Cold, heat and electricity combined supply ammonia fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of fuel cells, and particularly discloses a cold, heat and electricity combined supply ammonia fuel cell system which comprises a gasification unit, an ammonia storage unit, a gas collection unit, a fuel cell unit and a gas supply unit, the gasification unit comprises a cooling chamber and a heat exchange runner arranged in the cooling chamber, an inlet of the cooling chamber is connected with the ammonia storage unit, and an outlet of the cooling chamber is connected with the gas collection unit; an outlet of the heat exchange runner is connected with the gas collection unit, and an inlet and an outlet of the heat exchange runner are connected with an external cooling system; the gas collection unit is connected with the fuel cell unit through the gas supply unit, and meanwhile, the gas supply unit is wound on the periphery of the fuel cell unit, so that ammonia gas is heated by utilizing the fuel cell unit and is fed into the fuel cell unit; the fuel cell unit is used for being connected with a power grid system and a heat supply system. According to the application, the utilization of ammonia is integrated and systematized, and all units in the system are linked and closely connected, so that the purposes of improving the utilization rate of energy and the working reliability of equipment are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of fuel cells, and more specifically, to an ammonia fuel cell system for combined cooling, heating and electricity generation. Background Art

[0002] Ammonia has more stable chemical properties, higher energy density, and improved safety compared to hydrogen. It can also be decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen under the action of a catalyst. Therefore, ammonia can be considered an ideal hydrogen energy carrier and applied in fuel cells. In practice, the application of ammonia energy involves multiple processes such as liquefaction, vaporization, and combustion. Therefore, rationally designing the connections between these systems can improve energy utilization and equipment reliability to a certain extent, which has important research value and practical significance.

[0003] Existing research on ammonia fuel cell systems and ammonia fuel cell energy recovery systems primarily focuses on the fuel cell and exhaust gas treatment components. Research has focused on designing efficient flow troughs, heat dissipation fins, and other structures within the fuel cell to recover and process heat from high-temperature exhaust gases. These studies aim to reduce energy dissipation and improve system stability, contributing to improved energy utilization and equipment reliability. However, existing research has not fully considered the latent heat of vaporization of liquid ammonia, nor has it fully implemented energy management for the vaporization process. Furthermore, they have not considered the synergistic improvement of fuel cell electrical efficiency and service life. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the defects or improvement needs of the existing technology, the present application provides an ammonia fuel cell system that provides combined cooling, heating and electricity, aiming to solve the problem that the existing ammonia fuel cell system does not have complete energy management.

[0005] The present application provides an ammonia fuel cell system for combined supply of cold, heat and electricity, which specifically includes a gasification unit, an ammonia storage unit, a gas collection unit, a fuel cell unit and an air supply unit. The gasification unit includes a cooling chamber and a heat exchange channel arranged inside the cooling chamber. The inlet of the cooling chamber is connected to the ammonia storage unit, and its outlet is connected to the gas collection unit. The inlet and outlet of the heat exchange channel are both used to connect to an external cooling system to utilize the latent heat of vaporization of liquid ammonia to cool the liquid in the cooling system, thereby realizing the supply of cold; the gas collection unit is connected to the fuel cell unit through the air supply unit, and the air supply unit is wrapped around the periphery of the fuel cell unit to utilize the fuel cell unit to heat the ammonia and deliver the heated ammonia into the fuel cell unit; the fuel cell unit is used to connect to the power grid system and the heating system respectively to realize the supply of electricity and heat.

[0006] Through the above technical solutions conceived by the present application, compared with the existing technology, since the present application adds a gasification unit to the ammonia fuel cell system and connects it to the external cooling system, it can effectively utilize the latent heat of vaporization generated during the gasification of liquid ammonia. At the same time, by wrapping the air supply unit around the outside of the fuel cell unit, ammonia can be further used to cool the fuel cell unit, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of ammonia energy.

[0007] As a further preference, the heat exchange channels are provided with at least two groups, and the heat exchange channels of each group are arranged in sequence from top to bottom inside the cooling chamber, and the inlet of the heat exchange channel located below is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange channel above through a first valve, and the outlet of the heat exchange channel located below is connected to the outlet of the heat exchange channel above through a second valve.

[0008] As a further preference, the gasification unit further includes a pressure sensor and a third valve, which are arranged between the cooling chamber and the gas collecting unit. The pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure of the cooling chamber, and the third valve is used to control the pressure of the cooling chamber to achieve control of the liquid ammonia gasification temperature.

[0009] As further preferred, the pressure in the cooling chamber is 8 to 9 atmospheres.

[0010] As further preferred, the ammonia storage unit includes an ammonia storage tank and a pressure pump, the ammonia storage tank is used to store liquid ammonia, and the ammonia storage tank is connected to the cooling chamber through the pressure pump to provide liquid ammonia to the cooling chamber under the control of the pressure pump.

[0011] As further preferred, the gas collecting unit includes a gas collecting chamber and an air pump, one end of the gas collecting chamber is connected to the gasification unit, and the other end of the gas collecting chamber is connected to the gas delivery unit through the air pump.

[0012] As a further preference, the cooling system is a boiler cooling water system, the liquid of the cooling system is cooling water, and the heating system is a residential heating system.

[0013] As a further preference, the cooling system is an industrial heat exchange system, the liquid of the cooling system is cooling oil, and the heating system is a constant temperature equipment system.

[0014] As a further preference, the ammonia fuel cell system further includes a tail gas treatment unit, which is used to be connected to the outlet of the heating system to treat the tail gas generated by the fuel cell unit.

[0015] In general, the above technical solutions conceived by this application have the following technical advantages compared with the existing technologies:

[0016] 1. This application adds a gasification unit to the ammonia fuel cell system and connects it to an external cooling system, effectively utilizing the latent heat of vaporization generated during the gasification of liquid ammonia. Furthermore, by wrapping an air supply unit around the outside of the fuel cell unit, the ammonia gas can be further used to cool the fuel cell unit, effectively improving the utilization rate of ammonia energy and thereby achieving a "cold" supply. The fuel cell unit is also connected to the power grid system and the heating system, respectively, to achieve both "electricity" and "heat" supply, thereby making ammonia utilization integrated and systematic. The various units in the system are closely linked and interconnected, thereby achieving the goal of improving energy utilization and equipment reliability.

[0017] 2. In particular, by providing multiple sets of heat exchange channels in the vaporization unit and connecting the inlets of the heat exchange channels via a first valve, the present application can select an appropriate number of heat exchange channels according to heat exchange requirements, thereby achieving simple control of the temperature of the liquid to be cooled;

[0018] 3. In addition, the present application can adjust the vaporization temperature of liquid ammonia in the cooling chamber according to the pressure by providing a pressure sensor and a third valve in the vaporization unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ammonia fuel cell system for combined cooling, heating and electricity generation provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or structures, wherein:

[0021] 1-Ammonia storage tank, 2-Pressure pump, 3-Gasification unit, 31-Cooling chamber, 32-Heat exchange channel, 33-First valve, 34-Second valve, 4-Cooling system, 5-Pressure sensor, 6-Third valve, 7-Gas collecting chamber, 8-Air pump, 9-Fuel cell unit, 91-Air inlet, 10-Air supply unit, 11-Grid system, 12-Heating system, 13-Exhaust gas treatment unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0023] like Figure 1As shown, the present application provides an ammonia fuel cell system for combined cold, heat and electricity supply, specifically including a gasification unit 3, an ammonia storage unit, a gas collecting unit, a fuel cell unit 9 and an air supply unit 10, the gasification unit 3 includes a cooling chamber 31 and a heat exchange flow channel 32 arranged inside the cooling chamber 31, the inlet of the cooling chamber 31 is connected to the ammonia storage unit to send the low-temperature liquid ammonia in the ammonia storage unit into the cooling chamber 31, and the outlet of the cooling chamber 31 is connected to the gas collecting unit to send the vaporized ammonia gas into the gas collecting unit for collection; the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange flow channel 32 are both used to connect to the external cooling system 4, wherein the inlet of the heat exchange flow channel 32 is used to send high-temperature liquid into the cooling system 4, and after heat exchange in the cooling chamber 31 to become a low-temperature liquid, it flows out from the outlet and returns to the cooling system 4, thereby making full use of the latent heat of vaporization of liquid ammonia to cool the liquid in the cooling system 4, realizing cold supply, which not only enables part of the energy in the liquid ammonia to be applied, but also prevents the low-temperature liquid ammonia from directly entering the fuel cell unit 9 to hinder the reaction process;

[0024] The gas collecting unit is connected to the fuel cell unit 9 via the gas supply unit 10. The gas supply unit 10 is wound around the outer periphery of the fuel cell unit 9 so as to utilize the fuel cell unit 9 to heat the ammonia gas and supply it to the fuel cell unit 9. On the one hand, the temperature of the fuel cell unit 9 can be reduced so that it is always at the optimal operating temperature, thereby improving the efficiency of the fuel cell and extending the service life of the fuel cell catalyst. On the other hand, the temperature of the ammonia gas can be further increased to bring it closer to the reaction temperature, thereby improving the reaction efficiency.

[0025] The fuel cell unit 9 is used to connect to the power grid system 11 and the heating system 12 respectively, so as to send the generated electric energy and high-temperature exhaust gas to the power grid system 11 and the heating system 12 respectively, thereby realizing the supply of electricity and heat.

[0026] Furthermore, at least two groups of heat exchange channels 32 are provided, and each group of heat exchange channels 32 is arranged in sequence from top to bottom inside the cooling chamber 31, and the inlet of the lower heat exchange channel 32 is connected to the inlet of the upper heat exchange channel 32 through a first valve 33, and the outlet of the lower heat exchange channel 32 is connected to the outlet of the upper heat exchange channel 32 through a second valve 34. During operation, an appropriate number of groups of heat exchange channels 32 can be selected according to the temperature requirements of the cooling system 4, so that the liquid in the cooling system 4 is cooled to the required temperature.

[0027] Furthermore, the gasification unit 3 also includes a pressure sensor 5 and a third valve 6, which are arranged between the gasification unit 3 and the gas collecting unit. The pressure sensor 5 is used to detect the pressure of the cooling chamber 31, and the third valve 6 is used to control the pressure of the cooling chamber 31 according to the detection result of the pressure sensor 5, so as to achieve the control of the liquid ammonia vaporization temperature. Through this heat exchange structure based on pressure control, the heat exchange requirements of different situations can be met.

[0028] Furthermore, the pressure of the cooling chamber 31 is 8 to 9 atmospheres to ensure that the vaporization temperature of the liquid ammonia is around 0°C.

[0029] Furthermore, the ammonia storage unit includes an ammonia storage tank 1 and a pressure pump 2 . The ammonia storage tank 1 is used to store liquid ammonia, and the ammonia storage tank 1 is connected to the cooling chamber 31 through the pressure pump 2 to provide liquid ammonia to the cooling chamber 31 under the control of the pressure pump 2 .

[0030] Furthermore, the gas collecting unit includes a gas collecting chamber 7 and an air pump 8. One end of the gas collecting chamber 7 is connected to the cooling chamber 31 of the gasification unit, and the other end of the gas collecting chamber 7 is connected to the gas supply unit 10 through the air pump 8, thereby providing ammonia to the gas supply unit 10 under the control of the air pump 8.

[0031] Furthermore, cooling system 4 can be a boiler cooling water system, where the liquid in cooling system 4 is cooling water, thereby utilizing the latent heat of vaporization of liquid ammonia as the cooling source for the boiler cooling water system, while heating system 12 is a residential heating system. Cooling system 4 can also be an industrial heat exchange system, where the liquid in cooling system 4 is cooling oil, thereby utilizing the latent heat of vaporization of liquid ammonia as the cooling source for the industrial heat exchange system, while heating system 12 is a constant temperature equipment system.

[0032] Furthermore, the ammonia fuel cell system further includes a tail gas treatment unit 13 , which is used to be connected to the outlet of the heating system 12 to treat the tail gas generated by the fuel cell unit 9 .

[0033] Furthermore, the fuel cell unit 9 is provided with an air inlet 91 , and is connected to the outside air through the air inlet 91 to provide air to the fuel cell unit.

[0034] The technical solution provided in this application is further described below based on specific embodiments.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] The ammonia fuel cell system for combined cooling, heating, and electricity provided by this application is applied in residential areas, working in conjunction with the industrial boiler cooling water system and the residential heating system. The temperature of the liquid ammonia in the ammonia storage tank 1 is approximately minus 50°C. The boiler cooling water is transported by a pipeline to the heat exchange channel 32 inside the cooling chamber 31 to exchange heat with the liquid ammonia. The pressure in the cooling chamber 31 is controlled at 8 to 9 atmospheres to ensure that the vaporization temperature of the liquid ammonia is around 0°C. Therefore, by selecting different heat exchange channels 32, the boiler cooling water can always be cooled to the required temperature. At this time, part of the liquid ammonia is vaporized, and the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 gradually increases until it exceeds the set value. The third valve 6 opens, and the ammonia gas at a temperature of around 0°C is transferred from the cooling chamber 31 to the gas collecting chamber 7 for further use. When an appropriate amount of gas is released from the cooling chamber 31, the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 returns to below the set pressure again, and the third valve 6 closes. Analysis shows that the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 will be maintained within a small range, and the system operates stably. Ammonia gas at approximately 0°C in the gas collecting chamber 7 is continuously and evenly pumped into the air delivery unit 10 by an air pump, passing through the fuel cell unit 9 to cool the fuel cell unit 9, bringing the operating temperature of the fuel cell unit 9 to its optimal temperature (0°C to 50°C). At the same time, the ammonia temperature is further increased, closer to the reaction temperature, improving reaction efficiency and achieving a "cold" supply. In the fuel cell unit 9, the ammonia reacts fully with the oxygen in the air, and the generated electricity is transmitted by the power grid system 11 to various power consumption locations, achieving a "power" supply. The exhaust gas temperature after the reaction is relatively high. After being connected to the residential heating system, it can be used to provide heating to residents through special heat exchange equipment, achieving a "heat" supply. After the heat exchange is completed, the low-temperature exhaust gas enters the exhaust gas treatment unit 13 for harmless treatment before being discharged. This application establishes a three-dimensional energy-utilizing community, combining the ammonia fuel cell system with the residential heating system, increasing the stability of the community's energy supply. Overall, the ammonia fuel utilization efficiency reaches 80%, the ammonia fuel cell power generation efficiency is 65%, and the fuel cell service life can be extended by 30%.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] The ammonia fuel cell system for combined cooling, heating, and electricity provided by this application is applied to industrial parks and works in conjunction with industrial heat exchange systems and constant temperature systems. The temperature of liquid ammonia in the ammonia storage tank 1 is approximately minus 50°C. The boiler cooling water is transported by a pipeline to the heat exchange channel 32 inside the cooling chamber 31 to exchange heat with the liquid ammonia. The pressure in the cooling chamber 31 is controlled at 8 to 9 atmospheres to ensure that the vaporization temperature of the liquid ammonia is around 0°C. Therefore, by selecting different heat exchange channels 32, the boiler cooling water can always be cooled to the required temperature. At this time, part of the liquid ammonia is vaporized, and the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 gradually increases until it exceeds the set value. The third valve 6 opens, and the ammonia gas at a temperature of around 0°C is transferred from the cooling chamber 31 to the gas collecting chamber 7 for further use. When an appropriate amount of gas is released from the cooling chamber 31, the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 returns to below the set pressure again, and the third valve 6 closes. Analysis shows that the pressure in the cooling chamber 31 will be maintained within a small range, and the system operates stably. Ammonia gas, at approximately 0°C in the gas collection chamber 7, is continuously and evenly pumped into the air delivery unit 10 by an air pump. It then circulates around the fuel cell unit 9, cooling the fuel cell unit 9 and keeping it within its optimal operating temperature (0°C to 50°C). Simultaneously, the ammonia temperature rises further, closer to the reaction temperature, improving reaction efficiency and achieving a "cold" supply. In the fuel cell unit 9, the ammonia reacts fully with oxygen in the air, generating electricity that is transmitted by the power grid system 11 to various power consumption locations, thus achieving a "power" supply. The post-reaction exhaust gas is at a higher temperature. When coupled with a constant temperature system, it can be used to heat constant temperature equipment (such as a constant temperature water bath) through special heat exchange equipment, thus achieving a "heat" supply. After the heat exchange, the low-temperature exhaust gas enters the exhaust gas treatment unit 13 for harmless treatment before being discharged. Overall, the ammonia fuel utilization efficiency reaches 75%, the ammonia fuel cell power generation efficiency reaches 60%, and the fuel cell lifespan can be extended by 20%.

[0039] It should be understood that expressions such as "include" and "may include" used in this application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In this application, terms such as "include" and / or "have" may be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or combination thereof, but may not be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0040] It should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0043] It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An ammonia fuel cell system for combined cooling, heating and electricity generation, characterized in that: The ammonia fuel cell system comprises a gasification unit (3), an ammonia storage unit, a gas collection unit, a fuel cell unit (9) and an air supply unit (10). The gasification unit (3) comprises a cooling chamber (31) and a heat exchange channel (32) arranged inside the cooling chamber (31). The inlet of the cooling chamber (31) is connected to the ammonia storage unit, and the outlet thereof is connected to the gas collection unit. The inlet and outlet of the heat exchange channel (32) are both used to connect to an external cooling system (4) so as to utilize the vaporization latent heat of liquid ammonia to cool the liquid in the cooling system (4), thereby realizing cold supply. The gas collection unit is connected to the fuel cell unit (9) through the air supply unit (10), and the air supply unit (10) is wound around the outer periphery of the fuel cell unit (9) so as to utilize the fuel cell unit (9) to heat ammonia and to supply the heated ammonia to the fuel cell unit (9). The fuel cell unit (9) is respectively used to connect to a power grid system (11) and a heating system (12) so as to realize electricity and heat supply.

2. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein: The heat exchange channels (32) are provided with at least two groups, and the heat exchange channels (32) of each group are arranged in sequence from top to bottom inside the cooling chamber (31), and the inlet of the heat exchange channel (32) located at the bottom is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange channel (32) above through a first valve (33), and the outlet of the heat exchange channel (32) located at the bottom is connected to the outlet of the heat exchange channel (32) above through a second valve (34).

3. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein: The gasification unit (3) further comprises a pressure sensor (5) and a third valve (6), wherein the pressure sensor (5) and the third valve (6) are arranged between the cooling chamber (31) and the gas collecting unit, wherein the pressure sensor (5) is used to detect the pressure of the cooling chamber (31), and the third valve (6) is used to control the pressure of the cooling chamber (31) to achieve control of the gasification temperature of the liquid ammonia.

4. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein: The pressure of the cooling chamber (31) is 8 to 9 atmospheres.

5. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein: The ammonia storage unit comprises an ammonia storage tank (1) and a pressure pump (2). The ammonia storage tank (1) is used to store liquid ammonia, and the ammonia storage tank (1) is connected to a cooling chamber (31) via the pressure pump (2) to supply liquid ammonia to the cooling chamber (31) under the control of the pressure pump (2).

6. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein: The gas collection unit comprises a gas collection chamber (7) and an air pump (8); one end of the gas collection chamber (7) is connected to the gasification unit, and the other end of the gas collection chamber (7) is connected to the gas delivery unit via the air pump (8).

7. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling system (4) is a boiler cooling water system, and the liquid of the cooling system (4) is cooling water. Meanwhile, the heating system (12) is a residential heating system.

8. The ammonia fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling system (4) is an industrial heat exchange system, the liquid of the cooling system (4) is cooling oil, and the heating system (12) is a constant temperature equipment system.

9. The ammonia fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The ammonia fuel cell system further comprises a tail gas treatment unit (13), which is used to be connected to the outlet of the heating system (12) to treat the tail gas generated by the fuel cell unit (9).

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