Fuel cell system with recirculation system and purge valve

• US 7,931,994 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamihara, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan; Dah-Wei D
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESSEX, STEPHAN J
• Application Number:
  US10/519,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20050244686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,701 Days
• Field of Search: 429/17, 429/34, 429/22, 429/13, 429/24, 429/25, 429/23
• US Class Current: 429/444
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04104 Regulation of differential pressures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04223 during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2457 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system which includes: a fuel cell (1); a supply system (Sc) for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell (1); a recirculation system (Rc) for recirculating unused fuel gas from the fuel cell (1), in which the fuel gas therein may contain nitrogen; a purge valve (8) for purging nitrogen contained in the fuel gas in the recirculation system (Rc); and a controller (100) for adjusting a valve opening of the purge valve (8) so that a nitrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the recirculation system (Rc) is kept constant.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell configured to generate power from fuel gas supplied thereto;

a supply system configured to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell;

a recirculation system configured to recirculate unused fuel gas from the fuel cell, wherein fuel gas in the recirculation system contains nitrogen;

a purge valve configured to purge nitrogen contained in the fuel gas in the recirculation system, wherein the purge valve is configured such that a valve opening degree of the purge valve is controlled to be reduced or increased; and

a controller configured to adjust the valve opening degree of the purge valve such that a nitrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the recirculation system is controlled to be maintained at a target nitrogen concentration,

wherein the controller is configured to;

adjust the valve opening degree of the purge valve to maintain a flow rate of fuel in a fuel gas passing through the purge valve at a threshold set in accordance with operation conditions of the fuel cell system and the valve opening degree of the purge valve, by reducing the valve opening degree of the purge valve if the flow rate of fuel in the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is more than the threshold, and increasing the valve opening degree of the purge valve if the flow rate of the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is less than the threshold.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold is set larger as the valve opening degree of the purge valve becomes larger.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fuel gas passing through the purge valve, wherein the threshold is set lower as the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor rises.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of fuel gas in the supply system, wherein the threshold is set lower as the pressure of the fuel gas detected by the pressure sensor drops.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of fuel in the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is obtained from a difference between a supply rate of fuel supplied from the supply system and a consumption rate of fuel gas consumed by the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an ejector provided in the recirculation system, to which the supply system is connected; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect a supply pressure of fuel gas supplied to the ejector,

wherein the supply rate of fuel supplied from the supply system is calculated based on the supply pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of fuel gas upstream of the ejector, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure thereof detected by the pressure sensor.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a fuel pressure regulator for the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell;

a valve opening sensor configured to detect a valve opening of the fuel pressure regulator; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure of fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on the valve opening of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the valve opening sensor, and the pressure of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the pressure sensor.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on a valve opening degree of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the valve opening sensor, the pressure of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the pressure sensor, and the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an ammeter configured to detect an output current of the fuel cell, wherein the consumption rate of fuel is calculated based on the output current detected by the ammeter.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an ammeter configured to detect an output current of the fuel cell; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of fuel gas upstream or downstream of the fuel cell, wherein the controller is provided with a unit for obtaining a variation rate of the pressure of the fuel gas detected by the pressure sensor, and wherein the consumption rate of fuel is calculated based on the output current detected by the ammeter and the variation rate of the pressure of the fuel gas given by the unit of the controller.

12. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell configured to generate power from fuel gas supplied thereto;

a supply system configured to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell;

a recirculation system configured to recirculate unused fuel gas from the fuel cell, wherein fuel gas in the recirculation system contains nitrogen;

a purge valve configured to purge nitrogen contained in the fuel gas in the recirculation system, wherein the purge valve is configured such that a valve opening degree of the purge valve is controlled to be reduced or increased; and

a controller configured to adjust the valve opening degree of the purge valve such that a nitrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the recirculation system is controlled to be maintained at a target nitrogen concentration.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to:

reduce the valve opening degree of the purge valve if the flow rate of fuel in the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is more than a threshold set in accordance with operating conditions of the fuel cell system and the valve opening degree of the purge valve, and increase the valve opening degree of the purge valve if the flow rate of the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is less than the threshold.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, wherein the threshold is set larger as the valve opening degree of the purge valve becomes larger.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fuel gas passing through the purge valve, wherein the threshold is set lower as the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor rises.

16. The fuel cell system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of fuel gas in the supply system, wherein the threshold is set lower as the pressure of the fuel gas detected by the pressure sensor drops.

17. The fuel cell system according to claim 12, wherein the flow rate of fuel in the fuel gas passing through the purge valve is obtained from a difference between a supply rate of fuel supplied from the supply system and a consumption rate of fuel gas consumed by the fuel cell.

18. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, further comprising:

an ejector provided in the recirculation system, to which the supply system is connected; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect a supply pressure of fuel gas supplied to the ejector, wherein the supply rate of fuel supplied from the supply system is calculated based on the supply pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

19. The fuel cell system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of fuel gas upstream of the ejector, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure thereof detected by the pressure sensor.

20. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a fuel pressure regulator for the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell;

a valve opening sensor configured to detect a valve opening of the fuel pressure regulator; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on the valve opening of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the valve opening sensor, and the pressure of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the pressure sensor.

21. The fuel cell system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator, wherein the supply rate of fuel is calculated based on a valve opening degree of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the valve opening sensor, the pressure of the fuel gas upstream of the fuel pressure regulator detected by the pressure sensor, and the temperature of the fuel gas detected by the temperature sensor.

22. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, further comprising:

an ammeter configured to detect an output current of the fuel cell, wherein the consumption rate of fuel is calculated based on the output current detected by the ammeter.

23. The fuel cell system according to claim 17, further comprising:

an ammeter configured to detect an output current of the fuel cell; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of fuel gas upstream or downstream of the fuel cell, wherein the controller is provided with a unit for obtaining a variation rate of the pressure of the fuel gas detected by the pressure sensor, and wherein the consumption rate of fuel is calculated based on the output current detected by the ammeter and the variation rate of the pressure of the fuel gas given by the unit of the controller.