FUEL CELL STACK THERMAL MANAGEMENT

• US 20170263954A1
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: SHAIKH, FURQAN ZAFAR, KATRAGADDA, SUNIL, COLE, W. CARY, BUCKMAN, COLBY JASON, BONKOSKI, PHILLIP
• Granted Patent: US 10,388,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/021 the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/023 the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04052 Storage of heat in the fuel cell system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04225 during start-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04253 Means for solving freezing problems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04358 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04701 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04768 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Fuel-cell thermal management systems and control schemes therefore are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may include a fuel-cell stack, a heat-exchanger, a thermal battery including a material having a melting temperature of 50-120° C., a first coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack and the thermal battery and excluding the heat-exchanger, and a second coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and the heat-exchanger. The first and second coolant loops may be configured to heat and cool the fuel-cell stack, respectively. The system may include a controller or processor configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the fuel-cell stack based on a negative heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack and to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the thermal battery based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack when the thermal battery is below a target temperature.

Claims

1. A fuel-cell thermal management system, comprising:

a fuel-cell stack;

a heat-exchanger;

a thermal battery including a material having a melting temperature of 50-120°

C.;

a first coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack and the thermal battery and excluding the heat-exchanger; and

a second coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and the heat-exchanger;

the first and second coolant loops configured to heat and cool the fuel-cell stack, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and a heater core coupled to a climate control system, the third coolant loop configured to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the heater core.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first temperature sensor configured to measure an inlet temperature of coolant entering the fuel-cell stack and a second temperature sensor configured to measure an outlet temperature of coolant leaving the fuel-cell stack.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second temperature sensors are the only coolant temperature sensors in the system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the material has a latent heat of fusion of at least 100 kJ/kg.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first pump included only in the second coolant loop and a second pump disposed upstream of an inlet of the fuel-cell stack.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coolant loop includes an orifice restrictor downstream of the thermal battery and upstream of an inlet of the fuel-cell stack.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a three-way valve downstream of the thermal battery and configured to direct coolant to the first or second coolant loops.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coolant loop is configured to heat the fuel-cell stack when it is below a target operating temperature and cool the fuel-cell stack when it is above the target operating temperature.

10. A fuel-cell thermal management system, comprising:

a fuel-cell stack;

a heat-exchanger;

a thermal battery including a material having a latent heat of fusion of over 100 kJ/kg;

a first coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack and the thermal battery;

a second coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and a heater core coupled to a climate control system; and

a third coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and the heat-exchanger.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a first temperature sensor configured to measure an inlet temperature of coolant entering the fuel-cell stack and a second temperature sensor configured to measure an outlet temperature of coolant leaving the fuel-cell stack.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the material in the thermal battery has a melting temperature of 50-120°

C.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a first pump included only in the third coolant loop and a second pump disposed upstream of an inlet of the fuel-cell stack.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first coolant loop is configured to heat the fuel-cell stack when it is below a target operating temperature and cool the fuel-cell stack when it is above the target operating temperature.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the third coolant loop is configured to cool the fuel-cell stack when the fuel-cell stack is above the target operating temperature and cool the thermal battery when it is above a target temperature.

16. A fuel-cell thermal management system, comprising:

a fuel-cell stack;

a heat-exchanger;

a thermal battery; and

a processor configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the fuel-cell stack based on a negative heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack and to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the thermal battery based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack when the thermal battery is below a target temperature.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the heat-exchanger when the thermal battery is above the target temperature.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the heat-exchanger based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the thermal battery based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack when the thermal battery is above a target temperature and the heat-exchanger is at a maximum cooling capacity.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to a heater core of a climate control system.