Fastening tie rods, fuel cell stacks, fuel cell modules and vehicles

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fastening rod, a fuel cell stack, a fuel cell module and a vehicle, which improve the versatility of parts, can meet the fastening height of the stack required for various power, provide a variety of power options and reduce costs. The fastening rod is used to connect the blind end plate assembly and the intake end plate of the fuel cell. The fastening rod is a length-adjustable structure, including a first rod and a second rod. The first rod and the second rod at least partially overlap and are detachably connected. By setting the adjustment gear of the fastening rod, the optional fastening length of the fastening rod is determined. The fastening lengths of different gears correspond to stacks of different heights and also correspond to different numbers of core cells, thereby corresponding to different stack powers, so that a set of stack parts can be universally used to meet different power requirements and match the fastening height of the stack with different power requirements, which is beneficial to the cost control of the stack and improves the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a fastening rod, a fuel cell stack, a fuel cell module and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a power generation device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. It has the advantages of low operating temperature, fast startup, high specific power, simple structure and easy operation. Therefore, fuel cells are widely used in the automotive industry, energy generation, shipbuilding industry, aerospace, household power supply and other industries.

[0003] Fuel cells are developing rapidly, and the power requirements in the market vary. At the same time, high cost is one of the important obstacles to the promotion of fuel cell stacks. In order to meet market demand, it is necessary to provide a variety of power options and reduce costs, but current fuel cells cannot meet market demand. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a tightening rod, a fuel cell stack, a fuel cell module and a vehicle, which can improve the versatility of parts to match the tightening height of the stack with different power requirements.

[0005] The solution for achieving the technical purpose of the present invention is a fastening rod for connecting the blind end plate assembly and the intake end plate of the fuel cell. The fastening rod is a length-adjustable structure, including a first rod and a second rod. The first rod and the second rod at least partially overlap and are detachably connected.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first pull rod and the second pull rod are positioned and connected via a positioning structure, and the first pull rod and / or the second pull rod are provided with at least two connection positions for installing the positioning structure; the at least two connection positions are spaced apart along the length direction of the first pull rod / the second pull rod.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first pull rod and the second pull rod are both provided with positioning holes; and / or, the first pull rod and the second pull rod are provided with matching positioning platforms and positioning holes;

[0008] The positioning structure is a positioning pin and / or the positioning platform; the positioning hole constitutes the connecting position, and the positioning platform / the positioning pin is arranged in the positioning hole.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first pull rod and the second pull rod each include a pull rod body and a connecting portion connected to one end of the pull rod body; the connecting portion includes an end plate connecting portion for connecting to an end plate and a body connecting portion for connecting to the pull rod body, and the body connecting portion is arranged at an angle to the pull rod body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pull rod body includes a connected limiting portion and a docking portion, the body connecting portion is connected to the limiting portion, and the connecting position is arranged at the docking portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the docking portion of the first pull rod is a flat plate; the docking portion of the second pull rod is a plate with an L-shaped cross section, and the docking portion of the first pull rod is disposed in an L-shaped groove of the L-shaped plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the limiting portion of the first pull rod has the same structure as the limiting portion of the second pull rod; the width of the limiting portion is the same as the width of the docking portion of the second pull rod; the thickness of the limiting portion is the same as the thickness of the docking portion of the second pull rod;

[0013] The cross-sectional dimension of the butt joint portion of the first pull rod matches the L-shaped groove of the butt joint portion of the first pull rod.

[0014] In some embodiments, the fastening rod further includes an insulating support member; and a limiting structure is provided on the fastening rod and / or the insulating support member.

[0015] In some embodiments, the insulating support has a recessed groove for accommodating the fastening pull rod; a limiting hole is provided on the groove surface of the recessed groove;

[0016] The positioning platform / positioning pin of the fastening pull rod and the limiting hole constitute the limiting structure; and / or, a limiting platform matching the limiting hole is provided on the lower surface of one of the first pull rod and the second pull rod that is closer to the insulating support member, and the limiting platform and the limiting hole constitute the limiting structure.

[0017] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a fuel cell stack, comprising:

[0018] The stack body comprises a blind end plate assembly, a blind end current collecting plate, a stack core, an air inlet current collecting plate and an air inlet end plate which are sequentially arranged along a stacking direction;

[0019] A fastening assembly, comprising at least two fastening rods, wherein the first rod and the second rod of the fastening rods are respectively connected to the blind end plate assembly and the air intake end plate;

[0020] The core equivalent body is clamped in the stack body and located on at least one side of the core along the stacking direction to cooperate with the fastening assembly to adjust the height of the fuel cell stack.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the core equivalent includes at least one equivalent part.

[0022] In certain embodiments, the equivalent part is a conductive part, and the equivalent part matches the shape of the bipolar plate of the core, and the equivalent part is arranged on a side of the air intake collecting plate and / or the blind end collecting plate close to the core.

[0023] In certain embodiments, the equivalents include bipolar plate equivalents and / or membrane electrode equivalents.

[0024] In some embodiments, the equivalent part is an insulating part, and the equivalent part is arranged on a side of the air inlet collecting plate and / or the blind end collecting plate away from the core.

[0025] In some embodiments, the core equivalent body includes at least two equivalent parts, and a sealing ring is provided between two adjacent equivalent parts and between the equivalent part and the core equivalent body.

[0026] In certain embodiments, under the condition that the fastening force is applied by the fastening assembly, the thickness of the core equivalent is an integer multiple of the thickness of a single cell of the core.

[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the equivalent parts is provided with a weight-reducing hole.

[0028] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a fuel cell module, including the above-mentioned fuel cell stack.

[0029] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a vehicle, comprising the above-mentioned fuel cell stack; or, the above-mentioned fuel cell module.

[0030] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the fastening rod provided by the present invention is used to connect the blind end plate assembly and the intake end plate of the fuel cell. The fastening rod is a structure with adjustable length, including a first rod and a second rod. The first rod and the second rod at least partially overlap and are detachably connected. By setting the adjustment gear of the fastening rod, the optional fastening length of the fastening rod is determined. The fastening lengths of different gears correspond to battery stacks of different heights and also correspond to different numbers of single cells in the core, thereby corresponding to different battery stack powers. The fastening of the fastening rod can be universally used for fastening of battery stack modules with different power designs, so that a set of battery stack parts can meet different power requirements and match the fastening height of battery stacks with different power requirements, which is beneficial to the cost control of the battery stack and improves the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power battery stack.

[0031] A fuel cell stack provided by the present invention includes a stack body, a fastening assembly and a core equivalent, wherein: the stack body includes a blind end plate assembly, a blind end current collecting plate, a core, an air intake end current collecting plate and an air intake end plate arranged in sequence along the stacking direction; the fastening assembly includes at least two of the above-mentioned fastening rods, the first and second fastening rods of the fastening rods are detachably connected at the proximal ends, and the distal ends are respectively connected to the blind end plate assembly and the air intake end plate, so as to adapt to the height requirements of the stack with different power requirements, so as to meet the fastening height of the stack with different power requirements. Due to the limited length adjustment of the fastening rods, it is impossible to achieve multi-gear adjustment, the core equivalent is clamped in the stack body and located on at least one side of the core along the stacking direction, so as to cooperate with the fastening assembly to adjust the height of the fuel cell stack, and the thickness of the core equivalent is selected according to the power requirements during the press-fitting process, which can greatly improve the commonality rate of parts, reduce the cost of the stack, and is conducive to improving the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A front view of a fastening rod provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the fastening tie rod in FIG.

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A rear view of the fastening tie rod in FIG.

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A front view of the first tie rod of the middle fastening tie rod;

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A top view of the first tie rod in FIG.

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A rear view of the first tie rod in FIG.

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A right side view of the first tie rod in FIG.

[0039] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A front view of the second tie rod of the middle fastening tie rod;

[0040] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A top view of the second tie rod in FIG.

[0041] Fig.10 for Figure 8 A rear view of the second tie rod in FIG.

[0042] Fig.11 for Figure 8 A left view of the second tie rod in FIG.

[0043] Fig.12 for Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a positioning structure for a fastening pull rod;

[0044] Fig.13 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of assembling the first pull rod and the second pull rod with the insulating support member;

[0045] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fuel cell stack provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0046] Fig.15 for Fig.14 A left side view of a fuel cell stack in FIG.

[0047] Fig.16 A structural block diagram of a fuel cell module provided in Example 3 of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.17 This is a structural block diagram of a vehicle provided in Example 4 of the present invention.

[0049] Description of the drawings: 100 - fastening rod, 110 - first rod, 120 - second rod, 130 - positioning hole, 140 - positioning pin, 150 - rod body, 151 - limiting part, 152 - docking part, 153 - limiting platform, 160 - connecting part, 161 - end plate connecting part, 162 - body connecting part, 170 - insulating support member;

[0050] 200 - fuel cell stack, 210 - blind end plate assembly, 220 - blind end current collecting plate, 230 - core, 240 - air inlet current collecting plate, 250 - air inlet end plate; 260 - core equivalent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to enable technicians in the technical field to which the present application belongs to understand the present application more clearly, the technical solution of the present application is described in detail below through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Fuel cells are developing rapidly, and the power requirements in the market vary. At the same time, high cost is one of the important obstacles to the promotion of fuel cell stacks. In order to meet the needs of the market, the present invention provides a tightening rod, a fuel cell stack, a fuel cell module and a vehicle, which improves the versatility of parts, can meet the high tightening requirements of stacks with various power requirements, provide a variety of power options and reduce costs. The following four specific embodiments are provided to introduce the contents of the present invention in detail:

[0053] Example 1

[0054] like Figure 1-Figure 13 As shown, this embodiment provides a fastening rod 100 for connecting the blind end plate assembly 210 and the intake end plate 250 of the fuel cell. The fastening rod 100 is a length-adjustable structure, including a first rod 110 and a second rod 120. The first rod 110 and the second rod 120 at least partially overlap and are detachably connected. By setting the adjustment gear of the fastening rod 100, the optional fastening length of the fastening rod 100 is determined. The fastening lengths of different gears correspond to different heights of the battery stack and also correspond to different numbers of single cells in the core 230, thereby corresponding to different battery stack powers. The fastening of the fastening rod 100 can be universally used for fastening of battery stack modules with different power designs, so that a set of battery stack parts can meet different power requirements and match the fastening heights of battery stacks with different power requirements, which is beneficial to the cost control of the battery stack and improves the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power battery stack.

[0055] The present embodiment does not specifically limit the detachable connection structure of the first tie rod 110 and the second tie rod 120. In some embodiments, the first tie rod 110 and the second tie rod 120 can be connected by threads, and the length of the fastening tie rod 100 can be adjusted by changing the length of the threaded engagement. The spiral connection method can achieve better stepless adjustment and can be more adaptable to battery stacks with different height requirements and power requirements, but it is necessary to measure the length of the fastening tie rod 100, which is relatively complicated during assembly. And because the adjustment method of the threaded connection requires relative rotation, the rotation position cannot be guaranteed, which may affect the connection with the blind end plate assembly 210 and the intake end plate 250. In the threaded connection scheme, the ends of the first tie rod 110 and the second tie rod 120 used to connect the end plate of the battery stack can be designed as cylindrical ends, and a corresponding mounting position for accommodating the cylindrical end is set on the end plate, and a threaded hole is concentrically set on the end face of the cylindrical end along the axis and the end plate is connected by bolts.

[0056] Since the design values ​​of power, number of single cells and stack height are preliminarily determined during the design of the fuel cell stack 200, in order to facilitate the universal design of the fastening rod 100 for the fuel cell stack 200 with different design values, and at the same time to simplify the structure of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120, while realizing the connection of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 at different positions, the connection position of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 is fixed to ensure the connection between the fastening rod 100 and the corresponding intake end plate 250 and the blind end plate assembly 210. As a preferred embodiment, the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 are positioned and connected by a positioning structure, and the first rod 110 and / or the second rod 120 are provided with at least two connection positions for installing the positioning structure; the at least two connection positions are spaced apart along the length direction of the first rod 110 / the second rod 120 so as to adjust the length of the fastening rod 100 together with the positioning structure.

[0057] The present embodiment does not specifically limit the positioning structure and the connection position. The positioning structure may be a part of the fastening rod 100 or an independent positioning member; the connection position may be a plain hole, a threaded hole or a butt edge for welding.

[0058] In some embodiments, in order to simplify the difficulty of detachable connection, a positioning hole 130 is provided on the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120, and the positioning hole 130 is a light hole and the positioning hole 130 constitutes a connection position. In this case, the positioning structure can be a positioning pin 140, and the positioning pin 140 can be selectively set in the positioning hole 130. Then, at least one positioning hole 130 needs to be provided on the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120, and the total number of positioning holes 130 on the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 is not less than three, so as to achieve at least two gear length adjustment options. The positioning structure can also be a positioning platform integrally formed on the first pull rod 110 and / or the second pull rod 120, and the other one is correspondingly provided with a positioning hole 130 matching the positioning platform. That is, a positioning platform may be provided on the first tie rod 110 / the second tie rod 120, and a positioning hole 130 may be provided on the second tie rod 120 / the first tie rod 110, or both a positioning platform and a positioning hole 130 may be provided on the first tie rod 110 and the second tie rod 120, and multi-stage length adjustment may be achieved by matching the spacing.

[0059] In some embodiments, two positioning structures, the positioning platform and the positioning pin 140, may also exist at the same time, and each positioning hole 130 can selectively accommodate one of the positioning platform and the positioning pin 140. For example, a positioning platform and a positioning hole 130 are arranged at intervals on the first pull rod 110, and two positioning holes 130 are arranged at equal intervals on the second pull rod 120. Under the first longer length specification, the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 are only positioned and connected through the positioning platform and the positioning hole 130. Under the second shorter length specification, the overlapping part of the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 increases, and at this time, they are connected to the corresponding positioning holes 130 respectively through the positioning platform and the positioning pin 140.

[0060] It should be noted that, in the case where there are two connecting positions, one of the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 is provided with one or two positioning platforms, and the other one is provided with two positioning holes 130 at intervals.

[0061] The present embodiment does not limit the arrangement structure of the positioning hole 130. The positioning hole 130 can be a through hole or a blind hole, and can be adaptively adjusted according to actual conditions. In addition, the positioning hole 130 can be directly provided on the first pull rod 110 / the second pull rod 120, or can be provided on a boss integrally formed on the first pull rod 110 / the second pull rod 120.

[0062] In order to save space and ensure the overall strength of the fastening rod 100, preferably, the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 are stacked in the outward direction of the side of the fuel cell. In some embodiments, in order to ensure the creepage clearance between the rod and the fuel cell stack core 230 and ensure electrical safety, the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 each include a rod body 150 and a connecting portion 160 connected to one end of the rod body 150; the connecting portion 160 includes an end plate connecting portion 161 for connecting to the end plate and a body connecting portion 162 for connecting to the rod body 150, and the body connecting portion 162 is arranged at an angle to the rod body 150.

[0063] Since the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 can slide relative to each other when the positioning structure is not set in the connection position, in some embodiments, in order to limit the overlapping part of the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 and ensure that the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 do not exceed the set position, the pull rod body 150 includes a connected limiting portion 151 and a docking portion 152, the body connecting portion 162 is connected to the limiting portion 151, and the connection position is set at the docking portion 152.

[0064] The present embodiment does not specifically limit the structure and shape of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120. In some implementations, in order to further ensure the relative position of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 and facilitate adjustment and alignment of the positioning structure with the connection position, the docking portion 152 of the first rod 110 may be a flat plate; the docking portion 152 of the second rod 120 may be a plate with an L-shaped cross-section, and the docking portion 152 of the first rod 110 is disposed in the L-shaped groove of the L-shaped plate to guide relative movement.

[0065] In other embodiments, the butting portions 152 of the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 may both be plates with an L-shaped cross section, and the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 are disposed in opposite L-shaped grooves.

[0066] In other embodiments, the butting portions 152 of the first pull rod 110 and the second pull rod 120 may both be flat plates.

[0067] In some embodiments, in order to ensure the connection strength while controlling the volume of the fastening rod 100, the limiting portion 151 of the first rod 110 has the same structure as the limiting portion 151 of the second rod 120; and the width of the limiting portion 151 is the same as the width of the docking portion 152 of the second rod 120; the thickness of the limiting portion 151 is the same as the thickness of the docking portion 152 of the second rod 120; the cross-sectional size of the docking portion 152 of the first rod 110 matches the L-shaped groove of the docking portion 152 of the first rod 110.

[0068] In certain embodiments, in order to control the volume-to-power ratio of the fuel cell stack and make the fastening rod 100 have better strength, preferably, when the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 are overlapped and connected, the limiting portion 151 of the first rod 110, the limiting portion 151 of the second rod 120 and the docking portion 152 of the second rod 120 are parallel and coplanar.

[0069] In some embodiments, in order to ensure insulation between the core 230 and the tie rod, and at the same time provide support for the core 230 to prevent the core 230 from collapsing when the fuel cell stack is in use, the fastening rod 100 also includes an insulating support 170; the fastening rod 100 and / or the insulating support 170 are provided with a limiting structure for limiting the relative movement of the fastening rod 100 and the insulating support 170.

[0070] The present embodiment does not specifically limit the limiting structure, and the existing positioning structure and connection position of the fastening rod 100 can be used, or another limiting structure can be set. In some embodiments, the insulating support 170 has a sink for accommodating the fastening rod 100, and the fastening rod 100 is placed in the sink as a whole, and the groove wall of the sink contacts at least one of the first rod 110 and the second rod 120.

[0071] As an implementation mode, a limiting hole may be provided on the groove surface of the sink, and the positioning platform / positioning pin 140 of the fastening rod 100 is provided in the limiting hole and the positioning hole 130 of the fastening rod 100 at the same time, and the positioning platform / positioning pin 140 and the limiting hole together constitute a limiting structure.

[0072] In some embodiments, a limiting platform 153 matching the limiting hole may be provided on the lower surface of one of the first and second pull rods 110 and 120 closer to the insulating support member 170 , and the limiting platform 153 and the limiting hole constitute a limiting structure.

[0073] The tightening rod 100 provided in this embodiment has different length adjustment positions. The tightening lengths of different positions correspond to battery stacks of different heights and also correspond to different numbers of single cells in the core 230, thereby corresponding to different battery stack powers. The tightening rod 100 can be universally used for tightening battery stack modules with different power designs, so that a set of battery stack parts can meet different power requirements and match the tightening heights of battery stacks with different power requirements, which is beneficial to the cost control of the battery stack and improves the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power battery stack.

[0074] Example 2

[0075] like Figure 14-15 As shown, based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment provides a fuel cell stack 200 including a stack body, a fastening assembly and a core equivalent 260, wherein: the stack body includes a blind end plate assembly 210, a blind end current collecting plate 220, a core 230, an air intake end current collecting plate 240 and an air intake end plate 250 arranged in sequence along the stacking direction; the fastening assembly includes at least two of the above-mentioned fastening rods 100, and the first rod 110 and the second rod 120 of the fastening rod 100 are detachably connected at the proximal end and are respectively connected to the blind end plate assembly 210 and the air intake end plate 250 at the distal end, so as to adapt to the height requirements of the stack with different power requirements, so as to meet the fastening height of the stack with different power requirements. Due to the limited length adjustment of the fastening rod 100, multi-level adjustment cannot be achieved. The core equivalent body 260 is clamped in the stack body and is located on at least one side of the core 230 along the stacking direction to cooperate with the fastening assembly to adjust the height of the fuel cell stack 200. The thickness of the core equivalent body 260 is selected according to power requirements during the pressing process, which can greatly improve the commonality of parts, reduce the cost of the stack, and is beneficial to improving the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack.

[0076] The fuel cell stack 200 provided in this embodiment, when having the fastening rod 100 of embodiment 1, can be applied to the assembly and production of fuel cell stacks 200 with different powers, different numbers of single cells and different heights through preset adjustable length gears. However, when the length adjustment of the fastening rod 100 is realized by adopting a positioning structure, the adjustable length of the fastening rod 100 is only a few fixed preset lengths, so that it can only be applied to the assembly of a certain power stack body corresponding to the height matching the preset length of the fastening rod 100. In order to further meet the production of fuel cell stacks 200 with various height requirements and power requirements, the present application adds a core equivalent body 260 that cooperates with the fastening rod 100 to the fuel cell stack 200, so that the fastening rod 100 under a certain preset length can be fastened and pressed into stacks with different power requirements, greatly improving the commonality rate of parts and reducing the cost of the stack.

[0077] This embodiment does not impose any specific limitation on the specific structure and setting position of the core equivalent body 260. The core equivalent body 260 can be an integral structure or a split structure, as long as the total thickness of the core equivalent body 260 meets the height adjustment requirements of fuel cell stacks of different powers, so as to cooperate with the tightening rod 100 to achieve height adjustment.

[0078] The present embodiment does not specifically limit the number of fastening rods 100 in the fastening assembly and the distribution positions of the fastening rods 100. The number of fastening rods 100 can be selected according to the fastening requirements of fuel cell stacks of different powers. The fastening rods 100 are distributed on at least two opposite sides of the fuel cell stack 200, and preferably at least on the two long side sides of the stack to meet most of the fastening and sealing requirements.

[0079] In order to better ensure fastening and press-fit sealing of the fuel cell stack 200 , in some embodiments, the fastening assembly includes at least four fastening units distributed on the long sides of the stack body.

[0080] In some embodiments, since the fastening rod 100 has good fastening performance and good rigidity and can provide most of the fastening force required by the fuel cell stack 200, the fastening assembly may also include steel belts arranged at both ends of the long side of the stack. Specifically, steel belts may be selectively arranged on the long side and / or short side of the intake end plate 250 and the blind end plate assembly 210 according to actual fastening requirements to assist in fastening. Through different fastening schemes, different sizes of fastening forces are provided in the middle and end plates of the stack to adapt to deformation and stress at different positions, thereby balancing the stress conditions in the reaction zone as much as possible and effectively ensuring the optimal performance of the core 230.

[0081] In order to control the volume power ratio of the fuel cell stack 200 and ensure the fixation of the fastening assembly, in some embodiments, the sides of the air intake end plate 250 and the blind end plate assembly 210 are provided with mounting positions for accommodating the ends of the fastening assembly.

[0082] This embodiment does not specifically limit the molding design of the mounting position. In some embodiments, the mounting position may be a recessed groove that matches the shape of the end plate connection portion 161. In some embodiments, the end surface of the air intake end plate 250 / disc spring support plate is a stepped surface, and the step surface of the stepped surface constitutes the mounting position. The side of the air intake end plate 250 / blind end plate assembly 210 is provided with a through hole for the body connection portion 162 to pass through.

[0083] This embodiment does not limit the connection method between the end plate connection portion 161 and the corresponding intake end plate 250 / blind end plate assembly 210. In some embodiments, the end plate connection portion 161 can be connected to the intake end plate 250 or the blind end plate assembly 210 through a connector having a stacking direction projection component. In some embodiments, the end plate connection portion 161 can also be connected to the intake end plate 250 or the blind end plate assembly 210 through a connector perpendicular to the stacking direction of the stack.

[0084] The present embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the core equivalent 260. The core equivalent 260 may include at least one equivalent part, that is, in some embodiments, the core equivalent 260 may be an integral part. In some embodiments, the core equivalent 260 may also be composed of a plurality of single parts. More than two single parts may be stacked continuously or at intervals, or may be partially stacked continuously and partially stacked at intervals.

[0085] This embodiment does not specifically limit the setting position and performance of the core equivalent 260. When the core equivalent 260 includes two or more equivalent parts, the equivalent parts may be the same or different, and may also be used in combination. The equivalent parts may be set continuously or at intervals, and may also be distributed on different sides of the core 230. The specific adjustments can be made according to actual needs.

[0086] In some embodiments, in order to meet the universality of high-power and low-power parts as much as possible, and at the same time avoid changes in the position of the collector plate assembly of the fuel cell stack 200, the copper busbar length, and the position of the high and low voltage output terminals, the equivalent part is a conductive part, and the equivalent part matches the shape of the bipolar plate of the core 230. The equivalent part is arranged on the side of the air intake collector plate and / or the blind end collector plate 220 close to the core 230, so as to adjust the height of the fuel cell stack 200 while ensuring that the copper busbar length, the collector plate position, and the high and low voltage output terminal positions remain basically unchanged, so that the subsequent assembly can be completed using the original length of the high-voltage copper busbar.

[0087] This embodiment does not specifically limit the structure of the conductive equivalent part, as long as it meets the conductivity and battery stack performance requirements. In some embodiments, the equivalent part includes a bipolar plate equivalent and / or a membrane electrode equivalent. It should be noted that the bipolar plate equivalent and the membrane electrode equivalent here mainly simulate the shape structure of the bipolar plate and the membrane electrode, but do not have a structure that participates in the electrochemical reaction of the battery. For example, the two medium flow channels of the bipolar plate equivalent are not connected, and are only used to connect the core 230 and the current collecting plate assembly for transmission. The material of the conductive part can be a metal plate or a graphite board.

[0088] When the equivalent part is a conductive part, for example, the material is the same as that of the metal bipolar plate, or graphite, etc. Preferably, the equivalent part has the same shape as the bipolar plate, and the thickness of a single equivalent part is fixed.

[0089] In some embodiments, the equivalent part may also be an insulating part, which is arranged on the side of the air intake collector plate and / or the blind end collector plate 220 away from the core 230. The core equivalent 260 made of insulating material will sacrifice the universality of the copper bar. The positions of the collector plates of the stack under different powers are different, and copper bars of different lengths need to be designed accordingly. However, the density of insulating materials is generally smaller than that of conductive materials, and the weight reduction effect is more obvious.

[0090] It should be noted that the fuel cell stack 200 provided in this embodiment may, in some embodiments, be the same as the prior art and also include an independent insulating plate assembly. In some embodiments, it may also be considered to design the intake end plate and / or the blind end plate assembly as an integrated aluminum-plastic structure, that is, the intake end plate and / or the blind end plate assembly integrates the structure of the insulating plate. In addition, when the equivalent part is an insulating part, the equivalent part is arranged between the end plate and the collecting plate on at least one side of the core. At this time, the equivalent part can also be used as an insulating plate assembly.

[0091] Since the fuel cell stack 200 is generally assembled in the order of the air inlet end to the blind end, in order to take into account the operability of the assembly and facilitate subsequent adjustments, the core equivalent body 260 is preferably arranged on the blind end side of the core 230 .

[0092] In order to ensure the overall sealing performance of the fuel cell stack 200 and ensure the progress of the electrochemical reaction, in some embodiments, the core equivalent 260 includes at least two equivalent parts, and sealing rings are provided between two adjacent equivalent parts and between the equivalent parts and the stack body. For example, when more than two conductive equivalents are arranged between the collecting plate and the core 230, the seal, bipolar plate equivalent, seal, membrane electrode equivalent, seal, bipolar plate equivalent... can be stacked in the order of seal.

[0093] In some embodiments, in order to achieve adaptation to battery stacks of different heights together with the fastening rod 100, under the condition that the fastening force is applied by the fastening assembly, the thickness of the core equivalent 260 is theoretically an integer multiple of the thickness of a single cell of the core 230.

[0094] In some embodiments, in order to take into account the lightweight design requirements, at least one equivalent part is provided with a weight-reducing hole, that is, the equivalent part can be set as a frame structure that matches the shape of the core 230 .

[0095] The fuel cell stack 200 provided in this embodiment, combined with the gear length adjustment of the fastening rod 100 and the thickness of the core equivalent 260, can be adaptively designed for the shell of the fuel cell stack 200 with different power ranges. For example: the fastening rod 100 of the 50kw to 70kW stack is in the low gear, and the core equivalent 260 of different thicknesses is added to share the low-power shell; the fastening rod 100 of the 70kw to 100kW stack is in the middle gear, and the core equivalent 260 of different thicknesses is added to share the high-power shell. The low-power stack shell can also use the high-power stack design, but it will reduce the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack.

[0096] The fuel cell stack 200 provided in this embodiment, by replacing part of the core 230 in height with a core equivalent body 260, is combined with a two-section assembled length-adjustable fastening rod 100 to adapt to fuel cell stacks 200 with different power requirements. This can greatly improve the commonality of parts, reduce the cost of the stack, and improve the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack.

[0097] Example 3

[0098] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment provides a fuel cell module, including at least one fuel cell stack 200 provided in Embodiment 2, such as Fig.16 As shown, the fuel cell module can be a single-stack solution or a multi-stack integrated solution.

[0099] For example, in some embodiments, in order to encapsulate the fuel cell stack 200, the fuel cell module includes a shell having a mounting cavity, and the fuel cell stack 200 is encapsulated in the mounting cavity of the shell. For example, in some embodiments, a high-voltage component and a low-voltage component (such as a gas distribution component and a voltage inspection device, etc.) are also included to output current to the outside. This embodiment does not improve the specific structure of the fuel cell module other than the fuel cell stack 200, so the structure of the fuel cell module that has not been changed in this embodiment can refer to the prior art, and the specific content will not be described in detail here.

[0100] Example 4

[0101] like Fig.17 As shown, based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment provides a vehicle, including the fuel cell module in Embodiment 3, and the specific contents are not repeated here. The present invention does not specifically limit the type and type of the vehicle, and it can be any vehicle in the prior art, such as a family car, a passenger car, a truck, etc.

[0102] In order to cooperate with the fuel cell module, the vehicle also includes a fuel cell auxiliary system. The fuel cell module and the fuel cell auxiliary system together constitute a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system can work normally under the condition of an external fuel supply source.

[0103] The fuel cell auxiliary system includes an air supply subsystem, a fuel supply subsystem, a thermal management subsystem and an automatic control system, wherein the air supply subsystem is used to provide air to each stack of the fuel cell module, and can optionally filter, humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the air, and the air supply subsystem is connected to the air inlet and air outlet of each stack of the fuel cell module; the fuel supply subsystem is used to provide fuel to each stack of the fuel cell module, and can optionally humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the fuel to convert it into a fuel gas suitable for operation in the fuel cell stack. Taking hydrogen as fuel, for example, the fuel supply subsystem is connected to the hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet of each stack of the fuel cell module; the thermal management subsystem is connected to each stack of the fuel cell module to provide coolant to cool and / or heat the stack, and to recycle the water generated by the stack.

[0104] The automatic control system is electrically connected to the fuel cell module, the air supply subsystem, the fuel supply subsystem and the thermal management subsystem, respectively. The automatic control system is an assembly including sensors, actuators, valves, switches and control logic components, which ensures that the fuel cell system can operate normally without human intervention. In other embodiments, the fuel cell auxiliary system may also include a ventilation system for exhausting the gas in the housing of the fuel cell system to the outside by mechanical means. In this embodiment, the fuel cell auxiliary system in the fuel cell system has not been improved, so more detailed content can refer to the relevant disclosure of the prior art, which will not be described in detail here.

[0105] Secondly, the vehicle also includes a DC / DC converter, a drive motor and its motor controller, and an on-board energy storage device to form a fuel cell power system together with the fuel cell system.

[0106] The DC / DC converter is electrically connected to each stack of the fuel cell system to achieve voltage conversion, and the voltage generated by each stack is adjusted and output to high-voltage devices such as the drive motor, the automobile air-conditioning compressor, and power storage devices such as batteries. The drive motor is electrically connected to the DC / DC converter to provide the torque required for the vehicle to travel; the motor controller is electrically connected to the drive motor to control the start, stop, torque output, etc. of the drive motor. The motor controller is connected to the vehicle control to receive the driving signal from the vehicle controller, and the motor controller can also be electrically connected to the automatic control system of the fuel cell system. The on-board energy storage device is used to store electrical energy to power other electronic devices in the vehicle. The on-board energy storage device is electrically connected to the DC / DC converter, for example, the on-board energy storage device is a battery.

[0107] In this embodiment, the DC / DC converter, the drive motor and its motor controller, and the on-board energy storage device in the fuel cell power system have not been improved. Therefore, more detailed contents can be referred to the relevant disclosure of the prior art and will not be elaborated here.

[0108] In addition, the vehicle also needs to include a transmission system and a fuel storage device for storing fuel. The transmission system transmits the torque of the drive motor to drive the wheels to rotate. The fuel storage device functions similarly to the fuel tank in a fuel vehicle. The fuel storage device is connected to the fuel supply subsystem of the fuel cell system through a pipeline.

[0109] Therefore, the vehicle can be a hydrogen energy vehicle or a hydrogen energy + charging hybrid electric vehicle. Since the specific structure of the vehicle is not improved in this embodiment, the structure of the vehicle that has not been changed in this embodiment can refer to the prior art, and the specific content is not described here. Therefore, the vehicle has all the features and advantages described above for the fuel cell module, which will not be repeated here.

[0110] Through the above embodiments, the present application has the following beneficial effects or advantages:

[0111] The fastening rod 100 provided by the present invention is a length-adjustable structure. The optional fastening length of the fastening rod 100 is determined by setting the adjustment gear of the fastening rod 100. The fastening lengths of different gears correspond to battery stacks of different heights and also correspond to different numbers of single cells in the core 230, thereby corresponding to different battery stack powers. The fastening rod 100 can be used for fastening battery stack modules of different power designs, so that a set of battery stack parts can meet different power requirements and match the fastening heights of battery stacks with different power requirements, which is beneficial to the cost control of the battery stack and improves the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power battery stack.

[0112] The fuel cell stack 200 provided by the present invention can greatly improve the commonality of parts and reduce the cost of the stack through the fastening rods 100 and the core equivalent 260 that interact with each other, which is beneficial to improving the power-to-volume ratio and power-to-weight ratio of the low-power stack.

[0113] The fuel cell module and vehicle provided by the present invention both include the above-mentioned fuel cell stack 200. In order to meet the versatility of parts as much as possible and enable a set of stack parts to meet different power requirements, the tightening rod 100 is set to a length-adjustable rod structure to match the stack tightening height of different power requirements, and cooperate with the core equivalent 260 to increase the stack tightening height adjustment gear, thereby expanding the adaptability range of the stack power.

[0114] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art may make other changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present application.

[0115] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A fastening rod for connecting a blind end plate assembly and an air intake end plate of a fuel cell, characterized in that: The fastening rod is a length-adjustable structure, comprising a first rod, a second rod and an insulating support, wherein the first rod and the second rod at least partially overlap in an outward direction along the side of the fuel cell and are detachably connected through a positioning structure; the insulating support has a recessed groove for accommodating the first rod and the second rod, and the first rod is located between the second rod and the insulating support; the first rod and / or the second rod are provided with at least two connection positions for installing the positioning structure; the first rod and the second rod each comprise a rod body and a connection portion connected to one end of the rod body, the rod body comprises a connected limiting portion and a docking portion, the limiting portion is connected to the connecting portion, and the connecting position is provided at the docking portion; the docking portion of the second rod is a plate with an L-shaped cross section, the docking portion of the first rod is provided in an L-shaped groove of the L-shaped plate, and the cross-sectional size of the docking portion of the first rod matches the L-shaped groove; when the first rod and the second rod are overlapped and connected, the limiting portion of the first rod, the limiting portion of the second rod and the docking portion of the second rod are parallel and coplanar.

2. The tightening rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least two connection positions are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the first pull rod / the second pull rod.

3. The tightening rod according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first pull rod and the second pull rod are both provided with positioning holes; and / or the first pull rod and the second pull rod are provided with matching positioning platforms and positioning holes; The positioning structure is a positioning pin and / or the positioning platform; the positioning hole constitutes the connecting position, and the positioning platform / the positioning pin is arranged in the positioning hole.

4. The tightening rod according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The connecting portion comprises an end plate connecting portion for connecting the end plate and a body connecting portion for connecting the pull rod body, and the body connecting portion is arranged at an angle with the pull rod body.

5. The tightening rod according to claim 4, characterized in that: The main body connecting portion is connected to the limiting portion.

6. The tightening rod according to claim 5, characterized in that: The butting portion of the first pull rod is a flat plate.

7. The tightening rod according to claim 6, characterized in that: The limiting portion of the first pull rod has the same structure as the limiting portion of the second pull rod; the width of the limiting portion is the same as the width of the docking portion of the second pull rod; and the thickness of the limiting portion is the same as the thickness of the docking portion of the second pull rod.

8. The tightening rod according to claim 3, characterized in that: A limiting structure is provided on the fastening pull rod and / or the insulating support member.

9. The tightening rod according to claim 8, characterized in that: The groove surface of the sink is provided with a limiting hole; The positioning platform / positioning pin of the fastening pull rod and the limiting hole constitute the limiting structure; and / or, a limiting platform matching the limiting hole is provided on the lower surface of one of the first pull rod and the second pull rod that is closer to the insulating support member, and the limiting platform and the limiting hole constitute the limiting structure.

10. A fuel cell stack, characterized in that: include, The stack body comprises a blind end plate assembly, a blind end current collecting plate, a stack core, an air inlet current collecting plate and an air inlet end plate which are sequentially arranged along a stacking direction; A fastening assembly, comprising at least two fastening rods according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first rod and the second rod of the fastening rod are respectively connected to the blind end plate assembly and the air intake end plate; The core equivalent body is clamped in the stack body and located on at least one side of the core along the stacking direction to cooperate with the fastening assembly to adjust the height of the fuel cell stack.

11. The fuel cell stack according to claim 10, characterized in that: The core equivalent includes at least one equivalent part.

12. The fuel cell stack according to claim 11, characterized in that: The equivalent part is a conductive part, and the equivalent part matches the shape of the bipolar plate of the core. The equivalent part is arranged on a side of the air intake collecting plate and / or the blind end collecting plate close to the core.

13. The fuel cell stack according to claim 12, characterized in that: The equivalent parts include bipolar plate equivalents and / or membrane electrode equivalents.

14. The fuel cell stack according to claim 11, characterized in that: The equivalent part is an insulating part, and the equivalent part is arranged on a side of the air inlet collecting plate and / or the blind end collecting plate away from the core.

15. The fuel cell stack according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that: The core equivalent body includes at least two equivalent parts, and sealing rings are provided between two adjacent equivalent parts and between the equivalent parts and the core equivalent body.

16. The fuel cell stack according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that: Under the condition that the fastening force is applied by the fastening assembly, the thickness of the core equivalent body is an integer multiple of the thickness of a single cell of the core.

17. The fuel cell stack according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that: At least one of the equivalent parts is provided with a weight-reducing hole.

18. A fuel cell module, characterized in that: A fuel cell stack comprising the fuel cell stack described in any one of claims 10-17.

19. A vehicle, characterized in that: A fuel cell stack comprising any one of claims 10-17; or a fuel cell module comprising claim 18.

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