End plate assembly and fuel cell with same

Abstract

The utility model provides an end plate assembly and a fuel cell with the same, the end plate assembly comprises an end plate body, one side of the end plate body is provided with a liquid inlet runner and a liquid outlet runner which are mutually independent, and the liquid inlet runner and the liquid outlet runner extend along the length direction of the end plate body; a liquid inlet, a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a liquid outlet are further formed in the end plate body, the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet are both communicated with the liquid inlet channel, the liquid inlet is used for conveying cooling liquid, the liquid inlet is used for being communicated with a cooling inlet of a galvanic pile, and the liquid outlet and the liquid outlet are both communicated with the liquid outlet channel; the liquid outlet is used for being communicated with a cooling outlet of an electric pile, the liquid outlet is used for discharging cooling liquid, and the liquid inlet flow channel and the liquid outlet flow channel are used for being arranged corresponding to a reactor core. Through the technical scheme provided by the invention, the problems that the voltage of a single battery is extremely low during cold start and even cold start failure is caused during low-temperature cold start of the fuel battery in the prior art can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, in particular to an end plate assembly and a fuel cell having the end plate assembly. Background Art

[0002] Fuel cells generate current through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, converting chemical energy into electrical energy. A fuel cell consists of a stack and two end plates, with the stack located between them. During a cold start of a fuel cell, the cells near the end plates are too cold, which can easily cause the cell voltage to be too low during the cold start, or even lead to cold start failure. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model provides an end plate assembly and a fuel cell having the same, so as to solve the problem in the prior art that when a fuel cell is cold started at a low temperature, the voltage of a single cell is easily too low, or even a cold start failure is caused.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, an end plate assembly is provided, which includes: an end plate body, one side of the end plate body is provided with a mutually independent liquid inlet channel and liquid outlet channel, the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel extend along the length direction of the end plate body, and the end plate body is also provided with a liquid inlet, a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet are both connected to the liquid inlet channel, the liquid inlet is used to transport coolant, the liquid inlet is used to connect with the cooling inlet of the fuel cell stack, the liquid outlet and the liquid outlet are both connected with the liquid outlet channel, the liquid outlet is used to connect with the cooling outlet of the fuel cell stack, the liquid outlet is used to discharge coolant, and the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel are used to be arranged corresponding to the core.

[0005] Furthermore, the end plate assembly also includes: a first reinforcement member, which is arranged on the side of the end plate body away from the liquid inlet channel, and the first reinforcement member is annularly arranged on the outer edge of the end plate body; and / or, a second reinforcement member, which is arranged on the side of the end plate body away from the liquid inlet channel, and the second reinforcement member is arranged in the middle of the end plate body.

[0006] Furthermore, the end plate body is also provided with a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet and an air outlet. The hydrogen inlet, the liquid flow outlet and the air inlet are located at one end of the end plate body, and the hydrogen outlet, the liquid flow inlet and the air outlet are located at the other end of the end plate body.

[0007] Furthermore, the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body, the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body, and the air inlet and the air outlet are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body. Along the direction from the liquid inlet to the liquid flow inlet, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet channel first gradually increases and then gradually decreases. Along the direction from the liquid outlet to the liquid flow outlet, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet channel first gradually increases and then gradually decreases. The hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet and air outlet are square structures.

[0008] Furthermore, a guide plate is provided in the liquid inlet flow channel and / or the liquid outlet flow channel, and the guide plate extends along the length direction of the end plate body.

[0009] Furthermore, the end plate body is injection molded, and the first reinforcement is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0010] Furthermore, a plurality of connecting holes are provided in an annular shape on the outer periphery of the end plate body, the first reinforcement member has a plurality of connecting sleeves, the plurality of connecting holes are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of connecting sleeves, the connecting sleeves are passed through the corresponding connecting holes, the connecting sleeves have internal threads, and the first reinforcement member and the end plate body are threadedly connected through the connecting sleeves and the locking member.

[0011] Furthermore, a first sealing groove and a second sealing groove are provided on the end plate body. The first sealing groove is arranged around the periphery of the liquid inlet flow channel and the liquid outlet flow channel, and the second sealing groove is arranged around the periphery of the first sealing groove. The first sealing groove is used to seal with the core, and the second sealing groove is used to seal with the shell of the fuel cell stack. The projections of the first sealing groove and the second sealing groove along the width direction of the end plate body are located on the first reinforcement.

[0012] Furthermore, the end plate body includes a main body portion and a raised portion, the raised portion is located on one side of the main body portion, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided on the periphery of the raised portion, a step surface is provided on the side of the main body portion facing the raised portion, the step surface is annularly arranged on the periphery of the raised portion, the second sealing groove is arranged on the step surface, and the first sealing groove is arranged on the end surface of the raised portion away from the main body portion.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell is provided, which includes a fuel cell stack and the end plate assembly provided above. The fuel cell stack includes a shell and a core. The shell and the end plate body of the end plate assembly are detachably connected, and the liquid inlet and outlet channels of the end plate assembly are arranged corresponding to the core.

[0014] By applying the technical solution of the present invention, the coolant enters the liquid inlet channel from the liquid inlet, and then enters the cooling channel through the liquid inlet and the cooling inlet. When the fuel cell is started, the stack will generate a large amount of heat. The coolant in the cooling channel can cool the stack. The coolant then enters the liquid outlet channel through the cooling outlet and the liquid outlet, and finally flows out through the liquid outlet. However, when the fuel cell is cold-started at low temperature, the temperature of the single cell near the end plate body is too low, and the temperature of the coolant is higher than that of the single cell near the end plate body. The coolant can heat the single cell near the end plate body. With this arrangement, the coolant must flow through the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel when entering and exiting the stack. And because the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel are arranged corresponding to the core, the coolant can heat the single cell near the end plate body, thereby improving the problem of low voltage of the single cell during low-temperature cold start and avoiding cold start failure. In addition, with the above structure, it is only necessary to set the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel on the end plate body, without the need to add other structures. The structure is simple and easy to process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The drawings constituting part of this application are provided to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are provided to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body provided by the utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram showing the cooperation between the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member provided by the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 Shows a structural schematic diagram of the end plate assembly provided by the utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of the end plate assembly provided by the present invention is shown from another perspective.

[0020] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0021] 10. End plate body;

[0022] 111. Liquid inlet channel; 112. Liquid inlet; 113. Liquid inlet;

[0023] 121, liquid outlet; 122, liquid outlet; 123, liquid outlet;

[0024] 13. Main body; 131. Connecting hole; 132. Second sealing groove;

[0025] 14. Raised portion; 141. Reinforcement rib; 142. First sealing groove;

[0026] 15. Deflector;

[0027] 16. Hydrogen inlet; 17. Hydrogen outlet; 18. Air inlet; 19. Air outlet;

[0028] 20. First reinforcement member;

[0029] 21. Connecting sleeve;

[0030] 30. Second reinforcement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] In the prior art, a fuel cell consists of a fuel cell stack, a current collecting plate, and a corresponding packaging structure. The end plate is the main component of the packaging structure, serving not only as the main body of the packaging structure but also as a channel for the fluid medium. The fuel cell stack consists of a core and a shell. The shell wraps around the outer periphery of the core, which is assembled from multiple single cells. The fuel cell stack has cooling channels with cooling inlets and outlets.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides an end plate assembly, which includes an end plate body 10. One side of the end plate body 10 is provided with a liquid inlet channel 111 and a liquid outlet channel 121 that are independent of each other, and the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 extend along the length direction of the end plate body 10. The end plate body 10 is also provided with a liquid inlet 112, a liquid inlet 113, a liquid outlet 122 and a liquid outlet 123. The liquid inlet 112 and the liquid inlet 113 are both connected to the liquid inlet channel 111, the liquid inlet 112 is used to transport coolant, and the liquid inlet 113 is used to connect with the cooling inlet of the fuel cell stack. The liquid outlet 122 and the liquid outlet 123 are both connected to the liquid outlet channel 121, the liquid outlet 122 is used to connect with the cooling outlet of the fuel cell stack, and the liquid outlet 123 is used to discharge coolant. The liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 are used to be set corresponding to the core.

[0034] By applying the technical solution of the present application, the coolant enters the liquid inlet channel 111 through the liquid inlet 112, and then enters the cooling channel through the liquid inlet 113 and the cooling inlet. When the fuel cell is started, the stack will generate a large amount of heat, and the coolant can cool the stack in the cooling channel. The coolant then enters the liquid outlet channel 121 through the cooling outlet and the liquid outlet 122, and finally flows out through the liquid outlet 123. However, when the fuel cell is cold-started at low temperatures, the temperature of the single cells near the end plate body 10 is too low, and the temperature of the coolant is higher than that of the single cells near the end plate body 10. The coolant can heat the single cells near the end plate body 10. With this arrangement, the coolant must flow through the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 when entering and exiting the stack, and because the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 are arranged corresponding to the core, the coolant can heat the single cells near the end plate body 10, thereby improving the problem of low voltage of the single cells during low-temperature cold start and avoiding cold start failure. Furthermore, by adopting the above structure, it is only necessary to provide the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 on the end plate body 10 without adding other structures, thus achieving a simple structure and convenient processing.

[0035] The packaging force, typically applied by a press, directly impacts the stack's membrane electrode contact resistance, gas diffusion layer porosity, sealing ring surface pressure, and inter-cell friction, ultimately affecting the stack's output power, sealing performance, and impact resistance. Therefore, during the design and manufacturing process, the packaging force must be appropriately sized and evenly distributed to ensure stack performance.

[0036] Specifically, during actual operation, the end plate body 10 is sealed with the fuel cell stack, and the plates, membrane electrodes and other structures of the fuel cell stack undergo electrochemical reactions. For the sake of convenience, the area where the end plate body 10 is sealed with the fuel cell stack is called the sealing area, and the area of ​​the end plate body 10 corresponding to the plates, membrane electrodes and other structures is called the activation center area.

[0037] Through simulation analysis and experimental verification, it is clear that the end plate body 10, as a load-bearing structure, provides packaging force for the fuel cell stack primarily in two ways: providing appropriate packaging pressure in the active center area and providing appropriate sealing pressure in the sealing area. Accordingly, the primary deformation areas of the end plate body 10 are typically located at the four corners and the active center area. Therefore, the strength and rigidity of the end plate body 10 need to be increased in these areas, while the rigidity of other areas can be appropriately reduced.

[0038] Optionally, the end plate assembly further includes a first reinforcement member 20 or a second reinforcement member 30 .

[0039] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the end plate assembly also includes a first reinforcement 20 and a second reinforcement 30. The first reinforcement 20 is arranged on the side of the end plate body 10 away from the liquid inlet channel 111, and the first reinforcement 20 is arranged in an annular shape on the outer edge of the end plate body 10. Specifically, in the present application, the first reinforcement 20 is an annular structure, and the outer side wall of the first reinforcement 20 is arranged flush with the outer side wall of the end plate body 10. With such an arrangement, the first reinforcement 20 can reinforce the structure of the outer edge of the end plate body 10, thereby avoiding deformation of the four corners of the end plate body 10, and further ensuring the size and uniformity of the sealing pressure provided to the fuel cell stack, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell stack.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the second reinforcement member 30 is arranged on the side of the end plate body 10 away from the liquid inlet channel 111, and the second reinforcement member 30 is arranged in the middle of the end plate body 10, that is, the second reinforcement member 30 is arranged corresponding to the activation center area.

[0041] By adopting the above structure, the second reinforcement 30 can strengthen the structure of the middle part of the end plate body 10, avoid deformation of the activated center area, thereby avoiding the attenuation of the packaging force, and further ensuring the pressure size and pressure uniformity between the plates, membrane electrodes and other structures, ensuring the electrochemical reaction efficiency of the single cell, and at the same time ensuring the contact pressure between the single cells, avoiding voltage drop, and thus ensuring the normal operation of the battery stack.

[0042] Therefore, in this solution, a first reinforcement 20 and a second reinforcement 30 are provided on the end plate body 10. This ensures the structural strength of the end plate body 10 and prevents deformation of the end plate body 10, while reducing the weight of the end plate assembly and the production cost of the first reinforcement 20 and the second reinforcement 30, thereby facilitating the assembly of the end plate assembly and the fuel cell stack.

[0043] Specifically, the first reinforcement member 20 and the second reinforcement member 30 may be connected by threads, or the first reinforcement member 20 and the second reinforcement member 30 may be fixed by welding.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the end plate body 10 is also provided with a hydrogen inlet 16, a hydrogen outlet 17, an air inlet 18, and an air outlet 19. The hydrogen inlet 16, the liquid outlet 122, and the air inlet 18 are located at one end of the end plate body 10, while the hydrogen outlet 17, the liquid inlet 113, and the air outlet 19 are located at the other end of the end plate body 10. This arrangement facilitates machining of the end plate body 10 and ensures normal fluid flow.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 are symmetrically distributed with respect to the center of the end plate body 10, the hydrogen inlet 16 and the hydrogen outlet 17 are symmetrically distributed with respect to the center of the end plate body 10, and the air inlet 18 and the air outlet 19 are symmetrically distributed with respect to the center of the end plate body 10. This arrangement facilitates the processing of the end plate body 10 and reduces the processing difficulty of the end plate body 10.

[0046] Furthermore, in the present application, the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121 are arranged obliquely relative to the end plate body 10. Such an arrangement can increase the flow area of ​​the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121, thereby ensuring the heating effect on the single cell.

[0047] Along the direction from the liquid inlet 112 to the liquid flow inlet 113, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet flow channel 111 first gradually increases and then gradually decreases. Along the direction from the liquid outlet 123 to the liquid flow outlet 122, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet flow channel 121 first gradually increases and then gradually decreases. The hydrogen inlet 16, the hydrogen outlet 17, the air inlet 18 and the air outlet 19 are square structures. In this application, the hydrogen inlet 16, the hydrogen outlet 17, the air inlet 18 and the air outlet 19 are trapezoidal structures, the liquid inlet 112 and the liquid outlet 123 are circular structures, the liquid flow inlet 113 and the liquid flow outlet 122 are square structures, the hydrogen inlet 16 and the air inlet 18 are adapted to the structure of the liquid flow outlet 122, and the hydrogen outlet 17 and the air outlet 19 are adapted to the structure of the liquid flow inlet 113.

[0048] Such a setting can ensure the smoothness of the coolant circulation and the coolant circulation area, and at the same time can make full use of the end plate body 10. While ensuring the area of ​​the liquid inlet channel 111, the liquid outlet channel 121, the hydrogen inlet 16, the hydrogen outlet 17, the air inlet 18 and the air outlet 19, the volume of the end plate body 10 is avoided to be too large, which facilitates the assembly of the end plate body 10.

[0049] Optionally, a guide plate 15 is provided in the liquid inlet channel 111 or the liquid outlet channel 121. Figure 3 As shown, guide plates 15 are provided in both the inlet channel 111 and the outlet channel 121. The guide plates 15 extend along the length of the end plate body 10. This arrangement allows the guide plates 15 to evenly direct the coolant into the inlet channel 111 and the outlet channel 121, thereby reducing pressure loss and ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the inlet channel 111 and the outlet channel 121.

[0050] In the present application, the liquid inlet 112 and the liquid inlet 113 are respectively located at the two ends of the liquid inlet channel 111, and the guide plate 15 in the liquid inlet channel 111 extends from the liquid inlet 112 to the liquid inlet 113. The liquid outlet 122 and the liquid outlet 123 are respectively located at the two ends of the liquid outlet channel 121, and the guide plate 15 in the liquid outlet channel 121 extends from the liquid outlet 122 to the liquid outlet 123.

[0051] Specifically, the end plate body 10 is injection molded, and the first reinforcement member 20 is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel. Furthermore, in the present application, the second reinforcement member 30 is also made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0052] Among these, the most widely used end plates in existing technologies are aluminum-plastic composite end plates, commonly used in medium- and large-sized fuel cell stacks with power exceeding 70 kW. The use of aluminum alloy provides high mechanical strength, effectively withstanding loads such as vibration and impact. However, for insulation and corrosion protection, the aluminum alloy surface must be anodized, which increases the number of process steps.

[0053] In addition, the fluid medium channel on the end plate is in direct contact with the coolant, humid air, and hydrogen. If conductive materials are used, the inside and outside of the battery stack will be connected to form a "wire", which cannot meet the insulation safety requirements. Therefore, only insulating materials can be used for the medium flow channel. When processing in the existing technology, the inner wall surface of the fluid medium channel of the aluminum alloy end plate can be subjected to secondary processing and plastic coating to obtain an aluminum-plastic composite end plate; or the insulating plate and the fluid medium channel can be designed as a whole for injection molding, and then assembled and sealed with the aluminum alloy end plate to form an end plate assembly. However, the above-mentioned processing process increases the complexity of the structure and process, reduces production efficiency, and is not conducive to mass production.

[0054] At the same time, existing technologies also use plastic end plates. This type of end plate is made entirely of special plastics and has advantages in fluid insulation. However, due to its limited rigidity and low load-bearing capacity, it is often used in small and medium-sized fuel cell stacks. The outer side of the end plate has insufficient load-bearing capacity, so other loads cannot be installed. During the packaging process, packaging straps are usually used for bundling to prevent excessive deformation in the middle of the end plate. The above structure results in limited rigidity and low load-bearing capacity of the end plate, making it impossible to install other loads on the end plate.

[0055] However, in this application, the end plate body 10 is made of plastic, and the first and second reinforcement members 20 and 30 are made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel. The first and second reinforcement members 20 and 30 are positioned at locations on the end plate body 10 that are prone to deformation. This improves the strength and rigidity of the end plate assembly, prevents deformation of the end plate body 10, and avoids the need to use packaging straps or other structures to tie the end plate assembly. Furthermore, other loads can be mounted on the end plate assembly, thereby improving the functional integration of the end plate assembly.

[0056] Furthermore, in the present application, the first reinforcement member 20 is connected to the end plate body 10 by bolts, and the first reinforcement member 20 and the second reinforcement member 30 are fixed by threading or welding. This arrangement avoids the problem of traditional end plates requiring secondary injection molding, reduces the difficulty of connecting the first reinforcement member 20 to the end plate body 10 and between the first reinforcement member 20 and the second reinforcement member 30, and thus reduces the complexity of the process, improves the assembly efficiency of the end plate body 10, the first reinforcement member 20 and the second reinforcement member 30, and facilitates mass production.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the outer periphery of the end plate body 10 is annularly provided with a plurality of connection holes 131. The first reinforcement member 20 has a plurality of connection sleeves 21. The plurality of connection holes 131 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of connection sleeves 21. The connection sleeves 21 are inserted into the corresponding connection holes 131 and have internal threads. The first reinforcement member 20 and the end plate body 10 are threadedly connected via the connection sleeves 21 and the locking member. This arrangement facilitates the connection and fixation of the end plate body 10 and the first reinforcement member 20, simplifies the structure, reduces the difficulty of connecting the end plate body 10 and the first reinforcement member 20, and facilitates operation.

[0058] Optionally, a clearance fit may be adopted between the connecting sleeve 21 and the connecting hole 131 .

[0059] Specifically, in the actual processing, to ensure installation accuracy, two of the connecting sleeves 21 can be used as positioning pins, that is, the fitting accuracy between the two connecting sleeves 21 and the corresponding connecting holes 131 can be higher, and the fitting accuracy between the remaining connecting sleeves 21 and the corresponding connecting holes 131 can be appropriately reduced. This arrangement can ensure the tightness of the connection between the end plate body 10 and the first reinforcement member 20, while reducing the difficulty of processing and assembling the end plate body 10 and the first reinforcement member 20.

[0060] Optionally, the first reinforcement member 20 may be machined or cast during the processing.

[0061] Furthermore, in the present application, a plurality of through holes are provided on the housing of the fuel cell stack, and the plurality of through holes are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of connection holes 131. When the fuel cell needs to be assembled, the fasteners pass through the through holes, the connection holes 131, and the connection sleeve 21 in sequence, and are threadedly connected to the connection sleeve 21. In the present application, the fasteners are bolts.

[0062] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a first sealing groove 142 and a second sealing groove 132 are provided on the end plate body 10. The first sealing groove 142 is arranged around the periphery of the liquid inlet channel 111 and the liquid outlet channel 121, and the second sealing groove 132 is arranged around the periphery of the first sealing groove 142. The first sealing groove 142 is used to seal with the core. Specifically, in the present application, a first sealing ring is provided in the first sealing groove 142. With such an arrangement, the first sealing ring can be prevented from falling off, while ensuring the sealing effect between the end plate body 10 and the core, and preventing coolant leakage. The second sealing groove 132 is used to seal with the shell of the fuel cell stack. Specifically, in the present application, a second sealing ring is provided in the second sealing groove 132. With such an arrangement, the second sealing ring can be prevented from falling off, while ensuring the sealing effect between the end plate body 10 and the shell, and preventing gas leakage in the shell, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell stack.

[0063] The projections of the first and second sealing grooves 142, 132 along the width of the end plate body 10 are located on the first reinforcement 20. The area enclosed by the first and second sealing grooves 142, 132 is referred to as the sealing area. This arrangement ensures that the first reinforcement 20 effectively protects the sealing area, preventing deformation in the sealing area and, therefore, preventing fluid leakage, while ensuring the proper operation of the fuel cell stack.

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, the end plate body 10 includes a main body 13 and a raised portion 14, with the raised portion 14 located on one side of the main body 13. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 141 are provided on the periphery of the raised portion 14. This arrangement improves the structural strength of the raised portion 14, preventing damage to the raised portion 14 during assembly, while also reducing its weight and facilitating assembly of the end plate body 10.

[0065] The body 13 has a stepped surface on the side facing the raised portion 14. The stepped surface is annularly arranged on the outer periphery of the raised portion 14. The second sealing groove 132 is provided on the stepped surface, and the first sealing groove 142 is provided on the end surface of the raised portion 14 away from the body 13. This arrangement facilitates the sealing between the end plate body 10 and the fuel cell stack.

[0066] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a fuel cell comprising a stack and the aforementioned end plate assembly. The stack comprises a housing and a core. The housing is detachably connected to the end plate body 10 of the end plate assembly. The end plate assembly's liquid inlet channel 111 and liquid outlet channel 121 are positioned corresponding to the core. This arrangement reduces the difficulty of connecting the end plate assembly to the stack and improves the problem of low cell voltage during cold starts, thereby preventing cold start failures of the fuel cell.

[0067] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0068] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual proportional relationships. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0069] In the description of the present invention, it needs to be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0070] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0071] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0072] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An end plate assembly, characterized in that: The end plate assembly comprises: An end plate body (10) is provided on one side of the end plate body (10) with a liquid inlet channel (111) and a liquid outlet channel (121) that are independent of each other, the liquid inlet channel (111) and the liquid outlet channel (121) extending along the length direction of the end plate body (10), and the end plate body (10) is also provided with a liquid inlet (112), a liquid inlet (113), a liquid outlet (122) and a liquid outlet (123), the liquid inlet (112) and the liquid inlet (113) are both connected to the end plate body (10). The liquid inlet channel (111) is connected, the liquid inlet (112) is used to transport the coolant, the liquid inlet (113) is used to communicate with the cooling inlet of the fuel cell stack, the liquid outlet (122) and the liquid outlet (123) are both connected with the liquid outlet channel (121), the liquid outlet (122) is used to communicate with the cooling outlet of the fuel cell stack, and the liquid outlet (123) is used to discharge the coolant, and the liquid inlet channel (111) and the liquid outlet channel (121) are used to be arranged corresponding to the core.

2. The end plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The end plate assembly further comprises: A first reinforcement member (20) is arranged on a side of the end plate body (10) away from the liquid inlet channel (111), and the first reinforcement member (20) is annularly arranged on the outer edge of the end plate body (10); And / or, a second reinforcement member (30) is arranged on a side of the end plate body (10) away from the liquid inlet channel (111), and the second reinforcement member (30) is arranged in the middle of the end plate body (10).

3. The end plate assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The end plate body (10) is further provided with a hydrogen inlet (16), a hydrogen outlet (17), an air inlet (18) and an air outlet (19); the hydrogen inlet (16), the liquid outlet (122) and the air inlet (18) are located at one end of the end plate body (10), and the hydrogen outlet (17), the liquid inlet (113) and the air outlet (19) are located at the other end of the end plate body (10).

4. The end plate assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that The liquid inlet channel (111) and the liquid outlet channel (121) are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body (10); the hydrogen inlet (16) and the hydrogen outlet (17) are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body (10); the air inlet (18) and the air outlet (19) are symmetrically distributed relative to the center of the end plate body (10); along the direction from the liquid inlet (112) to the liquid inlet (113), the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet channel (111) first gradually increases and then gradually decreases; along the direction from the liquid outlet (123) to the liquid outlet (122), the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet channel (121) first gradually increases and then gradually decreases; the hydrogen inlet (16), the hydrogen outlet (17), the air inlet (18) and the air outlet (19) are square structures.

5. The end plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A guide plate (15) is provided in the liquid inlet channel (111) and / or the liquid outlet channel (121), and the guide plate (15) extends along the length direction of the end plate body (10).

6. The end plate assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The end plate body (10) is injection molded, and the first reinforcement member (20) is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

7. The end plate assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The outer ring of the end plate body (10) is provided with a plurality of connecting holes (131), the first reinforcement member (20) has a plurality of connecting sleeves (21), the plurality of connecting holes (131) and the plurality of connecting sleeves (21) are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, the connecting sleeves (21) are passed through the corresponding connecting holes (131), the connecting sleeves (21) have internal threads, and the first reinforcement member (20) and the end plate body (10) are threadedly connected through the connecting sleeves (21) and the locking member.

8. The end plate assembly according to claim 2, wherein: A first sealing groove (142) and a second sealing groove (132) are provided on the end plate body (10), wherein the first sealing groove (142) is arranged around the periphery of the liquid inlet channel (111) and the liquid outlet channel (121), and the second sealing groove (132) is arranged around the periphery of the first sealing groove (142), the first sealing groove (142) is used for sealing with the core, and the second sealing groove (132) is used for sealing with the shell of the fuel cell stack, and the projections of the first sealing groove (142) and the second sealing groove (132) along the width direction of the end plate body (10) are located on the first reinforcement (20).

9. The end plate assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The end plate body (10) includes a main body (13) and a raised portion (14), wherein the raised portion (14) is located on one side of the main body (13), and a plurality of reinforcing ribs (141) are provided on the periphery of the raised portion (14). A step surface is provided on the side of the main body (13) facing the raised portion (14), and the step surface is annularly arranged on the periphery of the raised portion (14). The second sealing groove (132) is arranged on the step surface, and the first sealing groove (142) is arranged on the end surface of the raised portion (14) away from the main body (13).

10. A fuel cell, characterized in that: The fuel cell includes a fuel cell stack and an end plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the fuel cell stack includes a shell and a core, the shell is detachably connected to the end plate body (10) of the end plate assembly, and the liquid inlet channel (111) and the liquid outlet channel (121) of the end plate assembly are arranged corresponding to the core.

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