Fuel cell apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12294123-B2
Application number	US-202218070805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Dec 1, 2021
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A fuel cell apparatus may include a stack, a stack air blower configured to supply external air to the stack, a humidifier configured to extract moisture contained in exhaust air and to supply the extracted moisture to external air supplied to the stack, a first bypass channel configured to allow exhaust air to bypass the humidifier, a first three-way valve controlled to adjust the amount of exhaust air that bypasses the humidifier, and a humidity sensor configured to sense the humidity of external air. The fuel cell apparatus may also include a second bypass channel configured to allow external air to bypass the humidifier, a second three-way valve controlled to adjust the amount of external air that bypasses the humidifier, and a controller configured to control the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve depending on the sensed humidity value of the external air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell apparatus comprising:
a stack configured to provide electrical energy based on electrochemical reaction that includes oxygen and hydrogen;
a reformer configured to provide reformed gas to the stack;
a stack air blower configured to provide external air;
an intake channel configured to provide the external air from the stack air blower to the stack;
a humidifier configured to extract moisture contained in exhaust air from the stack and to provide the extracted moisture to the external air in the intake channel;
an exhaust channel to connect the stack to the humidifier, and
configured to receive the exhaust air from the stack and to provide the exhaust air to the humidifier;
a discharge channel configured to receive the exhaust air from the humidifier and to provide the received exhaust air to an outside of the fuel cell apparatus;
a first bypass channel to branch from the exhaust channel and to join the discharge channel;
a first three-way valve disposed at the exhaust channel between the stack and the humidifier, and configured to adjust an opening amount of the exhaust channel at the first three-way value and to adjust an opening amount of the first bypass channel at the first three-way valve;
a humidity sensor configured to sense a humidity value of the external air to be provided to the stack; and
a controller configured to control the first three-way valve such that the opening amount of the exhaust channel and the opening amount of the first bypass channel are inversely proportional to each other based on the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor.

2. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
an external air introduction channel configured to provide the external air to the stack air blower, wherein
the intake channel comprises:
a first intake channel to connect the stack air blower to the humidifier; and
a second intake channel to connect the humidifier to the stack.

3. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 2 , comprising:
a second bypass channel to branch from the first intake channel and to join the second intake channel; and
a second three-way valve disposed at a portion of the first intake channel in which the second bypass channel is branched from the first intake channel, and is configured to adjust an opening amount of the first intake channel at the second three-way value and to adjust an opening amount of the second bypass channel at the second three-way valve, wherein
the humidity sensor is disposed downstream of a portion of the second intake channel in which the second bypass channel is joined to the second intake channel, and
the controller is configured to control the second three-way valve such that the opening amount of the first intake channel and the opening amount of the second bypass channel are inversely proportional to each other based on the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor.

4. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
when the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is determined to be less than a set lower limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is closed, and is to control the second three-way valve such that the second bypass channel is closed.

5. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
when the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a set lower limit humidity value and is determined to be equal to or less than a set upper limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is open by a first opening amount that is proportional to the humidity value of the external air, and is to control the second three-way valve such that the second bypass channel is closed.

6. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
when the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is greater than a set upper limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is open by a set second opening amount, and is to control the second three-way valve such that the second bypass channel is open by a third opening amount that is proportional to the humidity value of the external air.

7. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 2 , comprising:
a recirculation channel to branch from the second intake channel and to join the external air introduction channel;
a third three-way valve disposed at a portion of the external air introduction channel in which the recirculation channel is joined to the external air introduction channel, and is configured to adjust an opening amount of the recirculation channel at the third three-way value and to adjust an opening amount of the external air introduction channel at the third three-way valve;
an intake temperature sensor disposed at the second intake channel, the intake temperature sensor being configured to sense a temperature value of the external air to be provided to the stack; and
a stack temperature sensor configured to sense an internal temperature value of the stack, wherein
the humidity sensor is disposed at the second intake channel, and
the controller is configured to control the third three-way valve such that the opening amount of the recirculation channel and the opening amount of the external air introduction channel are to be inversely proportional to each other based on the temperature value sensed by the intake temperature sensor and the internal temperature value sensed by the stack temperature sensor.

8. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
when the temperature value of the external air sensed by the intake temperature sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a target temperature value that is set based on the internal temperature value of the stack sensed by the stack temperature sensor and the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is determined to be less than a set lower limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is closed, and is to control the third three-way valve such that the recirculation channel is closed.

9. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
when the temperature value of the external air sensed by the intake temperature sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a target temperature value that is set based on the internal temperature value of the stack sensed by the stack temperature sensor and the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a set lower limit humidity value and is determined to be equal to or less than a set upper limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is open by a first opening amount that is determined so as to be proportional to the humidity value of the external air, and the controller is to control the third three-way valve such that the recirculation channel is closed.

10. The fuel cell apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
when the temperature value of the external air sensed by the intake temperature sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a target temperature value that is set based on the internal temperature value of the stack sensed by the stack temperature sensor and the humidity value of the external air sensed by the humidity sensor is determined to be greater than a set upper limit humidity value, the controller is to control the first three-way valve such that the first bypass channel is open by a set secon

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Heejoong
• Yang Dongkeun
• Woo Hyoungsuk
• Park Hyeri

Classifications

• H01M8/04843

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04514

  of anode exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/0438

  Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow · CPC title

• H01M8/04007

  related to heat exchange · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title