Air supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11811117-B2
Application number	US-202017764536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An air supply system, comprising at least two air blowers and at least two communication valves; wherein one air blower is connected to a main air passage through the corresponding communication valve; and at least one other is connected to a reformer air passage and a stack air passage through at least one other communication valve, respectively. At least two air blowers are provided to connect the at least two communication valves.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air supply system, comprising:
a first air blower and a second air blower; and
a first communication valve and a second communication valve;
wherein
the first air blower is connected to a main air passage through the first communication valve, wherein the first communication valve is a non-return valve; and
the second air blower is connected to a reformer air passage and a stack air passage through the second communication valve, respectively, wherein the second communication valve is a three-way valve.

2. The air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
an output end of the non-return valve is connected to an input end of the reformer; and
an output end of the three-way valve is connected to the input end of the reformer and an input end of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack, respectively.

3. An air supply system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a first air blower, a second air blower and a third air blower; and
a first communication valve, a second communication valve and a third communication valve;
wherein each of the communication valves comprises a non-return valve, corresponding to a first non-return valve, a second non-return valve, and a third non-return valve;
the first air blower is connected to a main air passage through the first non-return valve;
the second air blower is connected to a reformer air passage through the second non-return valve, and
the third air blower is connected to a stack air passage through the third non-return valve.

4. The air supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the output ends of the first and the second non-return valves are connected to the input end of the reformer; and an output end of the third non-return valve is connected to an input end of a solid oxide fuel cell SOFC stack.

5. The air supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the flows, volumes and power consumptions of the first, second, and third air blowers are different.

6. The air supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises an air filter, and an output end of the air filter is connected to the input ends of the first air blower, the second air blower and the third air blower.

7. The air supply system according to claim 3 , further comprising a heat exchanger;
wherein
an input end of the heat exchanger is connected to an output end of the first non-return valve connecting the main air passage; and
an output end of the heat exchanger is connected to the input end of the reformer.

8. The air supply system according to claim 7 , further comprising a burner;
wherein
an input end of the burner is connected to an output end of a solid oxide fuel cell SOFC stack; and
an output end of the burner is connected to the input end of the heat exchanger.

9. The air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an air filter, and an output end of the air filter is connected to input ends of the first and second air blowers.

10. The air supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger;
wherein
an input end of the heat exchanger is connected to an output end of the non-return valve connecting the main air passage; and
an output end of the heat exchanger is connected to the input end of the reformer.

11. The air supply system according to claim 10 , further comprising a burner;
wherein
an input end of the burner is connected to an output end of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack; and
an output end of the burner is connected to the input end of the heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Changming
• Chen Youpeng
• Sun Xiaowen
• Yu Xiao

Classifications

• H01M8/0618 Primary

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04022 Primary

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/04373

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title