Air blower for fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087953-B2
Application number	US-201313969877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2013
Priority date	May 16, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Provided is an air blower for a fuel cell vehicle in which a bypass flow amount that ensures a surge margin is used to cool a motor to improve the efficiency of the motor. More specifically, a seal is arranged on a rear of an impeller and an air-through channel through which a part of the compressed air flows into the inside of the motor from an impeller housing case by forming an air-through aperture is formed therein to cool the motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air blower for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a rotary shaft;
a motor disposed around the rotary shaft, the motor including a rotator and a stator;
an impeller coupled to the rotary shaft and disposed in front of the motor;
a case provided with an inlet for inhaling external air in front of the impeller; and
a recovery channel through which the air passing through the inside of the motor returns back to a front of the impeller without being discharged outside,
wherein the impeller and the motor are spatially separated by the case,
wherein a seal is arranged on a rear portion of the impeller and seals a space between the impeller and the motor,
wherein a first air-through aperture is formed at a portion of the case between the space and the motor and a second air-through aperture is formed at a portion of the case at a rear part of the motor,
wherein the external air is inhaled through rotations of the rotary shaft and the impeller, and the inhaled air is compressed,
wherein a part of the compressed air flows into the inside of the motor through the first air-through aperture and flows out from the inside of the motor through the second air-though aperture,
wherein the compressed air that flows inside the motor cools the rotator and the stator,
wherein the recovery channel has a first end and a second end, the first end is connected to the front of the impeller and the second end is connected to the second air-through aperture formed at the case, and
wherein the recovery channel is arranged on an outside of the case enclosing the motor.

2. The air blower for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a control valve opening up or shutting off a flow channel is provided on the recovery channel.

3. The air blower for a fuel cell vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the control valve opens up or shuts off the flow channel only in a region of predetermined pressure or flow amount in accordance with a control signal from a controller of a vehicle.

4. A fuel cell vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
a humidifier providing fuel and air to the fuel cell stack; and
an air supplier that supplies air to the humidifier, wherein the air supplier includes an air blower, the air blower, including:
a rotary shaft;
a motor disposed around the rotary shaft, the motor including a rotator and a stator;
an impeller coupled to the rotary shaft and disposed in front of the motor;
a case provided with an inlet for inhaling external air in front of the impeller; and
a recovery channel through which the air passing through the inside of the motor returns back to a front of the impeller without being discharged outside,
wherein the impeller and the motor are spatially separated by the case,
wherein a seal is arranged on a rear portion of the impeller and seals a space between the impeller and the motor,
wherein a first air-through aperture is formed at a portion of the case between the space and the motor and a second air-through aperture is formed at a portion of the case at a rear part of the motor,
wherein the external air is inhaled through rotations of the rotary shaft and the impeller, and the inhaled air is compressed,
wherein a part of the compressed air flows into the inside of the motor through the first air-through aperture and flows out from the inside of the motor through the second air-through aperture,
wherein the compressed air that flows inside the motor cools the rotator and the stator,
wherein the recovery channel has a first end and a second end, the first end is connected to the front of the impeller and the second end is connected to the second air-through aperture formed at the case, and
wherein the recovery channel is arranged on an outside of the case enclosing the motor.

5. The fuel cell vehicle of claim 4 , wherein a control valve opening up or shutting off a flow channel is provided on the recovery channel.

6. The fuel cell vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the control valve opens up or shuts off the flow channel only in a region of predetermine pressure or flow amount in accordance with a control signal from a controller of a vehicle.

7. The fuel cell vehicle of claim 1 , wherein an air-through channel is formed between the first air-through aperture and the second air-through aperture, so that air flowing into the air-through channel cools a bearing arranged on a front of the rotary shaft and the rotator of the motor and is discharged to the second air-through aperture while cooling a bearing arranged on a rear of the rotary shaft.

8. The fuel cell vehicle of claim 4 , wherein an air-through channel is formed between the first air-through aperture and the second air-through aperture, so that air flowing into the air-through channel cools a bearing arranged on a front of the rotary shaft and the rotator of the motor and is discharged to the second air-through aperture while cooling a bearing arranged on a rear of the rotary shaft.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Lee Chang Ha
• Jung Myung Ju
• Park Chiyong
• Yang Hyunsup

Classifications

• B60L11/1883

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F04D27/0207

  by bleeding, bypassing or recycling fluids (influencing the boundary layer by an uncontrolled bleeding of the working fluid F04D29/681) · CPC title

• H01M8/04126

  Humidifying · CPC title

• F04D29/5806 Primary

  Cooling the drive system · CPC title

• B60L2240/36

  Temperature of vehicle components or parts · CPC title