Method and system for cooling charge air for a fuel cell, and three-fluid charge air cooler
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/04
F28D-009/00
H01M-008/02
출원번호
US-0777626
(2013-02-26)
등록번호
US-9343755
(2016-05-17)
발명자
/ 주소
Vanderwees, Doug
Shore, Colin A.
출원인 / 주소
Dana Canada Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Marshall & Melhorn, LLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
14
초록▼
A method and system for cooling a pressurized charge air in the fuel cell system of a vehicle, using first and second charge air coolers. The system further includes a gas-to-gas humidifier and a fuel cell stack. According to the method and system, cathode exhaust gas passes through the gas-to-gas h
A method and system for cooling a pressurized charge air in the fuel cell system of a vehicle, using first and second charge air coolers. The system further includes a gas-to-gas humidifier and a fuel cell stack. According to the method and system, cathode exhaust gas passes through the gas-to-gas humidifier and is also used as the coolant gas in the first charge-air cooler. Therefore, the fuel cell cathode exhaust is heated and reduced in water content, reducing the tendency of water in the exhaust to condense and pool underneath the vehicle. Also provided is a three-fluid heat exchanger which integrates the first and second charge air coolers.
대표청구항▼
1. A three-fluid charge air cooler comprising a plurality of plates arranged in a plate stack having a first end and a second end and a length extending from the first end to the second end, the plate stack being divided along its length into a first portion and a second portion, the charge air cool
1. A three-fluid charge air cooler comprising a plurality of plates arranged in a plate stack having a first end and a second end and a length extending from the first end to the second end, the plate stack being divided along its length into a first portion and a second portion, the charge air cooler having a plurality of charge air flow passages alternating throughout the stack with a plurality of first coolant flow passages and with a plurality of second coolant flow passages, wherein the three-fluid charge air cooler further comprises: a plurality of ribs dividing the first portion of the plate stack from the second portion of the plate stack, wherein each of the ribs is formed in one of the plates of the plate stack and extends transversely across said plate to separate one of the first coolant flow passages from one of the second coolant flow passages, and such that the plurality of ribs separates the plurality of first coolant flow passages from the plurality of second coolant flow passages;a charge air inlet manifold and a charge air outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of charge air flow passages, wherein the charge air inlet manifold and the charge air outlet manifold are located proximate to opposite ends of the plate stack;a first coolant inlet manifold and a first coolant outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of said first coolant flow passages, wherein the first coolant flow passages extend along the second portion of the plate stack, wherein, the first coolant inlet manifold is located at the second end of the plate stack, and the first coolant outlet manifold is located in the second portion of the plate stack, proximate to said ribs;a second coolant inlet manifold and a second coolant outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of said second coolant flow passages, wherein the second coolant flow passages extend along the first portion of the plate stack, and wherein the second coolant inlet manifold is located in the first portion of the plate stack, proximate to said ribs, and the second coolant outlet manifold is located at the first end of the plate stack;wherein the first coolant is a liquid coolant and the second coolant is a gaseous coolant;wherein the plurality of plates comprises a plurality of first core plates and a plurality of second core plates;wherein the charge air inlet manifold is made up of aligned charge air inlet openings of the first and second core plates, and the charge air outlet manifold is made up of aligned charge air outlet openings of the first and second core plates;wherein each of the first core plates has a plate bottom which is co-planar with the charge air inlet opening and the charge air outlet opening of the first core plate, such that each of the charge air flow passages is defined by a space between a top face of one of the first core plates and a bottom face of an upwardly adjacent one of the second core plates;wherein each of the first coolant flow passages and each of the second coolant flow passages is defined between a bottom face of one of the first core plates and a top face of a downwardly adjacent one of the second core plates;wherein each of the first core plates has a first peripheral sealing rib extending upwardly from its top face and each of the second core plates has a first peripheral sealing rib extending downwardly from its bottom face, with the first peripheral sealing rib of each said first core plate being directly joined to the first peripheral sealing rib of the upwardly adjacent one of the second core plates, wherein the first peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates seal edges of the charge air flow passages;wherein each of the first core plates has a second peripheral sealing rib extending downwardly from its bottom face and each of the second core plates has a second peripheral sealing rib extending upwardly from its top face, with the second peripheral sealing rib of each said first core plate being directly joined to the second peripheral sealing rib of the downwardly adjacent one of the second core plates, wherein the second peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates seal edges of the first and second coolant flow passages; andwherein the first and second peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates are adjacent to one another. 2. The three-fluid charge air cooler of claim 1, wherein the charge air inlet manifold is located at the first end of the plate stack and the charge air outlet manifold is located at the second end of the plate stack. 3. The three-fluid charge air cooler of claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet manifolds for the charge air, the first coolant and the second coolant are integrally formed with and enclosed by the plate stack. 4. The three-fluid charge air cooler of claim 3, wherein the charge air flow passages extend along the entire length of the plate stack. 5. A system for producing a pressurized cathode air stream for use in a fuel cell, comprising: (a) a first charge air cooler comprising a gas-to-gas charge air cooler for cooling said pressurized cathode air stream from a first temperature (T1) to a third temperature (T3) with a gaseous coolant having a second temperature (T2) at an inlet of the first charge air cooler;(b) a second charge air cooler comprising a liquid-to-gas charge air cooler for cooling said pressurized cathode air stream from said third temperature (T3) to a fifth temperature (T5) with a liquid coolant having a fourth temperature (T4) at a coolant inlet of said second charge air cooler;(c) a gas-to-gas humidifier for increasing a water content of the pressurized cathode air stream by transfer of water from a humidifying gas; and(d) a fuel cell stack having a cathode air inlet and a cathode exhaust gas outlet;wherein the humidifying gas comprises a cathode exhaust gas stream from the cathode exhaust gas outlet of the fuel cell stack;the gaseous coolant of the first charge air cooler comprises the cathode exhaust gas stream;the first charge air cooler is arranged to receive the cathode exhaust gas stream from the humidifier and the humidifier is arranged to receive the cathode exhaust gas stream from the cathode exhaust gas outlet of the fuel cell stack;wherein the first charge air cooler and the second charge air cooler are integrated into a three-fluid charge air cooler comprising a plurality of charge air flow passages for said pressurized cathode air stream, a plurality of first coolant flow passages for said liquid coolant, and a plurality of second coolant flow passages for said gaseous coolant;wherein the three-fluid charge air cooler further comprises:a plurality of plates arranged in a plate stack having a first end and a second end and a length extending from the first end to the second end, the plate stack being divided along its length into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the charge air flow passages alternate throughout the stack with the plurality of first coolant flow passages and the plurality of second coolant flow passages;a plurality of ribs dividing the first portion of the plate stack from the second portion of the plate stack, wherein each of the ribs is formed in one of the plates of the plate stack and extends transversely across said plate to separate one of the first coolant flow passages from one of the second coolant flow passages, and such that the plurality of ribs separates the plurality of first coolant flow passages from the plurality of second coolant flow passages;a charge air inlet manifold and a charge air outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of charge air flow passages, wherein the charge air inlet manifold and the charge air outlet manifold are located proximate to opposite ends of the plate stack;a first coolant inlet manifold and a first coolant outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of said first coolant flow passages, wherein the first coolant flow passages extend along the second portion of the plate stack, wherein, the first coolant inlet manifold is located at the second end of the plate stack, and the first coolant outlet manifold is located in the second portion of the plate stack, proximate to said ribs; anda second coolant inlet manifold and a second coolant outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of said second coolant flow passages, wherein the second coolant flow passages extend along the first portion of the plate stack, and wherein the second coolant inlet manifold is located in the first portion of the plate stack, proximate to said ribs, and the second coolant outlet manifold is located at the first end of the plate stack;wherein the plurality of plates comprises a plurality of first core plates and a plurality of second core plates;wherein the charge air inlet manifold is made up of aligned charge air inlet openings of the first and second core plates, and the charge air outlet manifold is made up of aligned charge air outlet openings of the first and second core plates;wherein each of the first core plates has a plate bottom which is co-planar with the charge air inlet opening and the charge air outlet opening of the first core plate, such that each of the charge air flow passages is defined by a space between a top face of one of the first core plates and a bottom face of an upwardly adjacent one of the second core plates;wherein each of the first coolant flow passages and each of the second coolant flow passages is defined between a bottom face of one of the first core plates and a top face of a downwardly adjacent one of the second core plates;wherein each of the first core plates has a first peripheral sealing rib extending upwardly from its top face and each of the second core plates has a first peripheral sealing rib extending downwardly from its bottom face, with the first peripheral sealing rib of each said first core plate being directly joined to the first peripheral sealing rib of the upwardly adjacent one of the second core plates, wherein the first peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates seal edges of the charge air flow passages;wherein each of the first core plates has a second peripheral sealing rib extending downwardly from its bottom face and each of the second core plates has a second peripheral sealing rib extending upwardly from its top face, with the second peripheral sealing rib of each said first core plate being directly joined to the second peripheral sealing rib of the downwardly adjacent one of the second core plates, wherein the second peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates seal edges of the first and second coolant flow passages; andwherein the first and second peripheral sealing ribs of the first and second core plates are adjacent to one another. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first charge air cooler and the second charge air cooler are arranged sequentially such that the second charge air cooler receives said pressurized cathode air stream at said third temperature (T3) from said first charge air cooler. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the cathode air inlet receives said pressurized cathode air stream from said gas-to-gas humidifier. 8. The system of claim 5, further comprising a compressor which receives air at ambient temperature and pressure and compresses said ambient air to produce said pressurized cathode air stream at said first temperature (T1), and wherein the first charge air cooler receives the pressurized cathode air stream from the compressor. 9. The system of claim 5, wherein the gas-to-gas humidifier is a membrane humidifier. 10. The system of claim 5, wherein the liquid coolant circulates through a cooling circuit which also includes the fuel cell stack, and wherein the cooling circuit includes a variable speed pump which controls a flow of the liquid coolant through the fuel cell stack and the second charge air cooler. 11. The system of claim 5, wherein the charge air inlet manifold is located at the first end of the plate stack and the charge air outlet manifold is located at the second end of the plate stack. 12. The system of claim 5, wherein the inlet and outlet manifolds for the charge air, the gaseous coolant and the liquid coolant are integrally formed with and enclosed by the plate stack. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the charge air flow passages extend along the entire length of the plate stack. 14. The system of claim 5, wherein the edges of the charge air flow passages have bypass channels, each of the bypass channels being defined by one pair of said first and second peripheral sealing ribs, and extending along the top face of one of the first core plates or the bottom face of one of the second core plates between the charge air inlet and outlet manifolds; and wherein the three-fluid heat exchanger further comprises one or more blocking ribs, each of the blocking ribs being located in one of the charge air flow passages and partly or completely blocking one of the bypass channels. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the blocking ribs is formed by local deformation of one of the core plates. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein each said local deformation comprises deformation of an edge of the plate bottom outwardly toward the first sealing rib. 17. A method for cooling a pressurized cathode air stream, wherein the method comprises: (a) providing the system for producing a pressurized cathode air stream according to claim 8;(b) providing said pressurized cathode air stream having said first temperature (T1);(c) passing said pressurized cathode air stream through said first charge air cooler in heat exchange with said cathode exhaust gas stream from said fuel cell stack, wherein said cathode exhaust gas stream has said second temperature (T2) at said inlet of said first charge air cooler and said pressurized cathode air stream is cooled to said third temperature (T3) at an outlet of said first charge air cooler;(d) passing said pressurized cathode air stream through said second charge air cooler in heat exchange with a liquid coolant having said fourth temperature (T4) at said coolant inlet of said second charge air cooler, wherein said pressurized cathode air stream is cooled to said fifth temperature (T5) at an outlet of said second charge air cooler;(e) passing said pressurized cathode air stream and said cathode exhaust stream through said gas-to-gas humidifier, wherein water vapour is transferred from the cathode exhaust stream to the pressurized cathode air stream in said humidifier; and(f) passing said pressurized cathode air stream to said cathode air inlet of said fuel cell stack;wherein said cathode exhaust stream passes through said gas-to-gas humidifier before passing through said first charge air cooler; and wherein said pressurized cathode air stream passes through said humidifier after it passes through said second charge air cooler and before it enters the cathode air inlet of said fuel cell stack. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein T2
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (14)
Levy William,FRX ; Sabin Dominique,FRX, Apparatus for exchanging heat between at least three fluids.
Melby, Robert M.; Braun, Jason J.; Reiss, Thomas J.; Janke, David E., Multi-passing liquid cooled charge air cooler with coolant bypass ports for improved flow distribution.
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