A novel structure for air-cooled fuel cell stacks

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology and discloses a novel air-cooled fuel cell stack design. The stack employs a modular design, distributed heat dissipation, and a highly symmetrical annular star-shaped layout to optimize the gas supply path and improve thermal management efficiency. Its core structure includes a cylindrical gas supply chamber located at the center of the stack, uniformly supplying hydrogen and air. Modular cells are arranged in an annular star-shaped pattern around the gas supply chamber, with heat sinks on both sides, forming wedge-shaped heat dissipation channels between adjacent modules. The modular design reduces the impact of individual cell module failures on the overall system, avoids the bottleneck effect, and improves reliability. The symmetrical and distributed heat sink layout prevents core overheating while ensuring uniform heat dissipation and reducing airflow dead zones. The compact and symmetrical arrangement of cell modules around the gas supply chamber shortens the gas supply path, achieving efficient and uniform gas supply and improving the overall performance of the stack. This invention improves gas supply uniformity and heat dissipation efficiency, reduces the bottleneck effect, enhances system stability, and facilitates the development of more stable, higher-power, and lightweight fuel cell stacks, enhancing the applicability of fuel cell stacks in scenarios such as drones and aerospace.