A water-cooled fuel cell teaching experiment platform

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of water-cooled fuel cell teaching experiment platform, its structure layout is intuitive, function partition is clear, it is convenient for teaching demonstration and parameter monitoring, can also simulate multiple working conditions, including display backboard is installed on display stand, fuel cell stack is connected with external hydrogen storage device on display stand, air path includes air compressor, the outlet end of air compressor is provided with intercooler, intercooler is connected to the air inlet of fuel cell stack by pipeline, the air outlet of fuel cell stack is equipped with electric back pressure valve, cooling path includes radiator, radiator is connected with the cooling liquid outlet of fuel cell stack, electric water pump and expansion water tank are also provided on cooling path, expansion water tank is hung on the display backboard;Parameter display unit includes sensor group, sensor group is connected with electric controller, electric controller is connected with parameter display screen, parameter display screen is hung on display backboard.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fuel cell teaching equipment technology, and in particular to a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform. Background Technology

[0002] As a crucial component of the clean energy sector, fuel cell technology plays a vital role in the development of related teaching and experimental equipment for cultivating talent in the new energy field. Currently, existing fuel cell teaching equipment often focuses on functional implementation in its design, neglecting the core attributes of a teaching tool: clear structural visibility and intuitive operation.

[0003] Many teaching devices integrate various system components (such as pumps, valves, and radiators) into a closed enclosure, preventing students from visually observing the internal physical layout and piping connections. Furthermore, existing equipment typically uses fixed settings with limited parameter adjustment ranges, making it difficult to flexibly simulate special operating conditions such as high altitudes and low pressures, thus limiting the depth of teaching experiments. Simultaneously, the correspondence between the display interface for key operating parameters and the physical components is weak, hindering students from establishing a connection between theory and practice. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform. Its structure is intuitive, its functional areas are clearly defined, facilitating teaching demonstrations and parameter monitoring. It can also simulate various operating conditions, thereby improving teaching quality and students' learning experience.

[0005] The technical solution is as follows: a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform, including a display stand, a display back panel installed on the display stand, a fuel cell unit set on the display stand, the fuel cell unit including a fuel cell stack and an electronic controller, the fuel cell stack being connected to an external hydrogen storage device, characterized in that it further includes: The air circuit includes an air compressor, and an intercooler is provided at the outlet end of the air compressor to cool the high-temperature compressed air generated by the air compressor. The intercooler is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell stack through a pipe. An electric back pressure valve is installed at the air outlet of the fuel cell stack. The electric back pressure valve simulates air pressure conditions at different altitudes by adjusting the back pressure. The cooling circuit includes a radiator connected to the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack. The cooling circuit also includes an electric water pump and an expansion tank, which are mounted on the display back panel. The parameter display unit includes a sensor group connected to the electronic controller, which is connected to a parameter display screen mounted on the display back panel.

[0006] Furthermore, the sensor group includes a temperature sensor disposed on the air path, the cooling path, and the fuel cell stack; a pressure sensor and a flow sensor disposed on the air path and the cooling path; and a hydrogen concentration sensor and a voltage sensor disposed on the fuel cell stack.

[0007] Furthermore, an air filter is also installed at the air inlet of the air path.

[0008] Furthermore, the radiator includes a heat sink and a cooling fan, which are installed inside the cabinet of the display stand, and the cabinet of the display stand is provided with corresponding heat dissipation vents.

[0009] Furthermore, the cooling circuit also includes a secondary heat sink, which includes a heat dissipation radiator and a cooling fan. The secondary heat sink is installed inside the cabinet of the display stand, and the cabinet of the display stand is provided with a corresponding secondary heat dissipation vent.

[0010] Furthermore, the expansion tank is equipped with a top vent valve, through which air is expelled from the expansion tank.

[0011] Furthermore, the cooling path also includes a second water tank, which is connected to the overflow port of the expansion tank.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes an operation screen, which is fixed on the display stand.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform of this utility model has an intuitive structure and layout, which is convenient for teaching. The components of the fuel cell unit, air circuit and cooling circuit are reasonably arranged on the display stand, and the parameter display screen is mounted on the display back panel, so that the physical structure and pipeline route of the entire system are clear at a glance, enhancing the intuitiveness of teaching. The air circuit integrates an intercooler and an electric back pressure valve, which not only ensures the suitability of the intake air temperature, but also allows students to simulate different altitude conditions by adjusting the back pressure valve, enabling them to study the impact of pressure changes on fuel cell performance and expand the breadth and depth of their experiments. Through the parameter display unit, real-time data from various sensors throughout the system are collected and centrally displayed on the parameter display screen mounted on the back panel, facilitating real-time monitoring of the system status and mapping the data to the physical components.

[0014] In addition, the water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform of this utility model adopts a modular design, which is convenient for maintenance. The functional units of the air circuit and cooling circuit are clearly divided, and the modularity is high, which makes it easy to inspect, maintain or replace. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1This is a first-person perspective perspective view of a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform as described in the embodiment. Figure 2 This is a second-view perspective perspective view of a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform in the embodiment; Figure 3 This is a top view of a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform in the embodiment; Figure 4 This is a front view of a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform in the embodiment; Figure 5 This is a side view of a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This utility model provides a water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform. The main structure of the platform includes a display stand 1 and a display back panel 2 vertically installed at the rear of the display stand. The open structure in this embodiment can clearly present the various components of the fuel cell system to the observer.

[0018] On display stand 1, a fuel cell unit, which is the core component, is installed. The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell stack 3 and an integrated electronic controller 4. The electronic controller 4 is a component of the fuel cell unit that controls the fuel cell stack 3. The fuel cell stack 3 is connected to a hydrogen storage device (such as a high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder) not shown in the figure through an external pipeline to obtain the hydrogen required for the reaction. In this embodiment, the functional system of this platform mainly includes an air circuit, a cooling circuit, and a parameter display unit.

[0019] The air path supplies the air required for the reaction in the fuel cell stack 3. In this embodiment, the air path includes an air compressor 5, which is the core air supply device. It provides the fuel cell stack with air of a certain pressure and flow rate required for the reaction. An intercooler 6 is installed at the outlet of the air compressor 5 to cool the high-temperature compressed air generated by the air compressor. This is mainly used to cool the high-temperature compressed air generated by the air compressor 5 to ensure that the air temperature entering the fuel cell stack 3 is within the ideal operating temperature range of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The intercooler 6 is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell stack 3 through a pipeline. An electric back pressure valve 7 is installed at the air outlet of the fuel cell stack 3. The electric back pressure valve 7 can achieve decoupled control of air flow and pressure by adjusting the back pressure. It can be used to simulate the low-pressure environment encountered when driving in different altitude areas such as plateaus, providing rich variable operating conditions for teaching experiments. It realizes functions that are generally not available in existing teaching equipment, greatly expands the application scenarios of teaching experiments, and enables students to study the influence of air pressure changes on fuel cell performance.

[0020] The cooling circuit includes a radiator 11, which is connected to the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack 3. An electric water pump 9 and an expansion tank 10 are also installed on the cooling circuit, with the expansion tank 10 mounted on the display back panel 2.

[0021] The cooling circuit is responsible for removing the large amount of heat generated by the fuel cell stack 3 during power generation to maintain its stable operating temperature. The cooling circuit is a closed-loop system, mainly including an electric water pump 9, internal cooling channels of the fuel cell stack 3, a radiator 11, and an expansion tank 10. The electric water pump 9 provides circulation power for the coolant. After absorbing heat, the coolant flows through the fuel cell stack 3 and then enters the radiator 11 for heat dissipation. In one specific embodiment, the heat sink 11 includes a heat dissipation radiator and a cooling fan. The heat dissipation radiator and the cooling fan are mounted together on a heat dissipation bracket 12 and placed in a cabinet below the display stand 1. The cabinet has corresponding heat dissipation vents 13 to facilitate air circulation.

[0022] In this embodiment, the radiator is installed on the heat dissipation bracket, which facilitates overall disassembly and maintenance, and also maintains the cleanliness of the display stand surface. The heat dissipation vent design on the cabinet ensures unobstructed airflow and avoids heat accumulation, while preventing students from accidentally touching the high-speed rotating fan, thus achieving a balance between the safety and practicality of the teaching equipment.

[0023] To address the heat dissipation demands under high loads, an auxiliary heat sink 14 can be added to the cooling circuit. Its structure is similar to the main heat sink 11, including a radiator and a cooling fan. It is also mounted on the heat sink bracket 12 and ventilated through the auxiliary heat vent 15 on the cabinet. The auxiliary heat sink 14 provides redundant heat dissipation capacity for the platform, effectively handling extreme teaching conditions such as high power and long-term operation. When the fuel cell stack operates in high-current output mode, heat generation increases significantly, and a single heat sink may not be able to maintain the temperature within the optimal range. The intervention of the auxiliary heat sink ensures accurate temperature control and system stability, expanding the platform's applicability and experimental intensity.

[0024] The parameter display unit is used for status monitoring and data display. The parameter display unit includes a sensor group 15, which is connected to the electronic controller 4. The electronic controller 4 is connected to the parameter display screen 16, which is mounted on the display back panel 2.

[0025] In one specific embodiment, the sensor group includes: temperature sensors installed on the air path, cooling path, and fuel cell stack; the temperature sensors are preferably resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) (such as PT100 or PT1000) or thermocouples; pressure and flow sensors installed on the air path and cooling path; and hydrogen concentration and voltage sensors installed on the fuel cell stack. After processing the data, the electronic controller 4 sends various key parameters, such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, and voltage, to the parameter display screen 16 in real time. The parameter display screen 16 is also mounted on the display back panel 2, forming a centralized information display area. This allows teachers and students to intuitively correlate the data on the screen with the physical components and operating status on site, providing a visualization tool for teaching analysis.

[0026] In one embodiment of this invention, an air filter 17 is also provided at the air inlet of the air path. The air filter 17 is installed at the air inlet of the air compressor to filter impurities and particulate matter in the intake air, ensuring the air quality supplied to the fuel cell. If dust and particulate matter in the air directly enter the air compressor, it will accelerate mechanical wear; if it enters the fuel cell stack, it will contaminate the catalyst layer and proton exchange membrane, leading to performance degradation of the fuel cell stack. In this embodiment, the air filter 17 effectively extends the service life of core components and ensures the long-term stability of experimental data.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the expansion water tank 10 is provided with a top exhaust valve, which functions to discharge air in the cooling circuit. Air will remain in the pipes after the system is initially filled with coolant or the pipes are repaired; during the operation of the system, temperature changes of the coolant will also cause dissolved gas to precipitate and form bubbles. The accumulation of bubbles will hinder the flow of the coolant, form air resistance, cause local overheating and reduce heat dissipation efficiency, and in severe cases, will lead to temperature out-of-control of the stack. In the embodiment, bubbles are collected to the expansion water tank 10 located at the highest point of the circuit through circulating flow, and then actively discharged through the top exhaust valve, so as to ensure efficient and stable operation of the thermal management system; The expansion water tank 10 maintains stable water level and system pressure. The cooling circuit further includes a second water tank 18, which is connected to the overflow port of the expansion water tank. When the system pressure is too high, excess cooling water is discharged through the overflow port to prevent overpressure; at the same time, it serves as a replenishment and buffer device for the cooling medium, and the expansion water tank 10 is in an intuitively visible position, which enhances the intuitiveness and interactivity of teaching.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes an operation screen 8, which is fixed on the display stand to facilitate teaching demonstration and practical operation by teachers and students. As a local terminal for human-computer interaction, the operation screen 8 is used for basic control such as system start-stop and operation mode switching, and the operation is direct and convenient.

[0029] The platform also supports connection with an upper computer through a USB-CAN adapter. Through upper computer software, users can program and set hydrogen pressure, air compressor speed, target coolant temperature and other parameters, configure multi-parameter linkage experiments, and record operations and data with time stamps as CSV files, which is convenient for secondary analysis using tools such as Python, and greatly enhances the scientific research compatibility of the platform. In terms of safety design, the hydrogen concentration sensor is hard-wired to the safety shutdown circuit, which can achieve microsecond-level hydrogen leakage response, bypass software delay, and ensure extreme safety.

[0030] After the water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform in this embodiment is started, the electronic controller first executes a self-test program to confirm that all sensors and actuators are functioning normally. After the user issues a start command via the operating screen or host computer, the electronic controller starts according to its internal preset program; the electric water pump starts, and the coolant begins to circulate in the closed-loop circuit, while the top vent valve of the expansion tank removes initial air bubbles; the air compressor starts, and the air, after being purified by the air filter and pressurized, is cooled to a suitable temperature by the intercooler before entering the air inlet of the fuel cell stack; hydrogen from the hydrogen storage device is delivered to the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell stack at a set flow rate, where it undergoes an electrochemical reaction inside the stack; the DC power output from the fuel cell stack is boosted and regulated by the DC-DC converter module of the electronic controller before being supplied to the external load. The heat generated by the reaction is carried away by the coolant, which is then dissipated by the radiator. The coolant temperature decreases and returns to the fuel cell stack, forming a closed-loop thermal management system. Exhaust gases are discharged from the air outlet and hydrogen outlet of the fuel cell stack. The air exhaust gas is discharged after the back pressure is regulated by an electric back pressure valve, while the hydrogen exhaust gas is discharged after being treated by an exhaust treatment device. The sensor array continuously monitors various system parameters, and the data is collected in real time to the controller and displayed on the parameter display screen. Users can adjust the operating parameters based on the data feedback. If the hydrogen concentration sensor detects a leak, the safety shutdown circuit immediately cuts off the hydrogen supply and disconnects the fuel cell stack output to ensure safety.

[0031] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this invention.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform, comprising a display stand, a display back panel mounted on the display stand, a fuel cell unit disposed on the display stand, the fuel cell unit comprising a fuel cell stack and an electronic controller, the fuel cell stack being connected to an external hydrogen storage device, characterized in that, Also includes: The air circuit includes an air compressor, and an intercooler is provided at the outlet end of the air compressor to cool the high-temperature compressed air generated by the air compressor. The intercooler is connected to the air inlet of the fuel cell stack through a pipe. An electric back pressure valve is installed at the air outlet of the fuel cell stack. The electric back pressure valve simulates air pressure conditions at different altitudes by adjusting the back pressure. The cooling circuit includes a radiator connected to the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack. The cooling circuit also includes an electric water pump and an expansion tank, which are mounted on the display back panel. The parameter display unit includes a sensor group connected to the electronic controller, which is connected to a parameter display screen mounted on the display back panel.

2. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor group includes temperature sensors disposed on the air path, the cooling path, and the fuel cell stack; pressure sensors and flow sensors disposed on the air path and the cooling path; and hydrogen concentration sensors and voltage sensors disposed on the fuel cell stack.

3. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air filter is also installed at the air inlet of the air path.

4. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiator includes a heat sink and a cooling fan. The heat sink and the cooling fan are mounted on a heat sink bracket, which is installed inside the cabinet of the display stand. The cabinet of the display stand has corresponding heat dissipation vents.

5. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cooling circuit also includes an auxiliary heat sink, which includes a heat dissipation radiator and a cooling fan. The auxiliary heat sink is mounted on the heat dissipation bracket, and the cabinet of the display stand is provided with a corresponding auxiliary heat dissipation vent.

6. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an operation screen, which is fixed on the display stand.

7. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion tank is equipped with a top vent valve, through which air is expelled from the expansion tank.

8. The water-cooled fuel cell teaching experimental platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling circuit also includes a second water tank, which is connected to the overflow port of the expansion tank.

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