Fuel cell arrangement having differential pressure control for an H2/O2 fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11289719-B2
Application number	US-201916960655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2019
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell arrangement has an anode connected to an H2 inflow and a cathode connected to an O2 inflow. A differential pressure control device is arranged between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow for controlling a differential pressure between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow. The differential pressure control device has a fluid connection between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow, in which a deflectable diaphragm is arranged, to which a pin is coupled, which, when the diaphragm is deflected, opens a valve arranged in the H2 inflow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell arrangement for an H2/O2 fuel cell, wherein said fuel cell arrangement comprises
an anode, at which H2 is oxidized during operation, and which is connected to an H2 inflow for supplying H2 to the anode, wherein a valve having a valve seat and a valve element is arranged in the H2 inflow, wherein the valve seat and the valve element interact with one another in a closed position thereof to interrupt a flow of H2 from the H2 inflow to the anode,
a cathode, at which O2 is reduced during operation, and which is connected to an O2 inflow for supplying O2 to the cathode,
a differential pressure control device arranged between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow for controlling a pressure difference between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow,
wherein the differential pressure control device comprises an enclosed fluid connection between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow, a deflectable diaphragm arranged in the enclosed fluid connection to provide a seal between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow in the enclosed fluid connection, wherein the deflectable diaphragm can be deflected by a deflection force acting due to the pressure difference between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow, and a pin coupled to the deflectable diaphragm and the valve element such that the pin can move the valve element away from the valve seat in an opening direction when the deflectable diaphragm becomes deflected by the deflection force.

2. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional diaphragm arranged in the enclosed fluid connection, at a distance from the deflectable diaphragm, to provide another seal between the H2 inflow and the O2 inflow in the enclosed fluid connection.

3. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the deflectable diaphragm seals the enclosed fluid connection toward the H2 inflow, and the additional diaphragm seals the enclosed fluid connection toward the O2 inflow.

4. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein an enclosed pressure transmission volume is bounded and confined between the additional diaphragm and the deflectable diaphragm within the enclosed fluid connection, and wherein the enclosed pressure transmission volume is filled with a pressure transmission fluid that can transmit the deflection force from the additional diaphragm to the deflectable diaphragm.

5. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the deflectable diaphragm and the additional diaphragm respectively have different active surface areas for accepting the deflection force.

6. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the different active surface areas comprise a first active surface area of the deflectable diaphragm and a second active surface area of the additional diaphragm, wherein the first active surface area is smaller than the second active surface area.

7. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a compression spring which is arranged in the H2 inflow and exerts a spring force on the valve element, wherein the spring force biases the valve element in a closing direction toward the valve seat.

8. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 7 , further comprising an actuator arranged to act on the compression spring for controlling the spring force of the compression spring.

9. The fuel cell arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the actuator comprises an actuatable piezo actuator, an actuatable electromagnetic actuator, or a controllable electromotor having a spindle.

10. A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell and a differential pressure control device, wherein:
the fuel cell has a cathode with a cathode gas inlet, and an anode with an anode gas inlet;
the differential pressure control device comprises a device body, a fluid chamber within the device body, at least one deflectable diaphragm, a valve, a first port configured to be connected to a supply of a cathode gas, a second port connected to the cathode gas inlet of the fuel cell, a third port configured to be connected to a supply of an anode gas, and a fourth port connected to the anode gas inlet of the fuel cell;
the valve is fluidically interposed between the third port and the fluid chamber;
the fluid chamber is fluidically connected only to the first port, to the second port, to the fourth port, and via the valve to the third port, and is otherwise enclosed within the device body;
the at least one deflectable diaphragm includes a first diaphragm arranged within the fluid chamber fluidically between, and providing a fluid seal between, the fourth port and the first and second ports; and
the valve comprises a valve seat defining a valve passage between the third port and the fluid chamber, a valve element movably arranged relative to the valve seat so as to selectively open and close the valve passage, and a valve pin mechanically connected to the first diaphragm and to the valve element so that the valve element and the first diaphragm are movable only in concert with one another.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the differential pressure control device is purely mechanical and fluidic, and the fuel cell system includes no electrical controller for differential pressure control of the anode gas and the cathode gas.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the fuel cell system includes no electrical gas pressure sensor.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one deflectable diaphragm further includes a second diaphragm arranged within the fluid chamber fluidically between the first diaphragm and the first and second ports, wherein an enclosed pressure transmission volume is defined and sealed between the first and second diaphragms within the fluid chamber, and wherein the differential pressure control device further comprises a pressure transmission fluid contained and confined in the enclosed pressure transmission volume between the first and second diaphragms.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein the pressure transmission fluid is configured to transmit a pressure of the cathode gas acting on the second diaphragm, via the pressure transmission fluid, onto the first diaphragm.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein the second diaphragm has no contact and no direct mechanical interaction with the valve pin.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second diaphragms are coupled to one another for respective deflection thereof only fluidically through the pressure transmission fluid and without any mechanical linkage therebetween.

17. The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second diaphragms respectively have different surface areas exposed to the pressure transmission fluid, and are thereby configured to always deflect through different deflection distances relative to one another.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second ports are merged to have in common together a single fluid connection to the fluid chamber.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the valve further comprises a compression spring that is arranged between the valve element and the third port, and that is configured to apply a spring bias onto the valve element to urge the valve element in a valve closing direction toward the valve seat.

20. The fuel cell system according to claim 19 , further comprising an actuator arranged and configured to act on th

Assignees

• Vitesco Tech Gmbh

Inventors

• Bleeck Matthias
• Aumueller Christoph
• Braun Florian
• Kulzer Stefan

Classifications

• G05D16/0663

  using a spring-loaded membrane with a spring-loaded slideable obturator · CPC title

• G05D16/028

  Controlling a pressure difference (control of flow G05D7/00) · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

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

• H01M8/04783

  Pressure differences, e.g. between anode and cathode · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title