Air supply system and fuel cell including same

By introducing three-way valves and bypass branches into the fuel cell air supply system, the surge problem is solved, the structure is simplified, the gas pressure is adjusted, the operation stability and safety of the stack are improved, and the fuel cell is optimized. Volume and mass ratio power parameters.

CN222146288UActive Publication Date: 2024-12-10SHANGHAI ELECTRICGROUP CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202420561406.6
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-21
Publication Date
2024-12-10
Estimated Expiration
2034-03-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing fuel cell air supply system has surge problems, resulting in uncontrollable air flow, high noise, large vibration, and affecting the life of the stack. It has a complex structure and large space occupancy, which affects the volume ratio and mass ratio power parameters of the fuel cell. Optimize and comprehensive performance.

Method used

A three-way valve is introduced into the air supply system and is arranged between the humidifier and the stack, and communicates with the external environment through the first bypass branch to form an anti-surge branch, simplify the structure, and pass the second The bypass branch connects the intercooler with the stack gap cavity, bringing out hydrogen and condensation, improving system safety and insulation performance.

Benefits of technology

Effectively prevent air compressor surge, simplify the structure, adjust gas pressure, improve electrical energy reaction conditions, reduce failure rate, enhance system safety and stability, and optimize the volume and mass ratio power parameters of fuel cells.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The utility model provides an air supply system and a fuel cell comprising the same, the air supply system comprises an air inlet pipeline and an exhaust pipeline, an inlet of the air inlet pipeline is communicated with an external air source and is communicated with an inlet of an electric pile through an air compressor, an intercooler and a humidifier in sequence; an outlet of the electric pile is communicated with an exhaust pipeline, and after the exhaust pipeline passes through a humidifier, an outlet of the exhaust pipeline is communicated with the external environment; a three-way valve is further arranged on the air inlet pipeline and located between the humidifier and the electric pile, the other port of the three-way valve is further communicated with a first bypass branch, and the first bypass branch is communicated with the external environment. According to the air supply system and the fuel cell comprising the same, the first bypass branch of the three-way valve forms an anti-surge branch, so that the anti-surge function is realized, and the structure is simplified. And the gas pressure can be conveniently adjusted, so that the anti-surge effect is improved. The sufficient space between the humidifier and the fuel cell is fully utilized for connection operation, wiring is convenient, and the layout is more reasonable.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to an air supply system and a fuel cell comprising the same. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air under the action of a catalyst. It includes a stack and a casing. The stack is encapsulated in the casing with a certain gap between the two. Hydrogen and oxygen are introduced into the stack and generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction under the action of a catalyst. The stack is made up of a number of bipolar plates and membrane electrodes stacked repeatedly. Due to problems such as the stacking process and the accumulation of component tolerances, a small amount of hydrogen in the stack will leak into the packaging shell of the stack. If it is not purged in time to disperse, it is very easy to cause the fuel cell to explode during operation. In addition, in the actual use environment, changes in temperature and humidity will cause condensation in the packaging shell, which will cause insulation to decrease and even trigger insulation fault alarms.

[0003] When a fuel cell is working, auxiliary subsystems such as the air supply system, hydrogen supply system, thermal management system, stack system, and electrical system are required to work together effectively to generate electricity.

[0004] Among them, the air supply system supplies the fuel cell stack with the air required for its electrical energy reaction and meets the air flow, pressure, temperature and humidity requirements of the fuel cell at different power levels. At the same time, it also ensures that the unreacted air and generated water are smoothly discharged into the atmosphere.

[0005] Usually, the air supply system includes devices such as air compressors and humidifiers. The air compressor is used to pressurize the external air, and the humidifier is used to increase the humidity of the pressurized gas to obtain an air source that meets the system operation requirements. Among them, the air compressor is the core component of the air supply system. The air compressors used for fuel cells mainly include Roots, centrifugal, vortex, screw and other types. Centrifugal air compressors have advantages in noise, efficiency, volume and other aspects, and have become the mainstream products in the market. However, an important feature of air compressors such as centrifugal air compressors is that when the air compressor works at low flow and high pressure ratio, it is easy to surge. When a centrifugal air compressor surges, it will cause a series of chain reactions such as uncontrollable air flow, loud noise, high vibration and temperature rise. In severe cases, it may also damage the centrifugal air compressor and affect the life of the fuel cell stack; therefore, when the centrifugal air compressor enters the surge area, it is necessary to release the centrifugal air compressor from the surge area.

[0006] The existing anti-surge technical solutions have the disadvantages of complex structure, inconvenient wiring, unreasonable layout, etc. In addition, the existing fuel cell air supply system has a complex principle and structure, occupies a large space, is not conducive to the optimization of fuel cell parameters such as volume ratio and mass ratio power, and also affects the comprehensive performance optimization of the fuel cell. Utility Model Content

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art and to provide an air supply system and a fuel cell comprising the same.

[0008] The utility model solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0009] An air supply system supplies air to a fuel cell stack, including an air intake pipeline and an exhaust pipeline.

[0010] The inlet of the air intake pipeline is connected to an external air source, passes through an air compressor, an intercooler and a humidifier in sequence, and finally connects with the inlet of the fuel cell stack; the outlet of the fuel cell stack is connected to the exhaust pipeline, and after the exhaust pipeline passes through the humidifier, its outlet is connected to the external environment;

[0011] A three-way valve is also provided on the air intake pipeline between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack, and another port of the three-way valve is also connected to a first bypass branch, and the first bypass branch is connected to the external environment.

[0012] In this solution, the air supply system is provided with a three-way valve between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack, and the other port of the three-way valve is connected to the external environment through the first bypass branch, so that the outlet of the air compressor, the intercooler, the humidifier, the three-way valve and the first bypass branch constitute an anti-surge branch; when the air compressor surges, the anti-surge branch can quickly release the air compressor from the surge zone. The air supply system does not require additional anti-surge components, but the anti-surge branch is formed by adding a three-way valve on the basis of the existing humidifier, which simplifies the structure. In addition, the three-way valve can be used to easily adjust the gas pressure entering the fuel cell stack so that the fuel cell stack can obtain the gas required for the electric energy reaction; the gas released from the bypass branch can also be adjusted to improve the anti-surge effect. The three-way valve is arranged between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack, and the sufficient space between the two (humidifier and fuel cell) is fully utilized for connection operation, which is convenient for arranging the connecting pipelines and has a more reasonable layout.

[0013] Preferably, the air supply system further comprises a second bypass branch, one end of which is connected to the intercooler, and the other end of which is connected to the gap cavity between the outer shell of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack.

[0014] In this solution, one end of the second bypass branch is connected to the intercooler, and the other end is connected to the gap cavity between the outer shell of the fuel cell and the stack, so that part of the air cooled by the intercooler can enter the gap cavity through the second bypass branch for purging, taking out part of the heat generated during the operation of the stack, and also taking out a small amount of hydrogen leaked from the hydrogen cavity to the packaging shell during the operation of the stack, preventing hydrogen from accumulating, avoiding the risk of explosion, and improving the safety of system operation. At the same time, the air at a certain temperature entering the gap cavity can also purge and remove the condensation in the outer shell, ensuring the insulation performance, avoiding the triggering of the insulation fault alarm, making the overall operation of the fuel cell stable, and reducing the failure rate.

[0015] Preferably, the humidifier comprises at least two inlets and at least two outlets, the first inlet and the first outlet of the humidifier are arranged on the intake pipeline, the first inlet of the humidifier is communicated with the intercooler, and the first outlet of the humidifier is communicated with the inlet end of the three-way valve;

[0016] The second inlet and the second outlet of the humidifier are arranged on the exhaust pipeline, and the second inlet of the humidifier is connected to the outlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0017] In this solution, the air inlet and exhaust pipes are connected respectively through two groups of inlet and outlet combinations of the humidifier (the first inlet and the first outlet constitute the first inlet and outlet combination, and the second inlet and the second outlet constitute the second inlet and outlet combination), and a connecting loop is formed between the humidifier and the stack, so that the water vapor generated by the electric energy reaction of the stack (i.e., hydrogen and oxygen generate electric energy through electrochemical reaction under the action of a catalyst) flows back to the humidifier through the second inlet, so as to increase the humidity of the dry air entering from the first inlet, so as to provide a gas with a certain humidity, which is conducive to the electrochemical reaction of generating electric energy in the stack. This solution makes full use of the water vapor generated by the stack itself for humidification, without the need for other humidification equipment, which is conducive to simplifying the structure and improving energy utilization.

[0018] Preferably, the exhaust pipeline is further provided with a confluence pipe for converging the exhausted air and discharging it from its outlet end; and includes an interface connected to the first bypass branch and the second outlet of the humidifier.

[0019] In this solution, the gas discharged from the first bypass branch and the exhaust gas discharged from the humidifier are collected through the above-mentioned manifold and discharged into the external environment in a centralized manner instead of being discharged in a dispersed manner, thereby avoiding pollution to other equipment or the environment and protecting the equipment from damage caused by exhaust gas (for example, damage caused by high temperature or corrosion).

[0020] Preferably, the air supply system further comprises a third bypass branch, one end of which is in communication with the gap cavity between the housing of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack, and the other end of which is in communication with the manifold.

[0021] In this solution, the third bypass branch is connected to the manifold through the above-mentioned arrangement, and the hydrogen and condensed water vapor blown out from the third bypass branch are collected and discharged centrally from the manifold.

[0022] Preferably, a back pressure valve is further provided between the manifold and the second outlet of the humidifier.

[0023] In this solution, the back pressure valve provided above can adjust the gas pressure and flow rate flowing in the pipeline of the air supply system, so as to maintain the intake pressure and flow rate required for the gas reaction in the fuel cell stack; at the same time, the gas with excessive pressure is discharged to cut off or throttle the pipeline.

[0024] Preferably, a muffler is provided at the outlet end of the manifold.

[0025] In this solution, the noise of the air supply system is reduced by a silencer.

[0026] Preferably, the air compressor is a centrifugal air compressor, and the air outlet of the centrifugal air compressor is connected to the manifold.

[0027] In this solution, the incoming air can be pressurized by a centrifugal air compressor. Compared with other types of air compressors, the use of a centrifugal air compressor is beneficial to reducing noise, improving pressurization efficiency, and reducing equipment size.

[0028] Preferably, the centrifugal air compressor comprises an air bearing, and the air bearing is provided with an air outlet interface, and the air outlet interface is communicated with the manifold.

[0029] In this solution, the air source in the air compressor that is not suitable for the operation of the fuel cell stack is guided to the manifold for discharge through the air outlet interface on the air bearing, thereby ensuring effective gas entering the fuel cell stack.

[0030] A fuel cell comprises the air supply system as described above.

[0031] In this solution, the fuel cell forms an anti-surge branch through the above-mentioned air supply system, the outlet of the air compressor, the intercooler, the humidifier, the three-way valve and the first bypass branch; when the air compressor surges, the anti-surge branch can quickly release the air compressor from the surge zone. And no additional anti-surge components are required, but the anti-surge branch is formed by adding a three-way valve on the basis of the existing humidifier, which simplifies the structure. The three-way valve can be used to easily adjust the pressure of the gas entering the stack so that the stack can obtain the gas required for the electric energy reaction; the gas released from the bypass branch can also be adjusted to improve the anti-surge effect. The three-way valve is set between the humidifier and the stack, and the ample space between the two (humidifier and fuel cell) is fully utilized for connection operations, which is convenient for arranging the connecting pipelines and has a more reasonable layout.

[0032] The positive and progressive effect of the utility model is that the air supply system and the fuel cell including the same are provided with a three-way valve between the humidifier and the stack, and the other port of the three-way valve is connected to the external environment through the first bypass branch, so that the outlet of the air compressor, the intercooler, the humidifier, the three-way valve and the first bypass branch constitute an anti-surge branch; when the air compressor surges, the anti-surge branch can quickly release the air compressor from the surge area. The air supply system does not require additional anti-surge components, but the anti-surge branch is formed by adding a three-way valve on the basis of the existing humidifier, which simplifies the structure. In addition, the three-way valve can be used to conveniently adjust the gas pressure entering the stack so that the stack can obtain the gas required for the electric energy reaction; the gas released from the bypass branch can also be adjusted to improve the anti-surge effect. The three-way valve is arranged between the humidifier and the stack, and the sufficient space between the two (humidifier and fuel cell) is fully utilized for connection operation, which is convenient for arranging the connecting pipelines and has a more reasonable layout. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air supply system of Example 1 of the utility model.

[0034] Description of reference numerals:

[0035] Battery stack 1

[0036] Entrance 2 of the battery stack

[0037] The outlet of the battery stack 3

[0038] Housing 4

[0039] Ventilation Inlet 5

[0040] Ventilation outlet 6

[0041] Intake pipe 7

[0042] Exhaust pipe 8

[0043] Air filter 9

[0044] Air flow meter 10

[0045] Air compressor 11

[0046] Air bearing outlet pipe 12,

[0047] Intercooler 13

[0048] Humidifier 14

[0049] First inlet 15 of the humidifier

[0050] The first outlet 16 of the humidifier

[0051] Second inlet 17 of humidifier

[0052] Second outlet 18 of the humidifier

[0053] Three-way valve 19

[0054] First bypass branch 20

[0055] Second bypass branch 21

[0056] The third bypass branch 22

[0057] Manifold 23

[0058] Back pressure valve 24

[0059] Silencer 25

[0060] Pressure sensor 26

[0061] First temperature sensor 27

[0062] Second temperature sensor 28

[0063] Hydrogen concentration sensor 29 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] A preferred embodiment is given below, and the present invention is described more clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0065] Example 1

[0066] This embodiment provides an air supply system for supplying the air required for the electric energy reaction to the fuel cell stack 1 in the fuel cell.

[0067] like Figure 1As shown, the air supply system includes an intake pipeline 7 and an exhaust pipeline 8. The intake pipeline 7 is provided with an air filter 9, an air flow meter 10, an air compressor 11, an intercooler 13 and a humidifier 14. In this embodiment, the air compressor 11 is specifically an oil-free centrifugal air compressor. The air filter 9, the air flow meter 10, the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11, the intercooler 13 and the humidifier 14 on the intake pipeline 7 are connected in sequence, and the outlet of the humidifier 14 is connected to the inlet 2 of the fuel cell stack. The inlet of the intake pipeline 7 is connected to the external air source. The air after entering is filtered by the air filter 9 in sequence, measured by the flow meter 10, and enters the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 for pressurization. The pressurized air enters the intercooler 13 for cooling, and the cooled air enters the humidifier 14 for humidification treatment. After these treatments, a gas source that meets the system operation requirements is obtained, and then enters the fuel cell stack 1. The oxygen in the air is mixed with the hydrogen introduced into the fuel cell stack 1 from the outside, and electrical energy is generated through electrochemical reactions under the action of the catalyst.

[0068] The outlet 3 of the fuel cell stack 1 is connected to the exhaust pipe 8 , and after the exhaust pipe 8 passes through the humidifier 14 , its outlet is connected to the external environment.

[0069] A three-way valve 19 is also provided between the humidifier 14 and the fuel cell stack 1. The outlet of the humidifier 14 is connected to the inlet 2 of the fuel cell stack through the three-way valve 19. The three-way valve 19 has three ports, which are respectively connected to the outlet 16 of the humidifier 14, the inlet 2 of the fuel cell stack 1 and the first bypass branch 20. The first bypass branch 20 is connected to the external environment.

[0070] The air supply system is provided with a three-way valve 19 between the humidifier 14 and the stack 1, and the other port of the three-way valve 19 is connected to the external environment through the first bypass branch 20, so that the outlet of the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11, the intercooler 13, the humidifier 14, the three-way valve 19 and the first bypass branch 20 constitute an anti-surge branch; when the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 surges, the anti-surge branch can quickly release the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 from the surge zone, and at the same time can dilute the hydrogen discharged from the anode outlet of the stack 1 of the fuel cell to ensure the safety of hydrogen discharge. The air supply system does not require additional anti-surge components, but adds a three-way valve 19 on the basis of the existing humidifier 14 to form an anti-surge branch, simplifying the structure. And by using the three-way valve 19, the gas pressure entering the stack 1 can be easily adjusted to allow the stack 1 to obtain the gas required for the electric energy reaction; the gas released from the bypass branch can also be adjusted to improve the anti-surge effect. The three-way valve 19 is arranged between the humidifier 14 and the fuel cell stack 1, and the sufficient space between the two (humidifier and fuel cell) is fully utilized for connection operation, which is convenient for arranging the connecting pipelines, is beneficial to the optimization of the volume ratio, mass ratio power and other parameters of the fuel cell, and makes the layout more reasonable.

[0071] In other embodiments, the external air entering the intake pipe 7 may be filtered air, and the air supply system may not have the air filter 9. Depending on whether flow detection is required, the air flow meter 10 may not be provided, or the air flow meter 10 may be provided at other locations in the pipeline. When there are other cooling measures, or the flow rate is adjusted to control the temperature of the pressurized air, or the air is cooled by the water vapor humidified by the humidifier 14, the air supply system may not have the intercooler 13 or use other types of intercoolers. Similarly, the air compressor 11 and the humidifier 14 may also use other types of supercharging and humidifying equipment as needed.

[0072] The design of the air supply system of this embodiment can also be applied to other types of boosting equipment that may experience surge, and is not limited to centrifugal air compressors.

[0073] Among them, the air supply system also includes a second bypass branch 21, one end of the second bypass branch 21 is connected to the intercooler 13, and the other end of the second bypass branch 21 is connected to the ventilation inlet 5 on the fuel cell housing 4, and then connected to the gap cavity between the fuel cell housing 4 and the battery stack 1.

[0074] The air after supercharging and heating is cooled by the intercooler 13, protecting the equipment from damage caused by high temperature, which is beneficial to the stability and life of the equipment operation. The second bypass branch 21 is connected to the gap cavity between the housing 4 of the fuel cell and the stack 1, so that part of the air with suitable humidity and temperature after cooling enters the gap cavity through the second bypass branch 21 for purging, which helps to remove part of the heat generated during the operation of the stack 1, and also removes a small amount of hydrogen leaked from the hydrogen cavity to the packaging shell during the operation of the stack 1, preventing hydrogen from accumulating, avoiding the risk of explosion, and improving the safety of system operation. At the same time, the air at a certain temperature entering the gap cavity can also purge and remove the condensation in the housing 4, ensuring the insulation performance, avoiding the triggering of the insulation fault alarm, making the overall operation of the fuel cell stable and reducing the failure rate.

[0075] The humidifier 14 includes two inlets and two outlets. The first inlet 15 and the first outlet 16 of the humidifier 14 are arranged on the air intake pipeline 7. The first inlet 15 of the humidifier 14 is connected to the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 through the intercooler 13, and the first outlet 16 of the humidifier 14 is connected to the inlet end of the three-way valve 19. The cooled dry air enters the humidifier 14 from the first inlet 15, and is humidified in the humidifier 14. The wet air enters the fuel cell stack 1 from the first outlet 16 through the three-way valve 19. Therefore, the first inlet 15 is a dry inlet, and the first outlet 16 is a wet outlet.

[0076] The second inlet 17 and the second outlet 18 of the humidifier 14 are arranged on the exhaust pipe 8. The second inlet 17 of the humidifier 14 is connected to the outlet 3 of the fuel cell stack, and the second outlet 18 of the humidifier 14 is connected to the external environment. Hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell stack 1 generate electricity through electrochemical reaction under the action of the catalyst. At the same time, the chemical reaction will also generate heat, so high-temperature water vapor and unreacted air will be discharged from the outlet 3 of the fuel cell stack. In this way, the high-level water vapor discharged from the outlet 3 of the fuel cell stack will flow back to the humidifier 14 again and mix with the dry air entering from the first inlet 15 of the humidifier 14 to increase the humidity of the air.

[0077] The two inlet and outlet combinations of the humidifier 14 (the first inlet 15 and the first outlet 16 constitute the first inlet and outlet combination, and the second inlet 17 and the second outlet 18 constitute the second inlet and outlet combination) are respectively connected to the intake pipeline 7 and the exhaust pipeline 8, and a communication loop is formed between the humidifier 14 and the stack 1, so that the water vapor generated by the electric energy reaction of the stack 1 (that is, hydrogen and oxygen generate electric energy through electrochemical reaction under the action of the catalyst) flows back to the humidifier 14 through the second inlet 17, so as to increase the humidity of the dry air entering from the first inlet 15, so as to provide a gas with a certain humidity, which is conducive to the electrochemical reaction of generating electric energy in the stack 1. In other embodiments, if there is a separate humidifier 14 outside the air supply system, it is not necessary to return the water vapor discharged from the stack outlet 3 to the humidifier 14 to achieve the humidification function. At this time, the stack outlet 3 can also be directly connected to the external environment or connected to the external environment through a separate pipeline. However, this embodiment makes full use of the water vapor generated by the stack 1 itself for humidification, without the need for other humidification equipment, which is conducive to simplifying the structure and improving energy utilization.

[0078] Among them, a pressure sensor 26 and a first temperature sensor 27 are also installed between the three-way valve 19 and the inlet 2 of the fuel cell stack to measure the pressure and temperature of the air entering the fuel cell stack respectively; a second temperature sensor 28 is also installed between the humidifier 14 and the outlet 3 of the fuel cell stack to measure the exhaust temperature of the fuel cell stack 1.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust pipe 8 is also provided with a conduit 23 for converging the exhaust air and discharging it from its outlet end; it includes an interface connected to the first bypass branch 20 and the second outlet 18 of the humidifier 14, and the outlet of the conduit 23 is connected to the external environment.

[0080] By adopting such an arrangement of the manifold 23, the gas discharged from the first bypass branch 20 and the exhaust gas discharged from the humidifier 14 are collected and discharged to the external environment in a centralized manner rather than being discharged in a dispersed manner, thereby avoiding pollution to other equipment or the environment and protecting the equipment from damage caused by the exhaust gas (for example, damage caused by high temperature or corrosion).

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, the air supply system also includes a third bypass branch 22, one end of which is connected to the ventilation outlet 6 of the fuel cell housing 4, and then connected to the gap cavity between the fuel cell housing 4 and the stack 1, and the other end of the third bypass branch 22 is connected to the manifold 23. The third bypass branch 22 is connected to the manifold 23 in this way, and the hydrogen and condensed water vapor blown out from the third bypass branch 22 are collected and discharged from the manifold 23. A hydrogen concentration sensor 29 is also installed on the third bypass branch 22, which can detect the change of hydrogen concentration inside the stack packaging shell in real time and online. Once the hydrogen concentration exceeds the upper limit, a fault is reported or the machine is shut down for processing.

[0082] like Figure 1 As shown, a back pressure valve 24 is also connected between the manifold 23 and the second outlet 18 of the humidifier 14. The back pressure valve 24 set in this way can adjust the gas pressure and flow rate flowing in the pipeline of the air supply system, so that the intake pressure and flow rate required for the gas reaction in the fuel cell stack 1 can be maintained; at the same time, the gas with excessive pressure is discharged, which plays a role of cutting off or throttling in the pipeline. When working, the back pressure valve 24 is coupled with the air flow meter 10 and the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 to provide air with suitable flow and pressure for the fuel cell stack 1.

[0083] like Figure 1 As shown, the manifold 23 is connected to the external environment through a silencer 25. The silencer 25 reduces the noise of the air supply system.

[0084] In other embodiments, the oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 may also use other types of supercharging equipment or other types of centrifugal air compressors. However, compared with other types of air compressors, the centrifugal air compressor used in this embodiment is more conducive to reducing noise, improving supercharging efficiency, and reducing equipment size while achieving air supercharging.

[0085] The oil-free centrifugal air compressor 11 includes an air bearing (not shown in the figure), and an air outlet interface is provided on the air bearing, and the air outlet interface is connected to the manifold 23 through the air bearing outlet pipe 12. The air discharged from the air outlet interface has a high temperature and a relatively low pressure, which is not suitable as an air source for the operation of the fuel cell stack 1. Therefore, it is guided to the manifold 23 through the air bearing outlet pipe 12 to be discharged, so as to ensure that effective gas enters the fuel cell stack 1.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, the ventilation outlet 6 of the battery stack packaging shell 4 is connected to the manifold 23 through a pipeline and a hydrogen concentration sensor 29 is installed on the pipeline, so that the air in the battery stack packaging shell keeps flowing, and the outflowing air is discharged into the atmosphere after passing through the manifold 23. The hydrogen concentration sensor 29 can detect the changes in the hydrogen concentration inside the battery stack packaging shell in real time and online. Once the hydrogen concentration exceeds the upper limit value, a fault is reported or the machine is shut down for processing.

[0087] Example 2

[0088] This embodiment provides a fuel cell, which includes auxiliary subsystems such as the air supply system, hydrogen supply system, thermal management system, fuel cell stack system, electrical system, etc. in Embodiment 1.

[0089] The fuel cell adopts the air supply system of Example 1, and the outlet of the air compressor 11, the intercooler 13, the humidifier 14, the three-way valve 19 and the first bypass branch 20 constitute an anti-surge branch; when the air compressor 11 surges, the anti-surge branch can quickly release the air compressor 11 from the surge zone. And no additional anti-surge components are required, but the anti-surge branch is formed by adding a three-way valve 19 on the basis of the existing humidifier 14, which simplifies the structure. The three-way valve 19 can be used to easily adjust the gas pressure entering the stack 1 so that the stack 1 can obtain the gas required for the electric energy reaction; the gas released from the bypass branch can also be adjusted to improve the anti-surge effect. The three-way valve 19 is set between the humidifier 14 and the stack 1, and the sufficient space between the two (humidifier and fuel cell) is fully utilized for connection operation, which is convenient for arranging the connecting pipelines and has a more reasonable layout.

[0090] Although the specific implementations of the utility model are described above, those skilled in the art should understand that this is only an example, and the protection scope of the utility model is defined by the attached claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these implementations without departing from the principle and essence of the utility model, but these changes and modifications fall within the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. An air supply system for supplying air to a fuel cell stack, comprising an air intake line and an exhaust line, The inlet of the air intake pipeline is connected to an external air source, passes through an air compressor, an intercooler and a humidifier in sequence, and finally connects with the inlet of the fuel cell stack; the outlet of the fuel cell stack is connected to the exhaust pipeline, and after the exhaust pipeline passes through the humidifier, its outlet is connected to the external environment; It is characterized in that A three-way valve is also provided on the air intake pipeline between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack, and another port of the three-way valve is also connected to a first bypass branch, and the first bypass branch is connected to the external environment.

2. The air supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that The air supply system further includes a second bypass branch, one end of which is connected to the intercooler, and the other end of which is connected to the gap cavity between the housing of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack.

3. The air supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that The humidifier comprises at least two inlets and at least two outlets, the first inlet and the first outlet of the humidifier are arranged on the air intake pipeline, the first inlet of the humidifier is communicated with the intercooler, and the first outlet of the humidifier is communicated with the inlet end of the three-way valve; The second inlet and the second outlet of the humidifier are arranged on the exhaust pipeline, and the second inlet of the humidifier is connected to the outlet of the fuel cell stack.

4. The air supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that The exhaust pipeline is also provided with a confluence pipe for converging the exhausted air and discharging it from its outlet end; it includes an interface connected with the first bypass branch and the second outlet of the humidifier.

5. The air supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that The air supply system further comprises a third bypass branch, one end of which is in communication with the gap cavity between the housing of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack, and the other end of which is in communication with the manifold.

6. The air supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that A back pressure valve is also provided between the manifold and the second outlet of the humidifier.

7. The air supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that The outlet end of the manifold is provided with a muffler.

8. The air supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that The air compressor is a centrifugal air compressor, and the air outlet of the centrifugal air compressor is communicated with the manifold.

9. A fuel cell, characterized in that: The invention comprises an air supply system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.