Air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly and air-cooled fuel cell

Abstract

The utility model relates to battery technology field especially relates to a kind of air-cooled electric pile assembly and air-cooled fuel cell.The synchronous promotion of power density and operating stability is realized.The electric pile assembly includes: two opposite fixed end plates, and are connected by fastener;Two fixed end plates are provided with hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet, and hydrogen inlet is connected with external hydrogen supply source;Conductive baffle, it is arranged between two fixed end plates, and the space between two fixed end plates is divided into first cavity and second cavity;Battery piece, it is provided with several, and is integrated between fixed end plate and conductive baffle in series;The battery piece in first cavity constitutes first power generation unit, and the battery piece in second cavity constitutes second power generation unit;Hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet are communicated with the anode side of each battery piece respectively;Oxygen inlet is communicated with external air source by air blower, for air is introduced and communicated to the cathode side of each battery piece.Air-cooled fuel cell includes the above-mentioned electric pile assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to an air-cooled stack assembly and an air-cooled fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of hydrogen energy technology, air-cooled fuel cell stacks are increasingly being used in mobile power supplies, backup power supplies, and small power systems. The market is demanding higher output power from air-cooled fuel cell stacks. Currently, common methods to increase stack power include increasing the active area of ​​individual cells, increasing the number of cells, and increasing current density.

[0003] However, air-cooled fuel cell stacks are limited by heat dissipation and uniformity of reactant gas distribution, making it difficult to further increase the area of ​​a single cell. Simply increasing the number of cells can easily lead to uneven drainage and venting inside the stack, causing problems such as local flooding and insufficient hydrogen supply, which in turn can cause serious faults such as single cell voltage drop, reverse polarity, or even stack burnout, affecting the reliability and lifespan of the stack.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies suffer from technical bottlenecks such as poor operational stability and difficulty in controlling drainage and exhaust during power enhancement of air-cooled fuel cells. There is an urgent need for a new fuel cell structure that can ensure stable operation, uniform gas supply, and smooth drainage while enhancing power. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly and an air-cooled fuel cell, which achieves simultaneous improvement in power density and operational stability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: The first aspect of this utility model provides an air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly, comprising: Two fixed end plates are arranged opposite each other and connected by fasteners; each of the two fixed end plates is provided with a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet, and the hydrogen inlet is connected to an external hydrogen supply source; A conductive partition is disposed between the two fixed end plates, and divides the space between the two fixed end plates into a first cavity and a second cavity; A plurality of battery cells are provided and integrated in series between the fixed end plate and the conductive separator; wherein, the battery cells located in the first cavity constitute a first power generation unit, and the battery cells located in the second cavity constitute a second power generation unit. The hydrogen inlet and the hydrogen outlet are respectively connected to the anode side of each of the battery cells; The oxygen inlet is connected to an external air source via a blower, and is used to introduce air and connect it to the cathode side of each of the battery cells.

[0007] Furthermore, the conductive partition is made of metal or graphite.

[0008] Furthermore, when the conductive separator is a metal conductive plate, the metal conductive plate includes a substrate, a copper layer formed on the substrate, and a gold layer formed on the surface of the copper layer.

[0009] Furthermore, special electrode plates for sealing and current collection are provided between the fixed end plate and the adjacent battery cell, and between the conductive separator and the adjacent battery cell.

[0010] Furthermore, the conductive separator is the same size as the battery cell, and the thickness of the conductive separator is greater than the thickness of a single battery cell.

[0011] Furthermore, the number of battery cells contained in the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit may be equal or different.

[0012] A second aspect of this invention provides an air-cooled fuel cell, which includes the air-cooled stack assembly described above.

[0013] Due to the application of the above technical solution, this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art: This invention relates to an air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly and an air-cooled fuel cell. The stack is divided into two power generation units by a conductive partition, each with its own independent hydrogen supply and exhaust path. This "one stack, two units" architecture solves the problems of uneven internal drainage, exhaust, and insufficient hydrogen supply caused by simply increasing the number of cells in traditional high-power air-cooled fuel cell stacks. It effectively avoids the risks of localized flooding, reverse polarity, and stack burnout. While significantly improving output power (by 3% to 5% for the same number of cells), it ensures the long-term stability and reliability of the fuel cell stack.

[0014] Furthermore, the hydrogen supply and exhaust of the two power generation units can be controlled independently, allowing for precise optimization of the hydrogen flow rate and pressure within each unit's flow channel. This not only enhances the hydrogen's purging capability of the anode flow channel and promotes the timely removal of reaction-generated water, but also effectively improves the consistency of voltage across individual cells, thereby enhancing the overall performance and lifespan of the fuel cell stack.

[0015] Furthermore, compared to constructing two independent complete fuel cell stacks, this utility model adopts an integrated design, with the two power generation units sharing end plates, fasteners, and air supply systems, which significantly reduces the number of parts and connection complexity, thereby reducing overall material costs and assembly costs, while also reducing volume and weight, achieving higher power density and better economy.

[0016] Furthermore, the conductive separator can be made of copper-plated gold-plated metal conductive plates or graphite plates, which have good conductivity, corrosion resistance, and mechanical strength. The special electrode arrangement further ensures the sealing effect and current collection efficiency of the battery stack. The comprehensive use of these materials and structures ensures the long-term operational durability of the battery stack assembly under complex operating conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the present invention in a detailed manner by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or components. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly provided by this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell provided by this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal airflow path of the air-cooled fuel cell stack provided by this utility model; The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows: 1. Fixed end plate; 10. Hydrogen inlet; 11. Hydrogen outlet; 2. Conductive separator; 3. Battery cells. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0019] See Figures 1 to 3 This example provides an air-cooled stack assembly and an air-cooled fuel cell having the same.

[0020] The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly includes two fixed end plates 1, a conductive separator 2, and multiple solar cells 3.

[0021] Specifically, the two fixed end plates 1 are arranged opposite each other and connected by fasteners (such as long bolts and nuts), which apply appropriate clamping force to the internal stack structure, thereby ensuring the structural integrity of the entire fuel cell stack assembly. Each of the two fixed end plates 1 is provided with a hydrogen inlet 10 and a hydrogen outlet 11. The hydrogen inlet 10 is connected to an external hydrogen source to receive the hydrogen required for the reaction.

[0022] A conductive separator 2 is disposed between two fixed end plates 1, thereby dividing the space between the fixed end plates 1 into a first cavity and a second cavity. In this example, the conductive separator 2 can be a highly conductive metal conductive plate or a chemically stable graphite conductive plate. When a metal conductive plate is used as the separator, the metal conductive plate adopts a composite layered structure and uses a copper-plated gold immersion process. A fiberglass board is used as the supporting substrate, and a highly conductive copper layer is formed on it through electroplating or lamination to form a conductive channel. Finally, a dense gold layer is deposited on the surface of the copper layer through chemical deposition to achieve both excellent conductivity and resistance to hydrogen corrosion.

[0023] Several solar cells 3 (i.e., the combination of membrane electrode and bipolar plate) are provided and integrated in series between the fixed end plate 1 and the conductive separator 2. All solar cells 3 located in the first cavity together constitute the first power generation unit, while all solar cells 3 located in the second cavity together constitute the second power generation unit. The number of solar cells 3 contained in the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit can be configured according to specific power output and structural design requirements. The two numbers can be equal to achieve balanced output, or unequal to adapt to asymmetrical power distribution requirements.

[0024] Regarding gas connections, the hydrogen inlet 10 and hydrogen outlet 11 are connected to the anode side of all cells 3 in their respective power generation units via flow channels inside the fuel cell stack (i.e., on each individual cell 3), forming independent hydrogen supply and discharge loops. On the air (oxygen) supply side, the fuel cell stack assembly is equipped with an oxygen inlet (not shown in the figure), which is connected to an external air source via a blower. When the blower is running, ambient air is forcibly introduced and evenly circulated to the cathode side of each cell 3, while also providing necessary heat dissipation for the fuel cell stack.

[0025] In addition, to ensure the sealing performance and current collection efficiency of the fuel cell stack, special plates with both sealing and current collection functions are provided between the fixed end plate 1 and the adjacent battery cell 3, and between the conductive separator 2 and the adjacent battery cell 3.

[0026] In this example, the conductive separator 2 and the battery cell 3 are the same size and have the same dimensions, but the thickness of the conductive separator 2 is greater than the thickness of the battery cell 3 to ensure that it has sufficient structural strength and a stable conductive cross section, thereby reliably separating the two power generation units and bearing the large current transmission between them.

[0027] Based on the aforementioned air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly, this example also provides an air-cooled fuel cell. This air-cooled fuel cell includes the aforementioned air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly.

[0028] In summary, this invention divides the traditional single-reactor structure into two independently controllable gas path power generation units by introducing a central conductive partition. This design effectively solves the gas-liquid management challenges of high-power air-cooled fuel cell stacks caused by the increased number of wafers, without significantly increasing volume or cost, and achieves a simultaneous improvement in power density and operational stability.

[0029] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it accordingly. They should not be used to limit the protection scope of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly, characterized in that, include: Two fixed end plates (1) are arranged opposite each other and connected by fasteners; each of the two fixed end plates (1) is provided with a hydrogen inlet (10) and a hydrogen outlet (11), and the hydrogen inlet (10) is connected to an external hydrogen source; A conductive partition (2) is disposed between two fixed end plates (1) and divides the space between the two fixed end plates (1) into a first cavity and a second cavity. A plurality of battery cells (3) are provided and are connected in series between the fixed end plate (1) and the conductive separator (2); wherein, the battery cells (3) located in the first cavity constitute the first power generation unit, and the battery cells (3) located in the second cavity constitute the second power generation unit. The hydrogen inlet (10) and the hydrogen outlet (11) are respectively connected to the anode side of each of the battery cells (3); The oxygen inlet is connected to an external air source via a blower, which is used to introduce air and connect it to the cathode side of each of the battery cells (3).

2. The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive separator (2) is made of metal or graphite.

3. The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the conductive separator (2) is a metal conductive plate, the metal conductive plate includes a substrate, a copper layer formed on the substrate, and a gold layer formed on the surface of the copper layer.

4. The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Special electrode plates for sealing and current collection are provided between the fixed end plate (1) and the adjacent battery cell (3), and between the conductive separator (2) and the adjacent battery cell (3).

5. The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive separator (2) is the same size as the battery cell (3), and the thickness of the conductive separator (2) is greater than the thickness of a single battery cell (3).

6. The air-cooled fuel cell stack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of battery cells (3) contained in the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit may be equal or different.

7. An air-cooled fuel cell, characterized in that, Includes the air-cooled fuel cell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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