System and method for humidifying fuel cell electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701949-B2
Application number	US-202117501636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Apr 13, 2021
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A system for humidifying a vehicle that is a fuel cell electric vehicle includes a fuel cell stack for producing electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, a water supply tank for storing water generated during electricity generation in the fuel cell stack, a HVAC apparatus for humidifying an interior of the vehicle using the water supplied from the water supply tank, a heater for generating steam by heating the water supplied from the water supply tank, and supplying the steam to the HVAC apparatus, and a controller that determines an operation mode of the system based on at least one of a vehicle state, a HVAC apparatus state, or an indoor temperature of the vehicle, and controls at least one of the HVAC apparatus or the heater based on the determined operation mode to control indoor humidification of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for humidifying a vehicle, the system comprising:
a fuel cell stack for producing electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen;
a water supply tank for storing water generated during electricity generation in the fuel cell stack;
a first humidifier for humidifying an interior of the vehicle using the water supplied from the water supply tank;
a heating apparatus for applying heat to a vehicle glass; and
a controller configured to perform anti-fogging control of the vehicle glass using the heating apparatus when humidifying the interior of the vehicle;
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a target surface temperature based on a difference between a dew point temperature and an outside air temperature;
measure a window surface temperature using a surface temperature sensor after operating the heating apparatus;
compare the window surface temperature with the target surface temperature; and
start humidification of the interior of the vehicle at a time point when the window surface temperature reaches the target surface temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus includes:
a transparent heating wire installed on each window glass of the vehicle to generate heat; and
a power regulator for adjusting an amount of power supplied to the heating wire.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to variably control the amount of power supplied to the heating wire based on a difference between the window surface temperature and the target surface temperature.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
collect initial sensor data using at least one of an outside air temperature sensor, an indoor temperature sensor, a surface temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor;
determine prohibition of operation of a humidification function based on the sensor data; and
output a notification notifying that the operation of the humidification function is prohibited when it is determined to prohibit the operation of the humidification function.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to stop an auto defog system, operate the heating wire, and supply a maximum amount of power when the prohibition of the operation of the humidification function is not determined.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first humidifier includes:
a water tank for storing the water supplied from the water supply tank; and
an ultrasonic generator for generating an ultrasonic wave to decompose the water stored in the water tank.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second humidifier for humidifying the interior of the vehicle in a second humidification scheme different from a first humidification scheme of the first humidifier,
wherein the second humidifier includes a heater for heating the water supplied from the water supply tank to generate steam.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine an operation mode of the system based on at least one of a vehicle state, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) apparatus state, or an indoor temperature of the vehicle; and
adjust an indoor humidity of the vehicle by controlling at least one of the first humidifier or the second humidifier based on the determined operation mode.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine an evaporation drainage mode as the operation mode when a humidification function is in an inactive state during parking and stopping and a water level of the water supply tank exceeds a reference water level; and
operate the second humidifier to discharge vaporized steam to the outside.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a heating humidification mode as the operation mode when a humidification function and a heating function are in an active state and the indoor temperature is lower than a target temperature; and
operate the second humidifier to supply vaporized steam to the interior of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine an ultrasonic humidification mode as the operation mode when a humidification function is in an active state and a heating function is in an inactive state; and
operate the first humidifier to humidify the interior of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a hybrid humidification mode as the operation mode when a humidification function is in an active state and the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than a target temperature; and
operate the first humidifier and the second humidifier to humidify the interior of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one of a humidification time point or a humidification amount based on an indoor temperature of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to perform control in association with a humidity adjustable apparatus of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) apparatus when an indoor humidity is not able to be maintained at a target humidity by supplying a maximum or minimum amount of humidification,
wherein the humidity adjustable apparatus includes at least one of an inlet door or an air conditioner.

15. A method for humidifying a vehicle equipped with a humidification system including a water supply tank for storing water generated during electricity generation in a fuel cell stack, a first humidifier for receiving the water from the water supply tank and humidifying an interior of the vehicle, and a heating apparatus for applying heat to a vehicle glass, the method comprising:
controlling, by a controller, humidification of the interior of the vehicle; and
performing, by the controller, anti-fogging control of the vehicle glass using the heating apparatus when controlling the humidification,
wherein the performing of the anti-fogging control of the vehicle glass includes:
operating a heating wire installed on each window glass of the vehicle;
measuring a window surface temperature using a surface temperature sensor after operating the heating wire;
comparing the window surface temperature with a target surface temperature, and
starting the humidification of the interior of the vehicle when the window surface temperature reaches the target surface temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing of the anti-fogging control of the vehicle glass further includes:
variably controlling an amount of power supplied to the heating wire based on a difference between the window surface temperature and the target surface temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operating of the heating wire includes:
collecting initial sensor data using at least one of an outside air temperature sensor, an indoor temperature sensor, a surface temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor;
determining prohibition of operation of a humidification function based on the sensor data;
stopping an auto defog system when the operation of the humidification function is permitted; and
supplying a maximum amount of power to the heating wire after the auto defog system is stopped.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the humidification of the interior of the vehicle includes:
operating a second humidifier using a second humidification scheme different from a first humidification scheme of t

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Jeong Seong Bin
• Biermann Albert
• Kim Moo Sang
• Jung Tae Hun

Classifications

• B60H3/022 Primary

  for only humidifying the air · CPC title

• B60H1/00385

  for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04291

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

• H01M2250/20

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title