CN117936837A - Fuel cell and thermal device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel cell thermal device comprising: an outer case provided with at least two openings communicating with an inner space thereof, including a first opening and a second opening; a filler provided in the internal space, the surface of the filler having or containing a material having a heat generating function; an inner case provided in the inner space and surrounded by the filler, the inner case having a space for accommodating an object; fluid flowing into the interior space through the first opening and out of the second opening; and a fluid driving device which is communicated with the first opening and the second opening through a pipeline and provides power for fluid to flow into or flow out of the inner space. The fuel cell thermal device is configured to: the fluid contacts and reacts with the material with the heating function in the inner space to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to an object in the inner space through the inner shell; or the heat generated by the object inside the inner housing is transferred to the packing of the inner space via the inner housing and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the packing.

Description

Fuel cell and thermal device and manufacturing method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a fuel cell, and more particularly to a fuel cell thermal device and a fuel cell having the thermal device.

Background technique

As a "chemical generator", the proton exchange membrane fuel cell utilizes the reverse reaction principle of water electrolysis, allowing hydrogen (anode) and oxygen (cathode) to generate electricity through electrochemical reactions under the action of catalysts.

The electrochemical reaction of proton exchange membrane fuel cells occurs in the stack system (hereinafter referred to as the "stack"). The stack is the power generation system of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, including stacked membrane electrode assemblies and bipolar plates.

Since the membrane electrode assembly can only generate electricity effectively within a limited operating temperature range, the membrane electrode assembly has very strict temperature requirements, which are manifested in the following two aspects:

First, when the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly is too high, it will cause irreversible damage to the membrane electrode assembly. When the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly is too low, the electrochemical reaction speed in the membrane electrode assembly is too slow, and it cannot work effectively to generate electricity, and users cannot use it. Therefore, it must be heated before use, so that it can be preheated to the lower limit of the working temperature as soon as possible to reduce the user's waiting time. According to relevant research by Juhl Andreasen and others, the preheating time required for the electric heating stack to reach the lower limit of the working temperature is usually around 30-60 minutes. Such a long waiting time will inevitably seriously affect the user's experience and limit the application scope of fuel cells.

In addition, the uniformity of the operating temperature of the membrane electrode assembly also has a very important impact on the power generation capacity of the membrane electrode assembly. The operating temperatures of different parts of the same membrane electrode assembly should be as consistent as possible, and the operating temperatures of membrane electrode assemblies in different layers should also be as consistent as possible. Only in this way can the power generation capacity of the membrane electrode assembly be better exerted.

Therefore, in order to ensure the working state of the fuel cell, it is necessary to heat and dissipate the heat of the fuel cell stack, fuel device, hydrogen production device and other components.

In the prior art, heating or cooling of fuel cells is often done by electric heating or refrigerant circulation, which requires a large amount of extra electricity or the addition of heat exchangers, with complex structures and numerous equipment. As a result, the fuel cell stack in the prior art has a long startup time, poor power generation capacity, and high manufacturing and use costs, which seriously affects the user experience, reduces the value of fuel cells, and forms a technical bottleneck that affects the development of fuel cells.

Summary of the invention

The present invention provides a fuel cell thermal device with short preheating time, fast heat dissipation speed, high temperature consistency, simple structure, low cost and wide application range, for example, particularly suitable for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

In one aspect, a fuel cell thermal device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises:

An outer shell having an inner space, the outer shell being provided with at least two openings communicating with the inner space, the at least two openings comprising a first opening and a second opening;

A filler is arranged in the internal space, and the surface of the filler has or the interior of the filler contains a material having a heat generating function;

an inner shell having a space for accommodating an object, the inner shell being disposed in the inner space of the outer shell and surrounded by the filler;

A fluid flows into the inner space through the first opening and flows out from the second opening; and

A fluid driving device, which is connected to the first opening and the second opening via a pipeline, and provides power for the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space;

The fuel cell thermal device is configured as follows: the fluid contacts the material with heat-generating function of the filler in the internal space and reacts to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to an object inside the inner shell via the inner shell; or, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell is transferred to the filler in the internal space via the inner shell and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the filler.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the object contained in the inner space of the inner shell includes at least one of a fuel device, a hydrogen production device, and a power generation device. In other embodiments of the present invention, the inner shell is a part of at least one of the fuel device, the hydrogen production device, and the power generation device.

In some embodiments of the invention, the inner housing comprises a duct.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the at least two openings on the outer shell include a third opening and a fourth opening, the third opening is connected to one end of the pipeline, and the fourth opening is connected to the other end of the pipeline. In some embodiments of the present invention, the third opening and the first opening can be combined into one opening, the fourth opening and the second opening can be combined into one opening, and the fluid paths of the combined openings can be divided by a manifold inside the outer shell.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the pipes are arranged in a ring shape in the inner space of the outer shell.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the pipe is arranged in a spiral shape in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of the spiral pipes are arranged in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of the spiral pipes are arranged in one or more rows in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of the spiral pipes in each row are in fluid flow communication with each other.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the object includes a liquid or gas flowing in the pipeline. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or gas includes at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or gas includes at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, water, hydrocarbons. In other embodiments of the present invention, the object includes a catalyst disposed in the pipeline. In some embodiments of the present invention, the catalyst includes a metal material, for example, the metal material can be contained in the pipeline in the form of particles or a catalyst bed. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, zinc.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material used to make the outer shell and/or the inner shell includes a metal material and/or a non-metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metal material includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and carbon.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material used to make the filler includes a metal material or a non-metallic material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metallic material is greater than 0.1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: foam metal, metal corrugated filler, metal mesh. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metallic material includes at least one of the following: ceramic, clay, clay, zeolite, medical stone, cordierite and carbon. In some embodiments of the present invention, the ceramic includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material having the heat generating function comprises a metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material comprises at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, and zinc.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid comprises a liquid or a gas. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas comprises at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas comprises at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, hydrocarbons. In some embodiments of the present invention, the hydrocarbons comprise at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, dimethyl ether, gasoline, diesel.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid driving device includes at least one of the following: a pump, a blower, a fan, an air compressor, and a compressor.

On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fuel cell thermal device, comprising:

Providing an outer shell, the outer shell having an inner space, and at least two openings communicating with the inner space are formed on the outer shell, the at least two openings comprising a first opening and a second opening;

Providing a filler, which is arranged in the internal space, wherein the filler is configured to have a material having a heat generating function on its surface or inside thereof;

Providing an inner shell having a space for accommodating an object, the inner shell being disposed in the inner space of the outer shell and surrounded by the filler;

Providing a fluid driving device, which is connected to the first opening and the second opening through a pipeline, and is configured to drive the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space to provide power, so that the fluid flows into the internal space through the first opening and flows out of the second opening; and

The fuel cell thermal device is configured such that: the fluid contacts the material with heat-generating function of the filler in the internal space and reacts to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the object inside the inner shell via the inner shell; or, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell is transferred to the filler in the internal space via the inner shell and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the filler.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a fuel cell, which may be a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, etc., which includes: a fuel cell thermal device as described in any one of the above embodiments; and an object device arranged inside the fuel cell thermal device, the object device includes at least one of a fuel device and a hydrogen production device; or, the object device is a part of at least one of a fuel device and a hydrogen production device.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the fluid flows through the filler in the outer shell, contacts the heat-generating material on the surface or inside of the filler, generates heat, and transfers the heat to the internal fuel device, hydrogen production device and other heating objects through the inner shell, thereby achieving the purpose of heating. On the other hand, the fluid flows in the outer shell, contacts the filler, absorbs the heat transferred from the internal fuel device and hydrogen production device to the inner shell and the filler, and takes away the heat by the fluid flowing out of the outer shell, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling. Therefore, the implementation of the present invention can not only effectively solve the problem of long waiting time for users caused by the long preheating time of the fuel cell, improve the consistency of the temperature of the fuel cell, but also reduce the manufacturing cost and processing difficulty of the fuel cell, and expand the scope of application of the fuel cell.

Various aspects, features, advantages, etc. of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above aspects, features, advantages, etc. of the present invention will become more clear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cell thermal device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cell thermal device shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel cell thermal device shown in FIG. 7 .

9 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell thermal device according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the technical solutions of the present invention can be embodied in various different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided as examples so that the disclosure of the present invention is thorough and comprehensive, and the various aspects and features of the present invention are fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Therefore, processes, elements and techniques that are not necessary for those skilled in the art to fully understand the various aspects and features of the present invention may not be described. Unless otherwise stated, similar reference numerals represent similar elements throughout the drawings and text descriptions, and therefore, the relevant descriptions may not be repeated. In addition, the features or aspects of each exemplary embodiment should generally be considered to be other similar features or aspects that can be used in other exemplary embodiments.

Certain terms may be used in the following description, but these terms are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, terms such as "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower", "above..." and "below..." may be used to refer to directions in reference drawings. Terms such as "front", "back", "back", "side", "outer side" and "inner side" may be used to describe the orientation and/or position of parts of a component in a consistent but arbitrary reference system, which can be clearly understood by reference to the text description of the component and the associated drawings. Such terms may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar meanings. Similarly, unless the context clearly indicates, the terms "first", "second" and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not mean order or sequence.

It should be understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to or coupled to the other element or feature, or one or more intervening elements or features may be present. In addition, it should be further understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being "between" two elements or features, it can be the only element or feature between the two elements or features, or one or more intervening elements or features may also be present.

The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, "one" and "a kind of" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are used in this specification to represent the existence of stated features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements and/or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and/or their sets. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at least one of..." modify the entire list of elements when they are before the list of elements, rather than modifying the separate elements of the list.

As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," "substantially," and similar terms are used as terms of approximation rather than as terms of degree, and are intended to take into account the inherent variation in measurements or calculations that one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize. As used herein, the terms "use," "using," and "used" may be considered synonymous with the terms "utilize," "utilizing," and "utilized," respectively.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that, unless explicitly defined as such herein, terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

FIG1 and FIG2 show a fuel cell thermal device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell thermal device 100 is mainly used for thermal management of a fuel cell, such as a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, including heating or dissipating heat from relevant components of the fuel cell. As shown in the figure, the fuel cell thermal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer shell 110, an inner shell 120, and a filler 130 between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 120.

The inner shell 120 is arranged in the inner space of the outer shell 110, and is surrounded by a filler 130. The inner shell 120 has a space for accommodating an object, or the inner shell 120 itself can be a part of the heating object. The filler 130 has a material with a heat-generating function on its surface or contains a material with a heat-generating function inside, and the material with a heat-generating function can be called a heat-generating material.

The outer shell 110 is provided with openings 101, 102 and openings 103, 104. Among them, the opening 101 is used for the inflow of fluid, the fluid flows through the packing 130, and then flows out from the opening 102. The opening 103 is for the tube 121 connected to the inner shell 120 to extend, and the opening 104 is for the tube 122 connected to the inner shell 120 to extend. In some embodiments, a seal, such as an O-ring, is provided between the opening 103 and the tube 121 to prevent the fluid from leaking from the gap between the two. In some embodiments, a seal, such as an O-ring, is provided between the opening 104 and the tube 122 to prevent the fluid from leaking from the gap between the two. In an optional embodiment, the fluid flow path of the inner shell 120 can share an opening with the fluid flow path of the outer shell 110. For example, a three-way manifold is provided in an opening on the outer shell 110 to divide the inflowing fluid into two outflows, one fluid enters the inner shell 120, and the other fluid enters the packing 130. In another optional embodiment, a three-way manifold is provided in an opening on the outer shell 110 to combine the fluid flowing out of the inner shell 120 and the fluid passing through the filler 130 to flow out in one path.

The fuel cell thermal device 100 further includes a fluid driving device (not shown), which is connected to the openings 101 and 102 via a pipeline to provide power for the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space of the outer shell 110. In some embodiments, the fuel cell thermal device 100 may further include another fluid driving device, which is connected to the tubes 121 and 122 via a pipeline to provide power for the fluid to flow into or out of the inner shell 120. In an optional embodiment, the fluid driving device that provides power for the fluid flowing into the inner shell 120 and the fluid driving device that provides power for the fluid flowing into or out of the outer shell 110 may be the same driving device. In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid driving device may include at least one of the following: a pump, a blower, a fan, a compressor, and a compressor.

The fuel cell thermal device 100 is configured such that the fluid flowing into the internal space of the outer shell 110 contacts and reacts with the heat-generating material of the filler 130 to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the object inside the inner shell via the inner shell 120. In an optional embodiment, the fuel cell thermal device 100 can also be configured such that the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell 120 is transferred to the filler 130 in the internal space via the inner shell 120 and is taken away by the fluid flowing through the filler 130. Thus, the fuel cell thermal device 100 can both heat and dissipate heat from the object to achieve the purpose of thermal management.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the object contained in the inner space of the inner shell 120 includes at least one of a fuel device, a hydrogen production device, and a power generation device. In other embodiments of the present invention, the inner shell 120 is a part of at least one of the fuel device, the hydrogen production device, and the power generation device.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material for making the outer shell 110 and/or the inner shell 120 includes a metal material and/or a non-metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metal material includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and carbon.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material used to make the filler 130 includes a metal material or a non-metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 0.1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: foam metal, metal corrugated filler, metal mesh. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metal material includes at least one of the following: ceramic, clay, clay, zeolite, medical stone, cordierite and carbon. In some embodiments of the present invention, the ceramic includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material having the heat generating function, i.e., the heat generating material, comprises a metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material comprises at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, and zinc.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid flowing into the outer shell 110 and contacting and reacting with the filler 130 includes a liquid or a gas. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas includes at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas includes at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. In some embodiments of the present invention, the hydrocarbons include at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, dimethyl ether, gasoline, and diesel.

It should be understood that the present invention does not specifically limit the shape and number of the inner shell 120. In the embodiment shown in FIG1 , the fuel cell thermal device 100 includes one inner shell 120, and the inner shell 120 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. In other embodiments, the fuel cell thermal device may include a plurality of the inner shells to perform thermal management on a plurality of objects and improve thermal management efficiency.

FIG3 shows another example of a fuel cell thermal device of the present invention. As shown in FIG3 , a fuel cell thermal device 200 includes an outer shell 210, and three inner shells 220 are arranged inside the outer shell 210. A filler (not shown) is arranged between the inner shell 220 and the outer shell 210, and the surface of the filler has or contains a heat-generating material inside, so that the fluid flowing into the inner space of the outer shell 210 contacts and reacts with the heat-generating material to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the heated object inside the inner shell via the inner shell 220. In an optional embodiment, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell 220 is transferred to the filler via the inner shell 220 and is taken away by the fluid flowing through the filler. Thus, the fuel cell thermal device 200 can both heat the object and dissipate heat from it to achieve the purpose of thermal management. Such a fuel cell thermal device 200 is suitable for thermal management of fuel cells such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

The above is an example of a technical solution of a fuel cell thermal device having a rectangular inner shell. It should be understood that the inner shell may also be in any other suitable shape.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a fuel cell thermal device 300 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell thermal device 300 is suitable for thermal management of fuel cells, such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells, including heating or heat dissipation of relevant components of the fuel cell. As shown in the figure, the fuel cell thermal device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer shell 310, an inner shell 320, and a filler 330 between the outer shell 310 and the inner shell 320. The inner shell 320 is a pipe, called a tubular inner shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, the heated object includes a liquid or gas flowing in the tubular inner shell 320. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or gas includes at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or gas includes at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, water, hydrocarbons. In other embodiments of the present invention, the object includes a catalyst disposed in the pipeline. In some embodiments of the present invention, the catalyst includes a metal material, for example, the metal material can be contained in the pipeline in the form of particles or a catalyst bed. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, zinc. In an optional embodiment, the tubular inner shell 320 itself can be used as part of the heating object, for example, a part of a fuel cell hydrogen production device. In other optional embodiments, the tubular inner shell 320 itself can also be used as any one of a fuel device and a power generation device or a part thereof.

The inner space of the outer shell 310 accommodates the tubular inner shell 320, and the surrounding of the tubular inner shell 320 is filled with a filler 330. The tubular inner shell 320 has a space for accommodating an object, or the filler 330 has a material having a heat generating function or a heat generating material on its surface or inside.

The outer shell 310 is provided with openings 301, 302 and openings 303, 304. The opening 301 is used for the fluid flowing through the packing 330 to flow in, and the fluid flows out from the opening 102. The opening 303 is for the first end 321 of the tubular inner shell 320 to extend, and the opening 304 is for the second end 322 of the tubular inner shell 320 to extend. In some embodiments, a seal, such as an O-ring, is provided between the opening 303 and the first end 321 of the tubular inner shell 320 to prevent the fluid from leaking from the gap between the two. In some embodiments, a seal, such as an O-ring, is provided between the opening 304 and the second end 322 of the tubular inner shell 320 to prevent the fluid from leaking from the gap between the two. In an optional embodiment, when the fluid flowing in the tubular inner shell 320 and the fluid flowing through the packing are the same fluid, the fluid flow path of the tubular inner shell 320 can share the opening with the fluid flow path of the outer shell 110. For example, a three-way manifold is provided in an opening on the outer shell 310 to divide the inflowing fluid into two outflows, one fluid enters the tubular inner shell 320, and the other fluid enters the packing 330. In another optional embodiment, a three-way manifold is provided in an opening on the outer shell 310 to combine the fluid flowing out of the tubular inner shell 320 and the fluid passing through the packing 330 into one outflow.

The fuel cell thermal device 300 further includes a fluid driving device (not shown), which is connected to the openings 301 and 302 via a pipeline to provide power for the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space of the outer shell 310. In some embodiments, the fuel cell thermal device 300 may further include another fluid driving device, which is connected to the first end 321 and the second end 322 via a pipeline to provide power for the fluid to flow into or out of the tubular inner shell 320. In an optional embodiment, the fluid driving device that provides power for the fluid flowing into the inner shell 320 and the fluid driving device that provides power for the fluid flowing into or out of the outer shell 310 may be the same driving device. In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid driving device may include at least one of the following: a pump, a blower, a fan, a compressor, and a compressor.

In this embodiment, the fuel cell thermal device 300 is configured such that the fluid flowing into the internal space of the outer shell 310 contacts and reacts with the heat-generating material of the filler 330 to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the object inside the inner shell via the tubular inner shell 320. In an optional embodiment, the fuel cell thermal device 300 can also be configured such that the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell 320 is transferred to the filler 330 in the internal space via the inner shell 320 and is taken away by the fluid flowing through the filler 330. Therefore, the fuel cell thermal device 300 can both heat and dissipate heat from the object to achieve the purpose of thermal management.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material used to make the outer shell 310 and/or the inner shell 320 includes a metal material and/or a non-metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metal material includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and carbon.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material for making the filler 330 includes a metal material or a non-metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 0.1W/m·K. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: foam metal, metal corrugated filler, metal mesh. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material includes at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-metal material includes at least one of the following: ceramic, clay, clay, zeolite, medical stone, cordierite and carbon. In some embodiments of the present invention, the ceramic includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material having the heat generating function, i.e., the heat generating material, comprises a metal material. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal material comprises at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, and zinc.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid flowing into the outer shell 310 and contacting and reacting with the filler 330 includes a liquid or a gas. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas includes at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid or the gas includes at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. In some embodiments of the present invention, the hydrocarbons include at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, dimethyl ether, gasoline, and diesel.

FIG6 shows another example of a fuel cell thermal device of the present invention. As shown in FIG6 , a fuel cell thermal device 400 includes an outer shell 410, and three tubular inner shells 420 are arranged inside the outer shell 410. A filler (not shown) is arranged between the tubular inner shell 420 and the outer shell 410, and the surface of the filler has or contains a heat-generating material inside, so that the fluid flowing into the inner space of the outer shell 410 contacts and reacts with the heat-generating material to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the heated object inside the inner shell via the tubular inner shell 420. In an optional embodiment, the heat generated by the object inside the tubular inner shell 420 is transferred to the filler via the inner shell and is taken away by the fluid flowing through the filler. Thus, the fuel cell thermal device 400 can both heat the object and dissipate heat from it to achieve the purpose of thermal management. Such a fuel cell thermal device 400 can be applied to the thermal management of fuel cells, such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tubular inner shell (i.e., the pipe) is arranged in an S shape or an inverted S shape in the internal space of the outer shell. In other embodiments, the tubular inner shell is arranged in a ring shape in the internal space of the outer shell. The shape of the tubular inner shell depends on the length of time for thermal management of the object. For example, if the object needs to be heated or cooled for a long time, the tubular inner shell can be arranged in a curved shape to extend the residence time of the object in the tubular inner shell as much as possible; vice versa.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tubular inner shell (i.e., the pipe) may be spirally shaped in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of spirally shaped pipes are arranged in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of spirally shaped pipes are arranged in one or more rows in the inner space of the outer shell. In some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of spirally shaped pipes in each row are in fluid flow communication with each other.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fuel cell thermal device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the fuel cell thermal device shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a fuel cell thermal device 500 includes an outer shell 510 and a tubular inner shell 520. In the outer shell 510, the tubular inner shell 520 is arranged in two columns (or rows). The tubular inner shell 520 of each column/row can be wound around the same axis by a pipe into a plurality of cylindrical units, and adjacent cylindrical units are in fluid communication with each other. Although not shown, it should be understood that the fuel cell thermal device 500 also includes a filler, and the filler has the characteristics, properties or functions of the filler of any of the above embodiments. In an optional embodiment, in the outer shell 510, the tubular inner shell 520 can be arranged in one column (or row), or in three columns (or rows). In other embodiments, in the outer shell 510, the plurality of cylindrical units can be arranged in a straight line or linear, and the plurality of cylindrical units can also be arranged randomly. In other optional embodiments, the tubular inner shell 520 may be coiled into various shapes such as a cone, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc., in addition to being coiled into a cylindrical unit, and the present invention is not limited to this.

FIG9 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell thermal device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this exemplary embodiment, the fuel cell thermal device 600 includes an outer shell 610, an inner shell 620-1 and an inner shell 620-2. The inner shell 620-1 and the inner shell 620-2 respectively accommodate different object devices or constitute a part of different object devices. The inner shell 620-1 is formed as a thick tube, and the inner shell 620-2 is formed as a thin tube, and the thin tube is wound and extended on the thick tube. In some embodiments, the inner shell 620-2 can be a preheater of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, and the inner shell 620-1 can be a reformer of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. In this way, the fuel cell thermal device 600 can simultaneously perform thermal management including heating or heat dissipation on the preheater and reformer of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, thereby improving the thermal management efficiency and reducing the production cost of the fuel cell.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a fuel cell thermal device, which includes:

Providing an outer shell, the outer shell having an inner space, and at least two openings communicating with the inner space are formed on the outer shell, the at least two openings comprising a first opening and a second opening;

Providing a filler, which is arranged in the internal space, wherein the filler is configured to have a material having a heat generating function on its surface or inside thereof;

Providing an inner shell having a space for accommodating an object, the inner shell being disposed in the inner space of the outer shell and surrounded by the filler;

Providing a fluid driving device, which is connected to the first opening and the second opening through a pipeline, and is configured to drive the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space to provide power, so that the fluid flows into the internal space through the first opening and flows out of the second opening; and

The fuel cell thermal device is configured such that: the fluid contacts the material with heat-generating function of the filler in the internal space and reacts to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the object inside the inner shell via the inner shell; or, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell is transferred to the filler in the internal space via the inner shell and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the filler.

It should be understood that the materials used to make the outer shell, inner shell, filler, fluid, and heat-generating material are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a fuel cell, which may be a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, etc., comprising: a fuel cell thermal device as described in any of the above embodiments; and an object device disposed inside the fuel cell thermal device, the object device comprising at least one of a fuel device and a hydrogen production device; or the object device is a part of at least one of a fuel device and a hydrogen production device. The object device may be accommodated in the above inner shell, or the above inner shell may become a part of the object device.

Those skilled in the art should understand that what is disclosed above is only an implementation mode of the present invention, and it certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights for which the present invention is requested for patent protection. Equivalent changes made according to the implementation mode of the present invention are still within the scope covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims (30)

1. A fuel cell thermal device, comprising: An outer shell having an inner space, the outer shell being provided with at least two openings communicating with the inner space, the at least two openings comprising a first opening and a second opening; A filler is arranged in the internal space, and the surface of the filler has or the interior of the filler contains a material having a heat generating function; an inner shell having a space for accommodating an object, the inner shell being disposed in the inner space of the outer shell and surrounded by the filler; A fluid flows into the inner space through the first opening and flows out from the second opening; and A fluid driving device, which is connected to the first opening and the second opening via a pipeline, and provides power for the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space; The fuel cell thermal device is configured as follows: the fluid contacts the material with heat-generating function of the filler in the internal space and reacts to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to an object inside the inner shell via the inner shell; or, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell is transferred to the filler in the internal space via the inner shell and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the filler. 2. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the object contained in the internal space of the inner shell includes at least any one of a fuel device, a hydrogen production device, and a power generation device; or, the inner shell is a part of at least one of the fuel device, the hydrogen production device, and the power generation device. 3 . The fuel cell thermal device of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing comprises a duct. 4. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 3, wherein the at least two openings on the outer shell include a third opening and a fourth opening, The third opening is connected to one end of the pipeline, and the fourth opening is connected to the other end of the pipeline. 5 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 3 , wherein the pipes are arranged in a ring shape in the inner space of the outer shell. 6 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 3 , wherein the pipe is arranged in a spiral shape in the inner space of the outer shell. 7 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 6 , wherein a plurality of the spiral pipes are arranged in the inner space of the outer shell. 8 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of spiral pipes are arranged in one or more rows in the inner space of the outer shell. 9. The fuel cell thermal device of claim 8, wherein a plurality of the spiral shaped conduits in each column are in fluid flow communication with each other. 10. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 3, wherein the object comprises a liquid or a gas flowing in the pipe. 11. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 10, characterized in that the liquid or gas contains at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. 12. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 11, characterized in that the liquid or gas comprises at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, water, and hydrocarbons. 13. The fuel cell thermal device of claim 3, wherein the object comprises a catalyst disposed in the conduit. 14 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 1 , wherein the material used to make the outer shell and/or the inner shell comprises a metal material and/or a non-metal material. 15 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 14 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K; and/or the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K. 16. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 14, wherein the metal material comprises at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium; And/or, the non-metallic material includes at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and carbon. 17 . The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 1 , wherein the material used to make the filler comprises a metal material or a non-metal material. 18. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 17, characterized in that the thermal conductivity of the metal material is greater than 1 W/m·K; and/or the thermal conductivity of the non-metal material is greater than 0.1 W/m·K. 19. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 17, characterized in that the metal material comprises at least one of the following: foam metal, metal corrugated filler, metal mesh. 20. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 17, wherein the metal material comprises at least one of the following: copper, iron, aluminum, nickel and titanium; And/or, the non-metallic material includes at least one of the following: ceramic, clay, clay, zeolite, medical stone, cordierite and carbon. 21. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 20, characterized in that the ceramic comprises at least one of the following: aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide. 22. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 1, wherein the material having the heat generating function comprises a metal material. 23. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 22, characterized in that the metal material comprises at least one of the following: platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, and zinc. 24. The fuel cell thermal device of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid or a gas. 25. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 24, characterized in that the liquid or gas contains at least one of the following: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. 26. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 25, characterized in that the liquid or gas comprises at least one of the following: oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. 27. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 26, characterized in that the hydrocarbon comprises at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, dimethyl ether, gasoline, and diesel. 28. The fuel cell thermal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid driving device includes at least one of the following: a pump, a blower, a fan, a compressor, and a compressor. 29. A fuel cell comprising: The fuel cell thermal device according to any one of claims 1 to 28; and The target device is arranged inside the fuel cell thermal device, and the target device includes at least one of a fuel device, a hydrogen production device, and a power generation device; or the target device is a part that constitutes at least one of the fuel device, the hydrogen production device, and the power generation device. 30. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell thermal device, comprising: Providing an outer shell, the outer shell having an inner space, and at least two openings communicating with the inner space are formed on the outer shell, the at least two openings comprising a first opening and a second opening; Providing a filler, which is arranged in the internal space, wherein the filler is configured to have a material having a heat generating function on its surface or inside thereof; Providing an inner shell having a space for accommodating an object, the inner shell being disposed in the inner space of the outer shell and surrounded by the filler; Providing a fluid driving device, which is connected to the first opening and the second opening through a pipeline, and is configured to drive the fluid to flow into or out of the internal space to provide power, so that the fluid flows into the internal space through the first opening and flows out of the second opening; and The fuel cell thermal device is configured such that: the fluid contacts the material with heat-generating function of the filler in the internal space and reacts to generate heat, and the heat is transferred to the object inside the inner shell via the inner shell; or, the heat generated by the object inside the inner shell is transferred to the filler in the internal space via the inner shell and is carried away by the fluid flowing through the filler.