Air supply control system of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972853-B2
Application number	US-201514708250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes: a turbocharger configured to receive and pressurize air discharged from an outlet of a fuel cell and supply the pressurized air to an inlet of the fuel cell; a plurality of valves configured to be provided at an inlet and an outlet of the turbocharger to control an amount of air supplied to the turbocharger in the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell and control a pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell; and a controller configured to calculate an air pressure required for the fuel cell and control an opening of the valves based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air supply control system of a fuel cell, comprising:
a turbocharger configured to receive and pressurize air discharged from an outlet of the fuel cell, and supply the pressurized air to an inlet of the fuel cell;
a plurality of valves configured to be provided at an inlet and an outlet of the turbocharger and control an amount of air supplied to the turbocharger among the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell and control a pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell; and
a controller programmed to calculate an air pressure required for the fuel cell and control an opening of the valves based on the calculated air pressure,
wherein the plurality of valves include: a first valve configured to be disposed between the outlet of the fuel cell and the inlet of the turbocharger to control the amount of air supplied to the turbocharger; and a second valve configured to be disposed between the inlet of the fuel cell and the outlet of the turbocharger in control the pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell.

2. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air compressor configured to control a flow rate of air supplied to the inlet of the fuel cell,
wherein the air pressurized by the turbocharger is supplied to an inlet of the air compressor.

3. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a humidifier configured to humidify and discharge the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell,
wherein a portion of the air discharged from the humidifier is supplied to the turbocharger.

4. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is a 3-way valve configured to control the air discharged discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell such that an amount of air to the outside and an amount of the air supplied to the turbocharger are controlled.

5. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates the air pressure required for the fuel cell based on an internal pressure of the fuel cell.

6. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the controller primarily controls, based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell, the amount of air supplied to the turbocharger and further controls the pressure of air supplied from the turbocharger to the inlet of the fuel cell.

7. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls an opening of the first valve based on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

8. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein, when the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell is increased, the opening of the first valve is controlled, by the controller, to increase the amount of air supplied to the turbocharger in the air discharged from the outlet of the fuel cell.

9. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls an opening of the second valve depending on the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell.

10. The air supply control system of a fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein when the calculated air pressure required for the fuel cell is increased, the opening of the second valve is controlled to be reduced by the controller.

11. A vehicle, comprising a fuel cell system of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Min Su
• Ryu Chang Seok
• Kim Sung Do
• Lee Dong Hun

Classifications

• H01M8/04126

  Humidifying · CPC title

• H01M8/04111 Primary

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M8/04395

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title