A cleaning apparatus for a stack cavity and methods of using the same

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of cleaning device for stack cavity and its use method, battery is completed in 100000 level clean room during assembly process, but most processes are manual assembly, such as human hair, single battery dropped debris, carbon powder dropped by MEA, indoor air tiny dust, dust on the clothes of operator and so on will be sealed in the stack inside, so as to affect the performance of stack, the cleaning device provided by the present application is connected with the common inlet and outlet cavity in the stack three cavities, from the common inlet cavity, deionized water is punched in, from the common outlet cavity, deionized water is discharged, so as to realize the cavity of stack, water cavity, hydrogen cavity is washed simultaneously, after washing, automatic switching compressed air is discharged to residual deionized water, that is, a cycle is completed, the present application realizes the function of one-key start, full-automatic washing by pre-programmed program, saves a lot of labor cost, and simultaneously realizes the washing of the three cavities of stack, saves a lot of washing time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell stack cleaning technology, and in particular to a cleaning device for fuel cell stack cavity and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] The fuel cell stack is the most basic unit of a fuel cell. It consists of several electrode plates and a large number of structural components. During the assembly process, dust and graphite powder may remain inside the fuel cell stack. If the fuel cell stack is used directly, many problems will occur, such as low single cell temperature, poor aeration, poor antifreeze circulation, and antifreeze contamination.

[0003] Currently, fuel cell stacks use antifreeze to flush the water chambers on fuel cell stack test benches. However, due to the high cost and limited quantity of fuel cell stack test benches, they cannot meet the requirements for long-term flushing. Furthermore, the test benches only contain antifreeze, which must be replaced if contaminated, causing environmental pollution. The test benches can only flush the water chambers of the fuel cell stack and cannot flush the other hydrogen chambers and air chambers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art by providing a cleaning device and method for the fuel cell stack cavity. After the hydrogen fuel cell is assembled, the device is used to remove impurities generated during the assembly of individual cells. The hydrogen fuel cell stack is flushed and its status is monitored through a variety of sensors and mechanical structures.

[0005] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a main body, a filter, a circulation mechanism, and a control mechanism. The main body includes a fixed base and a support ridge, the support ridge being fixed above the fixed base. The filter, circulation mechanism, and control mechanism are located above the fixed base.

[0007] The circulation mechanism includes a circulating water pump and a circulating water tank connected by pipes.

[0008] The circulating water pump, filter, outlet, fuel cell stack cavity, return water inlet, and circulating water tank are connected in sequence via pipelines.

[0009] The water outlet is used for water intake into the fuel cell stack cavity.

[0010] The return water inlet is used for water outlet from the fuel cell stack cavity.

[0011] The control mechanism is connected to the circulating water pump.

[0012] Furthermore, the supporting ribs are spliced ​​to form a rectangular box structure, the filter is located inside the box, the circulating water pump is located at the bottom of the box, the circulating water tank is located in the middle of the box, and the control mechanism is located on one side of the box.

[0013] Furthermore, the filter is connected above to a circulating water pump below via a pipe.

[0014] Furthermore, an inspection door is provided on one side of the enclosure.

[0015] Furthermore, the fixed base is provided with casters for free movement of the cleaning device.

[0016] Furthermore, the filter is provided with deionized sand at the bottom, which is used to absorb ions in the deionized water.

[0017] Furthermore, the filter is connected to the outlet pipe by an electro-ion detection sensor, a pneumatic control valve, and a pressure sensor, which are installed in sequence. The electro-ion detection sensor is used to monitor the electro-ion content in the deionized water, the pneumatic control valve is used to control the flow direction of the deionized water and compressed air, and the pressure sensor is used to monitor the pressure of the deionized water.

[0018] Furthermore, the bottom of the filter is connected in sequence to a pressure relief valve and a discharge port via a pipe.

[0019] Furthermore, the control mechanism includes a start button, a status display screen, and indicator lights. The start button is connected to the circulating water pump via a circuit located on the support ridge. The status display screen and indicator lights are connected to an electro-ion detection sensor and a pressure sensor. The status display screen is used to display the status of the cleaning device, the electro-ion content of the deionized water, the water pressure, the water flow rate, etc., and the indicator lights are used to display the operating status of the equipment.

[0020] Furthermore, the fuel cell stack cavity includes a fuel cell water cavity, a fuel cell air cavity, and a fuel cell hydrogen cavity. The fuel cell water cavity, fuel cell air cavity, and fuel cell hydrogen cavity are provided with an inlet common cavity below and an outlet common cavity above. The fuel cell air cavity, fuel cell water cavity, and fuel cell hydrogen cavity are arranged at intervals along the liquid flow direction in the outlet common cavity.

[0021] Furthermore, the inlet of the common cavity is provided with a water inlet, and the outlet of the common cavity is provided with a drain outlet.

[0022] Furthermore, the outlet and inlet are connected by an inlet hose, and the return outlet and drain outlet are connected by a drain hose.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for using a cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0024] S1. Connect the water outlet of the cleaning device to the water inlet of the fuel cell stack through a water inlet hose, and connect the water return outlet of the cleaning device to the water outlet of the fuel cell stack through a water drain hose.

[0025] S2. Press the start button to start the cleaning device. The circulating water pump starts to pump deionized water into the filter. The deionized water passes through the deionized sand below the filter and then forward through the pipeline, passing in sequence through the electro-ion detection sensor, the air control valve, the pressure sensor, the water outlet, the water inlet hose and the water inlet into the common inlet cavity of the fuel cell stack.

[0026] S3. Deionized water enters the air cavity, hydrogen cavity and water cavity of the fuel cell stack through the inlet common cavity and then enters the outlet common cavity. It is discharged to the circulating water tank through the drain outlet, drain hose and return water outlet.

[0027] S4. The deionized water discharged to the circulating water tank flows to the circulating water pump through the pipeline. The returned deionized water is then circulated through the circulating water pump in accordance with the above steps. Debris and other impurities are continuously filtered by the filter. After circulating and rinsing for hours, the entire fuel cell stack cavity is cleaned.

[0028] S5. The deionized water is shut off by the pneumatic control valve, and compressed air is switched to enter the fuel cell stack. The compressed air is discharged from the circulating water tank along the trajectory of the deionized water, thereby removing the residual deionized water from the fuel cell stack.

[0029] Furthermore, in step S4, if the pressure sensor detects that the water pressure exceeds 200 kPa during the cycle, the pressure will be automatically discharged from the discharge port through the pressure relief protection valve, thereby protecting the fuel cell stack.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0031] (1) The cleaning device provided by the present invention can be moved freely by the casters, making it convenient to use;

[0032] (2) The cleaning device provided by the present invention realizes one-button fully automatic flushing of the fuel cell stack under the control mechanism;

[0033] (3) The cleaning device provided by the present invention uses a circulating water pump to circulate and flush deionized water in the fuel cell stack through a fixed pipeline to bring the fuel cell stack to a usable state. Control components are installed on the pipeline, a filter keeps the deionized water clean, and deionized sand keeps the ion concentration in the deionized water at the lower limit value. At the same time, ionization sensors and pressure sensors are used to monitor the operating status of the equipment.

[0034] (4) Although the battery assembly process is completed in a Class 100,000 cleanroom, most of the process is done manually. For example, human hair, debris from single batteries, carbon powder from MEA, fine dust in the indoor air, and dust on the operator's clothes will be trapped inside the battery stack, thus affecting the performance of the battery stack, including problems such as low single-cell temperature, poor coolant flow, and reduced ventilation. The cleaning device provided by this invention is connected to the common inlet and outlet chambers of the three chambers of the battery stack. Deionized water is pumped in from the common inlet chamber and discharged from the common outlet chamber, thereby achieving simultaneous flushing of the cavity, water chamber, and hydrogen chamber of the battery stack. After flushing, compressed air is automatically switched to discharge the residual deionized water, thus completing one cycle. This invention achieves one-button start and fully automatic flushing function through a pre-programmed program, saving a lot of labor costs. At the same time, it achieves simultaneous flushing of the three chambers of the battery stack, thereby saving a lot of flushing time.

[0035] (5) The cleaning device provided by the present invention is simple to operate and fully automatic, which greatly reduces the rinsing time. It can rinse the fuel cell stack without using antifreeze on the fuel cell test bench, which reduces the number of operators, reduces the workload of operators, increases the number of sensors to monitor the operating status, and avoids damage to the fuel cell stack due to excessive water pressure or air pressure. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a device for cleaning the fuel cell stack cavity according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fuel cell stack cavity, where the arrows indicate the direction of water flow.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the use of a device for cleaning the fuel cell stack cavity according to the present invention, wherein the arrow indicates the direction of water flow.

[0039] Reference numerals: 1. Circulating water pump; 2. Filter; 3. Deionized sand; 4. Electro-ion detection sensor; 5. Pneumatic control valve; 6. Pressure sensor; 7. Outlet; 8. Return outlet; 9. Circulating water tank; 10. Start button; 11. Status display screen; 12. Indicator light; 13. Inspection door; 14. Pressure relief valve; 15. Discharge port; 16. Casters; 17. Fuel cell stack water chamber; 18. Fuel cell stack air chamber; 19. Fuel cell stack hydrogen chamber; 20. Outlet common chamber; 21. Inlet common chamber; 22. Drain outlet; 23. Inlet; 24. Fuel cell stack body; 25. Inlet hose; 26. Drain hose; 27. Fixed base; 28. Support ridge. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0041] Example

[0042] refer to Figures 1 to 3 This invention provides a cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity. The cleaning device is used to clean the fuel cell stack cavity 24. The cleaning device includes a main body, a filter 2, a circulation mechanism, and a control mechanism. The main body includes a fixed base 27 and a support rib 28. The support rib 28 is fixed above the fixed base 27. The filter 2, circulation mechanism, and control mechanism are located above the fixed base 27.

[0043] The circulation mechanism includes a circulating water pump 1 and a circulating water tank 9 connected by pipes.

[0044] The circulating water pump 1, filter 2, outlet 7, fuel cell stack cavity 24, return water outlet 8, and circulating water tank 9 are connected in sequence via pipelines.

[0045] The water outlet 7 is used for water intake into the fuel cell stack cavity 24.

[0046] The return water port 8 is used for water outlet of the fuel cell stack cavity 24.

[0047] The control mechanism is connected to the circulating water pump 1.

[0048] Furthermore, the supporting ribs 28 are spliced ​​to form a rectangular box structure, the filter 2 is located inside the box, the circulating water pump 1 is located at the bottom of the box, the circulating water tank 9 is located in the middle of the box, and the control mechanism is located on one side of the box.

[0049] Furthermore, the filter 2 is connected to the circulating water pump 1 below via a pipe.

[0050] Furthermore, an inspection door 13 is provided on one side of the enclosure.

[0051] Furthermore, a movable caster 16 is provided below the fixed base 27, which is used for the free movement of the cleaning device.

[0052] Furthermore, a deionized sand 3 is provided at the bottom of the filter 2, which is used to absorb ions in the deionized water.

[0053] Furthermore, the pipe connecting the filter 2 to the outlet 7 is sequentially equipped with an electroionization detection sensor 4, a pneumatic control valve 5, and a pressure sensor 6. The electroionization detection sensor 4 is used to monitor the electroionization content in the deionized water, the pneumatic control valve 5 is used to control the flow direction of the deionized water and compressed air, and the pressure sensor 6 is used to monitor the pressure of the deionized water.

[0054] Furthermore, the bottom of the filter 2 is connected in sequence to a pressure relief valve 14 and a discharge port 15 via a pipe.

[0055] Furthermore, the control mechanism includes a start button 10, a status display screen 11, and an indicator light 12. The start button 10 is connected to the circulating water pump 1 via a circuit located on the support rib 28. The status display screen 11 and the indicator light 12 are connected to the electroionization detection sensor 4 and the pressure sensor 6. The status display screen 11 is used to display the status of the cleaning device, the electroionization content of the deionized water, the water pressure, the water flow rate, etc., and the indicator light 12 is used to display the operating status of the equipment.

[0056] Furthermore, the fuel cell stack 24 cavity includes a fuel cell stack water cavity 17, a fuel cell stack air cavity 18, and a fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity 19. The fuel cell stack water cavity 17, fuel cell stack air cavity 18, and fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity 19 are provided with an inlet common cavity 21 below and an outlet common cavity 20 above. The fuel cell stack air cavity 18, fuel cell stack water cavity 17, and fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity 19 are arranged at intervals along the liquid flow direction in the outlet common cavity 20.

[0057] Furthermore, the inlet common cavity 21 is provided with a water inlet 23, and the outlet common cavity 20 is provided with a drain outlet 22.

[0058] Furthermore, the outlet 7 and the inlet 23 are connected by an inlet hose 25, and the return outlet 8 and the drain outlet 22 are connected by a drain hose 26.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for using a cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0060] S1. Connect the water outlet 7 of the cleaning device to the water inlet 23 of the fuel cell stack 24 through the water inlet hose 25, and connect the water return port 8 of the cleaning device to the water outlet 22 of the fuel cell stack 24 through the water outlet hose 26.

[0061] S2. Press the start button 10 to start the cleaning device. The circulating water pump 1 starts to pump deionized water into the filter 2. The deionized water passes through the deionized sand 3 below the filter 2, and then through the pipeline forward, passing through the electro-ion detection sensor 4, the air control valve 5, the pressure sensor 6, the water outlet 7, the water inlet hose 25 and the water inlet 23 in sequence into the inlet common cavity 21 of the fuel cell stack 24.

[0062] S3. Deionized water enters the stack's cavity 19, hydrogen cavity 18 and water cavity 17 through the inlet common cavity 21, and then enters the outlet common cavity 20. It is discharged to the circulating water tank 9 through the drain outlet 22, drain hose 26 and return water outlet 8.

[0063] S4. The deionized water discharged to the circulating water tank 9 flows to the circulating water pump 1 through the pipeline. The returned deionized water is then circulated through the circulating water pump 1 in accordance with the above steps. Debris and other impurities are continuously filtered by the filter 2. After 10 hours of circulating flushing, the entire fuel cell stack 24 chambers are cleaned.

[0064] S5. The deionized water is shut off by the pneumatic control valve 5, and compressed air is switched to enter the fuel cell stack 24. The compressed air is discharged from the circulating water tank along the trajectory of the deionized water, thereby removing the residual deionized water from the fuel cell stack 24.

[0065] Furthermore, in step S4, if the pressure sensor 6 detects that the water pressure exceeds 200 kPa during the cycle, the pressure will be automatically discharged from the discharge port 15 through the pressure relief protection valve 14, thereby protecting the fuel cell stack.

[0066] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus for a fuel cell stack cavity, the cleaning apparatus being used to clean the fuel cell stack cavity (24), characterized in that, The cleaning device includes a main body, a filter (2), a circulation mechanism, and a control mechanism. The main body includes a fixed base (27) and a support rib (28). The support rib (28) is fixed above the fixed base (27). The filter (2), circulation mechanism, and control mechanism are located above the fixed base (27). The circulation mechanism includes a circulating water pump (1) and a circulating water tank (9) connected by pipes. The circulating water pump (1), filter (2), outlet (7), fuel cell stack cavity (24), return water port (8), and circulating water tank (9) are connected in sequence by pipes. The outlet (7) is used for water inlet to the fuel cell stack cavity (24). The return water inlet (8) is used for water outlet of the fuel cell stack cavity (24). The control mechanism is connected to the circulating water pump (1); The filter (2) is provided with deionized sand (3) at the bottom, which is used to absorb ions in the deionized water; the bottom of the filter (2) is connected to a pressure relief valve (14) and a discharge port (15) in sequence through a pipe. The filter (2) is connected to the outlet (7) by a pipe equipped with an electroionization sensor (4), a pneumatic control valve (5) and a pressure sensor (6) in sequence. The electroionization sensor (4) is used to monitor the electroionization content in the deionized water. The pneumatic control valve (5) is used to control the flow direction of the deionized water and compressed air. The pressure sensor (6) is used to monitor the pressure of the deionized water. The fuel cell stack cavity (24) includes a fuel cell stack water cavity (17), a fuel cell stack air cavity (18), and a fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity (19). The fuel cell stack water cavity (17), fuel cell stack air cavity (18), and fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity (19) are provided with an inlet common cavity (21) below and an outlet common cavity (20) above. The fuel cell stack air cavity (18), fuel cell stack water cavity (17), and fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity (19) are spaced apart along the liquid flow direction in the outlet common cavity (20).

2. The cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The supporting ribs (28) are spliced ​​to form a rectangular box structure. The filter (2) is located inside the box. The circulating water pump (1) is located at the bottom of the box. The circulating water tank (9) is located in the middle of the box. The control mechanism is located on one side of the box. The side of the box is provided with an inspection door (13).

3. The cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity according to claim 2, characterized in that, The filter (2) is connected to the circulating water pump (1) below via a pipe.

4. The cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control mechanism includes a start button (10), a status display screen (11), and an indicator light (12). The start button (10) is connected to the circulating water pump (1) via a circuit located on the support rib (28). The status display screen (11) and the indicator light (12) are connected to the electroionization detection sensor (4) and the pressure sensor (6). The status display screen (11) is used to display the status of the cleaning device, the electroionization content of the deionized water, the water pressure, and the water flow rate. The indicator light (12) is used to display the operating status of the equipment.

5. A cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet common cavity (21) is provided with an inlet (23), and the outlet common cavity (20) is provided with a drain outlet (22). The outlet (7) and the inlet (23) are connected by an inlet hose (25), and the return outlet (8) and the drain outlet (22) are connected by a drain hose (26).

6. The method of using the cleaning device for the fuel cell stack cavity according to any one of claims 1-5, comprising the following specific steps: S1. Connect the water outlet (7) of the cleaning device to the water inlet (23) of the fuel cell cavity (24) through the water inlet hose (25), and connect the water return port (8) of the cleaning device to the water outlet (22) of the fuel cell cavity (24) through the water outlet hose (26). S2. Press the start button (10) to start the cleaning device. The circulating water pump (1) starts to pump deionized water into the filter (2). The deionized water passes through the deionized sand (3) below the filter (2), and then through the pipeline forward, passing through the electro-ion detection sensor (4), the air control valve (5), the pressure sensor (6), the water outlet (7), the water inlet hose (25), and the water inlet (23) in sequence into the common inlet cavity (21) of the fuel cell stack cavity (24). S3. Deionized water enters the fuel cell stack cavity, fuel cell stack hydrogen cavity and fuel cell stack water cavity (17) through the inlet common cavity (21) and then enters the outlet common cavity (20). It is discharged to the circulating water tank (9) through the drain outlet (22), drain hose (26) and return water outlet (8). S4. The deionized water discharged to the circulating water tank (9) flows to the circulating water pump (1) through the pipeline. The returned deionized water is then circulated through the circulating water pump (1) according to the above steps. The debris and other impurities are continuously filtered by the filter (2). After 10 hours of circulating flushing, the entire fuel cell stack cavity (24) is cleaned. S5. The deionized water is shut off by the pneumatic control valve (5), and compressed air is switched to enter the fuel cell stack cavity (24). The compressed air is discharged in the circulating water tank according to the trajectory of the deionized water, thereby discharging the residual deionized water in the fuel cell stack cavity (24).

7. The method of using the cleaning device for a fuel cell stack cavity according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S4, if the pressure sensor (6) detects that the water pressure exceeds 200 kPa during the cycle, the pressure will be automatically discharged from the discharge port (15) through the pressure relief protection valve (14), thereby protecting the fuel cell stack.

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