Fuel cell system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a fuel cell system and a vehicle. The fuel cell system comprises an electric pile; the galvanic pile heat dissipation loop comprises a heat radiator, and the galvanic pile is arranged on the galvanic pile heat dissipation loop; the wastewater discharge pipeline is communicated with the electric pile; a heat exchanger; the galvanic pile heat dissipation loop exchanges heat with the waste water discharge pipeline through the heat exchanger, and the galvanic pile heat dissipation loop is configured to enable an outlet of a cooling medium of the galvanic pile to be selectively and directly communicated with the radiator or to be communicated with the radiator after heat exchange through the heat exchanger. The heat dissipation effect is improved through two-stage heat dissipation, so that not only can the heat dissipation effect be improved, but also the number of heat dissipation devices additionally arranged in a fuel cell system for achieving the same heat dissipation effect can be reduced, and the purpose of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the fuel cell in a limited arrangement space is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular, to a fuel cell system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Fuel cell vehicles are one of the main development directions of future new energy clean power vehicles. To meet the requirements of long driving range, fuel cell vehicles, especially heavy truck models equipped with fuel cells, have high rated power of fuel cell engines, large heat dissipation requirements, and small liquid-gas temperature differences. However, limited by the vehicle layout space and fan power, the radiator area cannot be increased infinitely, which will lead to the risk of over-temperature power decline of the fuel cell engine, and further lead to insufficient vehicle power performance. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a fuel cell system and a vehicle to solve the problem of insufficient heat dissipation of the fuel cell system within a limited layout space.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a fuel cell system, including:

[0005] A fuel cell stack;

[0006] A fuel cell stack heat dissipation circuit including a radiator, and the fuel cell stack is disposed on the fuel cell stack heat dissipation circuit;

[0007] A waste water discharge pipeline communicated with the fuel cell stack;

[0008] A heat exchanger;

[0009] Wherein, the fuel cell stack heat dissipation circuit exchanges heat with the waste water discharge pipeline through the heat exchanger:

[0010] Wherein, the fuel cell stack heat dissipation circuit is configured such that the outlet of the cooling medium of the fuel cell stack is selectively directly communicated with the radiator or first exchanges heat through the heat exchanger and then is communicated with the radiator.

[0011] Optionally, it further includes:

[0012] A first temperature detection element for obtaining the temperature of the cooling medium in the fuel cell stack heat dissipation circuit; and / or

[0013] A second temperature detection element for obtaining ambient temperature information;

[0014] And / or

[0015] A third temperature detection element for obtaining the temperature of the waste water in the waste water discharge pipeline.

[0016] Optionally, the stack cooling circuit includes a main cooling path and a bypass cooling path that is connected to the main cooling path in a switchable manner. The stack is disposed on the main cooling path. The fuel cell system further includes a three-way valve connected to at least one of the first temperature detection element, the second temperature detection element, and the third temperature detection element. The three-way valve is disposed at the connection between the main cooling path and the bypass cooling path and is configured to selectively connect the main cooling path and the bypass cooling path.

[0017] Optionally, the radiator further includes:

[0018] a radiator body connected to the stack cooling circuit; and / or

[0019] a fan configured to blow air onto the radiator body.

[0020] Optionally, the waste water discharge pipeline includes a liquid storage tank located upstream of the heat exchanger.

[0021] Optionally, the liquid storage tank is further provided with a drain valve and a liquid level detection element for obtaining the liquid level information in the liquid storage tank. The drain valve can be opened or closed according to the detection information of the liquid level detection element.

[0022] Optionally, an alarm device is provided on the liquid storage tank and is connected to the liquid level detection element.

[0023] Optionally, the waste water discharge pipeline further includes a waste water tail discharge device for treating the waste water discharged from the stack.

[0024] Optionally, a pump is further provided on the waste water discharge pipeline.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, including the above fuel cell system.

[0026] By the above technical solution, a heat exchanger is provided in the fuel cell system. The heat exchanger is configured to directly connect the cooling medium of the stack to the radiator or to first exchange heat in the heat exchanger and then connect to the radiator. On the one hand, when the heat dissipation requirement of the stack is low, the cooling medium can only pass through the radiator for heat dissipation. On the other hand, when the heat dissipation requirement of the stack is high, the higher temperature cooling medium can exchange heat with the lower temperature waste water of the stack in the heat exchanger and then pass through the radiator for heat dissipation. That is, the heat dissipation effect is improved through two-stage heat dissipation. In this way, not only can the heat dissipation effect be improved, but also the number of additional radiators, for example, added to achieve the same heat dissipation effect in the fuel cell system can be saved, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the fuel cell within a limited layout space.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Description of the Drawings

[0028] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following detailed description, they are used to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the opening and closing element connecting the main heat dissipation path in a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the opening and closing element connecting the heat dissipation bypass in a fuel cell system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Description of the Reference Numerals

[0033] 1 - Stack; 2 - Stack heat dissipation loop; 20 - Radiator; 21 - Main heat dissipation path; 211 - Heat dissipation bypass; 22 - Radiator body; 23 - Fan; 31 - First temperature detection element; 32 - Second temperature detection element; 33 - Third temperature detection element; 4 - Wastewater discharge pipeline; 41 - Liquid storage tank; 411 - Drain valve; 412 - Liquid level detection element; 42 - Wastewater tail discharge device; 5 - Heat exchanger; 6 - Three - way valve; 7 - Pump; 8 - Controller. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0034] The following will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0035] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for the purpose of distinguishing different components and do not have sequentiality and importance. In addition, in the following description, when referring to the drawings, unless otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figures 1 to 3As shown, a fuel cell system is provided, including a stack 1, a stack cooling circuit 2, a waste water discharge pipeline 4, and a heat exchanger 5. The stack cooling circuit 2 may include a radiator 20. The stack 1 is disposed on the stack cooling circuit 2. The waste water discharge pipeline 4 may be connected to the stack 1. Wherein, the stack cooling circuit 2 exchanges heat with the waste water discharge pipeline 4 through the heat exchanger 5. Wherein, the stack cooling circuit 2 is configured such that the outlet of the cooling medium of the stack 1 is selectively directly connected to the radiator 20 or first exchanges heat through the heat exchanger 5 and then is connected to the radiator 20.

[0037] Through the above technical solution, a heat exchanger 5 is provided in the fuel cell system. The heat exchanger 5 is configured to directly connect the cooling medium of the stack 1 to the radiator 20 or first exchange heat through the heat exchanger 5 and then connect to the radiator 20. On the one hand, when the heat dissipation requirement of the stack 1 is low, the cooling medium can only pass through the radiator 20 for heat dissipation. On the other hand, when the heat dissipation requirement of the stack 1 is high, the higher temperature cooling medium can exchange heat with the lower temperature waste water of the stack 1 in the heat exchanger 5 and then pass through the radiator 20 for heat dissipation. That is, the heat dissipation effect is improved through two-stage heat dissipation. In this way, not only can the heat dissipation effect be improved, but also the number of radiators 20 additionally provided in the fuel cell system, such as to achieve the same heat dissipation effect, can be saved, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the fuel cell within a limited layout space.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figures 1 to 3 shown, the fuel cell system may further include at least one of a first temperature detection element 31, a second temperature detection element 32, and a third temperature detection element 33. Wherein, the first temperature detection element 31 may be used to obtain the temperature of the cooling medium in the stack cooling circuit 2. The second temperature detection element 32 may be used to obtain ambient temperature information. The third temperature detection element 33 may be used to obtain the temperature of the waste water in the waste water discharge pipeline 4. The cooling medium flowing out of the stack 1 can be selectively directly connected to the radiator 20 or first exchange heat through the heat exchanger 5 and then connected to the radiator 20 according to the temperature information obtained by the first temperature detection element 31, the second temperature detection element 32, and the third temperature detection element 33, which will be described in detail below.

[0039] As Figures 1 to 3As shown, the stack cooling loop 2 includes a main cooling path 21 and a cooling bypass 211 that is connected to the main cooling path 21 in a switchable manner. Among them, the stack 1 is arranged on the main cooling path 21. The fuel cell system further includes a three-way valve 6 that is connected to at least one of a first temperature detection element 31, a second temperature detection element 32, and a third temperature detection element 33. The three-way valve 6 is arranged at the connection between the main cooling path 21 and the cooling bypass 211 and is used to selectively conduct the main cooling path 21 and the cooling bypass 211. Specifically, the first temperature detection element 31 can be arranged on the main cooling path 21, and the third temperature detection element 33 can be arranged on the waste water discharge pipeline 4. A first temperature threshold is set for the temperature of the cooling medium, a second temperature threshold is set for the ambient temperature, and a third temperature threshold is set for the waste water temperature. Among them, the cooling bypass 211 can be used to conduct when the liquid temperature in the main cooling path 21 is not lower than the first temperature threshold or the ambient temperature at the fuel cell system is not lower than the second temperature threshold. Here, the first temperature detection element 31, the second temperature detection element 32, and the third temperature detection element 33 can all be connected to the three-way valve 6, and the information obtained through the first temperature detection element 31, the second temperature detection element 32, and the third temperature detection element 33 can be fed back to the control part to control the three-way valve 6 to connect the cooling bypass 211 to open and communicate with the main cooling path 21. If the liquid temperature in the main cooling path 21 is too low, the radiator requirements of the fuel cell system can be met without opening the heat exchanger 5. At this time, as Figure 2 shown, the cooling medium only flows in the main cooling path 21. Therefore, a first temperature threshold is set, and when the liquid temperature in the main cooling path 21 is not lower than the first temperature threshold, the cooling bypass 211 is connected to the main cooling path 21 to meet the cooling requirements. At this time, as Figure 3As shown, the three-way valve 6 connects the main heat dissipation path 21 and the heat dissipation bypass path 211. The cooling medium first flows through the heat dissipation bypass path 211 at the three-way valve 6 and enters the heat exchanger 5 to exchange heat with the wastewater discharge pipeline 4, and then flows into the main heat dissipation path 21. In addition, since the temperature of the cooling medium in the main heat dissipation path 21 and the temperature of the wastewater in the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 are affected by the external environment, when the fuel cell system is in a low-temperature environment, the low-temperature environment itself can improve the heat dissipation effect of the stack heat dissipation loop 2. Therefore, there is no need to connect the heat exchanger 5 and the stack heat dissipation loop 2 for heat exchange. In addition, if the wastewater is water and the ambient temperature is below zero, there is a possibility that the wastewater in the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 will freeze. If it is connected to the heat exchanger 5, the frozen wastewater will also block the pipeline, which may cause component failure. Therefore, a second temperature threshold is set, and when the ambient temperature is not lower than the second temperature threshold, the three-way valve 6 is controlled to connect the heat dissipation bypass path 211 and the main heat dissipation path 21, so as to reduce energy consumption and at the same time reduce the possibility of equipment failure. The setting of the second temperature threshold can be not less than zero degree, and the present disclosure does not limit this. When the wastewater temperature detected by the third temperature detection element 33 exceeds the third temperature threshold, at this time, since the wastewater temperature is too high, the effect of cooling the radiator 20 is small, and the wastewater utilization function can be turned off at this time.

[0040] Here, the radiator 20 may further include at least one of a radiator body 22 and a fan 23. Among them, the radiator body 22 is connected to the stack heat dissipation loop 2, and the fan 23 can be arranged facing the radiator body 22 for blowing air on the radiator body 22. The function of the fan 23 is to accelerate the air flow velocity on the surface of the radiator body 22 and improve the heat dissipation effect of the radiator body 22. The radiator body 22 can be a tube-fin radiator made of materials such as copper and aluminum. The number and volume of the fans 23 can be determined according to actual needs, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 1As shown, the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 may further include a liquid storage tank 41, which is located upstream of the heat exchanger 5. The liquid storage tank 41 can store a certain amount of wastewater and provide stable wastewater volume support for the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 5 and the heat dissipation loop 2 of the fuel cell stack. In addition, the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 may further include a wastewater tail discharge device 42 for treating the wastewater discharged from the fuel cell stack 1. Here, it should be noted that the wastewater tail discharge device 42 may refer to other components in the tail discharge part of the fuel cell system, such as a catalytic converter and a particulate trap, etc., which are connected to the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 and are used to treat the tail gas and the discharged wastewater. The present disclosure does not limit this. The liquid storage tank 41 can be arranged on the wastewater discharge pipeline 4, and is located downstream of the wastewater tail discharge device 42 and upstream of the heat exchanger 5. An alarm device may also be provided on the liquid storage tank 41, and the alarm device is connected to the liquid level detection element 412 to alarm when the liquid level is high, so as to notify the operator to operate to avoid liquid overflowing from the liquid storage tank 41.

[0042] Further, as Figure 1 shown, a drain valve 411 and a liquid level detection element 412 for obtaining the liquid level information in the liquid storage tank 41 may also be provided on the liquid storage tank 41. The drain valve 411 can be opened or closed according to the detection information of the liquid level detection element 412. When the liquid in the liquid storage tank 41 needs to be discharged, the drain valve 411 can be opened to discharge the liquid, and the discharge amount of the liquid can be determined according to the demand. After the discharge demand is met, the drain valve 411 can be closed. The drain valve 411 can be opened and closed manually, or can be automatically controlled to open and close by comparing the detection values obtained by the liquid level detection element 412 and the temperature detection component with the set values through the connection controller 8. The present disclosure does not limit this. The liquid level detection element 412 can be used to open the drain valve 411 when the liquid level in the liquid storage tank 41 is higher than the liquid level threshold. The liquid level threshold here may refer to the upper liquid level limit. When the liquid level in the liquid storage tank 41 can also set a lower liquid level limit for the liquid level detection element 412. When the information detected by the liquid level detection element 412 in the liquid storage tank 41 is lower than the lower liquid level limit, the drain valve 411 can be controlled to close.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 1 shown, the wastewater discharge pipeline 4 can be used to communicate with the outside, so as to directly discharge the heated tail discharge wastewater after heat exchange out of the fuel cell system, without affecting the temperature of the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41 and without affecting the subsequent heat exchange. In addition, a pump 7 may also be provided on the wastewater discharge pipeline 4, which can not only accelerate the liquid flow rate in the wastewater discharge pipeline 4, but also pump the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41 to the heat exchanger 5 at a larger flow rate as soon as possible when the pressure is insufficient, improving the heat exchange effect.

[0044] In the above embodiments, structures such as the temperature detection component, the drain valve 411, the liquid level detection element 412, the three-way valve 6, and the pump 7 can all be connected to the controller 8, and feedback control is performed through the controller 8. The present disclosure does not limit this. Taking the fuel cell system being set in a vehicle as an example, after the vehicle starts, the following working process can be used to determine whether to use the tail-drained wastewater:

[0045] First, it is judged by the second temperature detection element 32 whether the ambient temperature at the fuel cell system is lower than the second temperature threshold. If it is lower than the second temperature threshold, the wastewater utilization function cannot be used. At this time, the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41 can be discharged, the drain valve 411 is opened, and the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41 is emptied until the liquid level detection element 412 gives a low liquid level alarm, and then the drain valve 411 is closed.

[0046] When the ambient temperature at the fuel cell system is not lower than the second temperature threshold, it can be judged by the liquid level detection element 412 whether the water level in the liquid storage tank 41 is higher than the liquid level threshold. Here, the liquid level threshold can refer to the upper liquid level limit. When the liquid level detection element 412 gives a high liquid level alarm, the drain valve 411 is controlled to open until the high liquid level alarm of the liquid level detection element 412 is closed, and then the drain valve 411 is controlled to close. At this time, the fuel cell system meets the usage principle of wastewater utilization. The controller 8 reads the real-time temperature of the fuel cell cooling medium in the main heat dissipation path 21 obtained through the first temperature detection element 31. When the temperature of the cooling medium is not lower than the first temperature threshold, the pump 7 is started to pump the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41, and at the same time, the three-way valve 6 is connected to the heat dissipation bypass 211 and the main heat dissipation path 21, so that the fuel cell cooling medium in the main heat dissipation path 21 flows through the heat exchanger 5, and the fuel cell cooling medium in the main heat dissipation path 21 is cooled by the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41.

[0047] When the temperature of the wastewater detected by the third temperature detection element 33 exceeds the third temperature threshold, the wastewater utilization function is closed, the pump 7 is controlled to close to stop working, and at the same time, the drain valve 411 is opened to discharge the wastewater in the liquid storage tank 41 until the liquid level detection element 412 gives a low liquid level alarm, then the drain valve 411 is closed and the tail-drained wastewater is stored again.

[0048] On the basis of the above solution, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle, which includes the above fuel cell system, and this vehicle has all the beneficial effects of the above fuel cell system, which will not be elaborated here.

[0049] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] In addition, it should be noted that, among the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments, they can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not separately describe various possible combination manners.

[0051] In addition, any combinations can be made among various different embodiments of the present disclosure, as long as they do not violate the idea of the present disclosure, and they should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system, characterized in that, Comprising: Stack; Stack cooling circuit, including a radiator, and the stack is arranged on the stack cooling circuit; Waste water discharge pipeline, which is communicated with the stack; and Heat exchanger; Wherein, heat is exchanged between the stack cooling circuit and the waste water discharge pipeline through the heat exchanger: Wherein, the stack cooling circuit is configured such that the outlet of the cooling medium of the stack is selectively directly communicated with the radiator or first exchanges heat through the heat exchanger and then is communicated with the radiator.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further comprising: First temperature detection element, used to obtain the temperature of the cooling medium in the stack cooling circuit; And / or Second temperature detection element, used to obtain ambient temperature information; And / or Third temperature detection element, used to obtain the temperature of the waste water in the waste water discharge pipeline.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stack cooling circuit includes a main cooling path and a bypass cooling path that is bypassed to the main cooling path in a switchable manner. Wherein, the stack is arranged on the main cooling path. The fuel cell system further includes a three-way valve connected to at least one of the first temperature detection element, the second temperature detection element, and the third temperature detection element. The three-way valve is arranged at the connection of the main cooling path and the bypass cooling path, and is used to selectively conduct the main cooling path and the bypass cooling path.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiator further includes: Radiator body, and the radiator body is connected to the stack cooling circuit; and / or Fan, used to blow air to the radiator body.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The waste water discharge pipeline includes a liquid storage tank, and the liquid storage tank is located upstream of the heat exchanger.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, characterized in that, A drain valve and a liquid level detection element for obtaining the liquid level information in the liquid storage tank are further arranged on the liquid storage tank, and the drain valve can be opened or closed according to the detection information of the liquid level detection element.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein An alarm device is arranged on the liquid storage tank, and the alarm device is connected to the liquid level detection element.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The waste water discharge pipeline further includes a waste water tail discharge device, which is used to treat the waste water discharged from the stack.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein A pump is further arranged on the waste water discharge pipeline.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, A fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1-9.

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