CONNECTOR STRUCTURE AND SOLID Oxide BATTERY STACK
By designing cross-arranged raised flow channels in the connector structure, the problem of uneven gas distribution was solved, and the uniformity of the electrochemical reaction in the solid oxide battery stack and the improvement of the stack performance were achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422545258.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-10-22
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the connector distributes gas unevenly to the solid oxide battery cells, resulting in uneven electrochemical reactions and affecting the performance and life of the battery stack.
A connector structure is designed, including a spoiler section arranged in a groove, and a first and a second protrusion are provided on the spoiler section to form a cross-arranged flow channel. The gas is blocked during the flow process, the flow direction is changed, the gas diffusion uniformity is enhanced, and uniform gas distribution is achieved.
By uniformly distributing gas, the uniformity of the electrochemical reaction is improved, the temperature and current distribution of the fuel cell stack are improved, thermal stress is reduced, and the service life of the fuel cell stack is extended.
Smart Images
Figure CN223427513U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of solid oxide batteries, and in particular to a connector structure and a solid oxide battery stack. Background Art
[0002] Solid oxide cells (SOCs) are important energy conversion devices, encompassing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolyzers (SOECs). SOFCs can directly convert the chemical energy of fuels like hydrogen and methane into electricity without combustion. SOECs, the reverse process of SOFCs, can electrolyze water or carbon dioxide to convert electrical energy into chemical energy. Solid oxide cells are attracting increasing research attention due to their all-solid-state nature, high energy conversion efficiency, and minimal product pollution.
[0003] The single cell voltage and discharge power / electrolysis power of SOC cells are relatively low, so in actual use, multiple SOC cells are often connected in series or in parallel to form a stack. The stack consists of SOC cells, connectors, seals and other components. In related technologies, the surface of the connector has a variety of flow channel structure designs, such as serpentine flow channels, straight flow channels, and distributed ribs to form flow channels, so that external gas can pass through the flow channels to provide gas raw materials to the surface of the SOC cells.
[0004] However, the external gas can only diffuse along the shape of the flow channel and is difficult to diffuse in the direction outside the flow channel, which makes the connector distribute gas to the SOC single cell unevenly, resulting in uneven electrochemical reaction of the SOC single cell in the fuel cell stack, seriously affecting the performance and life of the fuel cell stack. Utility Model Content
[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a connector structure and a solid oxide battery stack, aiming to solve the problem of uneven gas distribution of the connector to the SOC single cell, resulting in uneven electrochemical reaction of the SOC single cell in the stack.
[0006] A connector structure comprising:
[0007] The connector body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, each of the first surface and the second surface being provided with a groove; the groove is used to enclose one of the electrodes of the solid oxide battery cell to form a cavity, and the cavity is used to introduce gas;
[0008] At least one groove provided on the first surface and the second surface includes a flow-disrupting section, the flow-disrupting section having a plurality of first protrusions and a plurality of second protrusions, the plurality of first protrusions being arranged at intervals along a first direction to form a plurality of parallel and spaced flow channels, adjacent flow channels being connected by a plurality of slits, the plurality of second protrusions being arranged at intervals along a second direction, the second protrusions being evenly provided in the flow channels near the slits, with gaps being formed between the first protrusions and the second protrusions;
[0009] The first direction intersects the second direction.
[0010] A solid oxide cell stack includes the connecting body structure and a plurality of solid oxide cell units, the connecting body structure and the solid oxide cell units being stacked in sequence.
[0011] The solid oxide cell unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first surface of the connecting body structure faces the first electrode, and the second surface of the connecting body structure faces the second electrode.
[0012] The connecting body structure and the solid oxide cell stack of the present application, when the gas is introduced into the groove, the gas will be blocked by the second protrusion near the fine gap of the flow channel formed by the first protrusion during the flow process, thereby changing the direction of the gas flow, enhancing the diffusion of the gas between adjacent flow channels, making the gas diffusion uniform, achieving uniform gas distribution for the solid oxide cell unit, and making the electrochemical reaction of the solid oxide cell unit in the solid oxide cell stack uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the connecting body structure in an embodiment of the present application.
[0014] Figure 2 It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of A in the present application. Figure 1
[0015] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of one side of the connecting body structure in an embodiment of the present application.
[0016] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the other side of the connecting body structure in an embodiment of the present application.
[0017] REFERENCE SIGNS:
[0018] 100, connecting body structure;
[0019] 10, connecting body;
[0020] 11, groove; 12, first groove; 13, second groove;
[0021] 111, spoiler section; 112, gas inlet section; 113, gas outlet section; 114, dispersion section; 115, collection section;
[0022] 1111, first protrusion; 1112, second protrusion; 1113, flow channel; 1114, fine gap;
[0023] 1141, first flow guide; 1151, second flow guide;
[0024] 121, first spoiler section;
[0025] 1211, third protrusion; 1212, fourth protrusion;
[0026] 131, second spoiler section;
[0027] 1311. The fifth protrusion; 1312. The sixth protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0029] It should be noted that the voltage and discharge / electrolysis power of a single solid oxide battery cell are relatively low, so in actual use, multiple cells are often connected in series or parallel to form a solid oxide battery stack. A solid oxide battery stack consists of solid oxide battery cells, connectors, seals, and other components.
[0030] It's important to note that solid oxide cells (SOCs) include solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolyzers (SOECs). SOFCs directly convert chemical energy into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions. SOECs are reverse-operating SOFCs, using electricity to electrolyze water, carbon dioxide, and other gases into hydrogen and carbon monoxide, converting electrical energy into chemical energy. It's understood that SOC stacks include both SOFC and SOEC stacks.
[0031] SOEC is the reverse process of SOFC, has the same structure as SOFC, and has the same problems as SOFC. Therefore, the connector structure of the present application can be applied to both SOFC stacks and SOEC stacks. For the sake of convenience, the present application uses SOFC stacks as an example and does not elaborate on SOEC stacks.
[0032] Furthermore, in the SOFC stack, the connector and the SOFC cells are stacked in sequence. On the one hand, the connector is used for electron conduction, thereby realizing the series connection of the connector and the upper and lower SOFC cells; on the other hand, the connector flow channel structure can provide gas raw materials for the cells in the SOFC stack, thereby enabling the SOFC cells to complete the electrochemical reaction.
[0033] See Figure 1As shown. An embodiment of the present application provides a connector structure 100 comprising a connector body 10. The connector body 10 comprises a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite each other, each of which is provided with a groove 11. The groove 11 is configured to enclose one of the electrodes of the SOFC cell to form a cavity for admitting gas. At least one groove 11 disposed on each of the first and second surfaces comprises a flow-disrupting section 111. The flow-disrupting section 111 comprises a plurality of first protrusions 1111 and a plurality of second protrusions 1112. The plurality of first protrusions 1111 are spaced apart along a first direction, forming a plurality of parallel and spaced flow channels 1113. Adjacent flow channels 1113 are interconnected by a plurality of slits 1114. The plurality of second protrusions 1112 are spaced apart along a second direction, evenly spaced within the flow channels 1113 near the slits, with gaps between the first protrusions 1111 and the second protrusions 1112. The first direction intersects the second direction.
[0034] It should be noted that, illustratively, the first direction is Figure 1 The X direction in the second direction is Figure 1 In the Y direction, of course, it can be understood that the first direction and the second direction are Figure 1 The directions are just exemplary directions, and the first direction and the second direction may also be other intersecting directions. Figure 1 The X direction and the Y direction shown in FIG are only for the convenience of description and understanding, and the first direction and the second direction are not described in detail here.
[0035] Specifically, since multiple first protrusions 1111 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, multiple parallel and spaced-apart flow channels 1113 are formed. When gas is introduced into the groove 11, the gas will be blocked by the second protrusions 1112 at the slits 1114 close to the flow channel 1113 during the flow of the flow channel 1113 formed by the first protrusions 1111, forcing the gas to diffuse through the slits 1114 along the outside direction of the flow channel 1113, thereby changing the direction of gas flow, enhancing the diffusion of gas between adjacent flow channels 1113, making the gas diffuse evenly, realizing even gas distribution to the SOFC single cell, and making the electrochemical reaction of the single cell in the SOFC stack even.
[0036] It should be noted that the more uniform the gas distribution in the SOFC stack, the more uniform the electrochemical reaction in the stack, the more uniform the temperature distribution and current distribution in the stack, which is more conducive to showing the electrical performance of each single cell in the SOFC stack, and can reduce the thermal stress between different areas in the SOFC stack, thereby improving the service life of the stack.
[0037] In some embodiments, along the first direction, at least a portion of a surface of the first protrusion 1111 is inclined relative to the first direction.
[0038] Optionally, the size of the middle area of the first protrusion 1111 is larger than the size of the outer area of the first protrusion 1111, so that the size difference of the flow channel formed at different positions of the first protrusion 1111 can make the flow channel 1113 expand and shrink periodically, thereby enhancing the turbulence effect.
[0039] In some embodiments, along the second direction, at least a portion of a surface of the second protrusion 1112 is inclined relative to the second direction.
[0040] In this way, since at least part of the surface of the second protrusion 1112 is inclined to the second direction along the second direction, the gas will be blocked by at least part of the surface of the second protrusion 1112 inclined to the second direction during the flow in the channel, thereby changing the flow direction of the gas, realizing turbulence of the gas at at least part of the surface of the second protrusion 1112 inclined to the second direction, further enhancing the diffusion of the gas between adjacent flow channels, making the gas more evenly dispersed, and realizing uniform gas distribution to the SOFC single cell.
[0041] In some embodiments, along the protrusion direction of the first protrusion 1111, the projection shape of the first protrusion 1111 includes a polygon. Along the protrusion direction of the second protrusion 1112, the projection shape of the second protrusion 1112 includes a polygon.
[0042] Optionally, along the protruding direction of the first protrusion 1111 , the polygonal shape of the first protrusion 1111 is a polygon with periodic size changes, so that the flow channel 1113 can be periodically contracted or expanded.
[0043] As the gas flows along the flow channel, the periodic contraction and expansion of the flow channel 1113 formed by the first protrusions enhances gas turbulence. Furthermore, the narrow gaps 1114 between adjacent flow channels 1113 allow the reactant gas to be transferred to adjacent flow channels 1113, ensuring uniform gas diffusion. Furthermore, the wider flow channel 1113 at the narrow gaps 1114 results in a slower gas flow rate, making it easier for the gas to diffuse through the narrow gaps 1114.
[0044] Optionally, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, along the protruding direction of the first protrusion 1111, the shape of the projection of the first protrusion 1111 includes any one of a rhombus, a hexagon, a spindle, and a shuttle shape, so that the flow channel 1113 can periodically contract or expand. The specific shape of the first protrusion 1111 is not repeated here.
[0045] Furthermore, when the gas flows along the flow channel, the gas may be blocked by the multiple side edges of the second protrusion 1112, thereby changing the flow direction of the gas and enhancing the diffusion of the gas between adjacent flow channels.
[0046] Optionally, the shape of the projection of the second protrusion 1112 along the protrusion direction of the second protrusion 1112 comprises any one of a rhombus, a hexagon, a spindle, and a shuttle, so that the flow direction of the gas can be changed, and the specific shape of the second protrusion 1112 will not be described here.
[0047] In some embodiments, the second protrusion 1112 is arranged between the adjacent four first protrusions 1111, and the distance between the second protrusion 1112 and each of the adjacent first protrusions 1111 is equal.
[0048] In this way, when the gas flows into the gap between the first protrusion 1111 and the second protrusion 1112, the distance between the second protrusion 1112 and each of the adjacent first protrusions 1111 is equal, so that the flow of the gas can be uniform, the turbulence process is more uniform, and the gas distribution uniformity of the connecting body is improved.
[0049] In some embodiments, the groove 11 further comprises an air inlet section 112 and an air outlet section 113, and the air inlet section 112 and the air outlet section 113 are respectively communicated with opposite sides of the turbulence section 111.
[0050] The air inlet section 112 comprises an air inlet hole, and the air outlet section 113 comprises an air outlet hole; the groove 11 further comprises a dispersion section 114 and a collection section 115, the dispersion section 114 is communicated with the air inlet hole and one side of the turbulence section 111, and the collection section 115 is communicated with the air outlet hole and the other side of the turbulence section 111; the dispersion section 114 is provided with a plurality of first flow guides 1141, and the plurality of first flow guides 1141 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the air inlet hole; the collection section 115 is provided with a plurality of second flow guides 1151, and the plurality of second flow guides 1151 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the air outlet hole.
[0051] In this way, by arranging a single air inlet hole and a single air outlet hole, the sealing length of the connecting body can be effectively reduced, and the sealing effect of the SOFC stack is improved. In addition, since the dispersion section 114 is provided with a plurality of first flow guides 1141, and the plurality of first flow guides 1141 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the air inlet hole; the collection section 115 is provided with a plurality of second flow guides 1151, and the plurality of second flow guides 1151 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the air outlet hole, so that the gas injected into the turbulence section 111 and discharged from the turbulence section 111 can be made more uniform through the first flow guides 1141 and the second flow guides 1151, and the performance and service life of the SOFC stack are improved.
[0052] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a first groove 12 is provided on the first surface, and a second groove 13 is provided on the second surface; the first groove 12 is used to form a first cavity with the first electrode of the SOFC cell, and the first cavity is used to pass the first gas; the second groove 13 is used to form a second cavity with the second electrode of the SOFC cell, and the second cavity is used to pass the second gas; the first groove 12 includes a first spoiler section 121, and the second groove 13 includes a second spoiler section 131; the first spoiler section 121 includes a plurality of third protrusions 1211 and a plurality of fourth protrusions 1212, and the plurality of third protrusions 1211 are arranged at intervals along the first direction to form a plurality of parallel and spaced flow channels, and adjacent flow channels are connected by a plurality of The plurality of fourth protrusions 1212 are arranged at intervals along the second direction, the fourth protrusions are evenly arranged in the flow channel near the fine slit, and there is a gap between the third protrusion 1211 and the fourth protrusion 1212; the second spoiler section 131 includes a plurality of fifth protrusions 1311 and a plurality of sixth protrusions 1312, the plurality of fifth protrusions 1311 are arranged at intervals along the third direction to form a plurality of parallel and spaced flow channels, and adjacent flow channels are connected by a plurality of fine slits, the plurality of sixth protrusions 1312 are arranged at intervals along the fourth direction, the sixth protrusions are evenly arranged in the flow channel near the fine slit, and there is a gap between the fifth protrusion 1311 and the sixth protrusion 1312; wherein, the third direction and the fourth direction intersect.
[0053] It should be noted that, illustratively, the first direction is Figure 3 The X direction in the second direction is Figure 3 In the Y direction, of course, it can be understood that the first direction and the second direction are Figure 3 The directions are just exemplary directions, and the first direction and the second direction may also be other intersecting directions. Figure 3 The X direction and the Y direction shown in FIG are only for the convenience of description and understanding, and the first direction and the second direction are not described in detail here.
[0054] Likewise, illustratively, the third direction is Figure 4 The Y direction in the fourth direction is Figure 4 In the X direction, of course, it can be understood that the third and fourth directions are Figure 4 The directions are just exemplary directions, and the third direction and the fourth direction may also be other intersecting directions. Figure 4 The X direction and the Y direction shown in FIG are only for the convenience of description and understanding, and the third direction and the fourth direction are not described in detail here.
[0055] It should be further noted that the single cell in the SOFC stack includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically opposite. For the convenience of illustration and understanding, the first gas is a fuel gas, which can be hydrogen or methane, and the second gas is a combustion-supporting gas, which can be air or oxygen, and the first electrode is an anode, and the second electrode is a cathode. Among them, hydrogen is used to provide gas raw materials for the anode, and air is used to provide gas raw materials for the cathode.
[0056] Since the two sides of the connecting body 10 are respectively provided with the first groove 12 and the second groove 13, and the fourth protrusion 1212 is arranged in the flow channel formed by the third protrusion 1211 in the first groove 12, and the sixth protrusion 1312 is arranged in the flow channel formed by the fifth protrusion 1311 in the second groove 13, the flow direction of hydrogen can be changed under the blockage of the fourth protrusion 1212, and the flow direction of air can be changed under the blockage of the sixth protrusion 1312, and then the hydrogen and air can be disturbed in the direction of the flow channel, so that the hydrogen and air can be uniformly diffused and flowed, thereby uniformly supplying the anode and the cathode of the SOFC single cell, and further improving the performance and service life of the SOFC stack.
[0057] In some embodiments, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the fourth direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
[0058] In this way, after the connecting body of the connecting body structure 100 is stacked and installed with the SOFC single cell, the difference in the flow direction of the gas on both sides of the connecting body can avoid the phenomenon of gas mixing and interference on both sides, thereby improving the reliability of the SOFC stack reaction process.
[0059] A solid oxide cell stack includes the connecting body of the connecting body structure 100 and a plurality of SOC single cells, and the connecting body and the SOC single cells are stacked in sequence; the SOC single cell includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first surface of the connecting body faces the first electrode, and the second surface of the connecting body faces the second electrode.
[0060] In this way, the stacking between the plurality of connecting bodies and the plurality of SOC single cells can improve the voltage, discharge power / electrolysis power of the solid oxide cell stack. In addition, the connecting body of the connecting body structure 100 can be arranged between the adjacent two SOC single cells to uniformly supply the SOC single cells in the stack, thereby improving the performance and service life of the solid oxide cell stack.
[0061] In some embodiments, the solid oxide cell stack further includes a sealing member. The sealing member is arranged between the connecting body and the SOC single cell.
[0062] In this way, the sealing member can ensure that the gas injected into the connector 10 does not leak, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the electrochemical reaction process of the solid oxide battery stack.
[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0064] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A connector structure, characterized in that: include: The connector body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, each of the first surface and the second surface being provided with a groove; the groove is used to enclose one of the electrodes of the solid oxide battery cell to form a cavity, and the cavity is used to introduce gas; At least one of the grooves provided on the first surface and the second surface comprises a flow-disrupting section, wherein the flow-disrupting section is provided with a plurality of first protrusions and a plurality of second protrusions, wherein the plurality of first protrusions are arranged at intervals along a first direction to form a plurality of parallel and spaced flow channels, and adjacent flow channels are connected by a plurality of slits, and the plurality of second protrusions are arranged at intervals along a second direction, and the second protrusions are evenly provided in the flow channels near the slits, and a gap is formed between the first protrusions and the second protrusions; The first direction intersects with the second direction.
2. The connector structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the first direction, at least part of the surface of the first protrusion is inclined to the first direction; and / or Along the second direction, at least a portion of a surface of the second protrusion is inclined to the second direction.
3. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein: Along the protruding direction of the first protrusion, the projected shape of the first protrusion includes a polygon; along the protruding direction of the second protrusion, the projected shape of the second protrusion includes a polygon.
4. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein: The second protrusion is arranged between four adjacent first protrusions, and the distance between the second protrusion and each adjacent first protrusion is equal.
5. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein: The groove further includes an air inlet section and an air outlet section, and the air inlet section and the air outlet section are respectively connected to opposite sides of the flow-turbulating section.
6. The connector structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air inlet section includes an air inlet hole, and the air outlet section includes an air outlet hole; The groove further includes a dispersion section and a collection section, wherein the dispersion section is connected to one side of the air inlet and the spoiler section, and the collection section is connected to the other side of the air outlet and the spoiler section; The dispersion section is provided with a plurality of first flow guides, and the plurality of first flow guides are evenly arranged along the circumference of the air inlet; The converging section is provided with a plurality of second flow guides, and the plurality of second flow guides are evenly arranged along the circumference of the air outlet.
7. The connector structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first surface is provided with a first groove, and the second surface is provided with a second groove; the first groove is used to form a first cavity with the first electrode of the solid oxide battery cell, and the first cavity is used to pass a first gas; the second groove is used to form a second cavity with the second electrode of the solid oxide battery cell, and the second cavity is used to pass a second gas; The first groove includes a first spoiler section, and the second groove includes a second spoiler section; The first spoiler section includes a plurality of third protrusions and a plurality of fourth protrusions, wherein the plurality of third protrusions are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the plurality of fourth protrusions are arranged at intervals along the second direction, with gaps between the third protrusions and the fourth protrusions; The second spoiler section includes a plurality of fifth protrusions and a plurality of sixth protrusions, wherein the plurality of fifth protrusions are arranged at intervals along the third direction, and the plurality of sixth protrusions are arranged at intervals along the fourth direction, with gaps being formed between the fifth protrusions and the sixth protrusions; Wherein, the third direction and the fourth direction intersect.
8. The connector structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the fourth direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
9. A solid oxide battery stack, characterized in that: A method comprising: comprising at least one interconnect according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and a plurality of solid oxide battery cells, wherein the interconnect and the solid oxide battery cells are stacked in sequence; The solid oxide battery cell includes a first electrode and a second electrode. A first surface of the structured interconnect faces the first electrode, and a second surface of the structured interconnect faces the second electrode.
10. The solid oxide battery stack according to claim 9, characterized in that: The solid oxide battery stack further comprises: A sealing member is provided between the connector of the structure and the solid oxide battery cell.