SOFC cooling system, fuel cell and hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11901592-B2
Application number	US-202017764614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

The invention provides an SOFC cooling system. For the feature that not all components work in the full operation process of an SOFC, a DC step-down transformer DCDC, a fan and a condenser are connected in parallel, and a solenoid valve is installed in each parallel pipeline for controlling on/off of each pipeline according to a corresponding signal. Compared with the traditional SOFC cooling system, the constant-flow serial cooling system will reduce pressure losses and the power of a water pump; a solenoid valve is installed in each parallel pipeline for controlling on/off of each branch according to a corresponding signal; considering the cooling requirements of SOFC during start-up, power generation and shutdown, all components are cooled in parallel through reasonable design of each parallel pipeline, consequently to improve the cooling effect and reduce the energy consumption; the invention also discloses a fuel cell and hybrid vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An SOFC system, comprising a fuel cell module and a cooling system, the cooling system comprising:
a radiator,
a water tank,
a water pump,
a DC step-down transformer configured to step down current produced by the fuel cell module,
a fan configured to cool the fuel cell module,
a condenser configured to cool an anode exhaust gas from the fuel cell module,
a current sensor,
a first flowmeter, and
a second flowmeter,
wherein:
the DC step-down transformer, the fan, and the condenser are connected in parallel, and a solenoid valve group is installed in each parallel supply and is configured to control switching on and off of each supply according to a corresponding signal, to constitute a parallel system, wherein the solenoid valve group comprises a first solenoid valve connected to the DC step-down transformer, a second solenoid valve connected to the fan, and a third solenoid valve connected to the condenser;
the current sensor is provided in a circuit between the fuel cell module and the DC step-down transformer and is configured to detect a current signal of the DC step-down transformer to control the first solenoid valve;
the first flowmeter is provided between the fuel cell module and the fan and is configured to detect a flow signal in a pipeline of the fan to control the second solenoid valve;
the second flowmeter is provided between the fuel cell module and the condenser and is configured to detect a flow signal of anode exhaust gas to control the third solenoid valve;
a first end of the radiator is connected with a first end of the water pump and the water tank, respectively;
a second end of the water pump is connected with a first end of the parallel system; and
a second end of the radiator is connected with a second end of the parallel system.

2. The SOFC system according to claim 1 , wherein the solenoid valve group is a proportional valve group, and the opening degree of the proportional valve installed in each supply is controllable according to the corresponding signal, so as to regulate back pressures of different supplies.

3. The SOFC system according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor in a pipeline between the radiator and the water pump configured to detect the temperature of a coolant in the pipeline.

4. The SOFC system according to claim 1 , wherein the radiator comprises an adjustable speed cooling fan.

5. The SOFC system according to claim 1 , wherein the water pump is an adjustable flow water pump.

6. A hybrid vehicle, comprising the fuel cell of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jiang Longkai
• Chen Youpeng
• Song Weilong
• Du Yaxin
• Cao Meng

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04029 Primary

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• H01M8/04358

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/04402

  of anode exhausts · CPC title