Hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device and method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and provides a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device and a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming method thereof. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device includes a housing, a fuel cell assembly, a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming assembly, and a gas flow assembly. The present application uses the gas flow assembly to drive the gas flow in the housing, improve the gas dispersion uniformity, and uses the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming assembly to circulate and eliminate hydrogen and oxygen, having the characteristics of high elimination efficiency and simple structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly to a hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device and a method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen thereof. Background Art

[0002] As a power system device, a hydrogen fuel cell has the advantages of high efficiency, clean and pollution-free, small volume and light weight, and can meet the demand for long endurance. It is widely used in fields such as automobiles, airplanes, ships, underwater submersibles, and space stations. Among them, in order to maintain a high working efficiency during operation, a hydrogen fuel cell needs to perform intermittent tail gas discharge, discharging hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen fuel cell into the external environment of the system. However, hydrogen is a flammable substance, and oxygen is a highly efficient combustion promoter. Exposure to the same environment at the same time poses a high safety risk. Especially in a closed environment such as underwater, the limitedness and immobility of space will exacerbate the explosion risk. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device with high elimination efficiency and simple structure and a method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen thereof.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device, and the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device includes:

[0005] A housing;

[0006] A fuel cell assembly, the fuel cell assembly is disposed in the housing, the fuel cell assembly includes a hydrogen fuel cell, a cathode discharge pipeline, an anode discharge pipeline, and a cooling water circulation pipeline. The cathode discharge pipeline is connected to the cathode side of the hydrogen fuel cell, and the gas outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline discharges into the housing. The anode discharge pipeline is connected to the anode side of the hydrogen fuel cell, and the gas outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline discharges into the housing. The cooling water circulation pipeline is connected to the hydrogen fuel cell in a circulating manner;

[0007] A hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly includes a hydrogen discharge storage tank, a first heat exchanger, a catalytic hydrogen eliminator, and a gas mixer. The hydrogen discharge storage tank, the first heat exchanger, and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator are sequentially disposed on the anode discharge pipeline along the flow direction of hydrogen. The first heat exchanger is also connected to the cooling water circulation pipeline, and the circulating return water in the cooling water circulation pipeline is the heating source of the first heat exchanger. The gas mixer is disposed in the housing, and the outlet end of the gas mixer is connected to the anode discharge pipeline between the hydrogen discharge storage tank and the first heat exchanger. The gas mixer is used to introduce the gas in the housing into the first heat exchanger and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator through the anode discharge pipeline;

[0008] A gas flow component, which is arranged inside the housing and is used to drive the gas flow inside the housing.

[0009] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination component further includes a cooler, which is connected in parallel to the anode discharge pipeline on the outlet side of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator, and the cooler is used to cool down the gas from the outlet of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator.

[0010] Optionally, the cooler includes a second heat exchanger arranged on the inner wall of the housing, and the cold source of the second heat exchanger is the medium outside the housing.

[0011] Optionally, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination component further includes a water storage tank, which is connected to the cooler, and the water storage tank is used to collect the condensed water after the gas is cooled.

[0012] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination component further includes a first dryer, which is arranged at the outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline and is used to dry the gas discharged from the cathode discharge pipeline.

[0013] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination component further includes a second dryer, which is arranged at the outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline and is used to dry the gas discharged from the anode discharge pipeline.

[0014] In some embodiments, the gas flow component at least includes a first fan and a second fan. The first fan is arranged on the outlet side of the cathode discharge pipeline, and the second fan is arranged on the outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline.

[0015] Optionally, the first fan and the second fan are arranged staggeredly, and the wind direction of the first fan is opposite to that of the second fan.

[0016] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device further includes a hydrogen concentration sensor, which is located on the outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline.

[0017] In some embodiments, at least one of a temperature and pressure sensor and a humidity sensor is further arranged inside the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device. The temperature and pressure sensor is used to detect the gas temperature and pressure inside the housing, and the humidity sensor is used to detect the gas humidity inside the housing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the anode discharge pipeline is provided with an anode tail discharge valve and a control valve. The anode tail discharge valve is arranged on the inlet side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank, and the control valve is arranged on the outlet side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank.

[0019] In some embodiments, a cathode tail discharge valve is provided on the cathode discharge pipeline.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present application provides a hydrogen and oxygen elimination method for a hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device as described in the first aspect. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method includes:

[0021] In the fuel cell assembly, oxygen is discharged to the inside of the housing through the cathode discharge pipeline, and hydrogen is discharged to the hydrogen discharge storage tank through the anode discharge pipeline;

[0022] Start the gas flow assembly to drive the gas flow inside the housing, and start the gas mixer to introduce the gas inside the housing into the first heat exchanger to preheat the catalytic hydrogen eliminator;

[0023] Discharge the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank to the anode discharge pipeline, mix it with the gas of the gas mixer and enter the first heat exchanger for heating, and then enter the catalytic hydrogen eliminator for catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen;

[0024] The gas inside the housing circulates through the gas mixer, the first heat exchanger and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen inside the housing.

[0025] In some embodiments, when the molar concentration of hydrogen inside the housing is greater than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the volume concentration of hydrogen is greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate of the pressure inside the housing is greater than the first pressure rise rate, open the cathode discharge pipeline to discharge oxygen into the housing, and perform a catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0026] Optionally, the first hydrogen volume concentration is 500 ppm to 15000 ppm.

[0027] Optionally, the first pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min.

[0028] In some embodiments, when the molar concentration of hydrogen inside the housing is less than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the volume concentration of hydrogen is less than the second hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate of the pressure inside the housing is greater than the second pressure rise rate, open the anode discharge pipeline to discharge hydrogen into the housing, and perform a catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0029] Optionally, the second hydrogen volume concentration is 0 ppm to 1000 ppm.

[0030] Optionally, the second pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the volume concentration of hydrogen gas in the housing is less than the third hydrogen gas volume concentration, the gas mixer stops operating.

[0032] Optionally, the third hydrogen gas volume concentration is 0 ppm to 200 ppm.

[0033] Compared with the traditional technology, the present application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0034] After the gas tail of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device of the present application is discharged, the gas mixer is used to circulate the gas in the housing through the first heat exchanger and the catalytic hydrogen-consuming device, realizing cyclic hydrogen consumption and oxygen consumption, and effectively improving the efficiency of hydrogen consumption and oxygen consumption. Among them, the heat source in the first heat exchanger uses the cooling circulating water of the fuel cell, avoiding the additional installation of a heater, not only reducing the power consumption but also simplifying the structure. In addition, the present application is provided with a gas flow component in the housing to drive the gas flow in the housing, thereby improving the dispersion uniformity of the gas, avoiding local aggregation, and improving the elimination efficiency. The present application can be applied to different types of hydrogen fuel cells, and can process and accommodate both hydrogen-excessive type and oxygen-excessive type. It can not only eliminate the hydrogen and oxygen in the tail gas, but also eliminate the leaked hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen fuel cell, and has the characteristics of high elimination efficiency and simple structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device provided in an embodiment of the present application, where the arrow represents the gas flow direction;

[0037] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming process of a hydrogen-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming process of an oxygen-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming process of a non-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Among them, 100 - housing; 200 - fuel cell assembly; 210 - hydrogen fuel cell; 220 - cathode exhaust pipeline; 230 - anode exhaust pipeline; 240 - cooling water circulation pipeline; 250 - anode tail exhaust valve; 260 - control valve; 270 - cathode tail exhaust valve; 300 - hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly; 310 - hydrogen exhaust storage tank; 320 - first heat exchanger; 330 - catalytic hydrogen eliminator; 340 - gas mixer; 350 - cooler; 360 - water storage tank; 370 - first dryer; 380 - second dryer; 400 - gas flow assembly; 410 - first fan; 420 - second fan; 500 - hydrogen concentration sensor; 600 - temperature and pressure sensor; 700 - humidity sensor. Detailed implementation manners

[0041] The following combines the implementation manners and embodiments to further describe the present application in detail. These implementation manners and embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application and not to limit the scope of the present application. The purpose of providing these implementation manners and embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosed content of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. It should also be understood that the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the implementation manners and embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications without departing from the connotation of the present application, and the equivalent forms obtained also fall within the protection scope of the present application. In addition, in the following description, a large number of specific details are given to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. It should be understood that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs. The terms used in the description of this application herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0043] In this application, "optionally", "optional", "option" mean that it can be either present or absent, that is, it refers to any one of the two parallel options of "present" or "absent". If "optional" appears multiple times in a technical solution, without special instructions and without contradictions or mutual restrictions, each "optional" is independent of each other.

[0044] In this application, in "the first aspect", "the second aspect", etc., the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or quantity, nor can they be understood as implicitly indicating the importance or quantity of the indicated technical features. Moreover, "first", "second", etc. only serve the purpose of non-exhaustive enumerative description and should be understood not to constitute a closed limitation on quantity.

[0045] In this application, among the technical features described in an open-ended manner, it includes a closed technical solution composed of the listed features, as well as an open technical solution including the listed features.

[0046] In this application, when it comes to a numerical interval (i.e., a numerical range), unless otherwise specified, the distribution of the selectable numerical values within this numerical interval is considered continuous, and it includes the two numerical endpoints of this numerical interval (i.e., the minimum value and the maximum value), as well as each numerical value between these two numerical endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, when the numerical interval only refers to the integers within this numerical interval, it includes the two endpoint integers of this numerical range, as well as each integer between the two endpoints, which is equivalent to directly listing each integer. When multiple numerical ranges are provided to describe features or characteristics, these numerical ranges can be combined. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges disclosed in this application should be understood to include any and all sub-ranges subsumed therein. The "numerical value" in this numerical interval can be any quantitative value, such as a number, a percentage, a ratio, etc. The "numerical interval" is allowed to broadly include quantitative intervals such as a percentage interval, a ratio interval, a ratio value interval, etc.

[0047] All the documents mentioned in this application are cited as references in this application, just as if each document is cited as a reference separately. Unless it conflicts with the application purpose and / or technical solution of this application, the cited documents related to this application are cited for all their contents and all their purposes. When this application involves citing documents, the definitions of relevant technical features, terms, nouns, phrases, etc. in the cited documents are also cited. When this application involves citing documents, the examples and preferred ways of the relevant technical features cited can also be incorporated as references into this application, but only to the extent that this application can be implemented. It should be understood that when the cited content conflicts with the description in this application, this application shall prevail or be amended adaptively according to the description in this application.

[0048] In the traditional technology, the tail gas of hydrogen fuel cells is mostly treated by solid hydrogen storage or catalytic combustion to eliminate hydrogen. Among them, solid hydrogen storage mostly uses metal hydrogen storage, and certain metals or alloys (such as sodium-magnesium alloy, titanium-magnesium alloy, etc.) are used to react with hydrogen to form hydrides. The hydrides will store hydrogen in solid form during hydrogen storage. When hydrogen needs to be released, the hydrides are decomposed by heating or cooling to release hydrogen. Metal hydrogen storage has the characteristics of high energy density and high safety, and can store more hydrogen in a smaller volume, and the storage is relatively stable. However, the cost of hydrogen storage materials is relatively high, and the introduction of hydrogen storage materials will increase the volume and mass of the fuel cell system. In addition, most hydrogen storage materials need to be under specific temperature and pressure conditions to effectively absorb and release hydrogen, which further increases the complexity of the fuel cell system. Catalytic fuel hydrogen elimination can carry out catalytic combustion hydrogen elimination at a lower temperature. However, in practical applications, hydrogen may be mixed with other gases, and the influence caused by gas mixing needs to be considered during the catalytic combustion process, and the hydrogen volume concentration needs to be controlled below 2.5%. Moreover, the gas needs to be preheated during the catalytic combustion process, and an additional heater needs to be configured, increasing the system complexity. Although the above methods can eliminate the tail hydrogen, neither of them treats the tail oxygen, and if the hydrogen is not completely eliminated, hydrogen accumulation will still occur, posing a safety problem.

[0049] In the first aspect of the present application, a hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device is provided, as Figure 1 shown. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device includes a housing 100, a fuel cell assembly 200, a hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300, and a gas flow assembly 400.

[0050] The fuel cell assembly 200 is disposed in the housing 100 and includes a hydrogen fuel cell 210, a cathode discharge pipeline 220, an anode discharge pipeline 230, and a cooling water circulation pipeline 240. The cathode discharge pipeline 220 is connected to the cathode side of the hydrogen fuel cell 210, and the outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline 220 discharges into the housing 100. The anode discharge pipeline 230 is connected to the anode side of the hydrogen fuel cell 210, and the outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline 230 discharges into the housing 100. The cooling water circulation pipeline 240 is connected to the hydrogen fuel cell 210 in a circulating manner.

[0051] The hydrogen and oxygen elimination component 300 includes a hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, a first heat exchanger 320, a catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330, and a gas mixer 340. The hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, the first heat exchanger 320, and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 are sequentially arranged on the anode discharge pipeline 230 along the flowing direction of hydrogen. The first heat exchanger 320 is also connected to the cooling water circulation pipeline 240, and the circulating return water in the cooling water circulation pipeline 240 is the heating source of the first heat exchanger 320. The gas mixer 340 is arranged in the housing 100, and the outlet end of the gas mixer 340 is connected to the anode discharge pipeline 230 between the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 and the first heat exchanger 320. The gas mixer 340 is used to introduce the gas in the housing 100 into the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 through the anode discharge pipeline 230.

[0052] The gas flow component 400 is arranged in the housing 100 and is used to drive the gas flow in the housing 100.

[0053] After the gas tail discharge of the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device of the present application, the gas mixer 340 is used to circulate the gas in the housing 100 through the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330, realizing cyclic hydrogen and oxygen elimination, and effectively improving the hydrogen and oxygen elimination efficiency. Among them, the heat source in the first heat exchanger 320 adopts the cooling circulating water of the fuel cell, avoiding the additional installation of a heater, not only reducing the power consumption but also simplifying the structure. In addition, the present application is provided with a gas flow component 400 in the housing 100 to drive the gas flow in the housing 100, thereby improving the dispersion uniformity of the gas, avoiding local aggregation, and improving the elimination efficiency. The present application can be applied to different types of hydrogen fuel cells 210, and can process and accommodate both hydrogen-excessive type and oxygen-excessive type, not only capable of eliminating the tail-discharged hydrogen and oxygen, but also capable of eliminating the leaked hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen fuel cell 210, and has the characteristics of high elimination efficiency and simple structure.

[0054] Among them, the leaked hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen fuel cell can leak from the connecting pipeline, or can leak from the hydrogen storage unit, the hydrogen supply unit, the oxygen storage unit or the oxygen supply unit.

[0055] It can be understood that the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 in the present application can satisfy the catalytic reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.

[0056] In some embodiments, the hydrogen fuel cell 210 of the present application can be a hydrogen-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell, an oxygen-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell, or a non-excessive type hydrogen fuel cell. Among them, the hydrogen-excessive type means that the ratio of the hydrogen emission amount to the oxygen emission amount in the tail discharge is greater than 2:1, and the oxygen-excessive type means that the ratio of the hydrogen emission amount to the oxygen emission amount in the tail discharge is less than 2:1.

[0057] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300 further includes a cooler 350. The cooler 350 is connected in parallel to the anode discharge pipeline 230 on the outlet side of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330. The cooler 350 is used to cool down the gas exiting the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330. Optionally, the cooler 350 includes a second heat exchanger disposed on the inner wall of the housing 100, and the cold source of the second heat exchanger is a medium outside the housing 100. It can be understood that the cooler 350 in the present application can be enabled according to actual needs. For example, the cooler 350 can be connected in parallel to the anode discharge pipeline 230, and when needed, the gas can be made to flow through the cooler 350 by adjusting the valve.

[0058] In the present application, the cooler 350 is provided. When the amount of hydrogen to be processed is large, the gas exiting the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 needs to be cooled before being discharged. The present application uses a medium outside the housing 100 as the cold source. For example, when the fuel cell device is applied underwater, the medium outside the housing 100 can be water. This further avoids the need to additionally install a cooler inside the fuel cell device, reduces power consumption, and further reduces the overall structural complexity of the device.

[0059] Optionally, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300 further includes a water storage device 360. The water storage device 360 is connected to the cooler 350 and is used to collect the condensed water after the gas is cooled.

[0060] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300 further includes a first dryer 370. The first dryer 370 is disposed at the gas outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline 220 and is used to dry the gas discharged from the cathode discharge pipeline 220.

[0061] In some embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300 further includes a second dryer 380. The second dryer 380 is disposed at the gas outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline 230 and is used to dry the gas discharged from the anode discharge pipeline 230.

[0062] In the present application, by drying the gas in the tail discharge, it is avoided that water vapor accumulates inside the housing 100, affecting the humidity inside the housing 100 and the operation of the equipment.

[0063] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the gas flow assembly 400 includes at least a first fan 410 and a second fan 420. The first fan 410 is disposed on the gas outlet side of the cathode discharge pipeline 220, and the second fan 420 is disposed on the gas outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline 230. It can be understood that the gas flow assembly 400 in the present application can also adopt other forms of fans or blowers. For example, it can be an axial flow fan as long as it can drive the gas flow inside the housing 100.

[0064] Optionally, again as Figure 2As shown, the first fan 410 and the second fan 420 are staggered, and the wind direction of the first fan 410 is opposite to that of the second fan 420.

[0065] In this application, by setting the first fan 410 and the second fan 420, the gas after the tail exhaust is dispersed and mixed evenly in the housing 100. On the one hand, local accumulation of the gas is avoided, and on the other hand, the accuracy of gas concentration detection is improved.

[0066] In some embodiments, the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device further includes a hydrogen concentration sensor 500, and the hydrogen concentration sensor 500 is located on the gas outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline 230.

[0067] In some embodiments, at least one of a temperature and pressure sensor 600 and a humidity sensor 700 is further provided in the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device. The temperature and pressure sensor 600 is used to detect the gas temperature and pressure in the housing 100, and the humidity sensor 700 is used to detect the gas humidity in the housing 100.

[0068] In some embodiments, the anode discharge pipeline 230 is provided with an anode tail exhaust valve 250 and a control valve 260. The anode tail exhaust valve 250 is arranged on the intake side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, and the control valve 260 is arranged on the outlet side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310. In this application, the tail-exhaust hydrogen is first stored in the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, and the control valve 260 is used to adjust the hydrogen release speed to ensure the elimination efficiency of the hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming component 300. It can be understood that in this application, no requirements are made on the type of the control valve 260, as long as it can meet the function of slow hydrogen release.

[0069] In some embodiments, a cathode tail exhaust valve 270 is arranged on the cathode discharge pipeline 220.

[0070] In the second aspect of this application, a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming method for a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device as in the first aspect is provided. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming method includes:

[0071] In the fuel cell assembly 200, oxygen is discharged into the housing 100 through the cathode discharge pipeline 220, and hydrogen is discharged into the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 through the anode discharge pipeline 230;

[0072] Start the gas flow assembly 400 to drive the gas flow in the housing 100, and start the gas mixer 340 to introduce the gas in the housing 100 into the first heat exchanger 320 and then preheat the catalytic hydrogen-consuming device 330;

[0073] Discharge the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 into the anode discharge pipeline 230, mix it with the gas of the gas mixer 340, enter the first heat exchanger 320 for heating, and then enter the catalytic hydrogen-consuming device 330 for catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen;

[0074] The gas inside the housing 100 circulates through the gas mixer 340, the first heat exchanger 320, and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen inside the housing 100.

[0075] In some embodiments, after the temperature of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 meets the operating temperature, the hydrogen in the tail gas is released from the hydrogen storage tank 310. It can be understood that releasing hydrogen after the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 is preheated to the operating temperature can activate the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 and effectively improve the hydrogen treatment efficiency. Further, the operating temperature of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 in this application should be reasonably selected according to different catalytic hydrogen eliminators 330.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the molar concentration of hydrogen inside the housing 100 is more than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the volume concentration of hydrogen is greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate inside the housing 100 is greater than the first pressure rise rate, the cathode discharge pipeline 220 is opened to discharge oxygen into the housing 100, and a catalytic reaction is carried out to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0077] Optionally, the first hydrogen volume concentration is 500 ppm to 15000 ppm, and for example, it can be 500 ppm, 1000 ppm, 2000 ppm, 3000 ppm, 4000 ppm, 5000 ppm, 6000 ppm, 7000 ppm, 8000 ppm, 9000 ppm, 10000 ppm, 11000 ppm, 12000 ppm, 13000 ppm, 14000 ppm, or 15000 ppm.

[0078] Optionally, the first pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min. The first pressure rise rate in this application refers to the increase of the pressure inside the housing 100 excluding the influence of temperature at 0°C.

[0079] It should be noted that the pressure rise rate of the pressure inside the housing 100 in this application refers to the pressure change without considering the influence of temperature. Specifically, taking the temperature T0 and pressure P0 inside the housing 100 before the operation of the hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly 300 as the starting point, and the temperature T and pressure value P at the time of detection as the end time point, the pressure rise rate value under standard conditions excluding the influence of temperature factors is calculated through the ideal gas equation to realize the pressure increase situations such as gas tail discharge, accumulation of impurity gases in the gas source, and pipeline leakage.

[0080] Specifically, as Figure 3 shown, a method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen of a hydrogen fuel cell 210 with excessive hydrogen is provided, including the following steps:

[0081] S1. The hydrogen fuel cell 210 starts to operate and begins tail gas discharge. The hydrogen in the anode tail gas enters the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 through the anode discharge pipeline 230, and the oxygen in the cathode tail gas enters the housing 100 through the cathode discharge pipeline 220.

[0082] S2. Start the gas flow assembly 400 to drive the gas flow in the housing 100; at the same time, start the gas mixer 340 to make the gas in the housing 100 flow through the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen elimination device 330 in sequence to preheat the catalytic hydrogen elimination device 330.

[0083] S3. After preheating for a time T1, when the temperature of the catalytic hydrogen elimination device 330 is preheated to the operating temperature, open the control valve 260. The hydrogen from the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 enters the first heat exchanger 320 to be heated together with the gas from the mixer, and then enters the catalytic hydrogen elimination device 330 for hydrogen and oxygen elimination. After the control valve 260 is opened for a time T2, the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 is basically completely released, and then close the control valve 260.

[0084] S4. Detect the hydrogen concentration in the housing 100. If the hydrogen concentration in the housing 100 is greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration n1 and remains greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration n1 after re - detection after continuous operation for a period of time, calculate the pressure rise rate of the gas in the housing 100 based on the temperature and pressure detection in the housing 100, and determine whether it is greater than the first pressure rise rate; if the pressure rise rate of the gas in the housing 100 is less than or equal to the first pressure rise rate, continue hydrogen and oxygen elimination for a time T3 and continue detection; if the pressure rise rate of the gas in the housing 100 is greater than the first pressure rise rate m1, open the cathode tail gas for a time T4 to discharge part of the oxygen into the housing 100 and continue hydrogen and oxygen elimination.

[0085] S5. After a time T5, when the hydrogen concentration in the housing 100 is less than the third hydrogen volume concentration n3 and the pressure rise rate of the gas in the housing 100 is less than the first pressure rise rate m, stop the operation of the gas mixer 340 and stop hydrogen and oxygen elimination.

[0086] It can be understood that even when there is no tail gas discharge, if the hydrogen concentration in the housing 100 is detected to be relatively high (for example, greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration), hydrogen and oxygen elimination treatment can still be carried out.

[0087] In some embodiments, when the molar concentration of hydrogen in the housing 100 is less than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the molar concentration of hydrogen is less than the second hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate of the pressure in the housing 100 is greater than the second pressure rise rate, open the anode discharge pipeline 230 to discharge hydrogen into the housing 100 and carry out a catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

[0088] Optionally, the second hydrogen gas volume concentration is 0 ppm to 1000 ppm, for example, it can be 0 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 300 ppm, 400 ppm, 500 ppm, 600 ppm, 700 ppm, 800 ppm, 900 ppm or 1000 ppm.

[0089] Optionally, the second pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min. In this application, the second pressure rise rate refers to the increase in the pressure inside the housing 100 excluding the influence of temperature at 0°C.

[0090] Specifically, as Figure 4 shown, a method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen in an oxygen-excess hydrogen fuel cell 210 is provided, including the following steps:

[0091] S1. The hydrogen fuel cell 210 starts to operate and starts tail gas discharge. The hydrogen in the anode tail gas enters the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 through the anode discharge pipeline 230, and the oxygen in the cathode tail gas enters the housing 100 through the cathode discharge pipeline 220.

[0092] S2. Start the gas flow component 400 to drive the gas flow inside the housing 100; at the same time, start the gas mixer 340 to make the gas inside the housing 100 flow through the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 in sequence to preheat the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330.

[0093] S3. After preheating for a time T1, when the temperature of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 is preheated to the operating temperature, open the control valve 260. The hydrogen enters the first heat exchanger 320 for heating together with the gas from the mixer from the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, and then enters the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 for hydrogen and oxygen elimination. After the control valve 260 is opened for a time T2, the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 is basically completely released, and then close the control valve 260.

[0094] S4. Detect the temperature and pressure inside the housing 100, and calculate the pressure rise rate of the gas inside the housing 100. If the pressure rise rate is greater than the second pressure rise rate m2, and the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is less than the second hydrogen gas volume concentration n2 (for example, the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is 0), then open the anode tail gas discharge for a time T6 to discharge part of the hydrogen into the housing 100, and continuously carry out hydrogen and oxygen elimination for a time T1 + T2; if the pressure rise rate is greater than the second pressure rise rate m2, and the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is greater than the second hydrogen gas volume concentration n2, then continuously carry out hydrogen and oxygen elimination; if the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is greater than the first hydrogen gas volume concentration n1, then continuously carry out hydrogen and oxygen elimination.

[0095] S5. When the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is less than the third hydrogen gas volume concentration n3, and the pressure rise rate is less than the second pressure rise rate m2, stop the operation of the gas mixer 340.

[0096] It is understandable that even when not in the tail gas discharge state, if a relatively high hydrogen concentration (e.g., greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration) or a relatively large pressure rise rate of the gas inside the housing 100 is detected, the hydrogen and oxygen elimination treatment can still be carried out.

[0097] In some embodiments, when the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is less than the third hydrogen volume concentration, the gas mixer 340 stops operating.

[0098] Optionally, the third hydrogen volume concentration is 0 ppm to 200 ppm, and for example, it can be 0 ppm, 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, 80 ppm, 100 ppm, 120 ppm, 140 ppm, 160 ppm, 180 ppm or 200 ppm. Further optionally, the third hydrogen volume concentration is less than the second hydrogen volume concentration.

[0099] Specifically, as Figure 5 shown, a method for eliminating hydrogen and oxygen of a non-excessive hydrogen fuel cell 210 (i.e., the molar ratio of hydrogen to oxygen in the tail gas discharge is 2:1) is provided, including the following steps:

[0100] S1. The hydrogen fuel cell 210 starts to operate and starts tail gas discharge. The hydrogen in the anode tail gas enters the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 through the anode discharge pipeline 230, and the oxygen in the cathode tail gas enters the housing 100 through the cathode discharge pipeline 220.

[0101] S2. The gas flow component 400 is started to drive the gas flow inside the housing 100; at the same time, the gas mixer 340 is started, and the gas inside the housing 100 flows through the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 in sequence to preheat the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330.

[0102] S3. After preheating for a time T1, when the temperature of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 is preheated to the operating temperature, the control valve 260 is opened. The hydrogen enters the first heat exchanger 320 for heating together with the gas from the mixer from the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310, and then enters the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 for hydrogen and oxygen elimination. After the control valve 260 is opened for a time T2, the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank 310 is basically completely released, and the control valve 260 is closed.

[0103] S4. When the hydrogen concentration inside the housing 100 is less than the third hydrogen volume concentration n3, the gas mixer 340 stops operating.

[0104] In summary, the present application has at least the following features:

[0105] (1) This application uses the cooling water in the hydrogen fuel cell 210 to heat the gas in the housing 100, avoiding the accessory losses caused by the additional heater in the traditional technology. The temperature of the cooling water is 60°C to 75°C, which can heat the gas to 55°C to 65°C, fully meeting the temperature requirements of the catalytic hydrogen elimination device. Moreover, the medium outside the housing 100 is used as a cold source to cool the gas after catalytic hydrogen elimination, avoiding the high-temperature problem caused by a large amount of hydrogen elimination.

[0106] (2) In the traditional technology, only the fuel cell is subjected to hydrogen elimination treatment. For example, the solid-state hydrogen storage method can only absorb hydrogen, but does not eliminate oxygen, resulting in limitations in the hydrogen elimination method of the solid-state hydrogen storage method. In this application, catalytic hydrogen elimination is adopted, and hydrogen and oxygen are eliminated through catalytic reaction, which can be applied to various types and different working conditions of hydrogen fuel cells 210. This application can complete hydrogen and oxygen elimination within 5 minutes to 10 minutes after the tail gas discharge of the hydrogen fuel cell 210.

[0107] (3) This application can handle the hydrogen and oxygen leaked from the hydrogen fuel cell and the tail gas hydrogen and oxygen in a closed environment, avoiding the safety risks caused by the accumulation of hydrogen concentration in the closed environment. For example, when the closed volume in the housing 100 is 100L and the hydrogen concentration is 15000ppm, the hydrogen concentration in the housing 100 returns to 0 after 6 minutes of hydrogen and oxygen elimination treatment.

[0108] Therefore, after the gas tail discharge of the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device of this application, the mixer 340 is used to circulate the gas in the housing 100 through the first heat exchanger 320 and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator 330 to achieve cyclic hydrogen and oxygen elimination, effectively improving the hydrogen and oxygen elimination efficiency. Among them, the heat source in the first heat exchanger 320 uses the cooling circulating water of the fuel cell, avoiding the additional installation of a heater, which not only reduces the power consumption but also simplifies the structure. In addition, this application is provided with a gas flow component 400 in the housing 100 to drive the gas flow in the housing 100, thereby improving the gas dispersion uniformity, avoiding local aggregation, and improving the elimination efficiency. This application can be applied to different types of hydrogen fuel cells 210, and can handle and accommodate both hydrogen-excessive types and oxygen-excessive types, with the characteristics of high elimination efficiency and simple structure.

[0109] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered to be within the scope described in this specification.

[0110] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation manners of the present application. The description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device, characterized in that, The described hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device includes: A housing; A fuel cell assembly, which is arranged inside the housing. The fuel cell assembly includes a hydrogen fuel cell, a cathode discharge pipeline, an anode discharge pipeline, and a cooling water circulation pipeline. The cathode discharge pipeline is connected to the cathode side of the hydrogen fuel cell, and the gas outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline discharges into the housing. The anode discharge pipeline is connected to the anode side of the hydrogen fuel cell, and the gas outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline discharges into the housing. The cooling water circulation pipeline is connected to the hydrogen fuel cell in a circulating manner; A hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly, which includes a hydrogen discharge storage tank, a first heat exchanger, a catalytic hydrogen eliminator, and a gas mixer. The hydrogen discharge storage tank, the first heat exchanger, and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator are sequentially arranged on the anode discharge pipeline along the flow direction of hydrogen. A control valve is arranged on the anode discharge pipeline at the gas outlet side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank, and the control valve is used to adjust the hydrogen release rate of the hydrogen discharge storage tank. The first heat exchanger is also connected to the cooling water circulation pipeline, and the circulating return water in the cooling water circulation pipeline is the heating source of the first heat exchanger. The gas mixer is arranged inside the housing, and the outlet end of the gas mixer is connected to the anode discharge pipeline between the hydrogen discharge storage tank and the first heat exchanger. The gas mixer is used to introduce the gas inside the housing into the first heat exchanger and the catalytic hydrogen eliminator through the anode discharge pipeline; A gas flow assembly, which is arranged inside the housing and is used to drive the gas flow inside the housing.

2. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly further includes a cooler, which is connected in parallel to the anode discharge pipeline at the outlet side of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator, and the cooler is used to cool down the gas at the outlet of the catalytic hydrogen eliminator.

3. The hydrogen-removing and oxygen-removing fuel cell device according to claim 2, wherein The cooler includes a second heat exchanger arranged on the inner wall of the housing, and the cold source of the second heat exchanger is the medium outside the housing.

4. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly further includes a water storage device, which is connected to the cooler, and the water storage device is used to collect the condensed water after the gas is cooled.

5. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein The hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly meets at least one of the following conditions: (1) The hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly further includes a first dryer, which is arranged at the gas outlet end of the cathode discharge pipeline and is used to dry the gas discharged from the cathode discharge pipeline; (2) The hydrogen and oxygen elimination assembly further includes a second dryer, which is arranged at the gas outlet end of the anode discharge pipeline and is used to dry the gas discharged from the anode discharge pipeline.

6. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein The gas flow assembly at least includes a first fan and a second fan. The first fan is arranged at the gas outlet side of the cathode discharge pipeline, and the second fan is arranged at the gas outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline.

7. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first fan and the second fan are arranged staggeredly, and the wind direction of the first fan is opposite to that of the second fan.

8. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to claim 1, wherein The hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device also meets at least one of the following conditions: (1) The hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device further includes a hydrogen concentration sensor, which is located at the gas outlet side of the anode discharge pipeline; (2) At least one of a temperature and pressure sensor and a humidity sensor is further provided inside the hydrogen and oxygen elimination fuel cell device. The temperature and pressure sensor is used to detect the gas temperature and pressure inside the housing, and the humidity sensor is used to detect the gas humidity inside the housing.

9. The hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The fuel cell assembly further satisfies at least one of the following conditions: (1) An anode tail discharge valve is provided on the anode discharge pipeline, and the anode tail discharge valve is provided on the intake side of the hydrogen discharge storage tank; (2) A cathode tail discharge valve is provided on the cathode discharge pipeline.

10. A hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming method for a hydrogen-consuming and oxygen-consuming fuel cell device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method includes: In the fuel cell assembly, oxygen is discharged into the housing through the cathode discharge pipeline, and hydrogen is discharged into the hydrogen discharge storage tank through the anode discharge pipeline; Start the gas flow assembly to drive the gas flow inside the housing, and start the gas mixer to introduce the gas inside the housing into the first heat exchanger to preheat the catalytic hydrogen elimination device; Discharge the hydrogen in the hydrogen discharge storage tank into the anode discharge pipeline, mix it with the gas of the gas mixer, enter the first heat exchanger for heating, and then enter the catalytic hydrogen elimination device for catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen; The gas inside the housing circulates through the gas mixer, the first heat exchanger, and the catalytic hydrogen elimination device to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen inside the housing.

11. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 10, wherein When the molar concentration of hydrogen inside the housing is more than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the volume concentration of hydrogen is greater than the first hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate of the pressure inside the housing is greater than the first pressure rise rate, open the cathode discharge pipeline to discharge oxygen into the housing, and perform a catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

12. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first hydrogen volume concentration is 500 ppm to 15,000 ppm.

13. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 11, wherein, The first pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min.

14. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the molar concentration of hydrogen inside the housing is less than twice the molar concentration of oxygen, the volume concentration of hydrogen is less than the second hydrogen volume concentration, and the pressure rise rate of the pressure inside the housing is greater than the second pressure rise rate, open the anode discharge pipeline to discharge hydrogen into the housing, and perform a catalytic reaction to eliminate hydrogen and oxygen.

15. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The second hydrogen volume concentration is 100 ppm to 1,000 ppm.

16. The hydrogen and oxygen elimination method according to claim 14, wherein The second pressure rise rate is 1.0 Pa / min to 2.0 Pa / min.

17. The hydrogen elimination and oxygen elimination method according to any one of claims 10-16, characterized in that, When the hydrogen volume concentration inside the housing is less than the third hydrogen volume concentration, the gas mixer stops operating.

18. The hydrogen elimination and oxygen elimination method according to claim 17, wherein The third hydrogen volume concentration is 20 ppm to 200 ppm.

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