Water segregator and fuel cell

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a water segregator and a fuel cell, the water segregator being fitted at an anode gas outlet of a stack of the fuel cell, and comprising: a main body provided with: a fluid inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet on a surface thereof; the separation chamber is positioned in the shell; a fluid passage extending from the fluid inlet to a fluid outlet open toward the separation chamber, the fluid outlet being located above a bottom wall of the separation chamber such that the separation chamber is divided into a gas chamber higher than the fluid outlet and a liquid chamber lower than the fluid outlet; a gas passage extending from the gas outlet to a gas inlet open toward the gas chamber; the liquid channel extends from the liquid outlet to a liquid inlet which is open towards the liquid cavity, the liquid channel is lower than the liquid outlet, and the flow guide structure is arranged in the liquid channel and used for guiding fluid to rotate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of gas-water separation, and more particularly, to a water separator and a fuel cell using the water separator. Background Art

[0002] A gas-water separator (also referred to as a water separator) plays an important role in the industrial field. It is mainly used to separate gas and liquid to improve the dryness of the gas and reduce the phenomenon of gas carrying water, thereby ensuring the efficiency and safety of the industrial process. For a fuel cell, the water separator is also an important component. It is mainly used to separate the water in the anode gas discharged from the stack and discharge it regularly to avoid flooding the anode side of the stack caused by the recycled anode gas. However, existing water separators often accumulate the water to be discharged above the drain valve, especially when the fuel cell is shut down emergently, a large amount of water will accumulate above the drain valve. In this case, if the fuel cell is in a low-temperature environment, the drain valve may not be able to open normally due to the freezing of the large amount of water accumulated above it, which will cause the water on the anode side of the stack to be unable to be discharged, resulting in flooding of the anode side of the stack, and the flooding of the anode side of the stack will cause the fuel cell to malfunction or even fail to start successfully.

[0003] Therefore, in this field, there is an urgent need for a water separator that can reduce the risk of the drain valve being frozen in a low-temperature environment and thus has high low-temperature reliability. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] To solve the above problems in the prior art, the present disclosure proposes an improved water separator, which includes: a main body, the main body is provided with: a fluid inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet on its surface; a separation chamber inside it; a fluid channel extending from the fluid inlet to a fluid outlet opening towards the separation chamber, the fluid outlet is located above the bottom wall of the separation chamber, so that the separation chamber is divided into a gas chamber above the fluid outlet and a liquid chamber below the fluid outlet; a gas channel extending from the gas outlet to a gas inlet opening towards the gas chamber; and a liquid channel extending from the liquid outlet to a liquid inlet opening towards the liquid chamber, the liquid channel is below the fluid outlet; and a flow guiding structure provided in the fluid channel and used to guide the fluid to rotate.

[0005] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the separation chamber has a top wall opposite to the bottom wall in the longitudinal direction and side walls connecting the top wall and the bottom wall, and the liquid inlet opens on the side walls.

[0006] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluid outlet is defined at the top end of a lower boss protruding longitudinally from the bottom wall of the separation chamber, the fluid passage extends through the lower boss, and the liquid chamber surrounds the lower boss.

[0007] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner side wall of the lower boss slopes outward as it approaches the fluid outlet.

[0008] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas inlet is defined at the top end of an upper boss protruding longitudinally from the top wall of the separation chamber, and the gas passage extends through the upper boss.

[0009] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer side wall of the upper boss slopes inward as it approaches the gas inlet.

[0010] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the liquid passage is higher than the bottom wall of the separation chamber.

[0011] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the water separator further includes a drain valve disposed at the fluid outlet.

[0012] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluid passage has an upstream portion adjacent to the fluid inlet and a downstream portion adjacent to the fluid outlet, the upstream portion extends transversely, and the downstream portion extends longitudinally.

[0013] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the guiding structure is disposed in the downstream portion of the fluid passage; and / or, the guiding structure is spaced apart from the fluid outlet.

[0014] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid passage has an upstream portion adjacent to the liquid inlet and a downstream portion adjacent to the liquid outlet, wherein the upstream portion laterally spaces the downstream portion from the liquid inlet.

[0015] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the upstream portion of the liquid passage moves longitudinally away from the bottom wall of the separation chamber as it moves away from the liquid inlet.

[0016] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid inlet is adjacent to the bottom wall of the separation chamber.

[0017] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the upstream portion of the liquid passage extends transversely.

[0018] According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas inlet is longitudinally spaced from the fluid outlet; and / or, the gas inlet is longitudinally aligned with the fluid outlet.

[0019] Also to solve the problems in the above-mentioned prior art, the present disclosure also proposes an improved fuel cell, which includes: a fuel cell stack; a water separator as described in the present disclosure; and an anode gas circulation pump, wherein the fluid inlet of the water separator is communicated with the anode gas outlet of the fuel cell stack, the gas outlet of the water separator is communicated with the inlet of the anode gas circulation pump, and the outlet of the anode gas circulation pump is communicated with the anode gas inlet of the fuel cell stack.

[0020] The present disclosure can be embodied as a schematic embodiment in the drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are only schematic, and any changes conceived under the teaching of the present disclosure should be considered to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic layout diagram of a fuel cell according to the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, and the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to actual scale. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. Instead, these exemplary embodiments are provided only to illustrate the present disclosure and to convey the spirit and essence of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0029] The present disclosure aims to provide an improved water separator for separating gas and liquid in a gas-liquid mixture and a fuel cell equipped with the water separator. Due to its novel design, the water separator according to the present disclosure can not only effectively separate gas from liquid, but also avoid liquid accumulation above the drain valve, thereby preventing the drain valve from freezing and failing to open normally when the water separator is used in a low-temperature environment. That is to say, the water separator according to the present disclosure can effectively separate gas from liquid and discharge liquid smoothly even when used in a low-temperature environment. In particular, the water separator according to the present disclosure is particularly suitable for fuel cells because of its novel design. When the water separator according to the present disclosure is assembled at the anode gas outlet of a fuel cell, even when the fuel cell is used in a low-temperature environment, the water separator can ensure that the drain valve can open normally, thereby ensuring that the anode side of the fuel cell can drain water and exhaust gas smoothly, ensuring that the fuel cell can operate normally in a low-temperature environment and contributing to the successful start-up of the fuel cell in a low-temperature environment. In short, the water separator according to the present disclosure can effectively separate gas from liquid and discharge liquid even in a low-temperature environment, especially when assembled in a fuel cell, it also helps the fuel cell to start up successfully in the cold.

[0030] The following describes in detail various optional but non-limiting embodiments of the water separator and fuel cell according to the present disclosure with reference to the respective drawings.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 shows a schematic layout diagram of a fuel cell according to the present disclosure. As Figure 1As shown, the fuel cell 10 includes a stack 100 for performing an electrochemical reaction, an anode system 200 for supplying an anode gas (e.g., hydrogen) to the stack 100, a cathode system 300 for supplying a cathode gas (e.g., air) to the stack 100, and a temperature control system 400 for regulating the temperature of the stack 100. During operation, the anode system 200 uses a hydrogen injector 210 to supply hydrogen from a hydrogen storage tank 220 to the anode gas inlet 101 of the stack 100, and the cathode system 300 uses an air compressor 310 to supply air from the atmosphere to the cathode gas inlet 111 of the stack 100. The anode gas and cathode gas entering the stack 100 will undergo an electrochemical reaction (e.g., at a proton exchange membrane), thereby generating electrical energy as the main product and water and heat as by-products.

[0032] For the heat, which is one of the by-products, the temperature control system 400 uses a coolant pump 410 to drive the coolant to circulate between the stack 100 and a radiator 420, so that the heat in the stack 100 will be absorbed by the coolant and then dissipated to the surrounding environment at the radiator 420. For the water, which is another by-product, since water is mainly generated on the cathode side of the stack 100, most of the water will be discharged from the stack 100 through the cathode gas outlet 112 together with the unreacted cathode gas, and then discharged to the surrounding environment after being silenced by a silencer 320. However, a part of the water will permeate from the cathode side (e.g., through the proton exchange membrane) to the anode side, so a part of the water will also be discharged from the stack 100 through the anode gas outlet 102 together with the unreacted anode gas. Since the cost of the anode gas is high and it is flammable, discharging the unreacted anode gas to the surrounding environment is neither economically efficient nor may pose an explosion risk.

[0033] To improve economic efficiency and reduce the explosion risk, advantageously, as Figure 1As shown, in the fuel cell according to the present disclosure, the anode gas and water in the gas-water mixture discharged from the anode gas outlet 102 are separated by the main body 510 of the water separator 500 according to the present disclosure. Then, the separated anode gas is conveyed back to the anode gas inlet 101 by the anode gas circulation pump 600, and the separated water is discharged by the drain valve 520 of the water separator 500. In this configuration, the anode gas discharged from the anode gas outlet 102 can be recovered and conveyed to the anode gas inlet 101 for recycling, thereby improving economic efficiency and reducing the explosion risk. Moreover, since water has been separated from the recovered anode gas, it is possible to avoid water being also conveyed to the anode gas inlet 101, thereby reducing the risk of flooding on the anode side. More advantageously, the water discharged by the drain valve 520 is discharged into the surrounding environment together with the cathode gas discharged from the cathode gas outlet 112. In this configuration, even if the water discharged by the drain valve 520 contains some anode gas, it can be diluted by the cathode gas discharged from the cathode gas outlet 112, thereby reducing the explosion risk. Even more advantageously, the water discharged by the drain valve 520 can also be discharged into the surrounding environment together with the compressed air supplied by the air compressor 310. In this configuration, the anode gas that may be contained in the water discharged by the drain valve 520 can be further diluted by the compressed air supplied by the air compressor 310, thereby more reliably reducing the explosion risk.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 , which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 2 shown, the water separator 500 generally includes a main body 510 and a drain valve 520 assembled on the main body 510. The main body 510 is provided on its surface with a fluid inlet 511 for receiving a gas-liquid mixture, a gas outlet 512 for discharging the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture, and a liquid outlet 513 for discharging the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture. Among them, the drain valve 520 is provided at the liquid outlet 513 to controllably discharge the liquid at the liquid outlet 513. In addition, the main body 510 is further provided with a separation chamber 514 inside. Among them, the separation chamber 514 has a top wall 514a and a bottom wall 514b that are spaced apart from each other or opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction LL', and side walls 514c that are arranged around the longitudinal direction LL' and connect the top wall 514a and the bottom wall 514b. In other words, the separation chamber 514 is defined by the above-mentioned top wall 514a, bottom wall 514b, and side walls 514c, and among them, the fluid inlet 511, the gas outlet 512, and the liquid outlet 513 are respectively in fluid communication with the separation chamber 514 through corresponding channels.

[0035] Specifically, as Figure 2As shown, the main body 510 is provided with a fluid passage 531 that extends from a fluid inlet 511 through the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 to a fluid outlet 541 that leads to or opens towards the separation chamber 514, such that the fluid inlet 511 is in fluid communication with the separation chamber 514 through the fluid passage 531, thereby allowing a gas-liquid mixture to flow from the fluid inlet 511 through the fluid passage 531 to the fluid outlet 541 and then enter the separation chamber 514 through the fluid outlet 541.

[0036] In particular, the main body 510 is further provided with a lower boss 515 that projects from the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 into the separation chamber 514 along the longitudinal direction LL', and the fluid outlet 541 is defined at the top end of the lower boss 515. That is to say, the fluid passage 531 extends through the lower boss 515 until the fluid outlet 541, such that the fluid outlet 541 is positioned at a location spaced apart from the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 along the longitudinal direction LL', and the separation chamber 514 (as Figure 2 shown by the virtual dividing line shown in dashed lines) is divided in the longitudinal direction LL' into an upper chamber 514d located between its top wall 514a and the fluid outlet 541 and a lower chamber 514e located between its bottom wall 514b and the fluid outlet 541. The lower chamber 514e is generally annular and is arranged around the lower boss 515 between the outer side wall of the lower boss 515 and the side wall 514c of the separation chamber 514. More intuitively, in Figure 2 the orientation shown, the fluid outlet 541 is positioned at a location higher than the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514, the upper chamber 514d is located above the fluid outlet 541, and the lower chamber 514e is located below the fluid outlet 541.

[0037] The water separator 500 further includes a flow guiding structure 530 disposed in the fluid passage 531 for guiding the fluid to rotate (specifically, rotate around the longitudinal direction LL'). Specifically, the flow guiding structure 530 is spaced apart from the fluid outlet 541 such that the portion of the fluid passage 531 near the fluid outlet 541 does not have the flow guiding structure 530. Thus, the fluid that rotates can adhere to this portion of the fluid passage 531, which helps to fully separate the gas and liquid in the fluid. Specifically, the flow guiding structure 530 may be composed of a plurality of ribs 516 disposed on the sidewall of the fluid passage 531. Each of these ribs 516 is arranged in a manner inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction LL' or helically around the longitudinal direction LL' such that these ribs 516 can guide the fluid in contact with them to rotate. Of course, this is merely exemplary. The flow guiding structure 530 may also be composed of other types of components for guiding the fluid to rotate. For example, the flow guiding structure 530 may be composed of a single helical blade helically around the longitudinal direction LL'. Therefore, the specific composition manner of the flow guiding structure 530 does not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Continuing to refer to Figure 2 , the main body 510 is further provided with a gas passage 532 that extends from the gas outlet 512 through the top wall 514a of the separation chamber 514 to the gas inlet 542. The gas inlet 542 communicates with the upper chamber 514d or opens towards the upper chamber 514d such that the gas outlet 512 is in fluid communication with the upper chamber 514d through the gas passage 532. Thereby, the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture at the fluid outlet 541 is allowed to flow from the gas inlet 542 through the gas passage 532 to the gas outlet 512 and then be discharged through the gas outlet 512. Specifically, the gas inlet 542 is spaced apart from the fluid outlet 541 along the longitudinal direction LL', thereby avoiding the gas-liquid mixture flowing to the fluid outlet 541 from directly entering the gas inlet 542 without separation, and thus ensuring the full separation of the gas and liquid. Specifically, the gas passage 532 extends from the gas outlet 512 to the top wall 514a of the separation chamber 514 such that the gas inlet 542 is disposed on or opens on the top wall 514a. Specifically, the gas inlet 542 is also aligned with the fluid outlet 541 along the longitudinal direction LL'. The so-called "aligned along the longitudinal direction LL'" can be understood as the projections of both the fluid outlet 541 and the gas inlet 542 in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction LL' at least partially overlap, thereby ensuring that the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture can smoothly enter the gas inlet 542. Specifically, the gas passage 532 extends along the longitudinal direction LL', thereby ensuring that the gas entering the gas inlet 542 can smoothly flow to the gas outlet 512.

[0039] Still referring toFigure 2 , the main body 510 is further provided with a liquid passage 533 which extends from the liquid outlet 513 through the side wall 514c of the separation chamber 514 to the liquid inlet 543. The liquid inlet 543 communicates with or opens towards the lower chamber 514e, so that the liquid outlet 513 is in fluid communication with the lower chamber 514e through the liquid passage 533 and is spaced apart from the lower chamber 514e in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction LL' (hereinafter referred to as the transverse direction TT'). Thereby, the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture at the fluid outlet 541 and collected in the lower chamber 514e can flow from the liquid inlet 543 through the liquid passage 533 to the liquid outlet 513 and then be discharged through the drain valve 520 at the liquid outlet 513. In particular, at least a part of the liquid passage 533 between the liquid inlet 543 and the liquid outlet 513 is located between the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 and the fluid outlet 541 in the longitudinal direction LL'. Of course, the liquid inlet 543 is closer to the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 than the fluid outlet 541 in the longitudinal direction LL', so that the liquid inlet 543 communicates with or opens towards the lower chamber 514e. More intuitively, in Figure 2 the orientation shown, the at least a part (hereinafter referred to as the liquid separating part) of the liquid passage 533 between the liquid inlet 543 and the liquid outlet 513 is higher than the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 but lower than the fluid outlet 541, and the liquid inlet 543 is also lower than the fluid outlet 541.

[0040] During the operation of the water separator 500 and when the water separator 500 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction LL' is aligned with the vertical direction, the gas-liquid mixture that enters the fluid passage 531 through the fluid inlet 511 and moves upward along the fluid passage 531 will rotate when passing through the flow guiding structure 530, thereby being subjected to centrifugal force. However, since the weight of the liquid is much greater than the weight of the gas, the centrifugal force received by the liquid is much higher than the centrifugal force received by the gas. This makes the centrifugal force received by the gas insufficient to attach it to the side wall of the fluid passage 531. Therefore, the gas will continue to move upward under the action of inertia (and possibly under the action of the negative pressure established at the gas outlet 512) and enter the gas passage 532 through the gas inlet 542, and finally be discharged through the gas outlet 512. Different from the gas, the centrifugal force received by the liquid is sufficient to attach it to the side wall of the fluid passage 531, so that the liquid continues to move upward along the side wall of the fluid passage 531 under the action of inertia until it discharges from the fluid outlet 541 out of the fluid passage 531 and falls due to its own gravity and is collected in the lower chamber 514e, thereby realizing the separation of the liquid and the gas from each other at the fluid outlet 541. However, the liquid collected in the lower chamber 514e will not immediately flow above the drain valve 520, but will only flow above the drain valve 520 when the water level in the lower chamber 514e is higher than the liquid inlet 543 and the liquid blocking portion of the liquid passage 533. Therefore, in the above configuration, since the liquid outlet 513 is spaced apart from the lower chamber 514e along the transverse direction TT' and due to the presence of the above-mentioned liquid blocking portion, the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture will mainly accumulate in the lower chamber 514e, and only when the water level in the lower chamber 514e is higher than a certain level will the liquid flow above the drain valve 520. Thus, a large amount of liquid can be prevented from accumulating above the drain valve 520, and the drain valve 520 can be prevented from being unable to open normally due to freezing of a large amount of liquid above it. It can be seen from this that the above configuration makes the water separator according to the present disclosure have high reliability, especially when used in a low-temperature environment.

[0041] Optionally, as Figure 2As shown, the gas passage 531 is generally L-shaped, having an upstream portion 531a adjacent to the fluid inlet 511 and a downstream portion 531b adjacent to the fluid outlet 541. The upstream portion 531a is in fluid communication with the downstream portion 531b, and the upstream portion 531a is generally oriented or extends along the transverse direction TT', such that the fluid inlet 511 is generally open towards the transverse direction TT', while the downstream portion 531b is generally oriented or extends along the longitudinal direction LL', such that the fluid outlet 541 is generally open towards the longitudinal direction LL'. In particular, the flow guiding structure 530 is disposed in the downstream portion 531b. In this configuration, the fluid entering from the fluid inlet 511 will first flow in the upstream portion 531a along the transverse direction TT', and then change direction to flow in the downstream portion 531b along the longitudinal direction LL'. This change in direction of the fluid before entering the downstream portion 531b causes it to flow along the sidewall of the downstream portion 531b, which helps to bring the flow guiding structure 530 into full contact with the fluid, so that the flow guiding structure 530 can more effectively guide the fluid to rotate, in order to achieve sufficient separation of gas and liquid by centrifugal force.

[0042] Optionally, as Figure 2 shown, similar to the gas passage 531, the liquid passage 533 is also generally L-shaped, having an upstream portion 533a adjacent to the liquid inlet 543 and a downstream portion 533b adjacent to the liquid outlet 513. The upstream portion 533a is in fluid communication with the downstream portion 533b, and the upstream portion 533a is generally oriented or extends along the transverse direction TT', such that the liquid inlet 543 is generally open towards the transverse direction TT', while the downstream portion 533b is generally oriented or extends along the longitudinal direction LL', such that the liquid outlet 513 is generally open towards the longitudinal direction LL'. More intuitively, in the Figure 2 orientation shown, the upstream portion 533a is located above the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 and below the fluid outlet 541, such that the upstream portion 533a constitutes the liquid separating portion of the liquid passage 533. In this configuration, only when the water level of the liquid collected in the lower chamber 514e reaches the upstream portion 533a, the liquid will flow from the lower chamber 514e into the upstream portion 533a, and then flow through the upstream portion 533a into the downstream portion 533b, and finally be discharged through the drain valve 520.

[0043] Other alternative but non-limiting embodiments of the water separator according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to other drawings. Referring to Figure 3 , which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The embodiment shown is related to Figure 2The main difference of the illustrated embodiment is that the upstream portion 533a of the liquid channel 533 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the transverse direction TT' and the longitudinal direction LL', rather than extending along the transverse direction TT'. In particular, the upstream portion 533a is inclined such that it moves away from the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 in the longitudinal direction LL' as it moves away from the liquid inlet 543. More intuitively, in the Figure 3 illustrated orientation, the upstream portion 533a rises as it moves away from the liquid inlet 543 and reaches its highest point, for example, at the position where it intersects with the downstream portion 533b. More particularly, the liquid inlet 543 is adjacent to the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 such that the upstream portion 533a starts to rise from the bottom wall 514b of the separation chamber 514 until it reaches the position where it intersects with the downstream portion 533b. In this configuration, the liquid collected in the lower chamber 514e will initially gradually enter the upstream portion 533a, causing the water level in the upstream portion 533a to gradually rise. When the water level in the upstream portion 533a reaches the position where the upstream portion 533a intersects with the downstream portion 533b, the liquid will flow from the upstream portion 533a into the downstream portion 533b and finally be discharged through the drain valve 520. Therefore, this configuration can also avoid the accumulation of a large amount of liquid above the drain valve 520.

[0044] Reference Figure 4 , which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The main difference between the illustrated embodiment and the Figure 3 illustrated embodiment is that the fluid channel 531 (specifically, its downstream portion 531b) is flared or funnel-shaped near the fluid outlet 541. Specifically, the side walls of the fluid channel 531 (i.e., the inner side walls of the lower boss 515) slope outward as they approach the fluid outlet 541, such that the cross-section of the fluid channel 531 expands as it approaches the fluid outlet 541. In this configuration, the inclined side walls of the fluid channel 531 near the fluid outlet 541 help to guide the liquid adhering to these inclined side walls into the lower chamber 514e. Therefore, this configuration can facilitate the collection of liquid and help prevent the liquid from falling back into the fluid channel 531.

[0045] Reference Figure 5 , which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The main difference between the illustrated embodiment and the Figure 4The main difference of the illustrated embodiment is that the main body 510 is further provided with another upper boss 517 protruding from the top wall 514a of the separation chamber 514 into the separation chamber 514 along the longitudinal direction LL'. The gas inlet 542 is defined at the top end of the upper boss 517. That is to say, the gas passage 532 extends through the upper boss 517 until the gas inlet 542, so that the gas inlet 542 is positioned at a position spaced apart from the top wall 514a of the separation chamber 514 along the longitudinal direction LL'. More intuitively, in the Figure 5 illustrated orientation, the gas inlet 542 is positioned at a position lower than the top wall 514a of the separation chamber 514. In this configuration, the gas inlet 542 can be closer to the fluid outlet 541, thereby facilitating the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture at the fluid outlet 541 to enter the gas inlet 542, thus contributing to the collection of the gas. In particular, the upper boss 517 is generally frustum-shaped. Specifically, the outer side wall of the upper boss 517 inclines inward as it approaches the gas inlet 542. In this configuration, even if the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture at the fluid outlet 541 rises to the upper boss 517 due to greater inertia, these liquids will be guided by the inclined outer side wall of the upper boss 517 above the lower chamber 514e, so that these liquids will finally fall due to their own gravity and be collected in the lower chamber 514e. Therefore, this configuration can also promote the collection of the liquid and help prevent the liquid from falling back into the fluid passage 531.

[0046] Refer to Figure 6 , which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a water separator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The main difference between the illustrated embodiment and the Figure 5 illustrated embodiment is that the flow guiding structure 530 is provided by a swirl cylinder 550 inserted into the fluid passage 531, rather than being constituted by ribs or vanes provided on the side wall of the fluid passage 531. In this configuration, the flow guiding structure 530 can be replaced by replacing the swirl cylinder 550, so that even if the flow guiding structure 530 is damaged, only the swirl cylinder 550 needs to be replaced instead of the main body 510, thereby reducing the maintenance cost of the water separator 500.

[0047] Optionally, as Figures 2 - 6As shown, the main body 510 may include a top cover 510a, a bottom cover 510b, and a nozzle 510c. Among them, the top cover 510a and the bottom cover 510b are connected together to jointly define a separation chamber 514, the bottom cover 510b and the nozzle 510c are connected together to jointly define a fluid passage 531, and both a gas passage 532 and a liquid passage 533 are defined in the top cover 510a. Of course, this is only illustrative. In an embodiment not shown, the top cover 510a and the bottom cover 510b may be integrated, the bottom cover 510b and the nozzle 510c may be integrated, or the top cover 510a, the bottom cover 510b, and the nozzle 510c may be integrated. Therefore, the specific configuration of the main body 510 does not limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] The optional but non-limiting embodiments of the water separator and the fuel cell according to the present disclosure have been described in detail above with the aid of the drawings. For those ordinary technicians in the art, without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure, the modifications and supplements to the technology and structure, as well as the recombination of the features in each embodiment, should obviously be regarded as being included within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and supplements that can be envisioned under the teachings of the present disclosure should be regarded as a part of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure includes equivalent technologies known at the filing date of the present disclosure and equivalent technologies not yet foreseen.

Claims

1. A water distributor, characterized in that: include: A main body (510), wherein the main body (510) is provided with: A fluid inlet (511), a gas outlet (512) and a liquid outlet (513) located on its surface; a separation chamber (514) located therein; a fluid channel (531) extending from the fluid inlet (511) to a fluid outlet (541) open toward the separation chamber (514), wherein the fluid outlet (541) is located above a bottom wall (514b) of the separation chamber (514), so that the separation chamber (514) is divided into a gas chamber (514d) above the fluid outlet (541) and a liquid chamber (514e) below the fluid outlet (541); a gas passage (532) extending from the gas outlet (512) to a gas inlet (542) opening toward the gas chamber (514d); and a liquid passage (533) extending from the liquid outlet (513) to a liquid inlet (543) open toward the liquid chamber (514e), the liquid passage (533) being lower than the fluid outlet (541), and A flow guiding structure (530) is arranged in the fluid channel (531) and is used to guide the fluid to rotate.

2. The water separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The separation chamber (514) has a top wall (514a) opposite to the bottom wall (514b) in the longitudinal direction and a side wall (514c) connecting the top wall (514a) and the bottom wall (514b), and the liquid inlet (543) opens on the side wall (514c).

3. The water separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fluid outlet (541) is defined at the top end of a lower boss (515) protruding longitudinally from the bottom wall (514b) of the separation chamber (514), the fluid channel (531) extends through the lower boss (515), and the liquid chamber (514e) surrounds the lower boss (515).

4. The water separator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner side wall of the lower boss (515) slopes outward as it approaches the fluid outlet (541).

5. The water separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas inlet (542) is defined at a top end of an upper boss (517) protruding in the longitudinal direction from a top wall (514a) of the separation chamber (514), and the gas passage (532) extends through the upper boss (517).

6. The water separator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the upper boss (517) is inclined inwardly as it approaches the gas inlet (542).

7. The water separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least a portion of the liquid channel (533) is higher than the bottom wall (514b) of the separation chamber (514).

8. The water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: It also includes a drain valve (520), which is arranged at the liquid outlet (513).

9. The water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The fluid channel (531) has an upstream portion adjacent to the fluid inlet (511) and a downstream portion adjacent to the fluid outlet (541), the upstream portion extending in a transverse direction, and the downstream portion extending in a longitudinal direction.

10. The water separator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The flow guiding structure (530) is disposed in a downstream portion of the fluid channel (531); and / or the flow guiding structure (530) is spaced apart from the fluid outlet (541).

11. The water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The liquid passage (533) has an upstream portion adjacent to the liquid inlet (543) and a downstream portion adjacent to the liquid outlet (513), wherein the upstream portion laterally spaces the downstream portion apart from the liquid inlet (543).

12. The water separator according to claim 11, characterized in that: The upstream portion of the liquid passage (533) moves away from the bottom wall (514b) of the separation chamber (514) in the longitudinal direction as it moves away from the liquid inlet (543).

13. The water separator according to claim 12, characterized in that: The liquid inlet (543) is adjacent to the bottom wall (514b) of the separation chamber (514).

14. The water separator according to claim 11, characterized in that: The upstream portion of the liquid channel (533) extends in the transverse direction.

15. The water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The gas inlet (542) is spaced apart from the fluid outlet (541) in the longitudinal direction; and / or the gas inlet (542) is aligned with the fluid outlet (541) in the longitudinal direction.

16. A fuel cell, characterized in that include: Battery stack (100); The water separator (500) according to any one of claims 1 to 15; and Anode gas circulation pump (600), in, The fluid inlet (511) of the water separator (500) is connected to the anode gas outlet (102) of the fuel cell stack (100), the gas outlet (512) of the water separator (500) is connected to the inlet of the anode gas circulation pump (600), and the outlet of the anode gas circulation pump (600) is connected to the anode gas inlet (101) of the fuel cell stack (100).

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