Water separator for fuel cell system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a water separator for a fuel cell system, which comprises a water separator main body, a separation component accommodated in the water separator main body and a drainage channel positioned below the water separator main body, and the water separator main body consists of an upper shell and a lower shell, a gas inlet for mixed gas containing moisture to enter and a gas outlet for separated gas to be discharged are formed in the two sides of the upper shell respectively, a drainage port connected with a drainage channel is formed in the bottom of the lower shell, and the separation assembly comprises a mechanical separator and a water separation filter element. Compared with the prior art, the water separation efficiency is obviously improved through staged separation, the efficient operation of the fuel cell system is ensured, and the structure and the number of the water separation filter elements can be flexibly adjusted according to specific spatial layout requirements, so that the water separation filter elements can adapt to different installation environments and application requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water separator technology, and in particular to a water separator for a fuel cell system. Background Technology

[0002] As a representative of clean energy technology, fuel cells have become an important area of ​​research and development worldwide.

[0003] In automotive fuel cell systems, water separators manage the water produced during the fuel cell reaction process, ensuring efficient and reliable system operation. By controlling the water content, the water separator maintains optimal hydration of the membrane electrode assembly, thereby preserving battery performance and output power. The water separator not only prevents water blockage and flooding by promptly separating water from the gas flow channels to avoid problems caused by liquid accumulation, but also reduces excess water entering the air compressor and exhaust system, extending component life and lowering maintenance costs. In low-temperature and high-humidity environments, the water separator ensures normal system operation, preventing freezing and excessive water accumulation. Most importantly, the water separator optimizes energy efficiency, maintains the thermal balance of the fuel cell system, and ensures efficient, reliable, and long-life operation.

[0004] Existing water separators are typically designed in different sizes based on customer requirements for flow rate and flow resistance. However, products with different flow rates require new design and new mold production, which increases both the design workload and production costs. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a water separator for fuel cell systems. This invention solves the problems of high design and production costs and insufficient flexibility of existing water separators, thereby improving the design efficiency of water separators and reducing production costs.

[0006] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] This utility model provides a water separator for a fuel cell system, including a water separator body, a separation component housed within the water separator body, and a drainage channel located below the water separator body;

[0008] The water separator body is composed of an upper shell and a lower shell, which are connected to each other.

[0009] The upper shell has an air inlet on each side for the mixed gas containing moisture to enter and an air outlet for the separated gas to exit. The bottom of the lower shell has a drain outlet connected to the drainage channel.

[0010] The separation assembly includes a mechanical separator and a water separation filter element.

[0011] Furthermore, the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably connected or welded together.

[0012] Preferably, the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably connected by screws, bolts or clips.

[0013] Furthermore, a partition plate is provided between the lower shell and the upper shell, and a water storage cavity is formed between the partition plate and the lower shell.

[0014] Furthermore, the mechanical separator is located on the side near the air inlet, and the mechanical separator is a labyrinth separator, a guide plate, a spike plate, a baffle, a tangential separator, or a cyclone separator.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper housing also includes a support grid and a support plate, which are fixedly connected to the upper housing via slots. The water separation filter element is securely installed between the upper and lower housings by the clamping of the support grid and the support plate, so that the water separation filter element maintains its strength under high air volume conditions.

[0016] Furthermore, the upper housing is also equipped with a gas guiding unit, which is located near the gas outlet. The gas guiding unit is used to control the flow of the separated gas toward the gas outlet, thereby improving the gas flowability and separation effect.

[0017] Furthermore, the gas guiding unit and the water separation filter element are separated by a support plate, and the gas guiding unit is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate.

[0018] Preferably, the gas guiding unit is horn-shaped, with the diameter of the side near the gas outlet matching the diameter of the gas outlet, and the diameter of the side near the support plate being smaller than the diameter of the side near the gas outlet, which can effectively guide the gas flow and improve the separation efficiency.

[0019] Preferably, the water separation filter element is made of a polymer material with a fluorinated carbon skeleton, including polytetrafluoroethylene, which has good water resistance and air permeability.

[0020] Furthermore, the water separation filter element can be square, round, or cylindrical, and different shapes and quantities can be selected according to the actual flow rate and flow resistance requirements, thereby improving the applicability of the water separator.

[0021] Preferably, the filter screen of the separating filter element is pleated or wound, which can increase the surface area of ​​the filter screen and improve the water separation effect.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) The water separator for fuel cell systems provided by this utility model first uses a mechanical structure to initially separate water through a staged separation, and then uses a highly permeable and water-resistant water separation filter element for fine filtration, which significantly improves the water separation efficiency and ensures the efficient operation of the fuel cell system. The mechanical structure and the water separation filter element are made of lightweight materials such as plastic, which reduces the overall weight, helps to reduce energy consumption, and improves the energy efficiency and performance of fuel cell vehicles.

[0024] (2) The structural design of the water separation filter element provided by this utility model can be flexibly adjusted according to specific spatial layout requirements, so that it can adapt to different installation environments and application needs, thereby enhancing the applicability and market competitiveness of the product.

[0025] (3) The water separator provided by this utility model adopts a standardized design, only the filter element needs to be replaced and the filter element replacement is simple, which reduces production and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the water separator of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lower shell of the water separator in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0028] The names corresponding to the reference numerals in the attached figures are:

[0029] 1-Air inlet, 2-Mechanical separator, 3-Water separator filter element, 4-Support mesh, 5-Support plate, 6-Air outlet, 7-Upper housing, 8-Lower housing, 9-Screw, 10-Gas flow guiding unit, 11-Drainage channel, 12-Isolation plate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The following embodiments are based on the above-described technical solution of the present invention, providing detailed implementation methods and specific operating procedures. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used 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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0034] Unless otherwise specified, the functional components or structures in the following embodiments or examples are conventional components or structures used in the art to achieve the corresponding functions.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] like Figure 1-2 As shown, a water separator for a fuel cell system includes a water separator body, a separation component housed within the water separator body, and a drainage channel 11 located below the water separator body;

[0037] The water separator body is composed of an upper shell 7 and a lower shell 8, which are connected to each other.

[0038] The upper shell 7 is provided with an air inlet 1 for the mixed gas containing moisture to enter and an air outlet 6 for the separated gas to be discharged on both sides. The bottom of the lower shell 8 is provided with a drain outlet connected to the drainage channel 11.

[0039] The separation assembly includes a mechanical separator 2 and a water separation filter element 3.

[0040] In this embodiment, the upper housing 7 and the lower housing 8 are detachably connected by screws 9.

[0041] In this embodiment, a partition plate 12 is provided between the lower housing 8 and the upper housing 7, and a water separation storage cavity is formed between the partition plate 12 and the lower housing 8.

[0042] In this embodiment, the mechanical separator 2 is located on the side near the air inlet 1. The mechanical separator 2 is a labyrinth separation plate, which is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the upper housing 7. The labyrinth separation plate consists of multiple tortuous and interconnected chambers. By increasing the number of impacts and the passage distance of the mixed gas containing moisture on the labyrinth separation plate, preliminary moisture separation is performed, which effectively improves the separation efficiency.

[0043] In this embodiment, the upper housing 7 also includes a support grid 4 and a support plate 5. The support grid 4 and the support plate 5 are fixedly connected to the upper housing 7 through slots. The water separation filter element 3 is securely installed between the upper and lower housings by the clamping of the support grid 4 and the support plate 5.

[0044] In this embodiment, the upper housing 7 is further provided with a gas guiding unit 10. The gas guiding unit 10 is located near the gas outlet 6 and is used to control the flow of the separated gas toward the gas outlet 6.

[0045] In this embodiment, the gas guiding unit 10 and the water separation filter element 3 are separated by a support plate 5, and the gas guiding unit 10 is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate 5.

[0046] In this embodiment, the gas guiding unit 10 is horn-shaped, with the diameter of the side near the air outlet 6 matching that of the air outlet 6, and the diameter of the side near the support plate 5 being smaller than that of the side near the air outlet 6.

[0047] In this embodiment, the water separation filter element 3 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which has good water resistance and air permeability.

[0048] In this embodiment, the water separation filter element 3 is square, and the filter screen of the water separation filter element 3 is pleated. The pleated filter screen increases the filtration area and improves the filtration efficiency by folding the filter material into parallel creases.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] In this embodiment, the mechanical separator 2 is a cyclone separator. The cyclone separator is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the upper housing 7. The cyclone separator has a vertical cylindrical structure. The air inlet of the cyclone separator is equipped with guide vanes. The mixed gas containing moisture is strongly rotated by the guiding action of the guide vanes. The dense liquid water is thrown to the wall of the upper housing 7 under the action of centrifugal force, and preliminary water separation is carried out, which effectively improves the separation efficiency.

[0051] The mechanical separator 2 of this application can also be a guide plate, a nail plate, a baffle or a tangential separator, which can be selectively applied according to the needs. The water separation filter element 3 in this application can be selected in different quantities, shapes and combinations according to the actual flow rate, flow resistance and installation space requirements. The water separator provided by this application adopts a standardized design, and only the filter element needs to be replaced, which significantly reduces the cost.

[0052] This application applies to water separation in the cathode and anode systems of fuel cells. For applications at the anode end, the separation efficiency is higher due to the lower flow rate.

[0053] Working principle: In use, the mixed gas containing moisture enters the water separator through the air inlet 1. The mechanical separator 2 applies centrifugal force to the gas or guides the gas flow, causing the liquid water to be pushed against the wall of the shell. Then, the liquid water falls automatically to the bottom of the lower shell 8 under gravity and enters the drain channel 11 from the drain outlet at the bottom of the lower shell 8 and is discharged. The remaining water vapor mixture continues to pass through the water separation filter element 3. The water vapor mixture impacts the water separation filter element 3. Due to the waterproof properties and surface properties of the polytetrafluoroethylene material, the liquid water does not easily adhere to the water separation filter element 3 and falls automatically to the bottom of the lower shell 8 under gravity and is discharged. The water separation filter element 3 only allows gas to pass through. The separated gas passes through the gas guiding unit 10 and is discharged from the air outlet 6.

[0054] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water separator for a fuel cell system, characterized in that, It includes a water separator body, a separation component housed within the water separator body, and a drainage channel (11) located below the water separator body; The water separator body is composed of an upper shell (7) and a lower shell (8), and the upper shell (7) and the lower shell (8) are connected to each other; The upper shell (7) is provided with an air inlet (1) for the mixed gas containing moisture to enter and an air outlet (6) for the separated gas to exit on both sides. The bottom of the lower shell (8) is provided with a drain outlet connected to the drainage channel (11). The separation assembly includes a mechanical separator (2) and a water separation filter element (3).

2. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper housing (7) and the lower housing (8) are detachably connected or welded together.

3. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, An isolation plate (12) is provided between the lower shell (8) and the upper shell (7), and a water storage cavity is formed between the isolation plate (12) and the lower shell (8).

4. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical separator (2) is located on one side near the air inlet (1). The mechanical separator (2) is a labyrinth separator, a guide plate, a nail plate, a baffle, a tangential separator, or a cyclone separator.

5. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper housing (7) also includes a support grid (4) and a support plate (5). The support grid (4) and the support plate (5) are fixedly connected to the upper housing (7) through slots. The water separation filter element (3) is securely installed between the upper and lower housings by the clamping of the support grid (4) and the support plate (5).

6. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper housing (7) is also provided with a gas guiding unit (10), which is located near the gas outlet (6). The gas guiding unit (10) is used to control the flow of the separated gas toward the gas outlet (6).

7. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The gas guiding unit (10) and the water separation filter element (3) are separated by a support plate (5), and the gas guiding unit (10) is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate (5).

8. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The gas guiding unit (10) is horn-shaped, with the diameter of the side near the air outlet (6) matching that of the air outlet (6), and the diameter of the side near the support plate (5) being smaller than that of the side near the air outlet (6).

9. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water separation filter element (3) is made of polymer material with a fluorinated carbon skeleton.

10. A water separator for a fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water separation filter element (3) is square, round or cylindrical, and the filter screen of the separation filter element (3) is pleated or wound.

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