Fuel cell system using evaporative cooling method
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/02
H01M-008/04
출원번호
US-0286881
(2008-10-01)
등록번호
US-8216736
(2012-07-10)
우선권정보
KR-10-2008-0016618 (2008-02-25)
발명자
/ 주소
Kwon, Hyuck Roul
출원인 / 주소
Hyundai Motor Company
대리인 / 주소
Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
4
초록▼
The present invention provides a fuel cell system using evaporative cooling that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant. The system includes a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen cha
The present invention provides a fuel cell system using evaporative cooling that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant. The system includes a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen channel, an air inlet line connected to an inlet side of the cooling channel of the fuel cell stack, a water injection means provided at the inlet side of the cooling channel to inject water into air introduced to the cooling channel through the air inlet line, and an air compression means provided at the rear of the fuel cell stack and connected to a discharge line coupled to an outlet side of the cooling channel to provide a suction force to the cooling channel and to compress a mixture of air and water vapor sucked from the cooling channel. The present system provides advantages in that the configuration of the fuel cell system is simplified, lightweight, and downsized, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.
대표청구항▼
1. A fuel cell system using evaporative cooling that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant, the system comprising: a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen channel;an air inlet line co
1. A fuel cell system using evaporative cooling that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant, the system comprising: a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen channel;an air inlet line connected to an inlet side of the cooling channel of the fuel cell stack;a water injection means provided at the inlet side of the cooling channel to inject water into air introduced to the cooling channel through the air inlet line;an air outlet line connected to an outlet side of the cooling channel;an air compression means disposed within the air outlet line to receive a mixture of air and water vapor discharged from the cooling channel of the fuel cell stack and to provide a suction force to the cooling channel and to control a negative pressure in the cooling channel to compress the mixture of air and water vapor sucked from the cooling channel;a heat dissipation unit connected to the air compression means to receive the mixture of air and water vapor compressed by the air compression means to cool and humidify the air and water vapor before reintroducing the air and water vapor to an inlet of an air channel in the fuel cell stack;an air supply line disposed between and directly connecting an outlet side of the heat dissipation means and the inlet of the air channel of a cathode of the fuel cell stack to supply the compressed and humidified air and water vapor discharged from the heat dissipation means to the inlet of the air channel of the fuel stack to be used as an oxidant for a fuel cell reaction, andwherein water is evaporated while air and water pass through the cooling channel in a state where an internal pressure of the cooling channel is maintained at the negative pressure by the suction force of the air compression means to increase the absolute humidity of the air in the cooling channel and, at the same time, heat generated from the fuel cell stack is absorbed by latent heat of evaporation, thus cooling the fuel cell stack. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inlet valve provided within the cooling air inlet line to adjust the internal pressure of the cooling channel. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a water reservoir provided at the outlet side of the heat dissipation unit and storing condensed water discharged from the heat dissipation unit, wherein water stored in the water reservoir is supplied to the water injection means through a water supply line to be reused as water to be injected into air in the cooling air inlet line. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a condenser provided at the rear of the fuel cell stack and connected to a discharge line coupled to an outlet side of the air channel to condense and separate water vapor from exhaust gas; andan outlet valve provided on the discharge line to adjust the amount of water collected by the condenser and the internal pressure of the air channel. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the condenser is connected to the water reservoir through a water collection line such that the condensed water is collected into the water reservoir. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a bypass line, branched off from the discharge line in front of the heat dissipation unit and connected to the air supply line, for bypassing air and water vapor discharged from the air compression means; anda valve provided at a position where the bypass line is branched off from the discharge line for adjusting the amount of bypassed air and water vapor. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation unit is a radiator in a fuel cell vehicle. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation unit is a heat exchanger that uses air and water vapor discharged from the air compression means as a heat medium of a high temperature portion thereof and supplies hot water, passing through a low temperature portion thereof and heat-exchanged with the heat medium of the high temperature portion, through a pipe as hot water for heating. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the cooling channel is subjected to a hydrophilic coating process. 10. A method of cooling a fuel cell system that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant and includes a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen channel, the method comprising: driving an air compression means disposed within the cooling air outlet line to directly receive a mixture of air and water vapor discharged from the cooling line of the fuel cell stack and to suck air through an air inlet line connected to an inlet side of the cooling channel and to control a negative pressure in the cooling channel; andinjecting, by a water injection means provided at the inlet side of the cooling channel, water into air sucked into the cooling channel through the air inlet line, so that water is evaporated while air and water pass through the cooling channel when an internal pressure of the cooling channel is maintained at the negative pressure by the suction force of the air compression means to increase the absolute humidity of the air in the cooling channel and, at the same time, heat generated from the fuel cell stack is absorbed by latent heat of evaporation, thus cooling the fuel cell stack;receiving, by a heat dissipation unit, a compressed mixture of air and water vapor directly from the air compression means and cooling and humidifying the compressed air and water vapor before reintroducing the air and water vapor to an inlet of an air channel in the fuel cell stack, wherein an air supply line is disposed at an outlet side of the heat dissipation unit and connected to an air channel of the fuel cell stack; andsupplying compressed and humidified air containing water vapor discharged from the heat dissipation unit directly to the air channel of a cathode of the fuel stack through an outlet of an air supply line, the supplied compressed and humidified air and water vapor used as an oxidant for a fuel cell reaction. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a water reservoir, provided at the outlet side of the heat dissipation unit, for storing condensed water discharged from the heat dissipation unit and supplying the stored water to the water injection means, and wherein the method further comprises supplying the water of the water reservoir to the water injection means to be reused as water to be injected into air. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a condenser, provided at the rear of the fuel cell stack and connected to a discharge line coupled to an outlet side of the air channel, for condensing and separating water vapor from exhaust gas, and an outlet valve provided on the discharge line, and wherein the method further comprises controlling an opening degree of the outlet valve to adjust the amount of water collected by the condenser and the internal pressure of the air channel. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the condenser is connected to the water reservoir through a water collection line such that the condensed water is collected into the water reservoir. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises an inlet valve provided on the air inlet line, and wherein the method further comprises controlling an opening degree of the inlet valve to adjust the internal pressure of the cooling channel. 15. A fuel cell system using evaporative cooling that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen as a fuel and air as an oxidant, the system comprising: a fuel cell stack including a cooling channel provided on a bipolar plate separately from an air channel and a hydrogen channel;an air inlet line connected to an inlet side of the cooling channel of the fuel cell stack;a water injection means provided at the inlet side of the cooling channel to inject water into air introduced to the cooling channel through the air inlet line;an air outlet line connected to an outlet side of the cooling channel;an air compression means disposed within the air outlet line to receive a mixture of air and water vapor discharged from the cooling channel of the fuel cell stack and to provide a suction force to the cooling channel and to control a negative pressure in the cooling channel to compress the mixture of air and water vapor sucked from the cooling channel;a heat dissipation unit connected to the air compression means and receiving the mixture of air and water vapor compressed by the air compression means and cooling and humidifying the same;an air supply line disposed between and directly connecting an outlet side of the heat dissipation means and the inlet of the air channel of the fuel cell stack to supply the compressed and humidified air and water vapor discharged from the heat dissipation means to the inlet of the air channel of a cathode of the fuel stack to be used as an oxidant for a fuel cell reaction;a water reservoir provided at the outlet side of the heat dissipation unit and storing condensed water discharged from the heat dissipation unit, wherein water stored in the water reservoir is supplied to the water injection means through a water supply line to be reused as water to be injected into air,a condenser provided at the rear of the fuel cell stack and connected to a discharge line coupled to an outlet side of the air channel to condense and separate water vapor from exhaust gas, wherein the condenser is connected to the water reservoir through a water collection line such that the condensed water is collected into the water reservoir;an outlet valve provided on the discharge line to adjust the amount of water collected by the condenser and the internal pressure of the air channel;a bypass line, branched off from the discharge line in front of the heat dissipation unit and connected to the air supply line, for bypassing air and water vapor discharged from the air compression means; anda valve provided at a position where the bypass line is branched off from the discharge line for adjusting the amount of bypassed air and water vapor,wherein humidified air containing water vapor discharged from the heat dissipation unit is supplied to the air channel of the fuel stack through the air supply line to be used as an oxidant for a fuel cell reaction, andwherein water is evaporated while air and water pass through the cooling channel in a state where an internal pressure of the cooling channel is maintained at the negative pressure by the suction force of the air compression means to increase the absolute humidity of the air in the cooling channel and, at the same time, heat generated from the fuel cell stack is absorbed by latent heat of evaporation, thus cooling the fuel cell stack. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the heat dissipation unit is a radiator in a fuel cell vehicle.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
Albert P. Grasso ; Richard D. Breault ; Leslie L. Van Dine, Coolant treatment system for a direct antifreeze cooled fuel cell assembly.
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