Gas-water separator and fuel cell system

Abstract

This invention provides a gas-water separator and a fuel cell system. The gas-water separator includes: a main housing, which includes a receiving cavity and a drain port located below and communicating with the receiving cavity; a plurality of heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of at least a portion of the main housing; a circulating gas inlet pipe, which is disposed on one side of the main housing and connected to the main housing so that the outlet of the circulating gas inlet pipe communicates with the receiving cavity; and a reducing pipe, at least a portion of which is disposed in the receiving cavity, with its upper end passing through the upper mounting hole of the main housing and extending to the top of the main housing to form an exhaust port. This invention addresses the problem in the prior art where the hydrogen and water vapor mixture separated by the gas-water separator undergoes secondary condensation of water vapor when it enters the ejector of the fuel cell system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more specifically, to a gas-water separator and a fuel cell system. Background Technology

[0002] Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have become a very promising new energy power generation device due to their advantages such as high energy density, low operating temperature, fast start-up speed and long service life.

[0003] In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen on the anode side and oxygen on the cathode side can react chemically to produce electricity and water. The amount of hydrogen supplied to the anode side needs to be greater than the actual amount of hydrogen consumed in order to improve the efficiency of the fuel cell system. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an anode hydrogen circulation system to recycle unreacted hydrogen to improve the hydrogen recovery rate.

[0004] However, in a hydrogen circulation system, if the gas-water separator cannot separate the water from the hydrogen in time, a large amount of water will enter the battery stack and cause flooding, which will seriously affect the battery performance and life. Therefore, the separation efficiency and pressure drop of the gas-water separator are crucial.

[0005] Although conventional gas-water separators can separate most of the liquid water, the resulting mixture of hydrogen and water vapor will undergo secondary condensation of water vapor in the ejector of the hydrogen circulation system under the jet action of the ejector, forming liquid water droplets again, which may clog the secondary inlet of the ejector. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide a gas-water separator and a fuel cell system to solve the problem in the prior art where the hydrogen and water vapor mixture separated by the gas-water separator will undergo secondary condensation of water vapor when it enters the ejector of the fuel cell system.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, a gas-liquid separator is provided, comprising: a main housing, the main housing including a receiving cavity and a drain port located below and communicating with the receiving cavity, wherein at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main housing is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins; a circulating air inlet pipe, the circulating air inlet pipe being disposed on one side of the main housing and connected to the main housing such that the outlet of the circulating air inlet pipe is communicating with the receiving cavity; and a reducing pipe, at least a portion of the reducing pipe being disposed within the receiving cavity, wherein the upper end of the reducing pipe passing through an upper mounting hole of the main housing and extending above the main housing to form an exhaust port.

[0008] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator includes a liquid-separating baffle, which is disposed in the receiving cavity to divide the receiving cavity into a cooling chamber and a water collection chamber, and the liquid-separating baffle is provided with a drain hole for liquid to pass through.

[0009] Furthermore, the main shell includes: the main shell comprises a first shell segment, a second shell segment, a third shell segment, a fourth shell segment, and a fifth shell segment connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first shell segment, the third shell segment, and the fifth shell segment are all cylindrical shell segments, and the second shell segment and the fourth shell segment are both conical shell segments with their inner diameters decreasing sequentially from top to bottom. Among them, the inner diameter of the first shell segment is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second shell segment, the inner diameter of the third shell segment is equal to the minimum inner diameter of the second shell segment and equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell segment, the inner diameter of the fifth shell segment is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell segment, and the drain port is located at the end of the fifth shell segment away from the fourth shell segment.

[0010] Furthermore, the main housing includes an end plate disposed at the end of the first housing section away from the second housing section to seal the first housing section; the end plate is provided with an upper mounting hole for installing a reducing pipe.

[0011] Furthermore, multiple heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first shell section; and / or multiple heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second shell section; and / or a circulating air inlet pipe is provided on the first shell section, the circulating air inlet pipe being a straight pipe extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being tangent to the circumferential direction of the first shell section; and / or a liquid baffle is provided between the third and fourth shell sections; and / or the inlet at the lower end of the reducing pipe is a circular opening, the inner diameter of the circular opening being one-third of the inner diameter of the first shell section.

[0012] Furthermore, the reducing pipe includes a first pipe section, a second pipe section, a third pipe section, a fourth pipe section, and a fifth pipe section connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first pipe section, the third pipe section, and the fifth pipe section are all cylindrical pipe sections, while the second pipe section and the fourth pipe section are both conical pipe sections. The diameter of the second pipe section and the diameter of the fourth pipe section gradually decrease in the direction away from the third pipe section. The diameter of the first pipe section is equal to the maximum diameter of the second pipe section, and the diameter of the fifth pipe section is equal to the maximum diameter of the fourth pipe section.

[0013] Furthermore, the angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment and the centerline of the second pipe segment ranges from 10 degrees to 20 degrees; and / or the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment and the centerline of the fourth pipe segment ranges from 65 degrees to 75 degrees.

[0014] Furthermore, the angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment and the centerline of the second pipe segment is 15 degrees; and / or the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment and the centerline of the fourth pipe segment is 70 degrees.

[0015] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator also includes a switch valve located at the drain port, which can be used to open or close the drain port by opening or closing the switch valve.

[0016] Furthermore, there are multiple drainage holes, which are spaced apart on the liquid-separating baffle; the drainage holes are round holes with a diameter of 2mm.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell system is provided, comprising a high-pressure hydrogen cylinder, a shut-off valve, a pressure reducing valve, a hydrogen injection valve, an ejector, and a fuel cell stack connected in sequence; the fuel cell system further comprises a gas-water separator, which is the gas-water separator described above, wherein the exhaust port of the gas-water separator is connected to the inlet of the ejector, and the inlet of the circulating gas inlet pipe of the gas-water separator is connected to the outlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0018] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the gas-liquid separator of the present invention includes: a main shell, the main shell including a receiving cavity and a drain port located below the receiving cavity and communicating with the receiving cavity, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of at least a portion of the main shell; a circulating air inlet pipe, the circulating air inlet pipe is disposed on one side of the main shell and connected to the main shell so that the outlet of the circulating air inlet pipe communicates with the receiving cavity; and a reducing pipe, at least a portion of the reducing pipe is disposed in the receiving cavity, and the upper end of the reducing pipe passes through the upper mounting hole of the main shell and extends to the top of the main shell to form an exhaust port. Thus, the gas-water separator of the present invention, by incorporating heat dissipation fins and a variable diameter pipe, can rapidly reduce the temperature of the circulating gas entering the main housing from the circulating gas inlet pipe. This causes the water vapor in the circulating gas to condense into liquid water in the receiving cavity, allowing the water vapor to be separated from the circulating gas in the gas-water separator. Furthermore, the circulating gas after the liquid water is separated has a lower temperature, preventing the circulating gas containing hydrogen and water vapor from being further cooled by the low-temperature jet of hydrogen in the ejector after entering the ejector. This prevents the water vapor from condensing again to form liquid water, which then enters the fuel cell stack. This technology avoids the phenomenon of anode flooding in fuel cell stacks, which leads to a decrease in fuel cell stack performance. Furthermore, the circulating gas after liquid water separation can flow quickly from the exhaust port to the ejector by appropriately sacrificing pressure drop in exchange for a faster flow rate when passing through the reducer. This allows for rapid mixing with the dry and cold hydrogen in the ejector, improving gas-water separation efficiency and solving the problem of secondary condensation of water vapor in the hydrogen and water vapor mixture after separation by the gas-water separator when it enters the ejector of the fuel cell system, which is a problem in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A front view of an embodiment of a gas-water separator according to the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows a top view of the gas-liquid separator.

[0022] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the variable diameter pipe of the gas-liquid separator shown;

[0023] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the gas-liquid separator shown along the AA direction;

[0024] Figure 5 It shows including Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a fuel cell system with a gas-water separator.

[0025] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0026] 1. End plate; 2. High-pressure hydrogen cylinder; 3. Shut-off valve; 4. Pressure reducing valve; 5. Hydrogen injection valve; 6. Ejector; 7. Fuel cell stack;

[0027] 8. Main shell; 81. First shell section; 82. Second shell section; 83. Third shell section; 84. Fourth shell section; 85. Fifth shell section; 9. Receiving cavity;

[0028] 10. Gas-liquid separator; 11. Circulating gas inlet pipe; 12. Exhaust port; 13. Drain port; 14. Liquid baffle; 15. Water collection chamber;

[0029] 16. Reducing pipe; 162. First pipe section; 163. Second pipe section; 164. Third pipe section; 165. Fourth pipe section; 166. Fifth pipe section; 17. Drain hole; 18. Cooling chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides a gas-liquid separator, comprising: a main housing 8, the main housing 8 including a receiving cavity 9 and a drain port 13 located below and communicating with the receiving cavity 9, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins provided on at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main housing 8; a circulating air inlet pipe 11, the circulating air inlet pipe 11 being disposed on one side of the main housing 8 and connected to the main housing 8, such that the outlet of the circulating air inlet pipe 11 is communicating with the receiving cavity 9; and a reducing pipe 16, at least a portion of the reducing pipe 16 being disposed within the receiving cavity 9, the upper end of the reducing pipe 16 passing through the upper mounting hole of the main housing 8 and extending to the top of the main housing 8 to form an exhaust port 12.

[0032] Thus, the gas-water separator of the present invention, by setting heat dissipation fins and a reducing pipe 16, can quickly reduce the temperature of the circulating gas entering the main housing 8 from the circulating gas inlet pipe 11, causing the water vapor in the circulating gas to condense into liquid water in the receiving cavity 9, thereby separating the water vapor in the circulating gas in the gas-water separator. This ensures that the circulating gas after separating the liquid water has a lower temperature, preventing the circulating gas containing hydrogen and water vapor from being cooled again by the low-temperature jet of hydrogen in the ejector after entering the ejector, thus causing the water vapor to condense a second time to form liquid water which then enters the fuel cell. This design avoids the phenomenon of anode flooding within the fuel cell stack, which leads to a reduction in fuel cell stack performance. Furthermore, the circulating gas after liquid water separation can flow rapidly from the exhaust port 12 to the ejector by appropriately sacrificing pressure drop in exchange for a faster flow velocity when passing through the reducer 16. This allows for rapid mixing with the dry and cold hydrogen in the ejector, improving gas-water separation efficiency and solving the problem of secondary condensation of water vapor in the hydrogen and water vapor mixture after separation by the gas-water separator when it enters the ejector of the fuel cell system, as is present in the prior art.

[0033] Specifically, utilizing the principle that water vapor condenses into liquid water when it encounters a cold environment, the temperature of the circulating air decreases when it encounters the inner wall surface of the main casing 8, which is at a lower temperature than itself. Furthermore, due to the heat dissipation fins located on the outside of the main casing 8, the temperature of the circulating air near the inner wall surface of the main casing 8 decreases even faster, thereby creating a temperature difference to accelerate the decrease in the internal temperature of the main casing 8. When the temperature of the inner wall surface of the main casing 8 is lower than the dew point temperature of the circulating airflow, water will condense on the inner wall surface of the main casing 8.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the gas-water separator includes a liquid-separating baffle 14, which is disposed in the receiving cavity 9 to divide the receiving cavity 9 into a cooling chamber 18 and a water collection chamber 15. The liquid-separating baffle 14 is provided with a drain hole 17 for liquid to pass through.

[0035] The liquid baffle 14 is a scoop-shaped plate recessed towards the drain port 13, and has a drain hole 17. The condensed liquid droplets can slide down along the inner wall of the main shell 8 onto the liquid baffle 14, and then flow into the water collection chamber 15 through the drain hole 17 on the liquid baffle 14, and finally be discharged to the outside of the main shell 8 through the drain port 13.

[0036] Meanwhile, because a liquid-separating baffle 14 is installed in the receiving cavity 9, the circulating gas after the liquid water is separated can only reach the liquid-separating baffle 14 and then turn back upwards, and cannot flow over the liquid-separating baffle 14 to the water collection chamber 15 to mix with the separated liquid water droplets again. This avoids the humidity of the circulating gas after the liquid water is separated from increasing again, ensures the accumulation of liquid droplets in the water collection chamber 15, and further improves the gas-water separation efficiency.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the main shell 8 includes: a first shell section 81, a second shell section 82, a third shell section 83, a fourth shell section 84, and a fifth shell section 85 connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first shell section 81, the third shell section 83, and the fifth shell section 85 are all cylindrical shell sections, and the second shell section 82 and the fourth shell section 84 are both conical shell sections with their inner diameters decreasing sequentially from top to bottom. Among them, the inner diameter of the first shell section 81 is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second shell section 82, the inner diameter of the third shell section 83 is equal to the minimum inner diameter of the second shell section 82 and equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell section 84, the inner diameter of the fifth shell section 85 is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell section 84, and the drain port 13 is located at the end of the fifth shell section 85 away from the fourth shell section 84.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the main housing 8 includes an end plate 1, which is disposed at the end of the first housing section 81 away from the second housing section 82 to block the first housing section 81; the end plate 1 is provided with an upper mounting hole for installing the reducer 16.

[0039] Specifically, a plurality of heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first shell section 81; and / or a plurality of heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second shell section 82; and / or a circulating air inlet pipe 11 is provided on the first shell section 81, the circulating air inlet pipe 11 being a straight pipe extending in a predetermined direction tangent to the circumference of the first shell section 81; and / or a liquid baffle 14 is provided between the third shell section 83 and the fourth shell section 84; and / or the inlet at the lower end of the reducing pipe 16 is a circular opening, the inner diameter of which is one-third of the inner diameter of the first shell section 81.

[0040] In the gas-water separator of the present invention, when the circulating gas enters the main housing 8 through the circulating gas inlet pipe 11, the flow direction of the circulating gas is tangential to the inner wall surface of the main housing 8. The circulating gas moves downward under the action of gravity and centrifugal force. The time required for the circulating gas to reach the exhaust port 12 through this process is relatively long. The main housing 8 with heat dissipation fins allows the circulating gas to stay in the main housing 8 for a longer time. The circulating gas will contact the inner wall surface of the main housing 8 with heat dissipation fins to effectively exchange heat with the inner wall surface of the main housing 8, so that the temperature of the circulating gas in the gas-water separator is reduced more significantly, thereby reducing the temperature of the circulating gas and the saturated vapor pressure of the water vapor in the circulating gas, so that the water vapor in the circulating gas can condense into liquid water droplets to a greater extent. Since the mass of the liquid water droplets and the circulating gas are different, the gravity they experience is different. Therefore, the liquid water droplets will stick tightly to the inner wall surface of the main housing 8 and make a downward centrifugal motion to flow to the liquid baffle 14.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the reducing pipe 16 includes a first pipe section 162, a second pipe section 163, a third pipe section 164, a fourth pipe section 165, and a fifth pipe section 166 connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first pipe section 162, the third pipe section 164, and the fifth pipe section 166 are all cylindrical pipe sections, while the second pipe section 163 and the fourth pipe section 165 are both conical pipe sections. The diameter of the second pipe section 163 and the diameter of the fourth pipe section 165 gradually decrease in the direction away from the third pipe section 164. The diameter of the first pipe section 162 is equal to the maximum diameter of the second pipe section 163, and the diameter of the fifth pipe section 166 is equal to the maximum diameter of the fourth pipe section 165.

[0042] Preferably, the angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment 163 and the center line of the second pipe segment 163 is in the range of 10 degrees to 20 degrees, including 10 degrees and 20 degrees; and / or the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment 165 and the center line of the fourth pipe segment 165 is in the range of 65 degrees to 75 degrees, including 65 degrees and 75 degrees.

[0043] More preferably, the angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment 163 and the center line of the second pipe segment 163 is 15 degrees; and / or the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment 165 and the center line of the fourth pipe segment 165 is 70 degrees.

[0044] The variable diameter tube 16 of the present invention can accelerate the flow rate of the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets are separated, so that the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets are separated can quickly enter the ejector 6 and mix with dry hydrogen gas. This reduces the contact between the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets are separated and the circulating gas that has not been separated during the rising process, and thus reduces the temperature rise of the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets are separated due to convective heat transfer. Since the temperature of the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets is separated is low, it effectively prevents secondary condensation of water vapor or water blockage in the ejector 6.

[0045] Specifically, the diameter of the fifth pipe section 166 is one-third of the inner diameter of the first shell section 81 of the main shell 8. It can effectively allow 95% of the circulating gas after the liquid water droplets are separated and flow upward into the reducer pipe 16. It can also effectively prevent the circulating gas flowing into the main shell 8 from the circulating gas inlet pipe 11 from being discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the ejector 6 without separation, so as to mix with the dry and cold hydrogen in the ejector 6, thereby increasing the humidity of the hydrogen at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 7.

[0046] In addition, the gas-liquid separator of the present invention also includes a switch valve provided at the drain port 13, so as to open or close the drain port 13 by opening or closing the switch valve.

[0047] Specifically, the switching valve is a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve adjusts its opening and closing cycle according to the output power of the fuel cell system, so as to improve the gas-water separation efficiency while reducing the pressure drop to meet the stack pressure requirements of the fuel cell stack 7 (i.e., to play a pressure relief role).

[0048] For example, when the fuel cell system output power is low, the solenoid valve opens for 0.3 seconds every 5 seconds to discharge water from the water collection chamber 15 to the gas-water separator 10. Since the opening and closing cycle of the solenoid valve is relatively long at low power, it effectively stabilizes the pressure at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7. When the fuel cell system output power is high, the anode of the fuel cell system reacts to generate more water. This water is carried out by the mixed gas at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7. The solenoid valve opens for 0.5 seconds every 3 seconds to discharge water from the water collection chamber 15 to the gas-water separator 10. Since the opening and closing cycle of the solenoid valve is relatively short at high power, the pressure fluctuation at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7 is continuous and the fluctuation range is small.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, there are multiple drainage holes 17, which are spaced apart on the liquid-separating baffle 14; the drainage holes 17 are round holes with a diameter of 2mm.

[0050] like Figure 5As shown, the present invention also provides a fuel cell system, including a high-pressure hydrogen cylinder 2, a shut-off valve 3, a pressure reducing valve 4, a hydrogen injection valve 5, an ejector 6, and a fuel cell stack 7 connected in sequence; the fuel cell system also includes a gas-water separator 10, which is the gas-water separator described above, with the exhaust port 12 of the gas-water separator 10 connected to the inlet of the ejector 6, and the inlet of the circulating gas inlet pipe 11 of the gas-water separator 10 connected to the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7.

[0051] Specifically, in the fuel cell system of the present invention, the outlet of the high-pressure hydrogen cylinder 2 is connected to the inlet of the shut-off valve 3, the outlet of the shut-off valve 3 is connected to the inlet of the pressure reducing valve 4, the outlet of the pressure reducing valve 4 is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen injection valve 5, the outlet of the hydrogen injection valve 5 is connected to the first inlet of the ejector 6, the exhaust port 12 of the gas-water separator 10 is connected to the second inlet of the ejector 6, the outlet of the ejector 6 is connected to the inlet of the fuel cell stack 7, and the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7 is connected to the inlet of the recirculating gas inlet pipe 11 of the gas-water separator 10.

[0052] The fuel cell system of this invention uses high-pressure hydrogen stored in two types of high-pressure hydrogen cylinders as the anode reactant of the fuel cell stack 7. By controlling the opening of the hydrogen injection valve 5, high-pressure hydrogen at different pressures is supplied to the ejector 6. The unreacted hydrogen in the recirculation gas after the liquid water droplets are separated enters the ejector 6 through the gas-liquid separator 10 and mixes with the high-pressure hydrogen. Then, it enters the fuel cell stack 7 and undergoes an electrochemical reaction with the oxygen on the cathode side to generate electricity, thereby realizing the recovery and utilization of unreacted hydrogen. The unconsumed hydrogen in the fuel cell stack 7 will be discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7 along with the liquid water and water vapor generated by the reaction, thus becoming the recirculation gas. The recirculation gas is a gas-liquid two-phase fluid containing liquid water droplets, water vapor, and hydrogen. Before the recirculation gas enters the ejector 6, the gas-liquid separator 10 needs to separate as much liquid water as possible and discharge it through the drain port 13. The recirculation gas after the liquid water droplets are separated will enter the ejector 6 through the exhaust port 12 and mix with dry hydrogen.

[0053] The circulating gas flow rate at the outlet of the fuel cell stack 7 is approximately 360 SLPM to 1950 SLPM, and the mass flow rate of water vapor is 0.0019 g / s to 0.01368 g / s. After passing through the gas-water separator 10 of this invention, the separation effect of water vapor can reach more than 99%.

[0054] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of the present invention achieve the following technical effects:

[0055] The gas-liquid separator of the present invention includes: a main housing 8, the main housing 8 including a receiving cavity 9 and a drain port 13 located below and communicating with the receiving cavity 9, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins provided on at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main housing 8; a circulating air inlet pipe 11, the circulating air inlet pipe 11 being disposed on one side of the main housing 8 and connected to the main housing 8 so that the outlet of the circulating air inlet pipe 11 is communicating with the receiving cavity 9; and a reducing pipe 16, at least a portion of the reducing pipe 16 being disposed in the receiving cavity 9, the upper end of the reducing pipe 16 passing through the upper mounting hole of the main housing 8 and extending to the top of the main housing 8 to form an exhaust port 12. Thus, the gas-water separator of the present invention, by setting heat dissipation fins and a reducing pipe 16, can quickly reduce the temperature of the circulating gas entering the main housing 8 from the circulating gas inlet pipe 11, causing the water vapor in the circulating gas to condense into liquid water in the receiving cavity 9, thereby separating the water vapor in the circulating gas in the gas-water separator. This ensures that the circulating gas after separating the liquid water has a lower temperature, preventing the circulating gas containing hydrogen and water vapor from being cooled again by the low-temperature jet of hydrogen in the ejector after entering the ejector, thus causing the water vapor to condense a second time to form liquid water which then enters the fuel cell. This design avoids the phenomenon of anode flooding within the fuel cell stack, which leads to a reduction in fuel cell stack performance. Furthermore, the circulating gas after liquid water separation can flow rapidly from the exhaust port 12 to the ejector by appropriately sacrificing pressure drop in exchange for a faster flow velocity when passing through the reducer 16. This allows for rapid mixing with the dry and cold hydrogen in the ejector, improving gas-water separation efficiency and solving the problem of secondary condensation of water vapor in the hydrogen and water vapor mixture after separation by the gas-water separator when it enters the ejector of the fuel cell system, as is present in the prior art.

[0056] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0057] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0058] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0059] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0060] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0061] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas-water separator, characterized in that, include: The main housing (8) includes a receiving cavity (9) and a drain port (13) located below and communicating with the receiving cavity (9). At least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main housing (8) is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins. A circulating air inlet pipe (11) is provided on one side of the main housing (8) and connected to the main housing (8) so that the outlet of the circulating air inlet pipe (11) is connected to the receiving cavity (9); A reducing pipe (16) is provided in the receiving cavity (9) at least part of which passes through the upper mounting hole of the main housing (8) and extends to the top of the main housing (8) to form an exhaust port (12). The reducing pipe (16) includes a first pipe section (162), a second pipe section (163), a third pipe section (164), a fourth pipe section (165), and a fifth pipe section (166) connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first pipe section (162), the third pipe section (164), and the fifth pipe section (166) are all cylindrical pipe sections, and the second pipe section (163) and the fourth pipe section (165) are both conical pipe sections. The diameters of the second pipe section (163) and the fourth pipe section (165) gradually decrease in the direction away from the third pipe section (164), the diameter of the first pipe section (162) is equal to the maximum diameter of the second pipe section (163), and the diameter of the fifth pipe section (166) is equal to the maximum diameter of the fourth pipe section (165). The angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment (163) and the center line of the second pipe segment (163) ranges from 10 degrees to 20 degrees; the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment (165) and the center line of the fourth pipe segment (165) ranges from 65 degrees to 75 degrees. The angle between the conical generatrix of the second pipe segment (163) and the center line of the second pipe segment (163) is 15 degrees; the angle between the conical generatrix of the fourth pipe segment (165) and the center line of the fourth pipe segment (165) is 70 degrees.

2. The gas-water separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator includes a liquid-separating baffle (14), which is disposed in the receiving cavity (9) to divide the receiving cavity (9) into a cooling chamber (18) and a water collection chamber (15). The liquid-separating baffle (14) is provided with a drain hole (17) for liquid to pass through.

3. The gas-water separator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main housing (8) includes: The main shell (8) includes a first shell segment (81), a second shell segment (82), a third shell segment (83), a fourth shell segment (84), and a fifth shell segment (85) connected sequentially from top to bottom. The first shell segment (81), the third shell segment (83), and the fifth shell segment (85) are all cylindrical shell segments, and the second shell segment (82) and the fourth shell segment (84) are both conical shell segments with their inner diameter decreasing sequentially from top to bottom. Wherein, the inner diameter of the first shell segment (81) is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the second shell segment (82), the inner diameter of the third shell segment (83) is equal to the minimum inner diameter of the second shell segment (82) and equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell segment (84), the inner diameter of the fifth shell segment (85) is equal to the maximum inner diameter of the fourth shell segment (84), and the drain port (13) is located at the end of the fifth shell segment (85) away from the fourth shell segment (84).

4. The gas-water separator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The main housing (8) includes an end plate (1), which is disposed at one end of the first housing section (81) away from the second housing section (82) to block the first housing section (81); the end plate (1) is provided with an upper mounting hole for installing the reducing pipe (16).

5. The gas-water separator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first shell segment (81) has the plurality of heat dissipation fins disposed on its outer peripheral surface; and / or The second shell section (82) has the plurality of heat dissipation fins disposed on its outer peripheral surface; and / or The circulating air inlet pipe (11) is disposed on the first shell section (81), and the circulating air inlet pipe (11) is a straight pipe extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being tangent to the circumferential direction of the first shell section (81); and / or The liquid-blocking baffle (14) is disposed between the third shell section (83) and the fourth shell section (84); and / or The inlet at the lower end of the reducing pipe (16) is a circular opening, and the inner diameter of the circular opening is one-third of the inner diameter of the first shell section (81).

6. The gas-water separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator also includes a switch valve located at the drain port (13) to open or close the drain port (13) by opening or closing the switch valve.

7. The gas-water separator according to claim 2, characterized in that, There are multiple drainage holes (17), and the multiple drainage holes (17) are spaced apart on the liquid-separating baffle (14); The drain hole (17) is a round hole with a diameter of 2 mm.

8. A fuel cell system, characterized in that, The system includes a high-pressure hydrogen cylinder (2), a shut-off valve (3), a pressure reducing valve (4), a hydrogen injection valve (5), an ejector (6), and a fuel cell stack (7) connected in sequence. The fuel cell system also includes a gas-water separator (10), which is the gas-water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The exhaust port (12) of the gas-water separator (10) is connected to the inlet of the ejector (6), and the inlet of the circulating gas inlet pipe (11) of the gas-water separator (10) is connected to the outlet of the fuel cell stack (7).

Images