Flow shifting coolant during freeze start-up to promote stack durability and fast start-up
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-002/00
H01M-008/00
출원번호
UP-0460367
(2006-07-27)
등록번호
US-7749632
(2010-07-26)
발명자
/ 주소
Zhang, Yan
Fagley, John C.
출원인 / 주소
GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Miller, John A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
22
초록▼
An auxiliary coolant system, for a fuel cell stack system, includes a reversible coolant pump, a control valve, and plumbing lines. The pump enables the reversal of the coolant flow direction in the fuel cell stack system. The auxiliary coolant system is in parallel with the primary coolant system,
An auxiliary coolant system, for a fuel cell stack system, includes a reversible coolant pump, a control valve, and plumbing lines. The pump enables the reversal of the coolant flow direction in the fuel cell stack system. The auxiliary coolant system is in parallel with the primary coolant system, and communicates with the primary coolant system via valves. During start-up, when coolant flow is from right-to-left through the fuel cell stack system, one valve of the primary coolant system will be partly open and control the amount of cold coolant make-up from the primary coolant system to the fuel cell stack while the valve of the auxiliary coolant system will be controlling the temperature differential between the inlet and outlet of the stack.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell system, said system comprising: a fuel cell stack system including a fuel cell stack; a primary coolant system including a primary coolant loop in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack system, wherein the primary coolant system is operable to introduce a co
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell system, said system comprising: a fuel cell stack system including a fuel cell stack; a primary coolant system including a primary coolant loop in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack system, wherein the primary coolant system is operable to introduce a cold coolant into the fuel cell stack system in a first direction during start-up of the fuel cell system; and an auxiliary coolant system including an auxiliary coolant loop in fluid communication with the primary coolant system, said auxiliary coolant loop being shorter than the primary coolant loop so that the auxiliary coolant loop has less volume of cooling fluid than the primary coolant loop, wherein the auxiliary coolant system is selectively operable to reverse the flow of coolant into the fuel cell stack system in a second direction during start-up of the fuel cell system so as to rapidly and uniformly heat the fuel cell stack. 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the primary coolant system includes a valve member selectively operable to control the amount of cold coolant flow into the fuel cell stack system in a first direction during start-up of the fuel cell system. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary coolant system includes a reversible coolant pump. 4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein the reversible coolant pump is operable to allow the flow of the coolant into the fuel cell stack system to be reversed in a second direction during start-up of the fuel cell system. 5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the reversible coolant pump has variable speed and the reversible coolant pump can control the temperature differential between a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack. 6. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein a flow shifting cycle time of the fuel cell stack system is determined by the heat-up requirement of the fuel cell stack, wherein the flow shifting cycle time is determined based on the fuel cell stack coolant inlet and coolant outlet temperature upon start-up of the fuel cell system, and coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop, wherein the coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop is determined based on the fuel cell stack and the auxiliary coolant system design parameters. 7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein a short flow shifting cycle is operable to allow the fuel cell stack system to warm up such that the temperature across the stack is substantially evenly distributed. 8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7, wherein the short flow shifting cycle can be further achieved through coolant volume reduction in a header area of the fuel cell stack system by filing the header area with a low pressure drop media, a low thermal mass porous media, or a combination thereof, or coolant volume reduction in an active area of the fuel cell stack of the fuel cell stack system by using stamped metal plates. 9. The fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary coolant system includes a valve member selectively operable to control the temperature differential between a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack system. 10. The fuel cell system according to claim 9, wherein the valve member is a control valve, and further wherein the control valve position is feedback controlled by the temperature differential between a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack system. 11. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a by-pass conduit selectively operable to permit coolant to bypass a radiator during start-up of the fuel cell system. 12. A fuel cell system, said system comprising: a fuel cell stack system including a fuel cell stack; a primary coolant system including a primary coolant loop in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack system, wherein the primary coolant system is operable to introduce a cold coolant into the fuel cell stack system in a first direction during start-up of the fuel cell system, and further wherein the primary coolant system includes a valve member selectively operable to control the amount of cold coolant flow into the fuel cell stack system in a first direction during start-up of the fuel cell system; and an auxiliary coolant system including an auxiliary coolant loop in fluid communication with the primary coolant system, said auxiliary coolant loop being shorter than the primary coolant loop so as to minimize the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop has less volume of cooling fluid than the primary coolant loop, wherein the auxiliary coolant system is selectively operable to reverse the flow of coolant into the fuel cell stack system in a second direction during start-up of the fuel cell system so as to rapidly and uniformly heat the fuel cell stack. 13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein the auxiliary coolant system includes a reversible coolant pump. 14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein the reversible coolant pump is operable to allow the flow of the coolant into the fuel cell stack system to be reversed in a second direction during start-up of the fuel cell system. 15. The fuel cell system according to claim 14 wherein the reversible coolant pump has variable speed and the reversible coolant pump can control the temperature differential between the inlet and the outlet of the fuel cell stack. 16. The fuel cell system according to claim 14, wherein a flow shifting cycle time of the fuel cell stack system is determined by the heat-up requirement of the fuel cell stack, wherein the heat-up requirement is determined based on fuel cell stack coolant inlet and outlet temperature upon start-up of the fuel cell system, and coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop, wherein the coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop is determined based on the design parameters of the fuel cell stack and the auxiliary coolant system. 17. The fuel cell system according to claim 16, wherein a short flow shifting cycle is operable to allow the fuel cell stack system to warm up such that the temperature across the stack is substantially evenly distributed. 18. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, wherein the short flow shifting cycle can be further achieved through, coolant volume reduction in a header area of the fuel cell stack system by filling the header area with a low pressure drop media, a low mass porous media, or a combination thereof, or coolant volume reduction in an active area of the fuel cell stack of the fuel cell stack system may be achieved by using stamped metal plates. 19. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein the auxiliary coolant system includes a valve member selectively operable to control the temperature differential between a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack system. 20. The fuel cell system according to claim 19, wherein the valve member is a control valve, and further wherein the control valve position is feedback controlled by the temperature difference between the fuel cell stack system's coolant inlet and coolant outlet temperatures. 21. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, further comprising a by-pass conduit selectively operable to permit coolant to bypass a radiator during start-up of the fuel cell system. 22. A fuel cell system, said system comprising: a fuel cell stack system including a fuel cell stack, a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet, and a temperature sensor at each of the coolant inlet and coolant outlet regions; a primary coolant system including a primary coolant loop, a valve member and a radiator, wherein the primary coolant system is in fluid communication with the fuel cell stack system, and further wherein the valve member of the primary coolant system is selectively operable to control the amount of cold coolant flow into the fuel cell stack in a first direction during start-up of the fuel cell system; an auxiliary coolant system including an auxiliary coolant loop, a reversible coolant pump and a valve member, wherein the auxiliary coolant system is in fluid communication with the primary coolant system, said auxiliary coolant loop being shorter than the primary coolant loop so as to minimize the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop has less volume of cooling fluid than the primary coolant loop, and further wherein the reversible coolant pump is selectively operable to reverse the flow of coolant into the fuel cell stack system in a second direction during start-up of the fuel cell system so as to rapidly and uniformly heat the fuel cell stack. 23. The fuel cell system according to claim 22, wherein the reversible coolant pump is a variable speed pump capable of varying speed so as to control the temperature differential between the coolant inlet and coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack. 24. The fuel cell system according to claim 22, wherein a flow shifting cycle time of the fuel cell stack system is determined by the heat-up requirement of the fuel cell stack, wherein the heat-up requirement is determined by the fuel cell stack temperature at start-up, and coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop, wherein the coolant volume of the fuel cell stack system plus the coolant volume in the auxiliary coolant loop is determined based on the design parameters of the stack and the auxiliary coolant system. 25. The fuel cell system according to claim 24, wherein a short flow shifting cycle is operable to allow the fuel cell stack system to warm up such that the temperature across the stack is substantially evenly distributed. 26. The fuel cell system according to claim 25, wherein the short flow shifting cycle can be further achieved through coolant volume reduction in a header area of the fuel cell stack system by filling the header area with low pressure drop media, low thermal mass porous media, or a combination thereof, or coolant volume reduction in an active area of the fuel cell stack of the fuel cell stack system active area by using stamped metal plates. 27. The fuel cell system according to claim 22, wherein the auxiliary coolant system valve member is selectively operable to control the temperature differential between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of the fuel cell stack system. 28. The fuel cell system according to claim 27, wherein the valve member is a control valve, and further wherein the position of the control valve is feedback controlled by the temperature difference between the fuel cell stack system's coolant inlet and coolant outlet temperatures. 29. The fuel cell system according to claim 22, further comprising a by-pass conduit with a by-pass valve therein that is selectively operable to permit coolant to bypass a radiator during start-up.
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