Thermal management system for fuel cell vehicle and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018114998-A1
Application number	US-201615371111-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle includes a first line including a coolant pump and a fuel cell stack, a second line including a coolant heater and a phase change material (PCM) and connected to the first line to form a first loop in which the coolant pump, the stack, the coolant heater, and the PCM are arranged, a third line including a radiator and connected to the first line to form a second loop in which the coolant pump, the stack, and the radiator are arranged, and an opening and closing valve opening and closing each of the first line, the second line, and the third line to allow the coolant to circulate in at least one of the first loop and the second loop, wherein the PCM is configured to be heat-exchanged with the coolant heater and the coolant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a first line including a coolant pump and a fuel cell stack; a second line including a coolant heater and a phase change material (PCM) and connected to the first line to form a first loop in which the coolant pump, the stack, the coolant heater, and the PCM are arranged; a third line including a radiator and connected to the first line to form a second loop in which the coolant pump, the stack, and the radiator are arranged; and an opening and closing valve opening and closing each of the first line, the second line, and the third line to allow the coolant to circulate in at least one of the first loop and the second loop, wherein the PCM is configured to be heat-exchanged with each of the coolant heater and the coolant.

2 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the coolant heater has a heater housing configured to allow the coolant to pass therethrough and a heater core installed within the heater housing and heating the coolant, and the PCM is installed within the heater housing and is in contact with the coolant.

3 . The thermal management system according to claim 2 , wherein
the coolant heater further has a heat pipe installed within the housing and thermally connect the heater core and the PCM.

4 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the coolant heater has at least one heater core disposed on the basis of the second line, and the PCM is installed to surround at least a portion of the heater core and the second line.

5 . The thermal management system according to claim 4 , wherein
the coolant heater further has a metal coil wound around the heater core and an outer circumferential portion of the second line to thermally connect the heater core and the second line.

6 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the PCM has a phase change temperature lower than a predetermined coolant temperature limit value.

7 . A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a first line including a coolant pump, a coolant heater, a phase change material (PCM), and a fuel cell stack; a second line connected to the first line to form a first loop in which the coolant pump, the coolant heater, the PCM, and the fuel cell stack are arranged; a third line having a radiator and connected to the first line to form a second loop in which the coolant pump, the coolant heater, the PCM, the fuel cell stack, and the radiator are arranged; a fourth line having an ion filter and connected to the first line to form a third loop in which the coolant pump, at least one of the coolant heater and the PCM, and the ion filter are arranged; and an opening and closing valve opening and closing each of the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line to allow the coolant to circulate in at least one of the first loop, the second loop, and the third loop, wherein the PCM is configured to be heat-exchanged with each of the coolant heater and the coolant.

8 . The thermal management system according to claim 7 , wherein
the fourth line further has a heater, wherein the fourth line is connected to the first line such that the coolant pump, at least one of the coolant heater and the PCM, the heater, and the ion filter are arranged in the third loop.

9 . A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a first line including a coolant pump and a fuel cell stack; a second line connected to the first line to form a first loop in which the coolant pump and the fuel cell stack are arranged; a third line having a radiator and connected to the first line to form a second loop in which the coolant pump, the fuel cell stack, and the radiator are arranged; a fourth line having a coolant heater, a phase change material (PCM), and an ion filter and connected to the first line to form a third loop in which the coolant pump, the coolant heater, the PCM, and the ion filter are arranged; and an opening and closing valve opening and closing each of the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line to allow the coolant to circulate in at least one of the first loop, the second loop, and the third loop, wherein the PCM is configured to be heat-exchanged with each of the coolant heater and the coolant.

10 . A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a first line including a coolant pump and a fuel cell stack; a second line connected to the first line to form a first loop in which the coolant pump and the fuel cell stack are arranged; a third line having a radiator, a coolant heater, and a phase change material (PCM), and connected to the first line to form a second loop in which the coolant pump, the stack, the radiator, the coolant heater, and the PCM are arranged, an opening and closing valve opening and closing each of the first line, the second line, and the third line to allow the coolant to circulate in at least one of the first loop and the second loop, wherein the PCM is configured to be heat-exchanged with each of the coolant heater and the coolant.

11 . A control method of a thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , the control method comprising:
(a) when a vehicle is started in a state in which the coolant has a temperature lower than a predetermined cold-start temperature, actuating the coolant heater using electric power output from the stack and storing heat output from the coolant heater in the PCM; and (b) when a temperature of the PCM is increased to the phase change temperature or higher, circulating the coolant in the first loop using the coolant pump and the opening and closing valve, after operation (a).

12 . The control method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
(c) when the stack is actuated in a predetermined normal state, circulating the coolant in the first loop and the second loop in a predetermined distribution ratio using the coolant pump and the opening and closing valve, after operation (b).

13 . The control method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
(d) when the stack is actuated in a predetermined high output state, circulating the coolant in the second loop using the coolant pump and the opening and closing pump, after operation (b); and (e) when a temperature of the coolant reaches a predetermined coolant temperature limit value, circulating the coolant in the first loop and the second loop in a predetermined distribution ratio using the coolant pump and the opening and closing valve, after operation (d), wherein the phase change temperature of the PCM is lower than the coolant temperature limit value.

14 . The control method according to claim 13 , wherein
when operation (d) is performed, the coolant pump is actuated with a predetermined maximum output.

15 . A control method of a thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle according to claim 7 , the control method comprising:
(a) when a vehicle is started in a state in which the coolant has a temperature lower than a predetermined cold-start temperature, actuating the coolant heater using electric power output from the stack and circulating the coolant in the third loop using the coolant pump and the opening and closing valve to store heat output from the coolant heater in the PCM; and (b) when a temperature of the PCM is increased to the phase change temperature or higher, circulating the

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Hyuck Roul
• Lee Nam Woo
• Na Sung Wook

Classifications

• H01M8/04417

  of the coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/04052

  Storage of heat in the fuel cell system · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04225 Primary

  during start-up · CPC title