The present invention relates to an injection module for a conveyor assembly of a fuel cell system for conveying and/or recirculating a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen.
Fuel cells are increasingly being used as energy converters, among other things in vehicles, in order to directly convert the chemical energy contained in a fuel, e.g., hydrogen together with oxygen, into electrical energy. Fuel cells typically comprise an anode, a cathode, and an electrolytic membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode. Oxidation of the fuel occurs at the anode, and a reduction of oxygen occurs at the cathode. Water is produced on the cathode side.
Typically, the anode of fuel cells is continuously supplied with gaseous fuel in excess, that is to say, more fuel than is stoichiometrically necessary for a given supply of oxygen to the cathode. The fuel excess is typically recirculated or re-supplied to the anode, in particular an injection module for a conveyor assembly of a fuel cell system.
DE 10 2014 225 274 A1 discloses an injection module for a conveyor assembly of a fuel cell system for conveying and/or recirculating a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, with a dosing valve. The injection module has a communicating opening and/or an inlet opening, by means of which the gaseous medium flows into the injection module. Furthermore, the injection module comprises a small nozzle body having a first drive nozzle and a large nozzle body having a second drive nozzle, by means of which the gaseous medium flows out of the injection module, wherein the small nozzle body is disposed in the large nozzle body and/or the injection module so as to be movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The small nozzle body and the large nozzle body comprise a respective gas flow path III, IV, wherein the gaseous medium can flow either only through the first gas flow path III or through the first gas flow path III and the second gas flow path IV simultaneously, wherein the second gas flow path IV can be opened or closed by a movement of the small nozzle body. Both drive nozzles are also driven by a common dosing valve, wherein the second drive nozzle is connected via a spring-loaded sequence valve formed by the inner nozzle. This assembly helps to achieve a very simple and compact design of a jet pump having two nozzles and common dosing valve.
The injection module for a conveyor assembly known from DE 10 2014 225 274 A1 can have certain disadvantages.
When the dosing valve is opened, a jet pump pressure at the outflow end of the second drive nozzle builds up in the injection module, out of principle. This jet pump pressure of the second drive nozzle acts on the end faces of a small nozzle body, thereby closing the sequence valve again, in particular the gas flow path IV. Therefore, a stable activation function of the second drive nozzle does not result.
According to the invention, an injection module for a conveyor assembly of a fuel cell system for conveying and/or recirculating a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, is proposed. The injection module has a communicating opening and/or an inlet opening, by means of which the gaseous medium flows into the injection module, wherein the injection module has a small nozzle body having a first drive nozzle and a large nozzle body having a second drive nozzle, by means of which the gaseous medium flows out of the injection module. Furthermore, the small nozzle body is disposed movably in the direction of a longitudinal axis in the large nozzle body and/or in the injection module. The small nozzle body and the large nozzle body each have a gas flow path III, IV, wherein the gaseous medium can flow either only through the first gas flow path III or through the first gas flow path III and the second gas flow path IV simultaneously, wherein the second gas flow path IV can be opened or closed by means of a movement of the small nozzle body.
The injection module is configured such that the small nozzle body abuts a stop disc and/or at least indirectly abuts the large nozzle body, and thus forms an opening pressure surface, wherein the opening pressure surface and a closing pressure surface, in particular located at the outflow end of the small nozzle body, are at least almost the same size, wherein the opening pressure surface can be subjected to a dynamic pressure at the inflow end. In this way, the advantage can be achieved that the small nozzle body moves in the direction of the stop disc and/or the large nozzle body not in the direction of the longitudinal axis and abuts the latter, such that the flow connection of the second gas flow path IV closes and thus only the first gas flow path III is perfused by the gaseous medium. When opening the sequence valve by means of movement of the small nozzle body, the jet pump pressure at the outflow end of the second drive nozzle is formed out of principle. Thus, it can be prevented that the jet pump pressure at the outflow end, which in particular acts on the closing pressure surface of the small nozzle body, results in a closing movement of the small nozzle body; rather, a stable function of such a simple construction with a concentric dual nozzle can be achieved, in which a stable, pressure-controlled opening of the sequence valve is achieved and the second gas flow path IV remains stably open even when jet pump pressure is impending, whereby the injection module can reliably deliver the hydrogen required by the operating state of a fuel cell in the required amount. Thus, a stable activation function of the second nozzle is ensured and the efficiency of the entire fuel cell system can be increased via different operating states.
According to one advantageous configuration, the small nozzle body is configured so as to be at least almost cylindrical in the direction of the longitudinal axis. A compact design of the conveyor assembly can thus be achieved.
According to a particularly advantageous development of the injection module, the sum of the end faces at the outflow end and end faces at the inflow end of the small nozzle body, not including the closing pressure surface and the opening pressure surface, are at least almost the same size. In this way, the advantage can be achieved that, upon opening the sequence valve by means of the movement of the small nozzle body and thus the opened second gas flow path IV, said second gas flow path IV can be maintained in a stable state, because the sum of the end faces at the outflow end and at the inflow end is at least almost the same size and thus, in case of an at least approximately identical dynamic pressure and jet pump pressure, a balance of forces is applied to the small nozzle body and it is thus not moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis. This leads to improved efficiency of the injection module and/or the conveyor assembly and/or the overall fuel cell system.
According to an advantageous configuration of the injection module, the small nozzle body has at least one disc-shaped guide element on its surface facing away from the longitudinal axis, by means of which the small nozzle body is guided in the large nozzle body, in particular orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. In this way, on the one hand, a quick and cost-efficient assembly can be realized by allowing the respective small nozzle body to be inserted into the large nozzle body, in particular in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Thus, the overall cost of the injection module can be reduced. On the other hand, a reliable guidance of the small nozzle body in the large nozzle body can be achieved, so that a reliable opening of the sequence valve over the entire service life of the injection module can be achieved. In this way, the reliability of the entire fuel cell system can be increased.
According to a particularly advantageous development of the injection module, the injection module comprises a spring element, wherein the spring element is located in particular in the direction of the longitudinal axis between the large nozzle body and the small nozzle body, and wherein the spring element pushes the small nozzle body against the stop disc and/or indirectly against the large nozzle body by a spring force. In this way, the advantage can be achieved that a return movement of the small nozzle body to a home position is caused by the spring element as soon as the dynamic pressure at the inflow end falls below a certain pressure level, for example in case of a low operating state and/or a low power output of the fuel cell and/or a closed dosing valve, thereby closing the second gas flow path IV. This can conserve the components needed in order to return the small nozzle body to its home position on the stop disc and/or the large nozzle body, thereby reducing the complexity of the injection module and thus reducing manufacturing and assembly costs.
According to a particularly advantageous development, the dynamic pressure in the intermediate space increases continuously when the dosing valve is open, while in particular the jet pump pressure remains at least almost the same at the outflow end of the intermediate space, until a switch pressure level is reached, at which the compressive force exerted on the opening surface exceeds the spring force and moves the small nozzle body away in the direction of the longitudinal axis, in such a way that the valve seat is lifted and a second gas flow path IV opens. In this way, the advantage can be achieved that the small nozzle body is not influenced by the jet pump pressure in a pressure chamber and has a stable opening behavior. The opening function of the sequence valve, in which the second flow path opens for perfusion, is not dependent on the jet pump pressure and/or the dynamic pressure of the second drive nozzle. A stable activation function of the second drive nozzle is thus ensured. Furthermore, a continuous adjustment of the dosing amount for pressure control in the anode system can be enabled.
According to an advantageous configuration of the injection module, the spring force of the spring element, in particular in the case of movement of the small nozzle body, does not extend linearly over the path in the event of compression or decompression of the spring element, but rather that the spring element comprises a spring constant that is progressively variable over the spring travel path. In this way, a travel distance of the small nozzle body can be configured so as to be adjustable depending on the size of the dynamic pressure, so that a maximum opening distance of the small nozzle body is only achieved at the largest possible dynamic pressure. Thus, the injection module can be designed so as to be even more adaptable to the operating conditions, thereby achieving the advantage that the efficiency of the entire conveyor assembly and/or the fuel cell system can be improved.
According to an advantageous development of the injection module, the spring element has a progressively variable spring constant, which is achieved in that the winding diameter of the closing spring is variable and/or in that the closing spring is constructed of at least two spring segments, wherein the spring segments have different spring constants. In this way, the advantage is achieved that a compact design of the injection module can be achieved.
The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein and the aspects highlighted thereby. Rather, within the range specified by the claims, a large number of modifications are possible which lie within the abilities of a person skilled in the art.
The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter in reference to the drawings.
The figures show:
The illustration according to
The jet pump 4 comprises a first infeed 28, a second infeed 36, an intake region 7, the mixing tube 9, and a diffuser region 11. The dosing valve 10 comprises the second infeed 36 and a nozzle 12, 14. The dosing valve 10 is inserted into the jet pump 4, in particular in the direction of a longitudinal axis 52, in particular in an opening in the base body 8 of the jet pump 4. It is also shown in
Furthermore, the conveyor assembly 1 of
According to the present invention, the dosing valve 10 can be configured as a proportional valve 10 in order to enable an improved dosing function and a more precise dosing of the drive medium into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing tube 9. To further improve the flow geometry and efficiency of the conveyor assembly 1, the nozzles 12, 14 and the mixing tube 9 are designed rotationally symmetrically, wherein the nozzle 12, 14 extends coaxially to the mixing tube 9 of the jet pump 4 and can have at least one inner flow opening 20.
Furthermore, it is shown that the injection module 2 comprises a spring element 18, wherein the spring element 18 is located in particular in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52 between the large nozzle body 15 and the small nozzle body 13, and wherein the spring element 18 pushes the small nozzle body 13 against the stop disc 30 and/or indirectly against the large nozzle body 15 by a spring force.
In addition, it is shown in
Furthermore, it is shown in
In
It is further shown in
By means of the inlet opening 3, the gaseous medium can flow from the intermediate space 25 in which the dynamic pressure 44 is present through the inlet opening 3 to the opening pressure surface 22. From there, when the sequence valve is closed, in which case the small nozzle body 13 abuts the stop disc 30 or the large nozzle body 15 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52 and forms the valve seat 17, the gaseous medium flows only through the first gas flow path III and from there through the first drive nozzle 12. In this case, the dynamic pressure 44 in the intermediate space 25 increases continuously when the dosing valve 10 is open, while in particular the jet pump pressure 42 remains at least nearly the same at the outflow end of the intermediate space 25 in the region of the pressure chamber 27, until a switch pressure level is reached, at which the compressive force exerted on the opening surface 22 exceeds the spring force and moves the small nozzle body 13 away in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52, in such a way that the valve seat 17 is lifted and a second gas flow path IV opens.
When the sequence valve is opened, in which case the small nozzle body 13 has moved away from the stop disc 30 or the large nozzle body 15 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52 and thus releases the second gas flow path IV, the gaseous medium flows through the first gas flow path III and the second gas flow path IV. The first gas flow path III opens into the first drive nozzle 12 and the second gas flow path IV opens into the first drive nozzle 12. The first gas flow path III extends through a bore running along the longitudinal axis 52 inside the small nozzle body 13. The second gas flow path IV extends through the annular pressure chamber 27 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52 between the small nozzle body 13 and the large nozzle body 15, wherein the pressure chamber 27 can have a stepped profile.
Furthermore, it is shown in
In the spring element 18 shown in
In
As can further be seen from
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2021 207 270.4 | Jul 2021 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2022/065346 | 6/7/2022 | WO |