A fuel cell system with a low pressure hydrogen source

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of low-pressure hydrogen source fuel cell systems, comprising: fuel cell stack, hydrogen pump, air pump, water pump, radiator, hydrogen inlet valve group, water distributor, throttle valve and check valve.The air pump inlet end is communicated with atmosphere, and the air pump outlet end is connected with the air inlet end of fuel cell stack, and the air outlet end of fuel cell stack is connected with throttle valve, and the inlet end of water pump is connected with the outlet end of radiator, and the outlet end of water pump is connected with the inlet end of fuel cell stack coolant, and the outlet end of fuel cell stack coolant is connected with the inlet end of radiator.Therefore, the system has the following advantages: in fuel cell system, without using high-pressure hydrogen bottle, low-pressure hydrogen source can be used to meet the hydrogen supply requirements of fuel cell system;The system is conducive to the system matching of different hydrogen sources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell control technology, and more particularly to a fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source. Background Technology

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical power generation device that uses hydrogen and oxygen as raw materials to produce water through an electrochemical reaction, while simultaneously converting chemical energy into electrical energy. It has advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency, environmental friendliness, simple structure, and convenient operation.

[0003] Fuel cell systems require operation under specific pressure conditions. Therefore, a certain pressure condition is needed before the hydrogen inlet valve assembly to cooperate with the ejector and form a complete fuel cell system. Currently, fuel cell systems generally use high-pressure hydrogen cylinders as the hydrogen source. However, high-pressure hydrogen sources are difficult to refill, pose safety hazards, and the large volume of the cylinders reduces the specific power of the entire system. Furthermore, a certain pressure of gas needs to be maintained in the hydrogen cylinders during use, resulting in some waste of the gas source and reducing system operating time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention discloses a fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source, comprising: a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen pump, an air pump, a water pump, a radiator, a hydrogen inlet valve assembly, a water distributor, a throttle valve, and a check valve. The air pump inlet is connected to the atmospheric environment, and the air pump outlet is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell stack. The air outlet of the fuel cell stack is connected to the throttle valve. The water pump inlet is connected to the radiator outlet, and the water pump outlet is connected to the fuel cell stack coolant inlet. The fuel cell stack coolant outlet is connected to the radiator inlet.

[0005] The hydrogen intake valve assembly includes an intake inlet, a reflux ejector, and an injection port. The intake inlet of the hydrogen intake valve assembly is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen pump via a buffer tank. The injection port of the hydrogen intake valve assembly is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell stack. The hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell stack is connected to a water distributor. The outlet of the water distributor is connected to the inlet of a one-way valve. The outlet of the one-way valve is connected to the reflux ejector of the hydrogen intake valve assembly, thus forming a complete fuel cell system.

[0006] The hydrogen pump includes a low-pressure side inlet and a high-pressure side outlet. The low-pressure side inlet is connected to a hydrogen source, and the low-pressure side outlet of the hydrogen pump is connected to a circulation pump to circulate low-pressure hydrogen. The high-pressure side outlet of the hydrogen pump is connected to the inlet end of the hydrogen inlet valve assembly.

[0007] The water distributor has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a water outlet, with the air outlet located above the air inlet and the water outlet located below the air inlet. The water distributor is equipped with a filter element for air-water separation and a liquid level sensor. The filter element is used to separate water in the gas entering the water distributor to the water outlet. The liquid level sensor is used to determine the liquid level in the water distributor and discharge it from the water outlet in a timely manner. The drain outlet of the water distributor is equipped with a drain valve, and the water from the water outlet of the water distributor is discharged by controlling the drain valve.

[0008] When a low-pressure hydrogen source is introduced into the hydrogen pump inlet, a circulation pump is used to circulate the low-pressure hydrogen. By applying voltage across the hydrogen pump, the pressure at the hydrogen pump outlet is controlled to maintain stability and is then introduced into a buffer tank to maintain a stable pressure, thus obtaining a complete low-pressure hydrogen source system.

[0009] The air pump pumps a certain flow rate of fresh air into the fuel cell stack, with the air stoichiometry being 2-5 times.

[0010] The hydrogen pump has an inlet pressure of 0.1-5 bar and an outlet pressure of 10-30 bar.

[0011] The operating pressure of the fuel cell stack (1) is 0.2 to 0.5 bar.

[0012] The coolant outlet temperature of the fuel cell system stack is 50-70℃.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention provides a fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source. This system pressurizes the low-pressure hydrogen source through electrochemical means and supplies it to the hydrogen supply side, realizing the use of the low-pressure hydrogen source in the fuel cell system. Specifically, during the operation of the fuel cell system, the hydrogen is pressurized by an electrochemical hydrogen pump to realize the fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source. Therefore, this system has the following advantages: in the absence of a high-pressure hydrogen cylinder in the fuel cell system, a low-pressure hydrogen source can be used to meet the hydrogen supply requirements of the fuel cell system; this system is conducive to the matching of different hydrogen sources. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application 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 only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This invention relates to a fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention:

[0017] like Figure 1 The fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source shown includes a fuel cell stack 1, a hydrogen pump 2, an air pump 3, a water pump 4, a radiator 9, a hydrogen inlet valve assembly 5, a water distributor 6, a throttle valve 7, and a one-way valve 8. The air pump 3 inlet is connected to the atmospheric environment, and the air pump 3 outlet is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell stack 1. The air outlet of the fuel cell stack 1 is connected to the throttle valve 7. The water pump 4 inlet is connected to the outlet of the radiator 9, and the water pump 4 outlet is connected to the coolant inlet of the fuel cell stack 1. The coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack 1 is connected to the inlet of the radiator 9. The hydrogen inlet valve assembly 5 includes an inlet, a return ejector, and an injection port. The inlet of the hydrogen inlet valve assembly 5 is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen pump 2, the injection port of the hydrogen inlet valve assembly 5 is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell stack 1, and the hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell stack 1 is connected to the water distributor 6.

[0018] Furthermore, the hydrogen pump 2 includes a low-pressure side inlet and outlet and a high-pressure side outlet. The low-pressure side inlet is connected to the hydrogen source, and the low-pressure side outlet is connected to the circulation pump 11 to circulate the low-pressure hydrogen. The high-pressure side outlet is connected to the inlet end of the hydrogen inlet valve group 5.

[0019] Furthermore, the water separator 6 has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a water outlet. The air outlet is located above the air inlet, and the water outlet is located below the air inlet. The water separator 6 is equipped with a gas-water separation filter and a liquid level sensor. The filter is used to separate water in the gas entering the water separator to the water outlet. The liquid level sensor is used to determine the liquid level in the water separator and discharge it from the water outlet in a timely manner. The drain outlet is equipped with a drain valve, which is controlled to discharge water from the water outlet. The air outlet of the water separator 6 is connected to the inlet of the one-way valve 8, and the outlet of the one-way valve 8 is connected to the return ejector of the hydrogen inlet valve group 5, thereby forming a complete fuel cell system.

[0020] Furthermore, a low-pressure hydrogen source is introduced into the inlet of hydrogen pump 2, and a circulation pump 11 is used to circulate the low-pressure hydrogen. A voltage is applied across the hydrogen pump 2 via a lithium-ion battery, and the pressure at the outlet of hydrogen pump 2 is controlled to maintain stability. The hydrogen is then introduced into the buffer tank 10 to maintain a stable pressure. The buffer tank 10 is connected to the hydrogen inlet valve group 5 and meets the inlet pressure requirements of the ejector, thus obtaining a complete low-pressure hydrogen source system.

[0021] Furthermore, an air pump injects a certain flow rate of fresh air into the fuel cell stack, with an air stoichiometry of 2-5 times.

[0022] Furthermore, the hydrogen pump inlet pressure is 0.1-5 bar, and the outlet pressure is 10-30 bar.

[0023] Furthermore, the operating pressure of the fuel cell stack is 0.2-0.5 bar.

[0024] Furthermore, the coolant outlet temperature of the fuel cell system stack is approximately 50-70°C.

[0025] Example

[0026] A 110-cell fuel cell stack is used. Air is supplied to the fuel cell cathode inlet via an air pump, with an air flow rate of approximately 2.5 times and an air absolute pressure of approximately 1.4 bar. The hydrogen source pressure is 1 bar, which is boosted to 6 bar by a hydrogen pump with a power consumption of approximately 500W. This pressure is then introduced into the intake valve group to control the fuel cell stack hydrogen pressure at approximately 1.6 bar and the fuel cell stack coolant outlet temperature at approximately 50°C. At this point, the fuel cell voltage is approximately 83V and the power is approximately 3.3kW. This demonstrates that a low-pressure hydrogen source can still enable the operation of the fuel cell system.

[0027] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source, characterized in that... include: The fuel cell stack (1), hydrogen pump (2), air pump (3), water pump (4), radiator (9), hydrogen inlet valve group (5), water distributor (6), throttle valve (7) and check valve (8); The air pump (3) has its inlet end connected to the atmospheric environment, its outlet end connected to the air inlet end of the fuel cell stack (1), the air outlet end of the fuel cell stack (1) connected to the throttle valve (7), the water pump (4) has its inlet end connected to the outlet end of the radiator (9), the water pump (4) has its outlet end connected to the coolant inlet end of the fuel cell stack (1), and the coolant outlet end of the fuel cell stack (1) connected to the inlet end of the radiator (9). The hydrogen intake valve assembly (5) includes an intake inlet, a reflux ejector port, and an injection port. The intake inlet of the hydrogen intake valve assembly (5) is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen pump (2) through a buffer tank (10). The injection port of the hydrogen intake valve assembly (5) is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell stack (1). The hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell stack (1) is connected to the water distributor (6). The outlet of the water distributor (6) is connected to the inlet of the one-way valve (8). The outlet of the one-way valve (8) is connected to the reflux ejector port of the hydrogen intake valve assembly (5), thus forming a complete fuel cell system. The hydrogen pump (2) includes a low-pressure side inlet and a high-pressure side outlet. The low-pressure side inlet is connected to a hydrogen source. The low-pressure side outlet of the hydrogen pump (2) is connected to a circulation pump (11) to circulate low-pressure hydrogen. The high-pressure side outlet of the hydrogen pump (2) is connected to the inlet end of the hydrogen inlet valve group (5).

2. The fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water separator (6) has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a water outlet, wherein the air outlet is located above the air inlet and the water outlet is located below the air inlet. The water separator (6) is equipped with a gas-water separation filter and a liquid level sensor. The filter is used to separate water in the gas entering the water separator to the water outlet. The liquid level sensor is used to determine the liquid level in the water separator and discharge it from the water outlet in a timely manner. The drain outlet of the water separator (6) is equipped with a drain valve. By controlling the drain valve, the water at the outlet of the water separator (6) is discharged.

3. The fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: When a low-pressure hydrogen source is introduced into the inlet of the hydrogen pump (2), the low-pressure hydrogen is circulated by the circulation pump (11). By applying voltage across the hydrogen pump (2), the pressure at the outlet of the hydrogen pump (2) is kept stable and introduced into the buffer tank (10) to keep the buffer tank (10) at a stable pressure, thus obtaining a complete low-pressure hydrogen source system.

4. The fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pump (3) pumps a certain flow rate of fresh air into the fuel cell stack (1), and the air stoichiometry is 2-5 times.

5. A fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen pump has an inlet pressure of 0.1-5 bar and an outlet pressure of 10-30 bar.

6. A fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operating pressure of the fuel cell stack (1) is 0.2 to 0.5 bar.

7. A fuel cell system with a low-pressure hydrogen source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coolant outlet temperature of the fuel cell system stack is 50-70℃.

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