Proton exchange membrane wetting system of fuel cell

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly provides a proton exchange membrane wetting system of a fuel cell, which comprises two sets of humidifying units respectively communicated with an anode and a cathode of the fuel cell, and two sets of gas supply pipelines capable of correspondingly conveying gas to the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell, the water supply pipeline can supply water to the two sets of humidifying units; and gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline can be humidified to a set humidity in the humidifying unit and then is conveyed into the fuel cell. According to the proton exchange membrane wetting system of the fuel cell disclosed by the utility model, the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell can be sufficiently humidified and wetted through the two sets of humidifying units and the gas supply pipelines thereof.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly relates to a proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell. Background Art

[0002] A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) uses a polymer membrane that can conduct ions as an electrolyte, also known as a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a solid polymer fuel cell (SPFC), or a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell (SPEFC). Due to limitations in materials (such as proton exchange membranes, etc.) and process levels, the output current density of a single cell is approximately 300 - 600 mA / cm 2 , therefore, to improve the output current capacity of the fuel cell, only several series-connected single cell groups can be paralleled to form a fuel cell stack with a larger output capacity.

[0003] Precisely because the fuel cell stack is formed by a large number of single cells connected in series and parallel, there are problems of uniformity in supplying fuel and oxidant to each single cell and thermal management of the cell group. Therefore, before the proton exchange membrane fuel cell is used, an activation operation needs to be carried out to make its performance reach the use standard before it can truly enter the use stage. Especially in the stack, if the stack is not fully activated and the uniformity of the single cells is poor, the performance of the stack cannot be exerted, and even the life of the stack will be affected.

[0004] According to the product state process, activation usually includes pre-activation, discharge activation, and recovery activation. Among them, pre-activation is mainly achieved by pre-wetting the proton exchange membrane in advance or removing oxides and impurities on the catalyst surface; through pre-activation, to a certain extent, the consumption of resources such as gas and test benches can be reduced, and the time from the completion of assembly of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell to actual use can be shortened.

[0005] In the prior art, a gas humidity control module is integrated on the EOL (End of Life or End of Line) test bench of the stack, and the humidity of the inlet gas is controlled by dew point to wet the proton exchange membrane. However, the existing humidification system has a complex structure, usually only can wet the inlet gas on one side of the anode or cathode of the cell, and the regulation effect of the temperature and humidity of the inlet gas is poor, which easily leads to insufficient wetting of the proton exchange membrane. Summary of the Utility Model

[0006] In view of this, the utility model aims to propose a proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell to facilitate sufficient humidification and infiltration of the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is realized as follows:

[0008] A proton exchange membrane humidification system for a fuel cell, comprising two humidification units respectively connected to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell, two gas supply pipelines capable of correspondingly supplying gas to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell, and a water supply pipeline capable of supplying water to the two humidification units; the gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline can be humidified to a set humidity by the water supplied by the water supply pipeline in the humidification unit and then transported into the fuel cell.

[0009] Further, a gas path control valve for adjusting the intake air volume is provided on the gas supply pipeline, and a water path control valve for adjusting the water intake volume is provided on the water supply pipeline.

[0010] Further, the humidification unit includes a humidifier, an intake pipe connected between the gas inlet of the fuel cell and the humidifier, and an exhaust pipe connected between the gas outlet of the fuel cell and the humidifier; both the gas supply pipeline and the exhaust pipe are connected to the intake port of the humidifier, the water supply pipeline is connected to the water inlet of the humidifier, and the gas entering the humidifier from the intake port is humidified by the water entering from the water inlet and then transported into the fuel cell through the intake pipe and discharged through the exhaust pipe.

[0011] Further, a heating tape and / or a temperature and humidity meter are provided on the intake pipe.

[0012] Further, a pressure relief pipeline is connected to the humidifier, and a safety valve is provided on the pressure relief pipeline.

[0013] Further, a gas-liquid separator is provided on the exhaust pipe, and the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator flows back to the intake port, and the water separated by the gas-liquid separator flows back to the water inlet.

[0014] Further, the humidifier includes a tank body and a circulation pipeline connected between the top and bottom of the tank body; the intake pipe is arranged at the top of the tank body, and both the intake port and the water inlet are arranged at the lower part of the tank body; a spray pump is provided on the circulation pipeline, and driven by the spray pump, the water at the bottom of the tank body is transported to the top of the tank body through the circulation pipeline and then sprayed out to humidify the gas in the tank body.

[0015] Further, a heating device is provided at the bottom of the tank body, and a radiator is provided on the circulation pipeline; the circulation pipeline includes a spray water outlet pipeline connected between the bottom of the tank body and the radiator and a spray water return pipeline connected between the top of the tank body and the radiator, and the spray pump is arranged on the spray water outlet pipeline.

[0016] Further, a three-way valve is provided on the spray return water pipeline, and the three-way valve is connected to the spray water outlet pipeline through a bypass pipeline.

[0017] Further, the tank is configured with a liquid level gauge, and a conductivity meter is provided on the spray water outlet pipeline; a drain pipe is connected downstream of the spray pump, and a drain valve is provided on the drain pipe.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present utility model has the following advantages:

[0019] In the proton exchange membrane humidification system of the fuel cell of the present utility model, by respectively configuring two sets of humidification units for the anode and cathode of the fuel cell, the water supply pipeline supplies water and humidifies the two sets of humidification units uniformly, and the gas supply pipelines are separately configured for the two sets of humidification units, so as to facilitate the full humidification and infiltration of the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings forming a part of the present utility model are used to provide a further understanding of the present utility model. The schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present utility model are used to explain the present utility model. The front-back, up-down and other orientation words involved are only used to represent relative positional relationships and do not constitute improper limitations to the present utility model. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall composition of the proton exchange membrane humidification system of the fuel cell according to the embodiment of the present utility model connected to the fuel cell;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the system composition of the first humidification unit according to the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the system composition of the second humidification unit according to the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the overall composition of the humidifier according to the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the tank body of the humidifier according to the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0026] Description of the reference numerals:

[0027] 1. Fuel cell; 101. Anode inlet; 102. Anode outlet; 111. Cathode inlet; 112. Cathode outlet; 2. Resistance tester;

[0028] 31. First humidifying unit; 310. Filter; 311. Regulating valve; 312. First gas path control valve; 313. First one-way valve; 314. First exhaust valve; 315. First gas-liquid separator; 316. First reflux fan; 317. First reflux pump; 318. Second one-way valve; 319. First water path control valve;

[0029] 32. Second humidifying unit; 322. Second gas path control valve; 323. Third one-way valve; 324. Second exhaust valve; 325. Second gas-liquid separator; 326. Second reflux fan; 327. Second reflux pump; 328. Fourth one-way valve; 329. Second water path control valve;

[0030] 41. Nitrogen pipeline; 42. Air pipeline;

[0031] 5. Water supply pipeline; 50. Water supply pump; 51. First water supply branch pipe; 52. Second water supply branch pipe;

[0032] 6. Humidifier; 60. Tank body; 600. Filling layer; 610. Air inlet; 611. Water inlet; 620. Pressure relief port; 621. Air outlet; 63. Liquid level gauge; 630. Liquid level lower limit switch; 631. Liquid level upper limit switch; 64. Spraying water outlet pipeline; 640. Spraying pump; 641. Radiator; 65. Spraying water return pipeline; 650. Three-way valve; 651. Spraying head; 66. Bypass pipeline; 67. Drain pipe; 670. Drain valve; 68. Conductivity meter; 69. Heating device;

[0033] 70. First pressure relief pipeline; 700. First safety valve; 71. Anode inlet gas pipeline; 710. First flowmeter; 711. First temperature sensor; 712. First pressure sensor; 713. Second temperature sensor; 714. First humidity sensor; 715. First heating tape; 72. Anode exhaust gas pipeline; 720. Third temperature sensor; 721. First condensate return circuit; 722. First gas return circuit;

[0034] 80. Second pressure relief pipeline; 800. Second safety valve; 81. Cathode inlet gas pipeline; 810. Second flowmeter; 811. Fourth temperature sensor; 812. Second pressure sensor; 813. Fifth temperature sensor; 814. Second humidity sensor; 815. Second heating tape; 82. Cathode exhaust gas pipeline; 820. Sixth temperature sensor; 821. Second condensate return circuit; 822. Second gas return circuit. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present utility model and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0036] In the description of the present utility model, it should be stated that if terms indicating orientation or positional relationship such as "upper, lower, left, right, front, rear, inner, outer" appear, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present utility model, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model.

[0037] In addition, in the description of the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection", "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the connection 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, or even the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood in combination with specific situations. The limiting terms such as "first, second, A, B, C, D" that appear in the description of the present utility model are only for distinguishing similar features in different positions, ownerships or uses, etc., in order to achieve the purpose of avoiding ambiguity and confusion in the description, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Additionally, the activation (activation / conditioning) mentioned in the embodiments of the present utility model refers to the process in which a proton exchange membrane fuel cell operates under set conditions so as to reach its designed performance or optimal performance.

[0038] The present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in conjunction with embodiments.

[0039] Embodiment 1

[0040] This embodiment relates to a proton exchange membrane humidification system for a fuel cell, which is conducive to fully humidifying and infiltrating the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell; an exemplary system composition is as Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown.

[0041] Generally speaking, the proton exchange membrane humidification system of this fuel cell includes two humidification units respectively communicating with the anode and cathode of the fuel cell 1, two gas supply pipelines capable of correspondingly supplying gas to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell 1, and a water supply pipeline 5 capable of supplying water to the two humidification units.

[0042] Among them, the gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline can be humidified by the water supplied by the water supply pipeline 5 to the set humidity in the humidifying unit and then transported into the fuel cell 1 to complete the proton exchange membrane wetting process in the fuel cell activation process. During the entire wetting process, the fuel cell 1 is connected to a resistance tester 2 to monitor the change in the internal resistance of the fuel cell 1 in real time. By monitoring the internal resistance of the battery in real time with the resistance tester 2, the gas supply can be stopped when the resistance value reaches the preset value, so as to quickly, accurately and safely complete the humidification process of the proton exchange membrane.

[0043] It should be noted that based on the above overall design concept, the technical solution of the present utility model can adopt a variety of different specific implementation structures, forms or configuration sequences. For example, the above water supply pipeline 5 can be connected to a high-pressure water source, or an atmospheric pressure water source plus a pressurizing pump. The two gas supply pipelines respectively supplying gas to the two humidifying units adopt the same gas source, or two different types of gas sources, and can be connected to high-pressure hydrogen, or connected to high-pressure non-combustible gas. For parts required for the implementation of the overall solution but not involved in the above overall settings, reasonable and flexible designs can be made with reference to the mature setting means in the art, the actual situation during implementation, etc.

[0044] The following specific implementation schemes of this embodiment are only one of the relatively superior ones among the many schemes that can be formed by the above various combinations and their changes. In actual implementation, those skilled in the art can make flexible adjustments and improvements in combination with the actual situation. Obviously, the many schemes that can be formed by the above various specific form combinations and their changes, as well as the specific implementation schemes of this embodiment, are all within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0045] Specifically, in this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, an air path control valve for adjusting the air intake volume is provided on the gas supply pipeline, and a water path control valve for adjusting the water intake volume is provided on the water supply pipeline 5. By setting an air path control valve on the gas supply pipeline, the pressure and flow rate of the gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline can be flexibly regulated. Similarly, by setting a water path control valve on the water supply pipeline 5, the pressure and flow rate of the water supplied by the water supply pipeline 5 can be flexibly regulated, and thus the flow rate and humidity of the gas transported from the humidifying unit to the fuel cell 1 can be well adjusted.

[0046] It should be noted that based on the situation that the fuel cell 1 is provided with two humidifying channels, namely an anode and a cathode, the humidifying unit of this embodiment includes a first humidifying unit 31 connecting the anode inlet 101 and the anode outlet 102 of the fuel cell 1, and a second humidifying unit 32 connecting the cathode inlet 111 and the cathode outlet 112 of the fuel cell 1. The first humidifying unit 31 and the second humidifying unit 32 can adopt the same configuration, or can be configured differently to a certain extent.

[0047] In this embodiment, the gas supply pipeline includes a nitrogen gas pipeline 41 connected to a nitrogen gas source and an air pipeline 42 connected to an air source. The nitrogen gas pipeline 41 supplies gas to the first humidifying unit 31, and the air pipeline 42 supplies gas to the second humidifying unit 32. For the anode of the fuel cell 1, a humidifying process is carried out using nitrogen gas, and for the cathode of the fuel cell 1, a humidifying process is carried out using air. The characteristics that both air and nitrogen gas are non-combustible gases are utilized, thereby being able to reduce the requirements for the safety explosion-proof level in the wetting process.

[0048] The water supply pipeline 5 branches out into a first water supply branch pipe 51 and a second water supply branch pipe 52 after being pressurized by a water supply pump 50. The first water supply branch pipe 51 supplies water to the first humidifying unit 31, and the second water supply branch pipe 52 supplies water to the second humidifying unit 32. To well regulate the pressure and flow rate of the water supply, a first water path control valve 319 is provided on the first water supply branch pipe 51 in the present embodiment, and a second water path control valve 329 is provided on the second water supply branch pipe 52.

[0049] Correspondingly, the gas path control valves include a first gas path control valve 312 provided on the nitrogen gas pipeline 41 and a second gas path control valve 322 provided on the air pipeline 42. The water path control valves include a filter 310 provided on the first water supply branch pipe 51 and the second water path control valve 329 provided on the second water supply branch pipe 52. And, in this embodiment, a filter 310 and a regulating valve 311 are further provided on the nitrogen gas pipeline 41 upstream of the first gas path control valve 312 to improve the filtering and pressure regulating effects of the nitrogen gas.

[0050] Regarding the setting of the humidifier 6, of course, there are various schemes; it can be designed based on the principle of being able to humidify the incoming gas with the incoming water and making the gas discharged to the fuel cell 1 meet the set temperature and humidity parameter requirements. In this embodiment, the humidifying unit includes a humidifier 6, an intake pipe connected between the gas inlet of the fuel cell 1 and the humidifier 6, and an exhaust pipe connected between the gas outlet of the fuel cell 1 and the humidifier 6.

[0051] Among them, both the gas supply pipeline and the exhaust pipeline are connected to the gas inlet 610 of the humidifier 6, and the water supply pipeline 5 is connected to the water inlet 611 of the humidifier 6. The gas entering the humidifier 6 from the gas inlet 610 is humidified by the water entering from the water inlet 611, and then is transported into the fuel cell 1 through the intake pipe and discharged through the exhaust pipe.

[0052] The humidifier 6, the intake pipe and the exhaust pipe are provided in the humidifying unit, and an air flow cycle can be formed between the humidifier 6 and the fuel cell 1; the gas supplied into the humidifier 6 by the gas supply pipeline is humidified and then enters the fuel cell 1 through the intake pipe, infiltrates the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell 1, and then is discharged from the fuel cell 1 into the humidifier 6 for humidification, thereby realizing the recycling of the gas and saving the usage amount of the gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline.

[0053] Regarding the configuration of the above two humidifying units, i.e., the first humidifying unit 31 and the second humidifying unit 32, the intake pipeline in this embodiment includes an anodic intake pipeline 71 connected between the anodic inlet 101 of the fuel cell 1 and the first humidifying unit 31, and a cathodic intake pipeline 81 connected between the cathodic inlet 111 of the fuel cell 1 and the second humidifying unit 32. The exhaust pipeline includes an anodic exhaust pipeline 72 connected between the anodic outlet 102 of the fuel cell 1 and the first humidifying unit 31, and a cathodic exhaust pipeline 82 connected between the cathodic outlet 112 of the fuel cell 1 and the second humidifying unit 32.

[0054] In order to accurately adjust and real-time monitor the temperature and humidity of the gas supplied by the humidifying unit to the fuel cell 1, a heating tape and a temperature and humidity meter are provided on the intake pipeline in this embodiment. By setting the heating tape and the temperature and humidity meter on the intake pipeline, the temperature of the gas supplied by the humidifying unit to the fuel cell 1 can be adjusted, and the temperature and humidity of the gas can be detected. In addition, in this embodiment, detection elements such as a flow meter and a pressure sensor are also provided on the intake pipeline.

[0055] Specifically, a first flow meter 710, a first temperature sensor 711, a first pressure sensor 712, and a temperature and humidity meter composed of a second temperature sensor 713 and a first humidity sensor 714 are sequentially arranged on the anodic intake pipeline 71, and a first heating tape 715 is wound around the anodic intake pipeline 71. A second flow meter 810, a fourth temperature sensor 811, a second pressure sensor 812, and a temperature and humidity meter composed of a fifth temperature sensor 813 and a second humidity sensor 814 are sequentially arranged on the cathodic intake pipeline 81, and a second heating tape 815 is wound around the cathodic intake pipeline 81. In this way, the pressure, flow rate, temperature, and humidity of the gas supplied by the humidifying unit to the fuel cell 1 can be monitored accurately and in real time, and the gas in the pipeline can be heated.

[0056] In addition, a pressure relief pipeline is connected to the humidifier 6 in this embodiment, and a safety valve is provided on the pressure relief pipeline. By setting the pressure relief pipeline for the humidifying unit, when the gas pressure supplied to the humidifying unit by the gas supply pipeline exceeds the gas supply pressure requirement of the fuel cell 1 and reaches the set safety threshold, the gas in the humidifying unit can be discharged in time, thus ensuring the safety of the system operation.

[0057] Specifically, at the top of the tank body 60 of the humidifier 6 in the first humidifying unit 31, a first pressure relief pipeline 70 is provided. The first pressure relief pipeline 70 is connected to the pressure relief port 620 of the tank body 60 and is in communication with the atmosphere. The first pressure relief pipeline 70 is provided with a first safety valve 700. At the top of the tank body 60 of the humidifier 6 in the second humidifying unit 32, a second pressure relief pipeline 80 is provided. The second pressure relief pipeline 80 is connected to the pressure relief port 620 of the tank body 60 and is in communication with the atmosphere. The second pressure relief pipeline 80 is provided with a second safety valve 800.

[0058] Based on the above settings, combined with Figure 4 As shown, in the humidifier 6 of this embodiment, a gas-liquid separator is provided on the exhaust pipeline. The gas separated by the gas-liquid separator is transported back to the air inlet 610 through the gas circuit, and the water separated by the gas-liquid separator is transported back to the water inlet 611 through the condensate circuit.

[0059] It should be noted that for the gas discharged from the fuel cell 1, it can of course be converged with the supply pipeline through the exhaust pipeline and then enter the humidifier 6 for reuse; however, by providing a gas-liquid separator on the exhaust pipeline, not only can the impurities in the recirculated water vapor be removed, but also the corrosion of the recirculation fan provided on the exhaust pipeline for drainage can be reduced.

[0060] Specifically, in the first humidifying unit 31, the anode exhaust pipeline 72 branches into a first condensate circuit 721 and a first gas circuit 722 after passing through the first gas-liquid separator 315. A first recirculation fan 316 is provided on the first gas circuit 722. The end of the first gas circuit 722 is connected to the end of the nitrogen pipeline 41. And a first recirculation pump 317 and a second one-way valve 318 are sequentially arranged on the first condensate circuit 721 to ensure that the condensate flows in the set direction; the gas from the first gas circuit 722 and the nitrogen pipeline 41 enters the tank body 60 together through the air inlet 610; to prevent the reverse flow of the gas, a first one-way valve 313 is provided upstream of the connection between the first gas circuit 722 and the nitrogen pipeline 41; the first condensate circuit 721 is connected to the end of the first water supply branch pipe 51, and the water from the first condensate circuit 721 and the first water supply branch pipe 51 enters the tank body 60 together through the water inlet 611.

[0061] Similarly, in the second humidifying unit 32, after passing through the second gas-liquid separator 325, the cathode exhaust gas pipeline 82 branches into a second condensate return circuit 821 and a second gas circuit 822. A second return fan 326 is provided on the second gas circuit 822. The end of the second gas circuit 822 is connected to the end of the air pipeline 42. The gases from the second gas circuit 822 and the air pipeline 42 enter the tank 60 together through the air inlet 610. To prevent the backflow of gases, a third one-way valve 323 is provided upstream of the connection between the second gas circuit 822 and the air pipeline 42. The second condensate return circuit 821 is connected to the end of the second water supply branch pipe 52, and a second return pump 327 and a fourth one-way valve 328 are sequentially provided on the second condensate return circuit 821 to ensure that the condensate flows along the set flow direction. The water from the second condensate return circuit 821 and the second water supply branch pipe 52 enters the tank 60 together through the water inlet 611.

[0062] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the end of the first gas circuit 722 is also connected to an exhaust pipeline, and a first exhaust valve 314 is provided on this exhaust pipeline; the end of the second gas circuit 822 is also connected to an exhaust pipeline, and a second exhaust valve 324 is provided on this exhaust pipeline. The setting of the exhaust pipeline is conducive to exhausting the gases in the pipeline after the system finishes the process operation.

[0063] In addition, a third temperature sensor 720 can be provided on the anode exhaust gas pipeline 72, and a sixth temperature sensor 820 can be provided on the cathode exhaust gas pipeline 82 to monitor the temperature of the gas discharged from the fuel cell 1 in real time.

[0064] As Figure 4 、 Figure 5 shown, as already mentioned above, the humidifier 6 of this embodiment includes a tank 60 and a circulation pipeline connected between the top and bottom of the tank 60; the intake pipeline is provided at the top of the tank 60, and the air inlet 610 and the water inlet 611 are both provided at the lower part of the tank 60; a spray pump 640 is provided on the circulation pipeline. Driven by the spray pump 640, the water at the bottom of the tank 60 is transported to the top of the tank 60 through the circulation pipeline and then sprayed out to humidify the gas in the tank 60. In the above-mentioned first humidifying unit 31, the anode intake pipeline 71 is connected between the gas outlet 621 at the top of the tank 60 and the anode inlet 101 of the fuel cell 1; in the above-mentioned second humidifying unit 32, the cathode intake pipeline 81 is connected between the gas outlet 621 at the top of the tank 60 and the cathode inlet 111 of the fuel cell 1.

[0065] A circulation pipeline is provided for the tank body 60 of the humidifier 6. Through the spray pump 640 on the circulation pipeline, the recycling of water can be realized. This can not only form the spraying of circulating water in the tank body 60, improving the humidifying effect on the gas in the tank body 60, but also reduce the water consumption. In this embodiment, a spray head 651 is provided at the end of the circulation pipeline. The water pumped out from the circulation pipeline is sprayed through the spray head 651. During the falling process, the water passes through the filling layer 600 in the tank body 60. The gas in the tank body 60 flows from bottom to top and is fully mixed with the falling water in the filling layer 600, realizing the humidification of the gas and forming a good humidifying effect.

[0066] In addition, a heating device 69 is provided at the bottom of the tank body 60 of this embodiment, and a radiator 641 is provided on the circulation pipeline. The circulation pipeline includes a spray water outlet pipeline 64 connected between the bottom of the tank body 60 and the radiator 641, and a spray water return pipeline 65 connected between the top of the tank body 60 and the radiator 641. The spray pump 640 is provided on the spray water outlet pipeline 64. By providing the heating device 69 in the tank body 60, the temperature of the water in the tank body 60 can be increased; by providing the radiator 641 on the circulation pipeline, the temperature of the water returning to the tank body 60 can be reduced. The combined use of the heating device 69 and the radiator 641 can adjust the water in the tank body 60 to the required temperature range, and then control the temperature of the humidified gas discharged from the tank body 60 to obtain gas with qualified temperature and humidity for infiltrating the proton exchange membrane.

[0067] Based on the above settings, preferably, a three-way valve 650 is provided on the spray water return pipeline 65 of this embodiment, and the three-way valve 650 is connected to the spray water outlet pipeline 64 through a bypass pipeline 66. When the radiator 641 divides the circulation pipeline into the spray water outlet pipeline 64 and the spray water return pipeline 65, by providing a bypass pipeline 66 between the spray water outlet pipeline 64 and the spray water return pipeline 65 and controlling the three-way valve 650, the water in the circulation pipeline can bypass the radiator 641 and directly form a circulating flow through the bypass pipeline 66, which plays a role when there is no need to cool the water.

[0068] In addition, the tank body 60 of this embodiment is configured with a liquid level gauge 63, and a conductivity meter 68 is provided on the spray water outlet pipeline 64; there are of course various selection forms for the liquid level gauge 63; the liquid level gauge 63 in this embodiment includes a liquid level lower limit switch 630 and a liquid level upper limit switch 631 which are arranged at intervals up and down to respectively monitor the lower limit and upper limit of the liquid level in the tank body 60. At the same time, a drain pipe 67 is connected to the spray pump 640. Specifically, the drain pipe 67 is connected to the spray water outlet pipeline 64 downstream of the spray pump 640; and a drain valve 670 is provided on the drain pipe 67. By setting the conductivity meter 68 on the spray water outlet pipeline 64 and the drain pipe 67, the conductivity of the water used for humidification can be monitored in real time to prevent the water ion parameters from exceeding the standard and polluting the proton exchange membrane; when the water ions exceed the standard, the drain valve 670 on the drain pipe 67 can be controlled to discharge the circulating water, and new water can be replenished through the water supply pipeline 5 to improve the situation of the humidification water.

[0069] Based on the above overall setting situation, the working principle of the proton exchange membrane humidification system of the fuel cell in this embodiment is as follows:

[0070] For the pressure control of the first humidification unit 31, through Figure 2 the regulating valve 311 in it can regulate the pressure and flow rate of the inlet air, so that the humidified gas supplied by the anode inlet gas pipeline 71 is within the preset humidification pressure range. The first pressure sensor 712 is used as a detection element for the pressure feedback value. The first gas path control valve 312 is opened during the inflation process, and the first exhaust valve 314 is opened during the pressure relief and exhaust. Through the adjustment of the regulating valve 311 and the opening and closing cooperation control of the first gas path control valve 312 and the first exhaust valve 314, the supplied gas can be accurately maintained at the set pressure.

[0071] At the same time, the system is preset with three - level pressure protection to ensure the safety of the fuel cell 1 and the operator. Specifically, it is the system program control of the first and second levels and the mechanical control of the third level. By collecting the pressure value of the first pressure sensor 712 and comparing it with the safety pressure, when the safety threshold is triggered, the first - level protection is triggered and an alarm is prompted. The second - level protection is to automatically relieve pressure and stop the machine, stop supplying gas to the system, and correspondingly control the first exhaust valve 314 to open for pressure relief. The third - level alarm is that the mechanical safety valve opens for pressure relief, that is, when the gas pressure in the pipeline exceeds the set pressure, the first safety valve 700 automatically opens for pressure relief.

[0072] For the flow control of the first humidification unit 31, a first return air fan 316 with a large air volume is used as the execution component for flow control, and a first flowmeter 710 (preferably a high-temperature vortex flowmeter) is used as the flow feedback element. The flow control adopts an incremental PID control adjustment method, which can control the air supply flow rate of the anode inlet pipeline 71 within the range of 0 - 1365 L / MIN, and achieve smooth stepless speed regulation of the flow rate, facilitating smooth transitions between different process parameters, and minimizing the adverse effects brought to the system by sudden increases and decreases in air volume to the greatest extent.

[0073] For the humidity control of the first humidification unit 31, the dew point temperature control method is adopted to achieve precise control of the relative humidity of the gas. The temperature of the wet gas is controlled by heating the gas and liquid in the tank body 60. Through aeration, spraying, and filtering by the gas-liquid mixing layer, the gas and water vapor are fully mixed, so that the gas at the air outlet 621 reaches 100% humidity.

[0074] Among them, the tank body 60 is preferably designed as follows: According to the gas flow rate and the target humidity, a humidification tank body structure with a small outer diameter and a high tank body is designed, which can fully increase the travel of the gas in the tank, facilitate gas-liquid mixing. At the same time, a high-lift spraying pump 640 is used to circulate the liquid to the top of the tank body 60 for pressurized spraying, further achieving the goal of gas humidification.

[0075] This device is based on a new design concept, which separates the humidification function and performance testing function of the proton exchange membrane. Based on the configuration of the two gas supply pipelines in the system, the gases introduced into the anode and cathode of the fuel cell stack can be replaced by nitrogen and air. That is, the nitrogen pipeline 41 is connected to a high-pressure nitrogen gas source, and the air pipeline 42 is connected to a high-pressure air source, and the temperature, humidity, pressure, and flow rate of the gas are precisely controlled to achieve the purpose of rapid humidification and safely complete the humidification process of the fuel cell stack.

[0076] The situation of the second humidification unit 32 is similar to that of the first humidification unit 31, and will not be elaborated here.

[0077] In summary, by adopting the proton exchange membrane wetting system of the fuel cell of the present utility model, compared with the existing activation humidification method, since air and nitrogen can be conveniently used as the gas supply sources, compared with the traditional situation of using hydrogen as the gas source for wetting, the energy consumption cost can be saved by at least 1 yuan / m 3 . Moreover, since nitrogen is an inert gas, the explosion-proof requirements for the equipment are reduced, and it can be arranged in the fuel cell system production line, reducing the safety requirements for the equipment workshop and the technical ability requirements for operators, and being conducive to improving the safety and reliability of the proton exchange membrane wetting process.

[0078] In summary, for the proton exchange membrane humidification system of the fuel cell in this embodiment, by configuring two sets of humidification units for the anode and cathode of the fuel cell 1 respectively, supplying water for humidification to the two sets of humidification units uniformly through a water supply pipeline, and separately configuring gas supply pipelines for the two sets of humidification units, different gases can be flexibly used to humidify and supply gas to the anode and cathode of the cell respectively; moreover, by setting a control valve and a humidity detection element in the humidification unit, the humidity of the gas output by the humidification unit can be accurately regulated, so as to provide safe and stable humidity parameter gas for the humidification of the fuel cell 1, which is conducive to fully humidifying and infiltrating the proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell.

[0079] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The detailed explanation of the configuration, the examples of specific structural settings, or the description of the assembly and connection methods are all for the need of full disclosure, so that those skilled in the art can better implement the present invention, rather than being used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell, characterized in that: It comprises two sets of humidification units respectively connected to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell (1), two sets of gas supply pipelines capable of correspondingly conveying gas to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell (1), and a water supply pipeline (5) capable of supplying water to the two sets of humidification units; The gas supplied by the gas supply pipeline can be humidified to a set humidity in the humidification unit and then transported to the fuel cell (1).

2. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply pipeline is provided with an air circuit control valve for adjusting the air intake amount, and the water supply pipeline (5) is provided with a water circuit control valve for adjusting the water intake amount.

3. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The humidification unit comprises a humidifier (6), an air inlet pipeline connected between an air inlet of the fuel cell (1) and the humidifier (6), and an air outlet pipeline connected between an air outlet of the fuel cell (1) and the humidifier (6); The air supply pipeline and the exhaust pipeline are both connected to the air inlet (610) of the humidifier (6), and the water supply pipeline (5) is connected to the water inlet (611) of the humidifier (6). The gas entering the humidifier (6) through the air inlet (610) is humidified by the water entering through the water inlet (611), and then transported to the fuel cell (1) through the air inlet pipeline, and then discharged through the exhaust pipeline.

4. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The air intake pipeline is provided with a heating belt and / or a thermometer and hygrometer.

5. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: The humidifier (6) is connected to a pressure relief pipeline, and a safety valve is provided on the pressure relief pipeline.

6. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that: A gas-liquid separator is provided on the exhaust pipeline, and the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator flows back to the gas inlet (610), and the water separated by the gas-liquid separator flows back to the water inlet (611).

7. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The humidifier (6) comprises a tank body (60), and a circulation pipeline connected between the top and the bottom of the tank body (60); the air inlet pipeline is arranged at the top of the tank body (60), and the air inlet (610) and the water inlet (611) are both arranged at the bottom of the tank body (60); a spray pump (640) is arranged on the circulation pipeline, and under the drive of the spray pump (640), water at the bottom of the tank body (60) is transported to the top of the tank body (60) through the circulation pipeline and then sprayed out to humidify the gas in the tank body (60).

8. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 7, characterized in that: A heating device (69) is provided at the bottom of the tank body (60), and a radiator (641) is provided on the circulation pipeline; the circulation pipeline comprises a spray water outlet pipeline (64) connected between the bottom of the tank body (60) and the radiator (641), and a spray water return pipeline (65) connected between the top of the tank body (60) and the radiator (641); the spray pump (640) is provided on the spray water outlet pipeline (64).

9. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spray water return pipeline (65) is provided with a three-way valve (650), and the three-way valve (650) is connected to the spray water outlet pipeline (64) via a bypass pipeline (66).

10. The proton exchange membrane wetting system for a fuel cell according to claim 8, characterized in that: The tank body (60) is provided with a liquid level meter (63), and the spray water outlet pipeline (64) is provided with a conductivity meter (68); the downstream of the spray pump (640) is connected to a drainage pipe (67), and the drainage pipe (67) is provided with a drainage valve (670).

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