Fuel cell stack busbar, testing system, and coolant venting method
By setting an upward-extending exhaust channel on the fuel cell stack manifold, the problem of local hot spots caused by coolant bubble accumulation is solved, protecting the fuel cell stack and extending its service life.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FTXT ENERGY TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2021-10-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
In existing fuel cell stacks, bubbles generated during the introduction and circulation of coolant tend to accumulate, leading to localized hot spots that can ablate bipolar plates and individual cells, or even the entire fuel cell stack.
An exhaust channel is provided on the fuel cell stack manifold. The exhaust channel is connected to the coolant outlet and extends upward to discharge air bubbles in the coolant and prevent air bubble accumulation.
This effectively avoids localized hot spots caused by bubble aggregation, protects the bipolar plates and individual cells, and extends the lifespan of the fuel cell stack.
Smart Images
Figure CN116031428B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a fuel cell stack busbar, a testing system, and a method for venting coolant. Background Technology
[0002] The fuel cell stack is the main component of the power unit in a hydrogen energy device. It consists of bipolar plates and membrane electrode assemblies forming basic power generation units, or individual cells. Several individual cells make up a fuel cell stack. Hydrogen and air undergo an electrochemical reaction within each individual cell, generating electricity and heat. The entire fuel cell stack comprises hundreds of individual cells, generating heat in the hundreds of kilowatts. To ensure that each individual cell operates at a suitable temperature, coolant is circulated through the stack's cooling chamber for forced heat dissipation.
[0003] During the process of coolant being introduced into the battery stack and circulating, bubbles will be generated. Once these bubbles accumulate, they can create localized hot spots in the cooling chamber, burning the bipolar plates and individual cells, or even burning the entire battery stack.
[0004] Therefore, existing technologies still need to be improved and developed. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a fuel cell stack busbar, a testing system, and a method for venting coolant that can expel air bubbles from the coolant and prevent the accumulation of air bubbles that could generate localized hot spots.
[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0007] A fuel cell stack manifold for connection to a fuel cell stack includes a coolant outlet. One end of the coolant outlet is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the other end is connected to a test bench to allow coolant from the fuel cell stack to flow out to the test bench. The fuel cell stack manifold also includes an exhaust channel, which has a first end and a second end. The first end communicates with the coolant outlet, and the second end extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold.
[0008] As an optional embodiment of the aforementioned fuel cell stack manifold, the exhaust channel extends in a vertical direction.
[0009] As an alternative to the aforementioned fuel cell stack busbar, the second end extends to the top of the fuel cell stack busbar.
[0010] As an optional embodiment of the aforementioned fuel cell stack busbar, the fuel cell stack busbar further includes:
[0011] An exhaust valve is located at the second end to control the opening and closing of the exhaust passage.
[0012] As an optional solution for the aforementioned fuel cell stack manifold, the inner wall of the second end is provided with internal threads, one end of the exhaust valve is provided with external threads, and the exhaust valve is connected to the second end by threads.
[0013] As an optional embodiment of the aforementioned fuel cell stack manifold, the height of the coolant outlet is lower than the height of the second end.
[0014] As an optional embodiment of the aforementioned fuel cell stack busbar, the fuel cell stack busbar further includes:
[0015] An air outlet is provided for discharging air from the fuel cell stack.
[0016] A hydrogen inlet is used to introduce hydrogen into the fuel cell stack.
[0017] A fuel cell stack testing system includes:
[0018] Test bench;
[0019] The fuel cell stack is mounted on the test bench;
[0020] A coolant supply device is provided on the test bench and located below the fuel cell stack;
[0021] It also includes a fuel cell stack busbar as described above, wherein the fuel cell stack busbar is disposed at one end of the fuel cell stack, and another end busbar is disposed at the other end of the fuel cell stack. One end of the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack busbar is connected to the coolant supply device through a cooling pipe, and the other end of the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack busbar is connected to the fuel cell stack.
[0022] A method for venting coolant from a fuel cell stack includes the following steps:
[0023] An exhaust channel is provided in the fuel cell stack manifold. One end of the exhaust channel is connected to the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack manifold, and the other end extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold so that air bubbles can be discharged from the exhaust channel.
[0024] As an optional method for venting the coolant in the aforementioned fuel cell stack, an vent valve is provided on the vent channel.
[0025] The advantages of this invention are: the fuel cell stack manifold of this invention is provided with an exhaust channel, which is connected to the coolant outlet and extends upward, so as to discharge the air bubbles in the coolant, avoid the accumulation of air bubbles that cause local hot spots in the cooling chamber, burn the bipolar plates and single cells, or even burn the entire stack, thus protecting the fuel cell stack and extending its service life. Attached Figure Description
[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the fuel cell stack busbar in this invention;
[0027] Figure 2 This is a rear view structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the fuel cell stack busbar in this invention;
[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of section AA of the structure shown;
[0029] Figure 4 This is a front view structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the fuel cell stack busbar in this invention;
[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the fuel cell stack testing system of the present invention.
[0031] In the picture:
[0032] 100. Fuel cell stack busbar; 101. Busbar at the other end of the stack; 200. Test bench; 300. Fuel cell stack; 400. Coolant supply device;
[0033] 132. Air inlet; 112. Air outlet;
[0034] 121. Coolant inlet; 122. Coolant outlet; 123. Cooling pipe;
[0035] 131. Hydrogen import; 111. Hydrogen export;
[0036] 140. Exhaust channel;
[0037] 150. Exhaust valve. Detailed Implementation
[0038] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.
[0039] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0040] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0041] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0042] Typically, both ends of a fuel cell stack are equipped with busbars, such as... Figure 5 As shown, a fuel cell stack 300 has a fuel cell stack busbar 100 at one end and a fuel cell stack busbar 101 at the other end. Coolant and air enter the fuel cell stack 300 from the fuel cell stack busbar 101 at the other end and then flow out from the fuel cell stack busbar 100, while hydrogen enters the fuel cell stack 300 from the fuel cell stack busbar 100 and then flows out from the fuel cell stack busbar 101 at the other end.
[0043] This invention provides a fuel cell stack busbar. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figures 1 to 4 The fuel cell stack manifold 100 is provided with an air outlet 112, a coolant outlet 122 and a hydrogen inlet 131. The air outlet 112, coolant outlet 122 and hydrogen inlet 131 form an air flow channel, a coolant flow channel and a hydrogen flow channel inside the fuel cell stack manifold 100.
[0044] Air and coolant exit from the fuel cell stack 300 through air outlet 112 and coolant outlet 122, respectively. Hydrogen inlet 131 is used to introduce hydrogen into the fuel cell stack 300.
[0045] As described in the background section, coolant generates bubbles during its introduction and circulation into the battery stack. Once these bubbles accumulate, they create localized hot spots in the cooling chamber, burning the bipolar plates and individual cells, and even the entire battery stack. To address this problem, this invention, as described... Figure 3 As shown, the fuel cell stack manifold 100 also includes an exhaust channel 140, which has a first end a and a second end b. The first end a of the exhaust channel 140 is connected to the coolant outlet 122, and the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold 100. This allows air bubbles in the coolant to be discharged from the exhaust channel 140 to the outside, preventing air bubble accumulation that could lead to localized hot spots in the cooling chamber, burning the bipolar plates and individual cells, or even burning the entire fuel cell stack. Therefore, this invention can protect the fuel cell stack 300 and extend its service life. The upward extension of the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 makes it higher than the coolant outlet 122, thus preventing coolant in the coolant outlet 122 from flowing out of the exhaust channel 140 and ensuring that only air bubbles are discharged from the exhaust channel 140.
[0046] The exhaust channel 140 can extend upwards at an angle or vertically. Alternatively, it can extend upwards in a straight line or in a curved direction; there are no restrictions, as long as exhaust is achieved. In this embodiment, the exhaust channel 140 extends upwards in a straight line in the vertical direction, which optimizes the exhaust effect.
[0047] Preferably, the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 extends to the top of the fuel cell stack manifold 100. Extending the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 to the highest point of the top of the fuel cell stack manifold 100 makes full use of the height of the fuel cell stack manifold 100 to position the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 at a high position, so that there is no possibility of coolant flowing out of the exhaust channel 140.
[0048] Better, such as Figure 3 As shown, the height of the coolant outlet 122 is lower than the height of the second end b of the exhaust channel 140 to prevent coolant in the coolant channel 120 from flowing out of the exhaust channel 140.
[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, both the coolant outlet 122 and the air outlet 112 are funnel-shaped, with one end larger than the other. Figure 3The coolant outlet 122 has a smaller size at one end than at the other end, and the height of one end of the coolant outlet 122 is lower than the height of the other end. The air outlet 112 has a smaller size at one end than at the other end, and the height of one end of the air outlet 112 is lower than the height of the other end. The smaller ends of the coolant outlet 122 and air outlet 112 are used to connect to the test bench 200.
[0050] refer to Figure 4 The other end of the fuel cell stack manifold 101 is equipped with an air inlet 132, a coolant inlet 121, and a hydrogen outlet 111. Air enters the fuel cell stack through the air inlet 132 on the other end of the fuel cell stack manifold 101 and flows out through the air outlet 112 on the fuel cell stack manifold 101. Coolant enters the fuel cell stack through the coolant inlet 121 on the other end of the fuel cell stack manifold 101 and flows out through the coolant outlet 122 on the fuel cell stack manifold 100. The hydrogen flows in the opposite direction, entering the fuel cell stack through the hydrogen inlet 131 on the fuel cell stack manifold 100 and flowing out through the hydrogen outlet 111 on the other end of the fuel cell stack manifold 101.
[0051] In this invention, the air inlet 132, air outlet 112, coolant inlet 121, coolant outlet 122, hydrogen inlet 131, and hydrogen outlet 111 are all circular. In other embodiments, they may also be configured as other shapes, which are not limited here.
[0052] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the fuel cell stack manifold 100 also includes an exhaust valve 150 to control the opening and closing of the exhaust passage 140. (As indicated...) Figure 3 As shown, the exhaust valve 150 is located at the second end b of the exhaust channel 140, which is the top end of the exhaust channel 140.
[0053] It is understandable that the exhaust valve 150 may not be directly mounted on the exhaust channel 140. Instead, a pipe can be connected to the second end b of the exhaust channel 140, and the exhaust valve 150 can be mounted on this pipe. However, directly mounting the exhaust valve 150 on the exhaust channel 140 makes the overall structure simpler, reduces the number of parts, and lowers costs.
[0054] like Figure 3As shown, in this invention, it is preferable to directly install the exhaust valve 150 at the second end b of the exhaust channel 140. The exhaust valve 150 can be interference-fitted to the second end b of the exhaust channel 140, or it can be threaded to the second end b of the exhaust channel 140. When the exhaust valve 150 is threaded to the second end b of the exhaust channel 140, an internal thread is provided on the inner wall of the second end b, and an external thread is provided on the end of the exhaust valve 150 connected to the second end b. By screwing the external thread of the exhaust valve 150 into the internal thread of the second end b, the exhaust valve 150 and the second end b can be threaded together.
[0055] This invention also provides a fuel cell stack testing system. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 The fuel cell stack testing system includes a test bench 200, a fuel cell stack 300, a coolant supply device 400, and the aforementioned fuel cell stack manifold 100. The test bench 200 serves as the main support and mounting platform for the entire testing system. The fuel cell stack 300 is mounted on the test bench 200. The coolant supply device 400 is located on the test bench 200 below the fuel cell stack 300. The coolant supply device 400 is generally an expansion tank, but other coolant supply devices can also be used; no limitation is made here. Due to space constraints on the test bench 200, the expansion tank is integrated at a lower position. The fuel cell stack 300, however, is positioned higher than the expansion tank, which hinders the removal of air bubbles. In this invention, an exhaust channel 140 is provided on the fuel cell stack manifold 100 to solve this problem. Figure 5 As shown, a fuel cell stack 300 has a fuel cell stack busbar 100 at one end and a fuel cell stack busbar 101 at the other end. One end of the coolant outlet 122 of the fuel cell stack busbar 100 is connected to an expansion tank (coolant supply device 400) via a cooling pipe 123, and the other end of the coolant outlet 122 of the fuel cell stack busbar 100 is connected to the fuel cell stack 300. The coolant in the expansion tank flows into the fuel cell stack 300 through the coolant inlet 121 on the other end busbar 101, cools the fuel cell stack 300, and then flows back to the expansion tank from the coolant outlet 122 on the fuel cell stack busbar 100. Since the fuel cell stack testing system of the present invention includes the aforementioned fuel cell stack busbar 100, it at least has the beneficial effects of the aforementioned fuel cell stack busbar 100, which will not be repeated here.
[0056] The present invention also provides a method for venting coolant from a fuel cell stack. The method for venting coolant from a fuel cell stack includes the following steps:
[0057] An exhaust channel 140 is provided in the fuel cell stack manifold 100. One end of the exhaust channel 140 is connected to the coolant outlet 122 of the fuel cell stack manifold 100, and the other end extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold 100 so that air bubbles are discharged from the exhaust channel 140.
[0058] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned method for venting the coolant from the fuel cell stack, an exhaust valve 150 is provided on the exhaust channel 140 to control the opening and closing of the exhaust channel 140 and to perform the venting operation.
[0059] The fuel cell stack coolant venting method of the present invention provides an venting channel 140 in the fuel cell stack manifold 100. The venting channel 140 is connected to the coolant outlet 122 and extends upward, which can vent air bubbles in the coolant, avoid the accumulation of air bubbles that cause local hot spots in the cooling chamber, burn bipolar plates and single cells, or even burn the entire stack, protect the fuel cell stack 300 and extend its service life.
[0060] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A fuel cell stack busbar for connecting to a fuel cell stack, characterized in that, It includes a coolant outlet (122), an air outlet (112), and a hydrogen inlet (131), wherein the air outlet (112) is used to discharge air from the fuel cell stack; The hydrogen inlet (131) is used to introduce hydrogen into the fuel cell stack; one end of the coolant outlet (122) is used to connect to the fuel cell stack, and the other end is used to connect to the test bench (200) so that the coolant in the fuel cell stack flows out to the test bench (200); the fuel cell stack manifold also includes an exhaust channel (140), the exhaust channel (140) includes a first end and a second end, the first end is connected to the coolant outlet (122), and the second end extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold; the second end extends to the top of the fuel cell stack manifold; the coolant outlet (122) is in the shape of a trumpet with one end larger than the other, and the smaller end of the coolant outlet (122) is used to connect to the test bench (200). The height of the coolant outlet (122) is lower than the height of the second end.
2. The fuel cell stack busbar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust channel (140) extends in the vertical direction.
3. The fuel cell stack busbar according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An exhaust valve (150) is provided at the second end to control the opening and closing of the exhaust passage (140).
4. The fuel cell stack busbar according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the second end is provided with internal threads, and one end of the exhaust valve (150) is provided with external threads. The exhaust valve (150) is connected to the second end by threads.
5. A fuel cell stack testing system, characterized in that, include: Test bench (200); A fuel cell stack (300) is mounted on the test bench (200); A coolant supply device (400) is provided on the test bench (200) and located below the fuel cell stack (300); It also includes a fuel cell stack busbar as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fuel cell stack busbar is disposed at one end of the fuel cell stack (300), and another end busbar (101) is disposed at the other end of the fuel cell stack (300), one end of the coolant outlet (122) of the fuel cell stack busbar is connected to the coolant supply device (400) through a cooling pipe (123), and the other end of the coolant outlet (122) of the fuel cell stack busbar is connected to the fuel cell stack (300).
6. A method for venting coolant from a fuel cell stack, wherein venting is performed based on the fuel cell stack manifold as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: An exhaust channel (140) is provided in the fuel cell stack manifold. One end of the exhaust channel (140) is connected to the coolant outlet (122) of the fuel cell stack manifold, and the other end extends upward to the surface of the fuel cell stack manifold so that bubbles are discharged from the exhaust channel (140).
7. The method for venting coolant from a fuel cell stack according to claim 6, characterized in that, An exhaust valve (150) is provided on the exhaust channel (140).