Heating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010893-A1
Application number	US-201514687924-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heating device including a heating unit, a temperature sensing module, a control unit, and a hydrogen generating unit having a first tank, a second tank, and a driving element is provided. The first tank contains a liquid reactant. The second tank contains a solid reactant. The driving element is connected between the first tank and the second tank, drives the liquid reactant to move from the first tank to the second tank, such that the liquid reactant reacts with the solid reactant to generate hydrogen. The heating unit is connected to the hydrogen generating unit and includes a catalyst layer. At least a part of hydrogen moves from the second tank to the heating unit and contacts the catalyst layer to react to generate heat energy. The control unit is electrically connected to the driving element, and controls the driving element according to a temperature of the heating device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heating device, comprising:
a hydrogen generating unit, comprising a first tank, a second tank, and a driving element, wherein the first tank contains a liquid reactant, the second tank contains a solid reactant, and the driving element is connected to the first tank and the second tank, and is configured to drive the liquid reactant to move from the first tank to the second tank, such that the liquid reactant reacts with the solid reactant to generate hydrogen; a heating unit, connected to the hydrogen generating unit and comprising a catalyst layer, wherein at least a part of the hydrogen moves from the second tank to the heating unit and contacts the catalyst layer to react to generate heat energy; a temperature sensing module, configured to sense at least one temperature of the heating device; and a control unit, electrically connected to the driving element and the temperature sensing module, and controlling the driving element according to the at least one temperature of the heating device.

2 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit turns on or turns off the driving element according to the temperature.

3 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a working state of the driving element according to the at least one temperature, so as to change a flowing rate of the liquid reactant flowing to the second tank.

4 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a fuel cell connected to the hydrogen generating unit, wherein at least another part of the hydrogen moves to the fuel cell from the second tank, and reacts in the fuel cell to generate electric energy.

5 . The heating device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the fuel cell is configured to supply electricity to the driving element.

6 . The heating device as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising an electronic module, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the fuel cell and the electronic module, and controls the fuel cell to supply electricity or not to supply electricity to the electronic module according to an amount of electricity of the electronic module.

7 . The heating device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the electronic module comprises an electric energy storage unit and an electronic component, the electric energy storage unit stores electric energy from the fuel cell and supplies electricity to the driving element and the electronic component, and the control unit controls the fuel cell to supply electricity or not to supply electricity to the electric energy storage unit according to the amount of electricity of the electric energy storage unit.

8 . The heating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the fuel cell is configured to supply electricity to the electronic component.

9 . The heating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the amount of electricity of the electric energy storage unit is lower than a storage amount predetermined value, the control unit controls the electric energy storage unit to supply electricity to the driving element and not to supply electricity to the electronic component.

10 . The heating device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the hydrogen generating unit comprises an airflow channel and a first guide structure, the airflow channel is connected between the second tank and the heating unit, the first guide structure is connected between the second tank and the fuel cell, a part of the hydrogen in the second tank flows through the airflow channel to reach the heating unit, another part of the hydrogen in the second tank flows through the first guide structure to reach the fuel cell, the second tank has a fourth guide structure, the fourth guide structure is aligned to the solid reactant, and the liquid reactant is configured to flow through the fourth guide structure to reach the solid reactant.

11 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensing module comprises a first temperature sensing element, the first temperature sensing element is disposed on and electrically connected to the control unit, the first temperature sensing element senses a first temperature of the heating device at the control unit, and the at least one temperature comprises the first temperature.

12 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensing module comprises a second temperature sensing element, the second temperature sensing element is disposed on the hydrogen generating unit and is electrically connected to the control unit, the second temperature sensing element senses a second temperature of the heating device at the hydrogen generating unit, and the at least one temperature comprises the second temperature.

13 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensing module comprises a third temperature sensing element, the third temperature sensing element is disposed on the heating unit and is electrically connected to the control unit, the third temperature sensing element senses a third temperature of the heating device at the heating unit, and the at least one temperature comprises the third temperature.

14 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a safety protection module, wherein the safety protection module is electrically connected to the control unit for sending a safety signal to the control unit, such that the control unit turns off the driving element.

15 . The heating device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the safety protection module comprises a horizontal sensing element, the horizontal sensing element is electrically connected to the control unit, and when the horizontal sensing element senses an inclining angle of the heating device to be greater than an inclining angle predetermined value, the control unit turns off the driving element.

16 . The heating device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the safety protection module comprises a contact sensing element, the contact sensing element is disposed on the first tank and is electrically connected to the control unit, and when the contact sensing element senses that the second tank is separated from the first tank, the control unit turns off the driving element.

17 . The heating device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the safety protection module comprises a water level sensing element, the water level sensing element is disposed on the first tank and is electrically connected to the control unit, and when the water level sensing element senses that a water level of the liquid reactant in the first tank is lower than a water level predetermined value, the control unit turns off the driving element.

18 . The heating device as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a fuel cell, wherein the safety protection module comprises a position sensing element, the fuel cell is detachably connected to the hydrogen generating unit, at least another part of the hydrogen moves to the fuel cell from the second tank, and reacts in the fuel cell to generate electric energy, the position sensing element is disposed on the hydrogen generating unit and is electrically connected to the control unit, and when the position sensing element senses that the fuel cell is detached from the hydrogen generating unit, the control unit turns off the driving element.

19 . The heating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first tank has an annular space, and the annular space contains the liquid reactant and surrounds the second tank.

20 . The heating dev

Assignees

• Lu Hsuan-Yi
• Wang Chung-Ping
• Lin Yu-Hsiang
• Yen Yi-Wei
• Coretronic Corp

Inventors

• Lu Hsuan-Yi
• Wang Chung-Ping
• Lin Yu-Hsiang
• Yen Yi-Wei

Classifications

• F24J1/00 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H01M8/0606

  with means for production of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M2250/40

  Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M16/006

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title