Device and method for testing airtightness of fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330557-B2
Application number	US-201615372061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for testing airtightness of a fuel cell stack. The device for testing airtightness of a fuel cell stack including a first reaction gas inflow portion and a first reaction gas outflow portion which a first reaction gas flows in or out, respectively, and a second reaction gas inflow portion and a second reaction gas outflow portion which a second reaction gas flows in and out, respectively, includes i) a detection gas supplier supplying a detection gas to the first reaction gas inflow portion, ii) an intake installed to be movable in a sequential stacking direction of fuel cells in the second reaction gas outflow portion, iii) a detection gas concentration detector intaking a detection gas through the intake and detecting a concentration of the detection gas, and iv) a controller determining an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake by analyzing the detected concentration value of the detection gas detected by the detection gas concentration detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for testing airtightness of a fuel cell stack including a first reaction gas inflow portion and a first reaction gas outflow portion through which a first reaction gas flows in and out, respectively, and a second reaction gas inflow portion and a second reaction gas outflow portion through which a second reaction gas flows in and out, respectively, the device comprising:
a detection gas supplier supplying a detection gas to the first reaction gas inflow portion;
an intake installed to be movable in a sequential stacking direction of fuel cells in the second reaction gas outflow portion;
a detection gas concentration detector intaking the detection gas through the intake and detecting a concentration of the detection gas; and
a controller determining an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake by analyzing the detected concentration value of the detection gas detected by the detection gas concentration detector,
wherein:
the intake comprises:
a background pipe intaking a background source; and
a detection pipe intaking a detection source, and
the intake is provided as a dual-pipe in which the background pipe is disposed on the inner side of the detection pipe and integrally connected with the detection pipe.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a jig closing the first reaction gas inflow portion, opening the second reaction gas inflow portion, and closing the first and second reaction gas outflow portions.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the intake intakes air introduced to the second reaction gas outflow portion through the second reaction gas inflow portion and a detection gas leaked to the second reaction gas outflow portion through the first reaction gas outflow portion.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the intake intakes the background source of the second reaction gas outflow portion, establishes a detection background in the second reaction gas outflow portion, and
intakes the detection source of the second reaction gas outflow portion.

5. A device for testing airtightness of a fuel cell stack in which fuel cells are successively stacked, the device comprising:
a first jig closing a first reaction gas inflow portion of the fuel cell stack and opening a second reaction gas inflow portion;
a detection gas supplier connected to the first jig and supplying a detection gas to the first reaction gas inflow portion;
a second jig closing first and second reaction gas outflow portions of the fuel cell stack;
an intake mounted in the second jig and installed to be movable in a sequential stacking direction of the fuel cells within the second reaction gas outflow portion;
a detection gas concentration detector installed to be connected to the intake, intaking a detection source on an inner side of the second reaction gas outflow portion through the intake, and detecting a concentration of the detection gas; and
a controller determining an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake by analyzing the detected concentration value of the detection gas detected by the detection gas concentration detector,
wherein:
the intake comprises:
a background pipe intaking a background source; and
a detection pipe intaking a detection source, and
a detection gas intake passage is provided between an outer circumferential surface of the background pipe and an inner circumferential surface of the detection pipe.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the detection gas supplier comprises:
a gas tank storing a gas lighter than air as the detection gas; and
a supply hose connecting the gas tank and the first reaction gas inflow portion.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the background pipe intakes the background source of the second reaction gas outflow portion; and
the detection pipe is connected to the background pipe provided on an inner side thereof and intakes the detection source of the second reaction gas outflow portion through a portion between the detection pipe and the background pipe.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the second reaction gas outflow portion and the background pipe are connected to an exhaust pump.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the detection pipe is connected to the detection gas concentration detector.

10. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the background pipe has a flange supporting an inner wall of the second reaction gas outflow portion.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:
the detection pipe is disposed to be spaced apart from the flange, and a detection source inlet passage is provided between the detection pipe and the flange.

12. The device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a driver installed in the second jig and linearly moving the intake by a rotational force from a servo motor.

13. A method for testing airtightness of a fuel cell stack, the method comprising steps of:
closing a first reaction gas inflow portion, opening a second reaction inflow portion, closing first and second reaction gas outflow portions, setting an intake in the second reaction gas outflow portion, and supplying a detection gas to the first reaction gas inflow portion;
intaking a background source of the second reaction gas outflow portion through the intake and establishing a detection background;
intaking a detection source of the second reaction gas outflow portion through the intake, and moving the intake in a sequential stacking direction of fuel cells through a servo motor; and
detecting a concentration of the detection gas through a detection gas concentration detector and analyzing the detected concentration value to determine an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake, wherein:
in the step of setting an intake in the second reaction gas outflow portion,
the intake has a form of a dual-pipe in which a background pipe intaking the background source is provided on an inner side of a detection pipe intaking the detection source.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
in the step of intaking a detection source of the second reaction gas outflow portion through the intake, and moving the intake in a sequential stacking direction of fuel cells through a servo motor,
cell numbers of fuel cells are obtained with respect to a movement position of the intake based on a revolution per minute (RPM) of the servo motor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
in the step of detecting a concentration of the detection gas through a detection gas concentration detector and analyzing the detected concentration value to determine an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake,
a section in which the detected concentration value of the detection gas of the detection source detected by the detection gas concentration detector is uniform within a set range is set as a reference concentration, and
it is determined whether the detected concentration value of the detection gas exceeds the reference concentration.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
in the step of detecting a concentration of the detection gas through a detection gas concentration detector and analyzing the detected concentration value to determine an airtightness-defective cell based on a position of the intake,
when it is determined that the detected concentration value of the detection gas exceeds the reference concentration,
the cell number of a fuel cell based on a movement position of the intake is indicated, and the fuel cell corresponding to the cell number is determined as an airtightness-defective cell.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Son Ji Hwan

Classifications

• H01M8/04 Primary

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M8/04104

  Regulation of differential pressures · CPC title

• G01M3/20 Primary

  using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material · CPC title

• H01M8/04671

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04686

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title