A hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a hydrogen fuel cell

Abstract

This utility model provides a hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a hydrogen fuel cell, relating to the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology. It includes a first plate body, the surface of which is provided with a receiving groove adapted to the shape of a bipolar plate for embedding the bipolar plate. The receiving groove also has an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with a gas flow channel in the bipolar plate. A first positioning hole is provided on the bottom of the receiving groove for inserting a positioning rod. This utility model provides anti-vibration protection, preventing misalignment of the bipolar plate and end plate due to bipolar plate vibration, and improving the stability of the bipolar plate position and the connection strength between the bipolar plate and the end plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology, and in particular to a hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a hydrogen fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] With global warming and the increasingly severe energy crisis, the reserves of traditional fossil fuels are no longer sufficient to meet demand. Therefore, developing clean and renewable energy sources is an urgent need. Among these, hydrogen energy is a highly efficient, clean, and pollution-free renewable energy source, and its rational application is of significant strategic importance in addressing the energy crisis.

[0003] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen and oxygen, operating on a principle similar to an electrochemical reaction. In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen enters from one electrode (anode), while oxygen enters from the other electrode (cathode). With the help of an electrolyte (usually a proton exchange membrane or alkaline electrolyte), hydrogen undergoes an oxidation reaction at the anode, producing protons and electrons. Electrons flow through an external circuit, forming an electric current that drives electrical equipment. Simultaneously, oxygen combines with the protons and electrons produced by hydrogen at the cathode to form water, the only byproduct.

[0004] Bipolar plates and end plates are crucial components of hydrogen fuel cells, playing a vital role in controlling the hydrothermal management of the fuel cell. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cell consists of multiple individual cells, each primarily composed of bipolar plates, end plates, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), and a gas diffusion layer. The flow channel design, size ratio, and shape of the bipolar plates are all important parameters affecting the hydrogen fuel cell. End plates are decisive components for fuel cell assembly and energy transmission. They provide mechanical support, making the entire structure more stable; they also act as seals, preventing gas leakage at connection interfaces; and most importantly, they function as current collectors, distributing the current generated by the fuel cell stack to the external circuitry.

[0005] In existing technologies, high-strength screws are typically used to tightly press the entire fuel cell stack (including end plates and all internal bipolar plates, membrane electrodes, etc.) together like a "sandwich." However, during use, issues such as loose connections between bipolar plates and end plates, bipolar plate vibration, and potential misalignment leading to gas leaks still exist. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a hydrogen fuel cell to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can provide shock resistance, avoid the misalignment of the bipolar plate and end plate caused by bipolar plate vibration, and improve the stability of the bipolar plate position and the connection strength of the bipolar plate and end plate.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following solution:

[0008] A hydrogen fuel cell end plate includes a first plate body, the surface of which is provided with a receiving groove adapted to the shape of a bipolar plate for embedding the bipolar plate; the receiving groove is further provided with an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with a gas flow channel in the bipolar plate; the bottom of the receiving groove is further provided with a first positioning hole for passing a positioning rod.

[0009] As one embodiment, the receiving groove includes a square groove body and slots located at the four corners of the square groove body, and the square groove body is provided with the first positioning hole.

[0010] As one embodiment, the radial cross-section of the slot is semi-circular, and the straight edge of the semi-circular shape is connected to the edge of the square slot body.

[0011] This utility model also provides a hydrogen fuel cell, including the aforementioned hydrogen fuel cell end plate and bipolar plate. The shape of the bipolar plate is adapted to the shape of the receiving groove in the end plate, and the bipolar plate is embedded in the receiving groove. The bipolar plate includes a second plate body, and a gas flow channel is provided on the upper surface of the second plate body. The inlet end and outlet end of the gas flow channel are respectively connected to the inlet port and the outlet port. A second positioning hole is provided on the second plate body, and the second positioning hole is directly opposite to the first positioning hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second plate is used as the anode, and the gas flow channel is serpentine.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second plate is used as a cathode, and the gas flow channel is straight.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second plate is square in shape, and semi-circular protrusions are provided at the four corners of the square shape, the protrusions being embedded in the slots.

[0015] As one embodiment, the upper surface of the second plate is further provided with a first annular groove, which is located around the gas flow channel, and an annular sealing strip is provided inside the first annular groove.

[0016] As one embodiment, the lower surface of the second plate is further provided with a second annular groove, the second annular groove being directly opposite the first annular groove, the hydrogen fuel cell including at least two bipolar plates stacked together, the top end of the annular sealing strip being inserted into the second annular groove, and the bottom end of the annular sealing strip being inserted into the first annular groove.

[0017] In one embodiment, the thickness of the bipolar plate is equal to the depth of the receiving groove.

[0018] This utility model has the following technical advantages over the prior art:

[0019] This invention features a receiving groove on the end plate. When assembling the end plate and bipolar plate, the bipolar plate can be embedded into the receiving groove, providing an anti-vibration effect and preventing misalignment of the bipolar plate and end plate due to vibration, thus improving the stability of the bipolar plate position. Furthermore, by providing a first positioning hole, this invention allows for the positioning of the end plate and bipolar plate using a positioning rod. A clamping structure (such as a nut) is then used to clamp and fix the end plate, bipolar plate, and other structures in the fuel cell stack, making the connection between the end plate and bipolar plate more stable and further ensuring the stability of the hydrogen fuel cell structure and the safety of its use. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hydrogen fuel cell end plate in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plate in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the end plate and bipolar plate in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] 1. End plate; 11. First plate; 12. Receiving groove; 13. Air inlet; 14. Air outlet; 15. First positioning hole; 16. Slot;

[0026] 2. Bipolar plate; 21. Second plate body; 22. Gas flow channel; 23. Inlet end; 24. Outlet end; 25. Second positioning hole; 26. Protrusion; 27. First annular groove. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0028] The purpose of this invention is to provide a hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a hydrogen fuel cell to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can play a shock-resistant role, avoid the misalignment of bipolar plates and end plates caused by bipolar plate vibration, and improve the stability of bipolar plate position and the connection strength of bipolar plates and end plates.

[0029] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] Example 1:

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a hydrogen fuel cell end plate 1, including a first plate body 11. The surface of the first plate body 11 is provided with a receiving groove 12 that is adapted to the shape of the bipolar plate 2 and is used to embed the bipolar plate 2. The receiving groove 12 is also provided with an air inlet 13 and an air outlet 14 that are connected to the gas flow channel 22 in the bipolar plate 2. The bottom of the receiving groove 12 is also provided with a first positioning hole 15, which is used to pass a positioning rod, which can be a screw.

[0032] Because the end plate 1 is provided with a receiving groove 12 in this embodiment, when the end plate 1 and the bipolar plate 2 are assembled, the bipolar plate 2 can be embedded in the receiving groove 12, which can play a shock-resistant role and prevent the bipolar plate 2 from vibrating and causing misalignment between the bipolar plate 2 and the end plate 1, thereby improving the stability of the position of the bipolar plate 2. At the same time, by providing the first positioning hole 15, the end plate 1 and the bipolar plate 2 can be positioned by the positioning rod, and the end plate 1, the bipolar plate 2 and other structures in the stack can be pressed and fixed by the clamping structure (such as a nut), making the connection between the end plate 1 and the bipolar plate 2 more stable, and further ensuring the stability of the hydrogen fuel cell structure and the safety of the use process.

[0033] In this embodiment, the receiving groove 12 includes a square groove body and slots 16 located at the four corners of the square groove body. The square groove body is provided with first positioning holes 15. In this embodiment, the radial cross-section of the slots 16 is semi-circular, and the straight edge of the semi-circle is connected to the edge of the square groove body. Correspondingly, protrusions 26 corresponding to the slots 16 need to be provided on the bipolar plate 2. Through the engaging and cooperating relationship between the slots 16 and the protrusions 26, the stability of the structure can be further improved, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown. Moreover, the semi-circular design of the protrusion 26 helps to alleviate the stress concentration problem between the slot 16 and the protrusion 26, making the protrusion 26 less prone to damage.

[0034] Example 2:

[0035] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a hydrogen fuel cell, including the hydrogen fuel cell end plate 1 and bipolar plate 2 as in Embodiment 1. The shape of the bipolar plate 2 is adapted to the shape of the receiving groove 12 in the end plate 1, and the bipolar plate 2 is embedded in the receiving groove 12. The bipolar plate 2 includes a second plate body 21, and a gas flow channel 22 is provided on the upper surface of the second plate body 21. The inlet end 23 and the outlet end 24 of the gas flow channel 22 are connected to the inlet port 13 and the outlet port 14, respectively. A second positioning hole 25 is provided on the second plate body 21, and the second positioning hole 25 is directly opposite to the first positioning hole 15.

[0036] In this embodiment, the second plate 21 is used as the anode, and the gas flow channel 22 is serpentine.

[0037] In this embodiment, the second plate 21 is used as a cathode, and the gas flow channel 22 is straight.

[0038] In this embodiment, the second plate 21 is square in shape, and semi-circular protrusions 26 are provided at the four corners of the square shape. The protrusions 26 are embedded in the slots 16.

[0039] In this embodiment, the upper surface of the second plate 21 is further provided with a first annular groove 27, which is located around the gas flow channel 22. An annular sealing strip is disposed within the first annular groove 27. The annular sealing strip can prevent gas leakage.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lower surface of the second plate 21 is also provided with a second annular groove (not shown in the figure). The second annular groove is directly opposite the first annular groove 27. The hydrogen fuel cell includes at least two bipolar plates 2 stacked together (here, at least two bipolar plates 2 of the same polarity are provided). The top end of the annular sealing strip is inserted into the second annular groove, and the bottom end of the annular sealing strip is inserted into the first annular groove 27. Under the pressure of the nut on the screw, the annular sealing strip can be completely embedded in the first annular groove 27 and the second annular groove, thereby improving the connection strength of the two adjacent bipolar plates 2 and reducing the impact of vibration on a single bipolar plate 2.

[0041] In this embodiment, both the first annular groove 27 and the second annular groove are located inside the second positioning hole 25.

[0042] In this embodiment, the bipolar plate 2 is made of graphite, with a length of 103mm, a width of 39mm, and a thickness of 3mm. The protrusion 26 has a radius of 2mm and a thickness of 3mm. The end plate 1 is made of stainless steel, with a length of 113mm, a width of 49mm, and a thickness of 5mm. The receiving groove 12 has a depth of 3mm, and the slot 16 in the receiving groove 12 has a radius of 2mm.

[0043] In this embodiment, the bipolar plate 2 and end plate 1 are typically formed by machining. During forming, the drawn 3D model data of the bipolar plate 2 and the end plate 1 are imported into a CNC machine tool for direct machining. The advantages of CNC machining are that it can directly import data for machining, resulting in high machining efficiency and high machining accuracy. It is suitable for machining precision parts, has a wide machining range, can process parts of various materials and shapes, has strong adaptability, and low production costs, meeting the production needs of various price requirements.

[0044] It should be noted that "upper" and "lower" in this embodiment only indicate relative orientation and do not mean that the upper surface of the end plate or bipolar plate must be facing upwards when in use.

[0045] Any adaptive changes made according to actual needs are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0046] This utility model uses specific examples to illustrate its principles and implementation methods. The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A hydrogen fuel cell end plate, characterized in that, The device includes a first plate, the surface of which is provided with a receiving groove adapted to the shape of the bipolar plate for embedding the bipolar plate; the receiving groove is also provided with an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with the gas flow channel in the bipolar plate; the bottom of the receiving groove is also provided with a first positioning hole for passing a positioning rod.

2. The hydrogen fuel cell end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving groove includes a square groove body and slots located at the four corners of the square groove body, and the square groove body is provided with the first positioning hole.

3. The hydrogen fuel cell end plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radial cross-section of the slot is semi-circular, and the straight edge of the semi-circular shape is connected to the edge of the square slot body.

4. A hydrogen fuel cell, characterized in that, The device includes a hydrogen fuel cell end plate and a bipolar plate as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the shape of the bipolar plate is adapted to the shape of a receiving groove in the end plate, the bipolar plate is embedded in the receiving groove, the bipolar plate includes a second plate body, the upper surface of the second plate body is provided with a gas flow channel, the inlet end and the outlet end of the gas flow channel are respectively connected to the inlet port and the outlet port; the second plate body is provided with a second positioning hole, the second positioning hole being directly opposite to the first positioning hole.

5. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second plate is used as the anode, and the gas flow channel is serpentine.

6. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second plate is used as a cathode, and the gas flow channel is straight.

7. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second plate is square in shape, and semi-circular protrusions are provided at the four corners of the square shape. The protrusions are embedded in the slots.

8. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The upper surface of the second plate is also provided with a first annular groove, which is located around the gas flow channel and is used to provide an annular sealing strip.

9. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lower surface of the second plate is also provided with a second annular groove, which is directly opposite to the first annular groove. The hydrogen fuel cell includes at least two bipolar plates stacked together. The top end of the annular sealing strip is inserted into the second annular groove, and the bottom end of the annular sealing strip is inserted into the first annular groove.

10. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The thickness of the bipolar plate is equal to the depth of the receiving groove.

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