Fuel cell stack reaction gas redistribution structure

Abstract

This invention discloses a fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure, relating to the field of fuel cell technology. It includes a stack assembly and a gas-liquid separator. The stack assembly comprises a fuel cell, a first connector, and a second connector. Both ends of the fuel cell are connected to the first and second connectors, respectively. The inlet end of the first connector is used to connect to a reactant gas supply source. The inlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the outlet end of the first connector, and the outlet end of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the inlet end of the second connector. The outlet end of the second connector is used to connect to the inlet end of another gas-liquid separator. A gas-liquid separator is connected between two adjacent fuel cells. The gas-liquid separator can separate and discharge moisture from the gas-liquid mixture after the reaction in the previous fuel cell. The gas flowing into the next fuel cell has a low water content, preventing flooding of the electrode side of the subsequent fuel cell. The gas can also be reused by the next fuel cell, which helps save energy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and more specifically to a fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell is a chemical device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy; also known as an electrochemical generator, it is the fourth type of power generation technology after hydropower, thermal power generation, and nuclear power generation. Because fuel cells convert the Gibbs free energy portion of the fuel's chemical energy into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction, they are not limited by the Carnot cycle effect, resulting in high efficiency. Furthermore, fuel cells use fuel and oxygen as feedstock and have no mechanical transmission components, thus emitting very few harmful gases and having a long service life. Therefore, from the perspective of energy conservation and environmental protection, fuel cells are the most promising power generation technology.

[0003] To increase battery capacity, multiple fuel cells can be connected in series to form a stack. During operation, reactant gases are sequentially introduced into each cell so that each cell can generate electricity. However, since the cells are directly connected in series, water is produced after the reaction between the cells and the reactant gases. This mixture of reactant gases and water can easily flood the anode side of subsequent cells when they pass through the stack, thus affecting the stability and lifespan of the fuel cells. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and propose a fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure to solve the technical problem that in the prior art, when the mixture of reactant gas and water in a fuel cell passes through the cells behind the stack, it easily causes water flooding on the anode side of the cells, thereby affecting the stability and lifespan of the fuel cell.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention provides a fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure, comprising:

[0007] A fuel cell stack assembly includes a fuel cell, a first connector, and a second connector. The two ends of the fuel cell are respectively connected to the first connector and the second connector. The inlet end of the first connector is used to connect to a reaction gas supply source.

[0008] A gas-water separator, wherein the air inlet of the gas-water separator is connected to the air outlet of the first connector, the air outlet of the gas-water separator is connected to the air inlet of the second connector, and the air outlet of the second connector is used to connect to the air inlet of another gas-water separator.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first connector and the second connector have the same structure, and both sides of the first connector are provided with plug-in members, which are detachably plugged into the fuel cell.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first connector has a hydrogen inlet channel and a hydrogen outlet channel at its two ends, respectively. The hydrogen inlet channel is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell, and the hydrogen outlet channel is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first connector has an oxygen inlet channel and an oxygen outlet channel at its two ends, respectively. The oxygen inlet channel is connected to the inlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell, and the oxygen outlet channel is connected to the outlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell.

[0012] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separator includes a first separation unit, the first separation unit including a housing and a centrifugal mechanism disposed inside the housing, the housing having a gas inlet, a gas outlet and a liquid outlet, the gas inlet being connected to the gas outlet of the fuel cell, the gas outlet being connected to the gas inlet of the second connector, and the liquid outlet being used to discharge the liquid separated by the centrifugal mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the gas-water separator further includes a second separation unit, which has the same structure as the first separation unit. The gas inlet of the first separation unit is connected to the hydrogen outlet channel of the first connector, the gas-water outlet of the first separation unit is connected to the hydrogen inlet channel of the second connector, the gas inlet of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen outlet channel of the first connector, and the gas outlet of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen inlet channel of the second connector.

[0014] In some embodiments, the housing has a centrifuge chamber and a gas chamber that are connected to each other. The gas chamber is located above the centrifuge chamber. The gas inlet is connected to the top of the centrifuge chamber, the liquid outlet is connected to the bottom of the centrifuge chamber, and the gas outlet is connected to the top of the gas chamber.

[0015] In some embodiments, the centrifugation mechanism includes a motor and a separator blade connected together. The motor is connected to the housing and located outside the housing. The separator blade is rotatably disposed in the centrifugation chamber. The motor is capable of driving the separator blade to rotate to centrifuge and separate the gas and water entering the centrifugation chamber through the gas inlet.

[0016] In some embodiments, the separating paddle includes a rotating rod and a plurality of baffles, the plurality of baffles being spaced apart along the length of the rotating rod.

[0017] In some embodiments, the separating paddle further includes a plurality of liquid anti-swirl plates, all of which are located at the bottom of the rotating rod and are evenly arranged around the periphery of the rotating rod.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, the fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure provided by this invention allows multiple fuel cells in the stack assembly to be connected end-to-end via a first connector and a second connector, thereby enhancing the stability of the connection between multiple fuel cells. A gas-water separator is connected between adjacent fuel cells. The gas-water separator can separate and discharge moisture from the gas-water mixture after the reaction of the previous fuel cell, resulting in less water content in the gas flowing into the next fuel cell. This prevents flooding of the electrode side of the subsequent fuel cell, and the gas can be reused by the next fuel cell, which helps save energy. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the reactive gas redistribution structure of a fuel cell stack according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the centrifuge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0025] To address the technical problem that the mixture of reactant gas and water in a fuel cell can easily flood the anode side of the subsequent cells when passing through the stack, thus affecting the stability and lifespan of the fuel cell, this invention provides a fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure. This structure can enhance the stability of multiple fuel cells connected in series and remove water from the gas-water mixture of the previous fuel cell to avoid flooding the electrode side of the next fuel cell.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure in one embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure includes a stack assembly 1 and a gas-water separator 2. The stack assembly 1 includes a fuel cell 11, a first connector 12 and a second connector 13. The two ends of the fuel cell 11 are respectively connected to the first connector 12 and the second connector 13. The air inlet end of the first connector 12 is used to connect to a reactant gas supply source. The reactant gas supply source includes a hydrogen supply source and an oxygen supply source. The hydrogen supply source is used to provide the fuel cell with the hydrogen required for the reaction, and the oxygen supply source is used to provide the fuel cell with the oxygen required for the reaction.

[0027] The inlet of the gas-water separator 2 is connected to the outlet of the first connector 12, and the outlet of the gas-water separator 2 is connected to the inlet of the second connector 13. The outlet of the second connector 13 is used to connect to the inlet of another gas-water separator 2. Similarly, the outer shells of multiple fuel cells 11 are connected end-to-end via the first connector 12 and the second connector 13 to enhance the structural strength of the connection between the multiple fuel cells 11. The gas pipelines of the multiple fuel cells 11 are connected via the gas-water separator 2. The residual gas discharged after the reaction of the previous fuel cell 11 contains a certain amount of water. To avoid flooding of the electrode side of the next fuel cell 11, a gas-water separator 2 is installed between adjacent fuel cells 11 to remove the water from the residual gas discharged from the previous fuel cell 11. The residual gas can then be reused in the next fuel cell 11, which helps save energy.

[0028] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first connector 12 and the second connector 13 have the same structure. Both sides of the first connector 12 and the second connector 13 are provided with plug-in parts 14. The plug-in parts 14 can be detachably plugged into the fuel cell 11 so that multiple fuel cells 11 can be connected end to end through the plug-in parts 14 of the first connector 12 and the second connector 13. It is also convenient to disassemble and assemble to increase or decrease the number of fuel cells 11.

[0029] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2The first connector 12 has a hydrogen inlet channel 121 and a hydrogen outlet channel 122 at its two ends, respectively. As is well known, the fuel cell 11 itself has a hydrogen channel and an oxygen channel, which are used to supply hydrogen and oxygen respectively for power generation. The hydrogen inlet channel 121 connects to the inlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell 11, and the hydrogen outlet channel connects to the outlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell. In this embodiment, when the first connector 12 is connected to a hydrogen supply source, the hydrogen supply source can input hydrogen into the hydrogen inlet channel 121 of the first connector 12, so that the hydrogen enters the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell through the hydrogen inlet channel 121. The hydrogen channel of the fuel cell is approximately U-shaped (see reference). Figure 1 (The dotted lines and arrows indicate this). Hydrogen gas passes through a U-shaped hydrogen channel, where it reacts fully with the oxygen in the fuel cell. The hydrogen gas then exits through the outlet of the hydrogen channel, passes through the hydrogen outlet channel 122 of the first connector 12, and flows to the gas-water separator 2. The gas-water separator 2 removes the moisture from the remaining hydrogen gas, which then enters the hydrogen inlet channel 121 of the second connector 13. The hydrogen gas then enters the hydrogen channel of the next fuel cell, and so on. Hydrogen gas can be continuously used without the need for a separate hydrogen supply source for each fuel cell, which greatly improves the working efficiency of the fuel cell and saves costs.

[0030] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the first connector 12 has an oxygen inlet channel 123 and an oxygen outlet channel 124 at its two ends, respectively. The oxygen inlet channel 123 is connected to the inlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell 11, and the oxygen outlet channel is connected to the outlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell. In this embodiment, when the first connector 12 is connected to an oxygen supply source, the oxygen supply source can input oxygen into the oxygen inlet channel 123 of the first connector 12, so that the oxygen enters the oxygen channel of the fuel cell 11 through the oxygen inlet channel 123. The oxygen channel of the fuel cell is roughly U-shaped. The oxygen can fully react with the hydrogen in the fuel cell 11 through the U-shaped oxygen channel, and then be discharged from the outlet of the oxygen channel. It is discharged through the oxygen outlet channel 124 of the first connector 12 and leads to the gas-water separator 2. The gas-water separator 2 removes the moisture from the remaining oxygen and then introduces it into the oxygen inlet channel 123 of the second connector 13. It then enters the oxygen channel of the next fuel cell 11 through the oxygen inlet channel 123, and so on. The oxygen can be used continuously without the need to configure a separate oxygen supply source for each fuel cell 11, which greatly improves the working efficiency of the fuel cell and saves costs.

[0031] In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 2 includes a first separation unit, which includes a housing 21 and a centrifugal mechanism 22 disposed inside the housing 21. The housing 21 has a gas inlet 211, a gas outlet 212, and a liquid outlet 213. The gas inlet 211 is connected to the gas outlet of the fuel cell 11, specifically to the hydrogen outlet channel 122 of the first connector 12, so that the residual hydrogen after the fuel cell reaction enters the housing 21. This hydrogen contains a large amount of water. The gas outlet 212 is connected to the gas inlet of the second connector 13, specifically to the hydrogen inlet channel 121 of the second connector 13, so that the hydrogen with a lower water content separated by the centrifugal mechanism 22 can enter the hydrogen inlet channel 121 of the second connector 13, and then enter the next fuel cell from the hydrogen inlet channel 121, so that the hydrogen can be reused. The liquid outlet 213 is used to discharge the liquid separated by the centrifugal mechanism 22 to prevent the liquid from following the hydrogen into the next fuel cell and causing flooding on the electrode side.

[0032] In some embodiments, the gas-water separator 2 further includes a second separation unit, which has the same structure as the first separation unit. The gas inlet 211 of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen outlet channel 124 of the first connector 12 to receive the residual oxygen after the fuel cell reaction, which contains a significant amount of moisture. The gas outlet 212 of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen inlet channel 123 of the second connector 13, so that the oxygen with a lower moisture content separated by the centrifugal mechanism 22 can enter the oxygen inlet channel 123 of the second connector 13 and then enter the next fuel cell for continued oxygen utilization.

[0033] The first and second separation units described above are independent structures and do not interfere with each other. The first separation unit is used to separate moisture from hydrogen, and the second separation unit is used to separate moisture from oxygen.

[0034] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the housing 21 has a communicating centrifuge chamber 214 and a gas chamber 215. The gas chamber 215 is located above the centrifuge chamber 214. The gas inlet 211 communicates with the top of the centrifuge chamber 214, the liquid outlet 213 communicates with the bottom of the centrifuge chamber 214, and the gas outlet 212 communicates with the top of the gas chamber 215. The centrifugation mechanism 22 includes a motor 221 and a separating paddle 222 connected to each other. The motor 221 is connected to the housing 21 and located outside the housing 211. The separating paddle 222 is rotatably disposed in the centrifuge chamber 214. The motor 221 can drive the separating paddle 222 to rotate to centrifuge and separate the gas and water entering the centrifuge chamber 214 through the gas inlet 211. The gas is discharged through the gas outlet 212, and the liquid is discharged from the liquid outlet 213.

[0035] In this embodiment, the shell 21 is designed with an inverted L-shaped structure, which helps to reduce the rotational speed of the airflow and increases the contact area between the inner wall of the shell 21 and the gas-water mixture, accelerating the condensation of the gas-water mixture and improving the separation efficiency of the gas-water mixture. At the same time, the cavity wall of the centrifuge chamber is designed as an inclined channel, which can redirect the sliding liquid water to the bottom of the centrifuge chamber. The centrifuge chamber 214 is designed with a slender shape, so that the height-to-diameter ratio (the ratio of height to diameter) is greater than 3. Compared with centrifuge chambers 214 with a height-to-diameter ratio of less than 3, the resistance is smaller, which is beneficial to increasing the working flow rate.

[0036] The separating paddle 222 includes a rotating rod 223 and multiple baffles 224, which are spaced apart along the length of the rotating rod 222. The separating paddle 222 also includes multiple liquid swirl suppressing plates 225, which are located at the bottom of the rotating rod 223 and are evenly arranged around the periphery of the rotating rod 223.

[0037] The gas-water mixture enters the centrifuge chamber 214 through the gas inlet 211. The motor 221 drives the rotating rod 223 to rotate, which in turn drives multiple baffles 224 and liquid swirl suppressors 225 to rotate. The gas-water mixture undergoes centrifugal motion within the centrifuge chamber 214. The strong centrifugal force drives the liquid water to drip down the inner wall of the centrifuge chamber 214. The liquid water falls with a high rotational speed, and after passing the last baffle 224, it enters the bottom liquid swirl suppressor 225, gradually reducing its rotational speed. Finally, the liquid water is discharged from the liquid outlet 213. During the centrifugal motion of the gas-water mixture in the centrifuge chamber 214, most of the gas does not move downwards but spirals upwards into the gas chamber 215. The high-speed gas impacts the gas baffle 216 in the gas chamber 215, reducing its speed, and finally, the gas is discharged from the gas outlet 212. The gas baffle 216 both reduces the gas speed and accelerates the condensation of the gaseous water. Small droplets and condensate gradually slide down the gas baffle 216 and flow into the centrifuge chamber 214.

[0038] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment shows multiple fuel cells 11 connected end-to-end via multiple first connectors 12 and second connectors 13 to enhance the stability of the connection between the multiple fuel cells 11. The multiple first connectors 12 and second connectors 13 are connected via a gas-water separator 2 to remove most of the moisture from the hydrogen and oxygen discharged from the previous fuel cell 11, thus preventing flooding of the electrode side when using the remaining hydrogen and oxygen in the next fuel cell.

[0039] To better understand this invention, the following is combined with... Figures 1 to 5 The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below:

[0040] The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure provided by this invention allows multiple fuel cells 11 in the stack assembly to be connected end-to-end via a first connector 12 and a second connector 13, thereby enhancing the stability of the connection between the multiple fuel cells 11. A gas-water separator 2 is connected between two adjacent fuel cells 11. The gas-water separator 2 can separate and discharge the water from the gas-water mixture after the reaction of the previous fuel cell 11, resulting in less water content in the gas flowing into the next fuel cell 11, preventing flooding of the electrode side of the subsequent fuel cell 11. The residual gas can also be reused by the next fuel cell 11, which helps save energy.

[0041] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure, characterized in that, include: A fuel cell stack assembly includes multiple fuel cells, a first connector, and a second connector. The two ends of each fuel cell are connected to the first connector and the second connector, respectively. The inlet end of the first connector is used to connect to a reaction gas supply source. The outer casings of the multiple fuel cells are connected end-to-end via the first connector and the second connector. A gas-water separator is provided, wherein the inlet end of the gas-water separator is connected to the outlet end of the first connector, the outlet end of the gas-water separator is connected to the inlet end of the second connector, the outlet end of the second connector is used to connect to the inlet end of another gas-water separator, and the gas-water separator is provided between adjacent fuel cells.

2. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connector and the second connector have the same structure. Both sides of the first connector are provided with plug-in parts, which are detachably plugged into the fuel cell.

3. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first connector has a hydrogen inlet channel and a hydrogen outlet channel at its two ends, respectively. The hydrogen inlet channel is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell, and the hydrogen outlet channel is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen channel of the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first connector has an oxygen inlet channel and an oxygen outlet channel at its two ends, respectively. The oxygen inlet channel is connected to the inlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell, and the oxygen outlet channel is connected to the outlet of the oxygen channel of the fuel cell.

5. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator includes a first separation unit, which includes a housing and a centrifugal mechanism disposed inside the housing. The housing has a gas inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet. The gas inlet is connected to the gas outlet of the fuel cell, the gas outlet is connected to the gas inlet of the second connector, and the liquid outlet is used to discharge the liquid separated by the centrifugal mechanism.

6. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The gas-water separator further includes a second separation unit, which has the same structure as the first separation unit. The gas inlet of the first separation unit is connected to the hydrogen outlet channel of the first connector, the gas-water outlet of the first separation unit is connected to the hydrogen inlet channel of the second connector, the gas inlet of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen outlet channel of the first connector, and the gas outlet of the second separation unit is connected to the oxygen inlet channel of the second connector.

7. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The housing contains a centrifuge chamber and a gas chamber that are connected to each other. The gas chamber is located above the centrifuge chamber. The gas inlet is connected to the top of the centrifuge chamber, the liquid outlet is connected to the bottom of the centrifuge chamber, and the gas outlet is connected to the top of the gas chamber.

8. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The centrifugal mechanism includes a motor and a separator blade connected together. The motor is connected to the housing and located outside the housing. The separator blade is rotatably disposed in the centrifugal chamber. The motor can drive the separator blade to rotate to centrifuge and separate the gas and water entering the centrifugal chamber through the gas inlet.

9. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The separating paddle includes a rotating rod and multiple baffles, which are spaced apart along the length of the rotating rod.

10. The fuel cell stack reactant gas redistribution structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The separating paddle also includes multiple liquid anti-swirl plates, which are located at the bottom of the rotating rod and are evenly arranged around the periphery of the rotating rod.

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