Fuel cell apparatus and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12300863-B2
Application number	US-202217982985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2022
Priority date	Nov 12, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A fuel cell apparatus may include a stack, a reformer configured to generate reformed gas, a burner, a water supply tank configured to store cooling water, a burner air blower configured to draw in external air and then to blow the air, a vertex tube configured to convert the air into heated air and cooled air, a three-way valve configured to supply the air from the burner air blower selectively to the vertex tube or the burner, a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the air discharged from the vertex tube and the cooling water, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the air discharged from the vertex tube and the reformed gas, and a four-way valve configured to supply the heated air and the cooled air to the first and second heat exchangers.

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 hydrogen and oxygen;
a reformer configured to provide reformed gas to the stack;
a burner configured to heat the reformer;
a water supply tank configured to provide cooling water to the stack;
a burner air blower configured to provide external air;
a main air supply channel configured to provide the external air from the burner air blower to the burner;
a vertex tube configured to convert the external air from the burner air blower into heated air and cooled air;
a three-way valve configured to selectively provide the external air from the burner air blower to the main air supply channel and to the vertex tube;
a four-way valve configured to selectively discharge the heated air and the cooled air from the vertex tube to different ones of a first switch channel and a second switch channel;
a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the cooling water from the water supply tank and air from the first switch channel;
a cooling water channel configured to provide the cooling water that has passed through the first heat exchanger to the stack;
a first air supply channel configured to provide the heated air from the first heat exchanger to the burner;
a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the reformed gas from the reformer and the cooled air from the second switch channel;
a reformed gas channel configured to provide the reformed gas from the second heat exchanger to the stack; and
a second air supply channel configured to provide the air from the second heat exchanger to the burner.

2. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a hot air supply channel configured to receive the heated air from the vertex tube and to provide the heated air to the four-way valve; and
a cold air supply channel configured to receive the cooled air from the vertex tube and to provide the cooled air to the four-way valve.

3. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first switch channel is to connect the four-way valve to the first heat exchanger; and
the second switch channel is to connect the four-way valve to the second heat exchanger.

4. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising:
a first bypass channel to branch from the first switch channel and to join the first air supply channel;
a first bypass valve disposed at the first bypass channel, and configured to be opened so that air passing through the first switch channel is to bypass the first heat exchanger;
a second bypass channel to branch from the second switch channel and to join the second air supply channel; and
a second bypass valve disposed at the second bypass channel, and configured to be opened so that air passing through the second switch channel is to bypass the second heat exchanger.

5. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 4 , comprising:
a cooling water recovery channel configured to receive the cooling water from the stack and to provide the cooling water to the water supply tank;
a first temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature value of the cooling water from the stack; and
a second temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature value of the reformed gas to be provided to the stack.

6. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising a controller configured to control the three-way valve to provide the external air from the burner air blower to the vertex tube, to control the four-way valve to discharge the heated air from the vertex tube to the first switch channel and to discharge the cooled air from the vertex tube to the second switch channel, and to control the first bypass valve to be closed and the second bypass valve to be opened, when the temperature value of the cooling water sensed by the first temperature sensor is determined to be less than a predetermined cooling water temperature value.

7. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising a controller configured to control the three-way valve to provide the external air from the burner air blower to the vertex tube, to control the four-way valve to discharge the heated air from the vertex tube to the second switch channel and to discharge the cooled air from the vertex tube to the first switch channel, and to control the first bypass valve to be closed and the second bypass valve to be opened, when a difference between the temperature value of the cooling water sensed by the first temperature sensor and a predetermined cooling water temperature value is determined to be equal to or greater than a predetermined difference value.

8. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising a controller configured to control the three-way valve to provide the external air from the burner air blower to the vertex tube, to control the four-way valve to discharge the heated air from the vertex tube to the first switch channel and to discharge the cooled air from the vertex tube to the second switch channel, and to control the first bypass valve to be opened and the second bypass valve to be closed, when the temperature value of the cooling water sensed by the first temperature sensor is determined to be equal to or greater than a predetermined cooling water temperature value and a difference between the temperature value of the cooling water sensed by the first temperature sensor and the predetermined cooling water temperature value is determined to be less than a predetermined difference value.

9. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the three-way valve to provide the external air from the burner air blower to the burner, and to control the first bypass valve and the second bypass valve to be closed, when the temperature value of the reformed gas sensed by the second temperature sensor is determined to be equal to or less than a predetermined reformed gas temperature value.

10. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
a first end of the first air supply channel is to communicate with the first heat exchanger and a second end of the first air supply channel is to join the main air supply channel; and
a first end of the second air supply channel is to communicate with the second heat exchanger and a second end of the second air supply channel is to join the main air supply channel.

11. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a cooling water pump configured to provide the cooling water from the water supply tank to the stack.

12. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a reformed gas heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the cooling water that has passed through the cooling water channel and the reformed gas that has passed through the reformed gas channel.

13. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a reformed gas bypass channel to branch from the reformed gas channel, and is configured to communicate with the burner;
a reformed gas bypass valve disposed at the reformed gas bypass channel; and
a reformed gas valve disposed downstream from a point of the reformed gas channel in which the reformed gas bypass channel branches from the reformed gas channel.

14. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a stack air blower configured to provide external air to the stack;
a stack air supply channel to connect the stack air blower to the stack;
a stack air exhaust channel to connect the stack to outside of the fuel cell apparatus;
a stack-in valve disposed at the stack

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Heejoong
• Yang Dongkeun
• Woo Hyoungsuk
• Jun Jihoon

Classifications

• H01M8/0618

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

• H01M8/04358

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/04335

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title