Front end assembly and fuel cell stack

Abstract

The application provides a front end assembly and a fuel cell stack, the front end assembly comprising: a front end plate, a front insulation plate and a front busbar, the front insulation plate being arranged between the front end plate and the front busbar, and the front insulation plate and the front end plate being correspondingly provided with a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling water inlet and a cooling water outlet, which are respectively used for corresponding communication with internal flow channels of a stack core, wherein the air outlet is lower than the air inlet; by correspondingly arranging the hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling water inlet and the cooling water outlet on the front insulation plate and the front end plate, which are respectively used for corresponding communication with the internal flow channels of the stack core, hydrogen, oxygen and cooling liquid are provided for the stack core, and unreacted hydrogen, air or oxygen, cooling liquid and water are discharged; and the air outlet is lower than the air inlet, which facilitates the discharge of unreacted air or oxygen and water, and avoids water flooding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more particularly to a front-end component and a fuel cell stack. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, fuel cell technology has begun commercial applications in the automotive sector, particularly in hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks and buses, which are being gradually promoted and demonstrated nationwide. In the rail transit sector, hydrogen fuel cell trams and locomotives have also been launched.

[0003] Rail transit equipment has high power requirements for fuel cell stacks. Currently, commercially available fuel cell stack products are mainly geared towards the automotive sector, with low power output, which is insufficient to meet the routine operation needs of rail vehicles. Fuel cell stacks with higher power requirements for the rail transit sector require customized design and development.

[0004] Existing fuel cell stacks do not adequately consider the drainage design of the air outlet, resulting in water flooding of the fuel cell stacks under high power conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a front-end component and a fuel cell stack to solve the problem in the prior art where the fuel cell stack does not fully consider the drainage design of the air outlet, resulting in water flooding of the fuel cell stack under high power.

[0006] The present invention provides a front-end assembly, including: a front-end plate, a front insulating plate, and a front current collector plate. The front insulating plate is disposed between the front-end plate and the front current collector plate, and the front insulating plate and the front-end plate are respectively provided with a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling water inlet, and a cooling water outlet, which are respectively used to communicate with the internal flow channels of the reactor core, wherein the air outlet is lower than the air inlet.

[0007] According to a front-end assembly provided by the present invention, a plurality of protrusions are provided on one side of the front insulating plate, and the hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling water inlet and the cooling water outlet are correspondingly provided on the protrusions. A plurality of openings are correspondingly provided on the front-end plate, and the plurality of protrusions are correspondingly embedded in the openings.

[0008] According to a front-end assembly provided by the present invention, a groove is provided on the other side of the front insulating plate, the groove is located within the structural range surrounded by the plurality of protrusions, and the front current collector is embedded in the groove.

[0009] According to a front-end assembly provided by the present invention, the top of the air outlet is 30 mm lower than the top of the air inlet.

[0010] The present invention also provides a fuel cell stack, including the front-end component described in any of the above claims, and further including a rear-end component, a stack core, a screw assembly, and a limiting component, wherein the front-end component and the rear-end component fix the stack core between them by the screw assembly, and the limiting component is used to restrict the stack core.

[0011] According to a fuel cell stack provided by the present invention, the stack core includes bipolar plates, each bipolar plate including an anode plate and a cathode plate. Both the anode plate and the cathode plate are stamped parts made of stainless steel sheet. The anode plate and the cathode plate are arranged opposite to each other to form a cooling channel with a cavity. The hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling water inlet, and the cooling water outlet are respectively connected to the internal channel of the stack core.

[0012] According to a fuel cell stack provided by the present invention, the thickness of both the anode plate and the cathode plate is 0.1 mm.

[0013] According to a fuel cell stack provided by the present invention, the stack core further comprises a hydrogen inlet manifold channel, a hydrogen outlet manifold channel, an air inlet manifold channel, an air outlet manifold channel, a cooling water inlet manifold channel, and a cooling water outlet manifold channel. The hydrogen inlet is connected to the hydrogen inlet manifold channel, and the hydrogen outlet is connected to the hydrogen outlet manifold channel; the air inlet is connected to the air inlet manifold channel, and the air outlet is connected to the air outlet manifold channel; the cooling water inlet is connected to the cooling water inlet manifold channel, and the cooling water outlet is connected to the cooling water outlet manifold channel.

[0014] According to a fuel cell stack provided by the present invention, the interior of the air intake manifold, the air outlet manifold, the cooling water inlet manifold, and the cooling water outlet manifold are all divided into multiple channels.

[0015] According to a fuel cell stack provided by the present invention, the fuel cell stack further includes a plurality of disc spring assemblies, the rear end assembly includes a rear end plate, a rear insulation plate, a rear current collector and a rear pressure plate, the rear end plate is connected to the rear pressure plate through the plurality of disc spring assemblies, and the rear insulation plate is disposed between the rear current collector and the rear end plate.

[0016] The front-end component and fuel cell stack provided by this invention have a front insulating plate disposed between the front current collector and the front end plate. The front insulating plate and the front end plate are respectively provided with hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet, air outlet, cooling water inlet and cooling water outlet, and each inlet and outlet is respectively connected to the internal flow channel of the stack core to provide hydrogen, oxygen and coolant to the stack core, and can discharge unreacted hydrogen, air or oxygen, coolant and generated water in the stack core. Furthermore, the air outlet is lower than the air inlet to facilitate the discharge of unreacted air or oxygen and water generated by the reaction, and to avoid flooding. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the fuel cell stack provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fuel cell stack provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front-end component provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front insulating plate provided by the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the front-end board provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the core structure provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a front view of the battery assembly formed by the bipolar plate and the seal provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the battery assembly provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the backend component provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the back-end board provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the disc spring assembly provided by the present invention installed on the rear end plate;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rear pressure plate provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 100: Front-end component; 110: Front-end board; 120: Front insulation board; 121: Hydrogen inlet; 122: Hydrogen outlet; 123: Air inlet; 124: Air outlet; 125: Cooling water inlet; 126: Cooling water outlet; 130: Front manifold;

[0032] 200: Core; 210: Bipolar plate; 220: Seal; 230: Hydrogen inlet manifold channel; 240: Hydrogen outlet manifold channel; 250: Air inlet manifold channel; 260: Air outlet manifold channel; 270: Cooling water inlet manifold channel; 280: Cooling water outlet manifold channel;

[0033] 300: Back-end component; 310: Back-end board; 320: Back insulation board; 330: Back current collector; 340: Back pressure plate;

[0034] 400: Screw assembly; 510: First limit assembly; 520: Second limit assembly; 600: Disc spring assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0036] The following is combined Figures 1 to 12 This invention describes the front-end components and fuel cell stack provided by the present invention.

[0037] The present invention provides a front-end assembly, including: a front-end plate 110, a front insulating plate 120, and a front current collector plate 130. The front insulating plate 120 is disposed between the front-end plate 110 and the front current collector plate 130. The front insulating plate 120 and the front-end plate 110 are respectively provided with a hydrogen inlet 121, a hydrogen outlet 122, an air inlet 123, an air outlet 124, a cooling water inlet 125, and a cooling water outlet 126, which are respectively used to communicate with the internal flow channels of the reactor core 200. The air outlet 124 is lower than the air inlet 123.

[0038] The fuel cell includes a front-end component 100, a back-end component 300, and a core 200. The core 200 is located between the front-end component 100 and the back-end component 300. Hydrogen and air (oxygen in the air) enter the core 200 through the front-end component 100. Under the action of the catalyst on the membrane electrode, an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs, generating water and electricity at the same time. The generated water is discharged through the front-end component 100. This invention solves the problem of water flooding on the air outlet side by specially designing the air outlet of the front-end component 100.

[0039] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 The front-end assembly 100 includes a front-end plate 110, a front insulation plate 120, and a front current collector 130. The front current collector 130 is located close to the core 200, and the front-end plate 110 is located away from the core 200. The front insulation plate 120 is located between the front-end plate 110 and the front current collector 130. Further, the front-end plate 110 and the front insulation plate 120 are respectively provided with a hydrogen inlet 121, a hydrogen outlet 122, an air inlet 123, an air outlet 124, a cooling water inlet 125, and a cooling water outlet 126 to provide the required gas and coolant to the fuel cell stack, or to discharge the gas, products, and coolant in the fuel cell stack.

[0040] The hydrogen inlet 121 is connected to the flow channel inside the core 200, allowing hydrogen to enter the first flow channel within the core 200 and supply hydrogen to the fuel cell stack. The hydrogen outlet 122 is connected to the second flow channel within the core 200, allowing unreacted hydrogen to be discharged through the hydrogen outlet 122. The air inlet 123 is connected to the third flow channel within the core, allowing air or oxygen to enter the third flow channel within the core 200 and supply oxygen to the fuel cell stack. The air outlet 124 is connected to the fourth flow channel within the core 200, allowing unreacted air or oxygen to be discharged through the air outlet 124. The cooling water inlet 125 is connected to the fifth flow channel within the core 200, providing coolant to the fuel cell stack. The cooling water outlet 126 is connected to the sixth flow channel within the core 200, allowing coolant that has not undergone complete heat exchange and / or has completed heat exchange to be discharged through the cooling water outlet 126.

[0041] Oxygen and hydrogen in the air undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction to produce water. In this invention, the air outlet 124 of the front-end component 100 is lower than the air inlet 123, that is, the top of the air outlet 124 is lower than the top of the air inlet 123. This facilitates the discharge of the generated water and unreacted air or oxygen through the air outlet 124, preventing water from flooding on the air outlet side.

[0042] The front-end assembly provided by this invention has a front insulating plate disposed between the front current collector and the front end plate. The front insulating plate and the front end plate are respectively provided with hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet, air outlet, cooling water inlet and cooling water outlet, and each inlet and outlet is respectively connected to the internal flow channel of the reactor core to provide hydrogen, oxygen and coolant to the reactor core, and can discharge unreacted hydrogen, air or oxygen, coolant and generated water in the reactor core. Furthermore, the air outlet is lower than the air inlet to facilitate the discharge of unreacted air or oxygen and generated water, and avoid flooding.

[0043] Based on the above embodiments, further, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The front insulating plate 120 has multiple protrusions on one side. Hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125 and cooling water outlet 126 are respectively provided on the protrusions. The front end plate 110 has multiple openings respectively, and the multiple protrusions are respectively embedded in the openings.

[0044] refer to Figure 4 The front insulating plate 120 has six protrusions on one side, each with a through hole, namely a hydrogen inlet 121, a hydrogen outlet 122, an air inlet 123, an air outlet 124, a cooling water inlet 125, and a cooling water outlet 126. (See reference) Figure 5 The front panel 110 has six openings, and the openings and protrusions are set one by one. The size of the protrusions matches the size of the openings so that the protrusions can be fitted into the openings. Furthermore, the front panel 110 and the front collector plate 130 are fixedly installed.

[0045] The present invention provides an opening on the front end plate 110, and provides an inlet and an outlet on the protrusion of the front insulation plate 120, with the protrusion embedded in the opening. This ensures that the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126 on the front insulation plate 120 do not come into contact with the front end plate 110, thereby improving insulation and safety.

[0046] Based on the above embodiments, a groove is further provided on the other side of the front insulating plate 120. The groove is located within the structural range surrounded by multiple bosses, and the front current collector 130 is embedded in the groove.

[0047] Specifically, a boss is provided on one side of the front insulating plate 120, and through holes are provided on the boss to form a hydrogen inlet 121, a hydrogen outlet 122, an air inlet 123, an air outlet 124, a cooling water inlet 125, and a cooling water outlet 126. A groove is provided on the other side of the front insulating plate 120, and the groove is located in the structure surrounded by the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126. Within the structural range, the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126 are located outside the groove. The front manifold 130 is fixed to the front insulating plate 120 to prevent the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126 from contacting the front manifold 130, thereby improving insulation and safety.

[0048] Based on the above embodiment, the top of the air outlet 124 is further 30mm lower than the top of the air inlet 123.

[0049] In one specific embodiment, the top of the air outlet 124 is 30mm lower than the top of the air inlet 123, which is beneficial for the air outlet 124 to discharge unreacted air or oxygen, as well as water generated by the reaction, and to prevent water from flooding the air outlet side.

[0050] In this embodiment, the distance between the top of the air outlet 124 and the top of the air inlet 123 is not specifically limited, as long as the top of the air outlet 124 is lower than the top of the air inlet 123.

[0051] In this embodiment, the positional relationship between the bottom of the air outlet 124 and the bottom of the air inlet 123 is not specifically limited. The bottom of the air outlet 124 can be higher than the bottom of the air inlet 123, or the bottom of the air outlet 124 can be lower than the bottom of the air inlet 123.

[0052] This invention facilitates the discharge of incompletely reacted air or oxygen, as well as water generated during the reaction, by placing the top of the air outlet 124 lower than the top of the air inlet 123, thus preventing flooding. The invention also features a boss on one side of the front insulation plate 120, with multiple inlets and outlets correspondingly positioned on it. The boss embeds the front insulation plate 120 into the opening of the front end plate 110, isolating the inlets and outlets on the front insulation plate 120 from the front end plate 110. Furthermore, a groove is provided on the other side of the front insulation plate, with multiple bosses located outside the groove. The front manifold 130 is embedded within the groove, isolating the inlets and outlets on the front insulation plate 120 from the front manifold 130. This prevents the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126 from contacting the front manifold 130, thereby improving insulation and safety.

[0053] In addition, existing fuel cell stacks use etched metal plates as bipolar plates 210 of the core 200, which makes the core 200 heavy, resulting in a reduction in the overall power density of the stack. Based on this, the present invention provides a high-power fuel cell stack that greatly reduces the weight of the fuel cell stack, increases the power density of the fuel cell stack, and meets the power requirements for continuous operation of rail transit products such as hydrogen fuel cell locomotives and rail batteries.

[0054] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present invention also provides a fuel cell stack, including the front end component 100 in any of the above embodiments, and further including the rear end component 300, the core 200, the screw assembly 400, and the limiting component. The front end component 100 and the rear end component 300 fix the core 200 between them through the screw assembly 400, and the limiting component is used to limit the core 200.

[0055] The fuel cell stack provided by the present invention includes a front-end assembly 100, a rear-end assembly 300, a core 200, a screw assembly 400, and a limiting assembly. The screw assembly 400 secures the front-end assembly 100, the core 200, and the rear-end assembly 300, while the limiting assembly supports the positioning of the core 200 and prevents the core 200 from shifting between the front-end assembly 100 and the rear-end assembly 300.

[0056] The screw assembly 400 includes a screw, a heat-shrinkable sleeve, and a nut. The heat-shrinkable sleeve is fitted onto the screw and serves to prevent the screw from contacting the core 200, providing protection and insulation. The front-end plate 110 assembly and the rear-end plate 310 assembly have corresponding mounting holes, such as countersunk holes. The sides of the front-end plate 110 assembly and the rear-end plate 310 assembly have notches to facilitate side installation of the screw assembly 400. In actual installation, the screw assembly 400 passes sequentially through the front-end plate 110 assembly and the rear-end plate 310 assembly and is tightened with the nut, thereby fixing the core 200 between the front-end plate 110 assembly and the rear-end plate 310 assembly.

[0057] The limiting components include a first limiting component 510 and a second limiting component 520. The first limiting component 510 is located at the top and bottom of the core 200 to limit the vertical displacement of the core 200. The second limiting component 520 is located on the left and right sides of the core 200 to limit the horizontal displacement of the core 200. The front-back direction of the core 200 is consistent with the direction of the front end plate 110 assembly and the rear end plate 310 assembly, and the left-right direction of the core 200 is perpendicular to the front-back direction.

[0058] The limiting assembly includes a limiting rod and an insulating gasket. The front end assembly 100 and the rear end assembly 300 are respectively provided with mounting grooves. The limiting assembly is fixed in the mounting grooves of the front end plate 110 assembly and the rear end plate 310 assembly. The insulating gasket is located between the limiting rod and the core 200 to protect the core 200.

[0059] In one embodiment, the limiting rod is an insulating rod or an aluminum alloy rod, and the limiting rod is designed to reduce weight while ensuring strength, thereby reducing the weight of the fuel cell stack while supporting and limiting the core.

[0060] Furthermore, the reactor core 200 provided by the present invention includes a bipolar plate 210, which includes an anode plate and a cathode plate. Both the anode plate and the cathode plate are metal stainless steel plate stamping parts. The anode plate and the cathode plate are arranged opposite to each other to form a cooling channel with a cavity. The hydrogen inlet 121, the hydrogen outlet 122, the air inlet 123, the air outlet 124, the cooling water inlet 125, and the cooling water outlet 126 are respectively connected to the internal channel of the reactor core 200.

[0061] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8The core 200 includes a bipolar plate 210, a seal 220, and a membrane electrode assembly. The bipolar plate 210, the seal 220, and the membrane electrode assembly form a battery assembly. The bipolar plate 210 includes an anode plate and a cathode plate. The anode plate is provided with an anode flow channel, and the cathode plate is provided with a cathode flow channel. The anode flow channel and the cathode flow channel are provided with sealing grooves on their periphery. The anode plate and the cathode plate are arranged opposite to each other. They are connected by welding and sealed by the seal 220. The anode plate and the cathode plate form a cooling channel with a receiving cavity.

[0062] Furthermore, the hydrogen inlet 121, hydrogen outlet 122, air inlet 123, air outlet 124, cooling water inlet 125, and cooling water outlet 126 are respectively connected to the internal flow channels of the stack core, providing the gas and coolant required for the operation of the fuel cell stack, and discharging the unreacted gas and generated water.

[0063] The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consists of a proton exchange membrane, a catalyst, and a gas diffusion layer. The working principle of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is as follows: hydrogen gas reacts under the action of the anode catalyst: H2 → 2H+ + 2e- - Hydrogen ions reach the cathode through the electrolyte, while electrons reach the cathode through the external circuit. Under the action of the cathode catalyst, they react with oxygen in the air to produce water. 2H+ + +2e - +1 / 2O2→H2O, the overall reaction is 2H2+O2→2H2O, and the electricity generated by this reaction is output to the outside through the current collector.

[0064] Furthermore, both the anode plate and the cathode plate are stamped parts made of stainless steel plates. Compared with the etched metal plates used as bipolar plates 210 of the core 200, the core 200 is lighter and the power density of the entire fuel cell stack is higher.

[0065] In one embodiment, the anode channel of the anode plate is a serpentine channel, and the cathode channel of the cathode plate is a corrugated channel. The inner cavity formed by welding and sealing the anode plate and cathode plate together constitutes a cooling channel. This invention does not specifically limit the anode plate channel and cathode plate channel.

[0066] Based on the above embodiments, the thickness of both the anode plate and the cathode plate is 0.1 mm.

[0067] In one embodiment, the anode plate is a 0.1mm thick stainless steel sheet stamping, and the cathode plate is a 0.1mm thick stainless steel sheet stamping. The thinness and light weight of the anode and cathode plates improve the power of the fuel cell stack.

[0068] In this embodiment, the thickness of the anode plate and cathode plate is not specifically limited and can be selected according to the actual situation.

[0069] In one embodiment, the number of bipolar plates 210 and membrane electrode assemblies in the core 200 is 300-500. The output power of this type of fuel cell stack can reach 120KW-200KW, which can strongly support the continuous operation needs of rail transit equipment such as hydrogen fuel cell locomotives and trams. The stack also has smooth drainage under high power.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 6 The core 200 also includes a hydrogen inlet manifold channel 230, a hydrogen outlet manifold channel 240, an air inlet manifold channel 250, an air outlet manifold channel 260, a cooling water inlet manifold channel 270, and a cooling water outlet manifold channel 280. The hydrogen inlet 121 is connected to the hydrogen inlet manifold channel 230, and hydrogen sequentially enters the anode plate serpentine flow channel through the hydrogen inlet 121 and the hydrogen inlet manifold channel 230 to provide hydrogen to the fuel cell stack. The hydrogen outlet 122 is connected to the hydrogen outlet manifold channel, and unreacted hydrogen sequentially exits through the hydrogen outlet manifold channel 240 and the hydrogen outlet 122. The air inlet 123 is connected to the air inlet manifold channel 250, and air or oxygen sequentially passes through the air inlet 123 and the air outlet manifold channel 260. The air manifold 250 enters the corrugated flow channel of the cathode plate to provide oxygen to the fuel cell stack; the air outlet 124 is connected to the air outlet manifold 260, and the air that has not fully reacted is discharged through the air outlet manifold 260 and the air outlet 124, while the water generated by the oxidation-reduction reaction is also discharged through the air outlet 124; the cooling water inlet 125 is connected to the cooling water inlet manifold 270, and the coolant enters the core 200 sequentially through the cooling water inlet 125 and the cooling water inlet manifold 270; the cooling water outlet 126 is connected to the cooling water outlet manifold 280, and the coolant that has not fully undergone heat exchange and / or the coolant that has completed heat exchange is discharged sequentially through the cooling water outlet manifold 280 and the cooling water outlet 126.

[0071] Inside the reactor core 200, hydrogen and oxygen from the air undergo a redox reaction under the action of a catalyst on the membrane electrode, generating water and electricity simultaneously. The generated water is discharged through the air outlet manifold channel 260 and the air outlet 124, while the generated electricity is output through the tabs on the current collector plate.

[0072] Based on the above embodiments, the interiors of the air intake manifold channel 250, the air outlet manifold channel 260, the cooling water inlet manifold channel 270, and the cooling water outlet manifold channel 280 are further divided into multiple channels.

[0073] In one embodiment, reference Figure 6The air intake manifold 250 is divided into three channels, through which air enters the corrugated channel of the cathode plate; the air outlet manifold 260 is divided into three channels, through which incompletely reacted air exits the core 200; the cooling water intake manifold 270 is divided into three channels, through which coolant enters the cooling channel of the bipolar plate cavity; the cooling water outlet manifold 280 is divided into three channels, through which incompletely heat-exchanged and / or completely heat-exchanged coolant exits the core 200; the hydrogen intake manifold 230 and the hydrogen outlet manifold 240 are single-pass channels.

[0074] The present invention divides the interior of the air intake manifold 250, air outlet manifold 260, cooling water inlet manifold 270 and cooling water outlet manifold 280 into multiple channels to make the flow rate in each channel uniform and improve the reaction rate.

[0075] In this embodiment, the number of internal flow channels of the air intake manifold 250, air outlet manifold 260, cooling water inlet manifold 270, and cooling water outlet manifold 280 is not specifically limited. They can be the same or different, and can be set according to the actual flow rate and reaction speed.

[0076] The air inlet 123 in this invention can also be used to directly introduce oxygen.

[0077] Based on the above embodiments, further, referring to Figure 9 The fuel cell stack also includes multiple disc spring assemblies 600. The rear assembly 300 includes a rear plate 310, a rear insulation plate 320, a rear current collector 330, and a rear pressure plate 340. The rear plate 310 is connected to the rear pressure plate 340 through multiple disc spring assemblies 600. The rear insulation plate 320 is located between the rear current collector 330 and the rear plate 310.

[0078] The main function of the disc spring assembly 600 is to alleviate the displacement deformation of the core 200 due to thermal expansion and contraction. The disc spring assembly 600 includes disc springs and gaskets. Multiple positioning posts are provided on one side of the rear end plate 310, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the rear pressure plate 340 is provided with multiple disc spring slots, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the positioning posts and disc spring slots correspond one-to-one. The washers and disc springs are sequentially fitted onto the positioning posts on the rear end plate 310, and the disc springs are embedded one-to-one into the disc spring slots. In the actual installation process, multiple disc spring assemblies 600 are fitted one-to-one onto the positioning posts on the rear end plate 310, as shown. Figure 11 As shown, the other end of the disc spring is pressed into the disc spring groove of the rear pressure plate 340 by pressure.

[0079] The present invention forms a soft connection between the rear end plate 310 and the rear pressure plate 340 through the disc spring assembly 600. On the one hand, it can make the force on the rear pressure plate 340 more evenly transmitted to the bipolar plate 210 of the core 200. On the other hand, through the characteristics of the disc spring assembly 600, it can compensate to a certain extent for the problem of inconsistent stack length during stacking and use, and ensure that the stack length of the same batch of stacks is basically consistent throughout the entire life cycle.

[0080] Further, refer to Figure 1 The other side of the rear end plate 310 is connected to the rear insulation plate 320. The rear insulation plate 320 is provided with a limiting groove on the side near the core 200. The rear current collector plate 330 is embedded in the limiting groove, that is, the rear insulation plate 320 is located between the rear current collector plate 330 and the rear end plate 310.

[0081] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A front-end component, characterized in that, include: The reactor includes a front end plate, a front insulation plate, and a front current collector plate. The front insulation plate is located between the front end plate and the front current collector plate. The front insulation plate and the front end plate are respectively provided with a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a cooling water inlet, and a cooling water outlet, which are respectively used to communicate with the internal flow channels of the reactor core. The air outlet is lower than the air inlet. The front insulating plate has multiple protrusions on one side. The hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet, air outlet, cooling water inlet, and cooling water outlet are correspondingly located on the protrusions. The front end plate has multiple openings, and the multiple protrusions are correspondingly embedded in the openings. The other side of the front insulating plate is provided with a groove, which is located within the structural range surrounded by the plurality of protrusions, and the front current collector is embedded in the groove; The top of the air outlet is 30mm lower than the top of the air inlet.

2. A fuel cell stack, characterized in that, Including the front-end component as described in claim 1, it further includes a back-end component, a core, a screw assembly, and a limiting component, wherein the front-end component and the back-end component fix the core between them via the screw assembly, and the limiting component is used to restrict the core; The reactor core includes bipolar plates, each including an anode plate and a cathode plate. Both the anode plate and the cathode plate are stamped stainless steel plates. The anode plate and the cathode plate are arranged opposite each other to form a cooling channel with a cavity. The hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet, the air outlet, the cooling water inlet, and the cooling water outlet are respectively connected to the internal channels of the reactor core. The thickness of both the anode plate and the cathode plate is 0.1 mm; The reactor core also includes a hydrogen inlet manifold channel, a hydrogen outlet manifold channel, an air inlet manifold channel, an air outlet manifold channel, a cooling water inlet manifold channel, and a cooling water outlet manifold channel. The hydrogen inlet is connected to the hydrogen inlet manifold channel, and the hydrogen outlet is connected to the hydrogen outlet manifold channel; the air inlet is connected to the air inlet manifold channel, and the air outlet is connected to the air outlet manifold channel; the cooling water inlet is connected to the cooling water inlet manifold channel, and the cooling water outlet is connected to the cooling water outlet manifold channel. The air intake manifold, the air outlet manifold, the cooling water inlet manifold, and the cooling water outlet manifold are all divided into multiple channels. The fuel cell stack also includes multiple disc spring assemblies. The rear end assembly includes a rear end plate, a rear insulation plate, a rear current collector, and a rear pressure plate. The rear end plate is connected to the rear pressure plate through multiple disc spring assemblies. The rear insulation plate is disposed between the rear current collector and the rear end plate.

Images