Device for removing residual hydrogen in fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11355764-B2
Application number	US-201414565106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for removing residual hydrogen in a fuel cell. The device for removing residual hydrogen in a fuel cell sucks residual hydrogen gas in a fuel cell system and easily removes the sucked hydrogen gas so as to prevent a fire, an explosion, and the like which may occur due to residual hydrogen in the fuel cell system during maintenance work of a fuel cell vehicle. In particular, the device may be manufactured as a simple ejector structure in which a nozzle, a venturi, and a diffuser are sequentially combined, the nozzle and the venturi are combined, and the like to use compressed air as a driving flow and use gas inside a fuel cell system as a suction flow and thus easily remove the residual hydrogen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable device for maintenance in a fuel cell, comprising:
a driving pipe configured to reduce pressure while increasing a speed of a driving flow supplied from a driving flow supply source;
a suction pipe configured to be integrally connected to an inlet of the driving pipe to guide a suction flow including the residual hydrogen in a fuel cell system the driving pipe using energy of the driving flow;
wherein the inlet of the driving pipe is further connected to a nozzle to inject the driving flow from the driving flow supply source into the driving pipe,
wherein the suction pipe is coupled with a tail pipe which is an air outlet of stack at which hydrogen in the fuel cell system is discharged,
wherein driving flow supply source is configured as a compressed air supply source,
wherein the inlet of the driving pipe includes a driving flow supply opening.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter portion of the driving pipe is provided with a venturi having a diameter that gradually reduces and is then constant.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter portion of the driving pipe is formed in a structure in which a venturi has a diameter that gradually reduces and is then constant and a diffuser whose diameter is gradually increased are disposed on the same axis in parallel.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein an inlet of the nozzle is press-fitted with a ring type elastic member into which an air gun tip is inserted to maintain an airtight state.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein an air gun tip is directly inserted into the driving flow supply opening.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein an inner diameter portion of the driving flow supply opening is press-fitted with a ring type elastic member into which an air gun tip is inserted to maintain an airtight state.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the suction pipe is integrally further connected to a flexible pipe which is connected to the fuel cell system.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein a distal end of the flexible pipe is further connected to an adapter which is fastened to suit each gas suction position of the fuel cell system.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the inlet of the driving pipe is connected to an inflated line having a quick connector to connect the driving pipe to the compressed air supply source and an inflated line between the quick connector and the inlet of the driving pipe includes an on/off valve configured to permit and cut off a flow of the driving flow.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the inflated line between the on/off valve and the inlet of the driving pipe includes a regulator or a pressure gauge configured to detect a flow pressure of the driving flow.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein a discharge side of the driving pipe includes with a muffler configured to reduce noise when the suction flow including the residual hydrogen is discharged from the suction pipe.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein a body portion of the muffler is enclosed within a case with the driving pipe and the suction pipe.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein in addition to the driving pipe and the suction pipe, a body portion of the muffler is enclosed with a noise absorbing material and then is disposed within a case.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein when the suction flow including the residual hydrogen in the fuel cell system is discharged through the suction pipe along with the driving flow, a hydrogen concentration is adjusted to be about 4% or less in average or at maximum of about 8% or less and when the hydrogen concentration is greater than about 4% in average or at maximum of about 8% or greater, an outlet of the suction pipe is directly connected to a vent hole opening in a workplace.

15. A fuel cell system comprising the device of claim 1 to remove residual hydrogen in a fuel cell.

16. A vehicle comprising a fuel cell system of claim 15 .

17. A portable device for maintenance in a fuel cell, comprising:
a driving pipe;
a suction pipe configured to be integrally connected to an inlet of the driving pipe to guide a suction flow including the residual hydrogen in a fuel cell system to the driving pipe using energy of the driving flow; and
a compressed air supply source that serves as a driving flow supply source and connected to the inlet of the driving pipe, wherein an outlet of the compressed air supply source is in communication with outside air to increase a flow speed of a driving flow supplied from the compressed air supply source,
wherein the inlet of the driving pipe is further connected to a nozzle to inject the driving flow from the compressed air supply source into the driving pipe, and
wherein the suction pipe is coupled with a tail pipe which is an air outlet of the stack at which hydrogen in the fuel cell system is discharged.

18. A portable device for maintenance in a fuel cell, comprising:
a driving pipe;
a suction pipe configured to be integrally connected to an inlet of the driving pipe to guide a suction flow including the residual hydrogen in a fuel cell system to the driving pipe using energy of the driving flow; and
a compressed air supply source connected to the inlet of the driving pipe, wherein an outlet of the compressed air supply source is in communication with outside air to increase a flow speed of a driving flow supplied from the compressed air supply source,
wherein the inlet of the driving pipe is further connected to a nozzle to inject the driving flow from the compressed air supply source into the driving pipe,
wherein the suction pipe is coupled with a tail pipe which is an air outlet of the stack at which hydrogen in the fuel cell system is discharged, and
wherein an inlet of the nozzle is press-fitted with a ring type elastic member into which an air gun tip is inserted to maintain an airtight state.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Sekwon
• Bae Hojune
• Lee Hyunjoon
• Lee Hyunjae
• Ahn Deukkuen

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04089 Primary

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• B60L3/0053

  relating to fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title