A hydrogen-air coordinated humidifier and humidification method for a fuel cell stack

Abstract

The present invention proposes a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier and humidification method for a fuel cell stack. The method includes: dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area; providing an air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area; connecting the air humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack through an air outlet pipe; connecting the hydrogen humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack through a hydrogen outlet pipe; providing an air outlet pipe connected to the fuel cell stack and the humidifier; and transporting the air outlet of the fuel cell stack to the humidifier through the air outlet pipe to humidify the air or hydrogen entering the humidifier. Through the solution of the present invention, hydrogen humidification is achieved without increasing the volume of the humidifier; the temperature of the hydrogen is significantly increased after passing through the humidifier, which is conducive to achieving a low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell stack and can reduce the risk of local flooding in the fuel cell stack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier and a humidification method for a fuel cell stack. Background Art

[0002] Fuel cells convert the chemical energy in fuel (such as hydrogen) and oxidant (such as oxygen in the air) directly into electrical energy. Its power generation module is the fuel cell stack (referred to as the fuel cell stack). The fuel cell stack is a complex composed of a membrane electrode, bipolar plates, current collectors, end plates, seals, and fasteners. The membrane electrode consists of an anode gas diffusion layer, an anode catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane, a cathode catalyst layer, and a cathode gas diffusion layer. Hydrogen is split into protons and electrons in the anode catalyst layer, H2=2H + +2e - (Formula 1), protons and electrons migrate to the cathode catalyst layer through the proton exchange membrane and the external circuit respectively, and react with oxygen in the air there to generate water, 0.5O2+2H + +2e - =H2O(Formula 2).

[0003] The proton exchange membrane and the proton exchange resin in the catalyst layer can only effectively conduct protons when they reach a sufficiently high level of humidity. Otherwise, due to the high proton conduction resistance of the proton exchange membrane, the ohmic voltage drop caused by this resistance will be large. Furthermore, due to the poor proton conduction ability of the proton exchange resin in the catalyst layer, the activation overpotentials in Equations 1 and 2 will be high, both of which will reduce fuel cell performance. Furthermore, when the humidity of the proton exchange membrane is low, its lifespan is shortened. Therefore, to ensure the performance and lifespan of the membrane electrode, it is best to maintain a relative humidity of 100% for all parts of the proton exchange membrane and the proton exchange resin in the catalyst layer.

[0004] Under natural environmental conditions, the relative humidity of the air entering the fuel cell stack is far below 100%, and the relative humidity of the hydrogen entering the fuel cell stack is 0%. After entering the fuel cell stack, near the inlet of the membrane electrode, although Equation 2 produces water, the relative humidity of the proton exchange membrane in the membrane electrode and the proton exchange resin in the catalytic layer at this location are significantly lower than 100%, especially on the hydrogen side, resulting in poor performance and short life of the membrane electrode at the hydrogen and air inlets.

[0005] The current method involves external humidification of air and hydrogen to maintain a relatively high relative humidity for both air and hydrogen entering the fuel cell stack. This reduces the impact of low relative humidity on the performance and lifespan of the membrane electrode at the hydrogen and air inlet points, particularly within the proton exchange membrane and proton exchange resin in the catalyst layer. Humidification methods primarily include bubbler humidifiers and tubular humidifiers. Bubbler humidifiers are bulky and energy-intensive, limiting their use to fuel cell test benches and preventing them from being used in actual fuel cell power generation systems.

[0006] When a tubular humidifier is used, the air outlet of the fuel cell stack is connected to the inlet of the tubular humidifier, and the relative humidity of the air leaving the stack can reach 100%. The ambient air entering the humidifier is humidified (and heated) through a humidifying tube that can transfer moisture. As a result, the relative humidity of the air coming out of the humidifier is increased to a certain extent. After entering the fuel cell stack, the relative humidity of the proton exchange membrane in the membrane electrode at the air inlet of the fuel cell stack and the proton exchange resin in the catalytic layer is significantly improved compared to the case of using ambient air.

[0007] A tubular humidifier contains hundreds or even thousands of humidifying tubes arranged in a nearly parallel configuration. The greater the air flow rate, the more tubes are needed. These tubes are typically made of sulfonic acid resin, with an inner diameter of approximately 1 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 0.1 mm. Moisture can be transferred within and outside the tubes through the tube walls. At each end of the tubes, the gaps between them are sealed with resin, creating two sealed gas flow zones within the humidifier: the inner tube area and the outer tube area. The outer tube area (i.e., the area between the tubes) is used to transfer air with a relative humidity of 100% from the fuel cell stack. This air transfers a certain amount of moisture to the interior of the tubes through the outer tube walls before being discharged as exhaust air outside the humidifier. Simultaneously, dry air from the ambient air enters the tubes and travels along their interior, removing moisture transferred from the outer tube walls and achieving a certain degree of humidification before entering the fuel cell stack.

[0008] Existing tubular humidifiers are only suitable for humidifying air, not hydrogen, because the volumes of air and hydrogen exhausted from the fuel cell stack differ significantly. During fuel cell operation, the air-to-air ratio typically needs to be 2.0. Furthermore, since air contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the volume of air exiting the stack is approximately 88.5% of the volume of air entering the stack, roughly the same order of magnitude as the volume of dry air entering the humidifier. This ensures that a significant amount of moisture is transferred through the humidification tubes to the dry air inside. To ensure efficient hydrogen utilization within the fuel cell stack, hydrogen is typically discharged using a pulsed discharge method. This means that the hydrogen outlet on the fuel cell stack is closed most of the time, opening only briefly for less than a second when exhaust is required. Consequently, the amount of hydrogen discharged is less than 5% of the volume of hydrogen entering the stack. This small amount of hydrogen is negligible compared to the volume of dry hydrogen flowing through the humidification tubes, making it ineffective for humidification. Even if hydrogen is discharged directly, in order to reduce hydrogen waste, the hydrogen stoichiometric ratio will be controlled below 1.1, that is, the hydrogen coming out of the fuel cell stack only accounts for 10% of the dry hydrogen entering the stack, and the humidification effect on the hydrogen is still negligible. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Based on the above problems, the present invention proposes a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier and humidification method for a fuel cell stack. Through the scheme of the present invention, hydrogen humidification is achieved without increasing the volume of the humidifier; the temperature of the hydrogen is also significantly increased after passing through the humidifier, which is conducive to achieving low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell stack and reducing the risk of local flooding in the fuel cell stack.

[0010] In view of this, one aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for a fuel cell stack, comprising: a humidification area, the humidification area including an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, the air humidification pipeline area including a plurality of air humidification pipes, the hydrogen humidification pipeline area including a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes;

[0011] an air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification duct area;

[0012] a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area;

[0013] The air humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe.

[0014] The air outlet pipe connecting the fuel cell stack and the humidifier is used to transport the air outlet of the fuel cell stack to the external area between the humidifying pipes in the humidifier, thereby humidifying the air or hydrogen entering the humidifying pipe in the humidifier.

[0015] Optionally, the air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are constructed by the following method:

[0016] The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material;

[0017] The air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are sealed.

[0018] Optionally, the number of the air humidification tubes is 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

[0019] Optionally, the air humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent air humidification tube groups;

[0020] The hydrogen humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent hydrogen humidification tube groups;

[0021] Each group of the air humidification tube groups or the hydrogen humidification tube groups is respectively provided with an independent control valve.

[0022] Optionally, the method for controlling the humidifier includes:

[0023] When the flow ratio needs to be changed, the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group are opened or closed to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen-air coordinated humidification method for a fuel cell stack, comprising:

[0025] Dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, wherein the air humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes;

[0026] An air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are provided;

[0027] Connecting the air humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe;

[0028] Connecting the hydrogen humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe;

[0029] Disposing an air outlet pipe connected to the fuel cell stack and the humidifier;

[0030] The air exiting the fuel cell stack is transported to the humidifier through the air exiting the stack guide pipe to humidify the air or hydrogen entering the humidifier.

[0031] Optionally, the operation of dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into independent air humidification pipeline areas and hydrogen humidification pipeline areas includes:

[0032] The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material;

[0033] The air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are sealed.

[0034] Optionally, it also includes:

[0035] The number of the air humidification tubes is set to 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

[0036] Optionally, it also includes:

[0037] Dividing the air humidification tube into multiple independent air humidification tube groups according to needs;

[0038] Divide the hydrogen humidification tube into multiple independent hydrogen humidification tube groups according to needs;

[0039] An independent control valve is provided for each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group.

[0040] Optionally, it also includes:

[0041] When the flow ratio needs to be changed, the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group are opened or closed to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

[0042] By adopting the technical solution of the present invention, the method for coordinated humidification of fuel cell stacks with hydrogen and air includes: dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas, the air humidification pipe area includes multiple air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipe area includes multiple hydrogen humidification pipes; providing an air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification pipe area and a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipe area respectively; connecting the air humidification pipe area with the fuel cell stack through an air outlet pipe; connecting the hydrogen humidification pipe area with the fuel cell stack through a hydrogen outlet pipe; providing an out-of-stack air guide pipe connected to the fuel cell stack and the humidifier; transporting the out-of-stack air of the fuel cell stack to the humidifier through the out-of-stack air guide pipe to humidify the air or hydrogen entering the humidifier. Through the solution of the present invention, the humidification area of ​​the humidifier is divided into two mutually sealed areas by resin, and then the ratio of the air humidification tubes in the air humidification pipeline area to the hydrogen humidification tubes in the hydrogen humidification pipeline area is changed, so that the relative humidity of the two gases when entering the fuel cell stack can be adjusted; while achieving hydrogen humidification, the volume of the tubular humidifier is not increased; the temperature of the hydrogen is also significantly increased after passing through the humidifier, which is conducive to achieving a low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell stack and can reduce the risk of water vapor in the circulating hydrogen entering the fuel cell stack condensing into liquid water and causing local flooding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for a fuel cell stack provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a hydrogen-air collaborative humidification method for a fuel cell stack provided by one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to be able to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purpose, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the case of no conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. In addition, although the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to be able to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0046] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are only used for descriptive purposes or to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated (or describing a specific order). Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "N" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0048] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0049] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 2 A hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier and a humidification method for a fuel cell stack are described according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of the present invention provides a hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for a fuel cell stack, comprising:

[0051] A humidification area, the humidification area including an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, the air humidification pipeline area including a plurality of air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area including a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes;

[0052] an air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification duct area;

[0053] a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area;

[0054] The air humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe.

[0055] The air outlet pipe connecting the fuel cell stack and the humidifier is used to transport the air outlet of the fuel cell stack to the external area between the humidifying pipes in the humidifier, thereby humidifying the air or hydrogen entering the humidifying pipe in the humidifier.

[0056] The solution of this embodiment is simple to operate. It is only necessary to divide the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into two mutually sealed areas with resin; by changing the ratio of the air humidification tubes in the air humidification pipeline area to the hydrogen humidification tubes in the hydrogen humidification pipeline area, the relative humidity of the two gases when entering the fuel cell stack can be adjusted; while achieving hydrogen humidification, the volume of the tubular humidifier is not increased; the temperature of the hydrogen is also significantly increased after passing through the humidifier (close to the temperature of the air from the fuel cell stack), which is conducive to achieving a low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell stack and can reduce the risk of water vapor in the circulating hydrogen entering the fuel cell stack condensing into liquid water and causing local flooding.

[0057] It should be known that Figure 1 The block diagram of the hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for the fuel cell stack is for illustration only, and the number of modules shown therein does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0058] In some possible embodiments of the present invention, the air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are constructed by the following method:

[0059] The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material;

[0060] The air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are sealed.

[0061] In this embodiment, the humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas by resin material, and the air humidification pipe area and the hydrogen humidification pipe area are sealed; in this way, air can only enter the air humidification pipe in the air humidification pipe area, and hydrogen can only enter the hydrogen humidification pipe in the hydrogen humidification pipe area. The air and / or hydrogen flowing inside the air humidification pipe area and / or the hydrogen humidification pipe area can be humidified by the air with a relative humidity of 100% from the fuel cell stack.

[0062] In some possible implementations of the present invention, the number of the air humidification tubes is 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

[0063] It is understandable that during the operation of the fuel cell, the air flow rate entering the stack is about 5 times the hydrogen flow rate. In this way, when the two need to reach similar relative humidity, the humidification tube in the air area can be 5 times the humidification tube in the hydrogen area.

[0064] In some possible embodiments of the present invention, the air humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent air humidification tube groups;

[0065] The hydrogen humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent hydrogen humidification tube groups;

[0066] Each group of the air humidification tube groups or the hydrogen humidification tube groups is respectively provided with an independent control valve.

[0067] In this embodiment, a control valve such as a solenoid valve or a hydraulic valve is connected to the front end of each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group; the outlet end of each valve is independently connected to the air inlet pipe or the hydrogen inlet pipe to achieve the selective introduction of gas fluid into each group of pipes; the outlet end of each group of pipes is combined and connected to the air outlet pipe or the hydrogen outlet pipe; a valve switch control system is set to independently control each group of valves.

[0068] For micro flow control, the control valve options may include:

[0069] Miniature solenoid valve: minimum valve core diameter 1 mm; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 1 × 1 × 1 mm; used for micro flow control, flow rate can reach milliliter level.

[0070] Micro-flow hydraulic valve: minimum valve core diameter 0.5 mm; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 2 × 2 × 2 mm; flow control range is from microliter to milliliter level.

[0071] MEMS solenoid valve: minimum valve core diameter 100 microns; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 1 × 1 × 0.5 mm; flow control lower limit nanoliter level.

[0072] Microelectronic hydraulic valve: minimum valve core diameter 50 microns; minimum overall size (length × width × height) 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.3 mm; flow resolution reaches femtosecond level.

[0073] The above-mentioned microvalves are manufactured through micromachining, and their volume can reach millimeters or less, which fully meets the needs of micro-flow control. They are set at the interface of the humidification tube group to achieve fine flow distribution.

[0074] Through the solution of this embodiment, automated and precise control can be achieved; the status of each valve can be controlled by program to adjust the proportion of each group participating in the work; each pipe group is independent, which is convenient for centralized removal or replacement of the entire group of pipes; compared with directly adding or reducing pipes, using groups as units is more compact; the flow rate of each group of pipes is precisely controlled, which is directly reflected in the fluid ratio and humidity output, and the humidification effect is accurate; closing the valve can isolate a single group of pipes to prevent leakage from affecting the whole.

[0075] In some possible embodiments of the present invention, the method for controlling the humidifier includes:

[0076] When the flow ratio needs to be changed, the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group are opened or closed to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

[0077] In this embodiment, each adjustment selects to open or close one group. Continuous multiple adjustments can finely control the amount of fluid passing through the pipelines in each area within a certain range. Based on the real-time flow ratio and the adjusted fluid volume ratio flowing through the pipelines in each area, the number of pipeline groups participating in the work is dynamically adjusted to make them consistent.

[0078] See Figure 2 Another embodiment of the present invention provides a hydrogen-air coordinated humidification method for a fuel cell stack, comprising:

[0079] Dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, wherein the air humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes;

[0080] An air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are provided;

[0081] Connecting the air humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe;

[0082] Connecting the hydrogen humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe;

[0083] Disposing an air outlet pipe connected to the fuel cell stack and the humidifier;

[0084] The air exiting the fuel cell stack is transported to the external area between the humidifying tubes in the humidifier, thereby humidifying the air or hydrogen entering the humidifying tubes in the humidifier.

[0085] The solution of this embodiment is simple to operate. It is only necessary to divide the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into two mutually sealed areas with resin; by changing the ratio of the air humidification tubes in the air humidification pipeline area to the hydrogen humidification tubes in the hydrogen humidification pipeline area, the relative humidity of the two gases when entering the fuel cell stack can be adjusted; while achieving hydrogen humidification, the volume of the tubular humidifier is not increased; the temperature of the hydrogen is also significantly increased after passing through the humidifier (close to the temperature of the air from the fuel cell stack), which is conducive to achieving a low-temperature cold start of the fuel cell stack and can reduce the risk of water vapor in the circulating hydrogen entering the fuel cell stack condensing into liquid water and causing local flooding.

[0086] In some possible embodiments of the present invention, the operation of dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into independent air humidification pipeline areas and hydrogen humidification pipeline areas includes:

[0087] The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material;

[0088] The air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are sealed.

[0089] In this embodiment, the humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas by resin material, and the air humidification pipe area and the hydrogen humidification pipe area are sealed; in this way, air can only enter the air humidification pipe in the air humidification pipe area, and hydrogen can only enter the hydrogen humidification pipe in the hydrogen humidification pipe area. The air and / or hydrogen flowing inside the air humidification pipe area and / or the hydrogen humidification pipe area can be humidified by the air with a relative humidity of 100% from the fuel cell stack.

[0090] In some possible implementations of the present invention, the following further aspects are included:

[0091] The number of the air humidification tubes is set to 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

[0092] It is understandable that during the operation of the fuel cell, the air flow rate entering the stack is about 5 times the hydrogen flow rate. In this way, when the two need to reach similar relative humidity, the humidification tube in the air area can be 5 times the humidification tube in the hydrogen area.

[0093] In some possible implementations of the present invention, the following further aspects are included:

[0094] Dividing the air humidification tube into multiple independent air humidification tube groups according to needs;

[0095] Divide the hydrogen humidification tube into multiple independent hydrogen humidification tube groups according to needs;

[0096] An independent control valve is provided for each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group.

[0097] In this embodiment, a control valve such as a solenoid valve or a hydraulic valve is connected to the front end of each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group; the outlet end of each valve is independently connected to the air inlet pipe or the hydrogen inlet pipe to achieve the selective introduction of gas fluid into each group of pipes; the outlet end of each group of pipes is combined and connected to the air outlet pipe or the hydrogen outlet pipe; a valve switch control system is set to independently control each group of valves.

[0098] For small flows, control valve options may include:

[0099] Miniature solenoid valve: minimum valve core diameter 1 mm; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 1 × 1 × 1 mm; used for micro flow control, flow rate can reach milliliter level.

[0100] Micro-flow hydraulic valve: minimum valve core diameter 0.5 mm; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 2 × 2 × 2 mm; flow control range is from microliter to milliliter level.

[0101] MEMS solenoid valve: minimum valve core diameter 100 microns; overall dimensions (length × width × height) minimum 1 × 1 × 0.5 mm; flow control lower limit nanoliter level.

[0102] Microelectronic hydraulic valve: minimum valve core diameter 50 microns; minimum overall size (length × width × height) 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.3 mm; flow resolution reaches femtosecond level.

[0103] The above-mentioned microvalves are manufactured through micromachining, and their volume can reach millimeters or less, which fully meets the needs of micro-flow control. They are set at the interface of the humidification tube group to achieve fine flow distribution.

[0104] Through the solution of this embodiment, automated and precise control can be achieved; the status of each valve can be controlled by program to adjust the proportion of each group participating in the work; each pipe group is independent, which is convenient for centralized removal or replacement of the entire group of pipes; compared with directly adding or reducing pipes, using groups as units is more compact; the flow rate of each group of pipes is precisely controlled, which is directly reflected in the fluid ratio and humidity output, and the humidification effect is accurate; closing the valve can isolate a single group of pipes to prevent leakage from affecting the whole.

[0105] In some possible implementations of the present invention, the following further aspects are included:

[0106] When the flow ratio needs to be changed, the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group are opened or closed to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

[0107] In this embodiment, each adjustment selects to open or close one group. Continuous multiple adjustments can finely control the amount of fluid passing through the pipelines in each area within a certain range. Based on the real-time flow ratio and the adjusted fluid volume ratio flowing through the pipelines in each area, the number of pipeline groups participating in the work is dynamically adjusted to make them consistent.

[0108] It should be noted that for the aforementioned method embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should be aware that this application is not limited by the order of the actions described, because according to this application, certain steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by this application.

[0109] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or N embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0110] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the above-mentioned units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units can be electrical or other forms.

[0111] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0112] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0113] If the above-mentioned integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable memory. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a memory and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned methods of each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned memory includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the method of the above embodiment can be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.

[0115] The above is a detailed introduction to the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0116] Although the present invention is disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may readily conceive of variations or substitutions, and may make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Combinations of the above-described functions and implementation steps, including software and hardware implementations, are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that: include: A humidification area, the humidification area including an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, the air humidification pipeline area including a plurality of air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area including a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes; an air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification duct area; a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area; The air humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area is connected to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe. an air outlet pipe connecting the fuel cell stack and the humidifier, for conveying the air outlet of the fuel cell stack to the external area between the humidifying pipes in the humidifier, thereby humidifying the air or hydrogen entering the humidifying pipes in the humidifier; The air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are constructed by the following method: The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material; Sealing the air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area; Wherein, the air humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent air humidification tube groups; The hydrogen humidification tube is divided into a plurality of independent hydrogen humidification tube groups; Each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group is respectively provided with an independent control valve; Among them, the method for controlling the humidifier includes: when the flow ratio needs to change, selecting to open or close the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

2. The hydrogen-air cooperative humidifier for a fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the air humidification tubes is 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

3. A hydrogen-air collaborative humidification method for a fuel cell stack, characterized in that: include: Dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into an independent air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen humidification pipeline area, wherein the air humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of air humidification pipes, and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area includes a plurality of hydrogen humidification pipes; An air inlet pipe connected to the air humidification pipeline area and a hydrogen inlet pipe connected to the hydrogen humidification pipeline area are provided; Connecting the air humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via an air outlet pipe; Connecting the hydrogen humidification pipeline area to the fuel cell stack via a hydrogen outlet pipe; Disposing an air outlet pipe connected to the fuel cell stack and the humidifier; delivering the air exiting the fuel cell stack to the external area between the humidifying tubes in the humidifier, thereby humidifying the air or hydrogen entering the humidifying tubes in the humidifier; The operation of dividing the humidification area of ​​the humidifier into independent air humidification pipeline areas and hydrogen humidification pipeline areas includes: The humidification area is divided into independent air humidification pipe areas and hydrogen humidification pipe areas at two end positions of the humidification pipe by resin material; Sealing the air humidification pipeline area and the hydrogen humidification pipeline area; Dividing the air humidification tube into multiple independent air humidification tube groups according to needs; Divide the hydrogen humidification tube into multiple independent hydrogen humidification tube groups according to needs; An independent control valve is provided for each group of the air humidification tube group or the hydrogen humidification tube group; When the flow ratio needs to be changed, the control valves of the corresponding groups in the air humidification tube group and / or the hydrogen humidification tube group are opened or closed to adjust the air flow and / or hydrogen flow entering the humidifier.

4. The hydrogen-air coordinated humidification method for a fuel cell stack according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: The number of the air humidification tubes is set to 5 times the number of the hydrogen humidification tubes.

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