Air thrust bearing structure for fuel cell system assembly, fuel cell system assembly and fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular to an air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component, the fuel cell system component is provided with a casing and a rotor shaft rotating around a rotation axis, the air thrust bearing structure is axially limited when the rotor shaft rotates, and the air thrust bearing structure comprises a base plate fixed on the casing; the top foil is fixedly connected with the substrate; the bump foil is located between the top foil and the base plate and fixedly connected with the base plate, the bump foil is provided with M successive arrays in the radial direction according to the rotation axis, each array is provided with wave crests and wave troughs which are distributed alternately, at least one wave trough in all the wave troughs is opposite to the wave crests in the adjacent array, and M is a positive integer larger than 1. The utility model also relates to a fuel cell system assembly and a fuel cell system. By optimizing the configuration and arrangement mode of the wave crests and the wave troughs in each arrangement of the bump foil, the contact area of the top foil and the bump foil under the vibration working condition is increased, the abrasion of the contact part of the top foil and the rotor shaft is reduced, and the service life is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to an air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component, a fuel cell system component and a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of society, the demand for clean and renewable energy is increasing. Fuel cells, as a highly efficient electrochemical device, can directly convert chemical energy into electrical energy and are widely used in transportation, portable and stationary power generation and other fields. Fuel cell systems usually include key components such as air compressors, whose performance has an important impact on system efficiency and reliability. Air compressors usually use high-speed rotor systems with a maximum operating speed of more than 100,000 revolutions per minute, which places high demands on the dynamic performance of bearings. Conventional rolling bearings tend to generate significant friction power consumption under high speed conditions, so it is difficult to meet the use requirements of fuel cell system components.

[0003] In recent years, air bearings have been widely used in the field of high-speed rotating machinery due to their advantages such as low friction coefficient and wide speed adaptability range. They are considered to be ideal supporting components for high-speed air compressors. Among them, air thrust bearings can be used to balance the axial load of the rotor shaft of the high-speed air compressor and limit the axial displacement of the rotor shaft. The existing air thrust bearings mainly include two opposing bearing structures, which are usually located on both sides of the rotor shaft or the flying disc or thrust disk on the rotor shaft. Each bearing structure is mainly composed of a base plate, a wave foil and a top foil, wherein the top foil is usually directly facing the end face of the rotor shaft or facing a component rotating with the rotor shaft, such as a flying disc. However, this structure is very likely to cause top foil wear when subjected to high-frequency and long-duration axial vibration impact loads.

[0004] Therefore, there is still a practical need for further improvement of the air thrust bearing structure of fuel cell system components. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component, an improved fuel cell system component and an improved fuel cell system, so as to at least solve part of the problems in the prior art and / or overcome other possible shortcomings not mentioned in this article.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the utility model, an air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component is provided, wherein the fuel cell system component has a housing and a rotor shaft suitable for rotating in a rotation direction relative to the housing around a rotation axis, the air thrust bearing structure is configured to axially limit the rotor shaft when the rotor shaft rotates, and the air thrust bearing structure comprises: a substrate, the substrate is configured to be fixed to the housing; a top foil, the top foil is configured to be fixedly connected to the substrate; and a wave foil, the wave foil is located between the top foil and the substrate and is fixedly connected to the substrate, the wave foil has M arrangements in a radial direction in succession with reference to the rotation axis, each arrangement has alternately distributed crests and troughs, at least one trough of all the troughs of the M arrangements is opposite to a crest of an adjacent arrangement, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the rotor shaft has a flying disc fixed on the rotor shaft, and the air thrust bearing structure is configured so that the top foil faces the flying disc in an assembled state.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the crests and troughs of each arrangement are arranged alternately with the crests and troughs of an adjacent arrangement.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, each arrangement extends in a circumferential direction with reference to the rotation axis.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the width center of the trough opposite to the adjacently arranged wave crests is aligned with the highest point of the adjacently arranged wave crests.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, M is greater than or equal to 4.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the M arrangements include a first arrangement, a second arrangement, a third arrangement and a fourth arrangement in order of distance from the rotation axis from near to far, wherein the first arrangement includes at least N peaks and N+1 troughs, the second arrangement includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, the third arrangement includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, and the fourth arrangement includes at least N+2 peaks and N+3 troughs, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, wherein:

[0013] The N+1 troughs of the first arrangement are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the second arrangement; and / or

[0014] N of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement are opposite to the N peaks of the first arrangement; and / or

[0015] N+1 of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement are opposite to N+1 of the peaks of the third arrangement; and / or

[0016] N+1 of the N+2 troughs of the third arrangement are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the second arrangement; and / or

[0017] The N+2 troughs of the third arrangement are opposite to the N+2 peaks of the fourth arrangement; and / or

[0018] N+1 troughs among the N+3 troughs of the fourth arrangement are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the third arrangement.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first arrangement has a first arrangement first wave peak and a first arrangement second wave peak in sequence in the rotation direction, wherein the height of the first arrangement second wave peak is greater than the height of the first arrangement first wave peak.

[0020] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second arrangement has a second arrangement first wave peak, a second arrangement second wave peak and a second arrangement third wave peak in the rotation direction, wherein the height of the second arrangement third wave peak is greater than the height of the second arrangement second wave peak, and the height of the second arrangement second wave peak is greater than the height of the second arrangement first wave peak.

[0021] According to an optional embodiment of the utility model, the third arrangement has a third arrangement first wave peak, a third arrangement second wave peak and a third arrangement third wave peak in the rotation direction, wherein the height of the third arrangement third wave peak is greater than the height of the third arrangement second wave peak, and the height of the third arrangement second wave peak is greater than the height of the third arrangement first wave peak.

[0022] According to an optional embodiment of the utility model, the fourth arrangement has a fourth arrangement first wave peak, a fourth arrangement second wave peak, a fourth arrangement third wave peak and a fourth arrangement fourth wave peak in the rotation direction, wherein the height of the fourth arrangement fourth wave peak is greater than or equal to the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak, the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak, and the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement first wave peak.

[0023] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first wave peak of the first arrangement, the first wave peak of the second arrangement, the first wave peak of the third arrangement and the first wave peak of the fourth arrangement have the same wave peak height.

[0024] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second wave peaks in the first arrangement, the second wave peaks in the second arrangement, the second wave peaks in the third arrangement and the second wave peaks in the fourth arrangement have the same wave peak heights.

[0025] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the third wave peaks in the second arrangement, the third wave peaks in the third arrangement and the third wave peaks in the fourth arrangement have the same wave peak heights.

[0026] According to an optional embodiment of the utility model, K assemblies are fixed on a base plate of the air thrust bearing structure, each assembly includes a top foil and a wave foil, and the K assemblies are constructed to be rotationally symmetric with reference to the rotation axis, wherein K is a positive integer multiple of 3.

[0027] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, all the peaks in the M arrangements have the same peak width.

[0028] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, all the troughs in the M arrangements have the same trough width.

[0029] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the fuel cell system component is an air compressor.

[0030] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the maximum operating speed of the rotor shaft is not less than 100,000 revolutions per minute.

[0031] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the corrugated foil is configured as a stamped part.

[0032] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, for one assembly, the top foil and the bump foil are fixed at the same welding position of the substrate.

[0033] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, K is equal to 6.

[0034] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell system component is provided, wherein the fuel cell system component comprises at least one air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component provided by any optional embodiment of the first aspect.

[0035] According to an optional embodiment of the utility model, the fuel cell system component is constructed as an air compressor and includes: a casing; an impeller suitable for rotating relative to the casing around a rotation axis; a rotor shaft driving the impeller to rotate, the rotor shaft having a flying disc fixed on the rotor shaft, the flying disc having two surfaces opposite to each other in the direction of the rotation axis; and two air thrust bearing structures respectively located on both sides of the flying disc, the two air thrust bearing structures respectively facing the two surfaces of the flying disc with their respective top foils.

[0036] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell system is provided, wherein the fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell system component provided by any optional embodiment of the second aspect.

[0037] Through the embodiments of the utility model, by optimizing the configuration and arrangement of the peaks and troughs in each arrangement of the wave foil, the contact area between the top foil and the wave foil under vibration conditions is increased, thereby reducing the wear of the contact portion between the top foil and the rotor shaft, thereby extending the service life of the air thrust bearing structure and even the fuel cell system components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the principles, features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. The accompanying drawings include:

[0039] Figure 1 A perspective view of an air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model is shown;

[0040] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the air thrust bearing structure is shown;

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic side sectional view of a fuel cell system component in an assembled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model is shown;

[0042] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the air thrust bearing structure shown, wherein the top foil is not shown;

[0043] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 A is a partial enlarged view shown;

[0044] Figure 6 Shows from Figure 3 A schematic perspective view viewed from direction B shown;

[0045] Figure 7 Shown along Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of the CC section plane shown; and

[0046] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0047] Reference numerals:

[0048] 3000: fuel cell system; 3100: fuel cell stack; 3101: cathode; 2000: fuel cell system components; 2100: rotor shaft; 2200: flying disc; 2001: impeller; 1000: air thrust bearing structure; 1001: first air thrust bearing structure; 1002: second air thrust bearing structure; 900: top foil; 800: wave foil; 700: substrate; x1: first arrangement; x2: second arrangement; x3: third arrangement; x4: fourth arrangement; x11: first wave peak of first arrangement; x12: first wave peak of first arrangement Second wave peak; x21: first wave peak of second arrangement; x22: second wave peak of second arrangement; x23: third wave peak of second arrangement; x31: first wave peak of third arrangement; x32: second wave peak of third arrangement; x33: third wave peak of third arrangement; x41: first wave peak of fourth arrangement; x42: second wave peak of fourth arrangement; x43: third wave peak of fourth arrangement; x44: fourth wave peak of fourth arrangement; L: rotation axis; R: rotation direction; G: welding part; F: force; P: highest point; h: peak height; b1: peak width; b2: trough width. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, and that the various embodiments may share the same view or multiple views for description, but all features appearing in the same view cannot be interpreted as features that must be possessed by an embodiment.

[0050] First, for ease of understanding, the description in the background technology section of the utility model can be traced back or recalled. One of the purposes of the utility model is to provide an air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component, the fuel cell system component having a housing and a rotor shaft suitable for rotating in a rotation direction relative to the housing around a rotation axis, the air thrust bearing structure is configured to limit the axial position of the rotor shaft when the rotor shaft rotates, and the air thrust bearing structure includes: a substrate, the substrate is configured to be fixed to the housing; a top foil, the top foil is configured to be fixedly connected to the substrate; and a wave foil, the wave foil is located between the top foil and the substrate and is fixedly connected to the substrate, the wave foil has M arrangements in a radial direction in succession with reference to the rotation axis, each arrangement has alternately distributed crests and troughs, at least one trough of all the troughs of the M arrangements is opposite to the crests of the adjacent arrangement, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1. Therefore, by optimizing the configuration and arrangement of the peaks and troughs in each arrangement of the corrugated foil, the contact area between the top foil and the corrugated foil under vibration conditions is increased, and the wear of the contact portion between the top foil and the rotor shaft is reduced, thereby extending the service life of the air thrust bearing structure and even the fuel cell system components.

[0051] Exemplary embodiments of the present utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 A perspective view of an air thrust bearing structure 1000 for a fuel cell system assembly 2000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 is shown; Figure 3 A schematic side cross-sectional view of a fuel cell system assembly 2000 in an assembled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 Combination Figure 3 As shown, the air thrust bearing structure 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used in a fuel cell system component 2000. Figure 3 2 shows an air compressor as a fuel cell system component 2000 of a fuel cell system 3000 (see also the following description for this). Figure 8 ). However, it should be understood that the air thrust bearing structure 1000 according to the embodiment of the utility model can also be used for other high-speed rotating components of the fuel cell system 3000, such as a turbocharger, etc. Figure 3In the embodiment, the fuel cell system component 2000 includes a housing (not shown here), an impeller 2001 and a rotor shaft 2100, wherein the rotor shaft 2100 drives the impeller 2001 to rotate around a rotation axis L relative to the housing in a rotation direction R, where the rotation direction R can be exemplified as follows Figures 4 to 7 As shown. Figure 3 As shown, the rotor shaft 2100 may have a fixed Figure 3 The flying disc 2200 is exemplarily formed on the rotor shaft 2100, and the flying disc 2200 has two surfaces facing each other in the direction of the rotation axis L. Figure 3 In the orientation shown, there are two side surfaces on the left and right. In combination with the background technology, when the fuel cell system 3000 is subjected to continuous vibration conditions with high frequency and acceleration, the rotor shaft 2100 or its flying disc 2200 will be subjected to continuous axial alternating impact loads, thereby repeatedly hitting other components on both sides, which seriously affects the overall performance and service life of the fuel cell system component 2000. In order to solve this problem, for example, on both sides of the end face of the rotor shaft 2100 itself or on both sides of the end face of the component rotating with it, or as Figure 3 As shown in the exemplary embodiment, an air thrust bearing structure 1000 according to an embodiment of the present utility model is respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the flying disc 2200 . Figure 3 The first air thrust bearing structure 1001 and the second air thrust bearing structure 1002 are shown as examples of air thrust bearing structures 1000. When the rotor shaft 2100 rotates, these air thrust bearing structures 1000 form an air film between the rotor shaft 2100 (especially the flying disc 2200 thereof) to limit the axial position of the rotor shaft 2100 or the flying disc 2200. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first air thrust bearing structure 1001 and the second air thrust bearing structure 1002 as the air thrust bearing structure 1000 are particularly symmetrically arranged with reference to the flying disc 2200 and respectively include a base plate 700, a bump foil 800 and a top foil 900, wherein, in the case of Figure 3 In the assembly state shown, the base plate 700 is fixed to a housing (not shown here) (this can also be understood as the base plate 700 being fixed to other components fixed to the housing), the top foil 900 faces the flying disc 2200 and is fixedly connected to the base plate 700, and the bump foil 800 is located between the top foil 900 and the base plate 700 and is fixedly connected to the base plate 700 (this can also be seen in the following description). Figure 7 ). For clarity, Figure 2The rotation axis L is used in the other drawings to represent the central axis of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 itself. It can also be understood that when the air thrust bearing structure 1000 is assembled in the fuel cell system component 2000, the central axis of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 itself coincides with the rotation axis L of the fuel cell system component 2000. Figure 3 In the case where the first air thrust bearing structure 1001 and the second air thrust bearing structure 1002 are respectively arranged on both sides of the flying disc 2200 of the rotor shaft 2100, the air thrust bearing structure 1000 itself may have a central opening that allows the rotor shaft 2100 to pass through (also as described below). Figure 4 shown).

[0054] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 is shown, wherein the top foil 900 is not shown; Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 A is a partial enlarged view shown.

[0055] like Figure 4 Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, K assemblies are fixed on a base plate 700 of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 , each assembly comprising a top foil 900 and a bump foil 800 . The K assemblies are constructed to be rotationally symmetric with reference to a rotation axis L, wherein K is a positive integer multiple of 3. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The example shows six assemblies, that is, K is equal to 6, but it should be understood that K can also be other positive integer multiples of 3, such as three assemblies, nine assemblies, or twelve assemblies. Thus, the air thrust bearing structure 1000 can achieve all-round support in the axial direction for the rotor shaft 2100 and the flying disc 2200 by adopting multiple groups of distribution in the annular array. In the preferred embodiment of six assemblies, while ensuring sufficient axial support capacity of the air film, the structural complexity is also reduced to a certain extent.

[0056] like Figure 5 Combination Figure 4 As shown, in the radial direction with reference to the rotation axis L, the bump foils 800 in one assembly have M arrangements that are arranged one after the other, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1. Figure 4 and Figure 5The example shows four arrangements, that is, M is equal to 4, but it should be understood that M can also be other positive integers greater than 1, but preferably greater than or equal to 4, so as to more fully and densely occupy the area where the assembly is located. Here, each arrangement has alternately distributed crests and troughs, and at least one of all these troughs is opposite to the crests of the adjacent arrangement. Within the scope of the present invention, the trough of one arrangement is opposite to the crest of the adjacent arrangement, which means that the trough is at least not aligned with the trough of the adjacent arrangement. In the prior art, multiple arrangements of corrugated foils in the radial direction are usually constructed as follows: the crests of one arrangement are aligned with the crests of the adjacent arrangement to form neat linear protrusions; the troughs of one arrangement are aligned with the troughs of the adjacent arrangement to form neat linear depressions. The problem caused by this is that when the rotor shaft rotates at high speed and a certain vibration is superimposed, the rotor shaft together with the flying disc fixed thereon will be subjected to continuous axial alternating impact loads, causing the flying disc to repeatedly hit the top foils on both sides. Since the other side of the top foil is a neat linear protrusion formed by the alignment of multiple wave crests of the wave foil and a neat linear depression formed by the alignment of multiple wave troughs, when the air film stiffness is insufficient, the top foil will partially collapse due to the shape of the wave foil, so that the top foil has no support at the linear depression and only contacts the linear protrusion, which makes the axial impact load concentrated on a very small contact area, causing accelerated wear of the wear-resistant coating of the top foil. Once the coating is worn through, the base metal of the top foil will be directly exposed and damaged, which may cause the top foil to crack in severe cases, thereby causing the bearing system to fail. In the case of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 of the embodiment of the utility model, since at least one wave trough is opposite to the adjacent wave crests, that is, the wave trough is at least not aligned with the adjacent wave troughs, a neat linear depression is not formed at least here. When the top foil is deformed by the impact load as described above, the collapse of the top foil caused by the trough of the wave foil can be at least partially supported by its relative wave crest, avoiding large-area collapse of the top foil, thereby increasing the actual contact area between the flying disc and the top foil. Since the impact load is dispersed over a larger contact area, the compressive stress per unit area is significantly reduced, greatly slowing down the wear rate of the top foil wear-resistant coating, thereby extending the service life of the air thrust bearing structure and even the fuel cell system components.

[0057] Preferably, also Figure 5 Combination Figure 4As shown in the exemplary embodiment, each arrangement extends in the circumferential direction with reference to the rotation axis L, and the peaks and troughs of each arrangement are arranged alternately with the peaks and troughs of the adjacent arrangement. In the case where the bump foil 800 in an assembly has four or more arrangements, the M arrangements of the bump foil 800 include the first arrangement x1, the second arrangement x2, the third arrangement x3 and the fourth arrangement x4 in order of distance from the rotation axis L from near to far, wherein the first arrangement x1 includes at least N peaks and N+1 troughs, the second arrangement x2 includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, the third arrangement x3 includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, and the fourth arrangement x4 includes at least N+2 peaks and N+3 troughs, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The case where N is equal to 2 is exemplified. However, it should be understood that N may also be other positive integers greater than or equal to 1. Here, in order to better compensate for the problem of too small contact area caused by the troughs of each arrangement, the following preferred arrangement schemes may be involved: the N+1 troughs of the first arrangement x1 are opposite to the N+1 crests of the second arrangement; and / or the N troughs of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement x2 are opposite to the N crests of the first arrangement; and / or the N+1 troughs of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement x2 are opposite to the N+1 crests of the third arrangement; and / or the N+1 troughs of the N+2 troughs of the third arrangement x3 are opposite to the N+1 crests of the second arrangement; and / or the N+2 troughs of the third arrangement x3 are opposite to the N+2 crests of the fourth arrangement; and / or the N+1 troughs of the N+3 troughs of the fourth arrangement x4 are opposite to the N+1 crests of the third arrangement. By arranging some or all of the crests and troughs between adjacent arrangements in a staggered manner, cross auxiliary support can be achieved when the top foil 900 is deformed, thereby at least partially avoiding wear caused by excessive collapse of the top foil 900.

[0058] On this basis, in order to still meet the size requirements of the wedge-shaped gap for the air film formed between the top foil 900 of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 and the rotor shaft 2100 or the flying disc 2200, the following preferred arrangement scheme may be involved: the first arrangement x1 has the first arrangement first wave peak x11 and the first arrangement second wave peak x12 in the rotation direction R, wherein the height of the first arrangement second wave peak x12 is greater than the height of the first arrangement first wave peak x11; and / or the second arrangement x2 has the second arrangement first wave peak x21, the second arrangement second wave peak x22 and the second arrangement third wave peak x23 in the rotation direction R, wherein the height of the second arrangement third wave peak x23 is greater than the height of the second arrangement second wave peak x22, and the height of the second arrangement second wave peak x22 is greater than the height of the second arrangement first wave peak x21; and / or the third arrangement x3 has the third arrangement first wave peak x31, the third arrangement second wave peak x32 and the third arrangement third wave peak x33 in the rotation direction R, wherein the height of the third arrangement third wave peak x33 is greater than the height of the third arrangement second wave peak x32, and the height of the third arrangement second wave peak x32 is greater than the height of the third arrangement first wave peak x31; and / or the fourth arrangement x4 has the fourth arrangement first wave peak x41, the fourth arrangement second wave peak x42, the fourth arrangement third wave peak x43 and the fourth arrangement fourth wave peak x44 in the rotation direction R, wherein the height of the fourth arrangement fourth wave peak x44 is greater than or equal to the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak x43, the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak x43 is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak x42, and the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak x42 is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement first wave peak x41. Thus, by setting a step-like distribution of wave peak heights that basically increases along the rotation direction R inside each arrangement, a wedge-shaped gap that is beneficial to the air film can be formed, thereby improving the bearing support stiffness and achieving stable bearing capacity within a wide speed range.

[0059] On this basis, in order to optimize the overall peak height distribution on the wave foil 800, the following preferred peak height design scheme may be involved: the height of the first peak x11 of the first arrangement is equal to the height of the first peak x21 of the second arrangement is equal to the height of the first peak x31 of the third arrangement is equal to the height of the first peak x41 of the fourth arrangement; and / or the height of the second peak x12 of the first arrangement is equal to the height of the second peak x22 of the second arrangement is equal to the height of the second peak x32 of the third arrangement is equal to the height of the second peak x42 of the fourth arrangement; and / or the height of the third peak x23 of the second arrangement is equal to the height of the third peak x33 of the third arrangement is equal to the height of the third peak x43 of the fourth arrangement. Thus, by setting the peaks of different arrangements to the same height, the complexity of the peak height change can be appropriately simplified while ensuring the continuity and uniformity of the overall profile of the wave foil. Excessive height gears are certainly conducive to the fine control of the air film pressure and load-bearing characteristics, but they may also introduce geometric dimension errors and cause peak profile deviations, which will increase the difficulty of processing and detection and affect production efficiency and cost. In the best embodiment, the height of each wave crest of the wave foil 800 of an assembly is divided into three levels, wherein: the first level height is the first wave crest x11 of the first arrangement, the first wave crest x21 of the second arrangement, the first wave crest x31 of the third arrangement and the first wave crest x41 of the fourth arrangement, for example, 0.2 mm; the second level height is the second wave crest x12 of the first arrangement, the second wave crest x22 of the second arrangement, the second wave crest x32 of the third arrangement and the second wave crest x42 of the fourth arrangement, for example, 0.3 mm; the third level height is the third wave crest x23 of the second arrangement, the third wave crest x33 of the third arrangement and the third wave crest x43 of the fourth arrangement and the fourth wave crest x44 of the fourth arrangement, for example, 0.4 mm. Thus, an air film control and support buffering effect matching the force characteristics of different regions of the bearing is formed, and the processing technology level is taken into account, achieving the best balance between performance, manufacturability and cost.

[0060] for Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, when the rotor shaft 2100 rotates at a high speed, the contact pressure between the second-arranged second wave peak x22 and the third-arranged second wave peak x32 in the center region of the wave foil 800 and the top foil 900 is the largest, which causes the top foil 900 to be surrounded by the second-arranged second wave peak x22 and the third-arranged second wave peak x32 (i.e. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the largest area collapses at the troughs (front, back, left, and right) of the top foil 900, so the top foil 900 will also be most severely worn at this location. Figure 5 In the arrangement of the embodiment shown, these wave valleys are supported by their adjacent wave crests, so the originally serious wear is mitigated. Here, since the wave foil is usually made of high-temperature alloy, the above-mentioned shapes of the wave foil 800 can be realized by a stamping process that is conducive to mass production.

[0061] Figure 6 Shows from Figure 3 A schematic perspective view viewed from direction B shown; Figure 7 Shown along Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of the CC section plane is shown.

[0062] for Figure 6 , only schematically showing the rotor shaft 2100 and the flying disc 2200 fixed thereon, wherein the first air thrust bearing structure 1001 (also referred to in Figure 3 ) is blocked by the flying disc 2200 Figure 6 Here, the CC section plane can be understood as being substantially perpendicular to the flying disc 2200 and thus also perpendicular to the first air thrust bearing structure 1001 as the air thrust bearing structure 1000. In order to more clearly show the internal structure of the air thrust bearing structure 1000, the CC section plane should be understood as a plane cut along the apex of each wave crest of one of the M arrangements, that is, a curved surface substantially along the circumferential direction. Figure 7 The same arrangement is shown schematically with solid lines (e.g. Figure 5 The three peaks and four troughs in the second arrangement x2 or the third arrangement x3) are shown in FIG. 1 , and two peaks in adjacent arrangements are schematically shown by dashed lines. Figure 7 As shown, two of the troughs shown by the solid lines are opposite to two adjacently arranged peaks shown by the dotted lines. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The thick arrows in the figure schematically show the force F that causes the flying disc 2200 to press toward the first air thrust bearing structure 1001 as the air thrust bearing structure 1000 due to the rotation of the rotor shaft 2200 in the rotation direction R. Figure 7 As shown, since the flying disc 2200 is pressed against the air thrust bearing structure 1000 with a force F, when the force F is too large, the flying disc 2200 will contact the top foil 900 and thereby press against the wave foil 800. In the case of adopting the embodiment of the utility model, since the trough between two wave crests in one arrangement is opposite to the wave crest of the adjacent arrangement, even under the action of an excessively large force F, the top foil 900 will not be too close to the trough between the two wave crests but will be supported by the relative wave crest (as shown by the dotted line), thereby significantly improving the axial support performance and impact load resistance of the air thrust bearing structure 1000 for the high-speed rotating rotor shaft 2100.

[0063] Figure 7The peak width b1 of one of the peaks and the trough width b2 of one of the troughs are schematically shown, where the peak width b1 is, for example, 1 mm to 2 mm, and the trough width b2 is, for example, less than 1 mm. In a preferred embodiment, all the peaks have the same peak width b1, and all the troughs have the same trough width b2, thereby further improving the uniformity of the air film pressure distribution and facilitating mass production.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, Figure 7 As shown by the dashed line on the right, the center of the width of the trough opposite to the adjacent wave crest is preferably aligned with the apex or highest point P of the adjacent wave crest, and the highest point P is also the reference for measuring the wave crest height h. Figure 7 As shown by the dotted line on the left, the center of the width of the trough opposite to the adjacent arranged wave crest may also deviate from the apex or highest point of the adjacent arranged wave crest, but the width of the wave crest still basically covers the width of the trough, which can still achieve the effect of increasing the contact area of ​​the top foil 900 and thereby reducing wear.

[0065] Figure 7 Two assemblies are schematically shown one behind the other in the rotation direction R, wherein the first assembly schematically shows its complete top foil 900 and bump foil 800, and the second assembly schematically shows only its partial top foil 900 and bump foil 800. Figure 7 It can be seen that the top foil 900 and the bump foil 800 of the same assembly are fixed at the same welding position G (schematically represented by a dotted line box) of the substrate 700. Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The figure also schematically shows the welding positions G for a single assembly with three circles. Sharing the welding positions G not only simplifies the manufacturing process, but also facilitates the support of the bump foil 800 to the top foil 900 to form a stable air film.

[0066] from Figure 7 It can also be seen that when the rotor shaft 2100 drives the flying disc 2200 to rotate along the rotation direction R, under the action of the force F, the flying disc 2200 is pressed against the first air thrust bearing structure 1001 as the air thrust bearing structure 1000. Figure 7 The solid line schematically shows the wave crest heights that increase from left to right, so that the top foil 900 is still deformed even under the action of an excessively large force F. Figure 7The rightmost crest, the middle crest and the leftmost crest shown by the solid line are supported in sequence, and in the trough between every two solid line crests, a large area of ​​collapse will not be formed due to the auxiliary support of the relative crest (as shown by the dotted line). Therefore, even if the force F has an excessively large impact, the wear of the flying disc 2200 on the top foil 900 is also slowed down due to the large area contact between the two.

[0067] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a fuel cell system 3000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the fuel cell system 3000 includes a stack 3100, and the stack 3100 has a cathode 3101 and an anode not shown. The fuel cell system 3000 also includes an air compressor as a fuel cell system component 2000. Here, the air compressor delivers compressed air toward the cathode 3101 of the stack 3100 for the electrochemical reaction of the stack 3100. In order to increase the air intake (especially oxygen in the air), and thus improve the power density and efficiency of the fuel cell system 3000, the maximum operating speed of the rotor shaft of the air compressor is generally not less than 100,000 rpm. Under such high-speed working conditions, the air thrust bearing structure 1000 provided by the embodiment of the utility model is particularly conducive to ensuring the stable operation of the fuel cell system component 2000, thereby effectively improving the overall reliability of the fuel cell system 3000. Figure 8 The air delivery path supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell stack is schematically shown by thick arrows, and for the sake of clarity, other necessary components of the fuel cell system 3000 are omitted here.

[0068] Other advantages and alternative embodiments of the present invention are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific details, representative structures and exemplary embodiments shown and described in its broader sense. Various modifications and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component, It is characterized in that The fuel cell system component (2000) comprises a housing and a rotor shaft (2100) adapted to rotate about a rotation axis (L) relative to the housing in a rotation direction (R); the air thrust bearing structure (1000) is configured to axially limit the rotor shaft (2100) when the rotor shaft (2100) rotates; the air thrust bearing structure (1000) comprises: A base plate (700), wherein the base plate (700) is configured to be fixed to the housing; a top foil (900), the top foil (900) being configured to be fixedly connected to the substrate (700); and A corrugated foil (800), wherein the corrugated foil (800) is located between the top foil (900) and the substrate (700) and is fixedly connected to the substrate (700), wherein the corrugated foil (800) has M arrangements successively arranged in a radial direction with reference to the rotation axis (L), each arrangement having alternately distributed crests and troughs, and at least one trough among all the troughs of the M arrangements is opposite to a crest of an adjacent arrangement, wherein M is a positive integer greater than 1.

2. The air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The rotor shaft (2100) has a flying disc (2200) fixed on the rotor shaft (2100), and the air thrust bearing structure (1000) is configured so that the top foil (900) faces the flying disc (2200) in an assembled state; and / or The peaks and troughs of each arrangement are staggered with the peaks and troughs of an adjacent arrangement; and / or Each arrangement extends in a circumferential direction with reference to said axis of rotation (L); and / or The width center of the trough opposite to the adjacent arranged peak is aligned with the highest point of the adjacent arranged peak; and / or M is greater than or equal to 4.

3. The air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The M arrangements include, in order of distance from the rotation axis (L) from near to far, a first arrangement (x1), a second arrangement (x2), a third arrangement (x3) and a fourth arrangement (x4), wherein the first arrangement (x1) includes at least N peaks and N+1 troughs, the second arrangement (x2) includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, the third arrangement (x3) includes at least N+1 peaks and N+2 troughs, and the fourth arrangement (x4) includes at least N+2 peaks and N+3 troughs, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, wherein: The N+1 troughs of the first arrangement (x1) are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the second arrangement; and / or N of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement (x2) are opposite to the N peaks of the first arrangement; and / or N+1 of the N+2 troughs of the second arrangement (x2) are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the third arrangement; and / or N+1 of the N+2 troughs of the third arrangement (x3) are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the second arrangement; and / or The N+2 troughs of the third arrangement (x3) are opposite to the N+2 peaks of the fourth arrangement; and / or N+1 of the N+3 troughs of the fourth arrangement (x4) are opposite to the N+1 peaks of the third arrangement.

4. The air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The first arrangement (x1) has a first arrangement first wave peak (x11) and a first arrangement second wave peak (x12) in sequence in the rotation direction (R), wherein the height of the first arrangement second wave peak (x12) is greater than the height of the first arrangement first wave peak (x11); and / or The second arrangement (x2) has, in the rotation direction (R), a second arrangement first wave peak (x21), a second arrangement second wave peak (x22), and a second arrangement third wave peak (x23), wherein the height of the second arrangement third wave peak (x23) is greater than the height of the second arrangement second wave peak (x22), and the height of the second arrangement second wave peak (x22) is greater than the height of the second arrangement first wave peak (x21); and / or The third arrangement (x3) has, in the rotation direction (R), a third arrangement first wave peak (x31), a third arrangement second wave peak (x32), and a third arrangement third wave peak (x33), wherein the height of the third arrangement third wave peak (x33) is greater than the height of the third arrangement second wave peak (x32), and the height of the third arrangement second wave peak (x32) is greater than the height of the third arrangement first wave peak (x31); and / or The fourth arrangement (x4) has, in the rotation direction (R), a fourth arrangement first wave peak (x41), a fourth arrangement second wave peak (x42), a fourth arrangement third wave peak (x43) and a fourth arrangement fourth wave peak (x44), wherein the height of the fourth arrangement fourth wave peak (x44) is greater than or equal to the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak (x43), the height of the fourth arrangement third wave peak (x43) is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak (x42), and the height of the fourth arrangement second wave peak (x42) is greater than the height of the fourth arrangement first wave peak (x41).

5. The air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The first wave peak (x11) of the first arrangement, the first wave peak (x21) of the second arrangement, the first wave peak (x31) of the third arrangement, and the first wave peak (x41) of the fourth arrangement have the same wave peak height as each other; and / or The first arrangement second wave peak (x12), the second arrangement second wave peak (x22), the third arrangement second wave peak (x32) and the fourth arrangement second wave peak (x42) have the same wave peak height as each other; and / or The second arrangement third wave peak (x23), the third arrangement third wave peak (x33) and the fourth arrangement third wave peak (x43) have the same peak height as each other.

6. An air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that K assemblies are fixed on a base plate (700) of the air thrust bearing structure (1000), each assembly comprising a top foil (900) and a bump foil (800), the K assemblies being constructed to be rotationally symmetric with reference to the rotation axis (L), wherein K is a positive integer multiple of 3; and / or All the peaks in the M arrangements have the same peak width (b1) as each other; and / or All the valleys in the M arrangements have the same valley width (b2) as each other; and / or The fuel cell system component is an air compressor; and / or The maximum operating speed of the rotor shaft (2100) is not less than 100,000 revolutions per minute; and / or The corrugated foil (800) is configured as a stamped part.

7. The air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to claim 6, It is characterized in that For one assembly, the top foil (900) and the bump foil (800) are fixed at the same welding position (G) of the substrate (700); and / or K is equal to 6.

8. A fuel cell system component, It is characterized in that The fuel cell system component (2000) comprises at least one air thrust bearing structure for a fuel cell system component according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The fuel cell system assembly according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The fuel cell system component (2000) is configured as an air compressor and comprises: chassis; an impeller (2001) adapted to rotate relative to the housing about an axis of rotation (L); a rotor shaft (2100) for driving the impeller (2001) to rotate, the rotor shaft (2100) having a flying disc (2200) fixed to the rotor shaft (2100), the flying disc (2200) having two surfaces facing each other in the direction of the rotation axis (L); and The two air thrust bearing structures are respectively located on both sides of the flying disc (2200), and the two air thrust bearing structures respectively face the two surfaces of the flying disc (2200) with their respective top foils (900).

10. A fuel cell system, It is characterized in that The fuel cell system (3000) comprises the fuel cell system component according to claim 8 or 9.

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