TWI419401B - Fuel cell system - Google Patents

Description

Fuel cell system

This invention relates to a battery system and, more particularly, to a fuel cell system.

Fuel cells have the advantages of high efficiency, low noise, and no pollution, and are energy technologies that conform to the trend of the times. Fuel cells are classified into various types, and are commonly known as proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Taking a direct methanol fuel cell as an example, a fuel cell module of a direct methanol fuel cell is composed of a proton exchange membrance and a cathode and an anode disposed on both sides of the proton exchange membrane.

The direct methanol fuel cell uses a methanol aqueous solution as a fuel, and the direct methanol fuel cell has the following reaction formula:

Anode: CH ₃ OH+H ₂ O → CO ₂ +6H++6e-

Cathode: 3/2O ₂ +6H++6e- → 3H ₂ O

Total reaction: CH ₃ OH+H ₂ O+3/2O ₂ → CO ₂ +3H ₂ O

It is known from the reaction formula that the reactant of water (H ₂ O) as the anode is also the product of the cathode. Therefore, effectively utilizing the water generated by the cathode for the anode utilization can effectively reduce the overall volume of the fuel cell. In addition, the methanol solution of the direct methanol fuel cell needs to maintain a certain concentration to avoid serious methanol crossover and reduce fuel cell efficiency and life. Usually, the direct methanol fuel cell needs to be equipped with a methanol fuel tank, which is loaded with pure methanol or a high concentration of aqueous methanol to supplement the fuel required for the fuel cell reaction in a timely manner.

When the direct methanol fuel cell is operated, the anode product has both unreacted methanol aqueous solution and the CO2 produced by the reaction are mixed together, so CO2 must be removed through some openings to avoid excessive pressure inside the system; therefore, if the fuel cell system To be flipped, it is necessary to find a design that can provide gas exclusion and liquid extraction against gravity, so that the system can operate smoothly.

Therefore, many patents, such as U.S. Patent No. 2007/0190307, U.S. Patent No. 2005/0058862, U.S. Patent No. 2007/0077469, Chinese Patent No. CN101399348, U.S. Patent No. 2009/0246590, and U.S. Patent No. 6,462,799, etc. A related technique for separating a gas-liquid mixture after the reaction is proposed. For example, U.S. Patent No. 2005/0058862 discloses a gas-liquid separator for gas-liquid separation of a reacted mixture by a hydrophilic gas barrier material and a hydrophobic gas permeable material in a closed space. In general, hydrophilic gas barrier materials have a small liquid permeability per unit volume. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of liquid permeation, it is necessary to adopt an increase in area. This design will not meet the needs of the product's compact size.

Further, in the design of US2005/0058862, the separator has only two pressure releasing ends of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic material, and if the flow rate of the mixture flowing into the separator is large, the liquid in the gas-liquid separator cannot be sufficiently large. When the rate is discharged, the pressure in the gas-liquid separator will be too large to cause the liquid to pass through the hydrophobic gas permeable material to cause water leakage. The flow rate of the mixture flowing into the separator is small At this time, the liquid in the gas-liquid separator may be completely discharged, so that the hydrophilic gas barrier material cannot be infiltrated into the liquid, so that the gas is discharged from the hydrophilic gas barrier material (that is, gas leakage occurs). On the whole, it is still an important issue to effectively remove the reacted gas from the fuel cell from the mixture and solve the problem of overall pressure balance, and to recover the reusable liquid.

The present invention provides a fuel cell system that can separate a gas-liquid mixture after reaction in a pressure balanced state to maintain system stability.

The invention provides a fuel cell system comprising a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a cathode, an anode, a gas-liquid transport element, a liquid recovery element and a liquid pump. The cathode is disposed on one side of the thin film electrode group. The anode is disposed on the other side of the membrane electrode assembly and opposite the cathode. The anode has an anode outlet and an anode inlet, and the cathode has a cathode outlet and a cathode inlet. The gas-liquid transporting element has a first end connected to the anode, and the gas-liquid transporting element comprises a gas-liquid separating portion and a buffering portion. The gas-liquid separation portion is located between the buffer portion and the first end, wherein the gas-liquid separation portion has a first hydrophobic gas permeable material and a first hydrophilic gas barrier material. The liquid recovery element is disposed on one side of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material, and the liquid recovery element is coupled to the anode inlet. An exhaust fluid discharged from the anode flows through the first hydrophobic gas permeable material and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material at the same time and is at least partially passed through the first hydrophilic gas barrier material into the liquid recovery component by the gas-liquid separation portion of the gas-liquid transport component A liquid is recovered. The liquid pump is connected to the liquid recovery element to control the recovered liquid to pass through the first hydrophilic barrier The flow of gaseous material into the anode inlet.

Based on the above, the present invention employs a pressure maintaining member to maintain the pressure inside the gas-liquid transport member and separate the gas-liquid mixture after the reaction of the fuel cell system in the gas-liquid transport member. Therefore, the fuel cell system can continuously separate the gas-liquid mixture and recover the recyclable recovered liquid under a stable pressure state. In addition, the gas-liquid separation in the fuel cell system is not affected by changes in the direction of gravity, so the fuel cell system can be applied to a portable product without being disposed in a fixed direction.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

1 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the fuel cell system 100 includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 110 , a cathode 120 , an anode 130 , a gas-liquid transport component 140 , a liquid recovery component 150 , and a liquid pump 170 . The cathode 120 is disposed on one side of the thin film electrode group 110, the anode 130 is disposed on the other side of the thin film electrode group 110, and the anode 130 is opposed to the cathode 120. Cathode 120 has a cathode inlet 122 and a cathode outlet 134, while anode 130 has an anode inlet 132 and an anode outlet 134. The gas liquid transport element 140 has a first end 140A that is coupled to the anode outlet 134. The liquid recovery element 150 is disposed on one side of the gas liquid transport element 140, and the liquid recovery element 150 is coupled to the anode inlet 132 of the anode 130. In addition, the liquid pump 170 is connected to the liquid recovery element 150, and the liquid recovery element 150 is substantially transparent. Liquid pump 170 is coupled to anode inlet 132 of anode 130.

Specifically, the gas-liquid transport element 140 includes a gas-liquid separation portion 142 and a buffer portion 144. The gas-liquid separation portion 142 is located between the buffer portion 144 and the first end 140A, wherein the gas-liquid separation portion 142 has a first hydrophobic gas permeable material 142A and a first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B. The liquid recovery element 150 is disposed substantially on one side of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B. The substance produced and remaining after the reaction of the anode 130 is discharged in the state of a gas-liquid mixture, which in this embodiment is, for example, referred to as a discharge fluid.

In the present embodiment, the exhaust fluid may flow through the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 142A and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B, respectively, and at least a portion of the discharged fluid may be transmitted through the gas-liquid separation portion 142 of the gas-liquid transporting element 140. A hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B flows into the liquid recovery member 150 to serve as a recovery liquid. At this time, the liquid pump 170 can be used to control the flow rate of the recovered liquid through the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B and into the anode inlet 132.

It is worth mentioning that the buffer portion 144 can be constituted by a variable volume variable element which can maintain the pressure inside the gas-liquid transport element 140. When the discharge fluid flows into the gas-liquid transporting member 140 more, the volume of the buffer portion 144 can be increased to accommodate a larger amount of the discharged fluid. Conversely, the volume of the buffer portion 144 can be reduced. As a result, the gas-liquid separation portion 142 can perform gas-liquid separation of the discharge fluid under a stable pressure, and thereby maintain the operational stability of the fuel cell system 100.

In detail, when the flow rate of the discharged fluid is greater than the liquid permeation amount of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B, the gas-liquid separation portion 142 may fail to discharge the liquid in time. The body is subjected to pressure higher than normal. The buffer portion 144 may increase the volume to accommodate a larger amount of the discharge fluid in order to maintain the pressure within the element. At this time, part of the discharge fluid still located in the gas-liquid separation portion 142 continues gas-liquid separation to cause the gas to be discharged from the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 142A and to flow the liquid from the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B into the liquid recovery member 150. The portion of the discharge fluid located in the buffer portion 144 is temporarily not subjected to gas-liquid separation. As a result, a stable pressure can be maintained in the gas-liquid separation portion 140 to prevent the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 142 from leaking or the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B from leaking due to improper pressure.

On the other hand, when the discharge fluid flow rate is smaller than the liquid permeation amount of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B, the gas-liquid separation portion 142 may exhibit a lower pressure than the normal state because the liquid has largely flowed into the liquid recovery member 150. The buffer portion 144 can reduce the volume in order to maintain the pressure in the element to recirculate the portion of the discharge fluid located in the buffer portion 144 back into the gas-liquid separation portion 142. At this time, the portion of the discharge fluid originally located in the buffer portion 144 can flow back to the gas-liquid separation portion 142 again to perform gas-liquid separation. In other words, when the discharge fluid flow rate is small, the gas-liquid separation portion 142 is still filled with sufficient discharge fluid and the recovery liquid is continuously generated. As a result, the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B of the gas-liquid separation portion 140 can be continuously wetted in the liquid to make the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B maintain the hydrophilic gas barrier property. It is to be noted that the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 142A and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B of the present embodiment may be selected according to the material selection or design requirements in terms of air permeability and water permeability, and are not limited to a specific range. in.

Further, the liquid pump 170 draws the recovered liquid at a greater rate. In the body, the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B may have a higher liquid permeation rate to cause the pressure in the gas-liquid separation portion 142 to drop faster. Once the pressure in the gas-liquid separation portion 142 is lower than the normal state, the buffer portion 144 can reduce the volume to cause the discharge fluid located in the buffer portion 144 to flow into the gas-liquid separation portion 142. Thereby, the fuel cell system 100 is substantially maintained in a dynamically balanced state.

Conversely, if the liquid pump 170 draws the recovered liquid at a small rate, the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B has a lower liquid permeation rate. The discharge fluid generated by the anode 130 may not be immediately capable of gas-liquid separation, causing the pressure of the gas-liquid separation portion 142 to exceed the normal state. At this time, the buffer portion 144 may increase the volume to cause the discharge fluid located in the gas-liquid separation portion 142 to flow into the buffer portion 144. In other words, in this embodiment, the pressure in the gas-liquid transport element 140 can be maintained constant by the adjustment of the liquid pump 170 and the buffer portion 144, so that the gas-liquid separation portion 142 can continuously perform gas-liquid separation without air leakage or It is a state of water leakage.

The arrangement of the liquid pump 170 allows the fuel cell system 100 to adjust the liquid permeation rate of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 142B as a function of different usage requirements. Therefore, the present embodiment does not require the use of a large-area hydrophilic gas barrier material and a hydrophobic gas permeable material in order to improve the gas-liquid separation efficiency, which contributes to streamlining the volume of the fuel cell system 100. Further, the volume-adjustable buffer portion 144 allows the gas-liquid separation portion 142 to perform gas-liquid separation normally, and helps the fuel cell system 100 to operate normally.

Further, the present embodiment does not need to separate the gas and the liquid in the discharge fluid in a separate chamber to achieve separation from each other. Therefore, burning The battery system 100 does not have to be set in a specific manner depending on the direction of gravity. In the upside down state or the tilted state, the gas-liquid separation portion 142 of the fuel cell system 100 can still perform gas-liquid separation normally, so the fuel cell system 100 can be further applied to a portable product, such as an electric vehicle, Cameras, mobile computers, cell phones, vacuum cleaners, etc.

2 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 , the fuel cell system 200 includes a thin film electrode assembly 110 , a cathode 120 , an anode 130 , a gas liquid transport component 240 , a liquid recovery component 150 , a gas pump 260 , a liquid pump 170 , and a first Two hydrophobic gas permeable materials 246. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the thin film electrode assembly 110, the cathode 120, the anode 130, the liquid recovery element 150, and the liquid pump 170 is the same as that described in the first embodiment, so that the component symbols used to mark these components are the same as those in the first embodiment. One embodiment is described. That is, the cathode 120 and the anode 130 are disposed on opposite sides of the thin film electrode group 110. The liquid recovery element 150 is disposed on one side of the gas-liquid transport element 240, and the liquid recovery element 150 is coupled to the anode 160. Further, a liquid pump 170 is coupled to the liquid recovery element 150 to control the flow rate of the recovered liquid.

In the present embodiment, the gas-liquid transporting element 240 includes a gas-liquid separating portion 242 and a buffer portion 244. The gas-liquid separation portion 242 is located between the buffer portion 244 and the anode 130 and has a first hydrophobic gas permeable material 242A and a first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B. The liquid recovery element 150 is disposed substantially on one side of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B, and the liquid recovery component 150 is coupled to the anode 130. As a result, the recovered fluid separated by the gas-liquid transporting member 240 can be recovered by the liquid recovery component 150.

The buffer portion 244 of the gas-liquid transport element 240 defines, for example, a first-class track (as shown in FIG. 2), which is, for example, a meandering flow path. For example, the buffer portion 244 can be a tubular member or a flat member that is engraved with a flow path. In addition, the gas-liquid transport element 240 has a first end 240A coupled to the anode 130 and a second end 240B coupled to the cathode 120 to communicate the flow path with the cathode outlet 124. In the fuel cell system 200, the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 is disposed on the buffer portion 244 adjacent to the cathode outlet 124, and the gas pump 260 is connected to the cathode inlet 122 of the cathode 120 and indirectly connected to the gas-liquid transport element 240 through the cathode 120. Second end 240B. That is, the present embodiment connects the gas-liquid transport element 240 to the cathode 120 and is further disposed on the buffer portion 244 with the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 to discharge the gas generated by the cathode 120 and match the setting of the gas pump 260. It helps to maintain the pressure in the gas-liquid transport element 240.

In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the gas pump 260 and the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 helps maintain the pressure inside the gas-liquid transport element 240 constant, and this pressure is the pressure relief pressure of the cathode 120. Therefore, the gas-liquid separation unit 242 can continuously perform gas-liquid separation, and the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 242A and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B are less likely to leak and leak due to improper pressure. That is, the fuel cell system 200 can have good gas-liquid separation to more efficiently recover the recyclable recovered liquid. Further, the discharged fluid can be filled in the gas-liquid transporting member 240 by capillary action, and is directly subjected to gas-liquid separation in the gas-liquid separating portion 242. This embodiment does not require the fuel cell system 200 to be disposed in a fixed direction to stratify and separate the gas and liquid by gravity. Therefore, the fuel cell system 200 Can be further applied to portable or mobile products.

3 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the fuel cell system 300 is substantially the same as the fuel cell system 200, and thus some of the component symbols in this embodiment are the same as those described in the second embodiment. That is, these same component symbols indicate the same components. However, in the present embodiment, the number of the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 is, for example, one, and the gas-liquid separation portion 242 includes the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A, the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B, and a flow blocking structure 342C. The flow blocking structure 342C is located between the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A and the anode 130, and at least a portion of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B corresponds to the flow blocking structure 342C.

Specifically, the flow blocking structure 342C of the present embodiment is, for example, a plurality of flow blocking protrusions P projecting inside the gas-liquid separating portion 340. In other embodiments, the flow blocking structure 342C may be a plurality of choke blocks (not shown) disposed in the gas-liquid separation portion 340 or a constriction tube, a protruding tube, and a chute channel. Or a hydrophobic pore material. After the discharge fluid discharged from the anode 130 flows into the gas-liquid transporting member 340 from the first end 340A, it passes through a portion where the other side of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B is the choke structure 342C. At this time, the flow rate of the discharged fluid is slowed down and flows into the liquid recovery member 150 by the action of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B, and the unremoved gas remains in the gas-liquid transport member 340 and is discharged in the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A. Go out.

In detail, the discharge fluid is advanced upstream of the gas-liquid separation portion 342 (that is, the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B is provided on one side and the flow blocking structure is provided on the other side). Part 342C) draws a portion of the liquid in the effluent fluid through liquid pump 170 into liquid recovery element 150. As a result, the amount of liquid in the discharge fluid that enters the downstream of the gas-liquid separation portion 342 (that is, the portion on the other side where the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B is provided with the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A) is greatly reduced. Due to the decrease in the amount of liquid at the downstream, the area of the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A downstream of the gas-liquid separation portion 342 is blocked by the liquid. Therefore, the area where the gas can be removed is increased, making the exhaust gas easier and the exhaust efficiency is improved.

In addition, the discharge fluid generally has a certain temperature (for example, 50 ° C to 80 ° C) when it is discharged from the anode 130. The gas discharged from the discharge fluid just after exiting the anode 130 exhibits a higher temperature than the outside, and thus is liable to condense on the gas permeable material, thereby blocking the exhaust gas area by the liquid and reducing the exhaust efficiency. In order to avoid the above, the present embodiment causes the liquid component in the discharged fluid to be separated first and flows into the liquid recovery member 150, after which the gas component is discharged from the relatively downstream first hydrophobic exhaust material 342A. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the gas is exhausted, the temperature of the discharged fluid has relatively decreased and condensation does not easily occur. In other words, the present embodiment performs the gas discharge at a relatively downstream position to avoid the occurrence of gas condensation, thereby achieving an ideal gas discharge efficiency.

4 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the fuel cell system 400 includes a thin film electrode assembly 110, a cathode 120, an anode 130, a gas-liquid transport component 240, a liquid recovery component 150, and a gas pump 260, as described in the second embodiment. a liquid pump 170 and a second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246, further including a The third hydrophobic gas permeable material 410, the gas storage element 420, the fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430, and the second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440.

In the present embodiment, the third hydrophobic gas permeable material 410 is disposed on the buffer portion 244, and the gas storage member 420 and the buffer portion 244 are respectively located on opposite sides of the third hydrophobic gas permeable material 410. That is, the gas storage element 420 is connected to the flow path defined by the buffer portion 244 through the third hydrophobic gas permeable material 410. The fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430 is disposed at the end of the gas storage element 420 away from the buffer portion 244 , and the second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440 and the fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430 are disposed on opposite sides of the gas storage element 420 . Further, the second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440 is disposed between the end of the gas storage member 420 and the liquid recovery member 150.

The gas located in the gas storage element 410 may be discharged to the outside by a fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430 disposed at the end. Therefore, the present embodiment can utilize the gas discharge amount of the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 and the fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430 to adjust the pressure in the gas-liquid transport element 240.

Furthermore, the present embodiment is further provided with a second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440 connected to the liquid recovery element 150 at the end of the gas storage element 420. Therefore, if the gas condenses into a liquid in the gas storage member 420, the condensed liquid can be transferred to the liquid recovery member 150 by the second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fuel cell system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the fuel cell system 500 is substantially a branch 544 and a pressure drop device 580 added to the gas-liquid outgoing element 240 in the fuel cell system 200 of the second embodiment. Branch 544 through The overpressure reducing element 580 is in communication with the liquid recovery element 150 to adjust the liquid concentration and temperature in the liquid recovery element 150 by the arrangement of the branch 544 and the pressure decreasing element 580. For example, the pressure decreasing element 580 can be a flow rate adjusting element such as an elongated element having an element diameter of 0.2 mm and a length of 8 mm. In addition, the pressure decreasing element 580 may also be a hydrophilic gas barrier material, and the installation area may be smaller than the area of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B. In an embodiment, the structure or material design that can cause (flow reduction) can be used as an embodiment of the pressure decreasing element 580, and the fine element specifications and material areas described above are for illustrative purposes only, rather than The invention is defined.

In particular, the design conditions of the pressure decreasing element 580 can be matched to the fuel consumption per minute of the body of the fuel cell system 500. The flow through the pressure decreasing element 580 need only be slightly greater than or equal to the fuel consumption of the battery body. For example, if the battery body consumption is 3 ml/min, the liquid throughput through the pressure decreasing element 580 may be 3 ml/min, or >3 ml/min, but not too large, nor <3 ml/min. If the liquid throughput of the pressure decreasing element 580 is too small, the hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B may not be wetted and the gas is drawn.

In particular, branch 544 is, for example, filled with a portion of the effluent fluid, and pressure reducing element 580 can control the flow of these effluent fluids from branch 544 to liquid recovery element 150. In general, the liquid flowing into the liquid recovery element 150 from the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B is at a higher temperature than the liquid in the buffer portion 244 and the branch 544. Therefore, this embodiment can control the flow of liquid in the branch 544 by the pressure decreasing element 580 to make it back. The liquid is collected at the desired temperature.

Similarly, the effluent fluid has different compositional concentrations depending on the output power of the fuel cell system 500 and the amount of methanol permeate. Therefore, the liquid composition in the buffer portion 244 and the branch 544 is different from the liquid composition in the gas-liquid separation portion 242. If the recovered liquid can be reused more efficiently at a particular composition concentration or if the recovered liquid is to be controlled at a particular concentration, then the fuel cell system 500 can adjust the flow of liquid in the branch 544 to the liquid by the pressure decreasing element 580. The recovered liquid in the recovery element 150 has the desired concentration. It is worth mentioning that the sum of the flow rate of the liquid in the branch 544 and the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B is the flow rate at which the recovered liquid is pumped and recovered through the liquid pump 170. However, this embodiment does not limit the flow rate of the liquid in the branch 544 to be greater than or equal to the flow rate of the liquid in the discharge fluid through the first hydrophilic gas barrier material 242B. The user can adjust these parameters according to different needs and product designs. It should be noted that, in an embodiment, the gas-liquid separation portion 342 of the third embodiment may be selected instead of the gas-liquid separation portion 242 of FIG.

In addition, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the fuel cell system 600 further includes a second hydrophilic gas barrier material 690 in addition to the components of the fuel cell system 500 in the fifth embodiment. In addition, the second hydrophilic gas barrier material 690 is disposed between the gas-liquid separation portion 242 and the buffer portion 244, and the discharge fluid discharged from the anode 130 flows into the auxiliary liquid recovery member 150 and the buffer portion 244 before flowing through the second hydrophilic barrier. Gas material 690. That is, the present embodiment causes the gas portion in the discharge fluid to be substantially completely discharged in the gas-liquid separation portion 242. Except, so that only liquid portions are present in other components, such as buffer portion 244, branch 544, and liquid recovery member 150. As a result, the material filled in the branch 544 is only liquid and can avoid contamination of the recovered liquid by the flow of the gas portion from the branch 544 into the liquid recovery element 150. In an embodiment, the gas-liquid separation portion 342 of the third embodiment may be selected instead of the gas-liquid separation portion 242 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the fuel cell system 700 includes a thin film electrode assembly 110, a cathode 120, an anode 130, and a gas-liquid transport element 340 including a buffer portion 244, a first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A, a first hydrophilic gas barrier material 342B, and a flow blocking structure 342C. ), liquid recovery element 150, gas pump 260, liquid pump 170, second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246, branch 544, pressure decreasing element 580, third hydrophobic gas permeable material 410, gas storage element 420, fourth hydrophobic gas permeable material 430, a second hydrophilic gas barrier material 440, 690, a fuel tank 710, a fuel pump 720, and a condenser 730. That is, the present embodiment is an element in which the above-described second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments are combined, and a fuel cell system 700 composed of a fuel tank 710, a fuel pump 720, and a condenser 730 is newly added.

In the present embodiment, the connection relationship between most of the members has been described in the foregoing various embodiments, and therefore the arrangement positions of the fuel tank 710, the fuel pump 720, and the condenser 730 will be described below. The fuel tank 710 is, for example, connected to the anode outlet of the anode 130 through the fuel pump 720. In addition, the condenser 730 is disposed on the buffer portion 244, and is disposed on the second hydrophobic gas permeable material 246 and the first hydrophobic gas permeable material 342A, and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material. Between the gas-liquid separation unit formed by 342B and the flow blocking structure 342C.

In summary, the present invention utilizes a gas-liquid transport element connected to an anode for gas-liquid separation and recovery of liquid, wherein the pressure in the gas-liquid transport element is substantially stabilized by the arrangement of a buffer. Therefore, the gas-liquid separation portion on the gas-liquid transporting member can stably and continuously perform gas-liquid separation of the discharged fluid discharged from the anode. The liquid after gas-liquid separation can be recycled and reused. In other words, the fuel cell system of the present invention has a well-stabilized liquid recovery and pressure balanced design. In addition, the gas and liquid in the gas-liquid transmission element can be separated without delamination, so the fuel cell system can be further applied to the portable or movable product without using a specific direction in use. among.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700‧‧‧ fuel cell systems

110‧‧‧Thin electrode group

120‧‧‧ cathode

122‧‧‧cathode inlet

124‧‧‧ Cathode exit

130‧‧‧Anode

132‧‧‧Anode inlet

134‧‧‧Anode exit

140, 240, 340‧ ‧ gas-liquid transmission components

140A, 240A, 340A‧‧‧ first end

142, 242, 342‧ ‧ gas-liquid separation

142A, 242A, 342A‧‧‧ first hydrophobic gas permeable material

142B, 242B, 342B‧‧‧First hydrophilic gas barrier material

144, 244‧‧‧ buffer

150‧‧‧Liquid recovery components

170‧‧‧Liquid pump

240B‧‧‧second end

246‧‧‧Second hydrophobic material

260‧‧‧ gas pump

342C‧‧‧ flow blocking structure

410‧‧‧ Third hydrophobic gas permeable material

420‧‧‧ gas storage components

430‧‧‧fourth hydrophobic material

440, 690‧‧‧Second hydrophilic gas barrier material

544‧‧‧ branch

580‧‧‧Pressure decreasing component

710‧‧‧fuel tank

720‧‧‧fuel pump

730‧‧‧Condenser

P‧‧‧ flow blocking

1 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

100‧‧‧ fuel cell system

110‧‧‧Thin electrode group

120‧‧‧ cathode

122‧‧‧cathode inlet

124‧‧‧ Cathode exit

130‧‧‧Anode

132‧‧‧Anode inlet

134‧‧‧Anode exit

140‧‧‧ gas-liquid transmission components

140A‧‧‧ first end

142‧‧‧Gas and Liquid Separation Department

142A‧‧‧First hydrophobic material

142B‧‧‧First hydrophilic gas barrier material

144‧‧‧ buffer

150‧‧‧Liquid recovery components

170‧‧‧Liquid pump

Claims (18)

A fuel cell system comprising: a membrane electrode assembly; a cathode disposed on one side of the membrane electrode assembly and comprising a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet; an anode disposed on the other side of the membrane electrode assembly, and Opposite the cathode, and comprising an anode inlet and an anode outlet; a gas-liquid transport element having a first end connected to the anode outlet, and the gas-liquid transport element comprises a gas-liquid separation portion and a buffer portion The liquid separation portion is located between the buffer portion and the first end, wherein the gas-liquid separation portion has a first hydrophobic gas permeable material and a first hydrophilic gas barrier material; and a liquid recovery element disposed on the first hydrophilic gas barrier a side of the material, and the liquid recovery element is coupled to the anode inlet, wherein a discharge fluid discharged from the anode flows simultaneously through the first hydrophobic gas permeable material and the first hydrophilic gas barrier material and at least a portion of the gas The gas-liquid separation portion of the liquid transport element flows into the liquid recovery element through the first hydrophilic gas barrier material as a recovery liquid; and a liquid pump connected to the liquid Recovery element, to control the flow rate of the recovered liquid flows into the anode inlet through the first gas-barrier material hydrophilic. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is a volume-adjustable accommodating member. The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the buffer portion defines a first-class track, and the second end of the gas-liquid transport element Connected to the cathode outlet to connect the flow channel to the cathode outlet. The fuel cell system of claim 3, further comprising a gas pump and a second hydrophobic gas permeable material disposed on the buffer portion adjacent to the cathode outlet, and the gas gang The cathode is connected to the cathode inlet of the cathode and indirectly connected to the second end of the gas-liquid transport element through the cathode. The fuel cell system of claim 3, wherein the flow path is in a meandering shape. The fuel cell system of claim 3, wherein the gas-liquid transport component further comprises a branch and a pressure decreasing component, the branch being connected to the buffering portion and the branch is connected to the liquid recovery through the pressure decreasing component element. The fuel cell system of claim 6, further comprising a second hydrophilic gas barrier material disposed between the gas-liquid separation portion and the buffer portion, and the discharge fluid discharged from the anode flows into the buffer And the branch first flows through the second hydrophilic gas barrier material. The fuel cell system of claim 7, wherein the pressure reducing element is an elongated element or a third hydrophilic gas barrier material. The fuel cell system of claim 3, further comprising a gas storage element and a second hydrophobic gas permeable material, wherein the gas storage element is connected to the buffer portion by the second hydrophobic gas permeable material The flow path. The fuel cell system of claim 9, further comprising a third hydrophobic gas permeable material disposed on the gas storage component away from the The end of the buffer. The fuel cell system of claim 10, further comprising a second hydrophilic gas barrier material disposed between the end of the gas storage component and the liquid recovery component, and the third hydrophobic gas permeable material relatively. The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the discharge fluid discharged from the anode has at least another portion flowing from the gas-liquid separation portion into the buffer portion. The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separation portion further has at least one flow blocking structure between the first hydrophobic gas permeable material and the anode, at least a portion of the first hydrophilic gas barrier material. Corresponding to the at least one flow blocking structure. The fuel cell system of claim 13, wherein the at least one flow blocking structure comprises a plurality of flow blocking blocks disposed in the gas-liquid separation portion. The fuel cell system of claim 13, wherein the at least one flow blocking structure comprises a plurality of flow blocking protrusions protruding into the gas-liquid separating portion. The fuel cell system of claim 13, wherein the at least one flow blocking structure comprises a constriction tube, a conduit tube, a choke channel or a hydrophobic pore material. The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising a fuel tank and a fuel pump connected to the anode outlet through the fuel pump. The fuel cell system of claim 1, further comprising a condenser disposed on the buffer portion.