Air shut-off valve apparatus for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10756362-B2
Application number	US-201916376386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Jan 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An air shut-off valve apparatus for a fuel cell system is provided. The apparatus includes a valve body having an inlet-side air passage through which supply air flows and an outlet-side air passage through which exhaust air flows. A valve flap is installed in the valve body to open or close the inlet-side air passage and the outlet-side air passage. An inlet-side check valve is opened when pressure of the supply air is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure, to guide the supply air into the fuel cell stack through the inlet-side air passage even while the valve flap is closed. An outlet-side check valve is opened when pressure of the exhaust air is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure, to guide the exhaust air released from the fuel cell stack to flow through the outlet-side air passage even while the valve flap is closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air shut-off valve apparatus for a fuel cell system, comprising:
a valve body having an inlet-side air passage through which supply air supplied into a fuel cell stack flows and an outlet-side air passage through which exhaust air released from the fuel cell stack flows;
a valve flap pivotally installed within the valve body to open or close the inlet-side air passage and the outlet-side air passage;
an inlet-side check valve configured to be opened when pressure of the supply air is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure, to guide the supply air into the fuel cell stack through the inlet-side air passage even while the valve flap is closed; and
an outlet-side check valve configured to be opened when pressure of the exhaust air is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure, to guide the exhaust air released from the fuel cell stack to flow through the outlet-side air passage even while the valve flap is closed.

2. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet-side air passage includes
an inlet-side main air passage that is opened or closed by the valve flap; and
an inlet-side sub-air passage that is opened or closed by the inlet-side check valve.

3. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the outlet-side air passage includes:
an outlet-side main air passage that is opened or closed by the valve flap; and
an outlet-side sub-air passage that is opened or closed by the outlet-side check valve.

4. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the inlet-side check valve is installed at a position where the inlet-side sub-air passage connects to the inlet-side main air passage, and the outlet-side check valve is installed at a position where the outlet-side sub-air passage connects to the outlet-side main air passage.

5. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the inlet-side check valve includes:
a first packing configured to move between an opening position where the first packing opens the inlet-side sub-air passage and a closing position where the first packing closes the inlet-side sub-air passage; and
a first elastic member configured to elastically support the first packing toward the closing position.

6. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the outlet-side check valve includes:
a second packing configured to move between an opening position where the second packing opens the outlet-side sub-air passage and a closing position where the second packing closes the outlet-side sub-air passage; and
a second elastic member configured to elastically support the second packing toward the closing position.

7. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first packing is installed in the inlet-side sub-air passage to be moved from the closing position to the opening position by the pressure of the supply air introduced through the inlet-side main air passage, and the second packing is installed in the outlet-side main air passage to be moved from the closing position to the opening position by the pressure of the exhaust air introduced through the outlet-side sub-air passage.

8. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first elastic member has a predetermined modulus of elasticity to allow the first packing to move from the closing position to the opening position when a force exerted on the first packing by the pressure of the supply air is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and the second elastic member has a predetermined modulus of elasticity to allow the second packing to move from the closing position to the opening position when a force exerted on the second packing by the pressure of the exhaust air is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

9. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are installed within the valve body to elastically support the first packing and the second packing, respectively.

10. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet-side check valve and the outlet-side check valve are installed on the valve flap.

11. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the valve flap includes a first valve flap aperture that is opened or closed by the inlet-side check valve and a second valve flap aperture that is opened or closed by the outlet-side check valve.

12. The air shut-off valve apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the inlet-side check valve and the outlet-side check valve are installed on one side of the valve flap to prevent disruption of pivoting of the valve flap.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lee Byeong Seung
• Ha Kyoung Ku
• Kim Hyun Yoo
• Park Jeong Hee

Classifications

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04089 Primary

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• F16K15/044

  spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K1/205 Primary

  the sealing being arranged on the valve member · CPC title

• F16K1/20

  with axis of rotation arranged externally of valve member · CPC title