Stored gas slow discharging device and fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a gas storage and slow exhaust device and a fuel cell system. The air storage and slow exhaust device comprises an air inlet guide pipe, an elastic air storage bag and an exhaust valve, an air inlet of the elastic air storage bag is communicated with the air inlet guide pipe, and an air outlet of the elastic air storage bag is communicated with the exhaust valve; the elastic air storage bag comprises an air bag main body part, an inlet part and an outlet part, the air bag main body part can expand and contract to change an air storage space in the air bag main body part, the inlet part and the outlet part are both communicated with the air storage space, an air inlet is formed in the inlet part, and an air outlet is formed in the outlet part. The gas storage and slow discharge device is connected between the stack anode tail discharge valve and the hydrogen elimination device of the fuel cell, and the elastic gas storage bag is used as a part for storing gas in the gas storage and slow discharge device, so that the gas storage buffer volume range of the elastic gas storage bag is relatively large. And the exhaust valve controls the gas in the elastic gas storage bag to flow into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate, so that the hydrogen elimination device can meet the input quantity, and the size of the hydrogen elimination device is small.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a gas storage and slow exhaust device and a fuel cell system having the gas storage and slow exhaust device. Background Technology

[0002] An unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is an unmanned underwater vehicle that does not rely on a mother ship for power, is remotely or autonomously controlled, can be recovered and reused, and can sustain underwater operation for extended periods, self-propelled or gliding. Hydrogen fuel cell power systems utilize hydrogen, a clean secondary energy source, as fuel, directly converting chemical energy into electrical energy through a chemical reaction. This technology features low emissions, high energy density, low noise, and high efficiency. These advantages enable UUVs to achieve longer voyages and longer underwater operations, representing a significant future development direction for underwater propulsion systems.

[0003] Because the hydrogen source supplied to fuel cells inevitably contains trace amounts of impurities, these impurities accumulate on the anode side of the fuel cell as the system operates, adversely affecting battery performance and causing a performance degradation. When the fuel cell system's performance degrades to a certain level, the anode exhaust valve needs to be opened to intermittently release the gas from the anode side. In addition, the fuel cell also intermittently releases gas during unstable operation processes such as startup or shutdown to ensure it can reach a stable or safe operating state. It can be seen that the anode-side exhaust mode of a fuel cell is an unstable, discontinuous, intermittent emission.

[0004] However, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic but highly flammable gas with a wide explosive limit range in air (4%~75%). This means that explosions can occur even at relatively low concentrations, increasing the potential risk. In underwater confined environments, hydrogen leakage is typically addressed through exhaust gas collection and storage or catalytic combustion for hydrogen removal. Exhaust gas collection and storage requires substantial storage space, making this method less feasible in space-constrained underwater unmanned vehicles. Currently, in closed or semi-closed environments, catalytic combustion is commonly used to remove hydrogen from fuel cell anode exhaust.

[0005] Catalytic combustion hydrogen removal is a process that uses a catalyst to promote the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to produce water. The chemical equation for this reaction is 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, and it is accompanied by the release of heat. In actual operation, this process has certain requirements for the reaction temperature (generally above 90℃), and it takes a certain amount of time to initiate and start the reaction and get it into normal operation. As the reaction continuously releases heat, continuous hydrogen removal can be achieved.

[0006] Because hydrogen emissions from fuel cells are pulsed or intermittent, the amount and concentration of hydrogen emitted fluctuate greatly. Existing exhaust gas treatment systems using catalytic combustion introduce hydrogen and air from the fuel cell exhaust into the catalytic combustion chamber for combustion under the action of a catalyst. While this reduces the amount of hydrogen emitted into the atmosphere, it cannot adjust the catalytic reaction according to the stack's operating conditions. The hydrogen and air in the exhaust are prone to mixing, resulting in inconsistent concentrations, or periods without hydrogen requiring elimination, leading to a drop in the temperature of the hydrogen removal reactor and consequently affecting the catalytic reaction efficiency during subsequent hydrogen removal. Furthermore, to achieve complete hydrogen removal, the large fluctuations in hydrogen emission necessitate that the associated hydrogen removal device be configured based on the maximum emission volume over short periods, preventing the miniaturization of the hydrogen removal device. Utility Model Content

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a gas storage and slow discharge device to address the problem of the inability to miniaturize hydrogen removal devices.

[0008] A gas storage and slow discharge device includes:

[0009] The system includes an air intake duct, an elastic air reservoir, and an exhaust valve. The air inlet of the elastic air reservoir is connected to the air intake duct, and the air outlet of the elastic air reservoir is connected to the exhaust valve.

[0010] The elastic airbag includes an airbag body, an inlet, and an outlet. The airbag body can expand and contract to change its internal air storage space. Both the inlet and outlet are connected to the air storage space. An air inlet is formed in the inlet, and an air outlet is formed in the outlet.

[0011] In one embodiment, the gas storage and slow discharge device further includes: a first seal and a second seal, the first seal being disposed between the air intake duct and the inlet, and the second seal being disposed between the exhaust duct and the outlet of the exhaust valve.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inlet, the airbag body, and the outlet are arranged coaxially.

[0013] In one embodiment, the elastic airbag is a one-piece molded part.

[0014] In one embodiment, the gas storage and slow discharge device further includes: a protective shell, in which a shell space is formed, the shell space including a receiving space, a first assembly channel and a second assembly channel, the receiving space being connected between the first assembly channel and the second assembly channel;

[0015] The accommodating space is used to accommodate the airbag body, the first assembly channel is used to accommodate the inlet, and the second assembly channel is used to accommodate the outlet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the protective shell is provided with an atmospheric pressure through hole, which is used to connect the containment space with the external environment.

[0017] In one embodiment, the protective shell includes two protective half-shells;

[0018] The protective half-shell includes a half-shell body, a first flange, and a second flange. The half-shell body is provided with a receiving groove, and the two receiving grooves are combined to form a receiving space. The first flange is provided with a first groove, and the two first grooves are combined to form a first assembly channel. The second flange is provided with a second groove, and the two second flanges are combined to form a second assembly channel.

[0019] In one embodiment, the gas storage and slow discharge device further includes: a fixing screw connector, wherein both the first flange and the second flange are provided with assembly through holes, and the fixing screw connector is used to pass through the assembly through holes to combine the two protective half shells to form a protective shell.

[0020] In one embodiment, the protective half-shell is a one-piece molded part.

[0021] The aforementioned gas storage and slow-release device, as described in this application, is connected between the fuel cell stack anode tail valve and the hydrogen elimination device. The elastic gas storage bladder can store the generated gas regardless of the volume of gas produced by the fuel cell stack anode at different times. Furthermore, the gas stored in the elastic gas storage bladder flows into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate via an exhaust valve. This ensures that the hydrogen elimination device meets the gas flow rate input through the exhaust valve, thus allowing for a relatively small size.

[0022] This application further proposes a fuel cell system, which includes:

[0023] In some of the above embodiments, the gas storage and slow exhaust device, as well as the fuel cell and the hydrogen elimination device, are connected between the fuel cell and the hydrogen elimination device. The gas inlet duct is used to communicate with the anode tail valve of the fuel cell stack, and the exhaust valve is used to communicate with the hydrogen elimination device. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is an isometric sectional view of a gas storage and slow discharge device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of an air intake duct, an elastic air storage bladder, and a protective shell according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of an elastic air-storage bladder according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of a protective casing according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure label:

[0029] 100. Gas storage and slow discharge device; 1. Air inlet duct; 11. First interface; 12. Second interface; 2. Elastic air storage bag; 21. Air bag body; 22. Inlet; 23. Outlet; 210. Air storage space; 220. Air inlet; 230. Air outlet; 3. Exhaust valve; 31. Exhaust duct; 31a. Third interface; 31b. Fourth interface; 41. First seal; 42. Second seal; 5. Protective shell; 501. Accommodation space; 502. First assembly channel; 503. Second assembly channel; 5a. Normal pressure through hole; 50. Protective half shell; 51. Half shell body; 52. First flange; 53. Second flange; 510. Accommodation groove; 520. First groove; 530. Second groove; 540. Assembly through hole; 6. Fixing screw; 61. Screw; 62. Nut. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0032] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0036] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the gas storage and slow-release device 100 according to some embodiments of this application includes an air inlet duct 1, an elastic air storage bag 2, and an exhaust valve 3. The air inlet 220 of the elastic air storage bag 2 is connected to the air inlet duct 1, and the air outlet 230 of the elastic air storage bag 2 is connected to the exhaust valve 3. The elastic air storage bag 2 includes an air bag body 21, an inlet 22, and an outlet 23. The air bag body 21 can expand and contract to change its internal gas storage space 210. The inlet 22 and the outlet 23 are both connected to the gas storage space 210. An air inlet 220 is formed in the inlet 22, and an air outlet 230 is formed in the outlet 23.

[0037] For example, see Figure 1As shown, along the axial direction of the intake duct 1, both ends of the intake duct 1 have a first interface 11 and a second interface 12, respectively. The first interface 11 is used to connect to the fuel cell stack anode exhaust valve, so that the first interface 11 is connected to the fuel cell stack anode, allowing the gas generated on the fuel cell stack anode side to flow into the gas storage and slow exhaust device 100 through the intake duct 1. In addition, the end of the intake duct 1 with the second interface 12 is inserted into the inlet 22, so that the second interface 12 is connected to the air inlet 220, allowing the gas to flow into the gas storage space 210 through the intake duct 1.

[0038] The exhaust valve 3 is equipped with an exhaust conduit 31. Along the axial direction of the exhaust conduit 31, both ends of the exhaust conduit 31 have a third interface 31a and a fourth interface 31b, respectively. The end of the exhaust conduit 31 with the third interface 31a is inserted into the outlet 23, so that the third interface 31a communicates with the outlet 230, allowing gas in the gas storage space 210 to flow into the exhaust conduit 31. The fourth interface 31b is used to connect to the hydrogen elimination device, so that the fourth interface 31b communicates with the hydrogen elimination device, allowing gas stored in the gas storage space 210 to flow into the hydrogen elimination device. It is worth noting that the exhaust valve 3 can control the flow rate of gas stored in the gas storage space 210 into the hydrogen elimination device.

[0039] Since hydrogen emission from a fuel cell is pulsed or intermittent, it can be understood that the volume of gas generated at the anode side of the fuel cell stack is irregular, meaning that the amount of gas generated at the anode side varies. Furthermore, because the main body 21 of the gasbag can expand and contract, the gas storage space 210 can change according to the volume of gas generated at the anode side of the fuel cell stack. When more gas is generated at the anode side, the main body 21 of the gasbag expands to increase the volume of the gas storage space 210; when less gas is generated, the main body 21 of the gasbag expands to decrease the volume of the gas storage space 210. In this way, the elastic gas storage bladder 2 can store the generated gas regardless of the volume of gas produced at different times at the anode side of the fuel cell stack.

[0040] Furthermore, since an exhaust valve 3 is connected between the elastic gas storage bladder 2 and the hydrogen elimination device, the gas stored in the elastic gas storage bladder 2 flows into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate through the exhaust valve 3, thus achieving a stable flow rate of gas entering the hydrogen elimination device. This allows the hydrogen elimination device to operate continuously in a stable working state, resulting in high hydrogen elimination efficiency and good hydrogen elimination effect. It is worth noting that because the gas entering the hydrogen elimination device has a stable flow rate, compared to existing technologies, the hydrogen elimination device does not need to be set according to the maximum short-term emission rate due to large fluctuations in hydrogen discharge to achieve complete hydrogen elimination. The hydrogen elimination device only needs to meet the gas flow rate input through the exhaust valve 3; therefore, the size of the hydrogen elimination device is relatively small.

[0041] Therefore, the gas storage and slow-release device 100 of this application is connected between the fuel cell stack anode tail valve and the hydrogen elimination device. The elastic gas storage bladder 2 can store the generated gas regardless of the volume of gas produced by the fuel cell stack anode at different times. Furthermore, the gas stored in the elastic gas storage bladder 2 flows into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate through the exhaust valve 3. This ensures that the hydrogen elimination device meets the gas flow rate input through the exhaust valve 3, thus allowing for a relatively small size of the hydrogen elimination device.

[0042] See Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the gas storage and slow discharge device 100 may further include a first seal 41 and a second seal 42. The first seal 41 is disposed between the air intake duct 1 and the inlet 22, and the second seal 42 is disposed between the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet 23 of the exhaust valve 3.

[0043] For example, see Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment of this application, both the inlet portion 22 and the outlet portion 23 are annular structures, both the intake duct 1 and the exhaust duct 31 are circular tubes, and both the first seal 41 and the second seal 42 are annular, for example, the first seal 41 and the second seal 42 are made of rubber. The first seal 41 is sleeved on the intake duct 1 so that when the intake duct 1 and the inlet portion 22 are assembled, the first seal 41 is sandwiched between the intake duct 1 and the inlet portion 22 in the radial direction of the intake duct 1, so as to seal the space between the intake duct 1 and the inlet portion 22, thereby reducing the risk of gas leakage from the intake duct 1 and the inlet portion 22. The second sealing element 42 is sleeved on the exhaust duct 31 so that when the exhaust duct 31 is assembled with the outlet 23, the second sealing element 42 is sandwiched between the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet 23 in the radial direction of the exhaust duct 31, so as to seal the space between the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet 23, thereby reducing the risk of gas leakage from the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet 23.

[0044] See Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the inlet 22, the airbag body 21, and the outlet 23 are coaxially arranged, so that the air intake duct 1 and the exhaust duct 31 of the exhaust valve 3 are both coaxially arranged, so that the air intake duct 1, the elastic airbag 2, and the exhaust valve 3 are arranged sequentially along the same axis, making the overall structure of the air storage and slow exhaust device 100 elongated, which is beneficial to reducing the overall volume of the air storage and slow exhaust device 100 and also to reducing the space occupied by the air storage and slow exhaust device.

[0045] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the elastic airbag 2 is a one-piece molded part. This helps to ensure the reliability of the connection between the inlet 22 and the airbag body 21, as well as the reliability of the connection between the outlet 23 and the airbag body 21. Since the airbag body 21 has high connection reliability with both the inlet 22 and the outlet 23, the risk of cracks appearing between the airbag body 21 and the inlet 22, as well as between the airbag body 21 and the outlet 23, is greatly reduced, ensuring the overall airtightness of the elastic airbag 2.

[0046] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the gas storage and slow-release device 100 may further include a protective shell 5, within which a shell space is formed. The shell space includes a receiving space 501, a first assembly channel 502, and a second assembly channel 503. The receiving space 501 connects the first assembly channel 502 and the second assembly channel 503. The receiving space 501 is used to receive the airbag body 21, the first assembly channel 502 is used to receive the inlet 22, and the second assembly channel 503 is used to receive the outlet 23. The elastic airbag 2 is disposed within the shell space of the protective shell 5, so that the protective shell 5 can protect the elastic airbag 2, avoiding the risk of the elastic airbag 2 rupturing due to forces exerted by the external environment, and thus extending the service life of the elastic airbag 2.

[0047] In addition, the protective shell 5 is also provided with a first assembly channel 502 and a second assembly channel 503, so that the first assembly channel 502 is used to accommodate the inlet 22 and the second assembly channel 503 is used to accommodate the outlet 23, so that the air inlet 220 of the inlet 22 is exposed to the protective shell 5 and the air outlet 230 of the outlet 23 is exposed to the protective shell 5. This allows the air inlet duct 1 to be fitted with the inlet 22 and the exhaust duct 31 of the exhaust valve 3 to be fitted with the outlet 23.

[0048] Furthermore, since the elastic air-storage bladder 2 is housed within the shell space of the protective shell 5, the maximum expansion state of the elastic air-storage bladder 2 can be limited by the protective shell 5, thereby limiting the maximum volume of the elastic air-storage bladder 2. This allows other devices to be arranged around the gas storage and release device 100 without considering the risk of the elastic air-storage bladder 2 over-inflating and coming into contact with the devices arranged around the gas storage and release device 100. This not only facilitates space arrangement but also effectively prevents the elastic air-storage bladder 2 from rupturing.

[0049] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the protective shell 5 is provided with a normal pressure through hole 5a, which is used to connect the accommodating space 501 with the external environment, thus ensuring that the accommodating space 501 is in a normal pressure environment. This is beneficial for the elastic air bladder 2 to expand and contract to change its internal air storage space 210.

[0050] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the protective shell 5 includes two protective half-shells 50. Each protective half-shell 50 includes a half-shell body 51, a first flange 52, and a second flange 53. The half-shell body 51 is provided with a receiving groove 510, and the two receiving grooves 510 combine to form a receiving space 501, so that when the two protective half-shells 50 are combined to form the protective shell 5, the receiving space 501 can be used to receive the airbag body 21. The first flange 52 is provided with a first groove 520, and the two first grooves 520 combine to form a first assembly channel 502, so that the first assembly channel 502 can be used to receive the inlet 22. The second flange 53 is provided with a second groove 530, and the two second flanges 53 combine to form a second assembly channel 503, so that the second assembly channel 503 can be used to receive the outlet 23. By configuring the protective shell 5 as a combination of two protective half-shells 50, it is convenient to place the elastic airbag 2 inside the protective shell 5.

[0051] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, when the two protective half-shells 50 are combined to form the protective shell 5, the first flanges 52 located in the two protective half-shells 50 are arranged opposite each other. This allows the two first flanges 52 to clamp the inlet portion 22 to the air intake duct 1, which helps to improve the air tightness between the air intake duct 1 and the inlet portion 22. Similarly, the two second flanges 53 can clamp the outlet portion 23 to the exhaust duct 31 of the exhaust valve 3, which helps to improve the air tightness between the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet portion 23.

[0052] See Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the gas storage and slow discharge device 100 may further include a fixing screw 6, and the first flange 52 and the second flange 53 are both provided with assembly through holes 540. The fixing screw 6 is used to pass through the assembly through holes 540 to combine the two protective half shells 50 to form a protective shell 5.

[0053] For example, see Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of this application, the fixing screw 6 includes a screw 61 and a nut 62. In the process of assembling the two protective half shells 50 to form the protective shell 5, the two mounting through holes 540 provided in the first flange 52 and the two mounting through holes 540 provided in the second flange 53 are first aligned. Then, the screw 61 is inserted into the mounting through hole 540 and screwed into the screw 61 by the nut 62, so that the two protective half shells 50 are assembled to form the protective shell 5.

[0054] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the fixing screw 6 is a screw 61, and the assembly through hole 540 is provided with an internal thread so that the fixing screw 6 is screwed into the assembly through hole 540, thereby achieving the effect of combining the two protective half shells 50 to form a protective shell 5.

[0055] See Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the protective half-shell 50 is an integrally molded part, which helps to ensure the connection strength between the half-shell body 51 and the first flange 52 and the second flange 53, so that the overall structural strength of the protective half-shell 50 is high.

[0056] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in one embodiment of this application, the intake duct 1 is a hollow cylindrical thin-walled pipe. The first port 11 of the intake duct 1 is connected to the anode exhaust valve of the fuel cell stack, serving as a fuel cell anode exhaust pipe. The second port 12 of the intake duct 1 is fitted with the inlet 22 of the elastic gas storage bag 2, so that the second port 12 communicates with the gas storage space 210 through the air inlet 220. The elastic gas storage bag 2 is preferably made of a material with good elasticity and sealing properties, and does not chemically react with hydrogen and oxygen; for example, the elastic gas storage bag 2 is made of rubber.

[0057] The elastic airbag 2 includes an airbag body 21, an inlet 22, and an outlet 23. The airbag body 21 has an air storage space 210, meaning it is a hollow, thin-walled, shapeless sac. This allows the airbag body 21 to contract when the internal air pressure decreases and expand when the internal air pressure increases. The inlet 22 is a hollow cylindrical thin-walled structure and is integral with the airbag body 21. Similarly, the outlet 23 is also a hollow cylindrical thin-walled structure and is integral with the airbag body 21.

[0058] A first seal 41 is provided between the connection between the intake duct 1 and the inlet 22, and a second seal 42 is provided between the connection between the exhaust duct 31 and the outlet 23 of the exhaust valve 3. Both the first seal 41 and the second seal 42 are hollow, thin-walled, columnar structures with a certain degree of elasticity, and the material is preferably nylon or rubber with a certain degree of elasticity.

[0059] In some embodiments of this application, the size of the gas storage space 210 of the elastic gas storage bladder 2 can be designed according to the single exhaust volume of the fuel cell, and the accommodating space 501 inside the protective shell 5 can be designed according to the single exhaust volume of the fuel cell and the exhaust pressure of the stack, so as to ensure that the single exhaust of the fuel cell can be completely contained by the elastic gas storage bladder 2, and the final pressure of the elastic gas storage bladder 2 does not affect the normal exhaust of the fuel cell.

[0060] Once gas is present in the elastic gas storage bladder 2, the hydrogen elimination device is activated, and the exhaust valve 3 is opened to continuously and stably supply gas to the device, achieving stable hydrogen elimination. As gas is released from the elastic gas storage bladder 2, the pressure inside begins to decrease, and as the release continues, the bladder begins to contract. Because the protective shell 5 has an atmospheric pressure through-hole 5a for connecting the containment space 501 to the external environment, air can be introduced into the containment space 501 to fill it. Before the gas in the elastic gas storage bladder 2 is completely purged, the system controls the intake of the next fuel cell exhaust gas to ensure continuous operation of the subsequent hydrogen elimination device and prevent interruptions in the hydrogen elimination reaction that could lead to a drop in temperature.

[0061] The gas storage and slow-release device 100 according to this application is used to connect between the fuel cell stack anode exhaust valve and the hydrogen elimination device. Because the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack anode is released slowly and continuously, the hydrogen elimination device can be designed to handle the slow emission rate, significantly reducing the hydrogen elimination scale compared to related technologies. Furthermore, due to the slow and continuous release of the exhaust gas, the hydrogen elimination device operates without interruption, the hydrogen elimination reaction continues, and the temperature of the hydrogen elimination device can be maintained at a relatively high level, ensuring hydrogen elimination efficiency and effectiveness.

[0062] Furthermore, since the gas storage and slow discharge device 100 uses an elastic gas storage bladder 2 for storing gas, the gas storage and buffer volume of the elastic gas storage bladder 2 is relatively large, and its volume can be significantly reduced compared to a single-walled storage tank with the same buffer capacity. Moreover, during the exhaust process, the elastic gas storage bladder 2 will contract due to the elasticity of its own material, which can promote the complete discharge of gas in the elastic gas storage bladder 2, which is beneficial for secondary gas intake and also reserves a large capacity for secondary gas intake.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the exhaust valve 3 is selected as a pulse solenoid valve, which has advantages such as fast response, precise control, high reliability, and convenient maintenance. However, this application is not limited to this, and the exhaust valve 3 can also be selected from other suitable types, such as electric regulating valves, pneumatic regulating valves, etc.

[0064] The fuel cell system according to some embodiments of this application includes the gas storage and slow exhaust device 100 in the above embodiments, as well as the fuel cell and the hydrogen elimination device. The gas storage and slow exhaust device 100 is connected between the fuel cell and the hydrogen elimination device, wherein the inlet duct 1 is used to communicate with the anode tail exhaust valve of the fuel cell stack, and the exhaust valve 3 is used to communicate with the hydrogen elimination device.

[0065] Since hydrogen emission from a fuel cell is pulsed or intermittent, it can be understood that the volume of gas generated at the anode side of the fuel cell stack is irregular, meaning that the amount of gas generated at the anode side varies. Furthermore, because the main body 21 of the gasbag can expand and contract, the gas storage space 210 can change according to the volume of gas generated at the anode side of the fuel cell stack. When more gas is generated at the anode side, the main body 21 of the gasbag expands to increase the volume of the gas storage space 210; when less gas is generated, the main body 21 of the gasbag expands to decrease the volume of the gas storage space 210. In this way, the elastic gas storage bladder 2 can store the generated gas regardless of the volume of gas produced at different times at the anode side of the fuel cell stack.

[0066] Furthermore, since an exhaust valve 3 is connected between the elastic gas storage bladder 2 and the hydrogen elimination device, the gas stored in the elastic gas storage bladder 2 flows into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate through the exhaust valve 3, thus achieving a stable flow rate of gas entering the hydrogen elimination device. This allows the hydrogen elimination device to operate continuously in a stable working state, resulting in high hydrogen elimination efficiency and good hydrogen elimination effect. It is worth noting that because the gas entering the hydrogen elimination device has a stable flow rate, compared to existing technologies, the hydrogen elimination device does not need to be set according to the maximum short-term emission rate due to large fluctuations in hydrogen discharge to achieve complete hydrogen elimination. The hydrogen elimination device only needs to meet the gas flow rate input through the exhaust valve 3; therefore, the size of the hydrogen elimination device is relatively small.

[0067] Therefore, in a fuel cell system employing the gas storage and slow exhaust device 100 of this application, the elastic gas storage bladder 2 can store the generated gas regardless of the volume of gas produced by the stack anode at different times. Furthermore, the gas stored in the elastic gas storage bladder 2 flows into the hydrogen elimination device at a stable flow rate via the exhaust valve 3. Since the hydrogen elimination device only needs to meet the gas flow rate input through the exhaust valve 3, the size of the hydrogen elimination device is relatively small, resulting in a smaller overall size of the fuel cell system and a smaller required layout space.

[0068] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, 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.

[0069] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and 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 those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gas storage and slow discharge device, characterized in that, include: The system includes an air intake duct, an elastic air storage bladder, and an exhaust valve. The air inlet of the elastic air storage bladder is connected to the air intake duct, and the air outlet of the elastic air storage bladder is connected to the exhaust valve. The elastic airbag includes an airbag body, an inlet, and an outlet. The airbag body can expand and contract to change its internal air storage space. The inlet and the outlet are both connected to the air storage space. The inlet has an air inlet, and the outlet has an air outlet.

2. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A first seal and a second seal, wherein the first seal is disposed between the intake duct and the inlet portion, and the second seal is disposed between the exhaust duct and the outlet portion of the exhaust valve.

3. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet, the airbag body, and the outlet are coaxially arranged.

4. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic airbag is a one-piece molded component.

5. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Also includes: A protective shell, wherein a shell space is formed within the protective shell, the shell space including a receiving space, a first assembly channel and a second assembly channel, the receiving space being connected between the first assembly channel and the second assembly channel; The accommodating space is used to accommodate the airbag body, the first assembly channel is used to accommodate the inlet, and the second assembly channel is used to accommodate the outlet.

6. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The protective shell is provided with an atmospheric pressure through hole, which is used to connect the containment space with the external environment.

7. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The protective shell comprises two protective half-shells; The protective half-shell includes a half-shell body, a first flange, and a second flange. The half-shell body is provided with a receiving groove, and two receiving grooves are combined to form the receiving space. The first flange is provided with a first groove, and two first grooves are combined to form the first assembly channel. The second flange is provided with a second groove, and two second flanges are combined to form the second assembly channel.

8. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The fixing screw connector has assembly through holes on both the first flange and the second flange. The fixing screw connector is used to pass through the assembly through holes to combine the two protective half shells to form the protective shell.

9. The gas storage and slow discharge device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protective half-shell is a one-piece molded part.

10. A fuel cell system, characterized in that, include: The gas storage and slow discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A fuel cell and a hydrogen elimination device, wherein the gas storage and slow exhaust device is connected between the fuel cell and the hydrogen elimination device, wherein the gas inlet duct is used to communicate with the anode tail valve of the fuel cell stack, and the exhaust valve is used to communicate with the hydrogen elimination device.

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