Fuel cell rapid cold start system and vehicle

Abstract

The fuel cell rapid cold start system comprises an electric pile and an air subsystem connected with the electric pile, the air subsystem comprises an air compressor, an intercooler, a humidifier, a third pipeline, a fourth pipeline and a fifth pipeline, and the inlet end of the intercooler is connected with the air compression end of the air compressor; the outlet end of the humidifier is connected with the gas inlet of the electric pile through a second pipeline, and a first throttle valve is arranged on the second pipeline; one end of the third pipeline is connected with an inlet of the air compressor, the other end of the third pipeline is communicated with the first pipeline, and a second throttle valve is arranged on the third pipeline; one end of the fourth pipeline is communicated with the first pipeline, the other end of the fourth pipeline is connected with the turbine end of the air compressor, and a third throttle valve is arranged on the fourth pipeline. Based on the structure, the cooling starting time can be greatly shortened, the power consumption of cold starting is reduced, meanwhile, energy waste of bypass gas is avoided, the energy consumption of an air compressor is reduced, and the efficiency of a cold starting system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular to a fuel cell rapid cold start system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell is a power generation device that directly converts the chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy. The fuel cell system has high energy conversion efficiency and is an ideal way to utilize energy. Its commercial application has broad development prospects. For vehicle-mounted fuel cell systems, fast cold start performance is required. The main problem with cold start is that the water generated during the stack startup process freezes in the fuel cell flow channel, gas diffusion layer, and catalyst layer, causing the reaction to stop, resulting in startup failure; there is also the risk of freezing of components during the startup process, causing the system to fail to start. However, in the current fuel cell fast cold start system, the bypass flow is directly discharged as exhaust gas, which will cause the loss of some energy, resulting in a long cold start period and higher energy consumption. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a fuel cell rapid cold start system and a vehicle.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell rapid cold start system, comprising a fuel cell stack and an air subsystem connected to the fuel cell stack, wherein the exterior of the fuel cell stack is disposed in a packaged box, and the air subsystem comprises:

[0005] Air compressor;

[0006] An intercooler, wherein an inlet end of the intercooler is connected to a compression end of the air compressor;

[0007] A humidifier, wherein the inlet end of the humidifier is connected to the outlet end of the intercooler through a first pipeline, and the outlet end of the humidifier is connected to the gas inlet of the fuel cell stack through a second pipeline, and a first throttle valve is provided on the second pipeline, and the first throttle valve is configured to control the gas flow rate entering the fuel cell stack;

[0008] A third pipeline, one end of which is connected to the inlet of the air compressor, the other end of which is connected to the first pipeline, and a second throttle valve is provided on the third pipeline;

[0009] a fourth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the first pipeline, the other end of which is connected to the turbine end of the air compressor, and a third throttle valve is provided on the fourth pipeline;

[0010] A fifth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the first pipeline, and the other end of which is connected to the box.

[0011] In one embodiment, a gas filter is further included, and the gas filter is connected to the inlet of the air compressor through an air intake pipeline, so as to pass filtered air into the air compressor.

[0012] In one embodiment, a sixth pipeline is further included, one end of the sixth pipeline is connected to the outlet end of the air compressor, and the other end of the sixth pipeline is communicated with the outside.

[0013] In one embodiment, a muffler is further included. The muffler is disposed at an end of the sixth pipeline away from the air compressor, and the muffler is configured to mute the gas flowing out of the air compressor.

[0014] In one embodiment, a discharge assembly is further included, wherein the discharge assembly is configured to direct the gas of the fuel cell stack to the sixth pipeline so as to be discharged after being silenced by the silencer.

[0015] In one embodiment, the discharge assembly includes a seventh pipeline and a fourth throttle valve, one end of the seventh pipeline is connected to the outlet end of the fuel cell stack, the other end of the seventh pipeline is connected to the humidifier, and the seventh pipeline is provided with a fourth throttle valve for controlling the opening and closing of the seventh pipeline.

[0016] In one embodiment, the discharge component also includes a steam-water separator and an eighth pipeline, the steam-water separator is arranged on the seventh pipeline, one end of the eighth pipeline is connected to the water outlet end of the steam-water separator, and the other end of the eighth pipeline is connected to the sixth pipeline to direct the gas separated by the steam-water separator to the sixth pipeline.

[0017] In one embodiment, the discharge assembly further includes a drain valve, which is disposed on the eighth pipeline and is located in front of the steam-water separator.

[0018] In one embodiment, a ninth pipeline is further included, one end of which is connected to the air outlet of the box.

[0019] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a vehicle, comprising a fuel cell and a fuel cell rapid cold start system as described in the first aspect.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] By using the third pipeline to return the gas coming out of the intercooler to the air compressor and compressing the gas multiple times in an internal circulation manner, the temperature of the gas can be higher than the ambient temperature and have a certain pressure. The compressed gas is then introduced into the box through the fifth pipeline to heat the fuel cell stack, which can greatly shorten the cooling start time and reduce the power consumption of the cold start. At the same time, the fourth pipeline is used to lead the bypass gas flow back to the turbine end of the air compressor, so that the energy waste of the bypass gas can be cleverly avoided, the energy consumption of the air compressor is reduced, and it is beneficial to improve the efficiency of the cold start system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fuel cell rapid cold start system of the present application.

[0023] Numbers in the figure:

[0024] 10. Battery stack; 20. Air subsystem; 21. Air compressor; 22. Intercooler; 23. Humidifier; 24. First pipeline; 25. Second pipeline; 26. First throttle valve; 27. Third pipeline; 28. Second throttle valve; 29. ​​Fourth pipeline; 210. Third throttle valve; 211. Fifth pipeline; 212. Gas filter; 213. Sixth pipeline; 214. Muffler; 215. Seventh pipeline; 216. Fourth throttle valve; 217. Steam-water separator; 218. Eighth pipeline; 219. Drain valve; 220. Ninth pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the present invention, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "longitudinal", "horizontal", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "head", "tail", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are constructed and operated in a specific direction, and are only for the convenience of describing the present technical solution, rather than indicating that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0026] The following is a further detailed description of the specific implementation of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1An embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell rapid cold start system, including a fuel cell stack 10 and an air subsystem 20 connected to the fuel cell stack 10. The exterior of the fuel cell stack 10 is arranged in a packaged box. The air subsystem 20 includes an air compressor 21, an intercooler 22, a humidifier 23, a third pipeline 27, a fourth pipeline 29 and a fifth pipeline 211.

[0028] Specifically, the inlet end of the intercooler 22 is connected to the compression end of the air compressor 21; the inlet end of the humidifier 23 is connected to the outlet end of the intercooler 22 through a first pipeline 24, and the outlet end of the humidifier 23 is connected to the gas inlet of the fuel cell stack 10 through a second pipeline 25, and a first throttle valve 26 is provided on the second pipeline 25, and the first throttle valve 26 is configured to control the gas flow entering the fuel cell stack 10; one end of the third pipeline 27 is connected to the inlet of the air compressor 21, and the other end of the third pipeline 27 is connected to the first pipeline 24, and a second throttle valve 28 is provided on the third pipeline 27; one end of the fourth pipeline 29 is connected to the first pipeline 24, and the other end of the fourth pipeline 29 is connected to the turbine end of the air compressor 21, and a third throttle valve 210 is provided on the fourth pipeline 29, and one end of the fifth pipeline 211 is connected to the first pipeline 24, and the other end of the fifth pipeline 211 is connected to the box.

[0029] Exemplarily, the function of the air compressor 21 is to compress the gas (such as air) introduced to form high-pressure gas to pass to the intercooler 22. The air compressor 21 will heat up the gas during the process of compressing the gas, so that the compressed high-pressure gas has a higher temperature, and heat exchange can be performed when it enters the intercooler 22, so that it can be introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 to cool the fuel cell stack 10 later. It should be noted that the air compressor 21 can be a component commonly used in the prior art for compressing gas, and its specific parameter settings can be determined according to actual conditions, and there is no limitation on this.

[0030] In addition, the power consumption of the air compressor 21 can be increased and the efficiency of the air compressor 21 can be reduced by increasing the compression ratio of the air compressor 21, thereby increasing the air intake temperature. The compression ratio of the air compressor 21 can be achieved through an intake regulating valve, thereby increasing the compression ratio of the air compressor 21 while reducing the excess air coefficient.

[0031] Exemplarily, the function of the intercooler 22 is to perform heat exchange on the compressed high-temperature gas so as to reduce the temperature of the gas, and then to maintain the temperature value required for the operation of the fuel cell stack 10 when the gas is subsequently introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 .

[0032] Exemplarily, the cooled gas is introduced into the humidifier 23 via the first pipeline 24 , and the gas is humidified by the humidifier 23 . The humidified gas is then introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 via the second pipeline 25 to maintain the humidity required for the reaction of the fuel cell stack 10 .

[0033] In order to facilitate understanding of the working principle of the fuel cell rapid cold start system of this embodiment, the following describes its different states, as follows:

[0034] When cold starting begins, external gas (such as air) is compressed by the air compressor 21 and then passed to the intercooler 22. Then, the second throttle valve 28 is opened, and the first throttle valve 26 and the third throttle valve 210 are closed, so that the gas coming out of the intercooler 22 flows back to the air compressor 21 through the third pipeline 27, forming an internal cycle. Multiple compressions can be achieved, so that the temperature of the gas coming out of the intercooler 22 is higher than the ambient temperature and has a certain pressure. Then, the compressed gas is passed into the box through the fifth pipeline 211 to heat the fuel cell stack 10, which can greatly shorten the cooling start time and reduce the power consumption of cold starting.

[0035] During the cold start stage, the first throttle valve 26 is opened, and then the gas flowing out of the humidifier 23 is passed into the fuel cell stack 10 through the second pipeline 25, and reacts with the hydrogen passed into the fuel cell stack 10 to generate electricity, heat and water. The generated electricity will power external components through DCDC, and the heat will be taken away by the circulating water, while the water generated after the reaction can enter the humidifier 23, thereby realizing the recycling of the water generated by the reaction; at the same time, the third throttle valve 210 is opened, and the bypass gas flow is led back to the turbine end of the air compressor 21 by using the fourth pipeline 29, so that the energy waste of the bypass gas can be cleverly avoided, the energy consumption of the air compressor 21 is reduced, and the efficiency of the cold start system is improved.

[0036] The fuel cell rapid cold start system based on the above-mentioned technical features utilizes the third pipeline 27 to flow the gas coming out of the intercooler 22 back into the air compressor 21, and compresses the gas multiple times in an internal circulation manner, so that the temperature of the gas can be higher than the ambient temperature and have a certain pressure. The compressed gas is then introduced into the box through the fifth pipeline 211 to heat the fuel cell stack 10, which can greatly shorten the cooling start time and reduce the power consumption of the cold start; at the same time, the fourth pipeline 29 is used to lead the bypass gas flow back to the turbine end of the air compressor 21, so that the energy waste of the bypass gas can be cleverly avoided, the energy consumption of the air compressor 21 is reduced, and it is beneficial to improve the efficiency of the cold start system.

[0037] Before the gas is introduced into the air compressor 21, the gas will be mixed with various impurities. In order to avoid damage to the air compressor 21 due to the introduction of impurities, in one embodiment, a gas filter 212 is further included. The gas filter 212 is connected to the inlet of the air compressor 21 through an air intake pipeline, and is used to pass the filtered air into the air compressor 21. In this way, the gas filter 212 is used to filter the introduced gas to filter out some impurities in the air, thereby ensuring the subsequent compression of the gas by the air compressor 21, which is conducive to extending the service life of the air compressor 21.

[0038] In one embodiment, a sixth pipeline 213 is further included, one end of the sixth pipeline 213 is connected to the outlet end of the air compressor 21 , and the other end of the sixth pipeline 213 is communicated with the outside.

[0039] In one embodiment, a muffler 214 is further included, and the muffler 214 is disposed at one end of the sixth pipeline 213 away from the air compressor 21, and the muffler 214 is configured to muffle the gas flowing out of the air compressor 21. In this way, the gas in the air compressor 21 is discharged through the sixth pipeline 213, and the gas is discharged to the outside after passing through the muffler 214, which can effectively avoid generating a large noise during the working process and affecting the external environment.

[0040] In one embodiment, a discharge assembly is further included, and the discharge assembly is configured to direct the gas of the fuel cell stack 10 to the fifth pipeline 211 so as to be discharged after being silenced by the muffler 214 .

[0041] In one embodiment, the discharge component includes a seventh pipeline 215 and a fourth throttle valve 216, one end of the seventh pipeline 215 is connected to the outlet end of the fuel cell stack 10, the other end of the seventh pipeline 215 is connected to the humidifier 23, and the seventh pipeline 215 is provided with a fourth throttle valve 216 for controlling the opening and closing of the seventh pipeline 215.

[0042] Exemplarily, after the gas to be introduced (such as air) reacts with the introduced hydrogen in the fuel cell stack 10, the fourth throttle valve 216 is opened, and the water vapor generated by the reaction in the fuel cell stack 10 is introduced into the humidifier 23 via the seventh pipeline 215, so that the water generated by the reaction can be recycled.

[0043] In one embodiment, the discharge assembly further includes a steam-water separator 217 and an eighth pipeline 218, wherein the steam-water separator 217 is disposed on the seventh pipeline 215, one end of the eighth pipeline 218 is connected to the water outlet of the steam-water separator 217, and the other end of the eighth pipeline 218 is connected to the sixth pipeline 213, so that the gas separated by the steam-water separator 217 flows to the sixth pipeline 213. In this way, the steam-water separator 217 is used to separate the water vapor after the reaction in the battery stack 10, and the separated water flows into the humidifier 23 through the seventh pipeline 215, so as to realize the recycling of the water generated by the reaction, and the separated gas flows into the sixth pipeline 213 through the eighth pipeline 218, and is subsequently discharged after being silenced by the muffler 214.

[0044] In one embodiment, the discharge assembly further includes a drain valve 219 , which is disposed on the eighth pipeline 218 and is located in front of the steam-water separator 217 .

[0045] In one embodiment, a ninth pipeline 220 is further included, and one end of the ninth pipeline 220 is connected to the gas outlet of the box. In this way, the gas in the box can be discharged to the outside through the ninth pipeline 220 to form a circulating airflow. Since the gas introduced into the box has a certain temperature, the periphery of the stack 10 can be heated to keep the periphery of the stack 10 in a dry environment to avoid insulation failure on the outer surface of the stack 10 due to excessive humidity.

[0046] An embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a fuel cell and a fuel cell rapid cold start system as in the first aspect.

[0047] The vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure adopts the above-mentioned fuel cell rapid cold start system, and the technical effects thereof are consistent with the above-mentioned fuel cell rapid cold start system, which will not be described in detail here.

[0048] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principle of the present invention. These improvements and substitutions should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell rapid cold start system, characterized in that: It includes a battery stack and an air subsystem connected to the battery stack, the outside of the battery stack is arranged in a packaged box, and the air subsystem includes: Air compressor; An intercooler, wherein an inlet end of the intercooler is connected to a compression end of the air compressor; A humidifier, wherein the inlet end of the humidifier is connected to the outlet end of the intercooler through a first pipeline, and the outlet end of the humidifier is connected to the gas inlet of the fuel cell stack through a second pipeline, and a first throttle valve is provided on the second pipeline, and the first throttle valve is configured to control the gas flow rate entering the fuel cell stack; A third pipeline, one end of which is connected to the inlet of the air compressor, the other end of which is connected to the first pipeline, and a second throttle valve is provided on the third pipeline; a fourth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the first pipeline, the other end of which is connected to the turbine end of the air compressor, and a third throttle valve is provided on the fourth pipeline; A fifth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the first pipeline, and the other end of which is connected to the box.

2. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a gas filter, which is connected to the inlet of the air compressor through an air intake pipeline and is used to pass filtered air into the air compressor.

3. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a sixth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the outlet end of the air compressor, and the other end of the sixth pipeline is communicated with the outside.

4. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a muffler, which is arranged at one end of the sixth pipeline away from the air compressor, and the muffler is configured to mute the gas flowing out of the air compressor.

5. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a discharge component, which is configured to direct the gas of the fuel cell stack to the sixth pipeline so as to be discharged after being silenced by the silencer.

6. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The discharge component includes a seventh pipeline and a fourth throttle valve. One end of the seventh pipeline is connected to the gas outlet end of the fuel cell stack, and the other end of the seventh pipeline is connected to the humidifier. The seventh pipeline is provided with a fourth throttle valve for controlling the opening and closing of the seventh pipeline.

7. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The discharge component also includes a steam-water separator and an eighth pipeline. The steam-water separator is arranged on the seventh pipeline. One end of the eighth pipeline is connected to the water outlet end of the steam-water separator, and the other end of the eighth pipeline is connected to the sixth pipeline to direct the gas separated by the steam-water separator to the sixth pipeline.

8. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The discharge assembly further comprises a drain valve, which is arranged on the eighth pipeline and is located in front of the steam-water separator.

9. The fuel cell rapid cold start system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a ninth pipeline, one end of which is connected to the air outlet of the box.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a fuel cell and a fuel cell rapid cold start system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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