Gas and water discharge unit for fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991958-B2
Application number	US-201916410343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system that can be prevented from freezing even when it is formed using resin material. The unit includes a gas-liquid separator for separating produced water from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device, a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator, and a resin unit body integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, in which the inside of the unit body includes a first channel with a valve seal at an end thereof on the gas and water discharge valve side, the first channel allowing communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, a second channel communicating with the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and a heated water channel surrounding at least one of the first or second channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system, comprising:
a gas-liquid separator adapted to separate produced water from a fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device;
a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator; and
a unit body made of resin, the unit body being integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve,
wherein an inside of the unit body includes a first channel, a second channel, and a heated water channel, the first channel being configured to allow communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve and being provided with a valve seat at an end of the first channel on a side of the gas and water discharge valve, the second channel being configured to communicate with the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and the heated water channel being configured to surround at least one of the first channel or the second channel.

2. The gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein:
a center line of the second channel is offset from a center line of the first channel, and
the heated water channel is provided such that the heated water channel surrounds each of the first channel and the second channel.

3. The gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the gas and water discharge valve is disposed such that its axis extends in a lateral direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Hosoi Takami
• Nishiumi Hiroaki
• Mishima Takashi
• Kashiwagi Koichi
• Okuno Hitoshi

Classifications

• H01M8/04291

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04253

  Means for solving freezing problems · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

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

• H01M8/04156

  with product water removal · CPC title