Apparatus for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735750-B2
Application number	US-202217573106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2022
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust system is provided. The apparatus includes a fuel cell exhaust line configured for receiving a flow of gas from a connected fuel cell and including a flow of hydrogen gas. The apparatus further includes a mixing chamber disposed to receive the flow of hydrogen gas and configured for mixing a flow of air with the flow of hydrogen gas. The mixing chamber includes a mixing mesh including at least one tab feature configured for altering a flow direction of at least a portion of one of the flow of hydrogen gas and for creating a turbulent flow region within the mixing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust system, comprising:
a fuel cell exhaust line configured for receiving a flow of gas from a connected fuel cell and including a flow of hydrogen gas; and
a mixing chamber disposed to receive the flow of hydrogen gas and configured for mixing a flow of air with the flow of hydrogen gas, wherein the mixing chamber includes a mixing mesh including at least one tab feature configured for altering a flow direction of the flow of hydrogen gas and for creating a turbulent flow region within the mixing chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing mesh further includes a wire frame formed in a closed polygonal shape; and
wherein the at least one tab feature is connected to the wire frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the wire frame is disposed in a perpendicular orientation to a longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber;
wherein the mixing mesh includes a plurality of tab features; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of tab features is angled away from the perpendicular orientation of the wire frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber includes cylindrical walls.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber includes a tapered portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber includes an expanding portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber includes:
a first end configured for receiving the flow of hydrogen gas from the fuel cell exhaust line;
a tapered portion connected to the first end and including the mixing mesh;
a cylindrically-shaped center portion connected to the tapered portion; and
an expanding portion connected to the cylindrically-shaped center portion.

8. A fuel cell system including a mixing chamber configured for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust gas flow, the fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell including an anode and a cathode;
a fuel cell exhaust line configured for receiving a flow of gas from the fuel cell and including a flow of hydrogen gas; and
the mixing chamber disposed to receive the flow of hydrogen gas and configured for mixing a flow of air with the flow of hydrogen gas, wherein the mixing chamber includes a mixing mesh including at least one tab feature configured for altering a flow direction of the flow of hydrogen gas and for creating a turbulent flow region within the mixing chamber.

9. The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing mesh further includes a wire frame formed in a closed polygonal shape; and
wherein the at least one tab feature is connected to the wire frame.

10. The fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the wire frame is disposed in a perpendicular orientation to a longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber;
wherein the mixing mesh includes a plurality of tab features; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of tab features is angled away from the perpendicular orientation of the wire frame.

11. The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber includes cylindrical walls.

12. The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber includes a tapered portion.

13. The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber includes an expanding portion.

14. The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing chamber includes:
a first end configured for receiving the flow of hydrogen gas from the fuel cell exhaust line;
a tapered portion connected to the first end and including the mixing mesh;
a cylindrically-shaped center portion connected to the tapered portion; and
an expanding portion connected to the cylindrically-shaped center portion.

15. A vehicle including a fuel cell system including a mixing chamber configured for dilution of hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell exhaust gas flow, the vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell including an anode and a cathode;
a fuel cell exhaust line configured for receiving a flow of gas from the fuel cell and including a flow of hydrogen gas; and
the mixing chamber disposed to receive the flow of hydrogen gas and configured for mixing a flow of air with the flow of hydrogen gas, wherein the mixing chamber includes a mixing mesh including at least one tab feature configured for altering a flow direction of the flow of hydrogen gas and for creating a turbulent flow region within the mixing chamber.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the mixing mesh further includes a wire frame formed in a closed polygonal shape; and
wherein the at least one tab feature is connected to the wire frame.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the wire frame is disposed in a perpendicular orientation to a longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber;
wherein the mixing mesh includes a plurality of tab features; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of tab features is angled away from the perpendicular orientation of the wire frame.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber includes a tapered portion.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber includes an expanding portion.

20. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber includes:
a first end configured for receiving the flow of hydrogen gas from the fuel cell exhaust line;
a tapered portion connected to the first end and including the mixing mesh;
a cylindrically-shaped center portion connected to the tapered portion; and
an expanding portion connected to the cylindrically-shaped center portion.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Verma Saurabh Kumar
• Dubois Kenneth R

Classifications

• H01M8/0662 Primary

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• H01M2250/00

  Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system · CPC title

• H01M8/02 Primary

  Details (electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98) · CPC title

• H01M8/04089 Primary

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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