Fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016164121-A1
Application number	US-201514708250-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes: a turbocharger configured to receive and pressurize air discharged from an outlet of a fuel cell and supply the pressurized air to an inlet of the fuel cell; a plurality of valves configured to be provided at an inlet and an outlet of the turbocharger to control an amount of air supplied to the turbocharger in the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell and control a pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell; and a controller configured to calculate an air pressure required for the fuel cell and control an opening of the valves based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell system, comprising:
a turbocharger configured to receive and pressurize air discharged from an outlet of a fuel cell, and supply the pressurized air to an inlet of the fuel cell; a plurality of valves configured to be provided at an inlet and an outlet of the turbocharger and control an amount of air supplied to the turbocharger among the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell and control a pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell; and a controller configured to calculate an air pressure required for the fuel cell and control an opening of the valves based on the calculated air pressure.

2 . The fuel cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air compressor configured to control a flow rate of air supplied to the inlet of the fuel cell, wherein the air pressurized by the turbocharger is supplied to an inlet of the air compressor.

3 . The fuel cell system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a humidifier configured to humidify and discharge the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell, wherein a portion of the air discharged from the humidifier is supplied to the turbocharger.

4 . The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of valves include: a first valve configured to be disposed between the outlet of the fuel cell and the inlet of the turbocharger; and a second valve configured to be disposed between the inlet of the fuel cell and the outlet of the turbocharger.

5 . The fuel cell system of claim 4 , wherein the first valve is a 3-way valve configured to control the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell such that an amount of air to the outside and an amount of the air supplied to the turbocharger are controlled.

6 . The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates the air pressure required for the fuel cell based on an internal pressure of the fuel cell.

7 . The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls, based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell, the amount of air supplied to the turbocharger and further controls the pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell.

8 . The fuel cell system of claim 4 , wherein the controller controls an opening of the first valve based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

9 . The fuel cell system of claim 8 , wherein, when the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell is increased, the opening of the first valve is controlled, by the controller, to increase the amount of air supplied to the turbocharger in the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell.

10 . The fuel cell system of claim 4 , wherein the controller controls an opening of the second valve depending on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

11 . The fuel cell system of claim 10 , wherein when the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell is increased, the opening of the second valve is controlled to be reduced by the controller.

12 . A vehicle, comprising a fuel cell system of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Min Su
• Ryu Chang Seok
• Kim Sung Do
• Lee Dong Hun

Classifications

• H01M8/04111 Primary

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04089 Primary

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04395

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