Gas inlet end plate structure of fuel cell

Abstract

The invention discloses a fuel cell gas inlet end plate structure which comprises an insulating runner plate (1) and a current collecting insulating plate (2) arranged on the insulating runner plate (1), a hydrogen inlet (3) and a hydrogen outlet (4) which penetrate through the current collecting insulating plate (2) are formed in the insulating runner plate (1), and an insulating hydrogen runner (5) is arranged between the hydrogen outlet (4) and the hydrogen inlet (3). The middle of the hydrogen inlet (3) and the middle of the hydrogen outlet (4) are connected together through the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5), hydrogen directly penetrates through the insulating flow channel plate (1) through the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5) and enters the hydrogen inlet (3), the situation that hydrogen cannot be supplemented due to the fact that the flow channel is blocked by liquid water is avoided, and due to the flow dividing effect of the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5), the hydrogen can be effectively supplemented. The hydrogen does not need to continuously extrude the accumulated liquid water, so that the liquid is effectively prevented from entering the fuel cell power generation unit, and the occurrence of water logging is effectively prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular, relates to an air intake end plate structure of a fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] In a fuel cell system, an excess supply of hydrogen is usually required to prevent the reactants in the stack from reacting insufficiently due to lack of hydrogen. In order to improve the utilization efficiency of hydrogen and the reaction performance of the stack, the excess hydrogen passing through the core will be recycled and mixed with the hydrogen that has not entered the stack, and then enter the stack again for reaction.

[0003] The patent number is 202310767897.X, and the disclosure date is August 18, 2023. In a public specification, a highly insulating fuel cell stack end plate is disclosed, including a metal plate, an insulating body, and an insulating upper cover; the insulating body is provided with an inner circulation flow channel, and the insulating body is sealed and connected to the insulating upper cover. One end of the inner circulation flow channel is connected to the cooling water outlet b on the insulating upper cover, and the other end is connected to the cooling water outlet a of the metal plate. The water discharged from the fuel cell stack core enters the inner circulation flow channel through the cooling water outlet a of the metal plate, heats the end plate, and preheats the hydrogen and air entering the core from the end plate, and then is discharged from the cooling water outlet b on the insulating upper cover. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages of extending the length of the water path of the water cavity of the air inlet end plate, improving the insulation of the cooling water cavity of the stack, and the end plate has the function of heat preservation to prevent the problem of low temperature of the edge battery affecting the performance, and can preheat the reaction gas entering the core, reduce the generation of condensed water in the stack, etc.

[0004] During the power generation process, the fuel cell will generate water at the cathode of the battery. However, due to the existence of concentration gradient, some water may still penetrate to the anode side through the back diffusion phenomenon inside the battery. To solve this problem, a water separator is installed at the anode outlet of the fuel cell stack. The function of the water separator is to effectively separate and condense the water that is back-diffused to the anode side of the fuel cell stack. If the internal wall of the anode pipeline condenses to generate water or the transient high power load exceeds the designed processing capacity of the water separator, some liquid water will enter the anode of the fuel cell stack with the hydrogen gas flow. Due to the influence of gravity, the liquid water flows at the bottom of the anode intake manifold of the fuel cell stack. When the liquid water enters the fuel cell stack, most of the water will be concentrated in the head area of ​​several single cells, which will cause local lack of hydrogen, resulting in the system being unable to operate normally and causing irreversible permanent damage to the single cells and the fuel cell stack. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a fuel cell air intake end plate structure capable of providing hydrogen gas supply.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a fuel cell air intake end plate structure, including an insulating flow channel plate and a current collecting insulating plate arranged on the insulating flow channel plate, the insulating flow channel plate is provided with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet that penetrate the current collecting insulating plate, and an insulating hydrogen flow channel is provided between the hydrogen outlet and the hydrogen inlet.

[0007] The insulating hydrogen flow channel is arranged on the surface of the insulating flow channel plate, the current collecting insulating plate covers the surface of the insulating flow channel plate, and the two ends of the insulating hydrogen flow channel are respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet.

[0008] The hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are respectively located at the diagonal corners of the insulating flow channel plate, and a sealing structure for sealing the insulating hydrogen flow channel is provided between the insulating flow channel plate and the current collecting insulating plate.

[0009] The sealing structure is arranged in a groove on the upper surface of the insulating flow channel plate and a sealing ring arranged in the groove. The groove is arranged around the insulating hydrogen flow channel, the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet. The sealing ring is located between the insulating flow channel plate and the current collecting insulating plate.

[0010] A plurality of insulating hydrogen flow channels are arranged on the insulating flow channel plate. The insulating hydrogen flow channels are evenly arranged side by side. The insulating hydrogen flow channels are bent, and the cross-section of the insulating hydrogen flow channels is rectangular.

[0011] It also includes a metal bottom plate, which is provided with an embedding groove, and an embedding plate is provided on the outer side of the insulating flow channel plate, and the embedding plate is embedded in the embedding groove.

[0012] An embedded block is arranged at the bottom of the mosaic plate, a bottom groove matched with the embedded block is arranged on the metal bottom plate, a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet penetrate the embedded block, and the embedded block is connected to the insulating flow channel plate.

[0013] The insulating flow channel plate is provided with a cooling outlet and a cooling inlet, and coolant flows in the cooling outlet and the cooling inlet. The cooling outlet is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet, and the cooling inlet is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet. The cooling inlet and the cooling outlet are arranged in the middle of both sides of the insulating flow channel plate, and the cooling outlet and the cooling inlet pass through the collecting insulating plate.

[0014] An air outlet and an air inlet are provided on the insulating flow channel plate, and stack air flows in the air outlet and the air inlet. The air outlet is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet, and the air inlet is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet. The air inlet and the air outlet are arranged at the other two diagonals of the insulating flow channel plate, and the air outlet and the air inlet pass through the current collecting insulating plate.

[0015] The current collecting insulating plate is provided with a plate groove, in which a cathode current collecting plate is embedded, and a cathode plate embedded in the plate groove is provided on the side of the cathode current collecting plate, and the upper surface of the cathode current collecting plate is flush with the upper surface of the current collecting insulating plate.

[0016] The technical effect of the present invention is as follows: on the basis of the original function of the integral end plate structure, an internal anode flow channel is added, so that the designed anode flow channel gas flow rate is greater than the gas flow rate of the single cell flow channel, and the liquid water entering the anode stack first passes through the anode flow channel of the air intake end plate, thereby effectively preventing the liquid from entering the fuel cell power generation unit, improving the stability of the system operation, and effectively avoiding flooding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] This specification includes the following drawings, which show the following contents:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell air intake end plate structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an insulating flow channel plate of a fuel cell intake end plate structure;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an insert block of a fuel cell intake end plate structure;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a cathode current collector plate of a fuel cell intake end plate structure.

[0022] The markings in the figure are: 1. Insulating flow channel plate; 2. Collecting insulating plate; 3. Hydrogen inlet; 4. Hydrogen outlet; 5. Insulated anode flow channel; 6. Sealing structure; 61. Groove; 62. Sealing ring; 7. Metal bottom plate; 8. Fitting groove; 9. Fitting plate; 10. Insert; 11. Bottom groove; 12. Cooling outlet; 13. Cooling inlet; 14. Air outlet; 15. Air inlet; 16. Plate groove; 17. Cathode current collecting plate; 18. Cathode plate; 19. Positioning pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The specific implementation methods of the present invention are further explained in detail below by describing the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, with the aim of helping those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate and in-depth understanding of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention and facilitating their implementation.

[0024] See also Figure 1-4A fuel cell air intake end plate structure includes an insulating flow channel plate 1 and a current collecting insulating plate 2 arranged on the insulating flow channel plate 1, the insulating flow channel plate 1 is provided with a hydrogen inlet 3 and a hydrogen outlet 4 penetrating the current collecting insulating plate 2, and an insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is provided between the hydrogen outlet 4 and the hydrogen inlet 3.

[0025] An insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 connected to the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 is provided on the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the middle parts of the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 are connected together by the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5. Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is smaller than the diameter of the hydrogen inlet 3, when the hydrogen passes through the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, the gas flow rate in the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is greater than the gas flow rate of the battery flow channel. When the hydrogen enters the hydrogen inlet 3, the flow rate pressure is used to squeeze the hydrogen into the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, and due to the fast flow rate, the hydrogen in the battery flow channel can be The liquid water is thrown out, so that the liquid water entering the stack from the anode first passes through the anode flow channel of the intake end plate, and the liquid water flows at the bottom of the intake manifold of the anode of the stack, and is concentrated in the area of ​​several single cells at the head, while the hydrogen passes directly through the insulating flow channel plate 1 through the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 and enters the hydrogen inlet 3, avoiding the situation where the flow channel is blocked by liquid water and hydrogen cannot be replenished. In addition, due to the diversion effect of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, hydrogen does not need to continuously squeeze the accumulated liquid water, thereby effectively preventing liquid from entering the fuel cell power generation unit and effectively preventing the occurrence of flooding.

[0026] The insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is arranged on the upper surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the current collecting insulating plate 2 covers the surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1. The two ends of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 are respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4; since the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is arranged on the surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1, it is convenient for processing and molding. At the same time, the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 and the current collecting insulating plate 2 are fitted with each other, which can achieve the effect of sealing the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 to avoid leakage. The structure is simple and easy to process. While achieving hydrogen flow, the cost will not increase too much. At the same time, the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is used to connect the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 together, so that hydrogen can directly enter the hydrogen outlet 4 through the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, and since the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is located on the upper surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1, the port of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is farther away from the water pile, so that liquid water is prevented from squeezing into the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, and hydrogen is prevented from being unable to pass through the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5.

[0027] The hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 are respectively located at the diagonals of the insulating flow channel plate 1. A sealing structure 6 for sealing the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is provided between the insulating flow channel plate 1 and the current collecting insulating plate 2. The insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is sealed by the sealing structure 6 to prevent leakage. The hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 are arranged at diagonals for easy connection with other equipment.

[0028] The sealing structure 6 is provided with a groove 61 on the upper surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1 and a sealing ring 62 provided in the groove 61. The groove 61 is provided around the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4. The sealing ring 62 is located between the insulating flow channel plate 1 and the current collecting insulating plate 2. The groove 61 surrounds the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 and the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 at both ends of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5. The sealing ring 62 is inserted in the groove 61. The sealing ring 62 is compressed by the insulating flow channel plate 1 and the current collecting insulating plate 2. When 1 and the current collecting insulating plate 2 are closed together, the compression ring protruding from the surface of the insulating flow channel plate 1 will be compressed, further improving the sealing effect and avoiding leakage. On the one hand, hydrogen is an industrial resource, reducing waste and reducing costs. On the other hand, hydrogen is a dangerous gas, preventing hydrogen leakage from causing safety accidents; and a positioning pin 19 is provided on the top of the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the positioning pin 19 cooperates with the current collecting insulating plate 2 to achieve the effect of mutual positioning, avoiding deviation and misalignment, and further improving the sealing performance.

[0029] There are multiple insulating hydrogen flow channels 5 on the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the insulating hydrogen flow channels 5 are evenly arranged side by side. The multiple insulating hydrogen flow channels 5 arranged side by side can increase the ventilation volume, reduce the pressure in the hydrogen inlet 3, and further reduce the pressure in the hydrogen inlet 3 to prevent the gas pressure from squeezing liquid water into the fuel cell power generation unit. The insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is bent, and the cross-section of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is rectangular. At the same time, since the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 is a plurality of straight channels arranged perpendicular to each other, it is convenient for processing and has two more turns inside, which can reduce the flow rate of hydrogen and avoid the occurrence of gas rushing due to excessive flow rate. The rectangular cross-section is convenient for processing and reduces the production cost.

[0030] It also includes a metal bottom plate 7, on which an embedding groove 8 is provided, and an embedding plate 9 is provided on the outer side of the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the embedding plate 9 is embedded in the embedding groove 8; the metal base is used to connect with external equipment and to support the overall structure, and the embedding groove 8 and the embedding plate 9 cooperate with each other to fix the insulating flow channel plate 1 on the metal bottom plate 7 to avoid shaking and instability.

[0031] An insert block 10 is provided at the bottom of the interlocking plate 9, and a bottom groove 11 matched with the insert block 10 is provided on the metal bottom plate 7. The hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 pass through the insert block 10, and the insert block 10 is connected to the insulating flow channel plate 1. While the insert block 10 is used to position the insulating flow channel plate 1, since the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 must pass through the insulating flow channel plate 1 and the metal bottom plate 7, an insert block 10 integrated with the insulating flow channel plate 1 is provided, and the insert block 10 passes through the metal bottom plate 7, so that the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 can be connected to external equipment, and the situation of leakage at the contact point caused by the insulating flow channel plate 1 and the metal bottom plate 7 not being integrated can be avoided.

[0032] A cooling outlet 12 and a cooling inlet 13 are provided on the insulating flow channel plate 1, and coolant flows in the cooling outlet 12 and the cooling inlet 13. The cooling outlet 12 is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet 3, and the cooling inlet 13 is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet 4. The cooling inlet 13 and the cooling outlet 12 are arranged in the middle of both sides of the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the cooling outlet 12 and the cooling inlet 13 pass through the collecting insulating plate 2; the coolant flowing out of the battery stack and flowing into the battery stack is guided through the air inlet end plate.

[0033] An air outlet 14 and an air inlet 15 are provided on the insulating flow channel plate 1, and stack air flows in the air outlet 14 and the air inlet 15. The air outlet 14 is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet 3, and the air inlet 15 is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet 4. The air inlet 15 and the air outlet 14 are arranged at the other two diagonals of the insulating flow channel plate 1, and the air outlet 14 and the air inlet 15 penetrate the current collecting insulating plate 2; the air flowing out of and into the stack is guided through the air inlet end plate.

[0034] A plate groove 16 is provided on the current collecting insulating plate 2, and a cathode current collecting plate 17 is embedded in the plate groove 16. A cathode plate 18 embedded in the plate groove 16 is provided on the side of the cathode current collecting plate 17, and the upper surface of the cathode current collecting plate 17 is flush with the upper surface of the current collecting insulating plate 2; electricity is supplied through the cathode plate 18 protruding from the surface of the cathode current collecting plate 17, which is convenient for operation and power supply.

[0035] The technical effect of the present invention is as follows: the middle parts of the hydrogen inlet 3 and the hydrogen outlet 4 are connected together by utilizing the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, and the flow rate pressure is utilized to squeeze the hydrogen into the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, and due to the fast flow rate, the liquid water in the hydrogen can be thrown out, so that the liquid water entering the anode stack first passes through the anode flow channel of the intake end plate, and the liquid water flows at the bottom of the intake manifold of the anode of the stack, and is concentrated in the area of ​​several single cells at the head, while the hydrogen directly passes through the insulating flow channel plate 1 through the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5 and enters the hydrogen inlet 3, avoiding the situation where the flow channel is blocked by liquid water and hydrogen cannot be replenished, and due to the diversion effect of the insulating hydrogen flow channel 5, the hydrogen does not need to continuously squeeze the accumulated liquid water, thereby effectively preventing the liquid from entering the fuel cell power generation unit, and effectively preventing the occurrence of flooding.

[0036] The present invention is described above by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned methods. As long as various non-substantial improvements are made using the method concept and technical solution of the present invention; or the above-mentioned concept and technical solution of the present invention are directly applied to other occasions without improvement, they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises an insulating flow channel plate (1) and a current collecting insulating plate (2) arranged on the insulating flow channel plate (1); the insulating flow channel plate (1) is provided with a hydrogen inlet (3) and a hydrogen outlet (4) penetrating the current collecting insulating plate (2); an insulating hydrogen flow channel (5) is provided between the hydrogen outlet (4) and the hydrogen inlet (3).

2. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating hydrogen flow channel (5) is arranged on the surface of the insulating flow channel plate (1), the current collecting insulating plate (2) covers the surface of the insulating flow channel plate (1), and the two ends of the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5) are respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet (3) and the hydrogen outlet (4).

3. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The hydrogen inlet (3) and the hydrogen outlet (4) are respectively located at opposite corners of the insulating flow channel plate (1), and a sealing structure (6) for sealing the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5) is provided between the insulating flow channel plate (1) and the current collecting insulating plate (2).

4. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sealing structure (6) is provided in a groove (61) on the upper surface of the insulating flow channel plate (1) and a sealing ring (62) is provided in the groove (61); the groove (61) is provided around the insulating hydrogen flow channel (5), the hydrogen inlet (3) and the hydrogen outlet (4); and the sealing ring (62) is located between the insulating flow channel plate (1) and the current collecting insulating plate (2).

5. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that: A plurality of insulating hydrogen flow channels (5) are arranged on the insulating flow channel plate (1); the insulating hydrogen flow channels (5) are evenly arranged side by side; the insulating hydrogen flow channels (5) are bent; and the cross section of the insulating hydrogen flow channels (5) is rectangular.

6. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a metal bottom plate (7), the metal bottom plate (7) is provided with an embedding groove (8), the outer side of the insulating flow channel plate (1) is provided with an embedding plate (9), and the embedding plate (9) is embedded in the embedding groove (8).

7. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the embedded plate (9) is provided with an embedded block (10), the metal bottom plate (7) is provided with a bottom groove (11) matched with the embedded block (10), the hydrogen inlet (3) and the hydrogen outlet (4) pass through the embedded block (10), and the embedded block (10) is connected to the insulating flow channel plate (1).

8. The fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating flow channel plate (1) is provided with a cooling outlet (12) and a cooling inlet (13), and a cooling liquid flows in the cooling outlet (12) and the cooling inlet (13). The cooling outlet (12) is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet (3), and the cooling inlet (13) is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet (4). The cooling inlet (13) and the cooling outlet (12) are arranged in the middle of both sides of the insulating flow channel plate (1), and the cooling outlet (12) and the cooling inlet (13) penetrate the current collecting insulating plate (2).

9. A fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating flow channel plate (1) is provided with an air outlet (14) and an air inlet (15), and stack air flows in the air outlet (14) and the air inlet (15). The air outlet (14) is arranged on one side of the hydrogen inlet (3), and the air inlet (15) is arranged on one side of the hydrogen outlet (4). The air inlet (15) and the air outlet (14) are arranged at the other two diagonal positions of the insulating flow channel plate (1), and the air outlet (14) and the air inlet (15) penetrate the current collecting insulating plate (2).

10. The fuel cell air intake end plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The current collecting insulating plate (2) is provided with a plate groove (16), a cathode current collecting plate (17) is embedded in the plate groove (16), a cathode plate (18) embedded in the plate groove (16) is provided on the side of the cathode current collecting plate (17), and the upper surface of the cathode current collecting plate (17) is flush with the upper surface of the current collecting insulating plate (2).

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