Aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure and cell stack

Abstract

The invention discloses an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure and a cell stack. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure comprises a frame body assembly, a plurality of connecting holes are formed in a frame of the frame body assembly, and the plurality of connecting holes are used for connecting a plurality of frame body assemblies; the electrode assembly is arranged in the frame assembly and comprises air electrode layers, electrolyte layers and an aluminum electrode layer which are arranged in a stacked mode, the number of the electrolyte layers is two, the two electrolyte layers are located on the two sides of the aluminum electrode layer, the number of the air electrode layers is two, the two air electrode layers are located on the outer sides of the two electrolyte layers, and each electrolyte layer comprises an adsorption medium. Metal salt is adsorbed in the adsorption medium, and the metal salt is in a molten state or a semi-molten state in a working state and is in a solid state in a non-working state. The electrolyte layer adopts the combination of the adsorption medium and the metal salt, and the metal salt is in a molten state or a semi-molten state in a working state and is in a solid state in a non-working state, so that the defect of liquid leakage is effectively overcome, and the cell stack can better adapt to environments such as high temperature and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and more specifically, to an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure and a battery stack. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development of aluminum-air electric energy, its application fields have been further developed, but most of them are aqueous aluminum-air fuel cells. This type of battery has poor adaptability to the environment. For example, in harsh environments such as high temperature and high altitude, leakage is prone to occur, leading to battery failure. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention innovatively provides an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure and a battery stack, which can solve the technical problem that aluminum-air fuel cells cannot adapt to harsh environments.

[0004] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the first aspect of the present invention discloses an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure, comprising:

[0005] A frame assembly, wherein an installation space is formed inside the frame assembly, and a plurality of connection holes are formed on the frame of the frame assembly, wherein the plurality of connection holes are used for connecting a plurality of the frame assemblies;

[0006] The electrode assembly is arranged in the installation space inside the frame assembly, and the electrode assembly includes an air electrode layer, an electrolyte layer and an aluminum electrode layer which are stacked, wherein:

[0007] The aluminum electrode is located in the middle of the electrode assembly, two electrolyte layers are provided, and the two electrolyte layers are located on both sides of the aluminum electrode layer, and two air electrode layers are provided, and the two air electrode layers are located outside the two electrolyte layers.

[0008] The electrolyte layer comprises an adsorption medium, in which a metal salt is adsorbed. The metal salt is in a molten or semi-molten state in a working state and in a solid state in a non-working state.

[0009] Furthermore, an aluminum electrode connector is formed on the aluminum electrode layer.

[0010] An air electrode connector is formed on the air electrode layer.

[0011] Furthermore, the frame assembly includes a first frame and a second frame, the first frame and the second frame are symmetrical in structure, and the first frame and the second frame are detachably connected.

[0012] Furthermore, the first frame body includes a frame, the frame is a rectangular frame, and a first side of the frame is formed with an annular groove for accommodating the electrode assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, a support bar is provided on the inner side of the frame, and the support bar is used to support the electrode assembly.

[0014] Furthermore, a nut groove is provided on the outer side wall of the frame, and the two nut grooves fix the connection nut when the first frame body and the second frame body are butt-jointed.

[0015] Furthermore, the frame is provided with through slots and through holes, wherein:

[0016] The through groove is formed on the first side wall of the frame and communicates with the annular groove. When the first frame body and the second frame body are connected, the two through grooves are connected to form a hole, and the aluminum electrode connector extends between the two through grooves.

[0017] The through hole is formed at one side of the nut groove and communicates with the annular groove, and the air electrode connector extends out through the through hole.

[0018] Furthermore, a ventilation groove is arranged at intervals on the second side wall of the frame.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention discloses a battery stack, comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures, wherein the plurality of the aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures are overlapped and fixedly connected.

[0020] The battery stack further comprises a baffle, wherein two baffles are provided and are respectively arranged on the second side walls of the two aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structural frames located at both ends.

[0021] Furthermore, the battery stack also includes an electrode connector, and the air electrode connector of the aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure is connected to the aluminum electrode connector of another adjacent aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure through the electrode connector.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] The electrolyte layer of the present invention adopts a combination of an adsorption medium and a metal salt. The metal salt is molten or semi-molten in a working state and solid in a non-working state, thereby effectively avoiding leakage failures and enabling the battery stack to better adapt to high temperature environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram showing a monomer structure of an aluminum-air fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a first frame body according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view showing the structure of an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 Show Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an aluminum electrode layer according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an air electrode layer according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an electrode connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of a battery stack according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] In the figure,

[0034] 10. Aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure; 1. First frame; 11. Frame; 111. Annular groove; 112. Connecting hole; 113. Nut groove; 114. Through groove; 115. Through hole; 116. Vent groove; 117. Support bar; 118. Connecting nut; 2. Second frame; 3. Electrode assembly; 31. Air electrode layer; 311. Breathable layer; 312. Conductive layer; 313. Catalytic membrane; 3121. Air electrode connector; 32. Electrolyte layer; 33. Aluminum electrode layer; 331. Aluminum electrode connector; 4. Baffle; 5. Electrode connector; 51. Connecting end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure and the battery stack provided by the present invention are explained and illustrated in detail below in conjunction with the drawings in the specification.

[0036] According to a first aspect of the present invention, Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, an aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure 10 is provided, including a frame assembly and an electrode assembly 3. An installation space is formed inside the frame assembly, and a plurality of connection holes 112 are formed on the frame of the frame assembly. The plurality of connection holes 112 are used for connecting a plurality of frame assemblies. The electrode assembly 3 is arranged inside the frame assembly.

[0037] In some embodiments, Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the frame assembly includes a first frame 1 and a second frame 2. The first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are symmetrical in structure, and the first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are detachably connected. The specific structures of the first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are introduced below by taking the first frame 1 as an example:

[0038] In some embodiments, the first frame 1 includes a frame 11, which is a rectangular frame. A first side of the frame 11 is formed with an annular groove 111, which is located on the inner side of the frame 11 and is connected to the inner side of the frame 11 for accommodating the electrode assembly 3. Optionally, the depth of the annular groove 111 in the direction perpendicular to the first side wall of the frame 11 is half the thickness of the electrode assembly 3, and the first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are docked to fix the electrode assembly 3 through the annular groove 111.

[0039] Optionally, a support bar 117 is provided on the inner side of the frame 11, and the support bar 117 is flush with the bottom wall of the annular groove 111, so as to avoid affecting the installation of the electrode assembly 3 and provide effective support for the electrode assembly 3. Furthermore, the support bar 117 is also flush with the second side wall of the frame 11, which can increase the strength of the support bar 117. In this embodiment, the support bar 117 is cross-shaped, and the four ends are respectively connected to the four sides of the frame 11. Optionally, in other embodiments, the support bar 117 can also be arranged in a plurality of strips or any cross-shaped arrangement. The arrangement of the support bar 117 can provide better support for the electrode assembly 3.

[0040] The outer wall of the frame 11 is provided with a nut groove 113, and when the first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are butted together, the two nut grooves 113 fix the connection nut 118. Optionally, the nut groove 113 includes three side walls, and the angle between the middle side wall and its two adjacent side walls is 120°. The first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are butted together, and the two nut grooves 113 are spliced ​​to form a regular hexahedral groove that can accommodate the nut. Furthermore, a rib is provided on one side of the nut groove 113 located at the edge of the frame 11, which can limit the connection nut 118 to prevent it from falling.

[0041] A ventilation groove 116 is arranged on the second side wall of the frame 11 at intervals. The ventilation grooves 116 on two adjacent aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures 10 are spliced ​​to form a vent hole, which allows air to enter and contact the electrode assembly 3. Optionally, the ventilation groove 116 is formed on the long side of the frame 11, and the ventilation grooves 116 on the two long sides are opposite to each other, which is conducive to air circulation. Optionally, a groove is also formed on the support bar 117 at a position opposite to the ventilation groove 116 to prevent the setting of the support bar 117 from affecting the air circulation.

[0042] In some embodiments, Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown, the electrode assembly 3 includes an air electrode layer 31, an electrolyte layer 32 and an aluminum electrode layer 33 arranged in a stacked manner, wherein the aluminum electrode is located in the middle of the electrode assembly 3, two electrolyte layers 32 are provided, and the two electrolyte layers 32 are located on both sides of the aluminum electrode layer 33, and two air electrode layers 31 are provided, and the two air electrode layers 31 are located on the outside of the two electrolyte layers 32. The electrolyte layer 32 includes an adsorption medium, and a metal salt is adsorbed in the adsorption medium. The metal salt is molten or semi-molten in the working state and solid in the non-working state. Under high temperature conditions, the aluminum negative electrode reacts electrochemically with oxygen in the air in the molten salt electrolyte to generate electrical energy. In this process, aluminum is oxidized to aluminum ions and releases electrons, while oxygen accepts electrons and is reduced to oxygen anions or reacts with water to generate hydroxide ions. At the same time, the generated aluminum ions combine with oxygen anions or hydroxide ions in the molten salt to generate aluminum oxide or other compounds as reaction products. Optionally, the adsorption medium is glass fiber, and the metal salt includes halides, nitrates, sulfates and their composite salts. When not in operation, the metal salt is in a non-molten state. When in operation, it becomes molten or semi-molten due to the high temperature environment. At this time, it can conduct electricity, allowing the battery to start generating electricity. This can effectively avoid leakage and better adapt to high temperature environments.

[0043] In some embodiments, the aluminum electrode layer 33 is made of aluminum material and has a plate-like structure with a certain thickness. Figure 5 As shown, the air electrode layer 31 is composed of a breathable layer 311, a conductive layer 312 and a catalytic membrane 313, wherein the catalytic membrane 313 is in contact with the electrolyte layer 32, the conductive layer 312 is composed of a conductive material, which may be a metal mesh, and the breathable layer 311 is arranged on the outside of the conductive layer 312.

[0044] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, an aluminum electrode connector 331 is formed on the aluminum electrode layer 33, and the aluminum electrode connector 331 is formed by extending the aluminum electrode layer 33. Figure 7 As shown, an air electrode connector 3121 is formed on the air electrode layer 31 , and the air electrode connector 3121 is formed by extending the conductive layer 312 .

[0045] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, a through groove 114 and a through hole 115 are provided on the frame 11, wherein the through groove 114 is formed on the first side wall of the frame 11 and is connected to the annular groove 111, and the depth of the through groove 114 is less than the depth of the annular groove 111. Optionally, the depth of the through groove 114 is half the thickness of the aluminum electrode layer 33. When the first frame 1 and the second frame 2 are docked, the two through grooves 114 are docked to form a hole, and the aluminum electrode connector 331 extends between the two through grooves 114.

[0046] The through hole 115 is formed on one side of the nut groove 113 and communicates with the annular groove 111, and the air electrode connector 3121 extends out through the through hole 115. Optionally, the through slot 114 and the through hole 115 are formed on two adjacent sides of the frame 11, so that the aluminum electrode connector 331 and the air electrode connector 3121 extend from different directions. Preferably, the through slot 114 and the through hole 115 extend in perpendicular directions, so that the aluminum electrode connector 331 and the air electrode connector 3121 are perpendicular to each other, which facilitates subsequent connection operations.

[0047] According to a second aspect of the present invention, Fig. 9 As shown, a battery stack is provided, including a plurality of aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures 10, which are overlapped and fixedly connected by bolts passing through fixing holes. The battery stack also includes a baffle 4, two baffles 4 are provided, respectively provided on the second side walls of the two aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures 10 at both ends, and the baffle 4 and the aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure 10 are connected as one body.

[0048] like Figure 8 As shown, the battery stack also includes an electrode connector 5, which is a bent structure and includes two connection ends 51, and the two connection ends 51 are respectively used to connect to the air electrode connector 3121 and the aluminum electrode connector 331. The air electrode connector 3121 of the aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure 10 is connected to the aluminum electrode connector 331 of another adjacent aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure 10 through the electrode connector 5, and multiple aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures 10 are connected in series through the electrode connector 5.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0050] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "this embodiment", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any at least one embodiment or example. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0052] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0053] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and simple improvements made to the essential contents of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure, characterized in that: include: A frame assembly, wherein an installation space is formed inside the frame assembly, and a plurality of connection holes are formed on the frame of the frame assembly, wherein the plurality of connection holes are used for connecting a plurality of the frame assemblies; The electrode assembly is arranged in the installation space inside the frame assembly, and the electrode assembly includes an air electrode layer, an electrolyte layer and an aluminum electrode layer stacked, wherein: The aluminum electrode is located in the middle of the electrode assembly, two electrolyte layers are provided, and the two electrolyte layers are located on both sides of the aluminum electrode layer, and two air electrode layers are provided, and the two air electrode layers are located outside the two electrolyte layers. The electrolyte layer comprises an adsorption medium, in which a metal salt is adsorbed. The metal salt is in a molten or semi-molten state in a working state and in a solid state in a non-working state.

2. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: An aluminum electrode connector is formed on the aluminum electrode layer. An air electrode connector is formed on the air electrode layer.

3. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The frame assembly comprises a first frame and a second frame. The first frame and the second frame are symmetrical in structure, and the first frame and the second frame are detachably connected.

4. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first frame body includes a frame which is a rectangular frame. A first side of the frame is formed with an annular groove for accommodating the electrode assembly.

5. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: A support bar is arranged on the inner side of the frame, and the support bar is used to support the electrode assembly.

6. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the frame is provided with a nut groove, and the two nut grooves fix the connection nut when the first frame body and the second frame body are butt-jointed.

7. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The frame is provided with through slots and through holes, wherein: The through groove is formed on the first side wall of the frame and communicates with the annular groove. When the first frame body and the second frame body are connected, the two through grooves are connected to form a hole, and the aluminum electrode connector extends between the two through grooves. The through hole is formed at one side of the nut groove and communicates with the annular groove, and the air electrode connector extends out through the through hole.

8. The aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: A ventilation groove is arranged on the second side wall of the frame at intervals.

9. A battery stack, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structures are overlapped and fixedly connected. The battery stack further comprises a baffle, wherein two baffles are provided and are respectively arranged on the second side walls of the two aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structural frames located at both ends.

10. The battery stack according to claim 9, characterized in that: The battery stack further includes an electrode connector, through which the air electrode connector of the aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure is connected to the aluminum electrode connector of another adjacent aluminum-air fuel cell monomer structure.

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