An annular easy-drainage flow field plate

Abstract

The present application relates to an annular flow field plate with easy drainage, on which a snowflake-shaped flow field is arranged, and the snowflake-shaped flow field includes an inner circle, an outer circle, a hexagonal star, a rectangular straight channel, and a quadrilateral; wherein the inner circle and the outer circle are arranged concentrically; the hexagonal star is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle; at least three rectangular straight channels are arranged and are symmetrically inlaid on the inner side of the outer circle at 60° with the center of the inner circle as the center; the quadrilateral is arranged between the inner circle and the outer circle and is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rectangular straight channel after one side contacts the rectangular straight channel; the present application adopts a centrally symmetrical structural design, so that the distribution of the flow field is more uniform, and the gas and liquid can be quickly dispersed from the upper end due to gravity, and it is annular, with a faster flow rate, and it is not easy to produce water accumulation, so as to achieve liquid discharge, avoid catalyst flooding, and quickly react with the catalyst layer, so that the reaction time of the catalyst layer is close and the catalyst failure is uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to an annular easy-to-drain flow field plate. Background Art

[0002] The bipolar plate (BPP), also known as the current collector, is a core component of a fuel cell. It is mainly used to support the membrane electrode (MEA), provide hydrogen, oxygen and coolant fluid channels, separate hydrogen and oxygen, collect electrons, and conduct heat. As a core component of a fuel cell, the performance of the bipolar plate depends largely on the flow field structure. The flow field structure constitutes the most important feature of the bipolar plate and directly affects the performance of the battery stack. Therefore, the design of the flow field is crucial. Therefore, the current collector is also called the flow field plate. Its main function is to collect current, separate the oxidant and the reductant, and guide the oxidant and the reductant to flow on the electrode surface inside the battery. The basic function of the flow field plate is to guide the flow of reactants in the fuel cell chamber to ensure that all positions of the electrode can obtain sufficient and uniform reactants. In order to realize the function of the flow field plate, a variety of flow field plates with different structures have been developed, such as straight channels, serpentine channels, cross-finger channels, bionic channels, etc. But no matter which flow channel structure design is adopted, they all come from the same purpose: one is to make the reaction gas evenly distributed, and the other is to consider removing the water generated by the reaction. The flow channel design on the flow field plate has an important impact on the performance and life of the fuel cell, but the current flow channel design still has the problem of uneven gas distribution. Therefore, the flow field design needs further research and optimization. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to solve or partially solve the problems existing in the related technology, the present application provides an annular easy-to-drain flow field plate, which can better distribute the reaction gas on the electrode surface, thereby improving the gas utilization and the efficiency of the electrode reaction. It can also play a heat conductive role, helping to evenly distribute heat inside the fuel cell, avoiding local overheating or overcooling, thereby improving the stability and life of the fuel cell.

[0004] The present application provides an annular easy-to-drain flow field plate, on which a snowflake-shaped flow field is arranged. The snowflake-shaped flow field includes an inner circle, an outer circle, a hexagonal star, a rectangular straight channel, and a quadrilateral. The inner circle and the outer circle are arranged concentrically; the hexagonal star is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle; at least three rectangular straight channels are arranged and are symmetrically inlaid on the inner side of the outer circle at 60° with the center of the inner circle as the center; the quadrilateral is arranged between the inner circle and the outer circle and is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rectangular straight channel after one side contacts the rectangular straight channel.

[0005] Optionally, in some embodiments, the inner circle and the outer circle are concentrically arranged and the outer circle is sleeved on the outside of the inner circle, and the two are located in the same plane.

[0006] Optionally, in some embodiments, the hexagonal star is nested inside the inner circle and abuts against and communicates with the inner circle.

[0007] Optionally, in some embodiments, one corner of the quadrilateral is in abutment with and connected to the inner circle, and an opposite corner is in abutment with and connected to the outer circle.

[0008] Optionally, in some embodiments, the hexagonal star is an equilateral hexagonal star.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments, the quadrilateral is a parallelogram.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments, the inner circle, outer circle, hexagonal star, rectangular straight channel, or quadrilateral flow channel is configured such that the cross section perpendicular to the channel direction is low on both sides and high in the middle.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments, the inner circle, outer circle, hexagonal star, rectangular straight channel, or quadrilateral flow channel is configured such that the cross section perpendicular to the channel direction is an isosceles triangle.

[0012] The technical solution provided by this application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The present application adopts a centrally symmetrical structural design, so that the distribution of the flow field is more uniform. Due to the effect of gravity, the gas and liquid can be quickly dispersed from the upper end, and it is annular, with a fast flow rate, and it is not easy to produce water accumulation, so as to achieve liquid discharge and avoid catalyst flooding. It quickly reacts with the catalyst layer, so that the reaction time of the catalyst layer is close and the catalyst failure is uniform; the gas and liquid can form a ring in the flow field, achieving the maximum reaction area within the minimum circumference, thereby effectively improving the fuel utilization and the output power of the battery; the snowflake-shaped flow field design scheme of the present application can make the reaction gas better distributed on the electrode surface, thereby improving the gas utilization and the efficiency of the electrode reaction, and can also play a heat conductive role, helping to evenly distribute heat inside the fuel cell to avoid local overheating or overcooling, thereby improving the stability and life of the fuel cell.

[0014] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the flow field structure shown in the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the channel bottom structure shown in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Reference numerals:

[0019] Inner circle (1), outer circle (2), hexagonal star (3), rectangular straight channel (4), quadrilateral (5). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the 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 make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0021] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0022] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0023] Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0024] In view of the problem of uneven gas distribution in the flow field plate raised in the above background, an embodiment of the present application provides an annular easy-to-drain flow field plate. The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The annular easy-drainage flow field plate shown in the figure has a snowflake-shaped flow field arranged on the plate body. The main improvement of the present application is in the design of the flow field. In the present application, the snowflake-shaped flow field includes an inner circle 1, an outer circle 2, a hexagonal star 3, a rectangular straight channel 4, and a quadrilateral 5. Among them, the inner circle 1 is arranged concentrically with the outer circle 2; the hexagonal star 3 is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle 2; the rectangular straight channels 4 are arranged in at least three and are symmetrically inlaid on the inner side of the outer circle 2 at 60° with the center of the inner circle 1 as the center; the quadrilateral 5 is arranged between the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2 and one side is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rectangular straight channel 4 after contacting with the rectangular straight channel 4.

[0026] The present application adopts a centrally symmetrical structural design, so that the distribution of the flow field is more uniform. Due to the effect of gravity, the gas and liquid can be quickly dispersed from the upper end. It is annular, with a fast flow rate, and is not easy to produce water accumulation, thereby achieving liquid discharge and avoiding catalyst flooding. It quickly reacts with the catalyst layer, making the reaction time of the catalyst layer close and the catalyst failure uniform.

[0027] In one embodiment, the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2 are concentrically arranged. One solution is to set the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2 concentrically and the outer circle 2 is sleeved on the outside of the inner circle 1. The two are located in the same plane, which helps to make the plate thinner. Another solution is to set the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2 concentrically, but form a certain height difference between the two, which can facilitate the accumulation of water to flow to the lower side.

[0028] In one embodiment, the hexagonal star 3 of the present application is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle 2. One solution is that the hexagonal star 3 is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle 2 and is in contact with the outer circle 2; another solution is that the hexagonal star 3 is nested and arranged on the inner side of the inner circle 1 and is in contact with the inner circle 1. The hexagonal star 3 can be arranged as an equilateral hexagonal star as needed, which has better symmetry and is convenient for the plate to use.

[0029] In one embodiment, the present application connects the flow channels where the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2 are located through a rectangular straight channel 4, and also connects the flow channel of the hexagonal star 3 again. Specifically, at least three rectangular straight channels 4 are set and are symmetrically inlaid on the inner side of the outer circle 2 at 60° with the center of the inner circle 1 as the center and connect each contact flow channel. Among them, one solution is that the rectangular straight channel 4 is located at the protruding star corner of the hexagonal star 3, and the other solution is located at the concave star corner. The concave star corner is more convenient for diverting the accumulated water.

[0030] In one embodiment, another design scheme of the rectangular straight channel 4 of the present application is that the rectangular straight channels 4 are arranged as two symmetrical ones, at least three groups, and are symmetrically embedded in the inner side of the outer circle 2 at 60° with the center of the inner circle 1 as the center and connected to each contact flow channel. The rectangular straight channels 4 are symmetrically arranged at the concave star corners of the hexagonal star 3, which can increase the drainage area and make it more convenient to divert the accumulated water.

[0031] In one embodiment, the quadrilateral 5 of the present application is arranged between the inner circle 1 and the outer circle 2, and one side is in contact with the rectangular straight channel 4 and then symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rectangular straight channel 4, wherein one way is that one corner of the quadrilateral 5 is in contact with the inner circle 1 and the opposite corner is in contact with the outer circle 2; another way is that the quadrilateral 5 and the rectangular straight channel 4 share one side of the quadrilateral 5, and one corner is in contact with the outer circle 2. In this way, the conduction between the outer circle 2 and the inner circle 1 can be balanced.

[0032] In one embodiment, the flow channels of the inner circle 1, outer circle 2, hexagonal star 3, rectangular straight channel 4, and quadrilateral 5 of the present application are interconnected at the connection points, wherein the flow channel is arranged to have a cross-section perpendicular to the channel direction with low sides and a high middle, specifically an isosceles triangle, and this shape of the flow channel facilitates the diversion of accumulated water.

[0033] The present application adopts a central symmetrical structural design, so that the distribution of the flow field is more uniform. Due to the effect of gravity, the gas and liquid can be quickly dispersed from the upper end, and it is annular, with a fast flow rate, and it is not easy to produce water accumulation, so as to achieve the discharge of the liquid and avoid the phenomenon of catalyst flooding. It reacts quickly with the catalyst layer, so that the reaction time of the catalyst layer is close and the catalyst failure is uniform. The gas and liquid can form a ring in the flow field, and the maximum reaction area can be achieved within the minimum circumference, thereby effectively improving the fuel utilization and the output power of the battery. The snowflake-shaped flow field design of the present application can make the reaction gas better distributed on the electrode surface, thereby improving the gas utilization and the efficiency of the electrode reaction. It can also play a heat conductive role, helping the heat to be evenly distributed inside the fuel cell, avoiding local overheating or overcooling, thereby improving the stability and life of the fuel cell.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relationships such as first and second, etc. are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms include, include or any other variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0035] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0036] The embodiments of the present application have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An annular easy-drainage flow field plate, characterized in that: A snowflake-shaped flow field is arranged on a plate body, the snowflake-shaped flow field comprising an inner circle (1), an outer circle (2), a hexagonal star (3), a rectangular straight channel (4), and a quadrilateral (5); wherein the inner circle (1) and the outer circle (2) are arranged concentrically; the hexagonal star (3) is arranged on the inner side of the outer circle (2); at least three rectangular straight channels (4) are arranged and are symmetrically inlaid on the inner side of the outer circle (2) at an angle of 60° with the center of the inner circle (1) as the center; and the quadrilateral (5) is arranged between the inner circle (1) and the outer circle (2) and is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rectangular straight channel (4) after one side contacts the rectangular straight channel (4).

2. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner circle (1) and the outer circle (2) are arranged concentrically, and the outer circle (2) is sleeved on the outside of the inner circle (1), and the two are located in the same plane.

3. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hexagonal star (3) is nested inside the inner circle (1) and is in contact with and communicates with the inner circle (1).

4. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: One corner of the quadrilateral (5) is in contact with and connected to the inner circle (1), and an opposite corner is in contact with and connected to the outer circle (2).

5. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The hexagonal star (3) is an equilateral hexagonal star.

6. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The quadrilateral (5) is a parallelogram.

7. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow channels of the inner circle (1), the outer circle (2), the hexagonal star (3), the rectangular straight channel (4), and the quadrilateral (5) are arranged such that the cross section perpendicular to the channel direction is low on both sides and high in the middle.

8. The annular easy-drainage flow field plate according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner circle (1), the outer circle (2), the hexagonal star (3), the rectangular straight channel (4), and the quadrilateral (5) flow channel are arranged so that the cross section perpendicular to the channel direction is an isosceles triangle.

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