Fluidic device for supplying working fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10996692-B2
Application number	US-201916392730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A fluidic device for supplying working fluid includes: a fluid line for the flow of the working fluid; a pressure regulator adapted to reduce the pressure of the working fluid from the upstream pressure to a downstream pressure; a valve adapted to be pressure-controlled for opening or closing, depending on whether a pressure exerted on its valve head is substantially equal to the upstream pressure or to the downstream pressure; a distributor including a first opening connected to an upstream side of the pressure regulator, a second opening downstream of the pressure regulator, and a control opening connected to the valve head. The distributor is adapted to cause the opening or closing of the valve, depending on whether the control opening is connected to the first opening or to the second opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluidic device for supplying working fluid, comprising:
a fluid line for the flow of the working fluid, comprising an inlet configured to receive the working fluid at an upstream pressure P in ;
a pressure regulator, positioned on the fluid line, configured to reduce the pressure of the working fluid from the upstream pressure to a downstream pressure P out ; and
a valve, positioned on the fluid line upstream or downstream of the pressure regulator, comprising a valve head configured to occupy a valve open position and a valve closed position,
wherein the valve is configured to be pressure-controlled for opening or closing, depending on whether a pressure exerted on the valve head is substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in or to the downstream pressure P out ,
wherein the fluidic device comprises a distributor,
wherein the distributor comprises a first opening connected to the fluid line upstream of the pressure regulator, a second opening connected to the fluid line downstream of the pressure regulator, and a third control opening, connected to the valve head, and
wherein the distributor is configured to cause the valve to be opened or closed, depending on whether the control opening is connected to the first opening or to the second opening.

2. The fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the distributor is configured so that the valve is closed when the working fluid exerts a closing pressure, substantially equal to the pressure of the working fluid in the fluid line at the inlet of the valve, on the valve head.

3. The fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve is positioned downstream of the pressure regulator, and is configured to be open when the working fluid exerts a pressure substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in on the valve head, and to be closed when the working fluid exerts a pressure substantially equal to the downstream pressure P out on the valve head, and
the distributor has:
a valve opening configuration in which the control opening is connected to the first opening, thus putting the valve head into communication with the working fluid at a pressure substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in , and
a valve closing configuration in which the control opening is connected to the second opening, thus putting the valve head into communication with the working fluid at a pressure substantially equal to the downstream pressure P out .

4. The fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve is positioned upstream of the pressure regulator, and is configured to be open when the working fluid exerts a pressure substantially equal to the downstream pressure P out on the valve head, and to be closed when the working fluid exerts a pressure substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in on the valve head, and
the distributor has:
a valve opening configuration in which the control opening is connected to the second opening, thus putting the valve head into communication with the working fluid at a pressure substantially equal to the downstream pressure P out , and
a valve closing configuration in which the control opening is connected to the first opening, thus putting the valve head into communication with the working fluid at a pressure substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in .

5. The fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises an intermediate chamber, located between the valve head and an internal passage communicating with the fluid line, and traversed in a sealed manner by a rod connecting the valve head to a shutter of the internal passage, the intermediate chamber being set at a pressure substantially equal to the closing pressure.

6. The fluidic device according to claim 5 , wherein the intermediate chamber is connected to a part of said fluid line in which the working fluid is at the closing pressure.

7. The fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the distributor is electrically controlled.

8. An electrochemical system, comprising:
a tank for storing a working fluid at a pressure greater than or equal to the upstream pressure P in ;
a fuel cell, comprising at least one inlet manifold configured to provide the flow of working fluid into the fuel cell; and
at least one of the fluidic supply device according to claim 1 , connecting the tank to the inlet manifold, the working fluid being hydrogen or oxygen.

9. The electrochemical system according to claim 8 , comprising:
at least one supplementary valve,
wherein the at least one supplementary valve comprises a valve head configured to occupy a valve open position and a valve closed position, and configured to be pressure-controlled for opening or closing, depending on whether a pressure exerted on the valve head is substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in or to the downstream pressure P out , and
wherein the at least one supplementary valve is pressure-controlled by said distributor of said fluidic supply device, or by a supplementary distributor comprising a first opening connected to said fluid line upstream of said pressure regulator, a second opening connected to said fluid line downstream of said pressure regulator, and a third control opening, connected to the head of the supplementary valve, and configured to cause the opening or closing of the supplementary valve, depending on whether its control opening is connected to its first opening or to its second opening.

10. The electrochemical system according to claim 8 , wherein:
the working fluid is hydrogen,
the fuel cell comprises an anode inlet manifold configured to receive the working fluid, and a cathode inlet manifold configured to receive air,
at least one air supply valve is positioned on an air fluid supply line connected to the cathode inlet manifold,
the at least one air supply valve comprises a valve head configured to occupy a valve open position and a valve closed position, and configured to be pressure-controlled for opening or closing, depending on whether a pressure exerted on its valve head is substantially equal to the upstream pressure P in or to the downstream pressure P out , and
the at least one air supply valve is pressure-controlled by said distributor of said fluidic supply device, or by a distributor for controlling the air supply valve, comprising a first opening connected to said fluid line upstream of said pressure regulator, a second opening connected to said fluid line downstream of said pressure regulator, and a third control opening, connected to the head of the air supply valve, and configured to cause the opening or closing of the air supply valve, depending on whether its control opening is connected to its first opening or to its second opening.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Froidurot Laurent
• Sauzedde Francois

Classifications

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• G05D16/166 Primary

  using pistons within the main valve · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title