FUEL CELL APPARATUS

• US 20080286623A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Young Green Energy Co. (Coretronic Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Nien-Hui, Huang, Jin-Shu, Lee, Ching-Po, Wang, Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,034,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/26
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/24 and extending transversely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/02 by using coatings, e.g. vitreous or enamel coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2270/00 Thermal insulation; Thermal decoupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell apparatus including a fuel cell module, a heat exchanging assembly, and an airflow producing element is provided. The fuel cell module is used to perform chemical reactions of a fuel cell. The heat exchanging assembly includes a first heat exchanging part, a second heat exchanging part, and a connection part. The connection part connects the first heat exchanging part and the second heat exchanging part respectively. The airflow producing element is adapted to produce an airflow, and the airflow flows through the first heat exchanging part, the fuel cell module, and the second heat exchanging part sequentially.

Claims

1. A fuel cell apparatus, comprising:

a fuel cell module, for performing chemical reactions of a fuel cell;

a heat exchanging assembly, comprising a first heat exchanging part, a second heat exchanging part, and a connection part, wherein the connection part connects the first heat exchanging part and the second heat exchanging part respectively; and

an airflow producing element, adapted to produce an airflow, wherein the airflow flows through the first heat exchanging part, the fuel cell module, and the second heat exchanging part sequentially.

2. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanging part and the second heat exchanging part are a plurality of fins respectively.

3. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the fins extends in a direction substantially parallel to a flowing direction of the airflow.

4. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connection part is a heatpipe.

5. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connection part is substantially orthogonally connected to each of the fins.

6. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airflow producing element is disposed at a side of the first heat exchanging part far away from the fuel cell module.

7. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airflow producing element is a fan.

8. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tank disposed at a position corresponding to the second heat exchanging part.

9. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection part comprises an upper lid covering the tank, and the second heat exchanging part is connected to the upper lid and is placed in the tank.

10. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a material of the upper lid is metal.

11. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second heat exchanging part is a plurality of fins.

12. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat exchanging assembly further comprises a heat insulating element surrounding the connection part.

13. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a heat exchanging flow field plate, having a fuel input port and a first fuel output port, wherein the fuel input port is connected to a second fuel output port of the fuel cell module; and

a tank, connected to the first fuel output port.

14. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airflow enters the fuel cell module from an air inlet end of the fuel cell module, departs the fuel cell module from an air outlet end of the fuel cell module, the position of the first heat exchanging part corresponds to the position of the air inlet end, and the position of the second heat exchanging part corresponds to the position of the air outlet end.

15. The fuel cell apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the heat exchanging assembly placed in a flow field after the airflow flows through the fuel cell module is an anti-chemical-corrosion layer.