Structure of fuel cell system and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190616-A1
Application number	US-201514734136-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A structure of a fuel cell system and a controlling method thereof are provided. The structure of the fuel cell system includes a flow sensor that is configured to detect a flow of air introduced into the fuel cell system and an air compressor that is configured to compress the introduced air and has an air foil bearing to maintain minimum driving revolutions per minute or greater. Additionally, the system includes a flow adjuster that is connected to the fuel cell system. Accordingly, since an amount of air corresponding to a required amount of air of the fuel cell system is supplied by limiting or recirculating an excessive air supply while securing durability and durability of abrasion of the air compressor to which the air foil bearing is applied, a dry phenomenon of the fuel cell system including a stack due to the excessive supply of air is prevented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A structure of a fuel cell system, comprising:
a flow sensor configured to detect a flow of air introduced into the fuel cell system; an air compressor configured to compress the introduced air and have an air foil bearing to maintain minimum driving revolutions per minute (rpm) or greater; and a flow adjuster connected to the fuel cell system.

2 . The structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the flow adjuster is an exhaust pressure adjusting valve connected to the fuel cell system and configured to adjust exhaust pressure and an air supply amount.

3 . The structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 2 , wherein when an amount of air supplied by the minimum driving revolutions per minute or greater of the air compressor exceeds an amount of air required by the fuel cell system, an opening degree of the exhaust pressure adjusting valve is adjusted.

4 . The structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a line configured to be supplied with air compressed by the air compressor and recirculate a portion of the compressed air, wherein the flow adjuster is a bypass valve configured to recirculate excessively supplied air when an amount of air supplied by the minimum driving revolutions per minute or greater of the air compressor exceeds an amount of air required by the fuel cell system.

5 . The structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein when the amount of air supplied by the minimum driving revolutions per minute of the air compressor is the amount of air required by the fuel cell system or less the air recirculation is released by the bypass valve.

6 . A controlling method of a fuel cell system using the structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 2 , the controlling method comprising:
collecting, by a controller, data regarding the air compressor of the fuel cell system; determining, by the controller, whether an idle rpm of the air compressor is a required rpm of the air compressor or greater after collecting the data; driving, by the controller, the idle rpm of the air compressor when the idle rpm of the air compressor is the required rpm of the air compressor or greater; and decreasing, by the controller, a supply flow by adjusting tan opening degree of the exhaust pressure adjusting valve.

7 . The controlling method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
increasing, by the controller, the rpm of the air compressor and increasing the supply flow by opening the exhaust pressure adjusting valve when the idle rpm of the air compressor is less than the required rpm of the air compressor.

8 . A controlling method of a fuel cell system using the structure of the fuel cell system according to claim 4 , the controlling method comprising:
collecting, by a controller, data regarding the air compressor of the fuel cell system; determining, by the controller, whether an idle rpm of the air compressor is a required rpm of the air compressor or greater after collecting the data; driving, by the controller, the idle rpm of the air compressor when the idle rpm of the air compressor is the required rpm of the air compressor or greater; detecting, by the controller, an open and close state of the bypass valve; and increasing, by the controller, a recirculation flow by increasing an open value of the bypass valve while closing of the bypass valve.

9 . The controlling method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
increasing, by the controller, the open value of the bypass valve while opening of the bypass valve.

10 . The controlling method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
detecting, by the controller, the open and close state of the bypass valve when the idle rpm of the air compressor is less than the required rpm of the air compressor.

11 . The controlling method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
increasing, by the controller, the supply flow by increasing the rpm of the air compressor when the bypass valve is closed.

12 . The controlling method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
increasing, by the controller, the rpm of the air compressor and the supply flow, and closing, by the controller, the bypass valve when the bypass valve is opened.

13 . The controlling method according to claim 6 , wherein the data regarding the air compressor includes the required rpm of the air compressor, the idle rpm of the air compressor, and a required amount of air and an actual amount of air of the fuel cell system.

14 . The controlling method according to claim 8 , wherein the data regarding the air compressor includes the required rpm of the air compressor, the idle rpm of the air compressor, and a required amount of air and an actual amount of air of the fuel cell system.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Hyuck Roul
• Ha Kyoung Ku
• Kim Hyun Yoo
• Lee Chang Ha

Classifications

• H01M8/04776

  at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner · CPC title

• H01M8/04761

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04089 Primary

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04097

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04395

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