Patent Grant
11843142
This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0086397, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 1, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a technology for dealing with a fault in a fuel cell system.
A fuel cell system may generate electric energy by using a fuel cell stack. For example, when hydrogen is used as a fuel of the fuel cell stack, it may be a measure of solving global environmental problems, and thus researches and developments on fuel cell systems have been continuously made. A fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack that generates electrical energy, a fuel supply device that supplies a fuel (hydrogen) to the fuel cell stack, an air supply device that supplies oxygen in air, which is an oxidizer that is necessary for an electric chemical reaction, to the fuel cell stack, and a thermal management system (TMS) that removes reaction heat of the fuel cell stack to the outside, controls an operation temperature of the fuel cell stack, and performs a water management function.
The thermal management system is a kind of a cooling device that circulates an anti-freezing liquid that functions as cooling water in a fuel cell system and maintain the fuel cell stack at a proper temperature (for example, 60 to 70° C.), and may include a TMS line, in which the cooling water circulates, a reservoir in which the cooling water is stored, a pump that circulates the cooling water, and an ion filter that removes ions included in the cooling water, and a radiator that discharges the heat of the cooling water to the outside. Furthermore, the thermal management system may include a heater that heats the cooling water, and an air conditioning system (for example, a heater for heating) that cools and heats an interior of a device (e.g., a vehicle) including the fuel cell system by using the cooling water. The thermal management system may maintain a proper temperature of a power electronic component of the vehicle as well as the fuel cell stack.
The fuel cell system may include a valve to adjust a flow path of the cooling water, and may include a return spring as an internal component of the valve. Because the valve including the return spring is fully opened in a direction of a radiator regardless of an operation of the actuator to compulsorily adjust the flow path, the fuel cell system may secure a cooling degree in a situation in which a function of the valve is problematic.
The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art while advantages achieved by the prior art are maintained intact.
In recently, for small sizes and light weights of the valves, a measure of using a valve, from which the return spring is removed, in a fuel cell system has been discussed. When a function of a valve without any return spring has a defect, a fuel cell system may not secure a necessary cooling degree, and when a cooling degree of the fuel cell system is not secured, a durability of a vehicle, a construction machine, or a flying object including the fuel cell system may be problematic, and moreover, safety of passengers may be threatened.
The technical problems to be solved by the present inventive concept are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a first cooling line having first cooling water that passes via the fuel cell stack and circulates therein, a first radiator disposed on the first cooling line and that cools the first cooling water, an air conditioning system disposed on a first connection line that forms a heating loop with the first cooling line, a first cooling fan that blows exterior air to the first radiator, a first pump disposed on the first cooling line and that pumps the first cooling water, a valve that switches a flow path of the first cooling water to the fuel cell stack or the first radiator, and a controller connected to the first cooling fan, the first pump, and the valve, and the controller is configured to detect a failure of the valve, control an RPM of the first pump and an RPM of the first cooling fan to a maximum level, and control an RPM of a blower of the air conditioning system to a maximum level.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack includes detecting a failure of a valve that switches a flow path of first cooling water to a fuel cell stack or a first radiator depending on an opening degree of the valve, controlling an RPM of a first pump that pumps the first cooling water and an RPM of a first cooling fan that blows exterior air to the first radiator to maximum values, and controlling an RPM of a blower of an air conditioning system that foams a heating loop with the first cooling line, in which the first cooling water flows.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
With regard to description of drawings, the same or similar components may be marked by the same or similar reference numerals.
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives on the various embodiments described herein can be variously made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used herein do not limit the technical features described in the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and should be construed to include various modifications, equivalents, or replacements of the embodiments. With regard to the description of drawings, similar components may be denoted by similar reference numerals. It is to be understood that a singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspects (e.g., an importance or an order). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or “communicatively”, as “coupled with” or “connected with”, it means that the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or via a third element.
The term “module” used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a unit configured in a hardware, software, or firmware way, and for example, may be used interchangeably with the terms such as logic, a logic block, a component, or a circuit. The module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or a part which performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in a form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by software (e.g., a program) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory or an external memory) that may be read by a machine. For example, a device may call, among one or more instructions stored in a storage medium, at least one instruction, and may execute the instruction. This allows at least one function to be performed according to the called at least one instruction. The one or more instructions may include a code that is made by a compiler or a code that may be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium that may be read by a device may be provided in a form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the ‘non-transitory storage medium’ means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), and with regard to the term, a case, in which data are semi-permanently stored in the storage medium, and a case, in which data are temporarily stored in the storage medium, are not distinguished.
According to an embodiment, the methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided to be included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a purchaser. The computer program product may be distributed in a form of a storage medium that may be read by a device (e.g., a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) or may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly or online between two user devices. In the online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a storage medium, such as a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a memory of a relay server, which may be read by a device, or temporarily generated.
According to various embodiments, elements (e.g., modules or programs) of the above-described elements may include one or a plurality of entities, and some of the plurality of entities may be disposed to be separated from the other elements. According to various embodiments, among the above-described elements, one or more elements or operations may be omitted or one or more other elements or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, the plurality of elements (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into one element. In this case, the integrated elements may perform one or more functions of the elements of the plurality of elements in a way that is the same as or similar to the functions performed by the corresponding elements of the plurality of elements before the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by modules, programs, or other elements may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, one or more operations may be executed in another sequence or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.
Referring to
The fuel cell system may include a first connection line 130, a second connection line 150, and a third connection line 140 to form a heating loop (a heating circulation path) with the first cooling line 110 or form a cooling line with the first cooling line 110. The first cooling water may be cooled or heated while circulating in the first connection line 130, the second connection line 150, or the third connection line 140. As an example, the first cooling line 110, as illustrated in
The fuel cell stack 10 (or may be referred to as a ‘fuel cell’) may have a structure, in which electricity may be produced through an oxidation/reduction reaction of a fuel (for example, hydrogen) and an oxidizer (for example, air). As an example, the fuel cell stack 10 may include a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), in which catalyst electrode layers for an electric chemical reaction are attached to opposite sides of a membrane with respect to an electrolyte membrane, through which hydrogen ions travel, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) that uniformly distributes reaction gases and delivers generated electrical energy, a gasket and a coupling mechanism for maintaining an airtightness and a proper coupling pressure of the reaction gases and the first cooling water, and a bipolar plate that causes the reaction gases and the first cooling water to flow.
In the fuel cell stack 10, the hydrogen that is the fuel and the air (oxygen) that is the oxidizer are supplied to an anode and a cathode of the membrane electrode assembly, and the hydrogen may be supplied to the anode and the air may be supplied to the cathode. The hydrogen supplied to the anode is decomposed into protons and electrons by a catalyst of the electrode layers provided on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane, and among them, only the hydrogen ions may be delivered to the cathode after selectively passing through the electrolyte membrane that is a cation exchange membrane, and the electrons may be delivered to the cathode through the gas diffusion layer and the bipolar plate. In the cathode, the hydrogen ions supplied through the electrolyte membrane and the electrons delivered through the bipolar plate may meet oxygen in the air supplied to the cathode by an air supply device and may generate a reaction of generating water. Then, the electrons may flow through an external wire due to the flows of the hydrogen ions, and electric currents may be generated due to the flows of the electrons.
The first valve 20 may switch a flow path of the first cooling water to the first connection line 130, in which a heater is disposed, or the fuel cell stack 10 on the first cooling line 110. For example, the first valve 20 may be connected to one end of the first pump 30, one end of the first connection line 130, and one end of the fuel cell stack 10 on the first cooling line 20. The first valve 20 may include various valve means that may selectively switch the flow path of the first cooling water. As an example, the first valve 20 may be a 3-way valve. In this case, the first valve 20 may include a first port 21 connected to the first cooling line 110 such that the first cooling water pumped by a first pump 30 is introduced therethrough, a second port 22 connected to the first cooling line 110 such that the first cooling water that passes through the first valve 20 is introduced into the fuel cell stack 10, and a third port 23 connected to one end of the first connection line 130. As the second port 22 and the third port 23 of the first valve 20 are opened and closed, the flow path of the first cooling water may be switched to a heater 50 of the first connection line 130 or the fuel cell stack 10. That is, when the second port 22 is opened and the third port 23 is closed, the first cooling water may be introduced into the fuel cell stack 10, and to the contrary, when the third port 23 is opened and the second port 22 is closed, the first cooling water may be introduced into the heater 50 through the first connection line 130.
The first connection line 130 may form a heating loop (a heating circulation path) with the first cooling line 110 to heat the first cooling water. For example, the first cooling water that flows along the first connection line 130 may be heated while passing through the heater 50 installed in the first connection line 130. One end of the first connection line 130 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 at a first point located between an outlet of the first pump 30 and the fuel cell stack 10, and another end of the first connection line 130 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 at a second point located between an inlet of the first pump 30 and the fuel cell stack 10. Here, the inlet of the first pump 30 may be defined as an inlet, through which the first cooling water is introduced into the first pump 30. Furthermore, the outlet of the first pump 30 may be defined as an outlet, through which the first cooling water that passed through the first pump 30 is discharged. Furthermore, a section between the outlet of the first pump 30 and the fuel cell stack 10 may be defined as a section, in which the first cooling water discharged from the first pump 30 flows to a first cooling water inlet (not illustrated) of the fuel cell stack 10. Furthermore, a section between the inlet of the first pump 30 and the fuel cell stack 10 may be defined as a section, in which the first cooling water discharged from a cooling water outlet (not illustrated) of the fuel cell stack 10 flows to the inlet of the first pump 30.
The first pump 30 may be configured to cause the first cooling water to compulsorily flow. The first pump 30 may include various means that may pump the first cooling water, and the kinds and the number of the first pumps 30 are not limited in the present disclosure.
The second valve 40 may switch the flow path of the first cooling water to the first radiator 60 or the fuel cell stack 10 on the first cooling line 110. For example, the second valve 40 may be provided on the first cooling line 110 to be located between the first pump 30 and the first radiator 60, and may be connected to one end of the third connection line 140 and the outlet of the first radiator 60. The second valve 40 may include various valve means that may selectively switch the flow path of the first cooling water to the first radiator 60 or the fuel cell stack 10. As an example, the second valve 40 may be a 4-way valve or a 3-way valve. When the second valve 40 is a 3-way valve, it may include a first port 41 connected to the third connection line 140, a second port 42 connected to the first cooling line 110 such that the first cooling water that passes through the first radiator 60 is introduced therethrough, and a third port 44 connected to the first cooling line 110 such that the first cooling water is introduced into the first pump 30, and when the second valve 40 is a 4-way valve, it may further include a third port 43 connected to one end of the second connection line 150. As the first port 41 or the second port 42 of the second valve 40 is opened and closed, the flow path of the first cooling water may be switched to the first radiator 60 or the fuel cell stack 10. That is, when the first port 41 is opened and the second port 42 is closed, the first cooling water is introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 while not passing through the first radiator 60, and to the contrary, when the second port 42 is opened and the first port 41 is closed, the first cooling water may be introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 after passing through the first radiator 60. A portion of the first cooling water may pass through the first radiator 60 and the remaining portions thereof may flow along the third connection line 140 depending on an opening degree of the second valve 40.
The second connection line 150 may form a heating loop with the first cooling line 110 to heat an air conditioning system (an HVAC system) 90. As an example, the second connection line 150 may form a loop that heats a heater (not illustrated) for heating the air conditioning system 90. One end of the second connection line 150 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 between the first point (the point, at which one end of the first connection line 130 is connected to the first cooling line 110) and the inlet of the fuel cell stack 10, and a portion of the first cooling water may circulate through the second connection line 150. Another end of the second connection line 150 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 between the first pump 30 and the second point (the point, at which another end of the first connection line 130 is connected to the first cooling line 110).
An ion filter 95 that filters ions of the first cooling water that has passed through the air conditioning system 90 may be provided in the second connection line 150. Because electric currents flow the first cooling water so that the fuel cell stack 10 is short-circuited or electric currents flow toward the first cooling water when an electrical conductivity of the first cooling water increases due to corrosion or exudation of the system, the first cooling water has to maintain a low electrical conductivity. The ion filter 95 may be configured to remove ions included in the first cooling water to maintain the electrical conductivity of the first cooling water at a specific level or less. In this way, during a cold start, in which the supply of the first cooling water flowing to the fuel cell stack 10 is interrupted (the second port 22 of the first valve 20 is closed), the first cooling water circulates (a temperature rising loop) via the heater 50 of the first connection line 130 and also circulates along the second connection line 150, whereby filtering (removal of ions included in the first cooling water) may be made possible by the ion filter 95 provided in the second connection line 150 during the cold start. Accordingly, the electrical conductivity of the first cooling water introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 immediately after the cold start may be advantageously maintained at the specific level or less.
The third connection line 140 may form a cooling loop with the first cooling line 110 to cool the first cooling water. As an example, one end of the third connection line 140 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 between the first pump 30 and the first radiator 60, and another end of the third connection line 140 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 between the cooling water outlet of the fuel cell stack 10 and the first radiator 60.
The first radiator 60 may be configured to cool the first cooling water. The first radiator 60 may have various structures that may cool the first cooling water, and the kinds and structures of the first radiator 60 are neither limited nor restricted in the present disclosure. The first radiator 60 may be connected to a first reservoir 62, in which the first cooling water is stored.
The fuel cell system may include a first temperature sensor 112 that measures a temperature of the first cooling water between the fuel cell stack 10 and the first point (the first valve 20), a second temperature sensor 114 that measures a temperature of the first cooling water between another end of the first connection line 130 and the first pump 30, and a third temperature sensor 116 that measures a temperature of the cooling water in the heater 50. The fuel cell system may control a flow rate of the first cooling water introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 based on the temperatures measured by the first temperature sensor 112, the second temperature sensor 114, and the third temperature sensor 116. As an example, when the measured temperature of the first cooling water that circulates along the first cooling line 110 is lower than a preset target temperature, the flow rate of the introduced first cooling water may be controlled to be lower than a preset flow rate. In this way, because the flow rate of the first cooling water introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 is controlled to be low when the measured temperature of the first cooling water is low, a thermal impact or deterioration of performance due to a deviation between the temperature of the first cooling water staying in the interior of the fuel cell stack 10 and the temperature of the first cooling water introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 may be advantageously minimized.
A second cooling line 120 passes via a power electronic part 200, and the second cooling water may circulate along the second cooling line 120. Here, the power electronic part 200 of the vehicle may be understood as a component that uses a power source of the vehicle as an energy source, and the kinds and number of the power electronic part 200 are neither limited nor restricted in the present disclosure. As an example, the power electronic part 200 may include at least any one of a bi-directional high voltage DC-DC converter (BHDC) 210 provided between the fuel cell stack 10 and a high-voltage battery (not illustrated) of the vehicle, a blower pump control unit (BPCU) 220 that controls a blower (not illustrated) that supplies exterior air for driving the fuel cell stack 10, a low-voltage DC-DC converter 230 that converts a DC high-voltage received from a high-voltage battery into a DC lower-voltage, an air compressor (ACP) 240 that compresses the air supplied to the fuel cell stack 10, and an air cooler 250. Although not illustrated in
A second pump 205 for causing the second cooling water to compulsorily flow may be disposed on the second cooling line 120. The second pump 205 may include a pumping means that may pump the second cooling water, and the kinds and the characteristics of the second pump 205 are neither limited nor restricted.
A second radiator 70 for cooling the second cooling water may be disposed on the second cooling line 120. The second radiator 70 may have various structures that may cool the second cooling water, and the kinds and structures of the second radiator 70 are neither limited nor restricted. The second radiator 70 may be connected to a second reservoir 72, in which the second cooling water is stored.
In the embodiment, the first radiator 60 and the second radiator 70, as illustrated in
In another embodiment, as illustrated in
Referring to
Furthermore, because the fuel cell system may lower the temperature of the first cooling water while the vehicle (example, a construction machine) that cannot use driving wind is stopped, advantageously, high-output driving of the fuel cell stack 10 may be secured, and safety and durability may be improved.
In the embodiment, the heat exchanger 300 may be connected to the first cooling line 110 between the outlet of the first radiator 60 and the fuel cell stack 10, and the second cooling line 120 may connect the outlet of the second radiator 70 and the power electronic parts such that the first cooling water passes via the heat exchanger 300. For example, the first cooling water may flow along the heat exchanger 300 connected to the first cooling line 110, and the second cooling line 120 may pass through an interior of the heat exchanger 300 to be exposed to the first cooling water (for example, the first cooling water flows along a circumference of the second cooling line 120). In this way, the fuel cell system may lower the temperature of the first cooling water introduced into the fuel cell stack 10 through exchange of heat between the first cooling water and the second cooling water. The first temperature of the first cooling water that has passed through the first radiator 60 may be higher than the second temperature of the second cooling water that has passed through the second radiator 70, and the third temperature of the first cooling water that passed through the heat exchanger 300 may be lower than the first temperature. As an example, the first temperature of the first cooling water may be higher than the second temperature of the second cooling water by about 10° C., and the third temperature of the first cooling water that passed through the heat exchanger 300 (exchanged heat with the second cooling water) may be lower than the first temperature by 1° C.
The heat exchanger 300 according to
Referring to
A controller 610 may be a hardware device, such as a processor or a central processing unit (CPU), or a program implemented by a processor. The controller 610 may be connected to the configurations of the fuel cell system to perform an overall function of the fuel cell system. In an embodiment, the controller 610 may detect a failure of the first valve 20 or the second valve 40. For example, the controller 610 may detect a failure of an actuator or a gear of the first valve 20 (or the second valve 40) through a sensor. As another example, the controller 610 may detect a disabled state of controller area network (CAN) between the controller 610 and the first valve 20 or the second valve 40.
The controller 610 may control the configurations of the fuel cell system to secure a cooling degree of the fuel cell system while an emergency measure is performed when a failure of the valve 20 or 40 is detected. To achieve this, the controller 610 may include a first pump controller 614, a second pump controller 616, a cooling fan controller 618, and an air conditioning system controller 620. The configurations included in the controller may be implemented by individual devices (or programs) or may be implemented by one integrated module.
The first pump controller 614, the second pump controller 616, and the cooling fan controller 618 may control operations of the first pump 30, the second pump 205, and the cooling fan 80, respectively. For example, when the failure of the valve 20 or 40 is detected, the first pump controller 614 may secure a flow rate of the first cooling water of a maximum level by controlling an RPM of the first pump 30 to a maximum level, and the cooling fan controller 618 may secure a flow rate of air of a maximum level by controlling an RPM of the cooling fan 80 to a maximum level. Through this, the fuel cell system may minimize deterioration of a cooling performance of the first cooling water. A second pump controller 626 may control an RPM of the second pump 205 based on whether the fuel cell system includes the heat exchanger 300. As an example, when the fuel cell system does not include the heat exchanger 300, the second pump controller 626 may minimize heat radiated by the second radiator 70 by controlling an RPM of the second pump 205 to a minimum level. When the fuel cell system includes the heat exchanger 300, the second pump controller 626 may increase heat exchanged between the first cooling water and the second cooling water by controlling an RPM of the second pump 205 to a maximum level.
According to the embodiment, when the second cooling fan 85 is further included in the fuel cell system, the cooling fan controller 618 (or a separate cooling fan controller for controlling the second cooling fan 85) may control an RPM of the second cooling fan 85 based on whether the heat exchanger 30 included in the fuel cell system. For example, when the heat exchanger 300 is included, the cooling fan controller 618 may set an RPM of the second cooling fan 85 to a maximum level to increase heat exchanged between the first cooling water and the second cooling water.
The air conditioning system controller 620 may control at least one of the configurations 91 to 94 included in the air conditioning system 90 to maximize an amount of heat emitted in a heater core 94 when a failure of the valve 20 or 40 is detected.
For example, referring to
Referring to
In operation 820, the fuel cell stack may set the RPMs of the first pump 30 and the cooling fan 80 to maximum levels.
In operation 830, the fuel cell stack may set an RPM of the blower 92 of the air conditioning system 90 to a maximum level. Additionally, the fuel cell system may open the temperature door 93 such that the cooled air may flow to the heater core 94.
According to the embodiment, the fuel cell system may additionally perform operation 840. In operation 840 the fuel cell system may set an RPM of the second pump 205 based on whether the heat exchanger 300 is present.
Referring to
According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the fuel cell system may secure a cooling degree of the fuel cell stack for a specific period of time even in a situation, in which a valve has a fault (failure) while including the valve that is small-sized and light-weighted.
According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the fuel cell system ma protect a vehicle, a construction machine, or a flying object including a fuel cell system while securing a time for an emergency safety measure and the safety of a driver and passengers in a situation, in which a cooling degree is not sufficient.
In addition, the present disclosure may provide various effects that are directly or indirectly recognized.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0086397 | Jul 2021 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110195328 | Ishigaki et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20190181476 | Jeong | Jun 2019 | A1 |
| 20210336282 | Ahn | Oct 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10-2011-0045290 | May 2011 | KR |
| 10-2019-0067629 | Jun 2019 | KR |
| Entry |
|---|
| European Search Report issued in corresponding European patent application 21210916.9 dated May 17, 2022. |
| Notice of Allowance dated Jun. 22, 2023 for counterpart Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0086397. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230006224 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
