CN100399618C - Fuel cell stack structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention can bring the following effects: a membrane-electrode assembly is combined with a membrane-electrode assembly along the bottom of the spiral bipolar plate, and a flow path can be formed; the membrane-electrode assembly makes the anode adhere to the electrolyte membrane The cathode is attached to the outside of the above-mentioned electrolyte membrane to form a single cell C, and a plurality of single cells are continuously formed at a certain interval. With the above-mentioned structure, when generating electricity, fuel is supplied to the above-mentioned flow path, and an electrochemical oxidation reaction occurs at the above-mentioned anode; an electrochemical reduction reaction occurs at the above-mentioned cathode by air, and electric energy is generated by the movement of electrons generated by the above-mentioned electrochemical reaction. . Through the above structure, the fuel is directly supplied to each of the single cells C along the above-mentioned flow path without passing through the pipeline, uniform fuel distribution is performed, the working efficiency of power generation is improved, and the hydrogen gas in the bubble state existing inside the above-mentioned flow path can be removed Gas, improve power generation performance.

Description

Fuel cell stack structure

technical field

The present invention relates to a fuel cell that generates electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction of fuel supplied from the outside and air; furthermore, to a stack structure of a fuel cell (STACK STRUCTURE OF FUEL CELL ): Form the battery pack into a spiral shape for uniform fuel distribution.

Background technique

Generally speaking, a fuel cell (FUEL CELL) is a device that converts the energy contained in fuel into electrical energy.

Hereinafter, a fuel cell in the prior art will be briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 briefly shows a structural diagram of a prior art fuel cell.

As shown in Figure 1, the overall structure of the fuel cell 1 is: a fuel tank 2 is provided on one side of the battery pack 10 that generates electricity, and the fuel tank 2 is used to store fuel; the anode of the fuel tank 2 and the battery pack 10 passes through The fuel supply line 3 is connected to the fuel recovery line 4; a fuel pump 5 is arranged on the fuel supply line 3, and the fuel pump 5 is used for pumping fuel.

In addition, an air supply line 6 and an air discharge line 7 are provided at the cathode of the aforementioned battery pack 10 . Wherein, an air pump 8 is provided on the above-mentioned air supply line 6, and the above-mentioned air pump 8 is used for pumping the supplied air.

Fig. 2 briefly shows an oblique view of the structure of a prior art battery pack.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the above-mentioned battery pack 10 is constituted by successively laminating a plurality of batteries C that generate electrochemical reactions, and assembling the above-mentioned stacks together by bolts (not shown in the drawings). A fuel supply pipeline 11, a fuel discharge pipeline 12, an air supply pipeline 13, and an air discharge pipeline 14 are arranged on each of the batteries C along the mutual diagonal direction, and the fuel is discharged through the above-mentioned pipelines (Manifold). , Air is supplied to each of the above cells C, or reactants are discharged from each of the cells C.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a battery structure of a prior art battery pack.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the unit cell C is composed of a membrane-electrode assembly 25 , a bipolar plate (BIPOLAR PLATE) 27 and a collector plate 28 . The components of the above-mentioned membrane-electrode assembly (MEA: MEMBRANE-ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY) 25 include: an electrolyte membrane 21, an anode 23 and a cathode 24 on both sides of the above-mentioned electrolyte membrane 21. Platinum catalyst layer; the above-mentioned bipolar plate (BIPOLAR PLATE) 27 is closely assembled on both sides of the above-mentioned membrane-electrode assembly 25, and forms a fuel gas flow path 29 and an oxygen-containing gas flow path on the above-mentioned anode 23 and cathode 24 26.

In the prior art fuel cell having the above-mentioned structure, when the operating switch of the machine is turned on, the fuel pump 5 pumps the fuel stored in the fuel tank 2, and the fuel in the fuel tank 2 passes through the fuel supply route. 3 is supplied to the above-mentioned fuel supply line 11, and the fuel in the above-mentioned fuel tank 2 is sequentially supplied to the single cells C of the above-mentioned battery pack 10 through the above-mentioned fuel supply line 11, along the flow path 29 formed outside the above-mentioned anode 23 to flow.

In addition, at the same time as the supply of the fuel, the air pump 8 is activated to supply air to the air supply line 13 through the air supply line 6, and the supplied air passes along the cathodes of the single cells C formed in the battery pack 10. 24 outside the channel 26 to flow.

Through the above-mentioned structure, the fuel flowing along the flow path 29 diffuses on the surface of the anode 23 to perform electrochemical oxidation reaction of hydrogen; the air flowing along the flow path 26 diffuses on the surface of the cathode 24 to perform electrochemical oxidation reaction of oxygen. Chemical reduction reaction; at this time, the above-mentioned anode 23 and cathode 24 place the above-mentioned electrolyte membrane 21 in the middle, and generate electric energy through the movement of electricity, and the above-mentioned generated electric energy is collected on the above-mentioned collector plate 28, and used as an energy source.

But there is following problem in the prior art fuel cell with above-mentioned structure:

That is to say, when generating electricity, the fuel in the fuel tank 2 is supplied to the fuel supply pipeline 11 of the battery pack 10 through the fuel supply line 3, and then supplied to each of the single cells C in sequence, so that the frontmost The single cell _C1 and the rearmost single cell Cn have a large difference in fuel distribution ratio, which reduces the working efficiency of power generation; and in order to solve the above problems, the method of increasing the capacity of the above-mentioned fuel pump 5 is adopted, but this method will Increased expense and overall size of the machine.

In addition, inside the flow path 26 of the unit cell C, there is hydrogen gas in a bubble state for the reduction reaction to occur. Due to insufficient supply pressure of the fuel, the hydrogen gas in the bubble state existing inside the flow path 26 of the rear side unit cell C cannot be discharged to the outside, and the presence of the hydrogen gas in the bubble state will become a flow hindrance factor and affect power generation performance.

Contents of the invention

The present invention is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art fuel cell, and the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell stack structure that does not have all the above-mentioned problems.

The second object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell stack structure that can achieve the following effects: the fuel is evenly distributed to each single cell, and the working efficiency of power generation is improved.

A third object of the present invention is to discharge hydrogen gas existing in the inner flow path of each unit cell to the outside to improve power generation performance.

In order to achieve the purpose of the above-mentioned present invention, a battery pack structure of a fuel cell supplies the anode of the battery pack with the fuel stored in the fuel tank; supplies air to the cathode of the above-mentioned battery pack; The electromotive force is obtained from the electrochemical reaction carried out by air; it is characterized in that: the plane of the above-mentioned battery pack is vertically rotated around the axis to form a spiral shape, and the above-mentioned spiral battery pack is composed of a plurality of single cells that are continuously formed at a certain distance; the above-mentioned single cells The battery is composed of an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode; an electrolyte membrane is attached along the bottom of the spiral bipolar plate to form a flow path; an anode is attached to one side of the electrolyte membrane; an anode is attached to the other side of the electrolyte membrane There is a cathode.

Therefore, the cell stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention can bring the following effects: a membrane-electrode assembly is combined along the bottom of the spiral bipolar plate to form a flow path, and the above-mentioned membrane-electrode assembly makes the anode adhere to the electrolyte. The inner side of the membrane and the single cells whose cathodes are attached to the outer side of the electrolyte membrane are formed continuously at a certain interval. With the above structure, when power is generated, fuel is supplied to the flow path, and electrochemical oxidation occurs at the anode; electrochemical reduction occurs at the cathode by air, and electrical energy is generated by movement of electrons generated by the electrochemical reaction. Through the above-mentioned structure, the fuel is directly supplied to each of the above-mentioned single cells along the flow path without passing through the pipeline, and the fuel is distributed evenly to improve the working efficiency of power generation, and the hydrogen gas in the bubble state inside the above-mentioned flow path is removed to activate response to improve power generation performance.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 briefly shows a structural diagram of a prior art fuel cell.

Fig. 2 briefly shows an oblique view of the structure of a prior art battery pack.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a battery structure of a prior art battery pack.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of FIG. 4A.

Explanation of reference signs of main components

2: Fuel tank 5: Fuel pump

100: battery pack 101: bipolar plate

103: Electrolyte membrane 104: Anode

105: cathode 106: flow path

Detailed ways

Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure will be further described in detail.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of FIG. 4A.

As shown in the figure, the stack 100 of the fuel cell of the present invention forms a vertical spiral shape, and a membrane-electrode assembly 102 is combined under the spiral-shaped bipolar plate 101 .

The membrane-electrode assembly 102 is composed of an electrolyte membrane 103 , an anode (fuel electrode) 104 , and a cathode (air electrode) 105 , and forms a single cell C. An electrolyte membrane 103 is attached below the above-mentioned spiral bipolar plate 101; an anode (fuel pole) 104 is attached to the inner surface of the above-mentioned electrolyte membrane 103; )105. A plurality of the unit cells C are continuously arranged at a certain interval along the electrolyte membrane 103 attached in a spiral shape.

The electrolyte membrane 103 and the channel groove 101a are formed long along the longitudinal direction under the bipolar plate 101, so that the channel 106 is formed between the channel groove 101a and the anode 104 attached to the inside of the electrolyte membrane 103. between. Fuel is supplied to the above-mentioned flow path 106; air is supplied to the cathode 105 attached to the outside of the above-mentioned electrolyte membrane 103 along the above-mentioned spiral bipolar plate 101 by a fan (not shown in the drawing).

Next, the function and effect of the stack structure of the fuel cell of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure will be described.

When the user turns on the switch of the fuel cell, the electronic control unit (not shown in the accompanying drawings) starts the above-mentioned fuel pump 5 according to the preset control program, and the fuel stored in the above-mentioned fuel tank 2 will pass through the above-mentioned fuel supply route 3 is supplied to the battery pack 100, and the supplied fuel flows along the flow path 106 formed between the spiral bipolar plate 101 and the electrolyte membrane 103.

In addition, outside the electrolyte membrane 103 attached to the underside of the bipolar plate 101, air is supplied by the fan. While the above-mentioned supplied fuel diffuses through the anode 104 of the above-mentioned unit cell C to carry out electrochemical oxidation reaction, the air supplied by the above-mentioned fan diffuses to carry out electrochemical reduction reaction at the above-mentioned cathode 105, and produces The movement of electrons collects electricity generated by the movement of electrons and uses it as a power source.

In addition, the fuel and air flowing along the above-mentioned spiral battery pack 100 simultaneously produce electrochemical reactions on each of the above-mentioned single cells C. Unlike the battery pack structure of the fuel cell in the prior art, the fuel is directly supplied without going through pipelines. To the above-mentioned flow path 106, thereby supplying to each of the above-mentioned single cells C, so that uniform fuel distribution is obtained between the uppermost single cell C and the lowermost single cell C.

In addition, as described above, the fuel is directly supplied to the flow path 106 without going through the pipeline, and the supplied fuel is supplied to the lower single cell C along the flow path 106 in an instant, so that the anode inside the flow path 106 exists. The hydrogen gas in the bubble state on the outer surface of 104 is removed along with the flow of the fuel, and an active reaction occurs in the entire unit cell C.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, although it has been exemplified that the air blown by the above-mentioned fan (not shown in the drawings) flows along the above-mentioned spiral bipolar plate 101, it is not limited to this, and the above-mentioned battery pack 100 Air is blown between the spiral bipolar plates 101 on the sides. Besides, those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can suggest many modifications within the scope of the basic technical idea of the present invention. The basic technical idea of the present invention is embodied within the scope of the patent claim, and all differences within the same scope should be interpreted as belonging to the scope of the present invention.

Claims (3)

1. A battery pack structure of a fuel cell, supplying the fuel stored in the fuel tank to the anode of the battery pack; supplying air to the cathode of the above-mentioned battery pack; the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell from the above-mentioned supplied fuel and air Obtain electromotive force in; It is characterized in that: The plane of the above-mentioned battery pack is vertically rotated around the axis to form a spiral shape, and the above-mentioned spiral battery pack is composed of a plurality of single cells that are continuously formed at a certain distance; The above single cell is composed of an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode; An electrolyte membrane is attached along the bottom of the spiral bipolar plate, which can form a flow path; An anode is attached to one side of the electrolyte membrane; A cathode is attached to the other side of the electrolyte membrane. 2. The stack structure of the fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fan is provided, and the fan blows air along the spiral bipolar plate. 3. The stack structure of the fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fan is provided to blow air from the vertical side of the spiral bipolar plate.

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