Fuel cell system and the operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413027-B2
Application number	US-201314143151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes an air manifold through which air is supplied or exhausted, a fuel gas manifold through which fuel gas is supplied or exhausted, a stack portion that generates electricity by using air and fuel that are supplied by the air manifold and the fuel gas manifold, and an injection array that is disposed along an inside of the air manifold or the fuel gas manifold to inject air or fuel gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
an air manifold through which air is supplied or exhausted;
a fuel gas manifold through which fuel gas is supplied or exhausted;
a stack of cells that generate electricity by using air and fuel that are supplied through the air manifold and the fuel gas manifold; and
an injection array that is disposed along an inside of the air manifold or the fuel gas manifold,
wherein the injection array has a pipe structure and is inserted into the air manifold or the fuel gas manifold, and
wherein a nozzle is formed at a side of the injection array to inject air or fuel gas, respectively.

2. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein nozzles of the injection array have a predetermined shape and are arranged with a predetermined distance therebetween.

3. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein air is supplied through an inlet of the air manifold, and the air is supplied through the injection array.

4. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the injection array is inserted into the fuel gas manifold, fuel gas is supplied through an inlet of the fuel gas manifold, and the fuel gas is supplied through the injection array.

5. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein fuel gas or air is supplied through one end portion of the injection array.

6. The fuel cell system of claim 5 , wherein fuel gas or air is supplied through different end portion of the injection array.

7. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein nozzles of the injection array are arranged in at least two rows.

8. The fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein a nozzle of the injection array has a slot shape that is continuously formed in a length direction.

9. A fuel cell system, comprising:
an air manifold through which air is supplied or exhausted;
a fuel gas manifold through which fuel gas is supplied or exhausted;
a cell stack that is configured to generate electricity by using air and fuel gas that are supplied from the air manifold and the fuel gas manifold;
an injection array that is disposed along an inside of the air manifold or the fuel gas manifold; and
a controller configured to control the operation of the cell stack and controls air or fuel gas that is supplied through the air manifold, the fuel gas manifold, and the injection array,
wherein the injection array has a pipe structure and is inserted into the air manifold or the fuel gas manifold, and
wherein a nozzle is formed at a side of the injection array to inject air or fuel gas, respectively.

10. The fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the controller supplies the injection array that is disposed in the air manifold with dry air that does not pass through a humidifier and supplies the injection array that is disposed in the fuel gas manifold with dry fuel gas that does not pass an ejector if a shut-down process is being performed to stop the operation of the stack portion.

11. The fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the controller supplies the injection array that is disposed in the fuel gas manifold with a predetermined amount of hydrogen, if it is determined that the stack portion maintains a starting off condition in which a voltage is not generated for a predetermined time.

12. The fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the controller supplies the injection array that is disposed in the air manifold with a predetermined amount of hydrogen, when a starting signal is detected while the vehicle is currently off and the stack is not generating electricity.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Noh Yong Gyu
• Oh Dong Jo
• Kwon Bu Kil

Classifications

• H01M8/04223

  during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2484 Primary

  characterised by external manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/04231

  Purging of the reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title