A water separator testing system and method of testing water separator efficiency

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of water distributor, in particular to a water distributor testing system and a water distributor efficiency testing method; the system comprises a gas path, a liquid path and a testing path; the gas path comprises an air compressor communicated with a mixing cavity; the liquid path comprises a water tank, a water pump and a first water flow meter, and the water tank, the water pump, the first water flow meter and the mixing cavity are communicated in sequence; the testing path comprises the mixing cavity, the water distributor and a liquid collecting container communicated in sequence; the water distributor testing system and the testing method are beneficial to the water distribution efficiency verification of the water distributor; the water distributor is verified by the rack, which greatly accelerates the verification time, and saves the development cost since the fuel cell engine is not required to be verified as a whole and is not required to be verified on a real vehicle; a calculation method of the water distribution efficiency is provided, which can qualitatively analyze the water distribution capacity of different water distributors and is beneficial to the product selection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of water separators, and in particular to a water separator testing system and a water separator efficiency testing method. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a device that generates water through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen while outputting electrical energy. It has the advantages of high power generation efficiency, low environmental pollution, high specific energy, and low noise. It has received widespread attention in the field of new energy and has good application prospects in the automotive field.

[0003] During fuel cell operation, a significant amount of water is generated within the system. Some of this water is carried out of the fuel cell stack by the airflow, some is discharged through the cathode tailpipe, and some enters the anode circulation system. After the mixed gas leaves the stack, condensation due to cooling creates a significant amount of liquid water in the anode circulation gas. Without proper separation, this liquid water can enter the stack and cause anode flooding. Furthermore, water in the anode circulation system can increase the workload of the hydrogen circulation pump / ejector, reducing their performance. Therefore, the use of a water separator is essential in fuel cell systems.

[0004] However, there is no device or method for testing the water separation efficiency of a fuel cell water separator in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a water separator testing system and a water separator efficiency testing method for verifying the water separation efficiency of a fuel cell water separator.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] A water separator testing system includes a gas path, a liquid path, and a testing path;

[0008] The gas path includes an air compressor in communication with the mixing chamber;

[0009] The liquid path includes a water tank, a water pump and a first water flow meter, and the water tank, the water pump, the first water flow meter and the mixing chamber are connected in sequence;

[0010] The test path includes a mixing chamber, a water separator and a liquid collecting container which are connected in sequence.

[0011] Furthermore, a second water flow meter is provided between the water distributor and the liquid collecting container; and a third throttle valve is provided between the mixing chamber and the water distributor.

[0012] Furthermore, the water separator testing system further includes a controller, which controls the operation of the gas path, the liquid path, and the testing path.

[0013] Furthermore, the test path also includes a gas collection container, and the gas collection container is connected to the water separator.

[0014] Furthermore, the gas path also includes an air filter, a first pressure gauge, a second pressure gauge, a gas flow meter and a first throttle valve. The air filter, the first pressure gauge and the air compressor are connected in sequence, and the second pressure gauge, the gas flow meter and the first throttle valve are arranged in sequence between the air compressor and the mixing chamber.

[0015] Furthermore, the liquid circuit also includes a first water pressure gauge, a second water pressure gauge and a second throttle valve. The first water pressure gauge is arranged between the water tank and the water pump; the second water pressure gauge is arranged between the water pump and the first water flow meter; and the second throttle valve is arranged between the first water flow meter and the mixing chamber.

[0016] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0017] A method for testing water separator efficiency, comprising:

[0018] Collect the gas-liquid mixture at the anode end of the fuel cell and obtain the ratio of gas to water vapor as the measured value;

[0019] Start the above-mentioned water separator test system and run it stably for more than or equal to 30 seconds;

[0020] According to the measured values, adjust the gas and liquid paths of the water separator test system so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured values;

[0021] The ratio of the water separator test system after water separation to the water separator before water separation is the water separation efficiency of the water separator.

[0022] Furthermore, adjusting the gas path and the liquid path of the water separator test system according to the measured value so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured value further includes:

[0023] According to the measured values, adjust the air compressor speed of the gas circuit and the water pump speed of the liquid circuit of the water separator test system so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured value.

[0024] Furthermore, obtaining the ratio of the water separation efficiency of the water separator to the water separation efficiency of the water separator further includes:

[0025] The data after water division is the value counted by the second water flow meter, and the data before water division is the value counted by the first water flow meter.

[0026] Furthermore, obtaining the ratio of the water separation efficiency of the water separator to the water separation efficiency of the water separator further includes:

[0027] The data after water separation is the amount of water collected in the liquid collection container, and the data before water separation is the amount of water reduced in the water tank.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the water separator testing system and testing method facilitate verification of the water separation efficiency of the water separator; verification of the water separator by the test bench greatly accelerates verification time, and since no verification of the fuel cell engine as a whole unit or verification on a real vehicle is required, development costs are saved; a method for calculating the water separation efficiency is provided, which can qualitatively analyze the water separation capabilities of different water separators, facilitating product selection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a water separator testing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a method for testing water separator efficiency according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Explanation of the reference numbers: 1. Controller; 2. Water tank; 3. Air filter; 4. First air pressure gauge; 5. Air compressor; 6. Second air pressure gauge; 7. Gas flow meter; 8. First throttle valve; 9. First water pressure gauge; 10. Water pump; 11. Second water pressure gauge; 12. First water flow meter; 13. Second throttle valve; 14. Mixing chamber; 15. Third throttle valve; 16. Water distributor; 17. Gas collecting container; 18. Liquid collecting container; 19. Second water flow meter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To illustrate the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following description is given in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , a water separator testing system, comprising a gas path, a liquid path and a testing path;

[0035] The gas path includes an air compressor 5 in communication with the mixing chamber 14;

[0036] The liquid path includes a water tank 2, a water pump 10 and a first water flow meter 12, and the water tank 2, the water pump 10, the first water flow meter 12 and the mixing chamber 14 are connected in sequence;

[0037] The test path includes a mixing chamber 14 , a water separator 16 and a liquid collecting container 18 which are connected in sequence.

[0038] A second water flow meter 19 is further provided between the water distributor 16 and the liquid collecting container 18 ; a third throttle valve 15 is further provided between the mixing chamber 14 and the water distributor 16 .

[0039] The water separator testing system further includes a controller 1 , which controls the operation of the gas circuit, the liquid circuit, and the testing circuit.

[0040] The test path further includes a gas collecting container 17 , which is in communication with the water separator 16 .

[0041] The gas path also includes an air filter 3, a first barometer 4, a second barometer 6, a gas flow meter 7 and a first throttle valve 8. The air filter 3, the first barometer 4 and the air compressor 5 are connected in sequence, and the second barometer 6, the gas flow meter 7 and the first throttle valve 8 are arranged in sequence between the air compressor 5 and the mixing chamber 14.

[0042] The liquid circuit also includes a first water pressure gauge 9, a second water pressure gauge 11 and a second throttle valve 13. The first water pressure gauge 9 is arranged between the water tank 2 and the water pump 10; the second water pressure gauge 11 is arranged between the water pump 10 and the first water flow meter 12; the second throttle valve 13 is arranged between the first water flow meter 12 and the mixing chamber 14.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] A method for testing water separator efficiency, comprising:

[0045] Collect the gas-liquid mixture at the anode end of the fuel cell and obtain the ratio of gas to water vapor as the measured value;

[0046] Start the water separator 16 test system described in Example 1 and run it stably for 30 seconds or more;

[0047] According to the measured values, adjust the speed of the air compressor 5 of the gas circuit and the speed of the water pump 10 of the liquid circuit of the water separator 16 test system so that the gas-liquid ratio is consistent with the measured value;

[0048] The ratio of the water separator test system after water separation to the water separation before water separation is obtained as the water separation efficiency of the water separator 16.

[0049] The ratio of the water separation test system before and after water separation is obtained as the water separation efficiency of the water separator 16 , which further includes: the data after water separation is the value counted by the second water flow meter 19 , and the data before water separation is the value counted by the first water flow meter 12 .

[0050] Example 3

[0051] A method for testing the efficiency of a water separator, which is the same as that of the second embodiment and will not be described in detail, wherein

[0052] Obtaining the ratio of the water separation efficiency of the water separator after water separation to the water separation before water separation of the water separator test system further includes: the data after water separation is the amount of water collected by the liquid collection container, and the data before water separation is the amount of water reduced in the water tank.

[0053] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformations made using the contents of the present invention's description and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water separator testing system, characterized in that: Including gas path, liquid path and test path; The gas path includes an air compressor in communication with the mixing chamber; The liquid path includes a water tank, a water pump and a first water flow meter, and the water tank, the water pump, the first water flow meter and the mixing chamber are connected in sequence; The test path includes a mixing chamber, a water separator and a liquid collection container which are connected in sequence; A second water flow meter is further provided between the water distributor and the liquid collecting container; a third throttle valve is further provided between the mixing chamber and the water distributor; The water separator test system further includes a controller, which controls the operation of the gas circuit, the liquid circuit, and the test circuit; The gas path further includes an air filter, a first air pressure gauge, a second air pressure gauge, a gas flow meter, and a first throttle valve, wherein the air filter, the first air pressure gauge, and the air compressor are sequentially connected, and the second air pressure gauge, the gas flow meter, and the first throttle valve are sequentially arranged between the air compressor and the mixing chamber; The liquid circuit also includes a first water pressure gauge, a second water pressure gauge and a second throttle valve. The first water pressure gauge is arranged between the water tank and the water pump; the second water pressure gauge is arranged between the water pump and the first water flow meter; and the second throttle valve is arranged between the first water flow meter and the mixing chamber.

2. The water separator testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test path further includes a gas collecting container, which is communicated with the water separator.

3. A method for testing water separator efficiency, characterized in that: include Collect the gas-liquid mixture at the anode end of the fuel cell and obtain the ratio of gas to water vapor as the measured value; Start the water separator test system according to any one of claims 1-2, and run it stably for more than or equal to 30 seconds; According to the measured values, adjust the gas and liquid paths of the water separator test system so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured values; The ratio of the water separator test system after water separation to the water separator before water separation is obtained as the water separation efficiency of the water separator; According to the measured values, the gas and liquid paths of the water separator test system are adjusted so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured values, further including: According to the measured values, adjust the air compressor speed of the gas circuit and the water pump speed of the liquid circuit of the water separator test system so that the gas-liquid ratio matches the measured value; Obtaining the ratio of the water separation efficiency of the water separator to the water separation efficiency of the water separator in the water separator test system further includes: The data after water division is the value counted by the second water flow meter, and the data before water division is the value counted by the first water flow meter.

4. The water separator efficiency testing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Obtaining the ratio of the water separation efficiency of the water separator to the water separation efficiency of the water separator in the water separator test system further includes: The data after water separation is the amount of water collected in the liquid collection container, and the data before water separation is the amount of water reduced in the water tank.

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