Heating device with Cathode Oxygen depletion function for fuel cell vehicle

• US 20090140066A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Han, Su Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,807,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/12.30R
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04268 Heating of fuel cells during the start-up of the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention provides a heating device with cathode oxygen depletion (COD) function for a fuel cell vehicle, in which an existing COD and a heating device for improving cold startability of the fuel cell vehicle are integrated. For this purpose, the present invention provides a heating device with COD function for a fuel cell vehicle, the heating device including: a housing having an inlet and an outlet formed on both ends thereof; a start-up heater and a shut-down heater provided in parallel on one side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to a coolant flow direction; and a plurality of heaters for heating coolant provided in parallel on the other side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to the coolant flow direction, wherein cross sections in the coolant flow direction of each of the respective heaters change periodically along the longitudinal direction of the heater so as to cause a flow disturbance.

Claims

1. A heating device with cathode oxygen depletion (COD) function for a fuel cell vehicle, the heater comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet formed on both ends thereof;

a start-up heater and a shut-down heater provided in parallel on one side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to a coolant flow direction; and

a plurality of heaters for heating coolant provided in parallel on the other side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to the coolant flow direction,

wherein cross sections in the coolant flow direction of each of the respective heaters change periodically along the longitudinal direction of the heater so as to cause a flow disturbance.

2. The heating device of claim 1, wherein each of the respective heaters has a plurality of projections and a plurality of concave grooves formed alternately in the longitudinal direction of the heater.

3. The heating device of claim 2, wherein the heaters are arranged in a row along the coolant flow direction such that the projections and the concave grooves thereof are arranged alternately in the coolant flow direction.

4. The heating device of claim 1, wherein each of the cross sections has a shape selected from the group consisting of a triangle, a square, a circle, a sine wave shape, a spiral shape, and a combination thereof.

5. The heating device of claim 4, wherein the heaters are arranged in a row along the coolant flow direction such that the projections and the concave grooves thereof are arranged alternately in the coolant flow direction.