Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11171346-B2
Application number	US-201916264716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 9, 2018
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a gas liquid separator and a valve device. The gas liquid separator separates water from a fuel off gas discharged from a fuel cell stack. The valve device is provided in a discharge channel for discharging water separated from the gas liquid separator. The valve device includes a fluid inlet for guiding fluid at least containing water in the gas liquid separator toward the valve main body. A heating device is provided at an inner hole of the fluid inlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate power by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
a fuel gas supply apparatus configured to supply the fuel gas into the fuel cell;
an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus configured to supply the oxygen-containing gas into the fuel cell;
an outlet channel as a passage of an off gas containing water discharged from the fuel cell;
a gas liquid separator provided in the outlet channel, and configured to separate the water from the off gas;
a discharge channel for discharging water separated by the gas liquid separator; and
a valve device disposed in the discharge channel,
wherein the valve device comprises:
a valve main body for opening and closing the discharge channel;
a fluid inlet for guiding fluid containing at least water from the gas liquid separator toward the valve main body; and
a fluid outlet for discharging the fluid guided from the valve main body, and
wherein a heating device is provided at an inner hole of the fluid inlet;
the fluid inlet has an opening for allowing the fluid to flow from the gas liquid separator into the inner hole of the fluid inlet; and
the heating device comprises:
a heating element; and
a cover provided below the opening, and for containing the heating element, and

wherein the cover has
an upper hole opened upward of the cover, for allowing the fluid to flow into an inner hole of the cover and
an outlet hole for allowing the fluid at the inner hole of the cover to flow toward the valve main body.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid inlet is provided at a bottom of the gas liquid separator.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the cover has a fluid passage opened in a direction other than upward, and the fluid passage allows water vapor present between the cover and the fluid inlet to flow into the inner hole of the cover.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid passage is opened downward, and positioned on one side of the upper hole opposite to the outlet hole.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein the heating element is positioned on one side of the fluid passage opposite to the outlet hole.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises:
a cover main body for covering the heating element, the cover main body having the upper hole; and
an outlet provided for the cover main body, the outlet having the outlet hole, and wherein the channel cross sectional area of the outlet is larger than the channel cross sectional area of the cover main body.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6 , wherein the outer surface of the outlet is in contact with the inner surface of the fluid inlet.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a PTC heater.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 8 , comprising:
a heater control unit configured to control electrical power supplied to the PTC heater;
a resistance value acquisition unit configured to obtain a resistance value of the PTC heater; and
a resistance value determination unit configured to determine whether or not the heater resistance value obtained by the resistance value acquisition unit is not less than a target resistance value,
wherein at the time of starting up the fuel cell system, in a state where electrical power is supplied to the PTC heater, if the resistance value resistance value determines that the heater resistance value is less than the target resistance value, the heater control unit increases electrical power supplied to the PTC heater.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 9 , comprising:
a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to obtain temperature of the fuel cell;
a heater temperature calculation unit configured to calculate temperature of the PTC heater based on the heater resistance value; and
a temperature determination unit configured to determine whether or not a temperature difference calculated by subtracting the fuel cell temperature obtained by the fuel cell temperature acquisition unit from the heater temperature calculated by the heater temperature calculation unit is not less than a predetermined temperature,
wherein if the temperature determination unit determines that the temperature difference is not less than a predetermined temperature, the heater control unit stops supply of electrical power to the PTC heater.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 8 , comprising:
a valve control unit configured to control the valve device in a manner that the discharge channel is opened and closed;
a heater control unit configured to control electrical power supplied to the PTC heater;
a resistance value acquisition unit configured to obtain a resistance value of the PTC heater;
a heater temperature calculation unit configured to calculate temperature of the PTC heater based on the heater resistance value obtained by the resistance value acquisition unit;
a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to obtain temperature of the fuel cell; and
a temperature determination unit configured to determine whether or not a temperature difference calculated by subtracting the fuel cell temperature obtained by the fuel cell temperature acquisition unit from the heater temperature calculated by the heater temperature calculation unit is not more than a water discharge determination value,
wherein, during normal operation of the fuel cell system, in a state where electrical power is supplied to the PTC heater, if the temperature determination unit determines that the heater temperature is not more than the water discharge determination value, the valve control unit performs valve opening control of the valve device in a manner that the discharge channel is opened.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 , comprising a resistance value determination unit configured to determine whether or not the heater resistance value is higher than a predetermined threshold value,
wherein, after elapse of predetermined time from the valve opening control, valve closing control of the valve device is performed in a manner that the discharge channel is closed, and thereafter, if the resistance value determination unit determines that the heater resistance value is higher than the predetermined threshold value, the valve control unit performs valve opening control of the valve device in a manner that the discharge channel is opened.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 8 , comprising a control unit, the control unit being started up at predetermined time intervals after operation of the fuel cell system is stopped,
the control unit comprising:
a valve control unit configured to control the valve device in a manner that the discharge channel is opened and closed;
a heater control unit configured to control electrical power supplied to the PTC heater;
a resistance value acquisition unit configured to obtain a resistance value of the PTC heater;
a heater temperature calculation unit configured to calculate temperature of the PTC heater based on the heater resistance value obtained by the resistance value acquisition unit; and
a temperature determination unit configured to determine whether or not the heater temperature calculated by the heater temperature calculation unit is not more than a freezing threshold value,
wherein, in a state where operation of the fuel cell system is stopped, when operation of the control unit is started up, if the temperature determination unit determines that the heater temperature is

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okamura Yuji
• Fukuda Tetsuya

Classifications

• H01M8/04164 Primary

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• H01M8/04716

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04373

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners · CPC title

• H01M8/04291 Primary

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

• F16K49/002

  Electric heating means · CPC title