Method of controlling air flow in fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016141663-A1
Application number	US-201514727972-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling an air flow in a fuel cell, capable of periodically supplying air to a cathode and alleviating a rate at which a hydrogen concentration of an anode is decreased in an Idle stop state in which air supply to the cathode of a stack is stopped in order to suppress dry phenomenon of the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling an air flow in a fuel cell, comprising:
periodically supplying air to a cathode in an Idle stop state.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the periodic supplying of air comprises:
periodically supplying the air to the cathode in the Idle stop state with a predetermined flow at a predetermined time interval for a predetermined time.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the periodic supplying of air comprises:
periodically supplying the air to the cathode in the Idle stop state through an air supplier provided in a fuel cell system.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the air supplier includes any one of an air blower, a mass flow controller (MFC), a fan, and a compressor.

5 . A method of controlling an air flow in a fuel cell, comprising:
generating an Idle stop entry signal; stopping an operation of an air supplier provided in a fuel cell system; and periodically operating the air supplier to periodically supply air to a cathode.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether or not an Idle stop release signal is generated in the fuel cell system.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
re-operating the air supplier wherein when the Idle stop release signal is generated.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
measuring an air flow supplied to the cathode when the air supplier is re-operated; and determining whether or not the measured air flow is larger than a necessary air flow, the necessary air flow being an air amount required when an output in the fuel cell system is generated.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the fuel cell system starts to generate the output when the measured air flow is larger than the necessary air flow.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the air flow introduced to the cathode is increased when the measured air flow is smaller than the necessary air flow.

11 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for controlling an air flow in a fuel cell, the computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that periodically supply air to a cathode in an Idle stop state.

12 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for controlling an air flow in a fuel cell, the computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that generate an Idle stop entry signal; program instructions that stop an operation of an air supplier provided in a fuel cell system; and program instructions that periodically operate the air supplier to periodically supply air to a cathode.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jae Hoon
• Kim Hyo Seop
• Jeon Yei Sik

Classifications

• H01M8/04223 Primary

  during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

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

• H01M8/04395

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

• H01M8/04753 Primary

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04228

  during shut-down · CPC title