status of the DUT and feed this operating status back to a display device (e.g., a computer).

[0031] In this invention, the DC test voltage output by the power supply unit matches the operating voltage of the battery under test (BUT), and the internal resistance of the power supply unit is at least one hundred times greater than the operating voltage. Therefore, the power supply unit is a high-voltage, low-energy power source. The DC test voltage signal is applied across the BUT, and by testing the operating state across the BUT, it is possible to determine whether the BUT has experienced any abnormal conditions such as a short circuit or open circuit. Illustratively, when the circuit under test is open-circuited, the testing device cannot form a test loop. When the circuit under test is short-circuited, the voltage of a single cell in the BUT is low, or the average voltage of the cells in the BUT is high. Based on these characteristics of short circuits or open circuits, the operating state of the BUT can be accurately determined.

[0032] Because this application uses a high-voltage, low-energy power supply, the internal resistance of the power supply unit is relatively large. When the power unit and the tested battery stack form a loop DC current, the loop DC current is relatively small. Schematic, the maximum loop DC current is 10mA (420V / 42kΩ), which is insensitive to human sensitivity and fully complies with the safe DC current range. Furthermore, the high-voltage, low-energy power supply will not cause oxidation of the bipolar plates in the battery stack, nor will it cause electrochemical reactions inside the stack, thus ensuring the overall performance and lifespan of the battery stack. A uniform 420V high voltage is applied across the tested battery stack, ensuring that each individual cell in the stack can obtain a identifiable voltage signal (approximately 1V). If the voltage of a single cell is much less than 1V, it can be determined that the current single cell is in an open-circuit state. While ensuring the safety of the battery stack performance and the test personnel, the entire battery stack can still be measured at once, resulting in relatively high testing efficiency.

[0033] As a further preferred embodiment, in the aforementioned fuel cell-based testing device, the power supply unit is formed by several button cells connected in series. Each button cell has a voltage of 1.5V and an internal resistance of 15.7KΩ; for example, an A76 / LR44AG13 button cell. To generate a 420V DC test voltage, 280 button cells are needed connected in series to form the power supply unit, which has an internal resistance of 4396KΩ. This high internal resistance ensures that even with a 420V high voltage applied to the testing personnel, they will not experience any discomfort, thus guaranteeing their safety.

[0034] As a further preferred embodiment, the above-described fuel cell-based testing device further includes a control switch connected between the power unit and the fuel cell stack under test. This control switch is used to control the on / off state of the testing device. The inclusion of this control switch further ensures the safety of the entire test.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, on the other hand, the present invention further provides a fuel cell-based testing method, comprising the fuel cell-based testing apparatus described in any of the above claims, and further comprising:

[0037] Step S110: Under the condition that the test circuit of the fuel cell-based test device is formed, read the current test data in the test device;

[0038] Step S120: Determine whether the test data matches the pre-made standard data;

[0039] Step S130: When the test data matches the pre-prepared standard data state, the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state; otherwise, the tested fuel cell stack is in an abnormal state.

[0040] In the above testing method, by reading the current test data and comparing it with standard data, it can be determined whether the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state. The operation is relatively simple.

[0041] As a further preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned fuel cell-based testing method further includes, before step S120, determining whether the test data matches pre-prepared standard data:

[0042] Step S1101: When the test data is the voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test, the standard data is the standard voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test.

[0043] Schematic illustration: When a single cell has a short circuit, its voltage is close to 0V. Data from the CVM system indicates that this single cell is short-circuited. Alternatively, the short circuit can be identified by averaging the voltage across the remaining cells. For example, if one or several cells have a short circuit, the DC test voltage applied to the remaining cells will show a voltage difference from the standard voltage data, thus indicating a short circuit in the battery pack. The first method identifies the specific short-circuited cell, while the second method only confirms a short circuit in the battery pack. When a single cell has an open circuit, the loop current in the test circuit is zero.

[0044] Example 3

[0045] This application provides an electronic device. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides an electronic device, which includes: one or more processors; and a storage device for storing one or more programs, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors perform the following:

[0046] Under the condition that the test circuit of the fuel cell-based test device is formed, read the current test data in the test device;

[0047] Determine whether the test data matches the pre-made standard data;

[0048] When the test data matches the pre-set standard data, the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state; otherwise, it is in an abnormal state.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device includes a processor, a storage device, an input device, and an output device; the number of processors in the electronic device can be one or more. Figure 3 Taking a processor as an example; in electronic devices, the processor, storage device, input device, and output device can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 3 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0050] A storage device, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and module units.

[0051] The storage device may primarily include a stored program area and a stored data area. The stored program area may store the operating system and at least one application program required for a given function; the stored data area may store data created based on terminal usage. Furthermore, the storage device may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some instances, the storage device may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor, which can be connected via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0052] Input devices can be used to receive input numerical, character, or voice information, and to generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of electronic devices. Output devices may include displays, speakers, and other similar devices.

[0053] Example 4

[0054] In some embodiments, the methods described above can be implemented as a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions loaded thereon for performing various aspects of this disclosure. Specifically:

[0055] The computer-executable instructions are used to perform the following when executed by a computer processor:

[0056] Under the condition that the test circuit of the fuel cell-based test device is formed, read the current test data in the test device;

[0057] Determine whether the test data matches the pre-made standard data;

[0058] When the test data matches the pre-set standard data, the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state; otherwise, it is in an abnormal state.

[0059] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example, but not limited to, electrical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multifunction disc (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards or recessed protrusions storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable storage medium as used herein is not to be construed as a transient signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0060] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from computer-readable storage media to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded via a network, such as the Internet, local area network, wide area network, and / or wireless network, to an external computer or external storage device. The network may include copper cables, fiber optic cables, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards them to computer-readable storage media within the respective computing / processing device.

[0061] Computer program instructions used to perform the operations of this disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​and conventional procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on a user's computer, partially on a user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on a user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), is personalized by utilizing the status information of the computer-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0062] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0063] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0064] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of devices, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0065] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A fuel cell-based testing device, characterized in that, include: A power supply unit is used to output a DC test voltage. The DC test voltage output by the power supply unit is matched with the test operating voltage of a test stack. The internal resistance of the power supply unit is at least 100 times the value of the test operating voltage. The maximum DC current in the circuit is 10mA. The internal resistance is in ohms and the test operating voltage is in volts. The test stack is connected at both ends to the two ends of the power supply unit to form a test circuit. The testing device is connected in parallel to the stack under test to obtain the operating status of the stack under test under the DC test voltage.

2. The fuel cell-based testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply unit is formed by connecting several button batteries in series. The button batteries have a voltage of 1.5V and an internal resistance of 15.7KΩ.

3. The fuel cell-based testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a control switch connected between the power supply unit and the stack under test.

4. The fuel cell-based testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stack under test is formed by connecting at least two single cells in series, and each single cell is formed by stacking bipolar plates, a gas diffusion layer, and a membrane electrode layer in sequence.

5. The fuel cell-based testing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, A sealing ring is placed between the membrane electrode of the previous single cell and the bipolar plate of the next cell.

6. A test method based on fuel cells, characterized in that, The fuel cell-based testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further includes: Under the condition that the test circuit of the fuel cell-based test device is formed, read the current test data in the test device; Determine whether the test data matches the pre-made standard data; When the test data matches the pre-set standard data, the tested fuel cell stack is in a normal state; otherwise, it is in an abnormal state.

7. The fuel cell-based testing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before determining whether the test data matches the pre-set standard data, the following steps are also included: When the test data is the voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test, the standard data is the standard voltage data of each single cell in the current stack under test.

8. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the fuel cell-based testing method as described in any one of claims 6 to 7.

9. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer-readable code, or a readable storage medium carrying computer-readable code, wherein when the computer-readable code is run in a processor of an electronic device, the processor in the electronic device executes a test method based on a fuel cell as described in any one of claims 6 to 7.

Images