FUEL CELL REGULATION USING LOSS RECOVERY SYSTEMS

• US 20170077534A1
• Filed: 09/13/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc. (Garrett Motion, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Guidry, Mike, Mason, John, Beresewicz, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/72 Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04111 using a compressor turbine assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04291 Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems H01M8/04119 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04492 Humidity; Ambient humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04507 of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04746 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04761 of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04828 Humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for regulating fuel cell backpressure or humidity in conjunction with a flow control assembly that recovers energy resulting from the regulation. An exemplary vehicle system includes a fuel cell stack, a flow control valve to regulate a fluid flow exiting the fuel cell stack, and a flow control assembly parallel to the flow control valve to generate electrical energy in response to a bypass portion of the fluid flow that bypasses the flow control valve based on an orientation of the flow control valve with respect to the fluid flow.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fuel cell stack;

a flow control valve to regulate a fluid flow exiting the fuel cell stack; and

a flow control assembly parallel to the flow control valve to generate electrical energy in response to a bypass portion of the fluid flow bypassing the flow control valve based on an orientation of the flow control valve with respect to the fluid flow.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a conduit upstream of the flow control valve to provide fluid communication with the flow control assembly for the bypass portion of the fluid flow.

3. The system of claim 2, the conduit providing fluid communication with the flow control assembly upstream of the flow control assembly, the system further comprising a second conduit downstream of the flow control valve to provide fluid communication with the flow control assembly for the bypass portion of the fluid flow downstream of the flow control assembly.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an exhaust system downstream of the flow control valve and the flow control assembly.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the conduit is disposed between the fuel cell stack and the flow control valve and the second conduit is disposed between the flow control valve and the exhaust system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a first electrical output of the fuel cell stack is coupled to a second electrical output of the flow control assembly at a common voltage level.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the flow control assembly comprises:

a turbine rotatable in response the bypass portion of the fluid flow; and

a generator coupled to the turbine to generate the electrical energy in response to rotation of the turbine.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an electronics module coupled between the generator and the second electrical output to convert the electrical energy to an output voltage of the fuel cell stack.

9. A system comprising:

a fuel cell stack having an exit fluid flow;

a first conduit for the exit fluid flow;

a valve disposed within the first conduit;

a turbine assembly to receive a bypass portion of the exit fluid flow based on an orientation of the valve with respect to the first conduit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the turbine assembly provides a fluid path parallel to an intermediate portion of the first conduit having the valve disposed therein.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an inlet conduit upstream of the valve and providing fluid communication between the first conduit and the turbine assembly, the turbine assembly receiving the bypass portion via the inlet conduit.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an exhaust system, the first conduit providing fluid communication between the fuel cell stack and the exhaust system and the valve being disposed between the fuel cell stack and the exhaust system; and

an outlet conduit downstream of the valve and providing fluid communication for the bypass portion from the turbine assembly to the first conduit.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the turbine assembly comprises:

a turbine having an inlet coupled to the first conduit upstream of the valve to receive the bypass portion of the exit fluid flow; and

a generator coupled to the turbine to generate electrical energy resulting from the bypass portion.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an electronics module coupled between a first electrical output of the generator and a second electrical output of the fuel cell stack to control distribution of the electrical energy.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronics module selectively dissipates at least a portion of the electrical energy.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein a voltage of the electrical energy corresponds to an output voltage of the fuel cell stack.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the turbine comprises a fixed geometry turbine.

18. A method of operating a turbine assembly comprising obtaining humidity information for a fuel cell stack, the fuel cell stack providing electrical power at an output voltage at an input node to a vehicle electrical system;

adjusting an orientation of a valve downstream of the fuel cell stack based on the humidity information, wherein the orientation of the valve influences electrical energy generated by the turbine assembly; and

providing the electrical energy from the turbine assembly to the input node at a voltage level corresponding to a voltage output of the fuel cell stack.

19. The method of claim 18, the turbine assembly comprising a turbine having an inlet conduit upstream of the valve to receive a bypass portion of an exit fluid flow from the fuel cell stack and a generator coupled to the turbine to generate the electrical energy resulting from the bypass portion, the orientation of the valve with respect to the exit fluid flow influencing the bypass portion, wherein the method further comprises operating an electronics module coupled between the generator and the input node to dissipate at least a portion of the electrical energy in response to a potential overspeed condition.

20. The method of claim 18, the turbine assembly comprising a turbine having an inlet conduit upstream of the valve to receive a bypass portion of an exit fluid flow from the fuel cell stack and a generator coupled to the turbine to generate the electrical energy resulting from the bypass portion, the orientation of the valve with respect to the exit fluid flow influencing the bypass portion, wherein the method further comprises operating an electronics module coupled between the generator and the input node to dissipate at least a portion of the electrical energy in response to a potential excess energy condition.