Fuel cell system and humidification device of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9466846-B2
Application number	US-201213533262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2012
Priority date	Nov 23, 2011
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A fuel cell system is disclosed. More specifically, the fuel cell system may include a stack that includes an electrical generation assembly of a fuel cell, an air supply unit that supplies air to a cathode of the fuel cell, a humidifier that humidifies exhaust air that is exhausted from the cathode and supply air that is supplied from the air supply unit, a hydrogen supply unit that supplies the anode of the fuel cell with hydrogen, and a water trap that traps condensate that is generated by the anode and exhausts it. In particular, the supply air is supplied to an upstream side of the humidifier and the condensate that is trapped in the water trap is supplied to an upstream side of the humidifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving method of a fuel cell system having a stack that includes an electrical generation assembly of fuel cells, an air supply unit configured to supply a cathode of a fuel cell with fresh air, a humidifier configured to humidify exhaust air exhausted from the cathode and the fresh air supplied by the air supply unit, a hydrogen supply unit configured to supply an anode of the fuel cell with hydrogen, and a water trap configured to trap condensate that is generated in the anode and exhaust the condensate to an upstream side of the humidifier, the method comprising, in a starting mode:
opening, by a controller, a drain valve of a condensate exhaust line that connects the water trap with the humidifier;
supplying the anode with hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit;
directly supplying the humidifier with hydrogen that is exhausted from the anode through the water trap without passing through the air supply unit; and
supplying the cathode with hydrogen through the humidifier to purge the fuel cell with hydrogen,
wherein the air supply unit is turned off, such that the fresh air is not supplied to the cathode, and a mixture of the hydrogen supplied from the water trap to the humidifier and air in the humidifier is purged to the cathode.

2. The driving method of a fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein hydrogen is supplied to an upstream side of the humidifier through the condensate exhaust line.

3. The driving method of a fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein after the starting mode is completed, the air supply unit is operated when the drain valve is opened, the fresh air supplied by the air supply unit is supplied to an upstream side of the humidifier, and
the condensate trapped in the water trap is supplied to an upstream side of the humidifier through the condensate exhaust line.

4. The driving method of a fuel cell system of claim 3 , wherein the humidifier humidifies the exhaust air and the fresh air, and the humidified air is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell.

Assignees

• Shim Hyo Sub
• Im Se Joon
• Lee Hyunjae
• Ahn Deukkuen
• Lee Jong Hyun
• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shim Hyo Sub
• Im Se Joon
• Lee Hyunjae
• Ahn Deukkuen
• Lee Jong Hyun

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04141 Primary

  by water containing exhaust gases · CPC title

• H01M8/04179

  by purging or increasing flow or pressure of reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04164

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

• H01M8/10

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title