A low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system

Abstract

This invention discloses a low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system, comprising: an anode hydrogen control component, a cathode oxygen control component, and a coolant circulation component; the anode hydrogen control component includes a hydrogen supply pump and a proton flow meter, the hydrogen supply pump being connected to the anode end of the battery under test, and the proton flow meter being connected to the anode exhaust port of the battery under test; the cathode oxygen control component includes a blower, a PWM duty cycle controller, and a cathode rotor flow meter, the blower being connected to the cathode end of the battery under test, the PWM duty cycle controller being electrically connected to the blower, and the cathode rotor flow meter being connected to the cathode exhaust port of the battery under test; one end of the cooling circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test, and the other end of the cooling circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber outlet of the battery under test; this solution can solve the technical problems of low temperature control accuracy and poor heat dissipation effect of current testing systems for hydrogen, oxygen, and fuel cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fuel cell technology, specifically relating to a low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system. Background Technology

[0002] As the global energy structure shifts towards cleaner and more efficient energy sources, hydrogen fuel cells, as one of the clean energy technologies, have received widespread attention. Especially in low-power applications, such as portable power supplies and small drones, low-power hydrogen fuel cells demonstrate enormous application potential due to their high efficiency and zero emissions. However, the development and optimization of low-power hydrogen fuel cells face many challenges, the most critical of which is how to effectively control the operating state of the fuel cell to ensure its stability and reliability under different load conditions.

[0003] Existing low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing systems often suffer from insufficient control precision, particularly in gas supply and temperature management. For a fuel cell stack or individual cell, the supply of anode and cathode gases is a crucial factor determining fuel cell performance. Gas pressure and flow rate directly affect the fuel cell's output power and efficiency. Without precise control of these parameters, it is difficult to accurately assess the fuel cell's true performance, thus impacting fuel cell design optimization and performance improvement. Furthermore, fuel cells generate a significant amount of heat during operation. Ineffective thermal management can lead to excessively high fuel cell temperatures, reducing efficiency and potentially causing irreversible damage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system that can solve the technical problems of low accuracy in temperature control of hydrogen, oxygen, and fuel cells, as well as poor heat dissipation in current testing systems.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention provides a low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system, comprising: an anode hydrogen control component, a cathode oxygen control component, and a coolant circulation component; the anode hydrogen control component includes a hydrogen supply pump and a proton flow meter, the hydrogen supply pump being connected to the anode end of the battery under test, and the proton flow meter being connected to the anode exhaust port of the battery under test; the cathode oxygen control component includes a blower, a PWM duty cycle controller, and a cathode rotor flow meter, the blower being connected to the cathode end of the battery under test, the PWM duty cycle controller being electrically connected to the blower, and the cathode rotor flow meter being connected to the cathode exhaust port of the battery under test; one end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test, and the other end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber outlet of the battery under test.

[0007] In one embodiment, a pressure reducing valve is further provided between the hydrogen supply pump and the anode terminal of the battery under test.

[0008] In one embodiment, a secondary pressure reducing valve is further provided between the primary pressure reducing valve and the anode terminal of the battery under test.

[0009] In one embodiment, an anode rotor flowmeter is further provided between the secondary pressure reducing valve and the anode terminal of the battery under test.

[0010] In one embodiment, a solenoid valve is further provided between the anode exhaust port and the proton flow meter.

[0011] In one embodiment, the solenoid valve is connected to a relay.

[0012] In one embodiment, the coolant circulation component includes a water pump and a heat dissipation assembly. The outlet of the water pump is connected to the heat dissipation assembly, the inlet of the water pump is connected to the outlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test, and the heat dissipation assembly is connected to the inlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test.

[0013] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly includes a water-cooled radiator and a cooling fan. The inlet of the water-cooled radiator is connected to the outlet of the water pump, the outlet of the cooling fan is facing the water-cooled radiator, and the outlet of the water-cooled radiator is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test.

[0014] In one embodiment, the coolant circulation component further includes a temperature controller, the temperature sensor wire of which is attached to the surface of the battery under test, and the temperature controller is connected to the cooling fan control.

[0015] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation radiator is provided with multiple heat dissipation fins.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0017] First, the system provided by this invention achieves precise control of the gas intake at the anode and cathode of a low-power hydrogen fuel cell. By employing a two-stage pressure reduction technology, it can not only adapt to a wide range of hydrogen source pressures but also stably adjust the hydrogen pressure on the anode side to the optimal level required by the fuel cell, ensuring the continuity and stability of the hydrogen supply. Simultaneously, by using a PWM duty cycle controller to adjust the blower's airflow and speed, precise control of the oxygen supply on the cathode side is achieved. This precise gas management mechanism greatly improves the operating efficiency of the fuel cell, reduces unnecessary energy loss, and helps extend the fuel cell's lifespan.

[0018] Secondly, the system incorporates a highly efficient liquid-cooled temperature control device, effectively addressing the heat generated during fuel cell operation. Through the coordinated operation of the water pump, radiator, cooling fan, and temperature controller, the system ensures stable operation of the fuel cell within its optimal operating temperature range. Precise temperature control not only prevents performance degradation or even damage to the fuel cell due to excessive heat but also improves its energy conversion efficiency, further enhancing its overall performance.

[0019] Furthermore, this testing system boasts high flexibility and applicability, suitable for the activation and performance testing of various models of low-power hydrogen fuel cells. Users can manually and precisely set relevant parameters according to actual needs, quickly completing the entire process from activation to performance testing. This feature enables researchers to conduct fuel cell research more conveniently, accelerating the development of new technologies and promoting the advancement of hydrogen energy technology. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the use of the present invention in testing a low-power hydrogen fuel cell according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the results of the test examples of the present invention.

[0022] Figure label:

[0023] 1. Battery under test; 101. Anode terminal; 102. Anode exhaust port; 103. Cathode terminal; 104. Cathode exhaust port; 2. Hydrogen supply pump; 3. Primary pressure reducing valve; 4. Secondary pressure reducing valve; 5. Anode rotor flow meter; 6. Solenoid valve; 7. Proton flow meter; 8. Blower; 9. PWM duty cycle controller; 10. Cathode rotor flow meter; 11. Relay; 12. Temperature controller; 13. Water pump; 14. Cooling radiator; 15. Cooling fan. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The diagram shows the application of this invention in testing a low-power hydrogen fuel cell.

[0026] This invention provides a low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system, comprising: an anode hydrogen control component, a cathode oxygen control component, and a coolant circulation component; the anode hydrogen control component includes a hydrogen supply pump 2 and a proton flow meter 7, the hydrogen supply pump 2 being connected to the anode terminal 101 of the battery under test 1, and the proton flow meter 7 being connected to the anode exhaust port 102 of the battery under test 1; the cathode oxygen control component includes a blower 8, a PWM duty cycle controller 9, and a cathode rotor flow meter 10, the blower 8 being connected to the cathode terminal 103 of the battery under test 1, the PWM duty cycle controller 9 being electrically connected to the blower 8, and the cathode rotor flow meter 10 being connected to the cathode exhaust port 104 of the battery under test 1; one end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test 1, and the other end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the cooling chamber outlet of the battery under test 1.

[0027] At the anode, a proton flow meter 7 is used to observe the proton content in the exhaust gas to determine whether the fuel cell reaction is complete.

[0028] In the cathode, the selection of blower 8 depends on the rated power of the fuel cell. The flow rate and velocity of blower 8 must meet the oxygen demand of the fuel cell cathode. The pressure at the blockage point of blower 8 must not exceed the tolerance limit of the proton exchange membrane and should be lower than the inlet pressure on the anode side. A PWM duty cycle controller 9 (model ZK-PP1K, other models can also be used) is used to control and adjust the duty cycle of blower 8, thereby controlling the airflow and velocity of blower 8. (It can precisely adjust the cathode inlet velocity and airflow). The cathode side of the fuel cell under test receives air through blower 8, and the cathode side exhaust is connected to a rotor flow meter. The PWM duty cycle of blower 8 is adjusted by observing the real-time gas flow rate and pressure of the rotor flow meter. This achieves real-time observation and precise control of the gas flow rate and pressure on the cathode side.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, a primary pressure reducing valve 3 is further provided between the hydrogen supply pump 2 and the anode terminal 101 of the battery under test 1.

[0030] The primary pressure reducing valve 3 is mainly adapted to the A1 gas source pressure (which can withstand high-pressure gas from the gas source), reducing the pressure to a level slightly higher than the operating pressure of a small-power hydrogen fuel cell (higher than the operating pressure to ensure that the secondary pressure reducing valve can reduce the pressure to the normal operating pressure of the fuel cell); directly reducing the pressure to the specified pressure would lead to safety hazards.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, a secondary pressure reducing valve 4 is further provided between the primary pressure reducing valve 3 and the anode terminal 101 of the battery under test 1.

[0032] The secondary pressure reducing valve 4 adjusts the pressure to the normal operating pressure of the fuel cell (the two-stage pressure reduction can keep the anode inlet pressure stable and prevent sudden pressure changes). This process can be adjusted manually or electronically.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, an anode rotor flowmeter 5 is further provided between the secondary pressure reducing valve 4 and the anode end 101 of the battery under test 1.

[0034] After passing through the secondary pressure reducing valve, the gas can be monitored in real time after passing through the anode rotor flow meter 5. The anode gas intake can be adjusted according to the real-time flow display to achieve the optimal intake flow rate by adjusting the primary pressure reducing valve 3.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, an electromagnetic valve 6 is further provided between the anode exhaust port 102 and the proton flow meter 7.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present invention, the solenoid valve 6 is connected to a relay 11.

[0037] Gas on the anode side of the fuel cell is discharged through exhaust solenoid valve 6. Relay 11 controls the exhaust duration and interval of solenoid valve 6. By changing the exhaust interval and exhaust duration through relay 11, the power stability of the fuel cell is maintained.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coolant circulation component includes a water pump 13 and a heat dissipation assembly. The outlet of the water pump 13 is connected to the heat dissipation assembly, the inlet of the water pump 13 is connected to the outlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test 1, and the heat dissipation assembly is connected to the inlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test 1.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present invention, the heat dissipation assembly includes a heat dissipation radiator 14 and a cooling fan 15. The inlet of the heat dissipation radiator 14 is connected to the outlet of the water pump 13, the outlet of the cooling fan 15 is directly facing the heat dissipation radiator 14, and the outlet of the heat dissipation radiator 14 is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test 1.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coolant circulation component further includes a temperature controller 12, the temperature measuring wire of the temperature controller 12 is attached to the surface of the battery under test 1, and the temperature controller 12 is controlled and connected to the cooling fan 15.

[0041] In an embodiment of the present invention, the heat dissipation water cooling radiator 14 is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins.

[0042] The selection of water pump 13 should control the pressure within the pressure range that the fuel cell bipolar plate can withstand, and the pump flow rate should meet the basic cooling requirements (flow rate requirement is 5 L / min--10 L / min). In this embodiment, the flow rate of water pump 13 is 10 L / min.

[0043] Coolant is pumped into the fuel cell by water pump 13. After passing through the fuel cell, the coolant's temperature is between 60 and 70°C. The coolant discharged from the fuel cell enters the water-cooled radiator (the water-cooled radiator's drainage channels are covered with heat dissipation fins, increasing the contact area between the coolant and air, allowing some heat to dissipate through thermal radiation). The cooling fan 15 is regulated by temperature controller 12. Temperature sensors in temperature controller 12 are attached to the surface of the fuel cell to measure its temperature. Temperature parameters are set in temperature controller 12. When the fuel cell temperature reaches or exceeds the set temperature, temperature controller 12 controls the fan to turn on, blowing air through the water-cooled radiator to lower the coolant temperature, thus achieving fuel cell temperature control. (During operation, if the temperature changes, temperature controller 12 will adjust the fan speed and airflow of cooling fan 15 to achieve precise temperature control.) The coolant, cooled by the water-cooled radiator, flows back into water pump 13, forming a coolant circulation system. In this embodiment, the temperature controller 12 used is model AI-526; other models can also be used.

[0044] Comparative Example 1

[0045] Use a flow meter and pressure reducing valve directly.

[0046] Comparative Example 2

[0047] Use a flow meter directly.

[0048] Test case

[0049] The power of the fuel cell (catalytic layer area 5cm*5cm) was measured over 0–140 days using the apparatus described in Examples 1 and 2, respectively. Constant current discharge conditions were as follows: hydrogen 0.1 MPa, air 0.1 MPa, flow rates of 700 mL / min and 2800 mL / min, 60% humidification, 50–60°C, and 15 A constant current discharge for 200 h. The stack power was continuously recorded, and the results are as follows. Figure 2 The results show that, according to Figure 2 The results show that the system used in this embodiment measures a higher power of the fuel cell, which is close to the actual power value of the fuel cell itself. Therefore, it can be seen that the system used in this invention has higher accuracy in measuring the power of the fuel cell.

[0050] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "bottom", "top", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0051] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system, characterized in that, include: Anode hydrogen control components, cathode oxygen control components, coolant circulation components; The anode hydrogen control component includes a hydrogen supply pump and a proton flow meter. The hydrogen supply pump is connected to the anode end of the battery under test, and the proton flow meter is connected to the anode exhaust port of the battery under test. The cathode oxygen control component includes a blower, a PWM duty cycle controller, and a cathode rotor flow meter. The blower is connected to the cathode end of the battery under test, the PWM duty cycle controller is electrically connected to the blower, and the cathode rotor flow meter is connected to the cathode exhaust port of the battery under test. One end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the inlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test, and the other end of the coolant circulation component is connected to the outlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test. A pressure reducing valve is also provided between the hydrogen supply pump and the anode of the battery under test. A secondary pressure reducing valve is also provided between the primary pressure reducing valve and the positive terminal of the battery under test. An anode rotor flowmeter is also installed between the secondary pressure reducing valve and the anode end of the battery under test.

2. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A solenoid valve is also provided between the anode exhaust port and the proton flow meter.

3. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The solenoid valve is connected to a relay.

4. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coolant circulation component includes a water pump and a heat dissipation assembly. The outlet of the water pump is connected to the heat dissipation assembly, the inlet of the water pump is connected to the outlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test, and the heat dissipation assembly is connected to the inlet of the cooling chamber of the battery under test.

5. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly includes a water-cooled radiator and a cooling fan. The inlet of the water-cooled radiator is connected to the outlet of the water pump. The outlet of the cooling fan is directly facing the water-cooled radiator. The outlet of the water-cooled radiator is connected to the cooling chamber inlet of the battery under test.

6. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The coolant circulation component also includes a temperature controller, the temperature measuring wire of which is attached to the surface of the battery under test, and the temperature controller is connected to the cooling fan control.

7. The low-power hydrogen fuel cell testing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The water cooling radiator is equipped with multiple heat dissipation fins.

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