Fuel cell vehicle and fuel cell air intake filter system thereof

Abstract

This utility model relates to a fuel cell vehicle and its fuel cell air intake filtration system. The tractor unit has this air intake filtration system, which has two stages of air filtration: physical air filtration and chemical air filtration. The outlet of the physical air filter is connected to the inlet of the chemical air filter via a connecting pipe; the outlet of the chemical air filter is connected to the inlet of the fuel cell via an outlet pipe. This utility model adopts a two-stage air intake filtration structure combining physical and chemical air filtration to effectively filter the air entering the fuel cell assembly, preventing pollution of the fuel cell and extending the system's service life. Furthermore, the overall structure is rationally designed, facilitating vehicle layout, and offering reliable performance. It is suitable for heavy-duty tractor units, and is especially suitable for air environments with high levels of dust and other solid particles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of new energy vehicle technology, and relates to a fuel cell air intake filtration system for new energy vehicles, and more particularly to a fuel cell vehicle and its fuel cell air intake filtration system. Background Technology

[0002] Guided by national policies on energy conservation and emission reduction, fuel cell vehicles, especially fuel cell semi-trailer tractors, are being used in various scenarios such as docks, coal mines, and logistics. In coal mine applications, the high levels of dust, sulfides, and other particulate matter in the operating environment pose a significant challenge to the fuel cell air intake filtration system. Currently, most vehicles still use an intake structure combining a fuel or natural gas air intake duct with a single air filter. The following problems exist during application:

[0003] (1) The air filter element has a short service life, resulting in high maintenance costs for end customers;

[0004] (2) If the air filter is not replaced in time, it will not be able to effectively filter the air entering the fuel cell assembly (including particulate matter and related chemicals), which will cause pollution to the fuel cell.

[0005] A patent for an air filtration device for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and the vehicle itself discloses an air filtration device employing a three-stage air intake filtration structure: a coarse filter, a fine filter, and a chemical adsorption layer. The coarse filter structure is a louvered grille with a flat plate filter element. The fine filter structure is a conical structure, with the front end being the fine filter and the rear end being the chemical adsorption filter element, and the interior having a honeycomb structure. It is suitable for fuel cell test benches. The abstract mentions an air filtration device for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and the vehicle itself, but it is unclear whether it can be used in heavy-duty tractor vehicles.

[0006] In view of the above, the fuel cell air intake filtration system of fuel cell vehicles needs to be optimized. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problem that the existing fuel cell intake filtration systems in fuel cell vehicles cannot meet the air quality (upstream of the air filter) requirements of the fuel cell operating environment, this invention proposes a fuel cell system air intake filtration system and a fuel cell semi-trailer tractor that employ a two-stage intake filtration system combining physical and chemical air filters to meet the air quality (upstream of the air filter) requirements of the fuel cell operating environment.

[0008] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0009] The aforementioned fuel cell vehicle's fuel cell air intake filtration system has two stages of air filtration: physical air filtration and chemical air filtration. The outlet of the physical air filter is connected to the inlet of the chemical air filter via a connecting pipe. The outlet of the chemical air filter is connected to the fuel cell inlet via an outlet pipe.

[0010] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of the fuel cell vehicle includes: a physical air filter comprising a physical air filter housing and a physical filter element; the physical air filter housing is a hollow cylindrical structure with an outlet port for connecting to the connecting pipe at the outlet end and an inlet cap at the inlet end; the physical filter element is housed within the hollow of the physical air filter housing. The physical air filter also includes an air duct cap and a dust outlet; the cap has an air inlet, and its inner side extends inward along its outer edge to match the cylindrical structure, forming a receiving groove; the air duct cap protrudes outward from the outer side of the cap; the dust outlet is located at the bottom of the cap, extending downward from the bottom of the receiving groove. The physical filter element is assembled into the physical air filter housing using a rubber sealing ring or clamp structure and is fixed by the end cap.

[0011] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of the fuel cell vehicle includes: a chemical air filter comprising a cylindrical chemical air filter housing and a chemical filter element housed within the chemical air filter housing. The chemical air filter housing includes a cylindrical body and front and rear covers sealed at both ends of the cylindrical body; the cylindrical body is provided with a flow guiding structure and has an air inlet for connecting to the connecting pipe; the rear cover has an air outlet for connecting to the air outlet pipe; the chemical air filter includes a chemical air filter dust outlet; the chemical air filter dust outlet is located at the bottom of the front cover.

[0012] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of the fuel cell vehicle, wherein the two ends of the connecting pipe and the air outlet pipe are respectively assembled and fixed by clamps.

[0013] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of the fuel cell vehicle, wherein the physical air filter housing and the chemical air filter housing are provided with metal bracket mounting holes at the bottom.

[0014] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of the fuel cell vehicle, wherein the physical air filter housing and the chemical air filter housing are provided with radial or grid-like reinforcing ribs on their surfaces.

[0015] The aforementioned fuel cell vehicle has the fuel cell air intake filtration system described above. Beneficial effects

[0016] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of this invention adopts a two-stage air intake filtration structure that combines physical air filtration with chemical air filtration. Compared with the original single air filter structure combined with the air intake duct, it has the following advantages:

[0017] The air filter replacement frequency has been extended from 3 months to 6 months for the first replacement and from 6 months to 12 months for the second maintenance; maintenance costs have been reduced by approximately 1200 yuan per unit.

[0018] 2) Reduced system maintenance costs, effective filtration of air entering the fuel cell assembly (including particulate matter and related chemicals) to prevent contamination of the fuel cell, and extended system lifespan.

[0019] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of this invention has a reasonable structural design, is easy to arrange in the vehicle, and has reliable performance, making it particularly suitable for heavy-duty tractors. Because this fuel cell vehicle, especially the fuel cell semi-trailer, uses a fuel cell air intake filtration system, it can effectively filter the air from the fuel cell assembly, making it more suitable for air environments with high levels of dust and other solid particles. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fuel cell air intake filtration system for the fuel cell vehicle of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake filtration system and fuel cell system assembly of the fuel cell semi-trailer tractor of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the physical air filter structure of the fuel cell air intake filtration system for the fuel cell vehicle of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the chemical air filter structure of the fuel cell air intake filtration system for the fuel cell vehicle of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "front", "rear", "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 application 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 application.

[0026] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the fuel cell air intake filtration system of this utility model for fuel cell vehicles has two-stage air filtration, including a physical air filter 1, a connecting pipe 2, a chemical air filter 3, and an exhaust pipe 4.

[0027] The physical air filter 1 includes a physical air filter housing 11, a physical filter element 12, an air duct cap, and a physical air filter dust outlet 13;

[0028] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the physical air filter housing 11 is mainly used to fix and protect the physical filter element 12, while ensuring that air enters the engine efficiently and stably. It is a hollow cylindrical structure with one end closed and the other end open, which facilitates filter element replacement and maintenance. The closed end is provided with an air outlet, and the open end is provided with a cover 111. The cover 111 is provided with an air inlet 112. The inner side of the cover 111 extends inward along the outer edge to match the cylindrical structure, forming a receiving groove. The outer side of the cover 111 is provided with an air duct cap 113. The physical air filter dust outlet 13 is located at the bottom of the cover 111 and extends downward from the bottom of the receiving groove of the cover 111.

[0029] The physical filter element 12 is housed in the hollow of the physical air filter housing 11, and is assembled in the physical air filter housing 11 using a rubber sealing ring or clamp structure, and is fixed by an end cap to prevent unfiltered air leakage.

[0030] The connecting pipe 2 is connected to the physical air filter 1 and the chemical air filter 3 at both ends, respectively. The inlet end is sealed to the outlet of the physical air filter 1, and the outlet end is sealed to the inlet of the chemical air filter 3. In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 2 is connected to the outlet of the physical air filter 1 and the inlet of the chemical air filter 3 via the first clamp 21. The connecting pipe 2 is preferably an engineering plastic pipe or a metal corrugated pipe.

[0031] The chemical air filter 3 removes specific pollutants from the air through chemical adsorption or reaction, including the chemical air filter housing 31, the chemical filter element 32, and the chemical air filter dust outlet 33;

[0032] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 As shown, the chemical air filter housing 31 is used to isolate the chemical filter element 32 from external environmental contamination and has a cylindrical structure. The chemical air filter housing 31 can be an integral or split structure; this embodiment adopts a split structure for easy replacement of the chemical filter element 32. It includes a cylindrical body 311 and a front cover 312 and a rear cover 313 sealed at both ends of the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body 311 has a flow guiding structure to ensure uniform airflow through the chemical filter element 32. The cylindrical body 311 has an air inlet port, which is connected to the connecting pipe 2. The rear cover 313 has an air outlet port.

[0033] The chemical filter element 32 is housed in the chemical air filter housing 31 and is used to adsorb, oxidize and reduce, and purify chemical substances such as sulfides and nitrogen oxides in the air.

[0034] The chemical air filter dust outlet 33 is located at the bottom of the front cover 312.

[0035] The exhaust pipe 4 is used to connect the chemical air filter 3 and the fuel cell system 5. The air inlet end is sealed to the air outlet of the chemical air filter housing 31, and the air outlet end is sealed to the air inlet of the fuel cell system 5. Both ends are assembled and fixed by the second clamp 41.

[0036] For ease of assembly, the physical air filter housing 11 and the chemical air filter housing 31 are provided with metal bracket mounting holes at the bottom; the physical air filter housing 11 can also be provided with sealing caps 111 at both ends, and the sealing caps 111 are provided with vent holes connected to the air passage.

[0037] To increase strength, radial or grid-like reinforcing ribs may be provided on the surface of the physical air filter housing 11 and the chemical air filter housing 31.

[0038] The working process of the fuel cell air intake filtration system is as follows:

[0039] Outside air first enters the air filter through the air inlet of physical air filter 1, and is filtered and adsorbed by physical filter element 12. The air filtered by physical air filter 1 enters chemical air filter 3 from the rear through connecting pipe 2. Chemical air filter 3 contains chemical media that adsorb, oxidize, reduce and purify chemical substances such as sulfides and nitrogen oxides in the air. Then, the air is connected to the air outlet of chemical air filter 3 through air outlet pipe 4 and enters the air inlet of fuel cell.

[0040] The fuel cell air intake filtration system of this utility model adopts a two-stage intake filtration structure combining physical air filter 1 and chemical air filter 3, which can effectively filter the air entering the fuel cell assembly (including particulate matter and related chemical substances), prevent pollution of the fuel cell, and extend the service life of the system. The overall structure is reasonably designed, which is convenient for vehicle layout and has reliable performance. It is suitable for heavy-duty tractor vehicles, and is especially suitable for air environments with a lot of dust and other solid particles.

[0041] The fuel cell vehicle of this invention has the aforementioned fuel cell air intake filtration system.

[0042] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" 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 according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A fuel cell air intake filtration system for a fuel cell vehicle, characterized by: The filtration system has two stages of air filtration: physical air filtration and chemical air filtration. The outlet of the physical air filter is connected to the inlet of the chemical air filter via a connecting pipe. The outlet of the chemical air filter is connected to the inlet of the fuel cell via an outlet pipe.

2. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 1, characterized by: The physical air filter includes a physical air filter housing and a physical filter element; The physical air filter housing is a hollow cylindrical structure with an air outlet end connected to the connecting pipe and an air inlet end covered. The physical filter element is housed in the hollow of the physical air filter housing.

3. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein: The physical air filter also includes an air intake cap and a physical air filter dust outlet; the cover has an air inlet, and the inner side of the cover extends inward along the outer edge to match the cylindrical structure, forming a receiving groove; the air intake cap protrudes outward from the outer side of the cover; the physical air filter dust outlet is located at the bottom of the cover and extends downward from the bottom of the receiving groove of the cover.

4. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 3, wherein: The physical filter element is assembled into the physical air filter housing using a rubber sealing ring or clamp structure and is fixed by an end cap.

5. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein: The chemical air filter includes a cylindrical chemical air filter housing and a chemical filter element housed within the chemical air filter housing.

6. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein: The chemical air filter housing includes a cylindrical body and a front cover and a rear cover that are sealed at both ends of the cylindrical body; the cylindrical body is provided with a flow guiding structure and has an air inlet for connecting the connecting pipe; the rear cover has an air outlet for connecting the air outlet pipe. The chemical air filter includes a chemical air filter dust outlet; the chemical air filter dust outlet is located at the bottom of the front cover.

7. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 6, wherein: The two ends of the connecting pipe and the air outlet pipe are respectively assembled and fixed by clamps.

8. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein: The physical air filter housing and the chemical air filter housing are provided with metal bracket mounting holes at the bottom.

9. The fuel cell air intake filter system for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 5, wherein: The physical air filter housing and the chemical air filter housing are provided with radial or grid-like reinforcing ribs on their surfaces.

10. A fuel cell vehicle characterized by comprising: The battery vehicle has a fuel cell air intake filtration system as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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