Vehicular fuel cell cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016039309-A1
Application number	US-201414456000-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2014
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooling system for a vehicular fuel cell utilizes packet pumps to electrically isolate the fuel from a grounded radiator. Fluid in a packet pump is transported from an inlet port to an outlet port in discrete packets. Because these packets are physically separated from one another, electricity does not flow through the fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port. Packet pumps include peristaltic pumps and external gear pumps.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a first isolator having a first isolator port and a second isolator port and configured to electrically isolate the first isolator port from the second isolator port while permitting flow of an electrically conductive fluid between the first and second isolator ports; a fuel cell having a first cooling port fluidly connected to the first isolator port; and a radiator having a first radiator port fluidly connected to the second isolator port.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first isolator separates fluid flowing from the first isolator port to the second isolator port into separated packets.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the isolator is a peristaltic pump.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a second isolator having a third isolator port and a fourth isolator port and configured to electrically isolate the third isolator port from the fourth isolator port while permitting flow of the electrically conductive fluid between the third and fourth isolator ports; and wherein
the fuel cell has a second cooling port fluidly connected to the third isolator port; and
the radiator has a second radiator port fluidly connected to the fourth isolator port.

5 . The vehicle if claim 4 wherein the second isolator separates fluid flowing from the third isolator port to the fourth isolator port into separated packets.

6 . The vehicle of claim 4 wherein:
the first isolator is a first packet pump having a first shaft; and
the second isolator is a second packet pump having a second shaft driveably connected to the first shaft.

7 . The vehicle of claim 4 further comprising a pump configured to circulate coolant among the fuel cell, first isolator, radiator, and second isolator.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the radiator is electrically grounded to vehicle structure.

9 . The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the fuel cell has a negative terminal and a positive terminal and wherein neither the negative terminal nor the positive terminal are grounded to vehicle structure.

10 . A vehicle comprising:
a first packet pump having a first pump port and a second pump port; a fuel cell having a first cooling port fluidly connected to the first pump port; and a radiator having a first radiator port fluidly connected to the second pump port.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the first packet pump is a peristaltic pump.

12 . The vehicle of claim 10 further comprising:
a second packet pump having a third pump port and a fourth pump port; and wherein
the fuel cell has a second cooling port fluidly connected to the third pump port; and
the radiator has a second radiator port fluidly connected to the fourth pump port.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 wherein:
the first packet pump has a first shaft; and
the second packet pump has a second shaft driveably connected to the first shaft.

14 . A cooling system suitable for an electrically charged heat source, the system comprising:
a radiator having a radiator inlet and a radiator outlet; a first packet pump driven by a shaft and having a first inlet port and a first outlet port fluidly connected to the radiator inlet; and a second packet pump driven by the shaft and having a second outlet port and a second inlet port fluidly connected to the radiator outlet.

15 . The cooling system of claim 14 wherein the first packet pump is a peristaltic pump comprising:
a first tube connecting the first inlet port to the first outlet port, the tube made of an electrically non-conductive material;
a roller configured to compress the first tube at a compression point to separate fluid at the first inlet port from fluid at the first outlet port; and
a rotor fixed to the shaft and configured to move the compression point in response rotation of the shaft to propel the fluid through the tube.

16 . The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the second packet pump is a peristaltic pump comprising:
a second tube connecting the second inlet port to the second outlet port, the tube made of an electrically non-conductive material; and
a roller configured to compress the second tube to separate fluid at the second inlet port from fluid at the second outlet port.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Gale Allan Roy
• Bilezikjian John Peter
• Kautz Richard William

Classifications

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• B60L11/1892 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F28D1/02

  with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid · CPC title

• B60L58/33 Primary

  by cooling · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title