Valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11127959-B2
Application number	US-202016867111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A valve is disposed in a reactant gas system apparatus of a fuel cell system. The valve includes a housing having an internal channel as a passage of water, and heaters in the form of rods inserted into the housing. An orifice having a small channel cross sectional area is provided at a predetermined position of the channel. The heaters are inclined from a solenoid of the valve in an axial direction of the housing, and front ends of the heaters are positioned close to the orifice.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve disposed in a reactant gas system apparatus of a fuel cell system,
the valve comprising:
a housing having an internal channel where liquid is configured to flow; and
a heater in the form of a rod inserted into the housing,
wherein an orifice having a small channel cross sectional area is provided at a predetermined position of the channel, and
the heater is inclined from a solenoid of the valve in an axial direction of the housing, and a front end of the heater is positioned close to the orifice.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises:
an inflow channel having the orifice, and extending in parallel to the axial direction;
a valve chamber connected to the inflow channel, and opened/closed by a valve body; and
an outflow channel extending from the valve chamber in a direction different from a direction in which the inflow channel extends,
wherein the heater extends away from the outflow channel, outside the valve chamber.

3. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is fixed to a structural body where the liquid flows in the channel; and
a proximal end of the heater is exposed at a position spaced from the structural body.

4. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a plurality of heaters provided for the housing.

5. The valve according to claim 4 , wherein number of heaters disposed on a lower side of the housing in a gravity direction is larger than number of heaters disposed on an upper side of the housing in the gravity direction.

6. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle defined by an axial line of the heater and an axial direction of the housing is not more than 45°.

7. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a purge valve configured to discharge water produced in the reactant gas system apparatus.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshitomi Ryoichi
• Fukuda Tetsuya

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0662

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• H01M8/04179 Primary

  by purging or increasing flow or pressure of reactants · CPC title

• B60L50/72 Primary

  Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

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