Fuel cell stack purging test device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a fuel cell stack purge test device, the fuel cell stack purge test device comprises: a test tool, an air path nitrogen supply pipeline, a hydrogen path nitrogen supply pipeline and a nitrogen supply header pipeline, the test tool comprises an upper end plate and a lower end plate, a bipolar plate is clamped between the upper end plate and the lower end plate, the upper end plate and the lower end plate are transparent plates so that the water vapor state in a bipolar plate flow channel can be observed, the free tail end of the nitrogen supply main pipeline is connected with a nitrogen source, a heater and a pressure reducing valve are arranged on the nitrogen supply main pipeline, one end of the air path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with the nitrogen supply main pipeline, and the other end of the air path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with the nitrogen supply main pipeline. One end of the air path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with a nitrogen supply main pipeline, the other end of the air path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with an air inlet of a test tool, one end of the hydrogen path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with a nitrogen supply main pipeline, and the other end of the hydrogen path nitrogen supply pipeline is connected with a hydrogen inlet of the test tool, so that frequent stack disassembly in the prior art is avoided, an electric stack is protected, and the test efficiency is improved. And the purging test efficiency is improved.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fuel cells, and in particular to a fuel cell stack purging test device. [Background Technology]

[0002] In low-temperature environments, moisture within the fuel cell stack may freeze, damaging critical components such as the MEA, diffusion medium, bipolar plates, and sealing gaskets. To prevent the fuel cell stack from freezing in low-temperature environments, protect critical components from damage, and avoid ice formation blocking reaction channels, the stack needs to be purged during shutdown. To confirm the purging gas flow rate, temperature, and pressure, current fuel cell testing protocols typically employ a short-stack testing approach. This involves assembling a short stack and continuously adjusting the purging gas flow rate, temperature, and pressure on a test bench. The stack is then disassembled to observe the presence of liquid water inside the bipolar plate channels. If liquid water is present, the stack needs to be reassembled with altered purging conditions. If no liquid water is present, the short stack is placed in an environmental chamber for freezing before performance testing to determine if water is still present and causing freezing.

[0003] The existing testing method requires a specific fuel cell stack test bench to adjust gas flow and monitor the temperature and pressure at the gas inlet and outlet. However, this test bench cannot directly observe the water vapor state inside the bipolar plate channel. Therefore, frequent disassembly is necessary to observe the water vapor state inside the bipolar plate channel. The drawbacks of frequent disassembly are: it can easily damage the fuel cell stack's sealing structure, leading to hydrogen leakage; and improper operation or insufficient protection during disassembly may result in direct contact with high-voltage components, causing electric shock. In addition, the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and catalyst layer are susceptible to mechanical stress during disassembly, leading to membrane thinning, cracking, or catalyst layer delamination, increasing contact resistance, and reducing output performance. Frequent disassembly may also exacerbate uneven gas distribution inside the fuel cell stack, causing local voltage reversal, accelerating platinum catalyst oxidation migration and carbon support corrosion.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a fuel cell stack purging test device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. [Utility Model Content]

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a fuel cell stack purging test device that can avoid frequent stack dismantling.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a fuel cell stack purging test device, comprising: a test fixture, an air supply nitrogen pipeline, a hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline, and a main nitrogen supply pipeline. The test fixture includes an upper end plate and a lower end plate, which are connected by several fixing components. A bipolar plate is clamped between the upper and lower end plates. Both the upper and lower end plates are transparent to allow observation of the water vapor state inside the bipolar plate flow channel. The upper end plate is provided with a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, and an air outlet. The position of the hydrogen inlet corresponds to the anode inlet position of the bipolar plate, the position of the hydrogen outlet corresponds to the anode outlet position of the bipolar plate, the position of the air inlet corresponds to the cathode inlet position of the bipolar plate, and the position of the air outlet corresponds to the cathode outlet position of the bipolar plate. A hydrogen inlet pressure sensor, a hydrogen inlet temperature sensor, and a hydrogen inlet flow meter are provided at the hydrogen inlet, and a hydrogen outlet pressure sensor is provided at the hydrogen outlet. An air inlet pressure sensor, an air inlet temperature sensor, and an air inlet flow meter are installed at the inlet. An air outlet pressure sensor is installed at the air outlet. The free end of the main nitrogen supply pipeline is connected to a nitrogen source. A heater and a pressure reducing valve are installed on the main nitrogen supply pipeline. One end of the air supply nitrogen pipeline is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline, and the other end is connected to the air inlet of the test fixture. An air supply nitrogen pipeline is equipped with an air flow control valve. One end of the hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline, and the other end is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the test fixture. A hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline is equipped with a hydrogen flow control valve. The hydrogen inlet pressure sensor, hydrogen inlet temperature sensor, hydrogen inlet flow meter, hydrogen outlet pressure sensor, air inlet pressure sensor, air inlet temperature sensor, air inlet flow meter, air outlet pressure sensor, heater, pressure reducing valve, air flow control valve, and hydrogen flow control valve are all connected to a controller.

[0007] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that the controller is a PLC controller.

[0008] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that: after the bipolar plate is installed with the upper end plate and the lower end plate, it is sealed by the sealing ring provided with the bipolar plate.

[0009] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of the present invention is further configured such that both the upper end plate and the lower end plate are transparent PC plates.

[0010] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that the heater is a PTC heater.

[0011] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that the hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet and air outlet are all threaded hole structures, and the nominal diameter of the threaded hole is 4-6 mm.

[0012] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that the nitrogen source is a nitrogen cylinder.

[0013] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model is further configured such that the fixing components are bolts and nuts.

[0014] Preferably, the fuel cell stack purging test device of the present invention is further configured such that: the upper end plate is in close contact with the upper surface of the bipolar plate, and the lower end plate is in close contact with the lower surface of the bipolar plate.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: The fuel cell stack purging test device of this invention uses two transparent end plates to clamp the bipolar plates, simulating the contact between the bipolar plates and the MEA inside the stack. This allows for clear observation of the water vapor state within the flow channels of the bipolar plates, avoiding frequent stack disassembly as required by existing technologies, protecting the stack, and improving purging test efficiency. Operators can observe the water vapor state inside the bipolar plates and read relevant sensor parameters for real-time adjustments. By continuously adjusting the external gas supply conditions, the impact of various conditions on the internal water vapor can be more accurately and intuitively understood, facilitating the more efficient determination of optimal purging conditions. By adopting this fuel cell stack purging test device, there is no need for operation using a professional test bench, thus significantly reducing testing costs. [Attached Image Description]

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the fuel cell stack purging test device of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the testing fixture in this utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of the testing fixture in this utility model.

[0019] Figure 4 For along Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line AA.

[0020] Figure 5 For along Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line BB.

[0021] Figures 1 to 5 In the figure: 1. Test tooling; 10. Upper end plate; 100. Hydrogen inlet; 1000. Hydrogen inlet pressure sensor; 1001. Hydrogen inlet temperature sensor; 1002. Hydrogen inlet flowmeter; 101. Hydrogen outlet; 1010. Hydrogen outlet pressure sensor; 102. Air inlet; 1020. Air inlet pressure sensor; 1021. Air inlet temperature sensor; 1022. Air inlet flowmeter; 103. Air outlet; 1030. Air outlet pressure sensor; 11. Lower end plate; 12. Fixing member; 2. Nitrogen supply pipeline for air path; 20. Flow control valve for air path; 3. Nitrogen supply pipeline for hydrogen path; 30. Flow control valve for hydrogen path; 4. Total nitrogen supply pipeline; 40. Heater; 41. Pressure reducing valve; 5. Bipolar plate; 50. Anode inlet; 51. Anode outlet; 52. Cathode inlet; 53. Cathode outlet; 6. Nitrogen gas source.

Specific implementation manner

[0022] The fuel cell stack purge test device described in the present utility model will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0023] Refer Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, a fuel cell stack purge test device includes: a test tooling 1, a nitrogen supply pipeline 2 for the air path, a nitrogen supply pipeline 3 for the hydrogen path, and a total nitrogen supply pipeline 4. The test tooling 1 includes an upper end plate 10 and a lower end plate 11. The upper end plate 10 and the lower end plate 11 are connected by a plurality of fixing members 12. The bipolar plate 5 is clamped between the upper end plate 10 and the lower end plate 11. After the bipolar plate 5 is installed with the upper end plate 10 and the lower end plate 11, it is sealed by a sealing ring自带 by the bipolar plate 5. The upper end plate 10 is closely fitted with the upper surface of the bipolar plate 5, and the lower end plate 11 is closely fitted with the lower surface of the bipolar plate 5 to simulate the contact between the bipolar plate 5 and the MEA inside the fuel cell stack. In this embodiment, the fixing member 12 is a bolt and a nut. The upper end plate 10 and the lower end plate 11 are both transparent plates to observe the water and gas state inside the flow channels of the bipolar plate 5. In this embodiment, the upper end plate 10 and the lower end plate 11 are both transparent PC plates.

[0024] The upper end plate 10 is provided with a hydrogen inlet 100, a hydrogen outlet 101, an air inlet 102, and an air outlet 103. The hydrogen inlet 100, hydrogen outlet 101, air inlet 102, and air outlet 103 are all threaded hole structures with a nominal diameter of 4-6 mm. The advantages of this design are: firstly, it facilitates the connection of pipelines; secondly, because the inlet and outlet on the upper end plate 10 are relatively small, while the inlet and outlet on the bipolar plate 5 are relatively large, the test fixture 1 can be matched with bipolar plates 5 of various specifications. The position of the hydrogen inlet 100 on the upper end plate 10 corresponds to the position of the anode inlet 50 of the bipolar plate 5; the position of the hydrogen outlet 101 on the upper end plate 10 corresponds to the position of the anode outlet 51 of the bipolar plate 5; the position of the air inlet 102 on the upper end plate 10 corresponds to the position of the cathode inlet 52 of the bipolar plate 5; the position of the air outlet 103 on the upper end plate 10 corresponds to the position of the cathode outlet 53 of the bipolar plate 5; a hydrogen inlet pressure sensor 1000 is provided at the hydrogen inlet 100. The system includes an air inlet temperature sensor 1001 and a hydrogen inlet flow meter 1002. A hydrogen outlet pressure sensor 1010 is located at the hydrogen outlet 101. An air inlet pressure sensor 1020, an air inlet temperature sensor 1021, and an air inlet flow meter 1022 are located at the air inlet 102. An air outlet pressure sensor 1030 is located at the air outlet 103. The free end of the main nitrogen supply pipeline 4 is connected to a nitrogen source 6, which in this embodiment is a nitrogen cylinder. A heater 40 and a pressure reducing valve 41 are installed on the main nitrogen supply pipeline 4. In this embodiment, the heater 40 is a PTC heater.One end of the air supply nitrogen pipeline 2 is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline 4, and the other end of the air supply nitrogen pipeline 2 is connected to the air inlet 102 of the test fixture 1. An air flow control valve 20 is installed on the air supply nitrogen pipeline 2. One end of the hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline 3 is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline 4, and the other end of the hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline 3 is connected to the hydrogen inlet 100 of the test fixture 1. A hydrogen flow control valve 30 is installed on the hydrogen supply nitrogen pipeline 3. A hydrogen inlet pressure sensor 1000 and a hydrogen inlet temperature sensor 1 are also present. 001, 1002, 1010, 1020, 1021, 1022, 1030, 40, 40, 41, 20, 30, 40, 30, 40, 41, 20, and 30 are respectively connected to a controller (not shown). The controller may include a microprocessor (MCU), which may include a central processing unit (CPU), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a timing module, an analog-to-digital converter (A / D converter), and complex input / output ports. Alternatively, the controller may use other types of integrated circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In this embodiment, the controller is a PLC controller.

[0025] The working principle of the fuel cell stack purging test device in this utility model is as follows: First, humidified nitrogen is introduced into the hydrogen inlet 100 and air inlet 102 of the test fixture 1 to simulate the state of humidified gas inside the bipolar plate 5. The humidified nitrogen will condense into liquid water inside the flow channel of the bipolar plate 5. Then, the introduction of humidified nitrogen is stopped (it should be noted here that the humidified nitrogen does not come from the nitrogen cylinder, but is introduced by the operator separately); then, dry nitrogen is introduced into the hydrogen inlet 100 and air inlet 102 of the test fixture 1. The nitrogen source 6 (nitrogen cylinder) is turned on. Nitrogen gas enters the hydrogen inlet 100 and air inlet 102 of the test fixture 1 through the main nitrogen supply line 4, the air supply line 2, and the hydrogen supply line 3, respectively. It then passes through the hydrogen and air paths of the bipolar plate 5 and finally exits from the hydrogen outlet 101 and air outlet 103 of the test fixture 1. The water vapor state inside the bipolar plate 5 is observed through the transparent upper end plate 10 and lower end plate 11, and the gas supply conditions are continuously adjusted according to the water vapor state. The specific adjustment method is as follows: By reading the corresponding parameters of each sensor and feeding them back to the controller, the controller controls the flow control valve, heater, and pressure reducing valve accordingly. This allows for a direct assessment of the impact of each gas supply condition on the purging results, leading to the determination of the optimal purging gas supply conditions. Specifically, the hydrogen inlet pressure sensor 1000, air inlet pressure sensor 1020, and pressure reducing valve 41 are controlled in conjunction with the controller; the hydrogen inlet temperature sensor 1001, air inlet temperature sensor 1021, and heater 40 are controlled in conjunction with the controller; the hydrogen inlet flow meter 1002 and hydrogen path flow control valve 30 are controlled in conjunction with the controller; and the air inlet flow meter 1022 and air path flow control valve 20 are controlled in conjunction with the controller. The difference between the readings of the hydrogen inlet pressure sensor 1000 and the hydrogen outlet pressure sensor 1010 represents the pressure loss of the gas inside the anode of the bipolar plate 5, and the difference between the readings of the air inlet pressure sensor 1020 and the air outlet pressure sensor 1030 represents the pressure loss of the gas inside the cathode of the bipolar plate 5.

[0026] In summary, the fuel cell stack purging test device of this invention uses two transparent end plates to hold the bipolar plates, simulating the contact between the bipolar plates and the MEA inside the stack. This allows for clear observation of the water vapor state within the flow channels of the bipolar plates, avoiding frequent stack disassembly as in existing technologies, protecting the stack, and improving purging test efficiency. Operators can observe the water vapor state inside the bipolar plates while simultaneously reading relevant sensor parameters for real-time adjustments. By continuously adjusting the external gas supply conditions, they can more accurately and intuitively understand the impact of various conditions on the internal water vapor, facilitating the more efficient determination of optimal purging conditions. By adopting this fuel cell stack purging test device, there is no need for operation using a specialized test bench, thus significantly reducing testing costs.

[0027] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model, as well as some of its applications, and are not intended to limit this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A fuel cell stack purging test apparatus, characterized in that: include: The test fixture includes an air supply pipeline, a hydrogen supply pipeline, and a main nitrogen supply pipeline. The test fixture comprises an upper end plate and a lower end plate, connected by several fasteners. A bipolar plate is clamped between the upper and lower end plates. Both the upper and lower end plates are transparent to allow observation of the water vapor state inside the bipolar plate flow channel. The upper end plate has a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, and an air outlet. The hydrogen inlet corresponds to the anode inlet of the bipolar plate, the hydrogen outlet corresponds to the anode outlet, the air inlet corresponds to the cathode inlet, and the air outlet corresponds to the cathode outlet. A hydrogen inlet pressure sensor, a hydrogen inlet temperature sensor, and a hydrogen inlet flow meter are installed at the hydrogen inlet. A hydrogen outlet pressure sensor and an air inlet temperature sensor are installed at the hydrogen outlet. The system includes a temperature sensor and an air inlet flow meter. An air outlet pressure sensor is installed at the air outlet. The free end of the main nitrogen supply pipeline is connected to a nitrogen source. A heater and a pressure reducing valve are installed on the main nitrogen supply pipeline. One end of the air-based nitrogen supply pipeline is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline, and the other end is connected to the air inlet of the test fixture. An air-based flow control valve is installed on the air-based nitrogen supply pipeline. One end of the hydrogen-based nitrogen supply pipeline is connected to the main nitrogen supply pipeline, and the other end is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the test fixture. A hydrogen-based flow control valve is installed on the hydrogen-based nitrogen supply pipeline. The hydrogen inlet pressure sensor, hydrogen inlet temperature sensor, hydrogen inlet flow meter, hydrogen outlet pressure sensor, air inlet pressure sensor, air inlet temperature sensor, air inlet flow meter, air outlet pressure sensor, heater, pressure reducing valve, air-based flow control valve, and hydrogen-based flow control valve are all connected to a controller.

2. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is a PLC controller.

3. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: After the bipolar plate is installed with the upper and lower end plates, it is sealed by the sealing ring that comes with the bipolar plate.

4. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the upper and lower end plates are made of transparent PC boards.

5. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The heater is a PTC heater.

6. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen inlet, hydrogen outlet, air inlet, and air outlet are all threaded hole structures, and the nominal diameter of the threaded holes is 4 to 6 mm.

7. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The nitrogen source is a nitrogen cylinder.

8. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The fasteners are bolts and nuts.

9. The fuel cell stack purging test apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end plate is in close contact with the upper surface of the bipolar plate, and the lower end plate is in close contact with the lower surface of the bipolar plate.

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