Pluggable fuel cell

By designing a pluggable fuel cell, multiple single-cell series connections and plug-and-release connections of external airways are used, combined with the short circuit and disconnection functions of the protection circuit, the problem of stack failure caused by single-cell damage is solved, the safety and reliability of the fuel cell is improved, and the maintenance cost is reduced.

CN119920939APending Publication Date: 2025-05-02HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) (INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SHENZHEN)
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510110462.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-01-23
Publication Date
2025-05-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing fuel cell stack fails due to damage to the single cell, and the screw connection is complex, which increases maintenance costs and reduces safety and reliability.

Method used

A pluggable fuel cell is designed to form a stack by connecting multiple single cells in series, the external air duct is pluggable and unplugged to the single cell, and is equipped with a protection circuit to short-circuit and disconnect the air duct when an abnormal voltage of the single cell is detected.

Benefits of technology

It realizes that the battery does not affect other batteries when there is an abnormality, simplifies the replacement process of the battery, reduces the fluctuation of the overall output voltage, improves the safety and reliability of the fuel cell, and reduces maintenance costs.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The pluggable fuel cell comprises a plurality of single cells, the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces of the plurality of single cells are sequentially connected in series to form an electric pile, and the plurality of single cells are used for being connected with an external electric device; the external air passage is in pluggable connection with the plurality of single batteries, the external air passage is used for introducing fuel and oxygen and outputting the fuel and the oxygen to the plurality of single batteries, and the plurality of single batteries are used for carrying out chemical reaction on the fuel and the oxygen, converting chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electric energy and then supplying power to an external electric appliance; and the protection circuit is connected with the plurality of single batteries, and is used for short-circuiting the single battery with abnormal voltage and disconnecting the access between the single battery with abnormal voltage and the external air passage when detecting that the voltage of any single battery is abnormal, so that the failed single battery can be conveniently replaced. According to the invention, the problem of low safety and reliability of the fuel cell of the stack formed by a plurality of single cells is solved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of fuel cells, and in particular to a pluggable fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous growth of global energy demand, the development of clean, low-carbon, efficient and sustainable energy technologies is becoming increasingly important, and the new energy industry is receiving more and more attention. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are a highly efficient energy conversion device that can directly convert the chemical energy generated by fuel and oxidant into electrical energy. SOFC is considered to be a strong competitor for future clean energy equipment and has been widely used in power plants, automobiles and portable devices. In order to achieve the required voltage and power in SOFC, multiple single cells are usually connected in series to make a stack. For a simple series stack, damage to a single cell will cause the failure of the entire stack. The currently commonly used stack uses a screw connection assembly method. When a single cell needs to be replaced, the entire stack must be disassembled. The complicated replacement process increases the maintenance cost, and the stack with multiple cells connected will result in low safety and reliability of the fuel cell. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a pluggable fuel cell to solve the problem of low safety and reliability of a fuel cell stack formed by multiple single cells.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0005] The present invention provides a pluggable fuel cell, comprising:

[0006] A plurality of single cells, the upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the plurality of single cells are sequentially connected in series to form a battery stack, and the plurality of single cells are used to connect to external electrical devices;

[0007] An external air passage is pluggably connected to the plurality of single cells, the external air passage is used to introduce fuel and oxygen and output them to the plurality of single cells, the plurality of single cells are used to chemically react the fuel and oxygen, and convert the chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electrical energy to supply power to external electrical appliances;

[0008] A protection circuit is connected to the plurality of cells, and is used to short-circuit the cell with abnormal voltage and disconnect the passage between the cell with abnormal voltage and the external air passage when a voltage abnormality is detected in any of the cells.

[0009] Optionally, the single battery comprises:

[0010] A fuel intake plug, wherein the fuel intake plug is provided with a battery fuel intake port, and the battery fuel intake port is used to introduce fuel in the external air passage;

[0011] A fuel outlet plug, wherein the fuel outlet plug is provided with a battery fuel outlet, and the battery fuel outlet is used to discharge the waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery with the fuel to the external airway;

[0012] An oxygen inlet plug, wherein the oxygen inlet plug is provided with a battery oxygen inlet port, and the battery oxygen inlet port is used to introduce oxygen in the external airway;

[0013] An oxygen outlet plug, on which a battery oxygen outlet is provided, and the battery oxygen outlet is used to discharge waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery with oxygen to the external airway;

[0014] The single cell is pluggably connected to the external air passage through the fuel inlet plug, the fuel outlet plug, the oxygen inlet plug and the oxygen outlet plug.

[0015] Optionally, the external airway comprises:

[0016] Airway body;

[0017] A fuel intake pipeline connected to the gas channel body, the fuel intake pipeline is used to introduce fuel gas and output it to the single cell through the gas channel body;

[0018] A fuel outlet pipe is connected to the gas channel body, and the waste gas generated after the single cell performs a chemical reaction on the fuel is discharged through the gas channel body and the fuel outlet pipe in sequence;

[0019] an oxygen intake pipeline connected to the airway main body, the oxygen intake pipeline is used to introduce oxygen and output it to the single cell through the airway main body;

[0020] The oxygen outlet pipe is connected to the airway main body, and the waste gas generated after the single cell performs a chemical reaction on oxygen is discharged through the airway main body and the oxygen outlet pipe in sequence.

[0021] Optionally, the fuel intake pipeline comprises:

[0022] A fuel intake main pipeline, used to introduce fuel gas;

[0023] A fuel intake branch pipe, one end of which is connected to the fuel intake main pipe, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body;

[0024] The oxygen intake pipeline comprises:

[0025] An oxygen inlet main pipe is used to introduce oxygen;

[0026] An oxygen intake branch pipe, one end of which is connected to the oxygen intake main pipe, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body;

[0027] The pluggable fuel cell further comprises a preheating device, and both the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe are provided with the preheating device.

[0028] Optionally, the airway main body is provided with a fuel branch pipe interface, an oxygen branch pipe interface, a fuel inlet interface, an oxygen inlet interface, a fuel outlet interface and an oxygen outlet interface; the fuel branch pipe interface is used to connect the fuel inlet branch pipe, the oxygen branch pipe interface is used to connect the oxygen inlet branch pipe, the fuel inlet interface is used to connect the fuel inlet plug, the oxygen inlet interface is used to connect the oxygen inlet plug, the fuel outlet interface is used to connect the fuel outlet plug, and the oxygen outlet interface is used to connect the oxygen outlet plug.

[0029] Optionally, the fuel branch pipe interface is directly connected to the fuel inlet interface, the oxygen branch pipe interface is directly connected to the oxygen inlet interface, the fuel outlet interface is directly connected to the fuel outlet pipe, and the oxygen outlet interface is directly connected to the oxygen outlet pipe.

[0030] Optionally, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0031] A plurality of main solenoid valves, wherein the plurality of main solenoid valves are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake main pipeline and the oxygen intake main pipeline, wherein the main solenoid valves are used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline or the oxygen intake main pipeline when being opened, and the main solenoid valves are also used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline or the oxygen intake main pipeline when being opened;

[0032] A plurality of branch solenoid valves are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe. The branch solenoid valve is used to open the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe or the oxygen intake branch pipe when being opened, and the branch solenoid valve is also used to disconnect the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe or the oxygen intake branch pipe when being disconnected.

[0033] Optionally, the protection circuit includes:

[0034] A plurality of voltmeters, used for one-to-one detection of the voltages of the plurality of single batteries, and outputting corresponding voltage detection signals;

[0035] A plurality of relays connected to the plurality of single batteries;

[0036] A microcontroller, wherein the input end of the microcontroller is connected to the output ends of the plurality of voltmeters, the output end of the microcontroller is connected to the controlled end of the relay, and the output end of the microcontroller is also connected to the controlled ends of the plurality of main solenoid valves and the controlled ends of the plurality of branch solenoid valves; the microcontroller is used to control the relay connected to the single battery with abnormal voltage to short-circuit the single battery with abnormal voltage when it is determined that the voltage of any single battery is abnormal according to the voltage detection signals output by the plurality of voltmeters, and to control the branch solenoid valves on the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe connected to the single battery with abnormal voltage to be disconnected.

[0037] Optionally, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0038] A perforated substrate, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed on the perforated substrate;

[0039] Conductive support ribs, the conductive support ribs passing through the through holes of the perforated substrate and fixed in the holes on the perforated substrate, the conductive support ribs on one side of the perforated substrate being used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells, and one voltmeter and one relay being connected between every two adjacent conductive support ribs on the other side of the perforated substrate;

[0040] An ear plate with holes, wherein the ear plate with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

[0041] Optionally, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0042] Structural substrate;

[0043] A single cell support rib is fixedly disposed on the structural substrate, and the single cell support rib is used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells;

[0044] An ear plate with holes, wherein the ear plate with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

[0045] The technical solution of the present invention is to form a pluggable fuel cell through multiple single cells, an external airway and a protection circuit, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the multiple single cells are connected in series in sequence to form a battery stack, and the multiple single cells are used to connect external electrical devices; the external airway is pluggable with the multiple single cells, the external airway can introduce fuel and oxygen and output them to the multiple single cells, and the multiple single cells can react the fuel and oxygen chemically, and convert the chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electrical energy to power the external electrical appliances; the protection circuit is connected to the multiple single cells, and the protection circuit can short-circuit the single cell with abnormal voltage when detecting the voltage abnormality of any single cell, and disconnect the passage between the single cell with abnormal voltage and the external airway. In this way, the pluggable fuel cell of this solution can work normally when a single cell is abnormal, and will not affect other single cells, and the pluggable design of the single cell can be replaced after a single cell is abnormal, to ensure that the overall output voltage of the pluggable fuel cell will not decrease. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary personnel in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0047] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a single cell in an embodiment of a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 3 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the structure of the air channel main body in the pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a structural support in a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a circuit support in a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of a circuit support and a schematic diagram of a circuit connection in a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 7 It is a functional module schematic diagram of an embodiment of a pluggable fuel cell of the present invention.

[0054] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. airway body; 101. fuel air inlet interface; 102. oxygen air inlet interface; 103. fuel air outlet interface; 104. oxygen air outlet interface; 105. fuel branch pipe interface; 106. oxygen branch pipe interface; 2. single battery; 201. fuel air inlet plug; 202. battery fuel air inlet; 203. oxygen air inlet plug; 204. battery oxygen air inlet; 205. fuel air outlet plug; 206. battery fuel air outlet; 207. oxygen air outlet plug; 208. battery Oxygen outlet; 3. Structural support; 301. Structural substrate; 302. Single cell support rib; 4. Circuit support; 401. Perforated substrate; 402. Conductive support rib; 5. Fuel intake main pipeline; 6. Oxygen intake main pipeline; 7. Fuel outlet pipeline; 8. Oxygen outlet pipeline; 9. Fuel intake branch pipeline; 10. Oxygen intake branch pipeline; 11. Branch solenoid valve; 12. Preheating device; 13. Main solenoid valve; 14. Voltmeter; 15. Relay; 16 Ear plate with holes; 17. Microcontroller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and effect of the present invention clearer and more specific, the present invention is further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0056] In the embodiments and the scope of the patent application, unless the text specifically defines the article, "a", "an", "the" and "the" may also include plural forms. If there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0057] It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the specification of the present invention refers to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when an element is said to be "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there can also be intermediate elements. In addition, the "connection" or "coupling" used herein can include wireless connection or wireless coupling. The term "and / or" used herein includes all or any unit and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0058] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with idealized or overly formal meanings unless specifically defined as herein.

[0059] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in the field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0060] With the continuous growth of global energy demand, the development of clean, low-carbon, efficient and sustainable energy technologies is becoming increasingly important, and the new energy industry is receiving more and more attention. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are a highly efficient energy conversion device that can directly convert the chemical energy generated by fuel and oxidant into electrical energy. SOFC is considered to be a strong competitor for future clean energy equipment and has been widely used in power plants, automobiles and portable devices. In order to achieve the required voltage and power in SOFC, multiple single cells are usually connected in series to make a stack. For a simple series stack, damage to a single cell will cause the failure of the entire stack. The currently commonly used stack uses a screw connection assembly method. When a single cell needs to be replaced, the entire stack must be disassembled. The complicated replacement process increases the maintenance cost, and the stack with multiple cells connected will result in low safety and reliability of the fuel cell.

[0061] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a pluggable fuel cell.

[0062] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the pluggable fuel cell comprises:

[0063] A plurality of single cells 2, wherein the upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the plurality of single cells 2 are sequentially connected in series to form a battery stack, and the plurality of single cells 2 are used to connect external electrical devices;

[0064] An external air passage is pluggably connected to the plurality of single cells 2, the external air passage is used to introduce fuel and oxygen and output them to the plurality of single cells 2, the plurality of single cells 2 are used to chemically react the fuel and oxygen, and convert the chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electrical energy to power external electrical appliances;

[0065] The protection circuit is connected to the plurality of cells 2. When a voltage abnormality is detected in any cell 2, the protection circuit is used to short-circuit the cell 2 with the voltage abnormality and disconnect the cell 2 with the voltage abnormality from the external airway.

[0066] In this embodiment, the single cell 2 refers to a single battery unit, which can be composed of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. The working principle of the single cell 2 is based on redox reaction. The fuel (such as hydrogen) is oxidized at the anode to produce electrons and hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions migrate to the cathode through the electrolyte and react with the oxidant (such as oxygen) at the cathode to generate water and electrons. The electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, forming a current to power external electrical devices. The upper and lower surfaces of multiple single cells 2 are connected in series in sequence to form a battery stack. For specific connection conditions, please refer to Figure 1 , the lower surface of a single cell 2 is connected to the upper surface of the adjacent single cell 2, while the uppermost and lowermost single cells 2 are only connected to one single cell 2. The external airway is used to inhale the reaction gas required by the fuel cell. In this embodiment, fuel gas and oxygen are introduced. The specific reaction gas can also be set according to the actual situation. Multiple single cells 2 are pluggably connected to the external airway. The pluggable connection method can be to design a plug on the single cell 2 and a plug on the external airway to achieve connection.

[0067] The protection circuit is a circuit used to protect the pluggable fuel cell as a whole when a single cell 2 has an abnormal voltage. Specifically, the voltage of multiple single cells 2 of the pluggable fuel cell when working can be detected by a voltage sensor or other voltage detection device; when any single cell 2 is detected to have an abnormal voltage, such as an overly high voltage, the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage can be short-circuited, so as not to affect the operation of the remaining normal single cells 2 in the stack, and the passage between the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage and the external airway is disconnected, so that no reactive gas enters the single cell 2; the specific standard of voltage abnormality can be set according to actual conditions and user needs. In this way, the technical solution of the present invention can improve the safety and stability of the fuel cell stack and reduce the installation and maintenance costs of the stack. And the single cell is pluggably connected to the external airway, so that the single cells are independent of each other. After the failed battery is short-circuited and the corresponding airway is cut off, the battery can be replaced without affecting other batteries or the normal output of the stack.

[0068] The technical solution of the present invention is composed of a pluggable fuel cell through a plurality of single cells 2, an external airway and a protection circuit, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of single cells 2 are connected in series in sequence to form a stack, and the plurality of single cells 2 are used to connect external electrical devices; the external airway is pluggable and connected to the plurality of single cells 2, and the external airway can introduce fuel and oxygen and output them to the plurality of single cells 2, and the plurality of single cells 2 can chemically react with the fuel and oxygen, and convert the chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electrical energy to power the external electrical appliances; the protection circuit is connected to the plurality of single cells 2, and the protection circuit can short-circuit the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage when detecting the voltage abnormality of any single cell 2, and disconnect the passage between the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage and the external airway. In this way, the pluggable fuel cell of this solution can work normally when a single cell 2 is abnormal, and will not affect other single cells 2, and the pluggable design of the single cell 2 can be replaced after a single cell 2 is abnormal, so as to ensure that the output voltage of the pluggable fuel cell as a whole will not be reduced.

[0069] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the single cell 2 comprises:

[0070] A fuel inlet plug 201, wherein the fuel inlet plug 201 is provided with a battery fuel inlet port 202, and the battery fuel inlet port 202 is used to introduce fuel in the external air passage;

[0071] A fuel outlet plug 205, on which a battery fuel outlet port 206 is disposed, and the battery fuel outlet port 206 is used to discharge the waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery 2 with the fuel to the external airway;

[0072] An oxygen inlet plug 203, on which a battery oxygen inlet port 204 is provided, and the battery oxygen inlet port 204 is used to introduce oxygen from the external airway;

[0073] An oxygen outlet plug 207, on which a battery oxygen outlet port 208 is disposed, and the battery oxygen outlet port 208 is used to discharge the waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery 2 with oxygen to the external airway;

[0074] The single cell 2 is pluggably connected to the external air passage through the fuel inlet plug 201 , the fuel outlet plug 205 , the oxygen inlet plug 203 and the oxygen outlet plug 207 .

[0075] In this embodiment, the single cell 2 can be connected to the corresponding sockets on the external airway by setting a fuel inlet plug 201, a fuel outlet plug 205, an oxygen inlet plug 203 and an oxygen outlet plug 207, so as to form a pluggable connection. The specific plug and plug size can be designed according to the actual situation. The battery fuel inlet 202 set on the fuel inlet plug 201, the battery fuel outlet 206 set on the fuel outlet plug 205, the battery oxygen inlet 204 set on the oxygen inlet plug 203 and the battery oxygen outlet 208 set on the oxygen outlet plug 207 are used to introduce fuel and oxygen, and discharge fuel and oxygen to the external airway respectively. Multiple inlets and outlets can also be designed to avoid the situation where one inlet or outlet is blocked, resulting in the inability to introduce or discharge gas.

[0076] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the external airway comprises:

[0077] Airway body 1;

[0078] A fuel intake pipeline connected to the gas channel main body 1, the fuel intake pipeline is used to introduce fuel gas and output it to the single cell 2 through the gas channel main body 1;

[0079] The fuel outlet pipe 7 is connected to the gas channel body 1, and the exhaust gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single cell 2 with the fuel is discharged through the gas channel body 1 and the fuel outlet pipe 7 in sequence;

[0080] an oxygen intake pipe connected to the airway main body 1, the oxygen intake pipe is used to introduce oxygen and output it to the single cell 2 through the airway main body 1;

[0081] The oxygen outlet pipe 8 is connected to the airway main body 1 , and the waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single cell 2 with oxygen is discharged through the airway main body 1 and the oxygen outlet pipe 8 in sequence.

[0082] In this embodiment, the external airway can be composed of a fuel intake pipe, an oxygen intake pipe, a fuel outlet pipe 7, an oxygen outlet pipe 8 and an airway body 1. By setting up multiple pipes, the fuel gas can be output to the single cell 2 through the fuel intake pipe and the airway body 1; and the exhaust gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single cell 2 on the fuel can be discharged through the airway body 1 and the fuel outlet pipe 7 in sequence; oxygen can also be output to the single cell 2 through the oxygen intake pipe and the airway body 1, and the exhaust gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single cell 2 on the oxygen can be discharged through the airway body 1 and the oxygen outlet pipe 8 in sequence, so that the reaction gas and the exhaust gas will not cross-flow. Furthermore, the fuel intake main pipe 5 and the oxygen intake main pipe 6 can be arranged on both sides of the airway body 1 respectively to reduce the probability of oxygen and fuel cross-flow.

[0083] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the fuel intake pipe comprises:

[0084] A fuel intake main pipeline 5, used for introducing fuel gas;

[0085] A fuel intake branch pipe 9, one end of which is connected to the fuel intake main pipe 5, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body 1;

[0086] The oxygen intake pipeline comprises:

[0087] An oxygen inlet main pipe 6, used for introducing oxygen;

[0088] An oxygen intake branch pipe 10, one end of which is connected to the oxygen intake main pipe 6, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body 1;

[0089] The pluggable fuel cell further includes a preheating device 12 , and both the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 are provided with the preheating device 12 .

[0090] In this embodiment, the fuel intake pipeline can be composed of a fuel intake main pipeline 5, a fuel intake branch pipeline 9, an oxygen intake main pipeline 6 and an oxygen intake branch pipeline 10. The fuel intake pipeline is divided into multiple pipelines, and electromagnetic valves can be designed on different pipelines to control the conduction or disconnection of the pipeline, thereby improving the control ability of the entire pipeline. In addition, the preheating device 12 provided on both the fuel intake branch pipeline 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipeline 10 can preheat the fuel and oxygen to facilitate the chemical reaction of the fuel and oxygen in the single cell 2. The preheating device 12 can be a heating device with a heating function such as an air preheater.

[0091] Reference Figures 1 to 7In one embodiment, the airway body 1 is provided with a fuel branch pipe interface 105, an oxygen branch pipe interface 106, a fuel inlet interface 101, an oxygen inlet interface 102, a fuel outlet interface 103 and an oxygen outlet interface 104; the fuel branch pipe interface 105 is used to connect the fuel inlet branch pipe 9, the oxygen branch pipe interface 106 is used to connect the oxygen inlet branch pipe 10, the fuel inlet interface 101 is used to connect the fuel inlet plug 201, the oxygen inlet interface 102 is used to connect the oxygen inlet plug 203, the fuel outlet interface 103 is used to connect the fuel outlet plug 205, and the oxygen outlet interface 104 is used to connect the oxygen outlet plug 207. In this embodiment, the single battery 2 and the multiple interfaces on the airway body 1 are connected by plugging and unplugging, so that the single battery 2 can be easily replaced when an abnormality occurs.

[0092] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the fuel branch pipe interface 105 is directly connected to the fuel inlet interface 101, the oxygen branch pipe interface 106 is directly connected to the oxygen inlet interface 102, the fuel outlet interface 103 is directly connected to the fuel outlet pipe 7, and the oxygen outlet interface 104 is directly connected to the oxygen outlet pipe 8. In this embodiment, the above interfaces are connected in pairs, which can make the airway body 1 easy to process.

[0093] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0094] A plurality of main solenoid valves 13, wherein the plurality of main solenoid valves 13 are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake main pipeline 5 and the oxygen intake main pipeline 6, wherein the main solenoid valves 13 are used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline 5 or the oxygen intake main pipeline 6 when being opened, and the main solenoid valves 13 are also used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline 5 or the oxygen intake main pipeline 6 when being opened;

[0095] A plurality of branch solenoid valves 11 are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10. The branch solenoid valves 11 are used to open the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe 9 or the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 when being opened, and the branch solenoid valves 11 are also used to open the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe 9 or the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 when being opened.

[0096] In this embodiment, the main electromagnetic valve 13 is provided on the fuel intake main pipeline 5 and the oxygen intake main pipeline 6, so that the gas path of the pluggable fuel cell as a whole can be controlled; and the branch electromagnetic valve 11 is provided on the fuel intake branch pipeline 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipeline 10, so that the gas path of the single cell 2 in the pluggable fuel cell can be controlled. Furthermore, the branch electromagnetic valve 11 can be provided before the preheating device 12 to avoid the higher technical requirements of the branch electromagnetic valve 11 imposed by the hot gas, and reduce the difficulty of operating the branch electromagnetic valve 11.

[0097] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the protection circuit comprises:

[0098] A plurality of voltmeters 14, used for one-to-one detection of the voltages of the plurality of single cells 2, and outputting corresponding voltage detection signals;

[0099] A plurality of relays 15 connected to the plurality of single batteries 2;

[0100] A microcontroller 17, wherein the input end of the microcontroller 17 is connected to the output ends of the plurality of voltmeters 14, the output end of the microcontroller 17 is connected to the controlled end of the relay 15, and the output end of the microcontroller 17 is also connected to the controlled ends of the plurality of main solenoid valves 13 and the controlled ends of the plurality of branch solenoid valves 11; the microcontroller 17 is used to control the relay 15 connected to the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage to short-circuit the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage when it is determined that the voltage of any of the single cells 2 is abnormal according to the voltage detection signals output by the plurality of voltmeters 14, and to control the branch solenoid valves 11 on the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 connected to the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage to be disconnected.

[0101] In this embodiment, the protection circuit can be composed of multiple voltmeters 14, multiple relays 15 and a microcontroller 17. The voltmeter 14 can detect the voltage of the single cell 2, or other voltage detection devices can be used to detect the voltage of the single cell 2; the relay 15 can be used to control the short circuit of the single cell 2. The microcontroller 17 can be a digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processor, referred to as DSP), a programmable logic device (Programmable Logic Device, referred to as PLD), a microprocessor, an MCU single chip or other electronic components. In this way, when the microcontroller 17 detects that the voltage of any single cell 2 is abnormal, it can control the relay 15 to short-circuit the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage, and control the branch solenoid valve 11 on the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 connected to the single cell 2 with abnormal voltage to be disconnected, so that no reactive gas enters the single cell 2.

[0102] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0103] A perforated substrate 401, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed on the perforated substrate 401;

[0104] Conductive support ribs 402, the conductive support ribs 402 pass through the through holes of the perforated substrate 401 and are fixed in the holes on the perforated substrate 401, the conductive support ribs 402 on one side of the perforated substrate 401 are used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells 2, and one voltmeter 14 and one relay 15 are connected between every two adjacent conductive support ribs 402 on the other side of the perforated substrate 401;

[0105] The ear plate 16 with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

[0106] In this embodiment, the perforated substrate 401, the conductive support ribs 402 and the perforated ear plate 16 can constitute a circuit support 4, which can support the connection of multiple single cells 2 while connecting each single cell 2 in series. A voltmeter 14 and a relay 15 are connected between each two adjacent conductive support ribs 402 on the other side of the perforated substrate 401. The voltmeter 14 can measure the voltage of the single cell 2 between the corresponding two conductive support ribs 402, and the relay 15 can short-circuit the single cell 2.

[0107] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one embodiment, the pluggable fuel cell further comprises:

[0108] Structural substrate 301;

[0109] A single cell support rib 302 is fixedly disposed on the structural substrate 301, and the single cell support rib 302 is used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells 2;

[0110] The ear plate 16 with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

[0111] In this embodiment, the structural substrate 301, the single cell support ribs 302 and the ear plate with holes 16 can form a structural support 3, which is used to support the connection structure of multiple single cells 2 to prevent the connection of the single cells 2 from loosening or displacement during operation, causing the pluggable fuel cell to fail to work properly. Therefore, the structural support 3 and the circuit support 4 can support the series structure of the single cells 2 and the circuit structure of the single cells 2.

[0112] In order to better illustrate the technical concept of the present invention, the following Figures 1 to 7 The working principle of the present invention is described:

[0113] When the pluggable fuel cell is working, the protection circuit is turned on, the main electromagnetic valve 13 and the branch electromagnetic valve 11 are in a connected state, the relay 15 is in a disconnected state, and then the preheating device 12 is turned on; fuel and oxygen are used as reaction gases; the fuel is introduced from the fuel intake main pipeline 5, passes through the main electromagnetic valve 13 and then enters the fuel intake branch pipeline 9, the fuel passes through the branch electromagnetic valve 11 on the fuel intake branch pipeline 9 and enters the preheating device 12 for preheating, and then enters the single cell 2 through the gas channel body 1, and after the reaction inside the single cell 2, the remaining gas and exhaust gas After passing through the airway main body 1, it is discharged through the fuel outlet pipe 7; oxygen is introduced from the oxygen intake main pipe 6, passes through the main electromagnetic valve 13 and then enters the oxygen intake branch pipe 10, and the fuel passes through the branch electromagnetic valve 11 on the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 and enters the preheating device 12 for preheating, and then enters the single cell 2 through the airway main body 1. After the reaction inside the single cell 2, the remaining gas and exhaust gas pass through the airway main body 1 and are discharged through the oxygen outlet pipe 8; the fuel cell converts the chemical energy of the reaction gas into electrical energy, thereby supplying power to external electrical appliances.

[0114] During operation, the microcontroller 17 can obtain the signal of the voltmeter 14 in real time; when the reading of the voltmeter 14 is detected to be abnormal, the relay 15 of the single cell 2 corresponding to the voltmeter 14 is closed, so that the single cell 2 is short-circuited, so as not to affect the operation of the other single cells 2 in the battery stack; at the same time, the branch solenoid valve 11 of the single cell 2 corresponding to the voltmeter 14 is closed, so that no fuel enters the single cell 2. For the abnormal single cell 2, after short-circuiting its circuit and closing the branch solenoid valve 11 of the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 where it is located, the abnormal single cell 2 is pulled out, a new single cell 2 is inserted, and the relay 15 corresponding to the single cell 2 is disconnected, so that the single cell 2 is reconnected to the circuit; the branch solenoid valve 11 corresponding to the single cell 2 is opened, so that the reaction gas re-enters the single cell 2 through the fuel intake branch pipe 9 and the oxygen intake branch pipe 10 where it is located to participate in the chemical reaction.

[0115] Through the above-mentioned pluggable fuel cell structure and circuit, local control of the circuit and airway of any single cell 2 in the stack can be achieved. Monitor the voltage of a single cell, and adjust the circuit and airway of the abnormal cell in time to protect the battery, that is, in the special case where a small number of cells are damaged, the external output voltage and power are not greatly affected. Through the plug-in stack design, it is possible to quickly replace damaged batteries without dismantling the stack as a whole and without affecting the operation of other normal batteries. The present invention enhances the safety and reliability of the stack, enhances the robustness of the stack under adverse conditions, and reduces the installation and maintenance costs of the stack.

[0116] It should be understood that the application of the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For ordinary technicians in this field, improvements or changes can be made based on the above description. All these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A pluggable fuel cell, characterized in that: include: A plurality of single cells, the upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the plurality of single cells are sequentially connected in series to form a battery stack, and the plurality of single cells are used to connect to external electrical devices; An external air passage is pluggably connected to the plurality of single cells, the external air passage is used to introduce fuel and oxygen and output them to the plurality of single cells, the plurality of single cells are used to chemically react the fuel and oxygen, and convert the chemical energy generated by the chemical reaction into electrical energy to supply power to external electrical appliances; A protection circuit is connected to the plurality of cells, and is used to short-circuit the cell with abnormal voltage and disconnect the passage between the cell with abnormal voltage and the external air passage when a voltage abnormality is detected in any of the cells.

2. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The single battery comprises: A fuel intake plug, wherein the fuel intake plug is provided with a battery fuel intake port, and the battery fuel intake port is used to introduce fuel in the external air passage; A fuel outlet plug, wherein the fuel outlet plug is provided with a battery fuel outlet, and the battery fuel outlet is used to discharge the waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery with the fuel to the external airway; An oxygen inlet plug, wherein the oxygen inlet plug is provided with a battery oxygen inlet port, and the battery oxygen inlet port is used to introduce oxygen in the external airway; An oxygen outlet plug, on which a battery oxygen outlet is provided, and the battery oxygen outlet is used to discharge waste gas generated by the chemical reaction of the single battery with oxygen to the external airway; The single cell is pluggably connected to the external air passage through the fuel inlet plug, the fuel outlet plug, the oxygen inlet plug and the oxygen outlet plug.

3. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 2, characterized in that: The external airway comprises: Airway body; A fuel intake pipeline connected to the gas channel body, the fuel intake pipeline is used to introduce fuel gas and output it to the single cell through the gas channel body; A fuel outlet pipe is connected to the gas channel body, and the waste gas generated after the single cell performs a chemical reaction on the fuel is discharged through the gas channel body and the fuel outlet pipe in sequence; an oxygen intake pipeline connected to the airway main body, the oxygen intake pipeline is used to introduce oxygen and output it to the single cell through the airway main body; The oxygen outlet pipe is connected to the airway main body, and the waste gas generated after the single cell performs a chemical reaction on oxygen is discharged through the airway main body and the oxygen outlet pipe in sequence.

4. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fuel intake pipeline comprises: A fuel intake main pipeline, used to introduce fuel gas; A fuel intake branch pipe, one end of which is connected to the fuel intake main pipe, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body; The oxygen intake pipeline comprises: An oxygen inlet main pipe is used to introduce oxygen; An oxygen intake branch pipe, one end of which is connected to the oxygen intake main pipe, and the other end of which is connected to the airway main body; The pluggable fuel cell further comprises a preheating device, and both the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe are provided with the preheating device.

5. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: The airway main body is provided with a fuel branch pipe interface, an oxygen branch pipe interface, a fuel inlet interface, an oxygen inlet interface, a fuel outlet interface and an oxygen outlet interface; the fuel branch pipe interface is used to connect the fuel inlet branch pipe, the oxygen branch pipe interface is used to connect the oxygen inlet branch pipe, the fuel inlet interface is used to connect the fuel inlet plug, the oxygen inlet interface is used to connect the oxygen inlet plug, the fuel outlet interface is used to connect the fuel outlet plug, and the oxygen outlet interface is used to connect the oxygen outlet plug.

6. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fuel branch pipe interface is directly connected to the fuel air inlet interface, the oxygen branch pipe interface is directly connected to the oxygen air inlet interface, the fuel air outlet interface is directly connected to the fuel air outlet pipeline, and the oxygen air outlet interface is directly connected to the oxygen air outlet pipeline.

7. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pluggable fuel cell further comprises: A plurality of main solenoid valves, wherein the plurality of main solenoid valves are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake main pipeline and the oxygen intake main pipeline, wherein the main solenoid valves are used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline or the oxygen intake main pipeline when being opened, and the main solenoid valves are also used to open the passage of the fuel intake main pipeline or the oxygen intake main pipeline when being opened; A plurality of branch solenoid valves are correspondingly arranged on the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe. The branch solenoid valve is used to open the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe or the oxygen intake branch pipe when being opened, and the branch solenoid valve is also used to disconnect the passage of the fuel intake branch pipe or the oxygen intake branch pipe when being disconnected.

8. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 7, characterized in that: The protection circuit comprises: A plurality of voltmeters, used for one-to-one detection of the voltages of the plurality of single batteries, and outputting corresponding voltage detection signals; A plurality of relays connected to the plurality of single batteries; A microcontroller, wherein the input end of the microcontroller is connected to the output ends of the plurality of voltmeters, the output end of the microcontroller is connected to the controlled end of the relay, and the output end of the microcontroller is also connected to the controlled ends of the plurality of main solenoid valves and the controlled ends of the plurality of branch solenoid valves; the microcontroller is used to control the relay connected to the single battery with abnormal voltage to short-circuit the single battery with abnormal voltage when it is determined that the voltage of any single battery is abnormal according to the voltage detection signals output by the plurality of voltmeters, and to control the branch solenoid valves on the fuel intake branch pipe and the oxygen intake branch pipe connected to the single battery with abnormal voltage to be disconnected.

9. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pluggable fuel cell further comprises: A perforated substrate, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed on the perforated substrate; Conductive support ribs, the conductive support ribs passing through the through holes of the perforated substrate and fixed in the holes on the perforated substrate, the conductive support ribs on one side of the perforated substrate being used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells, and one voltmeter and one relay being connected between every two adjacent conductive support ribs on the other side of the perforated substrate; An ear plate with holes, wherein the ear plate with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

10. The pluggable fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pluggable fuel cell also includes: Structural substrate; A single cell support rib is fixedly disposed on the structural substrate, and the single cell support rib is used to be inserted between two adjacent single cells; An ear plate with holes, wherein the ear plate with holes is fixedly connected to the external airway.

Citation Information

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