Flow passage switching structure, fuel cell stack, and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a flow channel switching structure, a fuel cell stack and a vehicle. The flow channel switching structure comprises an end plate, a through end plate flow channel is arranged in the end plate to form an inner port and an outer port on two end faces of the end plate respectively, and shapes of the inner port and the outer port are different. A switching head is mounted on an outer end face of the end plate, and a switching head flow channel is arranged in the switching head. Different surfaces of the switching head are formed with an end plate interface and a pipe interface which are in communication with the switching head flow channel, and shapes of the pipe interface and the end plate interface are different. The switching head flow channel and the end plate flow channel are in communication to jointly constitute a transfer flow channel, and the end plate interface is in communication with the outer port and has the same shape. The end plate flow channel in the end plate and the switching head flow channel in the switching head are simultaneously designed to jointly serve as the transfer flow channel, the switching of the interfaces with different shapes is realized through multiple variable sections, the design space of the transfer flow channel is increased, the size of the stack is not increased, the switching head flow channel can be used in the design of a system pipeline, and the test accuracy is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly relates to a flow channel adapter structure, a fuel cell stack and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] The end plate and the pipe joint of the fuel cell are generally designed separately, the end plate is designed first, then the pipe joint is designed, and the pipe joint is used as a test part, and the adaptive pipe joint needs to be designed again in combination with the system mounting demand in subsequent system design. The flow channel of the pipe joint is inconsistent with the flow channel of the system pipeline, which causes differences between the gas-liquid flow rate, pressure loss and other parameters of the stack during testing and the parameters of the system during testing, thereby causing different performances of the stack. It may appear that the performance of the stack is very good during testing, but the performance is not fully developed after being mounted in the system.

[0003] For the whole stack, the thickness of the end plate has an influence on the size of the stacking direction of the whole stack. Generally, it is hoped that the end plate is thin, but in this way, the total height of the flow channel is limited, and it is difficult to improve the gas-liquid parameters of the bipolar plate only by the flow channel design of the inlet end plate. SUMMARY

[0004] The application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the application provides a flow channel adapter structure, a fuel cell stack and a vehicle, increases the design space of the transfer flow channel, controls the size of the stack without increasing, and the flow channel of the adapter can be used in the system pipeline design, thereby improving the testing accuracy.

[0005] In a first aspect, the application provides a flow channel adapter structure, comprising:

[0006] An end plate, the end plate is provided with a through end plate flow channel, so as to form an inner port and an outer port at two end faces of the end plate respectively, the shapes of the inner port and the outer port are different;

[0007] An adapter head is installed on the outer end face of the end plate, the adapter head is provided with an adapter head flow channel, different surfaces of the adapter head are formed with an end plate interface and a pipe interface which are in communication with the adapter head flow channel, the shapes of the pipe interface and the end plate interface are different; wherein,

[0008] The end plate interface is in communication with the outer port and has the same shape, the adapter head flow channel and the end plate flow channel are in communication to jointly constitute a transfer flow channel.

[0009] According to the flow channel switching structure, the end plate flow channel in the end plate and the switching head flow channel in the switching head are designed at the same time to serve as the transfer flow channel, the switching of different shape interfaces is realized through multiple variable cross sections, the design space of the transfer flow channel is increased, the switching is smooth and the flow resistance is small, part of the transfer flow channel is located in the switching head, the thickness size requirement of the end plate is not high, so that the size of the stack is not increased, the switching head flow channel can be used in the system pipeline design, and the accuracy of the test result is improved.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, the end plate flow channel is provided in plurality, and the plurality of end plate flow channels are distributed along the circumference of the end plate, and the switching head is provided in plurality corresponding to the plurality of end plate flow channels.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present application, the projection of the inner port and the outer port of the end plate in the thickness direction of the end plate at least partially overlaps.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present application, the end plate is provided with a reaction medium flow channel for the flow of a reaction medium and a cooling medium flow channel for the flow of a cooling medium; wherein,

[0013] The projection of the inner port and the outer port of the reaction medium flow channel in the thickness direction of the end plate has a coincidence degree greater than 50%; and / or, the projection of the inner port and the outer port of the cooling medium flow channel in the thickness direction of the end plate has a coincidence degree not greater than 50%.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, the pipe interface is circular, the end plate interface is rectangular or a combination of rectangular and arc, and the switching head flow channel comprises a transition section with a rectangular or elliptical cross section.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present application, the orientations of the plurality of pipe interfaces are the same, or the orientation of at least one pipe interface is different from that of the other pipe interfaces.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present application, at least two adjacent switching heads are integrally formed; and / or,

[0017] The switching head and the end plate are integrally formed; and / or,

[0018] The switching head and / or the end plate is integrated with a sensor.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present application, the end plate flow channel comprises at least an air outflow channel and a hydrogen outflow channel, and the lower edge of the air outflow channel and / or the lower edge of the hydrogen outflow channel is inclined downward in the direction close to the outer end surface.

[0020] In a second aspect, the application provides a fuel cell stack, comprising the flow channel adapter structure according to any one of the first aspect.

[0021] According to the fuel cell stack of the application, the adapter of the internal flow channel and the system flow channel is smooth, the flow resistance is low, the performance is improved, and the test result is accurate during the production process, so that the performance of the fuel cell stack on the system can be fully played, and the product quality of the fuel cell stack is improved.

[0022] In a third aspect, the application provides a vehicle, comprising the fuel cell stack according to the second aspect.

[0023] According to the vehicle of the application, the test result of the fuel cell stack on the vehicle is similar to the test result of the fuel cell stack alone, the product design process is optimized, the use effect of the fuel cell stack on the vehicle is ensured, and the product quality of the vehicle is improved.

[0024] Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and / or by practice of the application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the application will become apparent and be readily appreciated from the description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a flow channel adapter structure provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the outer end surface side of an end plate provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0028] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the inner end surface side of an end plate provided by an embodiment of the application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the inner end surface side of an end plate provided by an embodiment of the application; Figure 2 is a sectional view of A-A in FIG. 6;

[0030] Figure 5 is a sectional view of B-B in FIG. 7; Figure 4 is a side view of the corresponding transfer flow channel model;

[0031] Figure 6 is a sectional view of B-B in FIG. 7; Figure 2 is a sectional view of B-B in FIG. 7;

[0032] Figure 7 is a side view of the corresponding transfer flow channel model; Figure 6 is a side view of the corresponding transfer flow channel model;

[0033] Figure 8is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 9 is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 10 is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 11 is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 12 is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 13 is one of model diagrams of the transfer flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Reference signs:

[0040] 1, flow channel adapter structure; 2, end plate; 21, end plate flow channel; 21a, hydrogen inlet flow channel; 21b, air outlet flow channel; 21b', lower edge of the air outlet flow channel; 21c, cooling liquid outlet flow channel; 21d, cooling liquid inlet flow channel; 21e, air inlet flow channel; 21f, hydrogen outlet flow channel; 21f', lower edge of the air outlet flow channel; 22, inner end face; 221, inner end port; 23, outer end face; 231, outer end port; 3, adapter; 3a, hydrogen inlet adapter; 3b, air outlet adapter; 3c, cooling liquid outlet adapter; 3d, cooling liquid inlet adapter; 3e, air inlet adapter; 3f, hydrogen outlet adapter; 31, adapter flow channel; 32, pipe interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar notations represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary, only for explaining the present application, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0042] A proton exchange membrane fuel cell is a power generation device that directly converts chemical energy of fuel into electric energy, and has advantages of low working temperature, fast start, high specific power, simple structure and easy operation, and is widely applied in automobile industry, energy power generation, ship industry, aerospace, household power supply and other industries.

[0043] The core parts of the stack are the bipolar plate and the membrane electrode, the membrane electrode is the carrier of energy conversion, the bipolar plate is a "two-plate three-field" structure, cooperates with the membrane electrode on both sides, and together forms three cavities: hydrogen cavity, air cavity, and cooling liquid cavity. The gas inlet end plate and the pipe joint provide a flow channel for the bipolar plate to enter and exit the stack, so that hydrogen, air, and cooling liquid can flow smoothly into the respective cavities in the bipolar plate through the pipe joint and the gas inlet end plate.

[0044] In the production design, the end plate and the pipe joint of the fuel cell are generally designed separately, the end plate is designed first, then the pipe joint is designed, and the pipe joint is used as a test part. In the subsequent system design, the pipe joint needs to be designed again to adapt to the system mounting requirements. The flow channel of the pipe joint is inconsistent with the flow channel of the system pipeline, which will cause differences in gas and liquid flow rate, pressure loss and other parameters of the stack during testing and the parameters of the system during testing, thereby causing different performances of the stack. It may appear that the performance of the stack is very good during testing, but the performance is not fully developed after being mounted in the system.

[0045] For the whole stack, the thickness of the end plate has an effect on the size of the stack in the stacking direction. Generally, it is desirable to make the end plate thin, but the total height of the flow channel is limited, and it is difficult to improve the gas and liquid parameters of the bipolar plate only by the flow channel design of the gas inlet end plate.

[0046] Based on the above considerations, the present application provides a flow channel adapter structure, a fuel cell stack and a vehicle, which increases the design space of the transfer flow channel, controls the size of the stack without increasing, and the flow channel of the adapter can be used in the system pipeline design, improving the testing accuracy.

[0047] Reference will now be made to Figures 1-13 A flow channel adapter structure according to an embodiment of the present application is described.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the present application provides a flow channel adapter structure 1, which comprises an end plate 2 and an adapter 3.

[0049] The end plate 2 is provided with a through end plate flow channel 21, so as to form an inner port 221 and an outer port 231 on the two end faces of the end plate 2 respectively, and the shapes of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 are different.

[0050] The end plate 2 is the end plate 2 of the gas inlet end of the stack, the end plate flow channel 21 penetrates along the thickness direction of the end plate 2, so as to form an inner port 221 on the inner end face 22 of the side of the end plate 2 facing the core, and an outer port 231 on the outer end face 23 of the side of the end plate 2 away from the core, and the shapes of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 are different, that is, the flow cross section of the end plate flow channel 21 changes along the flow direction, so as to adapt the interfaces of different shapes.

[0051] The adapter 3 is installed on the outer end face 23 of the end plate 2, and the adapter 3 is provided with an adapter flow channel 31. Different surfaces of the adapter 3 are provided with an end plate 2 interface and a pipe interface 32 which are in communication with the adapter flow channel 31. The pipe interface 32 is different in shape from the end plate 2 interface.

[0052] The adapter 3 is used to connect the end plate 2 and the external pipe line. The adapter 3 is installed on the outer end face 23 of the end plate 2 to be in communication with the outer port 231. The shape of the adapter 3 is not limited, and can be a polyhedron. For the purpose of designing the shape of the adapter flow channel 31, the adapter 3 can be provided in a square shape. Different surfaces of the adapter 3 are provided with an end plate 2 interface and a pipe interface 32. The adapter flow channel 31 is connected between the end plate 2 interface and the pipe interface 32. The pipe interface 32 is different in shape from the end plate 2 interface, that is, the flow cross section of the adapter flow channel 31 is arranged to change along the flow direction, so as to adapt to the connection between the interfaces of different shapes.

[0053] The end plate 2 interface is in communication with the outer port 231 and is the same in shape. The adapter flow channel 31 and the end plate flow channel 21 are in communication to jointly constitute a transfer flow channel.

[0054] The end plate 2 interface is in communication with the outer port 231, so that the adapter flow channel 31 and the end plate flow channel 21 are in communication, and the gas or liquid in the external pipe line can flow into the end plate flow channel 21 through the adapter flow channel 31 and then into the internal flow channel of the reactor core. The end plate 2 interface is the same in shape as the outer port 231, so that the adapter flow channel 31 and the end plate flow channel 21 are smoothly connected at the joint position, and the flow cross section of the transfer flow channel composed of the adapter flow channel and the end plate flow channel 21 is smoothly changed.

[0055] It can be understood that the external pipe line is generally a circular pipe, and the shape of the flow channel in the reactor core is designed according to the actual needs of the reactor core and is finally various. Therefore, in order to reduce the flow resistance as much as possible and improve the performance of the reactor core, it is necessary to ensure the rationality of the design of the entire transfer flow channel.

[0056] In the design and production of the application, the end plate 2 and the adapter 3 are designed as an integrated part to simultaneously design the transfer flow channel, and then the transfer flow channel is split into the end plate flow channel 21 in the end plate 2 and the adapter flow channel 31 in the adapter 3, which increases the design space of the transfer design, and when considering the overall size of the stack, the size of the adapter 3 is generally not considered, so the flow channel of the adapter 3 will not cause the size of the stack to increase, and because part of the transfer flow channel is designed in the adapter 3, the length of the end plate flow channel 21 can be compressed, and the thickness of the end plate 2 can be thinner, thereby controlling the size of the stack. When the stack is applied to the entire system, the adapter flow channel 31 can be used in the system pipeline design, compared to separately designing the flow channel in the end plate 2 and the flow channel of the pipe joint, the application can ensure that the gas-liquid parameters are relatively consistent during stack testing and system testing, making the stack testing results more accurate, improving production and development efficiency, and improving product quality.

[0057] According to the flow channel adapter structure 1 of the application, the end plate flow channel 21 in the end plate 2 and the adapter flow channel 31 in the adapter 3 are simultaneously designed to serve as a transfer flow channel, and the transfer flow channel is adapted to different shaped interfaces through multiple variable cross sections, which increases the design space of the transfer flow channel, the adapter flow is smooth and the flow resistance is small, and part of the transfer flow channel is located in the adapter 3, so the thickness of the end plate 2 is not high, thereby controlling the size of the stack will not increase, and the adapter flow channel 31 can be used in the system pipeline design, thereby improving the accuracy of the test results.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the application, the end plate flow channel 21 can be provided with a plurality of end plate flow channels 21, which can be distributed along the circumference of the end plate 2, and the adapter 3 can be provided with a plurality of adapters 3 corresponding to the plurality of end plate flow channels 21.

[0059] The stack generally has a gas cavity for the flow of reaction medium and a liquid cavity for the flow of cooling medium, and a plurality of end plate flow channels 21 are in communication with the gas cavity and the liquid cavity. Among them, the gas consumption and the flow of cooling liquid required by a large power fuel cell are relatively large, so the flow area of the gas and the liquid is relatively high. In order to meet the design of large flow, the gas cavity and the liquid cavity are generally distributed along the circumference of the stack, so as to increase the flow area of the flow channel and the contact width of the flow channel and the active area.

[0060] Exemplarily, in Figure 2 , the left side of the length direction of the end plate 2 is provided with a hydrogen inlet flow channel 21a and an air outlet flow channel 21b from top to bottom, the upper side of the middle part of the end plate 2 is provided with a cooling liquid outlet flow channel 21c, the lower side of the middle part of the end plate 2 is provided with a cooling liquid inlet flow channel 21d, and the right side of the length direction of the end plate 2 is provided with an air inlet flow channel 21e and a hydrogen outlet flow channel 21f from top to bottom.

[0061] Further, the plurality of adapters 3 are respectively a hydrogen inlet adapter 3a corresponding to the hydrogen inlet channel 21a, an air outlet adapter 3b corresponding to the air outlet channel 21b, a coolant outlet adapter 3c corresponding to the coolant outlet channel 21c, a coolant inlet adapter 3d corresponding to the coolant inlet channel 21d, an air inlet adapter 3e corresponding to the air inlet channel 21e, and a hydrogen outlet adapter 3f corresponding to the hydrogen outlet channel 21f.

[0062] It can be understood that, because the flow rates of the channels are different, the required flow areas are different, and the shapes of the channels of different media are different, and even the shapes of the inlet channels and the outlet channels of the same medium can be different, the plurality of adapters 3 can correspond to the plurality of end plate channels 21 one by one according to the actual design requirements.

[0063] Please refer to Figures 4-7 According to some embodiments of the present application, the end plate channels 21 at least include the air outlet channel 21b and the hydrogen outlet channel 21f, and the lower edge 21b' of the air outlet channel and / or the lower edge 21f' of the hydrogen outlet channel can be arranged to be inclined downward along the direction close to the outer end surface 23.

[0064] It can be understood that, during the operation of the stack, water is generated on the air side due to the reaction, and a certain amount of water is also discharged on the hydrogen side because the hydrogen contains moisture, and by arranging the lower edge 21b' of the air outlet channel and / or the lower edge 21f' of the hydrogen outlet channel to be inclined downward, the moisture can be discharged under the action of gravity, thereby improving the drainage effect.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 According to some embodiments of the present application, the projections of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 can at least partially overlap.

[0066] Because the length of the end plate channel 21 is generally short, and the end plate channel 21 is directly connected to the medium cavity inside the stack, by arranging the projections of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 to at least partially overlap, the flow resistance of the end plate channel 21 is reduced, and the thickness of the end plate 2 is reduced.

[0067] The projections of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 can be partially non-overlapping; or the projection of the inner port 221 in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 is entirely within the outer port 231; or the projection of the outer port 231 in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 is entirely within the inner port 221. The specific determination is made according to the actual requirements.

[0068] According to some embodiments of the present application, the end plate 2 is provided with a reaction medium flow channel for the flow of reaction medium, and a cooling medium flow channel for the flow of cooling medium.

[0069] It can be understood that the reaction medium flow channel is the hydrogen inlet flow channel 21a, the air outlet flow channel 21b, the air inlet flow channel 21e, and the hydrogen outlet flow channel 21f, and the cooling medium flow channel is the cooling liquid outlet flow channel 21c and the cooling liquid inlet flow channel 21d.

[0070] The coincidence degree of the projection of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 of the reaction medium flow channel in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 is greater than 50%, and / or the coincidence degree of the projection of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 of the cooling medium flow channel in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 is not greater than 50%.

[0071] The flow area of a general reaction medium flow channel is not large, and by setting the coincidence degree of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 of the reaction medium flow channel to be greater than 50%, the flow resistance of the reaction medium is reduced, and the flow rate and flow of the reaction medium are improved.

[0072] The flow area of a general cooling medium flow channel is relatively large, and in order to improve the cooling effect, the flow cross section of the cooling medium cavity is generally elongated along the length direction of the pole plate, so the inner port 221 of the cooling medium flow channel is generally elongated, and the aspect ratio is generally large. If the coincidence degree of the outer port 231 and the inner port 221 of the cooling medium flow channel is large, the size of the adapter flow channel 31 may be large, affecting the spatial layout and making it difficult to design the adapter flow channel, which cannot be smoothly transitioned. By limiting the coincidence degree of the projection of the inner port 221 and the outer port 231 of the cooling medium flow channel in the thickness direction of the end plate 2 to be not greater than 50%, the design difficulty of the cooling medium flow channel and the adapter flow channel 31 is reduced, and the smoothness of the transition of the adapter flow channel is improved.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figures 8-13 According to some embodiments of the present application, the pipe interface 32 can be circular, the end plate 2 interface can be rectangular or a combination of rectangular and arc-shaped, and the adapter flow channel 31 can include a transition section with a rectangular or elliptical cross section.

[0074] Generally, the pipe wheel is a circular pipe, and the pipe interface 32 is set to be circular to facilitate connection with the pipe.

[0075] In order to improve the contact area between the medium cavity and the active area, the flow cross section of the medium cavity is generally long and distributed along the circumference of the polar plate, which can be rectangular or polygonal. Therefore, the inner port 221 of the end plate flow channel 21 is generally rectangular or polygonal. In order to facilitate the connection with the inner port 221, the end plate 2 interface of the adapter 3 can be rectangular or a combination of rectangular and arc shapes to facilitate the design of the end plate flow channel 21. The specific selection can be determined according to the aspect ratio of the inner port 221.

[0076] When the aspect ratio of the inner port 221 is within a certain range, the shape of the inner port 221 is not long and narrow, and the outer port 231 of the end plate flow channel 21 can be directly set as rectangular. The transition from circular to rectangular in the adapter flow channel.

[0077] When the aspect ratio of the inner port 221 exceeds a certain range, the shape of the inner port 221 is long and narrow, and the outer port 231 of the end plate flow channel 21 can be set as a combination of rectangular and arc shapes. The transition from circular to rectangular in the adapter flow channel is partially rectangular and partially circular, which facilitates the transition design of the adapter flow channel.

[0078] The transition section in the adapter flow channel can have a rectangular or elliptical cross section to serve as a transition from circular to rectangular. When the aspect ratio of the end plate 2 interface is large, an elliptical transition section can be provided. When the aspect ratio of the end plate 2 interface is small, a rectangular transition section can be provided. Of course, it is also related to the overall length of the adapter flow channel, and the length of the adapter flow channel is also related to the orientation of the pipe interface 32. When the length of the adapter flow channel is short, the range of transition change is limited, and an elliptical transition section can be provided for rapid change. When the length of the adapter flow channel is long, the transition distance is also relatively long, and a rectangular transition section can be provided to facilitate the connection with the outer port 231 of the end plate 2. The specific setting can be designed according to the shape of the inner port 221, the outer port 231 and the pipe interface 32, as well as the orientation of the pipe interface 32 and the length of the adapter flow channel. Herein, no limitation is made.

[0079] For example, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The flow cross section of the reaction medium cavity in the stack can be pentagonal. Four sides of the pentagon are connected vertically in sequence, and the fifth side is a diagonal. The diagonal is opposite to the active area of the polar plate to facilitate the design of the diffusion flow channel. The flow cross section of the cooling medium cavity extends along the length direction of the end plate 2, which can be a long and narrow rectangular shape to facilitate the diffusion of the cooling medium and shorten the flow path length of the cooling medium between the polar plates to improve the cooling effect.

[0080] The shape of the inner port 221 on the end plate 2 corresponds to the flow cross section shape of the reaction medium cavity and the cooling medium cavity. Please refer to Figures 8-13 :

[0081] Figure 8 For the transfer channel model corresponding to the hydrogen inlet channel 21a, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are rectangular, the adapter channel 31 of the hydrogen inlet connector 3a includes a rectangular transition section composed of a plane + twisted surface, and the hydrogen inlet channel 21a transitions from rectangular to pentagonal from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0082] Figure 9 For the transfer channel model corresponding to the air outlet channel 21b, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are rectangular, the adapter channel 31 of the air outlet connector 3b includes a rectangular transition section composed of a plane + twisted surface, and the air outlet channel 21b transitions from rectangular to pentagonal from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0083] Figure 10 For the transfer channel model corresponding to the coolant outlet channel 21c, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are a semi-elliptical and rectangular composite shape, the adapter channel 31 of the coolant outlet connector 3c includes an elliptical transition section, the adapter channel 31 transitions from circular to elliptical and then to a semi-elliptical and rectangular composite shape, and the coolant outlet channel 21c transitions from a semi-elliptical and rectangular composite shape to a long rectangular shape from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0084] Figure 11 For the transfer channel model corresponding to the coolant inlet channel 21d, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are a semi-elliptical and rectangular composite shape, the adapter channel 31 of the coolant inlet connector 3d directly transitions from circular to an elliptical and rectangular composite shape, and the coolant inlet channel 21d transitions from a semi-elliptical and rectangular composite shape to a long rectangular shape from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0085] Figure 12 For the transfer channel model corresponding to the air inlet channel 21e, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are rectangular, the adapter channel 31 of the air inlet connector 3e includes an elliptical transition section with a short axis equal to the diameter of the pipe interface 32, the adapter channel 31 transitions from circular to elliptical and then to rectangular, and the air inlet channel 21e transitions from rectangular to pentagonal from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0086] Figure 13For the transfer channel model corresponding to the hydrogen outflow channel 21f, the pipe interface 32 of the transfer channel is circular, the end plate 2 interface and the outer port 231 are rectangular, the adapter channel 31 of the hydrogen out connector 3f includes a rectangular transition section composed of a plane + twisted surface, and the hydrogen outflow channel 21f transitions from a rectangular to a pentagon from the outer port 231 to the inner port 221.

[0087] Referring to Figure 1 , according to some embodiments of the present application, the orientations of the plurality of pipe interfaces 32 can be the same, or at least one pipe interface 32 can be different from the orientations of the other pipe interfaces 32.

[0088] The orientations of the pipe interfaces 32 can be designed according to the pipe connection direction, and even the installation position of the stack on the system can be considered to set appropriate pipe interface 32 orientations to facilitate the connection of the pipeline to the pipe interface 32, improve the connection stability and reduce the flow resistance.

[0089] Exemplarily, in Figure 1 , the pipe interfaces 32 corresponding to the hydrogen inflow channel 21a, the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the coolant outflow channel 21c, and the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the air inflow channel 21e are oriented vertically to the end plate 2, and the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the air outflow channel 21b, the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the coolant inflow channel 21d, and the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the hydrogen outflow channel 21f are oriented downward. It can be understood that the above orientations of the pipe interfaces 32 are only an example, and in other examples, the pipe interfaces 32 in communication with the respective end plate channels 21 can be oriented in other directions.

[0090] Referring to Figure 1 , according to some embodiments of the present application, at least two adjacent adapters 3 can be integrally formed.

[0091] To ensure the sealing between the adapter 3 and the end plate 2, a sealing ring is generally provided between the adapter 3 and the end plate 2, and the sealing ring is pressed against the outer end surface 23 of the end plate 2 through the end surface of the adapter 3 provided with the end plate 2 interface to achieve sealing, therefore the adapter 3 is generally provided with a flange extending in the lateral direction to facilitate increasing the sealing area and facilitating connection with the end plate 2.

[0092] However, the spacing distance between some of the end plate channels 21 on the end plate 2 is small, which is not convenient for the design and installation of the adapter 3, and by integrally forming the plurality of adapters 3 corresponding to the end plate channels 21 with small spacing, assembly and sealing are facilitated.

[0093] Exemplarily, Figure 1 , two adapters 3 corresponding to the hydrogen inflow channel 21a and the air outflow channel 21b are integrally formed, and two adapters 3 corresponding to the air inflow channel 21e and the hydrogen outflow channel 21f are integrally formed.

[0094] According to some embodiments of the present application, the adapter 3 can be integrally formed with the end plate 2. The end plate 2 is entirely made of plastic material, and the adapter 3 is made of the same material as the end plate 2, so as to avoid metal ions from being precipitated into the cooling liquid when a metal end plate is used. The adapter 3 can be integrally formed with the end plate 2 by injection molding or the like, so as to ensure the integrity of the flow channel and the sealing effect. The adapter 3 and the end plate 2 can also be separately injection molded and then connected together by bonding or welding.

[0095] According to some embodiments of the present application, a sensor is integrated on the adapter 3 and / or the end plate 2.

[0096] By integrating the sensor on the adapter 3 and / or the end plate 2, the state information of the medium in the transfer flow channel can be detected, so as to facilitate the test of the performance of the fuel cell stack and the monitoring of the working state. For example, the sensor can include at least one of a flow sensor, a flow rate sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and the like.

[0097] The present application also provides a fuel cell stack.

[0098] The fuel cell stack includes the flow channel adapter structure 1 according to any one of the technical solutions described above.

[0099] It can be understood that, because the fuel cell stack according to the embodiments of the present application includes the flow channel adapter structure 1 according to any one of the technical solutions described above, the fuel cell stack has the technical features and effects of the flow channel adapter structure 1 according to any one of the technical solutions described above, and thus repeated description is omitted herein.

[0100] According to the fuel cell stack of the present application, the adapter between the internal flow channel of the fuel cell stack and the system flow channel is smooth, the flow resistance is low, the performance is improved, the test result is accurate during the production process, the performance of the fuel cell stack on the system can be fully utilized, and the product quality of the fuel cell stack is improved.

[0101] The present application also provides a vehicle.

[0102] The vehicle includes the fuel cell stack according to any one of the technical solutions described above.

[0103] It can be understood that, because the vehicle according to the embodiments of the present application includes the fuel cell stack according to any one of the technical solutions described above, the vehicle has the technical features and effects of the fuel cell stack according to any one of the technical solutions described above, and thus repeated description is omitted herein.

[0104] According to the vehicle of the present application, the test result of the fuel cell stack when mounted on the vehicle is similar to the test result of the fuel cell stack when tested alone, the product design process is optimized, the use effect of the fuel cell stack on the vehicle is ensured, and the product quality of the vehicle is improved.

[0105] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the description and in the claims of the present application are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a specific sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the use of these terms herein is merely for distinguishing between the objects and does not necessarily indicate a specific order or chronology between the objects. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in describing the application, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. By means of further example, the terms "a" or "an", as used herein, mean "one or more" unless otherwise clearly indicated. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including", "has", "having" and the like are inclusive and are used as equivalents and are open-ended, allowing for additions and / or substitutions therefrom, unless otherwise indicated. The terms "coupled" and "connected" and the like as used herein, mean the linked together, which can mean for example that the entities linked together can be directly in contact with each other, or can be connected with each other through other entities.

[0106] In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships as shown in the drawings, and are merely used for convenience of description and simplification of description, and thus cannot be understood as indicating or implying that a device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0107] In the description of the present application, "a first feature" and "a second feature" can include one or more of the features.

[0108] In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more.

[0109] In the description of the present application, "on top of", "above", and "over" of a first feature to a second feature can include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or can include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature therebetween.

[0110] In the description of the present application, "on top of", "above", and "over" of a first feature to a second feature can include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or can include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature therebetween.

[0111] In the description of the application, reference has been made to descriptive terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an embodiment", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" etc. It is emphasized that each of these terms refers to a specific feature, structure, material or characteristic described in connection with a particular embodiment or example. The descriptive terms are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0112] While embodiments of the application have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the application is not limited to the details of the embodiments described, since the scope of the application is defined with respect to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A runner switching structure characterized by comprising: include: An end plate, wherein a through end plate flow channel is provided in the end plate to form an inner port and an outer port on two end faces of the end plate respectively, wherein the inner port and the outer port have different shapes; An adapter is mounted on the outer end face of the end plate. The adapter has an internal flow channel, and different surfaces of the adapter have end plate interfaces and pipe interfaces that communicate with the flow channel. The pipe interfaces have different shapes from the end plate interfaces. The end plate interface is connected to the external port and has the same shape. The adapter flow channel and the end plate flow channel are connected to form a transfer flow channel. Part of the transfer flow channel is designed inside the adapter. The length of the end plate flow channel is compressed and the thickness of the end plate is thinner, thereby controlling the size of the fuel cell stack. When the fuel cell stack is applied to the system piping, the adapter flow channel is used in the system piping design. The end plate has multiple flow channels, which are distributed along the circumference of the end plate. The adapter is provided with multiple flow channels corresponding to the multiple end plate flow channels. The multiple pipe interfaces have the same orientation, or at least one of the pipe interfaces has a different orientation than the other pipe interfaces; The projections of the inner port and the outer port in the thickness direction of the end plate at least partially overlap. The end plate is provided with a reaction medium flow channel for the flow of the reaction medium and a cooling medium flow channel for the flow of the cooling medium; wherein, The overlap of the projections of the inner and outer ports of the reaction medium channel onto the thickness direction of the end plate is greater than 50%; and / or, the overlap of the projections of the inner and outer ports of the cooling medium channel onto the thickness direction of the end plate is not greater than 50%.

2. The flow channel transition structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipe interface is circular, the end plate interface is rectangular or a combination of rectangular and arc shapes, and the adapter flow channel includes a transition section with a rectangular or elliptical cross-section.

3. The flow channel transition structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two adjacent adapters are integrally molded; and / or, The adapter and end plate are integrally molded; and / or, The adapter and / or the end plate integrate a sensor.

4. The flow channel transition structure according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The end plate flow channel includes at least an air outlet channel and a hydrogen outlet channel, and the lower edge of the air outlet channel and / or the lower edge of the hydrogen outlet channel are inclined downward in the direction close to the outer end face.

5. A fuel cell stack, characterized in that, Includes the flow channel transition structure as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the fuel cell stack as described in claim 5.

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