Adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack
The adjustable fan mounting plate and segmented air guide shroud design solve the problems of insufficient airflow and high testing costs in the development stage of air-cooled fuel cell stacks, and realize efficient performance testing and equipment sharing.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422965255.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-04
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-03
AI Technical Summary
During the development phase, the uncertain core length of existing air-cooled fuel cell stacks leads to gaps when the air duct is fastened to the stack, resulting in insufficient airflow on the cathode side. This necessitates multiple performance tests and fan matching, requiring high-performance test benches and incurring high costs.
The design features an adjustable individual fan mounting plate and a segmented air guide shroud, allowing the fan and air guide shroud to be matched independently and directly tested on a water-cooled test bench, thus reducing the requirements for the test bench.
This solved the problem of insufficient airflow caused by uncertain core length, reduced redundant testing, lowered testing costs and equipment requirements, and improved testing efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN223513986U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of fuel cells and relates to a battery stack, specifically an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack. Background Technology
[0002] A fuel cell stack is a device that introduces hydrogen and oxygen from both sides into the cell to react and generate electricity. During the reaction process, the fuel cell stack generates heat. To effectively remove this heat and maintain a stable temperature within the stack, it is classified into two types based on the heat dissipation method: air-cooled and water-cooled. Air-cooled fuel cell stacks, due to their smaller size, are widely used in many fields, especially in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where their application has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Existing air-cooled fuel cell stacks typically maintain a stable internal temperature by controlling the amount of air flowing into the reaction zone.
[0003] The physical parameters of an air-cooled fuel cell stack, such as current, voltage, stack temperature, internal resistance, and hydrogen flow rate, temperature, and pressure, all significantly impact its normal operation and power generation efficiency. To maintain stable internal temperature, air-cooled fuel cell stacks typically use a shared cathode side for both oxygen supply and heat dissipation. Therefore, air-cooled fuel cell stacks must be equipped with appropriate fans for performance testing. However, because the optimal stacking force in a fuel cell stack needs to be determined through continuous experimentation, the core dimensions of the fuel cell stack also need to be determined experimentally. Consequently, there are few structural designs for the entire air-cooled fuel cell stack; most tests are conducted on the bare stack during the experimental process using testing equipment, and the corresponding core dimensions are determined after the testing is completed.
[0004] Most existing technical solutions involve using testing equipment to perform performance tests on bare reactors during the development phase. After testing, the core dimensions are determined, and finally, the wind deflector is designed and manufactured. The drawbacks of this technology are: the fan installation location differs from the actual installation location of the entire reactor, leading to inconsistencies between the actual reactor performance and the bare reactor test results; after the bare reactor performance test, the system installation conditions are not yet available, requiring wind deflector design and another round of fan matching tests; and this testing process places high demands on the test bench's performance, necessitating fan speed control capabilities. Utility Model Content
[0005] This invention overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings and provides an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack. The stack improves upon the problem of variable core length caused by uncertain stacking forces through an adjustable design; specifically, it employs a separate fan mounting plate to increase the possibility of fan selection and modification, reducing the requirements for the test bench and enabling performance testing of the stack on a water-cooled fuel cell test bench.
[0006] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows.
[0007] An adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack includes a fan, a fan mounting plate, an air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate, an air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate, and an air-cooled fuel cell stack. The fan mounting plate is located on the top of the air-cooled fuel cell stack, and a fan is mounted on the fan mounting plate. Air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plates are located on both sides of the air-cooled fuel cell stack. Air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plates are located on the front and rear sides of the air-cooled fuel cell stack.
[0008] More preferably, the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate includes an air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate and an air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate.
[0009] More preferably, the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate is fixed to the air-cooled fuel cell stack by mounting bolts.
[0010] More preferably, the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate is fixed to the fan mounting plate, the fuel cell stack air guide rear plate, and the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide front plate by mounting bolts.
[0011] Further preferably, the present invention also includes a wind deflector strip; the wind deflector strip is installed in the recess of the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate by means of adhesive backing, and deforms upon contact with the front end plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack during installation; the function of the wind deflector strip is to ensure insulation between the air guide side plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack and the air-cooled fuel cell stack, and at the same time, it can play a shock absorption role for the air-cooled fuel cell stack during use. In addition, it can block air from flowing through this position, so that more air flows through the cathode side, reducing the fan power and flow requirements.
[0012] More preferably, the fan mounting plate has an opening for mounting a fan, and the fan is mounted in the opening; the fan is indirectly mounted on the air-cooled fuel cell stack by being mounted on the fan mounting plate.
[0013] More preferably, the U-shaped mounting holes in the air-cooled fuel cell stack's air guide side plate can completely cover the core length changes caused by variations in the stack pressure of the air-cooled fuel cell stack.
[0014] More preferably, the fan mounting plate, the rear air guide plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack, the side air guide plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack, and the front air guide plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack constitute a complete air guide shroud for the air-cooled fuel cell stack. The main function of this air guide shroud is to guide more air to flow through the cathode side of the bipolar plate in the air-cooled fuel cell stack, so as to participate in the reaction and carry away heat.
[0015] More preferably, the number of fans increases as the fan mounting plate is lengthened, and the specific number of fans installed will increase accordingly, depending on the actual situation.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:
[0017] 1. In order to overcome the problem that the actual assembled fuel cell core length differs from the theoretical calculation during the fuel cell development stage, and that there is a gap when the air guide is fastened to the fuel cell, resulting in insufficient airflow on the cathode side of the fuel cell, this utility model can effectively solve the problem of insufficient airflow on the cathode side of the fuel cell due to the uncertain fuel cell core length by disassembling the air guide into five single plates for assembly.
[0018] 2. After the bare stack performance test, another round of performance testing is required after the wind guide is installed to determine the rationality of the matching design between the wind guide and the fan. In this utility model, the bare stack performance test is directly placed in the matching design of the wind guide and the fan, which reduces the number of repeated tests.
[0019] 3. The performance testing requirements for bare stacks require the test bench to be equipped with an adjustable speed fan. This utility model reduces the testing requirements for the test bench and can share the water-cooled stack performance test bench.
[0020] 4. During the matching design of the fan and the air guide, it is necessary to verify whether the fan flow rate and the air guide meet the requirements of the fuel cell stack. Therefore, there is a possibility of replacing the structure of the fan and the air guide. In this utility model, the fan mounting plate is an independent separate plate, which can reduce the verification cost during the matching verification process. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack in Example 1.
[0022] Figure 2 This is a diagram of an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack in Example 1.
[0023] Figure 3 This is a diagram of an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack in Example 2;
[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of airflow.
[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of the U-shaped mounting hole.
[0026] The components shown in the diagram are as follows: 1. Fan, 2. Fan mounting plate, 3. Air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate, 4. Air-cooled fuel cell stack side air guide plate, 5. Air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate, 6. Mounting bolts, 7. Wind deflector strip, 8. U-shaped mounting hole. Detailed Implementation
[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this specification, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this specification.
[0028] Example 1
[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack includes a fan 1, a fan mounting plate 2, a rear air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 3, a front air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 6, a side air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 4, and an air-cooled fuel cell stack 5. The fan mounting plate 2 is located on the top of the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5, and the fan 1 is mounted on the fan mounting plate 2. Air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plates 4 are located on both sides of the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5. Air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plates are located on the front and rear sides of the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5. In this embodiment, the rear air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 3 and the front air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 6 are fixed to the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5 by mounting bolts 7. The side air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plates 4 are fixed to the fan mounting plate 2, the rear air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 3, and the front air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate 6 by mounting bolts 7.
[0030] This embodiment also includes a wind deflector strip 8. The wind deflector strip is installed in the recess of the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate 4 with adhesive backing. During installation, it deforms upon contact with the front end plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5. The function of the wind deflector strip 8 is to ensure insulation between the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate 4 and the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5. During use, it also provides shock absorption for the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5 and blocks airflow from this location, allowing more air to flow through the cathode side, thus reducing fan power and flow requirements. The U-shaped mounting hole 9 in the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate 4 can completely cover the core length change of the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5 caused by changes in stack pressure.
[0031] like Figure 1 Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the fan mounting plate 2 has two openings for mounting the fans 1, and the two fans 1 are installed in the openings; the fans 1 are indirectly mounted on the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5 by being mounted on the fan mounting plate 2.
[0032] Overall, in this embodiment, the fan mounting plate 2, the air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate 3, the air-cooled fuel cell stack side air guide plate 4, and the air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate 6 constitute a complete air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide shroud. The main function of this air guide shroud is to guide more air to flow through the cathode side of the bipolar plate in the air-cooled fuel cell stack 5, so as to participate in the reaction and carry away heat.
[0033] In the above embodiments, the screw-type bare stack that meets the preset stacking force requirements and has qualified airtightness is locked to the air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate 3 and the air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate 6 respectively by mounting bolts 7. On this basis, the front and rear plates are then fixed to two air-cooled fuel cell stack side air guide plates 4. Finally, the fan mounting plate 2 and the fan 1 are installed on the top in sequence to form a complete semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack. Subsequently, the fuel cell stack can be directly connected to the test bench for performance testing (e.g., Figure 2 ).
[0034] Example 2
[0035] In the above embodiments, when the selected fan is found to be unable to meet the reaction and heat dissipation requirements of the air-cooled fuel cell stack during testing, replacement can be completed simply by redesigning and replacing the fan mounting plate 2 according to the newly selected fan; no redesign and processing of the entire air guide shroud is required. This embodiment is an example. Figure 3 As shown, its structure is the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the fan mounting plate 2 has 4 openings for mounting the fans 1, and the 4 fans 1 are installed in the openings.
[0036] In the above embodiments, after the overall air guide shroud is fully assembled, more air will flow through the cathode side of the bipolar plate when the fan is started. The airflow is illustrated in the diagram below. Figure 4 As shown.
[0037] The above description is merely a specific implementation of this specification. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the scope of protection of this specification is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this specification, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this specification.
Claims
1. An adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack, characterized in that, It includes a fan (1), a fan mounting plate (2), an air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate, an air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate (4), and an air-cooled fuel cell stack (5); the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) is provided with a fan mounting plate (2) on its top, and a fan (1) is installed on the fan mounting plate (2); the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) is provided with air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plates (4) on its two sides; the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) is provided with air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plates on its front and rear sides.
2. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate includes an air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate (3) and an air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate (6).
3. An adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide plate is fixed to the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) by mounting bolts (7).
4. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate (4) is fixed to the fan mounting plate (2), the fuel cell stack air guide rear plate (3) and the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide front plate (6) by mounting bolts (7).
5. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a wind deflector strip (8); the wind deflector strip is installed in the recess of the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate (4) by means of adhesive backing, and deforms upon contact with the front end plate of the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) during the installation process.
6. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fan mounting plate (2) has an opening for mounting the fan (1), and the fan (1) is installed in the opening; the fan (1) is indirectly mounted on the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) by being mounted on the fan mounting plate (2).
7. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The U-shaped mounting hole (9) in the air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide side plate (4) completely covers the change in core length of the air-cooled fuel cell stack (5) caused by the change in stack pressure.
8. The adjustable semi-open air-cooled fuel cell stack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fan mounting plate (2), the air-cooled fuel cell stack rear air guide plate (3), the air-cooled fuel cell stack side air guide plate (4), and the air-cooled fuel cell stack front air guide plate (6) constitute a complete air-cooled fuel cell stack air guide shroud.