Fuel cell assembly with cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461343-B2
Application number	US-201514619717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell arrangement having first and second plates sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly. The arrangement defines first and second header regions that each include supply and return headers. The first plate defines coolant channels that extend between the header regions and connect to the return header in the first region. The second plate defines coolant channels that extend between the header regions and connect to the supply header in the first region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell assembly comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between first and second plates that each include opposing first and second regions that each define a first coolant header and a second coolant header, and in response to a cold-start mode, the first plate being configured to circulate coolant from the first region to the second region and the second plate being configured to circulate coolant from the second region to the first region.

2. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 wherein, in the cold-start mode, the first coolant headers act as supply headers and the second coolant headers act as return headers.

3. The fuel cell assembly of claim 2 wherein each of the supply headers is configured to circulate coolant in a same direction and each of the return headers is configured to circulate coolant in a same direction.

4. The fuel cell assembly of claim 3 where the supply headers are configured to circulate coolant in a first direction and the return headers are configured to circulate coolant in a second direction that is opposite the first.

5. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one manifold attached to one of the first and second plates and in fluid communication with each of the headers, wherein the manifold includes valves having at least a first position in the cold-start mode and a second position in a mode other than the cold-start mode.

6. The fuel cell assembly of claim 5 wherein the manifold is configured such that, in response to the valves being in the first position, the first coolant header of the first region circulates coolant in a first direction and, in response to the valves being in the second position, the first coolant header of the first region circulates coolant in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

7. The fuel cell assembly of claim 5 wherein the manifold further includes an inlet port connected to a high pressure line and an outlet port connected to a low pressure line.

8. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 wherein the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) includes first and second regions, and each of the plates defines a pair of first and second ports in each of the first and second regions, and the MEA defines a pair of first and second ports in each of the first and second regions, wherein the first ports of first plate, the second plate and the MEA cooperate to collectively define the first coolant headers, and wherein the second ports of the first plate, the second plate and the MEA cooperate to collectively define the second coolant headers.

9. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the first plate further defines a first coolant channel in fluid communication with the first coolant header of the first region and the second coolant header of the second region, and the second plate further defines a second coolant channel in fluid communication with the second coolant header of the first region and the first coolant header of the second region.

10. The fuel cell of claim 9 wherein the first plate defines a longitudinal centerline, and the first coolant headers are located on one side of the longitudinal centerline and the second headers are located on the other side of the longitudinal centerline.

11. The fuel cell of claim 10 wherein the second plate defines a second longitudinal centerline, and the first coolant headers are located on one side of the second longitudinal centerline and the second headers are located on the other side of the second longitudinal centerline.

12. The fuel cell of claim 9 wherein the first coolant channel is not in fluid communication with the second coolant header of the first region.

13. The fuel cell of claim 12 wherein second coolant channel is not in fluid communication with the second coolant header of the second region.

14. The fuel cell of claim 9 further comprising a manifold defining orifices each coupled to one the coolant headers of the first plate, the manifold including a valve movable between a cold-start position and a normal position, wherein the manifold is configured such that coolant flows through the first coolant channel from the first coolant header of the first region to the second coolant header of the second region when the valve is in the cold-start position and coolant flows through the first coolant channel from the second coolant header of the second region to first coolant header of the first region when the valve is in the normal position.

15. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein coolant flows through the second coolant channel from the first coolant header of the second region to the second coolant header of the first region when the valve is in the cold-start position and coolant flows through the second coolant channel from the first coolant header of the second region to the second coolant header of the first region when the valve is in the normal position.

16. The fuel cell assembly of claim 6 further comprising at least one controller in electronic communication with the valves, and programmed to, in response to coolant having a temperature below a threshold value, command actuation of the valves to the first position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mathie Craig Michael
• Debolt Michael Allen
• Gillespey Brian
• Sanderson William F
• Lu Zijie

Classifications

• H01M8/04029 Primary

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/04074 Primary

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04768

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title