Fuel cell water treatment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416139-B2
Application number	US-202218077805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2022
Priority date	Jul 11, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for treating fuel cell water discharged from a fuel cell using hydrogen as a fuel. The fuel cell water treatment system may include a fuel cell water storage device that receives and stores fuel cell water discharged from a fuel cell, a temperature adjustment device that adjusts a temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the fuel cell water storage device, and a washing device. In particular, when a preset condition is satisfied, and the washing device receives the fuel cell water from the fuel cell water storage device and discharges the fuel cell water through a faucet head of the washing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell water treatment system comprising:
a first water tank configured to receive and store fuel cell water from a fuel cell and detect a level and temperature of the stored fuel cell water;
a second water tank which is configured to receive and store the fuel cell water from the first water tank and detect a level and temperature of the stored fuel cell water; wherein heat exchange is performed between the fuel cell water in the second water tank and a fluid introduced from an outside;
a first pump configured to move the fuel cell water stored in the first water tank to the second water tank;
an outdoor air sensor configured to detect an external temperature;
a temperature adjustment device configured to;
control the heat exchange in the second water tank,
control movement of the fuel cell water from the first water tank to the second water tank, and

adjust the temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank based on the external temperature provided from the outdoor air sensor and state information on the fuel cell water in the first water tank and the second water tank; and
a washing device configured to receive the fuel cell water from the second water tank and discharge the fuel cell water through a faucet head.

2. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjustment device outputs a message for notifying of the temperature adjustment to a user when the temperature adjustment of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank is performed.

3. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to:
determine whether a level of the first water tank is higher than a preset first level when the external temperature is higher than a preset first temperature;
adjust a temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank based on a temperature of water in and a level of the second water tank after moving the fuel cell water in the first water tank to the second water tank based on a temperature of water in and the level of the first water tank when the level of the first water tank is higher than the first level; and
adjust the temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank based on the temperature of the water in and the level of the second water tank without moving the fuel cell water when the level of the first water tank is equal to or lower than the first level.

4. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 3 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to operate the first pump to move the fuel cell water in the first water tank to the second water tank when the temperature of the water in the first water tank is equal to or lower than a preset second temperature or when the temperature of the water in the first water tank is higher than the second temperature and the level of the first water tank is higher than a preset second level, when the level of the first water tank is higher than the first level.

5. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 3 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to allow an air conditioner refrigerant to be introduced into the second water tank to cool the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank.

6. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 5 , wherein the temperature adjustment device includes:
a first valve configured to introduce the air conditioner refrigerant into a first heat exchanger installed in the second water tank according to a first flow control signal; and
a cold/hot controller configured to selectively generate the first flow control signal based on the external temperature and the temperature of the water in and the level of the second water tank and output the generated first flow control signal to the first valve.

7. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 6 , wherein the cold/hot controller is configured to generate the first flow control signal when the level of the second water tank is higher than a preset third level and the temperature of the water in the second water tank is higher than a preset third temperature.

8. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 3 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to adjust the temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank when an air conditioner is operated for a preset time or more.

9. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to:
determine whether a level of the first water tank is higher than a preset first level when the external temperature is lower than a preset first temperature;
adjust a temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank based on a temperature of fuel cell cooling water and a temperature of water in the second water tank after moving the fuel cell water in the first water tank to the second water tank when the level of the first water tank is higher than the first level; and
adjust the temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank based on the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water and the temperature of water in and a level of the second water tank without moving the fuel cell water when the level of the first water tank is not higher than the first level.

10. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 9 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to operate the first pump to move the fuel cell water in the first water tank to the second water tank when the level of the first water tank is higher than the first level.

11. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 9 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to adjust the temperature of the fuel cell water stored in the second water tank when the level of the first water tank is equal to or lower than the first level and the level of the second water tank is higher than a preset second level.

12. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 11 , wherein the temperature adjustment device includes:
a second valve configured to allow the fuel cell cooling water to be introduced into a second heat exchanger installed in the second water tank according to a second flow control signal; and
a cold/hot controller configured to selectively generate the second flow control signal based on the external temperature, the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water, and the temperature of the water in and the level of the second water tank and configured to output the generated second flow control signal to the second valve.

13. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 12 , wherein the cold/hot controller is configured to generate the second flow control signal when the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water is higher than the temperature of the water in the second water tank and the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water is higher than a preset second temperature.

14. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 12 , wherein the cold/hot controller is configured to generate the second flow control signal when the temperature of the water in the second water tank is lower than a preset third temperature when the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water is higher than the temperature of the water in the second water tank and the temperature of the fuel cell cooling water is equal to or lower than a preset second temperature.

15. The fuel cell water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjustment device is configured to allow an air conditioner refrigerant to be introduced into the second water tank so as to cool th

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Hong Jeong Hwan
• Jang Jong Min

Classifications

• G05D23/19

  characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D23/1393 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01M8/04291 Primary

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03C2001/0418

  having temperature indicating means · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B60R15/02

  Washing facilities {(in railway vehicles B61D35/002)} · CPC title