Auxiliary power unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9276279-B2
Application number	US-73973610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2007
Priority date	Oct 24, 2007
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An auxiliary power unit (APU), a method of operating an APU and a vehicle comprising the APU are provided. The APU includes a fuel processor and a fuel cell, the fuel processor being provided with steam, air and dimethyl ether (DME). In order to avoid decreased functionality of the fuel cell caused by lubricants in the DME, a heat exchanger is provided for separating lubricant from the DME.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising
an engine for traction power,
an auxiliary power unit (APU),
a reservoir of fuel, the fuel being used for running the engine and the APU,
the APU comprising a fuel processor and a fuel cell, wherein the fuel processor is provided between the fuel reservoir and the fuel cell, wherein the fuel is dimethyl ether (DME), and
a heat exchange arrangement for separating the DME fuel from at least one lubricant included in the DME, the heat exchange arrangement comprising
a gas inlet ( 196 ) and gas outlet ( 198 ) for gases from a water condenser ( 120 ) downstream of the fuel cell ( 122 ),
a DME fuel inlet ( 193 ) and DME gas outlet ( 187 ),
an outlet ( 197 ) for condensed water, and
an inlet ( 194 ) for water from the water condenser ( 120 ) and an outlet ( 183 ) for steam to the fuel processor, and wherein the heat exchange arrangement is heated by coolant from the fuel cell ( 122 ), and the heat exchange arrangement has a coolant inlet and coolant outlet.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the heat arrangement is heated by gases from a water condenser.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising an afterburner in the APU in which the exhaust gases are combusted prior to heating the heat exchange arrangement.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange arrangement comprises a single unit for providing steam and for separating DME from at least One lubricant is the same unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel processor is supplied with DME gas free from lubricant and the steam from the heat exchange arrangement.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel reformer is connected to the fuel cell via a CO clean-up device.

Assignees

• Andersson Lennart
• Jozsa Peter
• Volvo Lastvagnar Ab

Inventors

• Andersson Lennart
• Jozsa Peter

Classifications

• H01M8/0662

  Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• Y02T90/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/04164

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• B60L11/1881

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title