夏增剛
摘 要:質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池是一種直接將儲(chǔ)存在H2的化學(xué)能經(jīng)與O2反應(yīng)轉(zhuǎn)化成電能、熱能和水的電化學(xué)裝置。它不受卡諾循環(huán)的限制,轉(zhuǎn)化效率高,可以長(zhǎng)時(shí)間連續(xù)運(yùn)行,具有運(yùn)行溫度低、功率密度高、響應(yīng)快、啟動(dòng)快、穩(wěn)定性好以及當(dāng)使用純氫氣時(shí)不會(huì)造成環(huán)境污染等特點(diǎn),是未來(lái)汽車(chē)的理想動(dòng)力裝置之一。合適的濕度條件是燃料電池健康高效運(yùn)行的必要條件,本文針對(duì)水在燃料電池內(nèi)的傳輸問(wèn)題進(jìn)行綜述歸納,為燃料電池內(nèi)的水傳輸問(wèn)題建立研究基礎(chǔ)。
關(guān)鍵詞:質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池 水傳輸
Review on Water Transport Mechanism of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack
Xia Zenggang
Abstract:Proton exchange membrane fuel cell is an electrochemical device that directly converts the chemical energy stored in H2 into electrical energy, thermal energy and water by reacting with O2. It is not limited by Carnot cycle, has high conversion efficiency and can operate continuously for a long time. It has the characteristics of low operating temperature, high power density, fast response, fast start-up, good stability and no environmental pollution when using pure hydrogen. It is one of the ideal power devices for cars in the future. Appropriate humidity conditions are necessary for the healthy and efficient operation of fuel cells. This paper summarizes the water transport in fuel cells, and establishes a research foundation for the water transport in fuel cells.
Key words:proton exchange membrane fuel cell, water transport
1 研究背景與意義
質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池技術(shù)因具有,啟動(dòng)快,效率高,溫度低,功率密度高,運(yùn)行平穩(wěn),使用純氫時(shí)不會(huì)造成環(huán)境污染等優(yōu)點(diǎn)。隨著環(huán)境污染與全球氣候變暖問(wèn)題的日益嚴(yán)重,其作為一種汽車(chē)動(dòng)力系統(tǒng)解決方案而日益受到關(guān)注[1-2]。
對(duì)于車(chē)載應(yīng)用,質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池系統(tǒng)的耐久性與可靠性的提升是最具有挑戰(zhàn)性的問(wèn)題。燃料電池電堆的正常工作的需要適中的濕度范圍,所以良好水管理是提升質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池可靠性與耐久性的重要手段[3-4]。
隨著燃料電池技術(shù)的發(fā)展,對(duì)于實(shí)用的車(chē)載質(zhì)子交換膜燃料的電池系統(tǒng),MEA普遍趨勢(shì)是越來(lái)越薄,對(duì)水的傳輸性能更好,容易發(fā)生水淹故障。燃料電池在高電流密度下,產(chǎn)生更多的水且工作壓力更大,氣態(tài)水更容易液化,堵塞氣體擴(kuò)散層(GDL)與流道,阻礙反應(yīng)氣體傳質(zhì),造成反應(yīng)欠氣,電堆性能下降同時(shí)損害電堆耐久性[5]。所以燃料電池水狀態(tài)傳輸機(jī)理是燃料電池系統(tǒng)研究的重要問(wèn)題。
2 燃料電池內(nèi)部水傳輸
燃料電池內(nèi)部的水傳輸機(jī)制如圖1所示,主要有TOD (Thermal-osmotic drag),EOD (Electro-osmotic drag),BD(Back Diffusion)和HP(Hydraulic Permeation)[6]。
在質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池中對(duì)水傳輸起主要作用的是electro-osmotic drag 和 back diffusion,水傳輸?shù)臋C(jī)制決定電解質(zhì)膜的濕度,其對(duì)質(zhì)子的傳輸非常重要[7]。
質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池工作的過(guò)程中,質(zhì)子從陽(yáng)極傳輸?shù)疥帢O,同時(shí)牽引水分子同樣從陽(yáng)極向陰極運(yùn)動(dòng),這種現(xiàn)象被稱為EOD[8]。如果膜的濕度過(guò)高,EOD現(xiàn)象會(huì)導(dǎo)致water flooding,影響反應(yīng)的效率,并造成催化劑退化。EOD現(xiàn)象中,水的傳輸速率和質(zhì)子從陽(yáng)極向陰極的傳輸速率密切相關(guān),所以本文提出的診斷模型將電堆電流密度作為重要的模型輸入[9]。Zhiping et al.在研究中發(fā)現(xiàn)EOD的速率和溫度密切相關(guān),當(dāng)溫度上升,EOD系數(shù)明顯增加[10]。
在陰極產(chǎn)生的過(guò)量的水會(huì)因濃度梯度向陽(yáng)極滲透,這種現(xiàn)象稱為BD(Back Diffusion)[11]。BD的速率和水濃度梯度,膜的厚度、壓力梯度以及溫度有關(guān)[12-13]。
由于Thermal-osmotic Drag現(xiàn)象,水會(huì)從較冷的區(qū)域向較熱的區(qū)域流動(dòng)[14-15],燃料電池系統(tǒng)中,氫氣來(lái)自氫瓶,如堆氫氣溫度相對(duì)固定,模型將陰極入口溫度作為模型輸入,反映TOD現(xiàn)象。
3 質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池水的兩相流
很多可視化的實(shí)驗(yàn)證實(shí)了液態(tài)水在流道內(nèi)的積聚將經(jīng)歷離散小液滴(Stray droplets)、穩(wěn)定的較大液滴(Stable droplets)、環(huán)狀薄膜(Liquid Film)和水團(tuán)(Slug)四個(gè)階段[16]。液態(tài)水的增加會(huì)阻礙氣體傳質(zhì),對(duì)降低燃料電池的耐久性和經(jīng)濟(jì)性。
4 結(jié)語(yǔ)
水傳輸是質(zhì)子交換膜燃料電池的核心傳質(zhì)問(wèn)題之一,和燃料電池的耐久性、可靠性提升關(guān)系密切。本文對(duì)四種重要水傳輸機(jī)理進(jìn)行綜述,并分析了兩相流的4個(gè)階段,為燃料電池水傳輸機(jī)理研究提供理論指導(dǎo)。
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