IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0535733
(2012-06-28)
|
등록번호 |
US-8846261
(2014-09-30)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Schrooten, Jeremy
- Iaconis, Jean-Louis
- Sobejko, Paul
- Tam, Benjamin
- McLean, Gerard F
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
Methods, articles, and systems for controlling the internal operating temperature of fuel cell systems, such as planar fuel cell arrays. The heat management system conducts heat away from the fuel cell without disturbing the flow of gases around the fuel cell layer and without the need for the equip
Methods, articles, and systems for controlling the internal operating temperature of fuel cell systems, such as planar fuel cell arrays. The heat management system conducts heat away from the fuel cell without disturbing the flow of gases around the fuel cell layer and without the need for the equipment to disturb the flow of gases around the fuel cell layer. The present invention also provides a heat transfer system that has a low thermal mass relative to the fuel cell layer or is thermally isolated from the fuel cell layer such that the heat transfer system will not remove substantial amounts of heat from a fuel cell layer during star-up and can be activated to dissipate heat from the fuel cell only as needed.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of controlling the operating temperature of a fuel cell system, the method comprising: providing a fuel cell system that includes a planar fuel cell array,a heat transport structure in direct thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,a heat dissipation device in direct therma
1. A method of controlling the operating temperature of a fuel cell system, the method comprising: providing a fuel cell system that includes a planar fuel cell array,a heat transport structure in direct thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,a heat dissipation device in direct thermal communication with the heat transport structure and indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,an insulation layer disposed between the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array, anda heat removal device in indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array and the heat transport structure and configured to remove heat from the heat dissipation device;contacting the planar fuel cell array with a fuel to produce heat and electricity until the planar fuel cell array reaches a desired operating temperature, wherein the heat removal device is not activated while the planar fuel cell array is below the desired operating temperature; andremoving the heat from the heat dissipation device by activating the heat removal device if the planar fuel cell array exceeds the desired operating temperature. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow of reactants and fuel cell reaction products are not altered by the operating of the heat transport structure, the heat dissipation device, or the heat removal device. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the system is devoid of fans that modify the airflow over a cathode surface of the planar fuel cell array. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat removal device includes a Peltier cooler. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat transport structure contacts a lateral side of a cathode layer of the planar fuel cell array and a lateral side of an anode layer of the planar fuel cell array and wherein heat is conducted from the lateral side of the cathode layer and from the lateral side of the anode layer. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation device is a heat sink. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat removal device is a fan and the insulation layer thermally isolates the heat dissipation device from direct transfer of heat from the planar fuel cell array. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat removal device is a solid state heat transfer device. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat removal device is a cooling system that includes a heat transfer fluid that is not air. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the insulation layer is disposed on major planes of both the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell system further includes a hydrogen distribution manifold disposed on an anode side of the planar fuel cell array and wherein the hydrogen distribution manifold and the heat dissipation device are both in contact with the insulation layer and disposed on opposite sides of the insulation layer. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer is less than 1 millimeter thick. 13. The method of claim 1, further including monitoring the operating temperature of the planar fuel cell array. 14. The method of claim 13, further including adjusting the rate at which the heat is removed from the heat dissipation device based upon the operating temperature of the planar fuel cell array. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell system is contained within a hand-held electronics device. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the planar fuel cell array has a power to weight ratio of 2 Watts per gram or less. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer has a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or less. 18. A method of producing power, the method comprising: providing a fuel cell system that includes a planar fuel cell array,a heat transport structure in direct thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,a heat dissipation device in direct thermal communication with the heat transport structure and indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array, anda heat removal device in indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array and the heat transport structure and configured to remove heat from the heat dissipation device, wherein the fuel cell system is at an initial temperature of 5° C. or less;contacting the planar fuel cell array with a fuel to produce heat and electricity until the planar fuel cell array reaches a desired operating temperature, wherein the desired operating temperature is greater than 45° C. and the heat removal device is not activated while the planar fuel cell array is below the desired operating temperature; andremoving the heat from the heat dissipation device by activating the heat removal device if the planar fuel cell array exceeds the desired. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fuel cell system further includes an insulation layer disposed between the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array, wherein the insulation layer is disposed on major planes of both the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array and thermally isolates the heat dissipation device from direct transfer of heat from the planar fuel cell array and wherein the insulation layer is less than 1 millimeter thick and has a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or less. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the heat transport structure contacts a lateral side of a cathode layer of the planar fuel cell array and a lateral side of an anode layer of the planar fuel cell array and wherein heat is conducted from the lateral side of the cathode layer and from the lateral side of the anode layer. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the heat dissipation device and the heat transport structure have a combined thermal mass that is no more than 200% larger than a total thermal mass of the planar fuel cell array. 22. A method of controlling the operating temperature of a fuel cell system, the method comprising: providing a fuel cell system that includes a planar fuel cell array that includes a cathode layer and an anode layer,a heat transport structure in direct thermal communication with a lateral side of the cathode layer and a lateral side of the anode layer,a heat dissipation device in direct thermal communication with the heat transport structure and indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,a heat removal device in indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array and the heat transport structure and configured to remove heat from the heat dissipation device, andan insulation layer disposed between the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array, wherein the insulation layer is disposed on major planes of both the heat dissipation device and the planar fuel cell array and thermally isolates the heat dissipation device from direct transfer of heat from the planar fuel cell array and wherein the insulation layer is less than 1 millimeter thick and has a thermal conductivity of 10 W/mK or less;contacting the planar fuel cell array with a fuel to produce heat and electricity until the planar fuel cell array reaches a desired operating temperature, wherein the heat removal device is not activated while the planar fuel cell array is below the desired operating temperature; andremoving the heat from the heat dissipation device by activating the heat removal device if the planar fuel cell array exceeds the desired operating temperature and wherein heat is conducted to the heat transport structure from the lateral side of the cathode layer and from the lateral side of the anode layer. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the heat dissipation device and the heat transport structure have a combined thermal mass that is no more than 200% larger than a total thermal mass of the planar fuel cell array. 24. A method of controlling the operating temperature of a fuel cell system, the method comprising: providing a fuel cell system that includes a planar fuel cell array,a heat transport structure in direct thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array,a heat dissipation device in direct thermal communication with the heat transport structure and indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array, wherein the heat dissipation device and the heat transport structure have a combined thermal mass that is no more than 200% larger than a total thermal mass of the planar fuel cell array, anda heat removal device in indirect thermal communication with the planar fuel cell array and the heat transport structure and configured to remove heat from the heat dissipation device;contacting the planar fuel cell array with a fuel to produce heat and electricity until the planar fuel cell array reaches a desired operating temperature, wherein the heat removal device is not activated while the planar fuel cell array is below the desired operating temperature; andremoving the heat from the heat dissipation device by activating the heat removal device if the planar fuel cell array exceeds the desired operating temperature.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.