Fuel cell module and vehicle

Abstract

A fuel cell module and a vehicle. In the fuel cell module, an insulating support assembly is provided between a housing and a fuel cell stack; the insulating support assembly is in contact with all parts of the fuel cell stack, and can provide support for side surfaces of the fuel cell stack, resisting interlayer slippage in the fuel cell stack. The insulating support assembly comprises a plurality of insulating support members distributed spaced apart from each other, the insulating support members being components independent of the housing and the fuel cell stack; compared with the anti-sagging structure in which the housing directly abuts against the fuel cell stack, the plurality of independent insulating support members facilitate easier installation, and the assembly difficulty of the fuel cell stack is low. The plurality of insulating support members are at least distributed at each corner of the fuel cell stack, and the insulating support members distributed at each corner of the fuel cell stack are simultaneously in contact with two adjacent side surfaces of the fuel cell stack, such that the plurality of insulating support members fully enclose the fuel cell stack from all directions, thereby achieving an anti-slippage effect through full enclosure of a battery core. As the housing is usually made of metal material and cannot be directly used to support the battery core, the insulating support assembly is used to enable the housing to support the battery core, while ensuring insulation between the battery core and the housing.

Description

Fuel cell module and vehicle

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410333757.6 filed on March 22, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of fuel cell technology, and specifically relates to a fuel cell module and a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] A fuel cell stack consists of multiple cells connected in series, with components such as collector plates, insulation plates, air intake end plates, and blind end plates distributed at both ends. These require a certain amount of press-fitting force to be applied through packaging components such as tie rods, steel strips, and screws, or through integral packaging, where the outer casing provides the press-fitting force. Integrated packaging offers numerous advantages, such as reducing the number and variety of stack components, simplifying assembly, improving production efficiency, and enhancing stack reliability, and has gradually become the mainstream packaging technology for fuel cell stacks. As the industrialization of fuel cells accelerates, the trend toward higher power levels is evident, necessitating an increase in the number of cells in the stack, and the size of the fuel cell stack will also increase.

[0005] During the use of the fuel cell stack, it is necessary to withstand external vibrations, impacts and other stimuli. For high-power fuel cells, due to the large number of single cells and large size, it is more important to focus on how to improve the stack's ability to resist interlayer slippage to avoid collapse or instability in the middle of the stack. Conventional packaging components are fixed to the stack as a whole, and can support the side of the stack while applying a pressing force to resist interlayer slippage (also known as stack collapse). For example, invention application CN115411332A discloses a fuel cell stack that achieves stack anti-collapse function through tie rods and / or steel belts.

[0006] Integrally packaged fuel cell modules usually require the outer shell to be pressed against the sides of the stack to prevent slippage between stack layers. However, this solution makes stack assembly difficult.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the technical problems of the current fuel cell module that it is difficult to take into account the small number and variety of parts, low assembly difficulty and anti-collapse performance, the present application provides a fuel cell module and a vehicle.

[0009] In a first aspect of the present application, a fuel cell module is provided, comprising a shell and a fuel cell stack arranged in the shell, and further comprising an insulating support assembly, wherein the insulating support assembly is arranged between the shell and the fuel cell stack, and the insulating support assembly is in contact with all components of the fuel cell stack; the insulating support assembly comprises a plurality of insulating support members distributed at intervals, and the plurality of insulating support members are distributed at least at each corner of the fuel cell stack.

[0010] In some optimized technical solutions, the plurality of insulating support members are respectively distributed at each corner of the fuel cell stack and each side of the fuel cell stack.

[0011] In some optimized technical solutions, at least one of the insulating support members is provided with a groove, and a groove wall of the groove is in contact with the fuel cell stack and / or the shell.

[0012] In some optimized technical solutions, the insulating support member extends along the stacking direction, and the groove facing the fuel cell stack is a through groove that passes through along the stacking direction.

[0013] In some optimized technical solutions, among the multiple insulating support members, at least the insulating support member located on the side of the fuel cell stack is provided with the through groove.

[0014] In some optimized technical solutions, the battery stack is encapsulated in the inner cavity of the shell, and the shell applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the battery stack;

[0015] Alternatively, the air intake end plate of the fuel cell stack is connected to one side of the shell to form one of the end plates of the shell, and the air intake end plate and the shell jointly apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack.

[0016] In some optimized technical solutions, the housing includes:

[0017] A frame is provided with an air inlet port and a blind port; the air inlet end plate of the fuel cell stack is connected to the frame and covers the air inlet port;

[0018] The blind end side plate is connected to the frame and covers the blind end port.

[0019] In some optimized technical solutions, an opening is provided on one side of the frame; the shell further includes an upper cover plate, which is connected to the frame and covers the opening.

[0020] In some optimized technical solutions, the fuel cell module also includes two or more cross beams, which are spaced apart and located between the blind end plate assembly and the blind end side plate of the fuel cell stack, and opposite to the opening position; the shell applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack through the cross beams.

[0021] In some optimized technical solutions, a protruding portion is provided on one side of the frame, and the high-pressure component of the fuel cell module is installed on the protruding portion; the low-pressure component of the fuel cell module is installed below the protruding portion.

[0022] In some optimized technical solutions, the air intake end plate is provided with multiple mounting grooves, the blind end side plate is provided with multiple limiting columns, and one end of the multiple insulating support members is arranged one-to-one in the multiple mounting grooves, and the other end corresponds one-to-one to the multiple limiting columns.

[0023] In some optimized technical solutions, a plurality of limiting protrusions are provided on the peripheral side of the blind end plate assembly of the fuel cell stack, and at least one of the insulating support members is clamped between two adjacent limiting protrusions.

[0024] In some optimized technical solutions, the inner surface of the shell is provided with one or more local convex surfaces for contacting the insulating support member.

[0025] In some optimized technical solutions, the insulating support is provided with a concave-convex structure, and the concave-convex structure is located on the non-contact surface of the insulating support.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising the fuel cell module according to the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0028] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell module in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 1 .

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 1 .

[0031] FIG4 shows a front view of the fuel cell module of FIG1 with the cover removed.

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the fuel cell module of FIG. 4 .

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a partial enlarged view of point B in FIG. 5 .

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a partial enlarged view of point C in FIG. 5 .

[0035] FIG8 shows a partial enlarged view of point D in FIG5 .

[0036] FIG. 9 shows an EE cross-sectional view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 4 .

[0037] FIG. 10 shows a partial enlarged view of point F in FIG. 9 .

[0038] FIG11 shows a partial enlarged view of point G in FIG9 .

[0039] FIG12A shows a first structural diagram of a corner support member in the fuel cell module of FIG1 .

[0040] FIG12B shows a second structural schematic diagram of the corner support member in the fuel cell module of FIG1 .

[0041] FIG. 12C shows a left side view of a corner support member in the fuel cell module of FIG. 1 .

[0042] FIG13A shows a schematic structural diagram of a side support member in the fuel cell module of FIG1 .

[0043] FIG. 13B shows a left side view of the side support member of the fuel cell module of FIG. 1 .

[0044] FIG14 shows a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell module in some other embodiments of the present application.

[0045] FIG. 15 shows an exploded view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 14 .

[0046] FIG. 16 shows a left side view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 14 .

[0047] FIG17A shows a schematic structural diagram of a corner support member in the fuel cell module of FIG14 .

[0048] FIG. 17B shows a left side view of a corner support member in the fuel cell module of FIG. 14 .

[0049] FIG18A shows a schematic structural diagram of a side support member in the fuel cell module of FIG14 .

[0050] 18B shows a left side view of the side support member of the fuel cell module of FIG. 14 .

[0051] FIG19 shows an assembly structure diagram of a crossbeam and a disc spring support plate in a fuel cell module according to certain embodiments.

[0052] FIG20 shows a schematic structural diagram of a fuel cell module during assembly in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0053] FIG. 21 shows a front view of the fuel cell module of FIG. 20 .

[0054] FIG22 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the fuel cell module of FIG21 .

[0055] FIG23 shows a partial enlarged view of point C in FIG22 .

[0056] FIG. 24 shows a partial enlarged view of point D in FIG. 22 .

[0057] FIG25 shows a structural block diagram of a vehicle in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0058] Description of reference numerals:

[0059] 1000-Fuel cell module; 1100-Fastening assembly.

[0060] 10 - Insulation support assembly; 11 - Insulation support member, 11a - Side support member, 11b - Corner support member; 12 - Through slot, 12a - Groove; 13 - Ridge; 14 - Purge channel; 15 - Avoidance zone; 16 - Notch, 17 - Concave-convex structure. 20 - Crossbeam. 30 - Positioning rod, 31 - Positioning rod located in the through slot, 32 - Positioning rod located outside the through slot; 40 - Shock absorber column.

[0061] 100-shell, 101-partial outer convex surface, 102-air inlet port, 103-blind port, 104-operation port, 105-high-pressure mounting hole, 106-upper opening, 107-side opening, 108-low-pressure mounting hole, 109-cavity; 110-frame, 111-outer convex part, 112-longitudinal beam, 113-boss, 114-purge inlet, 115-purge outlet, 116-drain outlet, 117-bending structure; 120-blind end side plate, 121-limiting column, 122-mounting platform; 130-upper cover, 131-protruding part of the upper cover; 140-side cover, 141-protruding part of the side cover; 150-high-pressure operation cover; 160-mounting support foot; 170-air inlet side plate; 180-cover body.

[0062] 200-fuel cell stack; 210-air inlet end plate, 211-mounting slot; 220-air inlet end insulation plate; 230-air inlet end current collecting plate, 231-first pole lug; 240-core; 250-blind end current collecting plate, 251-second pole lug; 260-blind end insulation plate; 270-blind end end plate assembly, 271-blind end end plate, 272-disc spring support plate, 273-disc spring, 274-limiting slot, 275-limiting protrusion.

[0063] 300-high-voltage assembly; 310-copper busbar assembly, 311-first copper busbar, 312-second copper busbar; 320-through terminal; 330-nut; 340-high-voltage bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present application more clearly, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0065] The fuel cell stack (fuel cell stack) includes multiple alternating stacks of membrane electrodes and bipolar plates, with seals provided between the membrane electrodes and bipolar plates. Insulation plates, current collecting plates, stack end plates and other components are provided at both ends of the core formed by the membrane electrodes and bipolar plates to isolate high voltage, collect output energy, provide fastening force, etc. The stack end plates are fastened together by strapping, tie rods, screws, etc., or the pressing force is provided by the shell; of course, the technical solution of the present invention also includes that the intake end plate of the stack is connected to one side of the shell to form one of the end plates of the shell, and the intake end plate and the shell jointly apply a fastening force to the stack along the stacking direction. Under the action of the catalysts of the cathode and anode on both sides of the proton exchange membrane inside the membrane electrode, the cathode and anode reaction media undergo electrochemical reactions, converting chemical energy into electrical energy.

[0066] In a certain fuel cell, the end closest to the reaction medium input is defined as the inlet end, and the end furthest from the reaction medium input is defined as the blind end. Accordingly, the end plate at the inlet end of the fuel cell stack is defined as the inlet end plate, and the end plate at the blind end is defined as the blind end end plate. In a conventional fuel cell stack, the inlet end plate, the inlet end insulation plate, the inlet end current collector, the core, the blind end current collector, the blind end insulation plate, and the blind end end plate are stacked in sequence. The direction in which the components of the fuel cell stack are stacked is defined as the stacking direction.

[0067] The specific definitions of the concepts such as "air inlet end", "blind end" and "stacking direction" in this application are as described above. For the convenience of expression, the abbreviations of the definitions are used in the following embodiments.

[0068] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, 14 and 15. The first embodiment of the present application provides a fuel cell module 1000. The fuel cell module 1000 is an integral body comprising a fuel cell stack 200, a high-voltage assembly 300, a low-voltage assembly (not shown in the figure) and an externally encapsulated shell 100. The high-voltage assembly 300 generally includes an electrically connected copper busbar assembly 310 and a through terminal 320. The copper busbar assembly 310 is electrically connected to the current collecting plate of the fuel cell stack 200, and the electric energy generated by the fuel cell stack 200 is output by the through terminal 320. The low-voltage assembly is electrically connected to the core 240 of the fuel cell stack 200 to perform voltage inspections on the bipolar plates or single cells. The fuel cell stack 200, the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly are all mounted and fixed by the shell 100. The fuel cell stack 200 can be completely encapsulated in the inner cavity of the shell 100, and the shell 100 applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack 200; the fuel cell stack 200 can also be partially encapsulated in the inner cavity of the shell 100, for example, the air intake end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is connected to one side of the shell 100 to form one of the end plates of the shell 100, and the air intake end plate 210 and the shell 100 jointly apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack 200.

[0069] Please refer to Figures 2 and 15, which show exploded views of the fuel cell module 1000 in different embodiments of the present application. The fuel cell module 1000 also includes an insulating support assembly 10, which is arranged between the housing 100 and the stack 200. The insulating support assembly 10 is in contact with all components of the stack 200 and can support the side of the stack 200 to resist inter-layer slippage of the stack 200. The insulating support assembly 10 includes a plurality of insulating support members 11 distributed at intervals. The insulating support member 11 has a certain rigidity, and at least the surface of its outer surface that contacts the stack 200 and the housing 100 is an insulating material. For example, the insulating support member 11 can be made of plastic with good rigidity, or the insulating support member 11 can be made of metal with an insulating layer attached to its outer surface. The insulating support member 11 is a component independent of the housing 100 and the stack 200. Compared with the anti-collapse structure of the stack 200 with the housing 100 directly pressed against the housing 100, the independent multiple insulating support members 11 are more convenient to install, and the stack 200 is easy to assemble.

[0070] Multiple insulating support members 11 are distributed at least at each corner of the stack 200. That is, the number of insulating support members 11 is sufficient to provide one insulating support member 11 at each corner of the stack 200. The insulating support members 11 distributed at the corners of the stack 200 simultaneously contact two adjacent side surfaces of the stack 200. The multiple insulating support members 11 can fully cover the stack 200 from all directions, achieving a fully covered and anti-slip effect for the core 240.

[0071] In some embodiments, in addition to providing one insulating support member 11 at each corner of the stack 200, the insulating support members 11 may also be arranged on the sides of the stack 200, for example, at least one insulating support member 11 is arranged on each side. Taking a rectangular bipolar plate with two sides of different lengths as an example, the number of insulating support members 11 may be 4, and the four insulating support members 11 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the stack 200; the number of insulating support members 11 may be 6, of which 4 insulating support members 11 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the stack 200, and the remaining 2 insulating support members 11 can be respectively arranged on the long side or short side of the stack 200; the number of insulating support members 11 may be 8, of which 4 insulating support members 11 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the stack 200, and the remaining 4 insulating support members 11 can be respectively arranged on the long side and short side of the stack 200. For the sake of convenience, the insulating support members 11 distributed at the corners of the fuel cell stack 200 will be referred to as corner support members 11 b , and the insulating support members 11 distributed on the sides of the fuel cell stack 200 will be referred to as side support members 11 a .

[0072] Referring to FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, the bipolar plates of the stack 200 are rectangular bipolar plates with two sides of different lengths. The insulating support assembly 10 includes ten insulating support members 11: four corner support members 11b are arranged at the four corners of the stack 200, four side support members 11a are distributed in pairs on each long side of the stack 200, and the remaining two side support members 11a are distributed one-to-one on each short side of the stack 200. In some embodiments, the four side support members 11a located on the two long sides of the stack 200 can be positioned one-to-one or staggered along the long sides; the two side support members 11a located on the two short sides of the stack 200 can be positioned one-to-one or staggered along the short sides.

[0073] The insulating support member 11 is located between the battery stack 200 and the housing 100, enabling a single part to transmit and transfer external excitations. When external vibrations or impact excitations act on the battery stack 200, they can be transferred to the housing 100 through the fully enclosed insulating support member 11. Therefore, the insulating support member 11 needs to be in direct contact with both the battery stack 200 and the housing 100, and the surface quality of the contact surface should be as high as possible. Referring to Figure 5, in some embodiments, at least one insulating support member 11 is provided with a groove 12a. The groove 12a can be provided on one of the side surfaces of the insulating support member 11, or grooves 12a can be provided on both sides of the insulating support member 11. The groove wall of the groove 12a is in contact with the fuel cell stack 200 and / or the shell 100. By setting the groove 12a, on the one hand, the contact surface area of ​​the insulating support 11 and the fuel cell stack 200 and / or the shell 100 is reduced and does not exceed the area of ​​the end face of the groove wall of the groove 12a. The groove 12a protrudes outward to facilitate the processing of the end face. After the insulating support 11 is manufactured, only the contact surface needs to be fine-machined, which is convenient for achieving high flatness in a limited area and reducing the manufacturing difficulty; on the other hand, the weight of the insulating support 11 can be reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the entire fuel cell module 1000.

[0074] Please refer to Figures 6, 7 and 8. In some embodiments, a local convex surface 101 can also be set at a corresponding position on the shell 100. The local convex surface 101 contacts the locally processed surface of the insulating support 11, which can not only ensure the matching accuracy of the contact surface, but also reduce the processing area of ​​the inner surface of the shell 100, facilitate the realization of high flatness in a limited area, and reduce the manufacturing difficulty.

[0075] In certain embodiments, referring to Figures 17B, 18A, and 18B, a concave-convex structure 17 is provided on the insulating support member 11. The concave-convex structure 17 is located on the non-contact surface of the insulating support member 11, that is, the concave-convex structure 17 is located between the stack 200 and the housing 100 and does not contact the stack 200 or the housing 100. By providing the concave-convex structure 17, the creepage clearance can be increased, so that the straight-line distance between the stack 200 and the housing 100 can be less than the 20mm creepage clearance requirement, reducing the volume of the fuel cell module 1000 and improving the volume power density. The concave-convex structure 17 can be a raised boss 113 and / or a concave depression on the surface of the insulating support member 11. The specific structural form is not limited in this application.

[0076] The insulating support member 11 is in contact with all components of the battery stack 200. The insulating support member 11 can be a straight rod or a curved rod. The extension direction of the insulating support member 11 can be along the stacking direction, or can be inclined relative to the stacking direction. Please refer to Figures 2 and 15. In some embodiments, the insulating support member 11 extends along the stacking direction. The surface of the insulating support member 11 is provided with a plurality of ridges 13 extending along the stacking direction. The ridges 13 serve as the groove walls of the grooves 12a. The grooves 12a of the insulating support member 11 facing the battery stack 200 are through grooves 12 that pass through along the stacking direction, that is, the two ridges 13 are arranged in parallel. The two ridges 13, the body of the insulating support member 11, and the outer side surface of the battery stack 200 together form a through groove 12. The through groove 12 is conductive along the stacking direction and can not only serve as an airflow channel, but can also be used to install the positioning rods 30 used when the battery stack 200 is stacked, to prevent damage to the single cells or the insulating support member 11 during the assembly of the battery stack 200. In some embodiments, chamfers are arranged at both ends of the insulating support 11, and rounded corners are arranged at the sharp edges of the chamfers, and rounded corners are also set on the edges of the ridge 13 facing the fuel cell stack 200, so as to facilitate the movement of the single cells of the core 240 during the pressing and disassembly processes, while preventing scratches on the surface of the single cells.

[0077] In some embodiments, through slots 12 may be provided on both sides of each insulating support member 11, so that airflow channels are formed between the insulating support member 11 and the housing 100, and between the insulating support member 11 and the battery stack 200. In some embodiments, through slots 12 may be provided only on the side support member 11a, or only on the side of the side support member 11a facing the battery stack 200. This ensures that the positioning rods 30 used when assembling the battery stack 200 can be installed using the through slots 12 of the side support member 11a, eliminating the need for additional positioning rod 30 fixing tooling, reducing the number of tooling parts, and facilitating operation.

[0078] Referring to Figures 2 and 15, in some embodiments, the housing 100 adopts a split structure, including a frame 110, an air intake end side plate 170, and a blind end side plate 120. The frame 110 is provided with an air intake port 102 and a blind end port 103. The air intake end side plate 170 and the blind end side plate 120 are both connected to the frame 110 and cover the air intake port 102 and the blind end port 103, respectively. The air intake end side plate 170 and the blind end side plate 120 form the two end plates of the housing 100, and the frame 110 forms the four sides of the housing 100. When external vibration or impact excitation acts on the fuel cell stack 200, it can be transferred to the frame 110 through the insulating support member 11 that fully surrounds it. In some embodiments, the fuel cell stack 200 is partially encapsulated in the inner cavity of the housing 100. Specifically, the air intake end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is connected to the frame 110 to form the air intake end plate 170.

[0079] Along a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction (the long side or short side direction of the bipolar plates of the stack 200), the insulating support member 11 is fixed between the stack 200 and the frame 110. Along the axial direction of the insulating support member 11, the insulating support member 11 is fixed between the air intake end plate 210 and the blind-end side plate 120. To prevent the insulating support member 11 from moving within the frame 110, please refer to Figure 11. In some embodiments, the air intake end plate 210 is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves 211, and the blind-end side plate 120 is provided with a plurality of limiting posts 121. One end of the plurality of insulating support members 11 is correspondingly arranged in the plurality of mounting grooves 211, and the other end is correspondingly arranged in the plurality of limiting posts 121. One end of the insulating support member 11 extends into the mounting groove 211, which limits the insulating support member 11 along the long and short sides of the bipolar plate. The other end of the insulating support member 11 abuts against the limiting post 121 of the blind-end side plate 120, which limits the insulating support member 11 along the stacking direction. This not only allows the insulating support member 11 to be secured without the use of threaded fasteners, but also prevents it from moving when the fuel cell module 1000 is subjected to vibration or impact.

[0080] Please refer to Figures 12A, 12B, 12C, 17A and 17B. For the corner support member 11b, its cross-section is roughly L-shaped. The corner support member 11b contacts both sides of the corner of the battery stack 200 and automatically limits the position in the long side / short side direction of the bipolar plate. In some embodiments, a plurality of limiting protrusions 275 are provided on the peripheral side of the blind end plate assembly 270 of the battery stack 200, and at least one insulating support member 11 is clamped between two adjacent limiting protrusions 275. The limiting protrusions 275 are arranged in pairs, and their number is the same as the number of the side support members 11a. The mounting groove 211 limits the end of the side support member 11a, and the limiting protrusion 275 limits the middle part of the side support member 11a, further improving the limiting effect of the side support member 11a.

[0081] In some embodiments, the insulating support member 11 is in full contact with the fuel cell stack 200 and the housing 100, facilitating the transmission and transfer of external excitation, thereby allowing two adjacent insulating support members 11, the housing 100, and the fuel cell stack 200 to enclose a cavity 109, and multiple insulating support members 11 divide the annular space between the fuel cell stack 200 and the housing 100 into multiple cavities 109. A purge port is usually provided on the fuel cell housing 100, as shown in Figures 1, 5, 9, 14, and 16. In some embodiments, a purge inlet 114, a purge outlet 115, and a drain port 116 are provided on the housing 100. In some embodiments, the housing 100 includes a frame 110, and the purge inlet 114, the purge outlet 115, and the drain port 116 are all provided on the frame 110. The purge inlet 114, purge outlet 115, and drain outlet 116 can be formed by drilling holes in the frame 110 and then welding the joints. Alternatively, the purge inlet 114, purge outlet 115, and drain outlet 116 can be integrally formed with the frame 110 and the channels formed by machining. The purge inlet 114, purge outlet 115, and drain outlet 116 are all disposed on the housing 100 and communicate with the inner cavity of the housing 100. Each of the purge inlet 114, purge outlet 115, and drain outlet 116 communicates with at least one cavity 109. The specific locations of the purge inlet 114, purge outlet 115, and drain outlet 116 are not limited in this application.

[0082] Referring to Figures 1, 5, 9, 14, and 16, in some embodiments, the purge inlet 114 and purge outlet 115 are located at opposite ends of the housing 100, enabling sufficient purging of each cavity 109. A drain outlet 116 is located at the lowest point of the housing 100, specifically on the bottom surface of the housing 100. The housing 100 is typically provided with mounting legs 160 for mounting the entire fuel cell module 1000 within the vehicle body. There are at least three, and most often four, mounting legs 160. The mounting legs 160 can be located at the bottom or top of the housing 100, enabling either bottom-supported or top-mounted mounting of the fuel cell module 1000. In some embodiments, all mounting legs 160 are located at the bottom of the housing 100, and the drain outlet 116 is located on the bottom surface of the housing 100, within the space enclosed by three or more mounting legs 160. The end surface of the drain outlet 116 is located at a higher elevation than the bottom surface of the mounting legs 160, effectively utilizing the space at the bottom of the housing 100.

[0083] Referring to Figures 1, 2, 5, and 9, in certain embodiments, housing 100 employs a split structure, including a frame 110, an air inlet side panel 170, and a blind-end side panel 120. Frame 110 is provided with an air inlet port 102 and a blind-end port 103. Both air inlet side panel 170 and blind-end side panel 120 are connected to frame 110 and cover air inlet port 102 and blind-end port 103, respectively. Air inlet side panel 170 and blind-end side panel 120 form the two end panels of housing 100, while frame 110 forms the four side panels of housing 100. A purge outlet 115 and a drain outlet 116 are both provided on frame 110, while a purge inlet 114 is provided on blind-end side panel 120. Referring to Figure 16 , in certain embodiments, a purge inlet 114 is located at the bottom of the blind-end side plate 120 , and a purge outlet 115 is located at the upper portion of one of the side surfaces of the frame 110 , near the air inlet 102 . The purge airflow entering through the purge inlet 114 flows sequentially along the short sides of the bipolar plates, along the long sides of the bipolar plates, and in the stacking direction, before being discharged through the purge outlet 115 . This results in a longer airflow path. After entering through the purge inlet 114 , the gas impinges on the wall and disperses, ensuring a more effective purge. The mounting legs 160 are all connected to the frame 110 , and a drain outlet 116 is located on the bottom surface of the frame 110 .

[0084] Referring to Figures 1, 2, 14, and 15, in certain embodiments, the housing 100 employs a split structure, including a frame 110, a blind-end side plate 120, and a side cover plate 140. The frame 110 is provided with an air inlet port 102, a blind port 103, and a side opening 107. The air inlet end plate 210, the blind-end side plate 120, and the side cover plate 140 of the fuel cell stack 200 are all connected to the frame 110 and cover the air inlet port 102, the blind port 103, and the side opening 107, respectively. The air inlet end plate 210 and the blind-end side plate 120 form the two end plates of the housing 100. The frame 110 forms the four side surfaces of the housing 100. The side opening 107 is provided on one of the vertical side surfaces of the frame 110. The purge outlet 115 and the drain outlet 116 are both provided on the frame 110, and the purge inlet 114 is provided on the side cover plate 140.

[0085] Referring to Figures 14, 15, and 16, in certain embodiments, the purge inlet 114 is located at the bottom of the side cover 140, and the purge outlet 115 is located on another vertical side of the frame 110, with the height of the purge outlet 115 being higher than the purge inlet 114. The bottom-in, top-out purge direction, on the one hand, utilizes the fact that hydrogen is lighter and converges above the inner cavity of the shell 100, and the purge outlet 115 is arranged at the top to facilitate hydrogen discharge; on the other hand, after entering through the purge inlet 114, the gas impacts the inner wall of the frame 110 and the insulating support 11 and disperses, ensuring a good purge effect. The mounting legs 160 are all connected to the frame 110, and the drain outlet 116 is located on the bottom surface of the frame 110 and close to the side where the purge outlet 115 is located, utilizing the outlet guidance function to enhance the drainage effect of the purge.

[0086] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, 14 and 15. In some embodiments, the purge inlet 114 and the purge outlet 115 are both close to the air inlet port 102. Since the air inlet end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is directly used as the air inlet end side plate 170 of the shell 100, there is no gap between the air inlet end of the fuel cell stack 200 and the shell 100. There is a large gap between the blind end of the fuel cell stack 200 and the shell 100, so the purge air flow inside the shell 100 has a tendency to flow toward the blind end. By arranging the purge inlet 114 and the purge outlet 115 on the shell 100 close to the air inlet port 102, the purge air flow will inevitably flow from the air inlet end to the blind end and then from the blind end to the air inlet end when it circulates, thereby extending the purge path and improving the purge effect.

[0087] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the insulating support member 11 is provided with a purge channel 14 for connecting two adjacent cavities 109. The provision of the purge channel 14 allows the plurality of cavities 109 to be sequentially connected, facilitating the flow of purge gas to various areas of the annular space between the fuel cell stack 200 and the housing 100. The purge channel 14 may be a hole, a slot, or a notch, and the specific structural form is not limited in this application.

[0088] Referring to Figures 12A, B, and C and Figures 13A and B, in certain embodiments, the purge passage 14 is a clearance area 15 provided at at least one end of the insulating support member 11. The clearance area 15 is used to clear structures on the housing 100. The clearance area 15 is larger than the structure being cleared, and the clearance space not occupied by the structure forms the purge passage 14 connecting the two adjacent cavities 109. The clearance area 15 is located at the end of the insulating support member 11. It can be a recessed area provided at one end of the insulating support member 11, which does not contact the housing 100, thereby forming the purge passage 14 connecting the two cavities 109. Alternatively, the clearance area 15 can be provided at both ends of the insulating support member 11. In some embodiments, the avoidance zone 15 is located on the side of the insulating support 11 close to the shell 100, that is, the side of the insulating support 11 close to the fuel cell stack 200 maintains contact with each component of the fuel cell stack 200 to support the various components of the fuel cell stack 200, and the side of the insulating support 11 close to the shell 100 is in partial contact with the shell 100 to achieve the transmission and transfer of external excitation, and the uncontacted part forms the avoidance zone 15.

[0089] Referring to Figures 12A, B, and C and Figures 13A and B, in certain embodiments, the insulating support member 11 extends in the stacking direction. Ridges 13 extending in the stacking direction are provided on both sides of the body of the insulating support member 11. These ridges 13 contact the housing 100 and the fuel cell stack 200. The length of the ridges 13 in contact with the housing 100 is shorter than the length of the body of the insulating support member 11, thereby forming avoidance zones 15 at both ends of the through-slot 12.

[0090] Referring to Figures 17A, B and 18A, B, in some embodiments, the purge channel 14 is a plurality of notches 16 provided on the insulating support member 11. Both sides of the body of the insulating support member 11 are provided with ridges 13 extending in the stacking direction, and the ridges 13 are in contact with the housing 100 and the stack 200. The ridges 13 are provided with one or more notches 16 spaced apart, and the notches 16 form a purge channel 14 connecting the two cavities 109. The notches 16 can be notches obtained by removing part of the material of the ridges 13, or they can be areas between two adjacent ridges 13 when the ridges 13 are configured as a multi-segment structure. In some embodiments, multiple insulating support members 11 are distributed on various sides and corners of the battery stack 200, that is, the insulating support assembly 10 includes a corner support member 11b and a side support member 11a, wherein the recess 16 of the side support member 11a and the recess 16 of the corner support member 11b are staggered, and there is a gap h between the recess 16 of the side support member 11a and the recess 16 of the corner support member 11b along the stacking direction. The gap h allows the purge airflow to hit the insulating support member 11 when passing through and be dispersed, thereby increasing the purge area and improving the purge effect.

[0091] In some embodiments, an avoidance area 15 and a recess 16 may be provided on the insulating support 11 as the purge channel 14 . The purge channel 14 has a larger area, which reduces the flow resistance of the purge gas flow when passing through the purge channel 14 .

[0092] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG17A , the inner and outer sides of corner support member 11b are each provided with three or more spaced-apart ridges 13, each ridge 13 being perpendicular to the side of the body on which it is located. The ridges 13 on the outer side of corner support member 11b all contact the frame 110. In some embodiments, a localized convex surface 101 is provided at a corresponding location on the inner surface of frame 110, and the area of ​​the localized convex surface 101 is larger than the required contact area of ​​the corresponding ridge 13.

[0093] Referring to Figure 18A , in some embodiments, two ridges 13 are provided on each side of the side support member 11a. Each ridge 13 is perpendicular to the side surface of the housing on which it is located, and the cross-section of the side support member 11a is generally H-shaped. In some embodiments, the upper side of the frame 110 is provided with an upper opening 106. The housing 100 further includes an upper cover plate 130, which is connected to the frame 110 and covers the upper opening 106. The ridges 13 of the side support member 11a located on the upper side of the stack 200 abut against the upper cover plate 130, while the ridges 13 on the outer sides of the remaining side support members 11a all contact the frame 110. In some embodiments, referring to Figure 6 , the lower surface of the upper cover plate 130 is provided with several protrusions 131. To reduce the weight of the upper cover plate 130, the protrusions 131 can be configured as grooves, with the groove walls extending wider than the ridges 13 of the side support member 11a located on the upper side of the stack 200.

[0094] Please refer to Figures 2 and 15. In some embodiments, the fuel cell module 1000 further includes two or more crossbeams 20, which are spaced apart and located between the blind-end end plate assembly 270 and the blind-end side plate 120 of the stack 200. The housing 100 applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the stack 200 through the crossbeams 20. The crossbeams 20 are parallel to the long side or short side of the bipolar plate. Both ends of the crossbeams 20 extend into the housing 100 and are restricted by the housing 100 so as not to be displaced, thereby applying a fastening force along the stacking direction to the stack 200. Since the two or more crossbeams 20 are spaced apart, a fastening force can be applied to the entire surface of the blind-end end plate assembly 270, achieving uniform distribution of the press-fitting force, which can effectively reduce the problem of plate deformation caused by the large press-fitting force of the high-power stack 200.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 9. In some embodiments, in order to improve uniformity, a number of beams 20 are arranged at intervals along the long side direction of the bipolar plate. The number and arrangement position of the beams 20 are determined based on a comprehensive assessment of factors such as the long side dimension of the blind end plate assembly 270 and the pressing force value of the stack 200. In some embodiments, the number of beams 20 is 3 to 5. The beams 20 can be evenly distributed at equal intervals or unevenly distributed. In some embodiments, the spacing between two adjacent beams 20 located in the middle is less than or equal to the spacing between two adjacent beams 20 located at the edge, so that the distribution of the beams 20 is dense in the middle and sparse at both ends. The beams 20 in the middle are relatively dense, which can provide a larger pressing force to the central area of ​​the stack 200. In conjunction with the shell 100 located at the edge of the stack 200, the pressing force can be evenly distributed on the entire end face.

[0096] In some embodiments, the crossbeams 20 are parallel to the short sides of the bipolar plates, the insulating supports 11 are parallel to the stacking direction, and the crossbeams 20 are perpendicular to the insulating supports 11. The crossbeams 20 and the insulating supports 11 can be staggered; the ends of some insulating supports 11 can also be pressed against the corresponding crossbeams 20, thereby reducing the size of the housing 100 in the distribution direction of the crossbeams 20. In some embodiments, the insulating supports 11 are provided with through slots 12 extending along the stacking direction. The through slots 12 are used to install the positioning rods 30 when the battery stack 200 is stacked. In this case, the insulating supports 11 used to install the positioning rods 30 cannot be pressed against the crossbeams 20, otherwise the crossbeams 20 will hinder the installation of the positioning rods 30.

[0097] In some embodiments, an opening is provided on one of the side surfaces of the shell 100. The opening can be provided on the other four side surfaces of the shell 100 except the air inlet end surface and the blind end surface. Each cross beam 20 is opposite to the opening so that each cross beam 20 can be inserted into the shell 100 through the opening. The insertion of the cross beam 20 during the assembly process is facilitated by providing an obstruction.

[0098] Referring to Figures 2 and 15 , in some embodiments, the upper surface of the housing 100 is provided with an upper opening 106. The housing 100 also includes an upper cover plate 130, which covers the upper opening 106. The upper surface of the housing 100 faces the large surface of the fuel cell stack 200 (the sides are respectively along the long sides of the bipolar plates and the stacking direction). Providing the upper opening 106 reduces the structural strength of the upper surface of the housing 100. To improve the strength of the housing 100, in some embodiments, the upper surface of the housing 100 is provided with one or more longitudinal beams 112, each of which is located in the upper opening 106. The longitudinal beams 112 are staggered with the cross beams 20, and the cross beams 20 are inserted into the housing 100 through the space in the upper opening 106 not occupied by the longitudinal beams 112.

[0099] Referring to Figures 2 and 15 , in some embodiments, the housing 100 employs a split structure, comprising a frame 110, an air inlet side panel 170, a blind end side panel 120, and an upper cover 130. The frame 110 is provided with an air inlet port 102, a blind end port 103, and an upper opening 106. The air inlet side panel 170, the blind end side panel 120, and the upper cover 130 are all connected to the frame 110 and cover the air inlet port 102, the blind end port 103, and the upper opening 106, respectively. The air inlet side panel 170 and the blind end side panel 120 form the two end panels of the housing 100, while the frame 110 forms the four side panels of the housing 100. Both ends of the crossbeam 20 extend into the frame 110.

[0100] Referring to Figure 9 , in some embodiments, the frame 110 is provided with multiple bosses 113 spaced apart along the distribution direction of the crossbeams 20. Each boss 113 is grouped in pairs, with the two bosses 113 in a group forming a groove structure. Each crossbeam 20 is sandwiched between two adjacent bosses 113, enabling boltless fixing of the crossbeams 20 while preventing movement of the crossbeams 20 during vibration or impact. The height of the bosses 113 is no greater than the thickness of the crossbeam 20, ensuring that the crossbeam 20 can firmly abut the blind-end endplate assembly 270 of the stack 200.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 19. In some embodiments, the outer end surface of the blind end plate assembly 270 of the battery stack 200 is provided with a limiting groove 274. The limiting groove 274 is located in the same position and number as the crossbeam 20. The crossbeams 20 are arranged in the corresponding limiting grooves 274 in a one-to-one correspondence. The limiting grooves 274 further limit the movement of the crossbeam 20 during vibration and impact. The groove depth of the limiting groove 274 is no greater than the thickness of the crossbeam 20, ensuring that the crossbeam 20 can be tightly pressed against the shell 100. In some embodiments, the blind end plate assembly 270 of the battery stack 200 includes a blind end plate 271, a disc spring 273, and a disc spring support plate 272. The disc spring support plate 272 is in contact with the crossbeam 20. The outer surface of the disc spring support plate 272 is provided with a limiting groove 274. The provision of the limiting groove 274 increases the thickness of the disc spring support plate 272 and reduces bending deformation.

[0102] Referring to Figures 2 and 9, in some embodiments, the fuel cell module 1000 further includes a plurality of spaced-apart shock-absorbing columns 123, which are located between the housing 100 and the fuel cell stack 200 and pressed against the fuel cell stack 200. Each shock-absorbing column 123 is staggered with each crossbeam 20, and the shock-absorbing columns 123 cooperate with the crossbeam 20 to apply a tightening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack 200. The shock-absorbing columns 123 can exist independently of the fuel cell stack 200 and the housing 100, or they can be fixedly mounted on the housing 100. In some embodiments, a plurality of shock-absorbing columns 123 are connected to the blind-end side plate 120, which is provided with a plurality of mounting platforms 122, and the shock-absorbing columns 123 are mounted on the mounting platforms 122 by screws.

[0103] Please refer to Figures 2 and 9. In some embodiments, a protrusion 111 is provided on one side of the shell 100. The protrusion 111 is located on one of the side surfaces of the shell 100 excluding the two end surfaces of the blind end and the air inlet end. The protrusion 111 is a part of the shell 100 that protrudes outward, and the interior of the protrusion 111 is connected to the inner cavity of the shell 100. When the main body of the shell 100 is a frame 110, the protrusion 111 is provided on one of the vertical side surfaces of the frame 110. The high-voltage assembly 300 of the fuel cell module 1000 is installed on the protrusion 111, specifically, the copper busbar assembly 310 is located in the protrusion 111, and the through terminal 320 is installed on the protrusion 111. A high-voltage mounting hole 105 is provided on the top surface of the protrusion 111, and the through terminal 320 is installed in the high-voltage mounting hole 105. The upper portion of the through terminal 320 extends out of the outer protrusion 111 for connecting to the high-voltage wire harness, and the lower portion of the through terminal 320 extends into the outer protrusion 111 for electrically connecting to the copper busbar of the copper busbar assembly 310 through the high-voltage bolt 340 .

[0104] In some embodiments, the low-voltage component is mounted below the protrusion 111, making rational use of the space below the protrusion 111. The low-voltage component can be located entirely or partially outside the housing 100. The area below the protrusion 111 on the housing 100 is provided with a low-voltage mounting hole 108, through which the low-voltage component or low-voltage wiring harness passes. Referring to Figures 14 and 15, in some embodiments, the outer cover of the low-voltage component has a cover 180, which is connected to the housing 100 and encapsulates the low-voltage component.

[0105] Since the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly are separated by the outer protrusion 111, on the one hand, since the housing 100 is usually made of metal material, the outer protrusion 111 can effectively achieve electromagnetic shielding of high and low voltages; on the other hand, since the through-terminal 320 is directly installed on the frame 110, the intake end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is also connected to the frame 110, and the through-terminal 320 and the current collecting plate connected to the high-voltage copper busbar are both installed with the frame 110 as the installation reference. Therefore, the high-voltage assembly 300 does not need to rely on other tooling structures when installing, and the assembly operation is simple. In addition, since the copper busbar assembly 310 is located in the outer protrusion 111, the bottom plate of the outer protrusion 111 can also prevent the high-voltage bolts 340 from falling into the inner cavity of the housing 100.

[0106] Since the low-voltage assembly and the high-voltage assembly 300 are located on the same side, they can be arranged on either the long side or the short side of the housing 100. Referring to Figures 1, 14, and 16, in some embodiments, the low-voltage assembly and the high-voltage assembly 300 are both arranged on the short side of the housing 100. Compared to arranging them on the long side, arranging them on the short side provides a higher degree of integration, which can reduce the volume of the fuel cell module 1000 and improve its integration.

[0107] Referring to Figures 14 and 16, in some embodiments, the top surface of the outer protrusion 111 is lower than the top surface of the main body of the shell 100, so that two bent structures 117 are formed at the connection between the outer protrusion 111 and the main body of the shell 100. In the insulating support member 11 located on the side where the low-voltage component and the high-voltage component 300 are located, one of the corner support members 11b and one of the side support members 11a are respectively in contact with the two bent structures 117. By providing the two bent structures 117 formed by the outer protrusion 111 to press against the insulating support member 11, it is possible to avoid the situation where the insulating support member 11 cannot be provided due to the increase in the distance between the battery stack 200 and the shell 100 caused by the installation of the high-voltage component 300. Furthermore, since the top surface of the outer protrusion 111 is sunken, the purge outlet 115 can be set above the outer protrusion 111, utilizing the space formed by the sinking top surface of the outer protrusion 111. Moreover, since the purge outlet 115 is close to the high-voltage component 300, the outlet guiding effect can be utilized to make the purge airflow flow entirely to the high-voltage component 300, blowing away the water vapor inside the outer protrusion 111, avoiding electrical conduction caused by water vapor, and improving the safety of the fuel cell module 1000.

[0108] Referring to Figures 2 and 15 , in some embodiments, an access opening 104 is provided on the convex portion, through which the connection between the copper busbar assembly 310 and the current collecting plate and / or the through-terminal 320 is exposed. The housing 100 further includes a high-voltage operation cover 150, which is connected to the convex portion 111 and covers the access opening 104. The provision of the access opening 104 facilitates installation of the high-voltage bolt 340.

[0109] Referring to Figures 2 and 15 , in some embodiments, the connection between the copper busbar assembly 310 and the current collector plate, as well as the connection between the copper busbar assembly 310 and the through-terminal 320, are exposed to the outside through the access port 104. High-pressure bolts 340 at both ends of the copper busbar assembly 310 can be installed and operated through the access port 104. In some embodiments, the tabs of the current collector plate are bent, and the copper busbar of the copper busbar assembly 310 is a straight copper busbar. One end of the copper busbar is aligned with the bent portion of the tab, and the other end is aligned with the mating portion of the through-terminal 320. Both ends are locked by high-pressure bolts 340.

[0110] At the two connecting ends of the copper busbar, at least one of the copper busbar and the docking part is provided with a threaded hole, and the other can be provided with a through hole or a threaded hole. When the copper busbar, the tab, and the docking part are relatively thin, the effective thread length is short, which may cause the bolts to slip when tightened. To this end, in some embodiments, a nut 330 is provided on the copper busbar and / or the current collecting plate of the copper busbar assembly 310. The nut 330 is installed and fixed by punch riveting or press riveting, which can increase the effective thread length and improve the reliability of the copper busbar connection.

[0111] The fuel cell module 1000 requires the use of positioning rods 30 during assembly. Referring to Figures 20, 21, and 22, the number of positioning rods 30 is four or more, ensuring that at least one positioning rod 30 is provided on each side of the stack 200. The positioning rods 30 are generally provided along the stacking direction of the stack 200, and the length of each positioning rod 30 is not less than the sum of the length of the shell 100 and the height difference Δh of the stack 200 before and after press-fitting. Among the positioning rods 30, at least two positioning rods 30 extend into the through slots 12 of the insulating support member 11, specifically, into the through slots 12 of the side support members 11a located on two adjacent sides of the stack 200. In other words, some positioning rods 30 are located in the through slots 12 and are fixed by the side support members 11a; the remaining positioning rods 30 are located outside the through slots 12 and are directly provided between the stack 200 and the shell 100.

[0112] Referring to Figure 23 , in some embodiments, the thickness H1 of the positioning rod 31 within the through-slot 12 is no greater than the depth H2 of the through-slot 12, and the width L1 of the positioning rod 31 within the through-slot 12 is less than the width L2 of the through-slot 12. This prevents lateral slippage during assembly of the battery stack 200, which could compress the positioning rod 30 and render it impossible to remove. In some embodiments, the thickness H4 of the positioning rod 32 outside the through-slot 12 is no greater than the thickness H3 of the insulating support member 11 located on the same side. This allows for the transfer of lateral slippage and compressive forces from the positioning rod 30 to the insulating support member 11 located on the same side during assembly. Referring to Figure 24 , in some embodiments, the inner surface of the housing 100 is provided with a partially convex surface 101 corresponding to each positioning rod 32 located outside the through-slot 12. The width L4 of the positioning rod 32 located outside the through-slot 12 is no less than the width L5 of the corresponding partially convex surface 101, preventing the partially convex surface 101 from interfering with the removal of the positioning rod 32 located outside the through-slot 12.

[0113] Please refer to Figure 20. The following describes the assembly method of the fuel cell module 1000 of the first aspect of the present application, taking the fuel cell module 1000 of a certain embodiment as an example. In the fuel cell module 1000 of this embodiment, the shell 100 includes a frame 110 and a blind end side plate 120. The blind end side plate 120 is connected to the frame 110 and covers the blind port 103 respectively. The air intake end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is connected to the frame 110 and covers the air intake port 102. The insulating support assembly 10 includes 10 insulating support members 11: 4 corner support members 11b are respectively arranged at the 4 corners of the fuel cell stack 200, 4 side support members 11a are distributed in pairs on each long side of the fuel cell stack 200, and the remaining 2 side support members 11a are distributed one by one on each short side of the fuel cell stack 200.

[0114] S1. Several insulating supports 11 are placed in the inner cavity of the shell 100 along two adjacent side surfaces of the shell 100 at intervals. Among the several insulating supports 11, at least two insulating supports 11 are provided with through grooves 12, and at least two insulating supports 11 provided with through grooves 12 are distributed on different sides of the shell 100.

[0115] In some embodiments, the air intake end plate 210 is first connected to the frame 110 , and the frame 110 is placed on a table with the air intake end plate 210 facing downward, so that the blind port 103 of the frame 110 faces forward.

[0116] Inside the frame 110, a plurality of insulating support members 11 are spaced apart along two adjacent side surfaces of the housing 100. The plurality of insulating support members 11 include both corner support members 11b and side support members 11a. The two adjacent side surfaces include a side surface on the short side of the bipolar plate and a side surface on the long side of the bipolar plate. In certain embodiments, the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly of the fuel cell module 1000 are arranged on the same side and are both located on the short side of the bipolar plate. The two adjacent side surfaces are the side surface and the bottom surface where the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly are located. A side support member 11a is placed on the side surface where the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly are located, two side support members 11a are placed on the bottom surface, and a corner support member 11b is placed at the corner of the two adjacent side surfaces.

[0117] S2. Place some components of the fuel cell stack 200 into the inner cavity.

[0118] Since the inlet end plate 210 of the fuel cell stack 200 is already connected to the frame 110, other components located at the inlet end of the core 240, such as the inlet end insulation plate 220 and the inlet end collector plate 230, can be placed into the inner cavity in this step. In some embodiments, the inlet end plate 210 and the inlet end collector plate 230 are integrally formed, so only the inlet end collector plate 230 needs to be placed. During the placement of these components into the inner cavity, they move downward along the surface of the already placed insulating support member 11 until they are stacked on the inlet end plate 210.

[0119] Part of the components of the battery stack 200 placed in the inner cavity will contact the insulating support member 11 placed in the inner cavity, blocking a portion of the slot 12 of the side support member 11a. In some embodiments, when the side of the intake end plate 210 is provided with a draft angle, only a portion of the side surface of the intake end plate 210 contacts the slot wall of the support member's slot 12. Therefore, installing part of the components of the battery stack 200 can provide a limit point for the subsequent installation of the positioning rod 30.

[0120] S3. Place all positioning rods 30 in the inner cavity along the side surfaces of the housing 100 at intervals, with at least two positioning rods 30 extending into corresponding through slots 12 .

[0121] Because several insulating support members 11 were already placed on two adjacent side surfaces of the inner cavity of the housing 100 before the positioning rods 30 were placed, the positioning rods 30 on these two adjacent side surfaces are inserted into the through-slots 12 of the corresponding side support members 11a. The remaining positioning rods 30 are placed on the remaining two adjacent side surfaces, clearing the installation positions of the insulating support members 11 on the remaining two adjacent side surfaces. The positioning rods 30 inserted into the through-slots 12 are blocked by a portion of the components of the fuel cell stack 200 installed in step S2, and remain stably positioned in the through-slots 12, preventing them from slipping out of the notches of the through-slots 12.

[0122] S4. Other components of the fuel cell stack 200 are stacked in sequence in the area of ​​the inner cavity surrounded by four or more positioning rods 30 .

[0123] In step S3, positioning rods 30 are installed around the inner cavity of the housing 100. The area enclosed by the positioning rods 30 is the theoretical assembly position of the fuel cell stack 200 in the fuel cell module 1000. The other components of the fuel cell stack 200 are stacked and placed in this area. When the stack is assembled, the height of the fuel cell stack 200 is h1. The top ends of the positioning rods 30 need to be higher than the top surface of the fuel cell stack 200 to ensure that all components of the fuel cell stack 200 are located within the area enclosed by the positioning rods 30.

[0124] S5. Use a press to press the blind-end end plate assembly 270 of the fuel cell stack 200 and press the fuel cell stack 200 to a set height.

[0125] After the stacking is completed, the press presses the outermost plate at the blind end of the battery stack 200, namely the blind end plate assembly 270. In some embodiments, the blind end plate assembly 270 only includes the blind end plate 271, then the press presses the blind end plate 271 and applies a downward pressing force in the stacking direction; in some embodiments, the blind end plate assembly 270 includes the blind end plate 271, the disc spring 273 and the disc spring support plate 272, then the press presses the disc spring support plate 272 and applies a downward pressing force in the stacking direction. The various components of the stacked battery stack 200 will move downward a certain distance under the pressure of the press, and this downward movement is mainly caused by the compression deformation of the seals between the components. The press presses the battery stack 200 to a set height h2. The height difference Δh of the battery stack 200 before and after pressing is h1-h2, as shown in Figure 21.

[0126] Before the press is removed, the pressure from the press needs to be transferred to the housing 100, which maintains the compression of the stack 200. In some embodiments, a compression member can be installed on the frame 110, which is fixedly connected to the frame 110 and compresses the stack 200, transferring the pressure from the press.

[0127] In some embodiments, the pressure of the press is transferred by two or more crossbeams 20. Specifically, after the press presses the fuel cell stack 200 to a set height h2, two or more crossbeams 20 are placed on the blind end plate assembly 270 of the fuel cell stack 200, and the ends of the crossbeams 20 are inserted between the blind end plate assembly 270 and the frame 110, so that the crossbeams 20 are constrained between the blind end plate assembly 270 and the frame 110. Because the crossbeams 20 are spaced apart and contact all positions on the surface of the blind end plate assembly 270, after the press presses the fuel cell stack 200 to a set height h2, the distance between the surface of the blind end plate assembly 270 in contact with the crossbeam 20 and the surface of the frame 110 in contact with the crossbeam 20 is exactly equal to the thickness of the crossbeam 20. Therefore, a plurality of crossbeams 20 can simulate the pressure applied by the press to the fuel cell stack 200. After the crossbeams 20 are in place, the press can be removed.

[0128] S6. Place the remaining insulating support members 11 in the inner cavity of the housing 100 along the other two adjacent side surfaces of the housing 100 at intervals.

[0129] In certain embodiments, an upper opening 106 and a side opening 107 are respectively formed on the other two adjacent sides of the frame 110, and the upper opening 106 and the side opening 107 are covered by an upper cover plate 130 and a side cover plate 140. When installing the remaining insulating support members 11, the upper opening 106 and the side opening 107 are both open, so the remaining insulating support members 11 can be installed in the corresponding position through the upper opening 106 and the side opening 107. This can prevent the remaining insulating support members 11 from damaging the core 240 when being inserted downwardly from the blind end break along the stacking direction between the stack 200 and the shell 100. After the insulating support rods on the side are installed, the upper cover plate 130 and the side cover plate 140 can be installed.

[0130] S7. Take out all the positioning rods 30.

[0131] Since the thickness H1 of the positioning rod 31 located in the through slot 12 is not greater than the depth H2 of the through slot 12, and the width L1 is smaller than the width L2 of the through slot 12, and the thickness H4 of the positioning rod 32 located outside the through slot 12 is not greater than the thickness H3 of the insulating support 11 located on the same side, when all the insulating support members 11 are installed in place, each insulating support member 11 presses against each side of the battery stack 200, and there will be no situation where the positioning rod 30 is squeezed due to lateral slippage during the assembly process of the battery stack 200, making it easy to disassemble the positioning rod 30.

[0132] S8 . Install the high-voltage assembly 300 and the low-voltage assembly of the fuel cell module 1000 , seal the housing 100 , and complete the assembly of the fuel cell module 1000 .

[0133] After the positioning rod 30 is removed, the blind-end side plate 120 is installed on the frame 110 to cover the blind-end port. In some embodiments, the fuel cell module 1000 further includes a plurality of spaced-apart shock-absorbing columns 123. Before installing the blind-end side plate 120, the shock-absorbing columns 123 are first assembled to the blind-end side plate 120 by screws, and then the blind-end side plate 120 is installed on the frame 110. The initial height of the shock-absorbing columns 123 is greater than the spacing between the blind-end side plate 120 and the disc spring support plate 272 after installation. Therefore, after the blind-end side plate 120 is fastened to the frame 110, the shock-absorbing columns 123 will be squeezed by the disc spring support plate 272 and the blind-end side plate 120, thereby providing a reverse force to supplement the pressing force transferred by the crossbeam 20.

[0134] Since the stacking process is performed along the stacking direction, the frame 110 is placed vertically, with the stacking direction parallel to the vertical direction. Since the copper busbars also extend along the stacking direction, placing the frame 110 vertically is not conducive to the assembly of the high-voltage assembly 300. Therefore, before assembling the high-voltage assembly 300, the assembled stack 200 and housing 100 must be laid flat.

[0135] When installing the high-voltage assembly 300, first install the through terminal 320 in the high-voltage mounting hole 105 of the frame 110; then place the copper busbar assembly 310 into the outer protrusion 111 through the operating port 104, and connect the copper busbar assembly 310 to the lug of the collecting plate and the lower part of the through terminal 320 through the high-voltage bolt 340; finally, connect the high-voltage operating cover 150 to the frame 110 to cover the operating port 104.

[0136] When installing the low-voltage component, the wiring between the low-voltage component and the fuel cell stack 200 and / or the wiring inside the low-voltage component is mainly carried out. After the wiring is completed, the cover 180 is installed, and the cover 180 covers the low-voltage component inside.

[0137] After the high-pressure operating cover plate 150 and the cover body 180 are installed, the housing 100 is encapsulated into a complete box structure, completing the assembly of the entire fuel cell module 1000 .

[0138] Referring to Figure 25 , an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application provides a vehicle comprising at least one fuel cell module 1000 as described in any embodiment of the first aspect. Specifically, the vehicle comprises a fuel cell power system comprising a fuel cell system, a DC / DC converter, a drive motor and its motor controller, and an on-board energy storage device. The fuel cell system comprises the fuel cell module 1000 and a fuel cell auxiliary system. The fuel cell system can operate normally when connected to an external fuel supply source.

[0139] According to the fuel cell module provided by one or more embodiments of the present application, an insulating support assembly is provided between the shell and the stack, and the insulating support assembly is in contact with all components of the stack, and can support the side of the stack to resist inter-layer slippage of the stack. The insulating support assembly includes a plurality of insulating support members distributed at intervals, and the insulating support members are components independent of the shell and the outside of the stack. Compared with the anti-collapse structure in which the shell is directly pressed against the stack, the independent plurality of insulating support members are more convenient to install, and the difficulty of assembling the stack is low. The plurality of insulating support members are distributed at least at each corner of the stack, and the insulating support members distributed at the corners of the stack are in contact with two adjacent sides of the stack at the same time. The plurality of insulating support members fully cover the stack from all directions, achieving a full-coverage and anti-slip effect on the core.

[0140] The fuel cell auxiliary system of the fuel cell system includes an air supply subsystem, a fuel supply subsystem, a thermal management subsystem and an automatic control system, wherein the air supply subsystem is used to provide air to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000, and can optionally filter, humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the air. The air supply subsystem is connected to the air inlet and air outlet of each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000; the fuel supply subsystem is used to provide fuel to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000, and can optionally humidify, pressure regulate and other aspects of the fuel to convert it into fuel gas suitable for operation in the fuel cell stack. Taking hydrogen as fuel as an example, the fuel supply subsystem is connected to the hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet of each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000; the thermal management subsystem is connected to each stack 200 of the fuel cell module 1000 to provide coolant to cool and / or heat the stack 200, and to recycle the water generated by the stack 200.

[0141] The automatic control system is electrically connected to the fuel cell module 1000, the air supply subsystem, the fuel supply subsystem, and the thermal management subsystem. The automatic control system comprises an assembly of sensors, actuators, valves, switches, and control logic components, ensuring the proper operation of the fuel cell system without human intervention. In other embodiments, the fuel cell auxiliary system may also include a ventilation system for mechanically discharging gases from the fuel cell system housing to the exterior. The fuel cell auxiliary system in this embodiment has not been modified; therefore, further details are provided in the relevant prior art disclosures and are not detailed here.

[0142] In a fuel cell power system, a DC / DC converter is electrically connected to each fuel cell stack 200 of the fuel cell system to achieve voltage conversion. The voltage generated by each fuel cell stack 200 is regulated and output to high-voltage devices such as the drive motor and the automotive air conditioning compressor, as well as energy storage devices such as batteries. The drive motor is electrically connected to the DC / DC converter to provide the torque required for vehicle travel. The motor controller is electrically connected to the drive motor to control the start, stop, and torque output of the drive motor. The motor controller is connected to the vehicle control to receive driving signals from the vehicle controller and can also be electrically connected to the fuel cell system's automatic control system. The on-board energy storage device is used to store electrical energy to power other electronic devices in the vehicle. The on-board energy storage device is electrically connected to the DC / DC converter and can be, for example, a battery.

[0143] In this embodiment, the DC / DC converter, the drive motor and its motor controller, and the on-board energy storage device in the fuel cell power system have not been improved. Therefore, for more detailed information, please refer to the relevant disclosures in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0144] In addition, the vehicle also needs to include a transmission system and a fuel storage device for storing fuel. The transmission system transmits the torque of the drive motor to drive the wheels to rotate. The fuel storage device acts like a fuel tank in a fuel vehicle. The fuel storage device is connected to the fuel supply subsystem of the fuel cell system through a pipeline.

[0145] Thus, the vehicle can be a hydrogen-powered vehicle or a hydrogen-powered + rechargeable hybrid electric vehicle, and can be a family car, bus, truck, etc. Since the specific structure of the vehicle is not improved in this embodiment, the structure of the vehicle in this embodiment that has not been changed can refer to the prior art, and the specific content is not described in detail here. Thus, the vehicle has all the features and advantages described above for the fuel cell power system, fuel cell system, fuel cell module 1000, and fuel cell stack 200, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0147] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0148] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connect," "fix," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, "fix" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; it can mean mechanical connection or electrical connection; it can mean direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0149] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0150] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and intent of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fuel cell module, comprising a shell and a fuel cell stack arranged in the shell, and also comprising an insulating support assembly, wherein the insulating support assembly is arranged between the shell and the fuel cell stack, and the insulating support assembly is in contact with all components of the fuel cell stack; the insulating support assembly includes a plurality of insulating support members distributed at intervals, and the plurality of insulating support members are distributed at least at each corner of the fuel cell stack.

2. The fuel cell module according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of insulating support members are respectively distributed at each corner of the battery stack and each side of the battery stack.

3. The fuel cell module according to claim 2, wherein: At least one of the insulating support members is provided with a groove, and a groove wall of the groove is in contact with the fuel cell stack and / or the shell.

4. The fuel cell module according to claim 3, wherein: The insulating support extends along the stacking direction, and the groove facing the battery stack is a through groove penetrating along the stacking direction; Among the plurality of insulating support members, at least the insulating support member located on the side surface of the fuel cell stack is provided with the through groove.

5. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The battery stack is encapsulated in the inner cavity of the shell, and the shell applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the battery stack; Alternatively, the air intake end plate of the fuel cell stack is connected to one side of the shell to form one of the end plates of the shell, and the air intake end plate and the shell jointly apply a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack.

6. The fuel cell module according to claim 5, wherein: The housing comprises: A frame is provided with an air inlet port and a blind port; the air inlet end plate of the fuel cell stack is connected to the frame and covers the air inlet port; The blind end side plate is connected to the frame and covers the blind end port.

7. The fuel cell module according to claim 6, wherein: One side of the frame is provided with an opening; The shell further includes an upper cover plate, which is connected to the frame and covers the opening.

8. The fuel cell module according to claim 7, wherein: The fuel cell module also includes two or more cross beams, which are spaced apart and located between the blind end plate assembly and the blind end side plate of the fuel cell stack, and are opposite to the opening position; the shell applies a fastening force along the stacking direction to the fuel cell stack through the cross beams.

9. The fuel cell module according to claim 6, wherein: One side of the frame is provided with an outer protrusion, and the high-pressure component of the fuel cell module is installed on the outer protrusion; the low-pressure component of the fuel cell module is installed below the outer protrusion.

10. The fuel cell module according to claim 6, wherein: The air inlet end plate is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves, the blind end side plate is provided with a plurality of limiting columns, one end of the plurality of insulating support members is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence in the plurality of mounting grooves, and the other end is corresponding to the plurality of limiting columns.

11. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A plurality of limiting protrusions are provided on the peripheral side of the blind end plate assembly of the fuel cell stack, and at least one of the insulating support members is clamped between two adjacent limiting protrusions.

12. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The inner surface of the shell is provided with one or more local convex surfaces for contacting the insulating support member.

13. The fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The insulating support is provided with a concave-convex structure, and the concave-convex structure is located on the non-contact surface of the insulating support.

14. A vehicle comprising the fuel cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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