Proton exchange membrane fuel cell with a bellows-shaped membrane electrode assembly device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10396373-B2
Application number	US-201715444176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The fuel cell includes: a container, wherein the container includes a reacting room, a fuel room connected to the reacting room through a fuel inputting hole, a fuel inputting door located on the fuel inputting hole, a waste collecting room connected to the reacting room through a waste outputting hole, a waste outputting door located on the waste outputting hole; a membrane electrode assembly located in the reacting room, wherein the membrane electrode assembly device defines a bellows and a pipe connected to the bellows and extending out of the reacting room, the reacting room is divided into a first electrode space outside the bellows and a second electrode space inside the bellows, the volume of the first electrode space and the second electrode space can be changed by deforming the bellows.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:
a reacting room;
a fuel room in communication with the reacting room through a fuel inputting hole;
a fuel inputting door located on the fuel inputting hole;
a waste room in communication with the reacting room through a waste outputting hole;
a waste outputting door located on the waste outputting hole; and
a membrane electrode assembly device located in the reacting room, wherein the membrane electrode assembly device defines a bellows and a pipe connected to the bellows and extending out of the reacting room, the reacting room is divided into a first electrode space outside the bellows and a second electrode space inside the bellows, volumes of the first electrode space and the second electrode space can be changed by deforming the bellows.

2. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly device comprises a hollow supporting structure and a membrane electrode assembly located on the hollow supporting structure.

3. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein the hollow supporting structure defines the bellows and the pipe.

4. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 3 , wherein the hollow supporting structure defines a plurality of first through holes on a first wall of the bellows; and the membrane electrode assembly covers the plurality of first through holes.

5. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 4 , wherein the hollow supporting structure further defines a plurality of second through holes on a second wall of the pipe; and the membrane electrode assembly further covers the plurality of second through holes.

6. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly device further comprises a gasket ring used to seal the first electrode space.

7. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen room and a gas inputting door, wherein the oxygen room is in communication with the second electrode space through a gas inputting hole and the gas inputting door is located on the gas inputting hole.

8. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 7 , further comprising a gas outputting door located on one end of the pipe that is outside of the reacting room, and the pipe is only used to exhaust waste gas.

9. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein one end of the pipe extend to an outside atmosphere;
when the bellows is expanded, the volumes of the first electrode space and the second electrode space increase, pressures of the first electrode space and the second electrode space decrease, the fuel inputting door is open and the outputting door is closed so that fuel in the fuel room enters the first electrode space from the fuel room, and air outside of the bellows enters the bellows through the pipe; and
when the bellows is compressed, the volumes of the first electrode space and the second electrode space decrease, and pressures of the first electrode space and the second electrode space increase, the fuel inputting door is closed and the outputting door is open so that waste fuel in the first electrode space enters the waste room from the first electrode space, and waste gas inside of the bellows is exhausted through the pipe.

10. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein the fuel inputting door is fixed on an inner surface of the reacting room, the fuel inputting door is closed when the pressure of the reacting room is higher than the pressure of the fuel room, and the fuel inputting door is open when the pressure of the reacting room is lower than the pressure of the fuel room; and the waste outputting door is fixed on an inner surface of the waste room, the waste outputting door is open when the pressure of the reacting room is higher than the pressure of the waste room, and the waste outputting door is closed when the pressure of the reacting room is lower than the pressure of the waste room.

11. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the reacting room has a bottom wall and a top wall defining a gas exchange hole, and the pipe pass through the gas exchange hole.

12. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 11 , wherein a length of the pipe is greater than a distance between the bottom wall and the top wall.

13. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein a cross section size of the bellows is less than a cross-section size of the reacting room, and a bellows top wall of the bellows and the reacting room have the same cross-section shapes and sizes so that the first electrode space is sealed by the bellows top wall.

14. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein the gasket ring comprises an annular rubber body, and the annular body and the reacting room have the same cross section shapes and size.

15. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the gas inputting door is closed when the pressure of the second electrode space is higher than the pressure of the oxygen room, and the gas inputting door is open when the pressure of the cathode electrode space is lower than the pressure of the oxygen room.

16. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 8 , wherein the end of the pipe extends to an outside atmosphere.

17. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell of claim 16 , wherein the gas outputting door is open when the pressure of the second electrode space is higher than the pressure of the atmosphere, and the gas outputting door is closed when the pressure of the second electrode space is lower than the pressure of the atmosphere.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Li-Na
• Jiang Kai-Li
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/16

  Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/04201 Primary

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/04231

  Purging of the reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title