Freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant with a two-component mixed coolant
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/04
H01M-002/00
출원번호
US-0701987
(2003-11-05)
발명자
/ 주소
Breault, Richard D.
Hagans, Patrick L.
Schrooten, Jeremy A.
출원인 / 주소
UTC Fuel Cells, LLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
7인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12), a coolant loop (42) having a porous water transport plate (44) secured in a heat and mass exchange relationship with the fuel cell (12) and a coolant pump (46) for circulating a coolant through the plate (44) and for
A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) includes at least one fuel cell (12), a coolant loop (42) having a porous water transport plate (44) secured in a heat and mass exchange relationship with the fuel cell (12) and a coolant pump (46) for circulating a coolant through the plate (44) and for transferring water into or out of the plate (44) with the coolant. A coolant heat exchanger (52) removes heat from the coolant, and an accumulator (66) stores the coolant and fuel cell product water and directs the product water out of the accumulator (66). The coolant is a two-component mixed coolant liquid circulating through the coolant loop (42) consisting of between 80 and 95 volume percent of a low freezing temperature water immiscible fluid component and between 5 and 20 volume percent of a water component.
대표청구항▼
1. A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) for generating an electrical current from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, the plant comprising:a. at least one fuel cell (12) having a proton exchange membrane electrolyte (19);b. a coolant loop (
1. A freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) for generating an electrical current from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, the plant comprising:a. at least one fuel cell (12) having a proton exchange membrane electrolyte (19);b. a coolant loop (42) including a porous water transport plate (44) secured in heat and mass exchange relationship within the fuel cell (12), a coolant circulating means (46) secured to a coolant passage (68) in fluid communication with the porous water transport plate (44) for circulating a coolant through the plate (44) and for transferring water into or out of the plate (44) with the coolant, coolant heat exchanger (52) means secured to the coolant passage (68) for removing heat from the coolant, an accumulator (66) means secured in fluid communication with the coolant passage (68) for storing the coolant and water; and,c. wherein the coolant is a two-component mixed coolant circulating through the coolant loop (42), the two-component mixed coolant consisting of a water immiscible fluid component and a water component.2. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the two-component mixed coolant consists of between 50 and 98 volume percent of a water immiscible fluid component and between 2 and 50 volume percent of a water component.3. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the two-component mixed coolant consists of between 80 and 95 volume percent of a water immiscible fluid component and between 5 and 20 volume percent of a water component.4. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the water immiscible fluid is selected from the group consisting of silicones, substituted silicones, siloxanes, polysiloxanes, substituted siloxanes or polysiloxanes and mixtures thereof.5. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the water immiscible fluid is selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers and mixtures thereof.6. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the water immiscible fluid is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes having six or more carbon atoms and mixtures thereof.7. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, wherein the water immiscible fluid has a freezing temperature equal to or less than minus ten degrees Celsius and has a surface tension of less than or equal to 35 dynes/cm.8. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1 further comprising a two-component coolant mixing system, including:a. a coolant diversion valve (70) for selectively directing none, all or a portion of the two component mixed coolant to flow from the coolant loop (42) to the accumulator (66) means;b. a water immiscible fluid feed valve (72) secured in fluid communication between the coolant loop (42) and the accumulator (66) means for selectively directing flow of the water immiscible fluid from the accumulator (66) means into the coolant loop (42);c. a suction generating means (74) secured in fluid communication between the coolant loop (42) and the accumulator (66) means for applying a suction force to the accumulator (66) means for withdrawing the water component of the two-component fluid from the accumulator (66) means into the coolant loop (42); and,d. a mixer (76) secured in fluid communication with the coolant loop (42) for mixing the water component with the water immiscible fluid within the coolant loop (42).9. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 8, further comprising a mixing system by-pass valve (73) secured in fluid communication with the coolant passage (68) that selectively directs the coolant from the coolant passage (68) into the accumulator (66) by-passing the mixing system (69).10. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, further comprising:a. a plurality of fuel cells (104A, 104B, 104C, 104D) cooperatively disposed in a fuel cell stack assembly (102);b. a plurality of porous water transport plates (106A, 106B, 106C, 106D) secured in heat and mass exchange relationship with the fuel cells (104A, 104B, 104C, 104D) within the cell stack assembly (102);c. a high-volume coolant inlet manifold (108) defined within the cell stack assembly (102) for directing flow of the two-component mixed coolant through the plurality of water transport plates (106A, 106B, 106C, 106D) into a coolant exhaust passage (48) of the coolant loop (42);d. a coolant by-pass line (112) secured between the high-volume coolant inlet manifold (108) and the coolant exhaust passage (48); and,e. wherein the high-volume coolant inlet manifold (108) is dimensioned to receive and direct to the coolant by-pass line (112) a coolant flow rate that is at least five times a coolant flow rate of coolant flowing through the plurality of water transport plates (106A, 106B, 106C, 106D) from the high volume coolant inlet manifold (108) to the coolant exhaust passage (48) to enhance mixing of the two-component mixed coolant flowing through the cell stack assembly (102).11. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant of claim 1, further comprising an antifreeze coolant loop (54) for circulating an antifreeze coolant through an antifreeze coolant passage (56), an antifreeze coolant pump (58), the coolant heat exchanger (52), and an antifreeze coolant radiator (60), for removing heat from the coolant heat exchanger (52) and the antifreeze coolant.12. The freeze tolerant fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, further comprising a heat-exchange by-pass valve (88) secured in fluid communication with the coolant passage (68) and with a heat-exchange by-pass line (90) for selectively directing the coolant to by-pass the heat exchanger (52) and flow back into the coolant passage (68).
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (5)
Breault Richard D. ; Condit David A. ; Grasso Albert P. ; Gorman Michael E., Direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell.
Campbell, Levi A.; Chu, Richard C.; David, Milnes P.; Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Simons, Robert E.; Singh, Prabjit; Zhang, Jing, Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection.
Campbell, Levi A.; Chu, Richard C.; Ellsworth, Michael J.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Schmidt, Roger R.; Simons, Robert E., Multi-fluid cooling system and method with freeze protection for cooling an electronic device.
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