Hydrogen turbocharging system for fuel cell

Abstract

The utility model provides a hydrogen turbocharging system for a fuel cell, which comprises an air compressor, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen turbine and a fuel cell stack, an output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack, an output end of the hydrogen storage device is connected to an input end of the hydrogen turbine, and an output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to an output end of the fuel cell stack. The output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, the hydrogen turbine is arranged on the air compressor and rigidly connected to a crankshaft of the air compressor, and the hydrogen storage device is used for providing high-pressure hydrogen for the hydrogen turbine. An air compressor is used to receive air and compress air with electrical energy and mechanical energy from a hydrogen turbine driven by high pressure hydrogen, and the high pressure hydrogen passing through the hydrogen turbine forms decompressed hydrogen, the compressed air and the decompressed hydrogen being provided to a fuel cell stack. According to the scheme, electric power for driving the air compressor can be saved, the size of the system is reduced, and the manufacturing and maintenance cost of the system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of fuel cells, and in particular relates to a turbocharging system for fuel cells with the aid of a hydrogen turbine to assist in supercharging. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the embodiments of the application that are recited in the claims. No description herein is admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0003] Figure 1 A system block diagram of a fuel cell according to the prior art is shown.

[0004] like Figure 1 As shown, the first air compressor 10 first compresses air. The compressed air is provided to the first fuel cell stack 17 through the first intercooler 11 and the first humidifier 12. The high-pressure hydrogen from the first hydrogen storage device (not shown) is first reduced in pressure by the first pressure reducing valve 13, and then the reduced-pressure hydrogen is provided to the first fuel cell stack 17 through the first proportional valve 14 and the first ejector 15. The unreacted hydrogen from the first fuel cell stack 17 is provided to the first fuel cell stack 17 through the first hydrogen circulation pump 16 and the first ejector 15.

[0005] In the process of generating electricity through such a fuel cell, a portion of the electricity generated by the fuel cell is consumed in driving the air compressor, which reduces the efficiency of the fuel cell.

[0006] In addition, the high-pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device needs to be decompressed before it can be input into the fuel cell stack, which requires additional components to achieve the decompression operation and wastes the kinetic energy of the high-pressure hydrogen. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the utility model proposes a hydrogen turbocharging system for a fuel cell, comprising: an air compressor, a hydrogen storage device, a hydrogen turbine and a fuel cell stack, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack, the output end of the hydrogen storage device is connected to the input end of the hydrogen turbine, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen turbine is arranged on the air compressor and rigidly connected to the shaft of the air compressor, wherein the hydrogen storage device is used to provide high-pressure hydrogen to the hydrogen turbine, the air compressor is used to receive air and compress the air with the help of electrical energy and mechanical energy from the hydrogen turbine driven by the high-pressure hydrogen, and the high-pressure hydrogen passing through the hydrogen turbine forms decompressed hydrogen, and the compressed air and the decompressed hydrogen are provided to the fuel cell stack.

[0008] Compared with the conventional technology, the present invention can utilize the high-pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device to assist in driving the air compressor itself by providing a hydrogen turbine rigidly connected to the shaft on the air compressor, thereby improving the working efficiency of the air compressor and saving the electricity for driving the air compressor. In addition, since the hydrogen turbine proposed in the present invention is directly provided on the air compressor and rigidly connected to the shaft of the air compressor, the hydrogen turbocharger system according to the present invention has a higher degree of integration and a simpler structure, thereby reducing the volume of the system and reducing the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the system. In addition, since the present invention also omits the pressure reducing valve compared with the conventional technology, the system cost is reduced and the waste of pressure for the high-pressure hydrogen is reduced.

[0009] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharger system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, an intercooler and a humidifier, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, and the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the humidifier.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharger system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, a hydrogen circulation pump, an intercooler and a humidifier, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, the input end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the output end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the ejector, wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stack is provided to the fuel cell stack through the hydrogen circulation pump and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the humidifier.

[0011] The utility model circulates unreacted hydrogen in the fuel cell stack by arranging a hydrogen circulation pump between the ejector and the fuel cell stack, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of hydrogen and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell stack.

[0012] The utility model also proposes a hydrogen turbocharging system for a fuel cell, comprising: an air compressor, a hydrogen storage device, an exhaust gas turbine, a hydrogen turbine and a fuel cell stack, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack, the output end of the hydrogen storage device is connected to the input end of the hydrogen turbine, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen turbine and the exhaust gas turbine are arranged on the air compressor and rigidly connected to the shaft of the air compressor, wherein the hydrogen storage device is used to provide high-pressure hydrogen to the hydrogen turbine, the air compressor is used to receive air and compress the air with the help of electrical energy, mechanical energy from the exhaust gas turbine driven by exhaust gas, and mechanical energy from the hydrogen turbine driven by the high-pressure hydrogen, and the high-pressure hydrogen passing through the hydrogen turbine forms decompressed hydrogen, and the compressed air and the decompressed hydrogen are provided to the fuel cell stack.

[0013] Compared with the conventional technology, the utility model can utilize the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack and the high-pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device to assist in driving the air compressor itself by arranging an exhaust gas turbine and a hydrogen turbine rigidly connected to the crankshaft on the air compressor, thereby improving the working efficiency of the air compressor and greatly saving the electricity for driving the air compressor. In addition, since the hydrogen turbine and the exhaust gas turbine proposed in the utility model are directly arranged on the air compressor and rigidly connected to the crankshaft of the air compressor, the hydrogen turbocharger system according to the utility model has a higher degree of integration and a simpler structure, thereby reducing the volume of the system and reducing the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of the system. In addition, since the utility model also omits the pressure reducing valve compared with the conventional technology, the system cost is reduced and the waste of pressure on the exhaust gas and the high-pressure hydrogen is reduced.

[0014] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharger system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, an intercooler and a humidifier, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, and the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the humidifier, wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the humidifier, and the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack is provided to the exhaust gas turbine through the humidifier to drive the exhaust gas turbine.

[0015] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharger system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, a hydrogen circulation pump, an intercooler and a humidifier, wherein the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the humidifier, the input end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the output end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the ejector, wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, the unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stack is provided to the fuel cell stack through the hydrogen circulation pump and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack is provided to the exhaust gas turbine through the humidifier to drive the exhaust gas turbine.

[0016] The utility model circulates unreacted hydrogen in the fuel cell stack by arranging a hydrogen circulation pump between the ejector and the fuel cell stack, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of hydrogen and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell stack.

[0017] Other advantages of the present application will be explained in more detail with reference to the following description and drawings.

[0018] It should be understood that the above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application, so that the technical means of the present application can be more clearly understood and implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are specifically described below by way of example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The advantages and benefits described herein and other advantages and benefits will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments below.The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating exemplary embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application.

[0020] Figure 1 A system block diagram of a fuel cell stack according to the prior art is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A block diagram of a hydrogen turbocharging system according to an embodiment of the present utility model is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A block diagram of a hydrogen turbocharging system according to another embodiment of the present utility model is shown.

[0023] In the accompanying drawings, the components represented by the reference numerals are listed as follows:

[0024] The first air compressor 10; the first intercooler 11; the first humidifier 12; the first pressure reducing valve 13; the first proportional valve 14; the first ejector 15; the first hydrogen circulation pump 16; the first fuel cell stack 17; the second air compressor 20; the second intercooler 21; the second humidifier 22; the first hydrogen turbine 23; the second proportional valve 24; the second ejector 25; the first hydrogen circulation pump 26; the second fuel cell stack 27; the third air compressor 30; the third intercooler 31; the third humidifier 32; the second hydrogen turbine 33; the third proportional valve 34; the third ejector 35; the second hydrogen circulation pump 36; the third fuel cell stack 37; the exhaust gas turbine 38.

[0025] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that terms such as "including" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of disclosed features, numbers, steps, behaviors, components, parts, or combinations thereof in this specification, and do not exclude the possibility of the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, behaviors, components, parts, or combinations thereof. The terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for the convenience of description to distinguish the same or similar technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or quantity of these technical features. Thus, the features defined by "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the term "plurality" means two or more than two.

[0028] Unless otherwise specified, “ / ” means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; “and / or” in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. For the convenience of description, spatial relationship words such as “under”, “below”, “above”, “on”, etc. may be used here to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the drawings and other elements or features. It will be understood that these spatial relationship words are intended to include other directions of the device in use or operation in addition to the directions depicted in the drawings.

[0029] It should also be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 A block diagram of a hydrogen turbocharging system according to an embodiment of the present utility model is shown.

[0031] See also Figure 2 The hydrogen turbocharging system may include a second air compressor 20, a second intercooler 21, a second humidifier 22, a first hydrogen turbine 23, a second proportional valve 24, a second ejector 25, a first hydrogen circulation pump 26, a second fuel cell stack 27 and a second hydrogen storage device (not shown).

[0032] The output end of the second air compressor 20 is connected to the second fuel cell stack 27 via the second intercooler 21 and the second humidifier 22, and the output end of the second hydrogen storage device is connected to the input end of the first hydrogen turbine 23, and the output end of the hydrogen turbine 23 is connected to the second fuel cell stack 27 via the second proportional valve 24 and the second ejector 25. The first hydrogen turbine 23 is arranged on the second air compressor 20 and rigidly connected to the crankshaft of the second air compressor 20. The hydrogen storage device can provide high-pressure hydrogen. In some embodiments, the input end of the first hydrogen circulation pump 26 is connected to the second fuel cell stack 27, and the output end of the first hydrogen circulation pump 26 is connected to the second fuel cell stack 27.

[0033] The second air compressor 20 first compresses the air. The compressed air is provided to the second fuel cell stack 27 through the second intercooler 21 and the second humidifier 22. The high-pressure hydrogen is first decompressed by the first hydrogen turbine 23 (that is, the high-pressure hydrogen is used to drive the first hydrogen turbine 23). The decompressed hydrogen is then provided to the second fuel cell stack 27 through the second proportional valve 24 and the second ejector 25. The unreacted hydrogen from the second fuel cell stack 27 can be driven by the first hydrogen circulation pump 26, thereby being provided to the second fuel cell stack 27 through the first hydrogen circulation pump 26 and the second ejector 25.

[0034] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharging system may not use the unreacted hydrogen from the second fuel cell stack 27 and the first hydrogen circulation pump 26. In other embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharging system may not use the second intercooler 21, the second humidifier 22, the second proportional valve 24 and the second ejector 25, so that the second fuel cell stack 27 can also be operated.

[0035] Figure 3 A block diagram of a hydrogen turbocharging system according to another embodiment of the present utility model is shown.

[0036] See also Figure 3 The hydrogen turbocharging system may include a third air compressor 30, a third intercooler 31, a third humidifier 32, a second hydrogen turbine 33, a third proportional valve 34, a third ejector 35, a second hydrogen circulation pump 36, a third fuel cell stack 37, an exhaust gas turbine 38 and a third hydrogen storage device (not shown).

[0037] The output end of the third air compressor 30 is connected to the third fuel cell stack 37 via the third intercooler 31 and the third humidifier 32, the output end of the third hydrogen storage device is connected to the input end of the second hydrogen turbine 33, the output end of the second hydrogen turbine 33 is connected to the third fuel cell stack 37 via the third proportional valve 34 and the third ejector 35, and the input end of the exhaust gas turbine 38 is connected to the third fuel cell stack 37 via the third humidifier 32. The second hydrogen turbine 33 is arranged on the third air compressor 30 and rigidly connected to the crankshaft of the third air compressor 30. The hydrogen storage device can provide high-pressure hydrogen. The exhaust gas turbine 38 can also be arranged on the third air compressor 30 and rigidly connected to the crankshaft of the third air compressor 30. The exhaust gas turbine 38 can be driven by exhaust gas. In some embodiments, the input end of the second hydrogen circulation pump 36 is connected to the third fuel cell stack 37, and the output end of the second hydrogen circulation pump 36 is connected to the third ejector 35. In some embodiments, the input end of the exhaust gas turbine 38 can also be directly connected to the third fuel cell stack 37 without the third humidifier 32.

[0038] The third air compressor 30 first compresses the air. The compressed air is provided to the third fuel cell stack 37 through the third intercooler 31 and the third humidifier 32. The high-pressure hydrogen is first decompressed by the second hydrogen turbine 33 (that is, the high-pressure hydrogen is used to drive the second hydrogen turbine 33). The decompressed hydrogen is then provided to the third fuel cell stack 37 through the third proportional valve 34 and the third ejector 35. The unreacted hydrogen from the third fuel cell stack 37 can be driven by the second hydrogen circulation pump 36, thereby being provided to the third fuel cell stack 37 through the second hydrogen circulation pump 36 and the third ejector 35. The exhaust gas from the third fuel cell stack 37 can be provided to the exhaust gas turbine 38 through the third humidifier 32, thereby driving the exhaust gas turbine 38.

[0039] In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharging system may not use the unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stack 37 and the second hydrogen circulation pump 36. In some embodiments, the hydrogen turbocharging system may not use the third intercooler 31, the third humidifier 32, the third proportional valve 34, and the third ejector 35, so that the third fuel cell stack 37 can also work.

[0040] In one example, the power that can be provided by the hydrogen turbocharger system according to the utility model can be calculated. First, the following parameters are set:

[0041] The mass flow rate of hydrogen to the fuel cell stack is 3.5 g / sec;

[0042] The inlet pressure (P2) of the hydrogen turbine is 300 bar (this pressure is reduced compared to the hydrogen storage device with a pressure of 350 bar);

[0043] The outlet pressure (P1) of the hydrogen turbine is 100 bar (which is sufficient to cooperate with downstream ejectors and other components);

[0044] The inlet temperature (Tref) of the hydrogen turbine is 27 degrees Celsius;

[0045] The specific heat capacity (Cp) of hydrogen is 14.29 kJ / kg.K;

[0046] The specific heat coefficient (gamma) of hydrogen is 1.406.

[0047] The power that a hydrogen turbine can provide can be calculated based on the above parameters according to the following equation:

[0048] Power = mass flow rate × Cp × Tref × [((P2 / P1)^(gamma–1) / gamma)–1]

[0049] The power calculated from this is about 4 kW. Taking into account the efficiency of the hydrogen turbine (typically 50-60%), the actual power available to drive the air compressor based on high-pressure hydrogen is about 2-2.5 kW. This therefore significantly reduces the power consumed by the air compressor. The above example only uses a hydrogen storage device with a pressure of 350 bar. If a hydrogen storage device with a pressure of 700 bar is used, the available energy from the hydrogen will be much greater.

[0050] Therefore, the utility model can use the high-pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device to assist in driving the air compressor itself, thereby saving the power for driving the air compressor. In addition, compared with the traditional technology, the utility model also omits the pressure reducing valve, thereby reducing the system cost and reducing the waste of pressure for the high-pressure hydrogen.

[0051] In addition, the utility model can also recycle the unreacted hydrogen in the fuel cell stack, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of the hydrogen, and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell stack.

[0052] In addition, the utility model can also utilize the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack and the high-pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device to assist in driving the air compressor itself, thereby further saving the electricity for driving the air compressor.

[0053] Although the illustrative embodiments of the present application have been described and illustrated in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, they should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that only certain exemplary embodiments are shown and described and that all changes and modifications within the spirit of the claimed utility model are intended to be protected. It should be understood that although the use of words such as preferred, preferred, preferred or more preferred in the above description indicates that the features described in this way may be more ideal, it may not be necessary and it is conceivable that implementations without these features are within the scope of the utility model, which scope is defined by the appended claims. When reading the claims, when words such as "one", "an", "at least one" or "at least one part" are used, it is not intended to limit the claim to only one item, unless it is specifically stated that there is a contrary statement in the claim. When the language "at least a part" and / or "a part" is used, the item can include a part and / or the entire item unless there is a specific statement to the contrary.

[0054] Although the spirit and principle of the present application have been described above with reference to several specific embodiments, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the disclosed specific embodiments, and the division of various aspects does not mean that the features in these aspects cannot be combined. The present application is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included in the spirit and scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A hydrogen turbocharging system for a fuel cell, characterized in that: include: Air compressors, hydrogen storage devices, exhaust gas turbines, hydrogen turbines and fuel cell stacks; The output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack, the output end of the hydrogen storage device is connected to the input end of the hydrogen turbine, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen turbine and the exhaust gas turbine are arranged on the air compressor and rigidly connected to the shaft of the air compressor; Wherein, the hydrogen storage device is used to provide high-pressure hydrogen to the hydrogen turbine; The air compressor is used to receive air and compress the air by means of electric energy, mechanical energy from the exhaust gas turbine driven by exhaust gas, and mechanical energy from the hydrogen turbine driven by the high-pressure hydrogen, and the high-pressure hydrogen passing through the hydrogen turbine forms decompressed hydrogen; The compressed air and the decompressed hydrogen are provided to the fuel cell stack.

2. The hydrogen turbocharging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen turbocharger system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, an intercooler and a humidifier; Wherein, the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, and the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the humidifier; wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the humidifier; Exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack is provided to the exhaust gas turbine through the humidifier to drive the exhaust gas turbine.

3. The hydrogen turbocharging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen turbocharging system further includes: a proportional valve, an ejector, a hydrogen circulation pump, an intercooler and a humidifier; Wherein, the output end of the air compressor is connected to the fuel cell stack via the intercooler and the humidifier, the output end of the hydrogen turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the proportional valve and the ejector, the input end of the exhaust gas turbine is connected to the fuel cell stack via the humidifier, the input end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the fuel cell stack, and the output end of the hydrogen circulation pump is connected to the ejector; wherein the decompressed hydrogen is provided to the fuel cell stack through the proportional valve and the ejector, unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stack is provided to the fuel cell stack through the hydrogen circulation pump and the ejector, and the compressed air is provided to the fuel cell stack through the intercooler and the ejector; Exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack is provided to the exhaust gas turbine through the humidifier to drive the exhaust gas turbine.

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