A buffer device for solid oxide fuel cell stacks with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions.
By combining a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure buffer device with a metal liquid cooling pipe, the mechanical damage and overheating problems of solid oxide fuel cell stacks are solved, achieving efficient combined heat and power and temperature difference control, thereby improving the performance and lifespan of the battery.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIANGSU JINGCI INTELLIGENT SENSING TECH RES INST CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, solid oxide fuel cell stacks are easily damaged by mechanical impacts and localized overheating leads to performance degradation. How can effective heat dissipation and protection be achieved without increasing the complexity of the internal structure of the stack?
The buffer device, which adopts a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure, combined with a spiral spring and a metal liquid cooling pipe, controls the start and stop and flow rate of cooling water through a temperature sensor to achieve combined heat and power function. It utilizes a porous structure and a metal liquid cooling pipe for efficient heat conduction and buffer protection.
It achieves effective buffering and heat dissipation of solid oxide fuel cell stacks, reduces mechanical damage, precisely controls temperature difference, recovers waste heat to provide domestic hot water, and improves battery performance and lifespan.
Smart Images
Figure CN224288270U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions. Background Technology
[0002] A fuel cell is a highly efficient energy conversion device that works by directly converting the chemical energy of fuel and oxidant into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. With the rise of new energy sources, fuel cells are being used in various fields.
[0003] Solid oxide fuel cells are high-temperature operating batteries whose internal structure is usually composed of brittle ceramic materials. These materials are prone to fracture or damage under mechanical impact, so it is necessary to develop corresponding buffer devices to prevent the solid oxide fuel cell stack from being damaged when subjected to impact.
[0004] Meanwhile, solid oxide fuel cell stacks experience inlet-outlet temperature differences of 50–150°C due to factors such as exothermic electrochemical reactions, the need for cold gas preheating, and fluid flow characteristics. Experiments have shown that excessively high temperatures at the fuel outlet can lead to localized overheating and damage to the stack, significantly reducing battery performance and lifespan. Therefore, achieving targeted localized heat dissipation of the fuel cell stack without increasing its internal structural complexity is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.
[0005] Setting up a separate heat dissipation device for the fuel cell stack would increase the stack's volume and manufacturing costs. Coupling the heat dissipation function into the fuel cell stack's buffer protection device is a solution worth considering. Utility Model Content
[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is: in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art in the background art, a solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions is provided.
[0007] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: a solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions, including a solid oxide fuel cell stack and a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell. The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell is a hollow structure, and the solid oxide fuel cell stack is placed in the inner cavity of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell. Several helical spring components are provided between the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell and the solid oxide fuel cell stack. Several metal liquid cooling pipes are symmetrically arranged on the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell along the fuel flow direction.
[0008] The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell contains a temperature sensor connected to the liquid cooling system, which is used to collect the internal temperature signal of the solid oxide fuel cell stack and control the start, stop and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe.
[0009] Furthermore, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell is composed of an outer protective shell layer, a middle protective shell layer, and an inner protective shell layer, from the outside in. The middle protective shell layer has several intermediate air holes, and the inner protective shell layer has several inner layer air holes.
[0010] The number of intermediate pores is the same as that of inner pores. The diameter of intermediate pores is 5-15 mm, and the diameter of inner pores is 1.5-2 times that of intermediate pores.
[0011] Furthermore, the outer layer of the protective shell is made of ceramic fiber material, while the middle and inner layers are made of metal materials with good support.
[0012] Furthermore, the metal liquid cooling pipes pass through the top cover of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell, through the middle layer of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell, and exit from the bottom of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell. The metal liquid cooling pipes are arranged in groups to form several groups of metal liquid cooling pipes. Each group of metal liquid cooling pipes is arranged non-uniformly from sparse to dense along the fuel flow direction on both sides of the solid oxide fuel cell stack, with a spacing of 5 to 10 mm between each group of metal liquid cooling pipes.
[0013] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the metal liquid cooling tube is 1-2 mm, the wall thickness is 0.5-1 mm, and the spacing between adjacent metal liquid cooling tubes is 1-2 mm.
[0014] Furthermore, each helical spring component is spaced 10-30mm apart, and each helical spring component includes a metal helical spring, with metal washers at both ends of the metal helical spring.
[0015] Furthermore, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell has a positive electrode wire interface and a negative electrode wire interface on the fuel cell stack. The positive electrode wire of the solid oxide fuel cell stack is led out from the positive electrode wire interface, and the negative electrode wire of the solid oxide fuel cell stack is led out from the negative electrode wire interface.
[0016] Furthermore, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell is a split structure, consisting of an upper cover and a lower shell. An air inlet is provided on the upper side of the bottom surface of the lower shell, and an air outlet is provided on the lower side of the bottom surface of the lower shell.
[0017] A fuel inlet is located on the left side of the bottom surface of the lower shell, and a fuel outlet is located on the right side of the bottom surface of the lower shell.
[0018] Furthermore, the top cover has several insertion holes that match the number of metal liquid cooling pipes. A helical spring is installed on the inner top surface of the top cover. The temperature sensor is divided into an inlet temperature sensor and an outlet temperature sensor, which are respectively installed on both sides of the inner top surface of the top cover.
[0019] Furthermore, both the inlet and outlet temperature sensors are K-type thermocouple temperature sensors, used to collect the temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell stack in real time, monitor the cell temperature difference ΔT at the fuel inlet and outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell, and adjust the start / stop and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe when ΔT reaches the set value.
[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0021] 1) The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell of this utility model is composed of three layers of materials from the outside to the inside. The outermost layer is ceramic fiber material, which is resistant to mechanical vibration, has good heat insulation, and provides a good cushioning effect while reducing the heat loss of the fuel cell. The middle and inner layers are made of metal materials with good support. The middle layer is provided with small pores and the inner layer is provided with larger pores. The porous structure improves the system's cushioning efficiency.
[0022] 2) Further reduce local mechanical pressure by using helical spring components;
[0023] 3) The metal liquid cooling pipes are located in the middle layer of the protective shell. They achieve efficient heat conduction with the solid oxide fuel cell stack through metal gaskets, metal helical springs, and a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell metal layer. Multiple metal liquid cooling pipes are non-uniformly arranged from sparse to dense along the fuel flow direction on both sides of the solid oxide fuel cell stack. During the operation of the stack, the liquid cooling system controls the start-up and stop and the flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipes based on the internal temperature signal of the fuel cell collected by the temperature sensor. While precisely regulating the internal temperature difference of the solid oxide fuel cell stack, it also recovers the waste heat of the solid oxide fuel cell stack to provide hot water for domestic use. Attached Figure Description
[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0026] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of this utility model;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the lower shell of this utility model;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a front view of the lower shell of this utility model;
[0029] Figure 5 This is a front view of the present invention after the top cover has been removed;
[0030] Figure 6 This is a utility model Figure 5 Rear view;
[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover of this utility model;
[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the biomimetic grapefruit peel protective shell of this utility model;
[0033] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the helical spring component of this utility model;
[0034] In the diagram: 1. Top cover, 2. Bottom shell, 3. Metal liquid cooling pipe, 4. Biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell, 41. Outer layer of protective shell, 42. Middle layer of protective shell, 43. Inner layer of protective shell, 44. Middle vent, 45. Inner vent, 5. Metal helical spring, 6. Metal gasket, 7. Solid oxide fuel cell stack, 8. Fuel outlet, 9. Air inlet, 10. Air outlet, 11. Fuel inlet, 12. Positive electrode wire interface of the fuel cell stack, 13. Negative electrode wire interface of the fuel cell stack, 14. Socket, 15. Helical spring component, 21. Inlet temperature sensor, 22. Outlet temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0035] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the present invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the present invention.
[0036] like Figures 1-9 The solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device shown includes a solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 and a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4. The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 is a hollow structure. The solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 is placed in the inner cavity of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4. Several helical springs 15 are provided between the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 and the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7. Several metal liquid cooling pipes 3 are symmetrically arranged on the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 along the fuel flow direction. The metal liquid cooling pipes 3 are connected to the liquid cooling system and the cold water source.
[0037] The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 is equipped with a temperature sensor connected to the liquid cooling system to collect the internal temperature signal of the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 and control the start / stop and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe 3.
[0038] like Figure 8As shown, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 is composed of an outer protective shell layer 41, a middle protective shell layer 42, and an inner protective shell layer 43, from the outside in. The outer protective shell layer 41 is made of ceramic fiber material, such as aluminosilicate ceramic fiber, which is resistant to mechanical vibration, has good heat insulation, and provides a good buffering effect while reducing heat loss of the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7. The middle protective shell layer 42 and the inner protective shell layer 43 are made of metal materials with good support strength, such as niobium alloy, nickel-based high-temperature alloy, tungsten alloy, etc. The middle protective shell layer 42 has several intermediate pores 44, and the inner protective shell layer 43 has several inner pores 45.
[0039] The number of intermediate pores 44 and inner pores 45 is the same. The diameter of intermediate pores 44 is 5 to 15 mm, and the diameter of inner pores 45 is 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of intermediate pores 44. The intermediate layer 42 and inner layer 43 of the protective shell improve the system's buffering efficiency through a porous structure.
[0040] like Figures 1-2 As shown, the metal liquid cooling pipe 3 passes through the upper cover 1 of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4, through the middle layer 42 of the protective shell 4, and exits from the bottom of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4.
[0041] The flow direction of the metal liquid cooling pipe 3 is from top to bottom. The metal liquid cooling pipe 3 and the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 achieve efficient heat conduction through the metal gasket 6, the metal helical spring 5 and the metal layer of the protective shell. Thus, the metal gasket 6, the metal helical spring 5 and the metal layer of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 in the device undertake the dual functions of buffer protection and heat conduction, realizing the coupling of heat dissipation function and buffer protection function.
[0042] The metal liquid cooling tubes 3 are arranged in groups to form several groups of metal liquid cooling tubes. Each group of metal liquid cooling tubes is non-uniformly arranged from sparse to dense along the fuel flow direction on both sides of the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7, with a spacing of 5-10 mm between each group. The inner diameter of the metal liquid cooling tubes 3 is 1-2 mm, the wall thickness is 0.5-1 mm, and the spacing between adjacent metal liquid cooling tubes 3 is 1-2 mm.
[0043] like Figure 9 As shown, each helical spring component 15 is spaced 10-30mm apart, and each helical spring component 15 includes a metal helical spring 5. Both ends of the metal helical spring 5 are provided with metal washers 6 to further reduce local mechanical pressure. The metal helical spring 5 and the metal washers 6 can be made of cobalt-based high-temperature alloys, etc.
[0044] like Figure 1As shown, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 has a positive electrode wire interface 12 and a negative electrode wire interface 13 on the fuel cell stack. The positive electrode wire on the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 is led out from the positive electrode wire interface 12, and the negative electrode wire on the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 is led out from the negative electrode wire interface 13.
[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell 4 is a split structure, consisting of an upper cover 1 and a lower shell 2. The lower shell 2 has an air inlet 9 on the upper side of its bottom surface and an air outlet 10 on the lower side of its bottom surface.
[0046] A fuel inlet 11 is provided on the left side of the bottom surface of the lower shell 2, and a fuel outlet 8 is provided on the right side of the bottom surface of the lower shell 2.
[0047] The top cover 1 has several insertion holes 14 that match the number of metal liquid cooling pipes 3. A helical spring 15 is installed on the inner top surface of the top cover 1. The temperature sensor is divided into an inlet temperature sensor 21 and an outlet temperature sensor 22, which are respectively installed on both sides of the inner top surface of the top cover 1.
[0048] like Figure 7 As shown, both the inlet temperature sensor 21 and the outlet temperature sensor 22 are K-type thermocouple temperature sensors, used to collect the temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell stack in real time and monitor the cell temperature difference ΔT at the fuel inlet and outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell. When ΔT reaches the set value, the start / stop and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe 3 are adjusted. The specific control method is as follows:
[0049] When ΔT < 10℃, the cooling system is turned off;
[0050] When 10℃≤ΔT<50℃, the four liquid cooling pipes at the fuel outlet are turned on, and the inlet velocity of the cooling water is 0.2m / s;
[0051] When 50℃≤ΔT<100℃, all liquid cooling pipes are turned on. The inlet velocity of the cooling water in the first group of liquid cooling pipes along the fuel flow direction is maintained at 0.2m / s, and the inlet velocity of the cooling water in each subsequent group of liquid cooling pipes increases by 0.1m / s.
[0052] When ΔT≥100℃, all liquid cooling pipes are turned on. The inlet velocity of the cooling water in the first group of liquid cooling pipes along the fuel flow direction is maintained at 0.4m / s, and the inlet velocity of the cooling water in each subsequent group of liquid cooling pipes increases by 0.2m / s.
[0053] During the operation of the fuel cell stack, the liquid cooling system controls the start-up and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe 3 based on the internal temperature signal of the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7 collected by the temperature sensor. While precisely regulating the internal temperature difference of the solid oxide fuel cell stack 7, it also recovers the waste heat of the battery and provides hot water for domestic use.
[0054] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of this utility model, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of this utility model. The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device having overheat protection and combined heat and power functions, characterized by: The system includes a solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) and a biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4). The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is a hollow structure. The solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) is placed inside the cavity of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4). Several helical spring components (15) are provided between the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) and the solid oxide fuel cell stack (7). Several metal liquid cooling pipes (3) are symmetrically arranged on the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) along the fuel flow direction. The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is equipped with a temperature sensor connected to the liquid cooling system to collect the internal temperature signal of the solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) and control the start-up and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe (3).
2. The solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with over-heat protection and cogeneration function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is composed of an outer protective shell layer (41), a middle protective shell layer (42), and an inner protective shell layer (43) from the outside to the inside. The middle protective shell layer (42) has a number of intermediate air holes (44), and the inner protective shell layer (43) has a number of inner air holes (45). The number of intermediate pores (44) and inner pores (45) is the same. The diameter of intermediate pores (44) is 5 to 15 mm, and the diameter of inner pores (45) is 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of intermediate pores (44).
3. The SOFC stack buffer device with over-temperature protection and cogeneration functions according to claim 2, wherein: The outer layer (41) of the protective shell is made of ceramic fiber material, while the middle layer (42) and the inner layer (43) of the protective shell are made of metal material with good support.
4. The solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with over-heat protection and cogeneration function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal liquid cooling pipe (3) passes through the top cover (1) of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4), passes through the middle layer (42) of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4), and exits from the bottom of the biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4). The metal liquid cooling pipes (3) are arranged in groups to form several groups of metal liquid cooling pipes. Each group of metal liquid cooling pipes is arranged non-uniformly from sparse to dense on both sides of the solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) along the fuel flow direction. The interval between each group of metal liquid cooling pipes is 5-10 mm.
5. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the metal liquid cooling pipe (3) is 1-2 mm, the wall thickness is 0.5-1 mm, and the spacing between adjacent metal liquid cooling pipes (3) is 1-2 mm.
6. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each helical spring component (15) is spaced 10 to 30 mm apart. Each helical spring component (15) includes a metal helical spring (5), and both ends of the metal helical spring (5) are provided with metal washers (6).
7. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is provided with a positive electrode wire interface (12) and a negative electrode wire interface (13) on the fuel cell stack. The positive electrode wire on the solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) is led out from the positive electrode wire interface (12), and the negative electrode wire on the solid oxide fuel cell stack (7) is led out from the negative electrode wire interface (13).
8. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is a split structure. The biomimetic grapefruit peel structure protective shell (4) is divided into an upper cover (1) and a lower shell (2). An air inlet (9) is provided on the upper side of the bottom surface of the lower shell (2), and an air outlet (10) is provided on the lower side of the bottom surface of the lower shell (2). A fuel inlet (11) is provided on the left side of the bottom surface of the lower shell (2), and a fuel outlet (8) is provided on the right side of the bottom surface of the lower shell (2).
9. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 8, characterized in that: The top cover (1) has several insertion holes (14) that match the number of metal liquid cooling pipes (3) on its cover surface. A helical spring (15) is installed on the inner top surface of the top cover (1). The temperature sensor is divided into an inlet temperature sensor (21) and an outlet temperature sensor (22). The inlet temperature sensor (21) and the outlet temperature sensor (22) are respectively installed on both sides of the inner top surface of the top cover (1).
10. A solid oxide fuel cell stack buffer device with overheat protection and combined heat and power functions according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inlet temperature sensor (21) and outlet temperature sensor (22) are both K-type thermocouple temperature sensors, used to collect the temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell stack in real time, monitor the battery temperature difference ΔT at the fuel inlet and outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell, and adjust the start / stop and flow rate of the cooling water in the metal liquid cooling pipe (3) when ΔT reaches the set value.