Constant temperature control system of fuel cell

Abstract

A fuel cell constant temperature control system comprises an electrolyte box, a circulating pump, a cell stack and a heat storage box which are sequentially connected to form a circulation loop, a heat dissipation pipeline, heat conduction fins and a phase change material are arranged in the heat storage box, and the phase change material is arranged on the peripheries of the heat dissipation pipeline and the heat conduction fins; the electrolyte conducts heat to the phase change material through the heat dissipation pipeline and the heat conduction fins on the pipeline; the high-temperature electrolyte after the reaction of the cell stack flows through the heat storage box through the pipeline, the electrolyte flowing out flows into the electrolyte box and is pumped into the cell stack through the circulating pump, and the heat is collected and stored by using the phase change material, so that the temperature of the electrolyte of the fuel cell can be kept constant, and the influence on the ambient temperature can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of metal fuel cells, and in particular relates to a fuel cell constant temperature control system. Background Art

[0002] Conventional power sources such as lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance. Generator sets are noisy, have a noticeable infrared signature, and lack stealth. Power supplies and other equipment require a suitable operating temperature for long-term operation, especially when people are present. This temperature must be maintained within a comfortable range.

[0003] Traditional fuel cell cooling systems include liquid cooling, air cooling, or a combination of liquid cooling and air cooling. Liquid cooling requires large amounts of coolant, resulting in a large volume. Air cooling requires high-speed fans, which are noisy. Regardless of the method, heat from the reaction is transferred to the environment, causing the temperature to rise.

[0004] Fuel cells can be used as emergency backup power sources. In closed environments with limited ventilation, especially in manned environments, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature, sufficient oxygen, and low noise.

[0005] The utility model with announcement number CN220436206U discloses a temperature-controllable external heat exchange type metal hydride hydrogen storage bottle structure, the key points of its technical solution include a tank body, which has a circulation chamber and a receiving chamber, and the tank body has an inlet and an outlet connected to the circulation chamber; a phase change material layer, the phase change material layer is fixed in the tank body, and the phase change material layer is used to separate the circulation chamber and the receiving chamber; a tube body with an air vent, the tube body is fixed on the tank body and arranged in the middle of the receiving chamber, and a plurality of air vents connected to the air vent are opened on the tube body, the tube body at least partially passes through the tank body and is provided with a hydrogen port at the end; a plurality of hydrogen storage alloys and a plurality of heat-conducting fins, the hydrogen storage alloys and the heat-conducting fins are alternately arranged between the tube body and the phase change material, the hydrogen storage alloy and the heat-conducting fins are in contact with each other and one end is connected to the outer surface of the tube body, and the other end is connected to the inner surface of the phase change material layer. Although it uses phase change material, its structural setting is relatively complicated. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell constant temperature control system to address the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, so as to keep the fuel cell electrolyte temperature constant and reduce the impact on the ambient temperature.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A fuel cell constant temperature control system includes an electrolyte tank, a circulation pump, a battery stack, and a heat storage tank connected in sequence to form a circulation loop, wherein the heat storage tank is provided with a heat dissipation pipeline, heat conducting fins, and a phase change material, and the phase change material is arranged on the periphery of the heat dissipation pipeline and the heat conducting fins;

[0009] The electrolyte transfers heat to the phase change material through the heat dissipation pipes and the heat conducting fins on the pipes;

[0010] The high-temperature electrolyte after the battery stack reaction flows through the heat storage tank through the pipeline, and the outflowing electrolyte flows into the electrolyte tank and is pumped into the battery stack through the circulation pump.

[0011] The phase change material is paraffin, fatty acid or alkali metal fluoride.

[0012] The heat storage box also has a reserved expansion and contraction space inside the box body, and a pressure relief valve is provided on the top of the box body.

[0013] The outside of the heat storage box is also provided with a heat insulation layer.

[0014] The liquid outlet and liquid inlet of the battery stack are both provided with temperature detectors.

[0015] An observation port is provided on the top of the heat storage box.

[0016] The battery stack is also covered with a heat-insulating shell, and each pipeline is provided with a heat-insulating layer.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0018] (1) The fuel cell constant temperature control system is connected in sequence to form an electrolyte tank, a circulation pump, a battery stack and a heat storage tank, and the heat storage tank is provided with a heat dissipation pipe, a heat conducting fin and a phase change material. The phase change material is arranged on the periphery of the heat dissipation pipe and the heat conducting fin. The electrolyte transfers heat to the phase change material through the heat dissipation pipe and the heat conducting fin on the pipe. The high-temperature electrolyte after the reaction of the battery stack flows through the heat storage tank through the pipe, and the outflowing electrolyte flows into the electrolyte tank and is pumped into the battery stack through the circulation pump. The heat is collected and stored by the phase change material, which can keep the fuel cell electrolyte temperature constant and reduce the impact on the ambient temperature.

[0019] (2) The battery stack and all pipelines are insulated to achieve a constant external ambient temperature; the battery stack is covered with an insulating shell, and all pipelines are covered with thermal insulation materials to avoid heat exchange with the surrounding environment, and the capacity of the heat storage tank is matched according to the total heat release. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram with a heat-insulating shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following describes the implementation of the present invention through specific embodiments. People familiar with this technology can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification.

[0023] The utility model provides a fuel cell constant temperature control system, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown.

[0024] A fuel cell constant temperature control system includes an electrolyte tank 1, a circulation pump 2, a battery stack 3, and a heat storage tank 4, which are connected in sequence to form a circulation loop. The heat storage tank 4 is provided with a heat dissipation pipeline 42, heat-conducting fins 44, and a phase change material 41. The phase change material 41 is arranged on the periphery of the heat dissipation pipeline 42 and the heat-conducting fins 44. The electrolyte transfers heat to the phase change material 41 through the heat dissipation pipeline 42 and the heat-conducting fins 44 on the pipeline.

[0025] The high-temperature electrolyte after the battery stack reaction flows through the heat storage tank 4 through the pipeline 14, and the outflowing electrolyte flows into the electrolyte tank 1 again, and is pumped into the battery stack 3 through the circulation pump 2.

[0026] In this embodiment, the phase change material 41 can be an organic material such as paraffin, fatty acid, or a molten salt such as alkali metal fluoride; the selected phase change material 41 matches the optimal reaction temperature of the battery stack 3, and the amount of phase change material is calculated based on the heat production and heat absorption.

[0027] The phase change process may cause the material volume to change. Therefore, the heat storage tank 4 must have room for expansion and contraction, and a pressure relief valve 46 is provided at the top of the tank to accommodate the phase change. For easy observation, an observation port 45 is provided at the top of the heat storage tank 4, and the corresponding pressure relief valve 46 is located at the observation port 45.

[0028] In order to prevent the external environment from affecting the internal structure, a thermal insulation layer 400 is provided on the outside of the box body 40 of the heat storage tank 4, a thermal insulation layer 100 is provided on the outside of the electrolyte tank 1, and a thermal insulation shell 31 is provided on the outside of the battery stack 3. In addition, a thermal insulation layer is provided on the outside of each pipeline, that is, a thermal insulation layer 131 is provided on the first pipeline 13 from the circulation pump 2 to the battery stack 3, a thermal insulation layer 131 is provided on the second pipeline 14 from the battery stack 3 to the heat storage tank 4, and a thermal insulation layer 141 is provided on the third pipeline 12 from the heat storage tank 4 to the electrolyte tank 1, so as to avoid heat exchange with the surrounding environment.

[0029] The battery stack's liquid outlet 8 and liquid inlet 9 are both equipped with temperature sensors, while the heat storage tank 4's housing 40 is also equipped with a temperature sensor. These sensors can monitor the electrolyte and phase change material temperatures in real time and compare them with the ambient temperature inside the cabin. If the cabin temperature rises, the flow rate of the circulating pump 2 can be increased to accelerate heat dissipation. The heat in the heat storage tank 4 can be released for heating as needed, or allowed to cool naturally before being recycled.

[0030] The optimal reaction temperature of a fuel cell is 60-70°C. Large-scale fuel cells need to dissipate heat through a heat dissipation system, which is a heat storage tank. The electrolyte liquid is pumped into the heat storage tank through a circulation pump, and the high-temperature electrolyte enters the heat storage tank through the liquid inlet pipe. Heat is exchanged with the phase change material at the multi-layer heat dissipation pipes and heat-conducting fins in the box. In this embodiment, the phase change material uses paraffin that undergoes phase change at 50-60°C. By matching the amount of phase change material with the heat generation of the fuel cell, the phase change material can continuously absorb heat when the fuel cell is working, maintaining a constant ambient temperature.

[0031] If the words "first" and "second" are used in this patent to limit components, those skilled in the art should know that the use of "first" and "second" is only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and the above words have no special meaning.

[0032] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and improvements are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "center", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the protection content of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel cell constant temperature control system, characterized in that: The invention comprises an electrolyte tank, a circulation pump, a battery stack and a heat storage tank which are sequentially connected to form a circulation loop, wherein the heat storage tank is provided with a heat dissipation pipeline, heat conducting fins and a phase change material, and the phase change material is arranged on the periphery of the heat dissipation pipeline and the heat conducting fins; The electrolyte transfers heat to the phase change material through the heat dissipation pipes and the heat conducting fins on the pipes; The high-temperature electrolyte after the battery stack reaction flows through the heat storage tank through the pipeline, and the outflowing electrolyte flows into the electrolyte tank and is pumped into the battery stack through the circulation pump.

2. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase change material is paraffin, fatty acid or alkali metal fluoride.

3. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat storage box also has a reserved expansion and contraction space inside the box body, and a pressure relief valve is provided on the top of the box body.

4. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The outside of the heat storage box is also provided with a heat insulation layer.

5. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The liquid outlet and liquid inlet of the battery stack are both provided with temperature detectors.

6. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: An observation port is provided on the top of the heat storage box.

7. A fuel cell constant temperature control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The battery stack is also covered with a heat-insulating shell, and each pipeline is provided with a heat-insulating layer.

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