Ventilation system for an automotive fuel cell stack enclosure

• US 9,947,945 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cusumano, Thomas Joseph, Pittman, Deborah Diane, Alessi, Jr., Donald Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tighe, Dana
• Application Number:
  US12/019,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20090191805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,735 Days
• Field of Search: 454 69, 454238, 454146, 454142, 454143, 454144, 454237
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04 Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2475 Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
• 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

A fuel cell stack is housed within a fuel cell stack enclosure. Air is used to ventilate the fuel cell stack enclosure. The air may be pulled from an air stream used to cool a high voltage battery. The air may also be pulled from a vehicle compartment such as a vehicle trunk or vehicle cabin. Filters are used to remove particulate matter from the air.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell enclosure;

a battery arrangement;

a duct fluidly connecting an air source and the battery arrangement and configured to deliver air from the air source to the battery arrangement to cool the battery arrangement; and

a conduit arrangement projecting from and connecting the duct and fuel cell enclosure and configured to deliver air from the duct to the fuel cell enclosure to remove hydrogen from the fuel cell enclosure.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the duct includes an air filter.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the conduit arrangement has an entrance and wherein the entrance is downstream of the air filter.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the conduit arrangement includes an air filter.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the duct is configured to reduce liquid ingress from the air source.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a pump to pull air from the duct into the conduit arrangement.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the pump comprises at least one of a positive displacement pump and a blower.