Electric pile module and fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and particularly provides an electric pile module and a fuel cell system. The electric pile module comprises a reactor core assembly, and an air port end plate and a blind end plate which are respectively sealed and covered at the front end and the rear end of the reactor core assembly, the gas port end plate is provided with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet through which hydrogen enters and exits, and an air inlet and an air outlet through which air enters and exits, and the reactor core assembly is internally provided with gas path manifolds which are respectively communicated with the hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet and the air outlet; a gas path manifold communicated with the hydrogen outlet extends towards the blind end plate, and a liquid outlet communicated with the gas path manifold is formed in the blind end plate. According to the galvanic pile module disclosed by the utility model, the liquid outlet is formed in the blind end plate, and when the blind end plate of the reactor core assembly is inclined towards the lower part, water accumulated at the blind end of the gas path manifold of the hydrogen outlet can be discharged to the outside through the liquid outlet, so that the problem that water is easy to accumulate in the manifold inside the galvanic pile module is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a fuel cell stack module. In addition, the utility model also relates to a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] The fuel cell stack module in a fuel cell system typically consists of hundreds of membrane electrode and bipolar plates, packed together under pressure to form a core assembly. The core assembly is then sealed with a gas inlet end plate and a blind end plate at each end. The blind end plate seals the rear end of the core assembly, creating a sealed space within the core assembly. The gas inlet end plate has multiple inlets and outlets for hydrogen, air, and coolant.

[0003] The hydrogen and air entering the core assembly from the inlet and outlet of the gas inlet end plate are evenly distributed to the catalyst layer of the membrane electrode through the gas manifold. Under the action of the catalyst, the hydrogen and air undergo an electrochemical reaction to generate water. The water is produced on the air side, passes through the bipolar plate, and is discharged from the stack through the outlet on the gas inlet end plate corresponding to the manifold on the air inlet side to ensure the normal reaction of the stack.

[0004] During the normal reaction of the fuel cell stack, water produced at the cathode is discharged through the manifold outlet under the influence of airflow. However, when the vehicle is climbing or descending a slope, the fuel cell module, which is horizontally mounted on the vehicle, will have a certain inclination with the horizontal plane. This makes it difficult for the water generated by the reaction in the core assembly to be discharged smoothly, resulting in a large amount of water accumulation inside the fuel cell stack. At this time, the water will accumulate at the blind end of the manifold near the blind end plate on the bottom side of the core assembly. The pressure difference and airflow inside the fuel cell stack are insufficient to remove the accumulated water here, causing the accumulated water to block the gas channel, affecting the performance of the fuel cell stack and its normal operation.

[0005] When the battery stack is shut down, if there is still water in the manifold, it may flow back into the battery. When the external ambient temperature is low (such as below -30°C), the water inside the battery will freeze, causing damage to the battery structure and affecting the life of the battery stack.

[0006] To address this issue, prior art typically installs the fuel cell stack module on a vehicle at an angle, tilting the manifold downward with its outlet positioned at the bottom. This offsets the vehicle's tilt when climbing or descending a slope, ensuring the manifold outlet is lower than the blind end and allowing for the smooth drainage of accumulated water within the fuel cell stack module. However, due to the limited space available for the fuel cell system on the vehicle, the tilt angle cannot fully cover the degree of inclination experienced by the vehicle's actual operating conditions. When climbing or descending a steep slope (including when parking on a slope), water may still accumulate at the blind end of the side manifold. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a fuel cell module to solve the problem of water accumulation in the manifold inside the fuel cell module.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the utility model is achieved as follows:

[0009] A fuel cell stack module comprises a core assembly, and a gas port end plate and a blind end plate respectively covering the front and rear ends of the core assembly; the gas port end plate is provided with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet for hydrogen inlet and outlet, and an air inlet and an air outlet for air inlet and outlet, and an air manifold is provided inside the core assembly, respectively connecting the hydrogen inlet, the hydrogen outlet, the air inlet and the air outlet; the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet extends toward the blind end plate, and the blind end plate is provided with a drain port connected to the gas manifold.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the gas manifolds is extended from the gas inlet end plate toward the blind end plate and passes through the core assembly.

[0011] Furthermore, the hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are respectively arranged at a group of diagonal positions of the gas port end plate, and the air inlet and the air outlet are respectively arranged at another group of diagonal positions of the gas port end plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the hydrogen inlet and the air inlet are respectively arranged on two side edges of the gas inlet end plate with a longer distance therebetween.

[0013] Furthermore, a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet are provided on the gas port end plate, and a coolant manifold is provided inside the core assembly, which are connected to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet respectively.

[0014] Furthermore, the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are respectively arranged on the two side edge portions of the gas port end plate with a longer distance therebetween, the two gas manifolds respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet and the air outlet, and the cold liquid manifold connected to the coolant inlet are arranged in parallel at the top of the core assembly, and the two gas manifolds respectively connected to the hydrogen outlet and the air inlet, and the cold liquid manifold connected to the coolant outlet are arranged in parallel at the bottom of the core assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, the drainage port is connected to a drainage pipe.

[0016] Furthermore, a control valve is provided on the discharge pipe.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a horizontal detection device for detecting the inclination angle of the core assembly relative to the horizontal plane, and a control unit, which controls the opening and closing of the control valve based on the detection signal of the horizontal detection device.

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

[0019] The stack module of the present invention is based on the fact that water generated by the reaction of hydrogen and air in the core assembly will be discharged from the hydrogen outlet along with the hydrogen gas flow. A drain port is provided on the blind end plate corresponding to the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet. When the core assembly is in a horizontal posture or the gas port end plate tilts downward, the accumulated water in the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet arranged at the bottom of the core assembly can be discharged to the outside of the stack module through the hydrogen outlet. When the core assembly has a blind end plate tilted downward, the water accumulated at the blind end of the gas manifold of the hydrogen outlet can be discharged to the outside through the drain port, thereby solving the problem of water accumulation in the gas manifold inside the stack module.

[0020] In addition, each gas manifold is arranged in parallel throughout the core assembly, extending from the corresponding inlet and outlet on the gas port end plate to the blind end plate, which is conducive to the hydrogen and air entering the core assembly to be evenly dispersed into the membrane electrode and bipolar plate through the gas port manifold, and then react. The remaining air (mainly nitrogen), a small amount of hydrogen, and water can also be gathered into the corresponding gas manifold and discharged to the outside of the stack module. In view of the fact that the core assembly is usually designed as a rectangular parallelepiped, the gas port end plate is preferably designed to be rectangular, which can well cover the front end of the core assembly; and then the hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet and air outlet are arranged in pairs diagonally, so that the hydrogen gas flow and air flow inside the core assembly can completely pass through the membrane electrode and bipolar plate, and meet and react well in the middle of the core assembly, which is conducive to the full progress of the reaction.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system is equipped with the stack module of the present invention. The fuel cell system of the present invention has the technical advantages possessed by the stack module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of the present invention, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention. Terms such as front and back, top and bottom, etc., used therein are only intended to indicate relative positional relationships and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fuel cell module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the part indicated by AA;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the part indicated by BB in the middle;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a fuel cell module in the prior art;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the tilted state of the stack module shown in FIG.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the drainage of the stack module when it is tilted.

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 1. Core assembly; 10. Bipolar plates; 11. Top manifold; 12. Bottom manifold; 13. Membrane electrode;

[0031] 2. Gas port end plate; 201. Hydrogen inlet; 202. Hydrogen outlet; 203. Air inlet; 204. Air outlet; 205. Coolant inlet; 206. Coolant outlet;

[0032] 3. Blind end plate; 4. Drain port; 40. Drain pipe; 41. Control valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features therein can be combined with each other.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be stated that if terms indicating directions or positional relationships such as "up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside" appear, they are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only used to facilitate the description of the present invention. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed or operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0035] Furthermore, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connection," and "connector" should be interpreted broadly. For example, a connection can be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] This embodiment relates to a battery stack module, which can solve the problem of water accumulation in the manifold inside the battery stack module; an exemplary structure thereof is as follows Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown.

[0039] Generally speaking, the stack module includes a core assembly 1, and a gas inlet end plate 2 and a blind end plate 3, which respectively cover the front and rear ends of the core assembly 1. The gas inlet end plate 2 is provided with a hydrogen inlet 201 and a hydrogen outlet 202 for hydrogen flow in and out, as well as an air inlet 203 and an air outlet 204 for air flow in and out. Furthermore, a gas manifold is provided within the core assembly 1, connecting the hydrogen inlet 201, the hydrogen outlet 202, the air inlet 203, and the air outlet 204. The gas manifold, connected to the hydrogen outlet 202, extends toward the blind end plate 3, and the blind end plate 3 is provided with a drain port 4 connected to the gas manifold.

[0040] It should be pointed out that, based on the above-mentioned overall design concept, the technical solution of the present invention can adopt a variety of different specific implementation structures, forms or configuration sequences. For example, the layout positions of the various inlets and outlets on the above-mentioned gas inlet end plate 2 can be flexibly set, and the layout form and direction of the gas manifold inside the core assembly 1 can also have a variety of different specific forms; the specific setting sequence, installation method, etc. of the core assembly 1, gas inlet end plate 2 and blind end plate 3 can also be flexibly adjusted. For the parts required for the implementation of the overall solution but not involved in the above-mentioned overall setting, reasonable and flexible design can be made with reference to the mature setting means in this field, the actual situation during implementation, etc. The specific implementation scheme described below in this embodiment is only one of the better solutions among the many solutions that can be formed by the above-mentioned various combinations and changes. In actual implementation, those skilled in the art can make flexible adjustments and improvements based on the actual situation. Obviously, the many solutions that can be formed by the above-mentioned combinations and changes of the various specific forms, as well as the specific implementation scheme of this embodiment, are all within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, each gas manifold extends from the gas inlet end plate 2 toward the blind end plate 3 and penetrates the core assembly 1. Each gas manifold is arranged in parallel throughout the core assembly 1, extending from the corresponding inlet and outlet on the gas inlet end plate 2 toward the blind end plate 3. This facilitates the even dispersion of hydrogen and air entering the core assembly 1 through the gas manifolds into the membrane electrode 13 and bipolar plate 10, allowing for a reaction. Residual air (primarily nitrogen), a small amount of hydrogen, and water can also be collected in the corresponding gas manifolds and discharged outside the stack module.

[0042] Given that the core assembly 1 is typically designed as a rectangular parallelepiped, the gas inlet end plate 2 is designed to be rectangular, effectively covering the front end of the core assembly 1. For this reason, the gas inlet end plate 2 of this embodiment is rectangular, with the hydrogen inlet 201 and hydrogen outlet 202 respectively located at one set of diagonal positions on the gas inlet end plate 2, and the air inlet 203 and air outlet 204 respectively located at another set of diagonal positions on the gas inlet end plate 2. In this way, the hydrogen inlet 201, hydrogen outlet 202, air inlet 203, and air outlet 204 are arranged diagonally in pairs, allowing the hydrogen and air flows within the core assembly 1 to fully penetrate the membrane electrode 13 and bipolar plate 10, and to converge and react in the middle of the core assembly 1, facilitating the full progress of the reaction.

[0043] Furthermore, preferably, the hydrogen inlet 201 and the air inlet 203 can be respectively arranged at the two side edges of the gas inlet end plate 2 with a longer distance (i.e., the two ends of the same side edge of the long side of the gas inlet end plate 2 in this embodiment). In this arrangement, the hydrogen outlet 202 and the air outlet 204 will also be arranged opposite each other on the other long side of the core assembly 1, thus ensuring the flow path length of hydrogen and air inside the core assembly 1. Hydrogen and air will flow along the following paths: Figure 2 The direction path indicated by the middle arrow flows inside the core assembly 1 and intersects and reacts; this is more conducive to the convergence of air and hydrogen occurring more often in the middle position of the core assembly 1, which in turn is conducive to the full reaction of hydrogen and air inside the core assembly 1.

[0044] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the gas outlet end plate 2 of this embodiment is further provided with a coolant inlet 205 and a coolant outlet 206, and a coolant manifold is provided within the core assembly 1, communicating with the coolant inlet 205 and the coolant outlet 206, respectively. The coolant inlet 205 and the coolant outlet 206 are provided on the gas outlet end plate 2, and the corresponding gas manifold is provided within the core assembly 1. By introducing coolant, the core assembly 1 is effectively cooled, which is beneficial to the operational stability of the stack module.

[0045] Typically, the fuel cell stack module is mounted upright on a vehicle. The three inlets and outlets—the hydrogen inlet 201, the coolant inlet 205, and the air outlet 204—are located at the top of the gas inlet end plate 2 and correspond to the three top manifolds 11 located at the top of the core assembly 1. Specifically, these are two gas manifolds connected to the hydrogen inlet 201 and the air outlet 204, respectively, and a coolant manifold connected to the coolant inlet 205. The three inlets and outlets, the hydrogen outlet 202, the air inlet 203, and the coolant outlet 206, are located at the bottom of the gas inlet end plate 2 and correspond to the three bottom manifolds 12 located at the bottom of the core assembly 1. Specifically, these are two gas manifolds connected to the hydrogen outlet 202 and the air inlet 203, respectively, and a coolant manifold connected to the coolant outlet 206. The coolant inlet 205 and the coolant outlet 206 are located at the two longer edges of the gas inlet end plate 2, namely, at the middle of the top and bottom of the gas inlet end plate 2 in this embodiment, respectively. Correspondingly, three top manifolds 11 are arranged in parallel at the top of the core assembly 1, and three bottom manifolds 12 are arranged in parallel at the bottom of the core assembly 1. As a result, six inlets and outlets are distributed on the gas port end plate 2, with three distributed on each side of the gas port end plate 2 in the longitudinal direction. The coolant inlet 205 and coolant outlet 206 are located in the middle of the two side edges, respectively. The coolant entering through the coolant inlet 205 needs to flow a long distance through the core assembly 1 before it can flow out of the coolant outlet 206, thereby improving the cooling effect of the coolant on the fuel cell stack module.

[0046] Of course, if water accumulates at the blind end (the end near the blind end plate 3) of the bottom manifold 12 connected to the hydrogen outlet 202, it can be directly drained through the drain port 4. Alternatively, a drain pipe 40 can be connected to the drain port 4 to drain the accumulated water through the drain pipe 40. Providing the drain pipe 40 at the drain port 4 can conveniently guide the accumulated water discharged from the drain port 4 to a suitable location for discharge.

[0047] Based on the above-mentioned configuration, it is preferred to provide a control valve 41 on the drain pipe 40. Providing the control valve 41 on the drain pipe 40 allows for flexible control of the on / off status of the drain pipe 40. The control valve 41 is opened only when it is necessary to discharge accumulated water from the blind end plate 3. This not only ensures the reliable discharge of accumulated water in the stack module, but also allows the control valve 41 to be closed when the core assembly 1 is in a horizontal position or an inclined position that facilitates the discharge of accumulated water from the hydrogen outlet 202, so that exhaust and drainage from the stack module can be discharged normally from the gas outlet end plate 2.

[0048] In view of the configuration of the control valve 41, the stack module of this embodiment further includes a level detection device for detecting the tilt angle of the core assembly 1 relative to the horizontal plane, and a control unit. By configuring the stack module with the level detection device, when it is detected that the tilt of the core assembly 1 makes it difficult to discharge accumulated water from the hydrogen outlet 202, the control valve 41 can be controlled to open; otherwise, the control valve 41 is closed, providing a reference signal for the on-off control of the drain pipe 40. With the help of the control unit in the fuel cell system, or by directly setting a relay control circuit between the level detection device and the control valve 41 (the relay control circuit can also be regarded as a control unit), the timely opening and closing of the control valve 41 can be accurately controlled.

[0049] To summarize, the stack module of this embodiment is based on the fact that water generated by the reaction of hydrogen and air in the core assembly 1 will be discharged from the hydrogen outlet 202 along with the hydrogen gas flow. Corresponding to the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet 202, a drain port 4 is opened on the blind end plate 3. When the core assembly 1 is in a horizontal posture or the gas outlet end plate 2 tilts downward, the accumulated water in the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet 202 arranged at the bottom of the core assembly 1 can be discharged to the outside of the stack module through the hydrogen outlet 202. When the core assembly 1 has the blind end plate 3 tilted downward, the water accumulated at the blind end of the gas manifold of the hydrogen outlet 202 can be discharged to the outside through the drain port 4, thereby solving the problem of water accumulation in the gas manifold inside the stack module.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] This embodiment relates to a fuel cell system, in which the fuel cell stack module provided in the first embodiment is configured.

[0052] The cross-sectional structure of the battery stack module in the prior art is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, when the gas port end plate 2 of the stack module is arranged toward the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle goes uphill, a gap will be generated between the core assembly 1 and the horizontal plane. Figure 5 The inclination angle shown in a, at this time, Figure 5 Water accumulates at the position shown by C in the middle and cannot be discharged from the hydrogen outlet 202.

[0053] The battery stack module of the present invention is used, such as Figure 6 As shown, when the core assembly 1 and the horizontal plane generate an inclination angle shown as a, the accumulated water at the blind end of the bottom manifold 12 corresponding to the hydrogen outlet 202 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the fuel cell module through the drain port 4.

[0054] In addition, it should be pointed out that the control valve 41 described in the first embodiment preferably adopts a two-position two-way solenoid valve; and the discharge control of accumulated water can be achieved without setting a level detection device. Specifically, according to the state of the battery voltage on the blind end side monitored by the fuel cell voltage patroller during the operation of the stack (the voltage drops or fluctuates, indicating that there is water accumulation on the blind end side, affecting the air intake of the stack), the solenoid valve can be opened intermittently to discharge the accumulated water inside the stack. When the stack is shut down, in order to avoid water accumulation, the solenoid valve can be opened briefly to quickly drain the water. Since the drain pipe 40 is directly connected to the atmospheric environment, the pressure difference between the drain port 4 and the atmosphere is greater than the pressure difference in the manifold, which is more conducive to the drainage of the drain port 4.

[0055] Typically, at 0.1 electrical density, the pressure difference in the manifold is 0.5-1 kPa, while the pressure difference between drain port 4 and the atmosphere is 5-7 kPa. The greater the pressure difference, the stronger the drainage capacity. At higher electrical density, the pressure difference in the manifold is 3-5 kPa, while the pressure difference between drain port 4 and the atmosphere can reach 100-150 kPa. Temporary drainage through drain port 4 has a better effect.

[0056] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The detailed configuration explanations, specific structural configuration examples, and assembly connection descriptions are provided for the purpose of providing sufficient disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to better implement the present invention. They are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and 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. A stack module, characterized in that: It comprises a core assembly (1), and a gas inlet end plate (2) and a blind end plate (3) respectively covering the front and rear ends of the core assembly (1); The gas inlet end plate (2) is provided with a hydrogen inlet (201) and a hydrogen outlet (202) for hydrogen inlet and outlet, and an air inlet (203) and an air outlet (204) for air inlet and outlet, and a gas manifold is provided inside the core assembly (1) that is respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet (201), the hydrogen outlet (202), the air inlet (203) and the air outlet (204); the gas manifold connected to the hydrogen outlet (202) is extended toward the blind end plate (3), and the blind end plate (3) is provided with a drain port (4) connected to the gas manifold.

2. The stack module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the gas manifolds is extended from the gas port end plate (2) toward the blind end plate (3) and passes through the core assembly (1).

3. The stack module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen inlet (201) and the hydrogen outlet (202) are respectively arranged at a set of diagonal positions of the gas port end plate (2), and the air inlet (203) and the air outlet (204) are respectively arranged at another set of diagonal positions of the gas port end plate (2).

4. The stack module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hydrogen inlet (201) and the air inlet (203) are respectively arranged at two side edge portions of the gas inlet end plate (2) with a longer distance therebetween.

5. The stack module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas port end plate (2) is also provided with a coolant inlet (205) and a coolant outlet (206), and a coolant manifold is provided inside the core assembly (1) that is connected to the coolant inlet (205) and the coolant outlet (206).

6. The stack module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The coolant inlet (205) and the coolant outlet (206) are respectively arranged at the two side edge portions of the gas inlet end plate (2) with a longer distance therebetween; the two gas manifolds respectively connected to the hydrogen inlet (201) and the air outlet (204), and the cold liquid manifold connected to the coolant inlet (205) are arranged in parallel at the top of the core assembly (1); the two gas manifolds respectively connected to the hydrogen outlet (202) and the air inlet (203), and the cold liquid manifold connected to the coolant outlet (206) are arranged in parallel at the bottom of the core assembly (1).

7. The stack module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The drainage port (4) is connected to a drainage pipe (40).

8. The fuel cell module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid discharge pipe (40) is provided with a control valve (41).

9. The fuel cell module according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a horizontal detection device for detecting the inclination angle of the core assembly (1) relative to the horizontal plane, and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the opening and closing of the control valve (41) based on the detection signal of the horizontal detection device.

10. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: The fuel cell system is equipped with the fuel cell stack module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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