Bionic hexagonal bipolar plate

Abstract

The utility model discloses a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate which comprises a hexagonal plate body, the plate body is divided into four flow field areas by a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the plate body, the first flow field area, the second flow field area, the third flow field area and the fourth flow field area are respectively positioned on two sides of a central ridge; the outer edge of each flow field area comprises a side edge of the plate body connected with the central ridge and an area top edge positioned at the end part of the longitudinal axis; a plurality of inclined flow channels are arranged in each flow field area in parallel at intervals, and the inclined flow channels in each flow field area are sequentially communicated end to end; a flow field ridge is formed between every two adjacent inclined flow channels; the inclined flow channel located on the outermost side in the first flow field area is communicated with the flow channel inlet; and the inclined flow channel located on the outermost side in the fourth flow field area is communicated with the flow channel outlet. The utility model has the advantages that the drainage performance, the component distribution performance and the structural stability are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of hydrogen fuel cells, in particular to a bipolar plate. Background Art

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy. Due to its cleanness and pollution-free nature, it has been developing rapidly in recent years. The key components in hydrogen fuel cells include electrodes, proton exchange membranes, and bipolar plates. The bipolar plate surface is processed with flow channels, also known as flow fields, so the bipolar plate is also called a flow field plate. Its functions are to separate oxidants and reductants, collect current, guide the reaction gas to be evenly distributed, conduct heat, and drain water. The distribution structure of the flow field on the bipolar plate will greatly affect the reaction gas distribution, thermal conductivity, drainage speed, etc., which has an important impact on battery performance and battery operating efficiency.

[0003] In order to improve the mechanical strength of the bipolar plate and enhance the efficiency and stability of the electrochemical reaction of the hydrogen fuel cell, the applicant designed a hexagonal bipolar plate based on the honeycomb structure of bees. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate with a simple structure, greatly improved drainage performance, component distribution performance and structural stability, thereby greatly improving the working efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is: a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, including a plate body of the bipolar plate, the plate body is hexagonal, a diagonal line of the plate body is the horizontal axis, a straight line in the middle of the horizontal axis and perpendicular to the horizontal axis is the vertical axis, the intersection of the vertical and horizontal axes is the center of the plate body, a central ridge is arranged at the horizontal axis, the horizontal axis and the vertical axis divide the plate body into a first flow field area, a second flow field area, a third flow field area, and a fourth flow field area, the above four flow field areas are arranged in sequence in a clockwise direction, and the first flow field area, the second flow field area and the third flow field area, and the fourth flow field area are respectively located on both sides of the central ridge; the outer edge of each flow field area includes a side edge of the hexagonal plate body connected to the central ridge and a top edge of the area located at the end of the longitudinal axis;

[0006] In each flow field area, a number of oblique flow channels are arranged in parallel and at intervals, each oblique flow channel extends from the central ridge to the top edge of the area, and the oblique flow channels in each flow field area are arranged from the side of the flow field area to the center of the plate body at intervals, and the oblique flow channels in each flow field area are connected in sequence from end to end; a flow field ridge is formed between adjacent oblique flow channels;

[0007] Two oblique flow channels in the first flow field area and the second flow field area closest to the center of the plate body are connected at one end of the central ridge through a horizontally arranged first connecting flow channel;

[0008] An outermost oblique flow channel in the second flow field region is connected to an outermost oblique flow channel in the third flow field region at a central ridge position;

[0009] Two oblique flow channels in the third flow field area and the fourth flow field area closest to the center of the plate body, one end of which is located at the central ridge is connected through a horizontally arranged second connecting flow channel;

[0010] The flow channel inlet is located on the side of the first flow field area close to the central ridge, and the outermost inclined flow channel in the first flow field area is connected to the flow channel inlet; the flow channel outlet is located on the side of the fourth flow field area close to the central ridge, and the outermost inclined flow channel in the fourth flow field area is connected to the flow channel outlet.

[0011] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, the plate body is in the shape of a regular hexagon.

[0012] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, all flow channels are arranged in mirror symmetry with respect to the horizontal axis.

[0013] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, all flow channels are arranged in mirror symmetry with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0014] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, the two connected oblique flow channels near the top edge of the region are connected by a bent flow channel, and the bent flow channel includes a vertical flow channel parallel to the longitudinal axis, and two horizontal flow channels parallel to the top edge of the region, one end of the two horizontal flow channels are respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertical flow channel, and the other ends of the two horizontal flow channels are respectively connected to the two adjacent oblique flow channels; the two connected oblique flow channels near the center ridge are connected by a flat flow channel.

[0015] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, the angle between the oblique flow channel and the horizontal axis is 60°.

[0016] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, the cross-sections of all flow channels are one of square, triangle, inverted triangle, trapezoid, inverted trapezoid, circle, and ellipse.

[0017] Furthermore, in the aforementioned bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, the depth of all flow channels is 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0018] The advantages of the utility model are: the drainage performance, component distribution performance, and structural stability are greatly improved, and the hexagonal bipolar plate can arrange more flow channels within a limited bipolar plate area, thereby increasing the utilization space of the flow field structure in the bipolar plate, and can evenly distribute the reaction gas, reducing the problem of local reaction unevenness, and improving the efficiency and stability of the electrochemical reaction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate described in the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate includes a bipolar plate body 1, the plate body is in a hexagonal shape, and the plate body 1 described in this embodiment is in a regular hexagonal shape. The material of the plate body can be one of graphite, stainless steel, copper and titanium.

[0022] A diagonal line of the plate body 1 is taken as the horizontal axis 2, a straight line in the middle of the horizontal axis 2 and perpendicular to the horizontal axis 2 is taken as the vertical axis 3, and the intersection of the vertical and horizontal axes is the center of the plate body 4. A central ridge 21 is arranged at the position of the horizontal axis 2, and the horizontal axis 2 and the vertical axis 3 divide the plate body 1 into a first flow field area 5, a second flow field area 6, a third flow field area 7, and a fourth flow field area 8. The above four flow field areas are arranged in sequence in a clockwise direction, and the first flow field area 5 and the second flow field area 6 are located on the same side of the central ridge 21, and the third flow field area 7 and the fourth flow field area 8 are located on the other side of the central ridge 21. The outer edge of each flow field area includes a hexagonal side edge 11 of the plate body 1 connected to the central ridge 21 and a regional top edge 12 located at the end of the longitudinal axis 3.

[0023] In each flow field area, a plurality of oblique flow channels 10 are arranged in parallel and at intervals, and each oblique flow channel 10 extends from the central ridge 21 to the direction of the top edge 12 of the area. The oblique flow channels 10 in each flow field area are arranged at intervals from the side edge 11 of the flow field area to the center 4 of the plate body, and the oblique flow channels 10 in each flow field area are connected end to end in sequence; a flow field ridge 13 is formed between adjacent oblique flow channels 10. In this embodiment, the angle θ between the oblique flow channel 10 and the horizontal axis 2 is 60°. In addition, each two connected oblique flow channels 10 near the top edge 12 of the area are connected through a bending flow channel 40, and the bending flow channel 40 includes a vertical flow channel 401 parallel to the longitudinal axis 3, and two horizontal flow channels 402 parallel to the top edge 12 of the area, one end of the two horizontal flow channels 402 is respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertical flow channel 401, and the other end of the two horizontal flow channels 402 is respectively connected to the two adjacent oblique flow channels 10. Every two communicating oblique flow channels 10 near one end of the central ridge 21 are connected via a straight flow channel 50 .

[0024] The two oblique flow channels in the first flow field area 5 and the second flow field area 6 closest to the center 4 of the plate body are connected at one end located at the central ridge 21 through a horizontally arranged first connecting flow channel 20. The outermost oblique flow channel 10 in the second flow field area 6 is connected to the outermost oblique flow channel in the third flow field area 7 at the central ridge 21.

[0025] The two oblique flow channels in the third flow field area 7 and the fourth flow field area 8 that are closest to the center 4 of the plate body are connected at one end located at the central ridge 21 through a horizontally arranged second connecting flow channel 30 .

[0026] The flow channel inlet 100 is located on the side 11 of the first flow field area 5, close to the central ridge 21, and the outermost inclined flow channel 10 in the first flow field area 5 is connected to the flow channel inlet 100; the flow channel outlet 200 is located on the side 11 of the fourth flow field area 8, close to the central ridge 21, and the outermost inclined flow channel 10 in the fourth flow field area 8 is connected to the flow channel outlet 200.

[0027] In this embodiment, all flow channels are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to the horizontal axis 2, and all flow channels are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis 3. The cross-section of all flow channels can be one of square, triangle, inverted triangle, trapezoid, inverted trapezoid, circle, and ellipse. The depth of all flow channels is controlled to be 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0028] The utility model provides a bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, which is designed according to the honeycomb structure of a bee. The honeycomb is composed of countless cells of the same size, all of which are regular hexagons, and each cell is surrounded by other cells, ensuring that each honeycomb is densely laid, leaving no gaps and not overlapping each other, thereby achieving maximum utilization of space. At the same time, the honeycomb structure composed of regular hexagons has high strength, ensuring the stability of the honeycomb. Therefore, the bionic hexagonal bipolar plate described in the utility model has good stability and can withstand greater pressure and deformation. Therefore, applying it to a fuel cell bipolar plate can increase the mechanical strength of the bipolar plate and improve its anti-deformation ability, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the fuel cell.

[0029] At the same time, the hexagonal bipolar plate can arrange more flow channels within a limited bipolar plate area, improve the utilization space of the flow field structure in the bipolar plate, and can evenly distribute the reaction gas, reduce the problem of local reaction unevenness, and improve the efficiency and stability of the electrochemical reaction.

[0030] That is, the bionic hexagonal bipolar plate structure described in the utility model has greatly improved drainage performance, component distribution performance, and structural stability.

[0031] First, the setting of the oblique flow channel greatly improves the drainage performance. The bionic hexagonal flow field can effectively transmit the water generated by the reaction through the oblique flow channel multiple times, thereby avoiding the accumulation of water inside the battery. Compared with the traditional serpentine flow channel, it has better drainage performance and can more effectively prevent flooding, thereby improving the water management performance of the battery.

[0032] Secondly, after the reaction gas enters the flow field through the flow channel inlet, it is transported through the ascending flow channel and the descending flow channel for many times. The reaction gas is better diffused and mixed in the process of flowing into and out of the battery, ensuring that each part of the reaction area can be distributed with sufficient reaction gas, reducing local cold spots and hot spots. At the same time, the four areas of the hexagonal flow field are connected by connecting flow channels, which helps to reduce the flow resistance of the reaction gas, ensure the rapid diffusion and uniform distribution of the reaction gas, so that the reaction gas is fully utilized and the battery reaction efficiency is improved. The bionic hexagonal flow field can effectively disperse the flow rate of the reaction gas. At the same time, due to the regularity and symmetry of its flow field structure, it can significantly reduce the occurrence of flow dead corners; and the hexagonal structure provides more edges and corners, which is conducive to the diffusion and transmission of the reaction gas, reducing the situation of local oversaturation or insufficient gas supply, and making the distribution of the reaction gas more uniform. Therefore, the flow field structure optimizes the distribution and transmission of the reaction gas inside the battery, that is, the uniformity of the component distribution is better, which can effectively improve the battery performance.

[0033] Thirdly, the bionic hexagonal bipolar plate has good stability and can withstand greater pressure and deformation. The hexagonal flow field layout structure can effectively increase the mechanical strength of the bipolar plate and improve its anti-deformation ability, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the fuel cell. In actual preparation, the size, shape and layout of the hexagonal flow field can be flexibly adjusted according to the specific working conditions and requirements of the fuel cell, such as balancing the mass transfer performance and volume density requirements by adjusting the size of the hexagon.

Claims

1. A bionic hexagonal bipolar plate, comprising a bipolar plate body, characterized in that: The plate body is hexagonal, with a diagonal line of the plate body as the horizontal axis, a straight line in the middle of the horizontal axis and perpendicular to the horizontal axis as the vertical axis, the intersection of the vertical and horizontal axes as the center of the plate body, a central ridge is arranged at the horizontal axis position, and the horizontal axis and the vertical axis divide the plate body into a first flow field area, a second flow field area, a third flow field area, and a fourth flow field area. The above four flow field areas are arranged in a clockwise direction, and the first flow field area, the second flow field area and the third flow field area, and the fourth flow field area are respectively located on both sides of the central ridge; the outer edge of each flow field area includes a side edge of the hexagonal plate body connected to the central ridge and a top edge of the area located at the end of the longitudinal axis; In each flow field area, a number of oblique flow channels are arranged in parallel and at intervals, each oblique flow channel extends from the central ridge to the top edge of the area, and the oblique flow channels in each flow field area are arranged from the side of the flow field area to the center of the plate body at intervals, and the oblique flow channels in each flow field area are connected in sequence from end to end; a flow field ridge is formed between adjacent oblique flow channels; Two oblique flow channels in the first flow field area and the second flow field area closest to the center of the plate body are connected at one end of the central ridge through a horizontally arranged first connecting flow channel; An outermost oblique flow channel in the second flow field region is connected to an outermost oblique flow channel in the third flow field region at a central ridge position; Two oblique flow channels in the third flow field area and the fourth flow field area closest to the center of the plate body, one end of which is located at the central ridge is connected through a horizontally arranged second connecting flow channel; The flow channel inlet is located on the side of the first flow field area close to the central ridge, and the outermost inclined flow channel in the first flow field area is connected to the flow channel inlet; the flow channel outlet is located on the side of the fourth flow field area close to the central ridge, and the outermost inclined flow channel in the fourth flow field area is connected to the flow channel outlet.

2. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plate body is in a regular hexagonal shape.

3. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: All flow channels are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to the horizontal axis.

4. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: All flow channels are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two connected oblique flow channels near the top edge of the area are connected by a bent flow channel, and the bent flow channel includes a vertical flow channel parallel to the longitudinal axis, and two horizontal flow channels parallel to the top edge of the area, one end of the two horizontal flow channels is respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertical flow channel, and the other ends of the two horizontal flow channels are respectively connected to the two adjacent oblique flow channels; the two connected oblique flow channels near the central ridge are connected by a flat flow channel.

6. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The included angle between the oblique flow channel and the horizontal axis is 60°.

7. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross-section of all flow channels is one of square, triangle, inverted triangle, trapezoid, inverted trapezoid, circle and ellipse.

8. The bionic hexagonal bipolar plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The depth of all flow channels is 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.

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