Fuel cell hydrogen module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11955672-B2
Application number	US-202218047976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2022
Priority date	Oct 20, 2021
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a hydrogen fuel cell anode control system including a hydrogen inlet configured to receive pressurized hydrogen, a hydrogen outlet configured to be fluidically coupled to an anode manifold of a hydrogen fuel cell, a recirculation inlet configured to receive overflow hydrogen from the anode manifold, a hydrogen pressure regulator configured to receive pressurized hydrogen from the hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen recirculation module configured to mix hydrogen received from the hydrogen pressure regulator and the recirculation inlet, and provide a hydrogen mixture to the hydrogen outlet, a differential pressure measurement module configured to measure a differential pressure between the anode manifold and a cathode manifold of the hydrogen fuel cell, and a controller configured to control at least one of the hydrogen pressure regulator or the hydrogen recirculation module based on the measured differential pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen fuel cell anode control system, comprising:
a hydrogen inlet configured to receive pressurized hydrogen;
a hydrogen outlet configured to be fluidically coupled to an anode manifold of a hydrogen fuel cell;
a recirculation inlet configured to receive overflow hydrogen from the anode manifold;
a hydrogen pressure regulator configured to receive pressurized hydrogen from the hydrogen inlet;
a hydrogen recirculation module configured to mix hydrogen received from the hydrogen pressure regulator and the recirculation inlet, and provide a hydrogen mixture to the hydrogen outlet;
a current sensor configured to provide a first electrical current measurement based on a power input of a compressor configured to provide oxygen to a cathode manifold of the hydrogen fuel cell;
a controller configured to:
measure a differential pressure between the anode manifold and the cathode manifold of the hydrogen fuel cell;
receive, at a current feedback input port, a second electrical current measurement based on a power output of the hydrogen fuel cell; and
control at least one of the hydrogen pressure regulator or the hydrogen recirculation module based on the measured differential pressure and the second electrical current measurement
receive, at a second current feedback input port, the first electrical current measurement; and
receive the first electrical current measurement and control at least one of the hydrogen pressure regulator or the hydrogen recirculation module based on the first electrical current measurement.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control hydrogen pressure such that the differential pressure is about zero.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen pressure regulator is a controllable gas pressure regulator system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen recirculation module comprises a gas recirculation pump.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen recirculation module comprises a jet pump.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control hydrogen pressure based on a predetermined control model.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a humidity controller configured to control a humidity level of the hydrogen mixture.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a nitrogen separator configured to reduce a nitrogen level in at least one of the overflow hydrogen or the hydrogen mixture.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a variable pressure control valve configured to control a pressure of the overflow hydrogen.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrogen fuel cell comprising the anode manifold, a stack, and the cathode manifold.

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Han Yi
• Polley Nolan
• Chiera Domenico
• Hampson Gregory James

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04582

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/0662

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

• H01M8/04798

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title