Evaporative cooling type fuel cell system and cooling control method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017263955-A1
Application number	US-201615296691-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An evaporative cooling type fuel cell system and a cooling control method for the same are provided. The fuel cell system includes a stack that generates electric power by reacting hydrogen as fuel with air as an oxidant. The method includes adjusting an operation pressure of the stack based on a current operation temperature of the stack and adjusting the amount of water supplied to the stack from a water reservoir based on the current operation temperature. The water is supplied to a cathode of the stack. Thus, a compact-simplified fuel cell system is provided, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooling control method in a fuel cell system including a stack to generate electric power by reacting hydrogen as fuel with air as an oxidant, comprising:
adjusting, by a controller, an operation pressure of the stack based on a current operation temperature of the stack; and adjusting, by the controller, an amount of water supplied from a water reservoir to the stack based on the current operation temperature of the stack, wherein the water is supplied to a cathode of the stack.

2 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , wherein the operation temperature of the stack is adjusted by adjusting air amount supplied to the cathode and an operation pressure of a radiator.

3 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , further comprising limiting, by the controller, output power of the stack when the current operation temperature of the stack is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper temperature limit limiting output power of the stack.

4 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , further comprising decreasing, by the controller, the operation pressure of the stack and increasing the amount of the water supplied to the stack when the current operation temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper operation temperature limit of the stack and a water level of the water reservoir is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower water level limit of the water reservoir.

5 . The cooling control method according to claim 4 , wherein the amount of the water supplied to the stack is increased in proportion to a difference between the current operation temperature and the predetermined upper operation temperature limit of the stack.

6 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
limiting, by the controller, output power of the stack when the operation temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper operation temperature limit of the stack and a water level of the water reservoir is less than a predetermined lower water level limit of the water reservoir, wherein before limiting output power of the stack, at least one of the operation pressure of the stack and the amount of the water supplied to the cathode is adjusted based on the water level of the water reservoir.

7 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, by the controller, the amount of the water supplied to the stack when the current operation temperature is within a range of a predetermined operation temperature of the stack.

8 . The cooling control method according to claim 7 , further comprising adjusting, by the controller, the amount of the water supplied to the stack to be decreased when the current operation temperature is equal to or less than the range of the operation temperature of the stack.

9 . The cooling control method according to claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, by the controller, an operation pressure of the radiator configured to supply condensate to the water reservoir and an air stoichiometric ratio (SR) that corresponds to air amount supplied to the cathode when a water level of the water reservoir is within a range of a predetermined target water level of the water reservoir.

10 . The cooling control method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
decreasing, by the controller, the operation pressure of the radiator when the water level of the water reservoir is greater than the predetermined target water level of the water reservoir, wherein the amount of condensate supplied to the water reservoir is decreased when the operation pressure of the radiator is decreased.

11 . The cooling control method according to claim 9 , further comprising performing at least one selected from the group consisting of: increasing the operation pressure of the radiator; decreasing the air SR; and limiting output power of the stack, when the water level of the water reservoir is equal to or less than the predetermined target water level of the water reservoir.

12 . The cooling control method according to claim 9 , further comprising maintaining, by the controller, the operation pressure of the radiator and increasing the air SR when the water level of the water reservoir is greater than the predetermined target water level of the water reservoir.

13 . A fuel cell system comprising a stack to generate electric power by reacting hydrogen as fuel with air as an oxidant, comprising:
a first valve configured to exhaust air from the fuel cell system; a second valve configured to adjust an amount of air supplied to a cathode of the stack; a first compressor configured to adjust a pressure of air introduced into the second valve to supply air to the stack; a second compressor configured to adjust a pressure of air exhausted from the stack; and a radiator configured to radiate heat of the exhausted air transferred from the second compressor to generate condensate to be supplied to the stack and air to be exhausted by the first valve.

14 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the second valve and the first and second compressors is configured to adjust an operation pressure of the stack.

15 . The fuel cell system according to 13 , wherein the condensate amount generated in the radiator is adjusted by adjusting an operation pressure of the radiator.

16 . The fuel cell system according to claim 15 , wherein the operation pressure of the radiator is adjusted by operating at least one of the second compressor and the first valve.

17 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a water reservoir configured to store condensate to be supplied to the stack, wherein at least one from the group consisting of: an operation pressure of the stack, an operation pressure of the radiator, and an air stoichiometric ratio (SR) that corresponds to air amount supplied to the cathode is dynamically adjusted, to maintain a water level of the water reservoir in a range of a predetermined target water level.

18 . The fuel cell system according to claim 17 , wherein output power is limited when the water level of the water reservoir is equal to or less than the range of the predetermined target water level.

19 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein operation pressures of the stack and radiator are dynamically adjusted based on desired output power of the stack.

20 . The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of: air amount, an operation pressure of the stack, and an operation pressure of the radiator are dynamically adjusted, to minimize power consumed by the first and second compressors and to maximize output power of the stack.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Hyuck-Roul

Classifications

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• H01M8/04768

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04059 Primary

  Evaporative processes for the cooling of a fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04701

  Temperature · CPC title