Fuel cell system

By setting up air-cooled and water-cooled pipelines in the air compressor motor and using the water distributor outlet gas for heat exchange, the problem of high power consumption of the air compressor motor is solved, and the economy and reliability of the fuel cell system are improved.

WO2025179847A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-09-04SHANGHAI CHONGSU ENERGY TECH CO LTD

Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2024/120371
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-03-01
Filing Date
2024-09-23
Publication Date
2025-09-04

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The motor power consumption of existing fuel cell systems is too high, affecting the economics of the system and the heat dissipation test is strict.

Method used

The air-cooled pipeline and water-cooled pipeline are set up in the air compressor motor. The motor is cooled and heated by the water distributor outlet gas. The expansion machine is rotated coaxially to reduce the motor power consumption, and the heat exchange process is optimized through the temperature sensor and the flow control valve.

Benefits of technology

Effectively reduce the power consumption of the air compressor motor, improve the economy and reliability of the fuel cell system, extend the service life of the air compressor, and avoid failure of the energy recovery process.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided in the present application is a fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell stack, an air compressor, an intercooler, a humidifier, a water separator and an expander, wherein a gas discharged from the air compressor flows through the intercooler and the humidifier in sequence and then enters an inlet of the fuel cell stack; a gas discharged from an outlet of the fuel cell stack flows through the humidifier and the water separator in sequence and is then discharged; an air-cooling pipeline is provided in the air compressor; an outlet of the water separator is in communication with an inlet of the air-cooling pipeline by means of a first pipeline; an outlet of the air-cooling pipeline is in communication with an inlet of the expander; and air flowing out of the air-cooling pipeline drives the expander and the air compressor to coaxially rotate. Compared with the prior art, heat generated when the air compressor of the fuel cell system of the present application operates can be made full use of, and the temperature of an electric motor of the air compressor can also be effectively reduced, thereby improving the reliability and economic efficiency of the whole fuel cell system.
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Description

A fuel cell system Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] As public awareness of environmental protection grows, the application of fuel cells is becoming increasingly widespread. Currently, commercially available fuel cells generally consist of several components, including a fuel cell stack, an air compressor, an intercooler, a water distributor, and a humidifier. As a core component of a fuel cell system, the air compressor provides the fuel cell stack with the required air flow and pressure. Since most fuel cell systems typically require air pressures above 200 kPa, the air compressor motor consumes a significant amount of power, typically accounting for between 15% and 20% of the system's power. This high power consumption is not only detrimental to the fuel cell system's economic efficiency, but also places a significant strain on the air compressor motor's heat dissipation.

[0003] To reduce the power consumption of the air compressor motor, existing technologies have proposed using an air compressor with energy recovery. This solution uses the air discharged from the fuel cell stack to drive the expander, which is coaxially connected to the compressor, thereby reducing motor power consumption. However, because the air temperature at the expander inlet is relatively low, generally below 70°C, the energy recovery effect is not very significant.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of the air compressor and improve the economy of the fuel cell system has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the problem of excessive power consumption of the air compressor in the prior art, the present invention utilizes the heat of the air compressor motor to heat the gas at the outlet of the fuel cell stack, thereby increasing the temperature of the gas entering the expander, improving the efficiency of the expander, and driving the air compressor to work through the expander, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor.

[0007] The present application is implemented in the following manner: The present application provides a fuel cell system, including a fuel cell stack, an air compressor, an intercooler, a humidifier, a water separator and an expander. The gas discharged from the air compressor flows through the intercooler and the humidifier in sequence and then enters the inlet of the fuel cell stack. The gas discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell stack flows through the humidifier and the water separator in sequence and then is discharged. An air cooling pipeline is provided in the motor of the air compressor. The outlet of the water separator is connected to the inlet of the air cooling pipeline through a first pipeline. The outlet of the air cooling pipeline is connected to the inlet of the expander. The gas flowing out of the air cooling pipeline drives the expander and the air compressor to rotate coaxially.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the outlet of the water separator is connected to the inlet of the expander through a second pipeline, and a switch valve for controlling the on-off of the first pipeline is further provided on the first pipeline.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, a first temperature sensor is provided at the outlet of the water separator, a second temperature sensor is provided in the motor of the air compressor, and the switch valve is configured to open the first pipeline when the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor and the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor meet preset conditions.

[0010] As a preferred implementation manner, the preset condition is: the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor is higher than the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor.

[0011] As a preferred implementation, the preset condition is: the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor is greater than the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor, and the difference between T2 and T1 is greater than or equal to 10°C.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the switch valve is a flow control valve, and the switch valve is configured to control the flow of the first pipeline according to the difference between the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor and the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, a water cooling pipeline is further provided in the motor of the air compressor, and both the water cooling pipeline and the air cooling pipeline are spirally wrapped around the motor of the air compressor to cool the motor.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the inlet of the water cooling pipeline and the inlet of the air cooling pipeline are arranged at one end of the motor of the air compressor, and the outlet of the water cooling pipeline and the outlet of the air cooling pipeline are arranged at the other end of the motor of the air compressor.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the water cooling pipeline and the air cooling pipeline are arranged alternately.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, an air filter and an air flow meter are further provided upstream of the air compressor.

[0017] Compared with the existing technology, this application has at least the following technical effects:

[0018] 1. The fuel cell system of the present application is equipped with an air cooling pipeline in the motor of the air compressor. By passing the gas from the outlet of the water distributor into the air cooling pipeline, the gas from the outlet of the water distributor is used to cool the air compressor motor. At the same time, the gas from the outlet of the water distributor is heated by the air compressor motor and then passed into the expander to drive the expander to do work. Since the expander and the air compressor rotate coaxially, the fuel cell system of the present application can greatly reduce the power consumption of the air compressor motor. Compared with the existing technology, the fuel cell system of the present application can not only make full use of the heat generated by the air compressor motor during operation to improve the recovery power of the expander, but also effectively reduce the temperature of the air compressor motor, avoid overheating and damage to the air compressor motor, and to a certain extent improve the service life of the air compressor and the reliability and economy of the entire fuel cell system.

[0019] 2. A second pipeline is further provided between the outlet of the water separator and the inlet of the expander of the present invention, and a switch valve that can control the opening and closing of the first pipeline is provided on the first pipeline. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch valve, it is possible to selectively control whether the gas at the outlet of the water separator is passed into the motor of the air compressor, which can effectively avoid the failure of the energy recovery process of the entire fuel cell system when the air cooling pipeline is blocked.

[0020] 3. The outlet of the water separator of the present invention is provided with a first temperature sensor, and a second temperature sensor is provided in the motor of the air compressor. The gas temperature T1 at the outlet of the water separator is detected by the first temperature sensor, and the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor is detected by the second temperature sensor. The switch valve opens the first pipeline when the gas temperature T1 at the outlet of the water separator and the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor meet preset conditions. With such a configuration, since the fuel cell system of the present application recovers the heat generated by the motor of the air compressor to drive the expander to perform work, the gas flow path is increased by passing the gas at the outlet of the water separator into the motor of the air compressor. In this process, the gas pressure will be lost, resulting in a certain amount of energy loss. Therefore, the first pipeline is only opened when the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor and the gas temperature T1 at the outlet of the water separator meet preset conditions. This can effectively utilize the heat generated by the motor of the air compressor while reducing the energy loss caused by the extension of the gas path.

[0021] 4. The present invention preferably opens the first pipeline only when the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor is higher than the gas temperature T1 at the outlet of the water separator. With this arrangement, the gas at the outlet of the water separator can exchange heat with the air compressor motor, avoiding the reverse heating of the air compressor motor due to the excessively high gas temperature at the outlet of the water separator, thereby ensuring the reliable operation of the entire fuel cell system.

[0022] 5. The present invention preferably opens the first pipeline only when the difference between the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor and the gas temperature T1 at the outlet of the water separator is greater than or equal to 10°C, and introduces the gas at the outlet of the water separator into the motor of the air compressor to exchange heat with the air compressor motor. On the one hand, it can cool the air compressor motor, and on the other hand, it can increase the temperature of this part of the gas and increase the recovery power of the expander, thereby achieving the purpose of effectively reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor.

[0023] 6. The switch valve of the present invention is preferably a flow control valve, which can control the flow of the first pipeline according to the temperature difference between the motor temperature T2 of the air compressor and the air temperature T1 at the outlet of the water distributor. Since part of the gas discharged from the outlet of the water distributor flows through the air-cooling pipeline of the air compressor motor and then enters the expander, the flow path of this part of the gas becomes longer and there will be a certain pressure loss. Therefore, controlling the flow of the gas entering the air-cooling pipeline of the air compressor motor according to the temperature difference between the air compressor motor temperature and the gas at the outlet of the water distributor can ensure sufficient heat exchange while reducing the pressure loss of the gas entering the expander, ensuring that the expander can fully work and reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor.

[0024] 7. A water-cooling pipeline is further provided inside the motor of the air compressor of the present invention. Both the water-cooling pipeline and the air-cooling pipeline are spirally wrapped around the motor of the air compressor to cool the motor. By simultaneously providing the water-cooling pipeline and the air-cooling pipeline, the water-cooling pipeline can utilize the large specific heat capacity of water to fully dissipate the heat of the air compressor motor, and the air-cooling pipeline can supplement the heat dissipation of the air compressor motor, and at the same time utilize this part of the heat to heat the gas entering the expander, thereby realizing the heat dissipation of the air compressor motor and energy recovery at the same time, thereby improving the economy of the entire fuel cell system.

[0025] 8. The inlets of the water-cooling pipeline and the air-cooling pipeline of the present invention are preferably arranged at the same end of the air compressor motor, and the outlets of the water-cooling pipeline and the air-cooling pipeline are arranged at the other end of the air compressor motor. Such an arrangement can ensure that the temperature change trend along the water flow direction and the air flow direction is the same, thereby improving the system heat dissipation of the entire air compressor motor.

[0026] 9. The water-cooling pipelines and air-cooling pipelines of the present invention are preferably staggered. Since the water-cooling pipelines and air-cooling pipelines are spirally arranged along the motor of the air compressor, they cannot completely wrap the entire air compressor motor. The water-cooling pipelines and air-cooling pipelines are staggered so that they can complement each other, so that the entire air compressor motor can dissipate heat evenly and the temperature distribution of the motor is more uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell system of the present application.

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an air compressor motor of the fuel cell system of the present application.

[0030] FIG3 is a control logic diagram of the fuel cell system of the present application.

[0031] The meanings of the various marks in the figure are as follows: 1. Air filter; 2. Air flow meter; 3. Air compressor; 31. Motor; 4. Intercooler; 5. Humidifier; 6. Fuel cell stack; 7. Water distributor; 8. First temperature sensor; 9. Expander; 10. Switch valve; 11. First pipeline; 12. Air-cooling pipeline; 13. Second pipeline; 14. Water-cooling pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present application, a detailed description is given below in an illustrative manner in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] In addition, in the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended only to facilitate the description of this application and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Terms such as "upstream" and "downstream" are based on positional relationships during normal fluid flow.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0037] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0038] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1-3.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] This embodiment provides a fuel cell system. Specifically, the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack 6, an air compressor 3, an intercooler 4, a humidifier 5, a water separator 7, and an expander 9, wherein the air compressor 3 compresses the air to provide air with a specific flow rate and pressure to the fuel cell stack 6, so that the fuel cell stack 6 can undergo an electrochemical reaction. The air compressed by the air compressor 3 enters the intercooler 4 and is cooled by the intercooler 4. The cooled air enters the humidifier 5 for humidification, thereby ensuring that the air at the inlet of the fuel cell stack 6 has a suitable temperature and humidity, and ensuring that the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell stack 6 proceeds normally. The gas discharged from the fuel cell stack 6 is again passed into the humidifier 5 to humidify the gas at the outlet of the intercooler, and the gas at the outlet of the humidifier enters the water separator 7 to eliminate the liquid water carried in the gas.

[0041] In order to reduce the power consumption of the air compressor motor 31 and improve the economic efficiency of the entire fuel cell system, an air cooling pipe 12 is provided inside the housing of the air compressor motor 31 in this embodiment. The outlet of the water separator 7 is connected to the inlet of the air cooling pipe 12 in the housing of the air compressor motor 31 through the first pipe 11. The outlet of the air cooling pipe 12 is connected to the inlet of the expander 9. In this arrangement, the gas removed from the water separator 7 is passed into the air cooling pipe 12 of the housing of the air compressor motor 31. On the one hand, it can cool the air compressor motor 31 and prevent the air compressor motor 31 from overheating and damage, thereby improving the reliability of the entire fuel cell system. On the other hand, the gas entering the air cooling pipe 12 exchanges heat with the air compressor motor 31, which can recover the heat generated by the air compressor motor 31 during operation. The temperature of this part of the gas is increased and then passed into the expander 9, which can drive the expander 9 to perform work. Since the expander 9 and the air compressor 3 rotate coaxially, the power consumption of the air compressor motor 31 is reduced. Moreover, the power consumption of the motor 31 of the air compressor is reduced, which can further reduce the heat generation of the motor 31 of the air compressor and increase the service life of the air compressor.

[0042] The fuel cell system of this embodiment is further provided with an air filter 1 and an air flow meter 2 upstream of the air compressor 3. The air filter 1 and the air flow meter 2 are arranged at the inlet of the air compressor 3. The air filter 1 can filter the air entering the air compressor 3 to prevent impurities in the air from damaging the air compressor 3. The air flow meter 2 can control the air flow entering the air compressor 3, and thus control the gas flow entering the fuel cell stack 6, thereby achieving power regulation of the fuel cell stack 6.

[0043] In this embodiment, a water cooling line 14 is further provided within the housing of the air compressor motor 31. Coolant is passed through the water cooling line 14 to cool the air compressor motor 31 and prevent overheating and damage to the air compressor motor 31. Since water has a large specific heat capacity and is inexpensive, the coolant passed through the water cooling line 14 is typically running water.

[0044] In this embodiment, a water-cooling pipe 14 and an air-cooling pipe 12 are simultaneously disposed within the housing of the air compressor motor 31. Both the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12 are spirally wound around the housing of the air compressor motor 31 to cool the motor 31. The spirally extending water-cooling pipe 14 and air-cooling pipe 12 have a longer circulation path, allowing them to remove more heat within a limited circulation space and effectively dissipate heat from the entire air compressor motor 31. In addition, due to the longer spiral path of the air-cooling pipe 12, the gas within the air-cooling pipe 12 can be fully heated, further increasing the temperature of the gas discharged from the air-cooling pipe 12, thereby increasing the temperature of the gas entering the expander 9 and improving the work capacity of the expander 9, thereby reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor 31 and improving the economic efficiency of the entire fuel cell system.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inlet of the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12 of the motor 31 housing of the air compressor are arranged at one end of the motor 31 housing of the air compressor, and the outlet of the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12 are arranged at the other end of the motor 31 housing of the air compressor. Such an arrangement can ensure that the temperature change trend along the water flow direction and the air flow direction is the same, thereby improving the heat dissipation of the motor 31 of the entire air compressor. In addition, the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12 of this embodiment are preferably staggered. Since the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12 are spirally arranged along the motor 31 housing of the air compressor, they cannot completely wrap the entire motor 31 of the air compressor. By staggering the water-cooling pipe 14 and the air-cooling pipe 12, the two can complement each other, so that the motor 31 of the entire air compressor can dissipate heat evenly, and the temperature distribution of the motor 31 is more uniform.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] In this embodiment, a second pipeline 13 is provided between the outlet of the water separator 7 and the inlet of the expander 9. Furthermore, a switch valve 10 is provided on the first pipeline 11 to control the opening and closing of the first pipeline 11. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch valve 10, it is possible to selectively control whether the gas from the outlet of the water separator 7 is passed into the housing of the air compressor motor 31. This effectively prevents the energy recovery process of the entire fuel cell system from being ineffective when the air cooling pipeline 12 becomes clogged. Furthermore, since there is a certain amount of pressure loss during the process of gas from the outlet of the water separator 7 flowing through the air cooling pipeline 12 of the air compressor motor 31 into the expander 9, it is more economical for the entire fuel cell system to open the first pipeline 11 only when the energy recovered from the gas flowing through the air cooling pipeline 12 is sufficient to offset this pressure loss. Therefore, by providing the switch valve 10 on the first pipeline 11, the timing of opening the first pipeline 11 can be selected appropriately, thereby improving the work efficiency of the expander 9 and reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor 31.

[0048] In this embodiment, a first temperature sensor 8 is provided at the outlet of the water separator 7, and the first temperature sensor 8 is used to detect the temperature of the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7. A second temperature sensor is provided in the motor 31 of the air compressor, and the second temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the motor 31 of the air compressor. The first temperature sensor 8 and the second temperature sensor transmit the detected temperatures to the control device of the fuel cell system in real time. The control device determines whether the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor 8 and the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor meet the preset conditions for opening the switch valve 10. When the preset conditions are met, the switch valve 10 is controlled to open. Part of the gas discharged from the water separator 7 is directly passed into the expander 9 through the second pipeline 13. The other part of the gas enters the air cooling pipeline 12 of the housing of the air compressor motor 31 through the first pipeline 11. After heat exchange with the air compressor motor 31 in the air cooling pipeline 12, it is passed into the expander 9. The above two parts of gas jointly drive the expander 9 to perform work and drive the air compressor 3 to rotate coaxially, realizing energy recovery. When the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor 8 and the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor do not meet the preset conditions for opening the switch valve 10, the control device controls the switch valve 10 to close. The gas discharged from the water separator 7 can only enter the expander 9 through the second pipeline 13.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of this embodiment, the preset condition for controlling the opening of the on-off valve 10 is that the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor is greater than the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor 8. This configuration ensures that the temperature of the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7 is lower than the temperature of the air compressor motor 31. Heat exchange between the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7 and the air compressor motor 31 is possible, preventing the excessively high gas temperature at the outlet of the water separator 7 from reversely heating the air compressor motor 31, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the entire fuel cell system.

[0050] In another preferred embodiment of this embodiment, the preset condition for controlling the opening of the on-off valve 10 is: the temperature T2 of the air compressor motor 31 is greater than the temperature T1 of the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7, and the difference between T2 and T1 is greater than or equal to 10°C. This configuration creates a large temperature difference between the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7 and the air compressor motor 31. Directing the gas at the outlet of the water separator 7 into the housing of the air compressor motor 31 enables sufficient and rapid heat exchange with the air compressor motor 31. This not only cools the air compressor motor 31, but also increases the temperature of this portion of gas, thereby increasing the recovery power of the expander 9 and effectively reducing the power consumption of the air compressor motor 31.

[0051] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the on-off valve 10 is a flow control valve that controls the flow rate in the first pipeline 11 based on the difference between the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor and the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor 8. When the temperature difference is large, the on-off valve 10 increases the flow rate in the first pipeline 11, allowing more gas to flow into the air-cooling pipeline 12 and remove more heat. When the temperature difference is small, the on-off valve 10 decreases the flow rate in the first pipeline 11, reducing the amount of gas entering the air-cooling pipeline 12. This ensures sufficient heat exchange while preventing pressure loss caused by excessive gas flowing through the first pipeline 11.

[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the present invention are covered by the scope of the claims of the present invention and will not be listed one by one here.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack, an air compressor, an intercooler, a humidifier, a water separator, and an expander, wherein the gas discharged from the air compressor flows through the intercooler and the humidifier in sequence before entering the inlet of the fuel cell stack, and the gas discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell stack flows through the humidifier and the water separator in sequence before being discharged, characterized in that: An air cooling pipeline is provided in the motor of the air compressor, the outlet of the water distributor is connected to the inlet of the air cooling pipeline through a first pipeline, the outlet of the air cooling pipeline is connected to the inlet of the expander, and the gas flowing out of the air cooling pipeline drives the expander and the air compressor to rotate coaxially.

2. A fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet of the water distributor is connected to the inlet of the expander through a second pipeline, and a switch valve for controlling the on-off of the first pipeline is also provided on the first pipeline.

3. A fuel cell system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first temperature sensor is provided at the outlet of the water separator, a second temperature sensor is provided in the motor of the air compressor, and the switch valve is configured to open the first pipeline when the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor and the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor meet preset conditions.

4. A fuel cell system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The preset condition is that the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor is higher than the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor.

5. A fuel cell system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The preset condition is that the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor is greater than the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor, and the difference between T2 and T1 is greater than or equal to 10°C.

6. A fuel cell system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The switch valve is a flow control valve, and is configured to control the flow of the first pipeline according to the difference between the temperature T2 detected by the second temperature sensor and the temperature T1 detected by the first temperature sensor.

7. A fuel cell system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A water cooling pipeline is also provided in the motor of the air compressor. The water cooling pipeline and the air cooling pipeline are both spirally wound around the motor of the air compressor to cool the motor.

8. A fuel cell system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inlet of the water cooling pipeline and the inlet of the air cooling pipeline are arranged at one end of the motor of the air compressor, and the outlet of the water cooling pipeline and the outlet of the air cooling pipeline are arranged at the other end of the motor of the air compressor.

9. A fuel cell system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The water cooling pipelines and the air cooling pipelines are arranged alternately.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air filter and an air flow meter are also provided upstream of the air compressor.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Fuel cell system with energy recovery function and control method

    CN114678573A

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