Thermal management system for fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11469426-B2
Application number	US-202016866938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	Nov 21, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle is provided. The thermal management system includes a fuel cell stack, a heater configured to use power generated by the fuel cell stack, a radiator configured to cool a coolant, a pump configured to circulate the coolant, and a valve configured to control a temperature of the coolant by adjusting a flow rate of the coolant supplied to the pump from at least one of the fuel cell stack, the heater, or the radiator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
a heater configured to use power generated by the fuel cell stack;
a radiator configured to cool a coolant;
a pump configured to circulate the coolant;
a five-way valve configured to control a temperature of the coolant by adjusting a flow rate of the coolant supplied to the pump from at least one of the fuel cell stack, the heater, or the radiator; and
a controller configured to control an opening degree of each entrance of the five-way valve.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the five-way valve is disposed between the radiator and the pump.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is mounted inside the five-way valve.

4. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant by selectively controlling an opening degree of a first entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the radiator and an opening degree of a second entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the fuel cell stack.

5. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
consume electric energy generated through regenerative braking when a battery is fully charged by supplying the electric energy to the heater; and
adjust a flow rate of the coolant passing through the heater by adjusting an opening degree of a third entrance of the five-way valve connected with the heater.

6. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a flow rate of the coolant, which is supplied to the fuel cell stack and the heater, by controlling an opening degree of a second entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the fuel cell stack and closing an opening degree of a first entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the radiator in a cold start.

7. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease or block the coolant flowing into an ion filter by controlling an opening degree of a fifth entrance of the five-way valve connected with the ion filter when thermal energy generated from the fuel cell stack exceeds a heat radiation limit of the radiator.

8. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising an ion filter disposed between an outlet end of the pump and the five-way valve, the ion filter configured to remove ions from the coolant.

9. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising a heater disposed between an outlet end of the pump and the five-way valve, the heater configured to adjust an internal temperature of a vehicle using thermal energy of the coolant.

10. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the five-way valve is disposed between the fuel cell stack and the radiator.

11. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant by selectively controlling an opening degree of a first entrance of the five-way valve connected with an inlet end of the pump and an opening degree of a second entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the radiator.

12. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to:
consume electric energy generated through regenerative braking when a battery is fully charged by supplying the electric energy to the heater; and
adjust a flow rate of the coolant passing through the heater by adjusting an opening degree of a fourth entrance of the five-way valve connected with the heater.

13. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control a flow rate of the coolant, which is supplied to the fuel cell stack and the heater, by closing an opening degree of a second entrance of the five-way valve connected with an inlet end of the radiator and controlling an opening degree of a third entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the fuel cell stack and an opening degree of a fourth entrance of the five-way valve connected with an outlet end of the heater in a cold start.

14. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease or block the coolant flowing into an ion filter by controlling an opening degree of a fifth entrance of the five-way valve connected with the ion filter when thermal energy generated from the fuel cell stack exceeds a heat radiation limit of the radiator.

15. A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a valve;
a radiator having an outlet end connected to a first entrance of the valve;
a fuel cell stack having an outlet end connected to a second entrance of the valve;
a heater having an outlet end connected to a third entrance of the valve;
a pump having an inlet end connected with a fourth entrance of the valve; and
an ion filter having an outlet end connected with a fifth entrance of the valve.

16. The thermal management system of claim 15 , further comprising a controller configured to control an opening degree of each entrance of the valve.

17. A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a valve;
a pump having an inlet end connected with a first entrance of the valve;
a radiator having an inlet end connected to a second entrance of the valve;
a fuel cell stack having an outlet end connected to a third entrance of the valve;
a heater having an exit end connected to a fourth entrance of the valve;
an ion filter having an exit end connected with a fifth entrance of the valve; and
a controller configured to control an opening degree of each entrance of the valve.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lee Jin Hun
• Kim Tae Geun
• Ji Hyun Ju
• Jang Wook Il
• Kwon Oh Tak
• Park Hun Woo
• Park Chui Wan

Classifications

• H01M8/04074 Primary

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/04701

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/04044

  Purification of heat exchange media · CPC title