Patent classifications
H01M8/0438
Fuel cell system and refrigerant flow rate estimation method for the same
A fuel cell system including: a fuel cell group; a refrigerant distribution passage; a pre-distribution refrigerant flow rate acquiring unit configured to acquire a first outlet temperature flow rate; a first outlet temperature detecting unit that is configured to detect a first outlet temperature; a voltage acquiring unit configured to acquire at least a first voltage that is a voltage of the first fuel cell; a current acquiring unit configured to acquire at least a first current; and a controller that calculates a first individual supply flow rate of the first fuel cell on the basis of the first voltage, the first current, and the first outlet temperature, and calculates a second individual supply flow rate of at least one second fuel cell other than the first fuel cell on the basis of the first individual supply flow rate and the pre-distribution refrigerant flow rate.
System including fuel cell assembly voltage monitor
A system for capturing carbon dioxide in flue gas includes a fuel cell assembly including at least one fuel cell including a cathode portion configured to receive, as cathode inlet gas, the flue gas generated by the flue gas generating device or a derivative thereof, and to output cathode exhaust gas and an anode portion configure to receive an anode inlet gas and to output anode exhaust gas, a fuel cell assembly voltage monitor configured to measure a voltage across the fuel cell assembly, and a controller configured to receive the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly from the fuel cell assembly voltage monitor, determine an estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly, and reduce the carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly when the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization is above a predetermined threshold utilization.
Fuel cell system
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a plurality of injectors capable of adjusting a flow rate of anode gas supplied to the fuel cell stack, and an ECU causing the plurality of injectors to operate. The plurality of injectors include a main injector, and a BP injector that operates when power that exceeds a prescribed power generation amount is generated. The ECU performs an operational check of causing the BP injector to operate at least once and judging whether the BP injector is normal or abnormal, during a period from when the fuel cell system is activated to when the fuel cell system stops.
OPERATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USING A PROPORTIONAL CONTROL VALVE IN A FUEL CELL SYSTEM
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of using a proportional control valve in a fuel cell stack system. The fuel cell stack system, may comprise a fuel cell stack including an anode with an anode inlet and an anode outlet, and a cathode with a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet, and a control valve, which controls the flow of a fuel into the anode. The flow of fuel may be based on a pressure differential measured across any two of the anode inlet, the anode outlet, the cathode inlet, and the cathode outlet.
SIMULATION OF GAS DYNAMICS OF DIFFERENT GAS CHANNEL GEOMETRIES IN FUEL CELLS
Systems and methods for simulating gas flow dynamics of a real hydrogen fuel cell system using a computer, wherein the real hydrogen fuel cell system includes a gas container volume network having gas container volumes interconnected by gas transport lines. The method includes defining volume element and flow channel classes, defining a plurality of volume instances and a plurality of flow channel instances, for each flow channel instance, creating a first interconnection representation that defines a source container volume and a destination container volume for the flow channel instance, wherein the first interconnection representation mimics a portion of the gas container volume network of the real hydrogen fuel cell system, and simulating, using the first interconnection representation, a thermodynamic state for each of the volume instances, the thermodynamic state representing thermodynamic parameter(s) in each container volume of the gas container volume network of the real hydrogen fuel cell system.
SIMULATION OF GAS DYNAMICS OF DIFFERENT GAS CHANNEL GEOMETRIES IN FUEL CELLS
Systems and methods for simulating gas flow dynamics of a real hydrogen fuel cell system using a computer, wherein the real hydrogen fuel cell system includes a gas container volume network having gas container volumes interconnected by gas transport lines. The method includes defining volume element and flow channel classes, defining a plurality of volume instances and a plurality of flow channel instances, for each flow channel instance, creating a first interconnection representation that defines a source container volume and a destination container volume for the flow channel instance, wherein the first interconnection representation mimics a portion of the gas container volume network of the real hydrogen fuel cell system, and simulating, using the first interconnection representation, a thermodynamic state for each of the volume instances, the thermodynamic state representing thermodynamic parameter(s) in each container volume of the gas container volume network of the real hydrogen fuel cell system.
Gas detection device, gas sensor system, fuel cell vehicle, and hydrogen detection method
A gas detection device includes a gas sensor and a drive circuit. The drive circuit includes a measurement circuit, a power supply circuit, and a control circuit. The gas sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal-oxide layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an insulating film that covers the first electrode, the second electrode, and the metal-oxide layer, and has an opening that exposes part of a main surface of the second electrode. A resistance value of the metal-oxide layer decreases when gas containing hydrogen atoms contact the second electrode. When the resistance value of the metal-oxide layer falls outside a predetermined range, the drive circuit applies a predetermined voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode to restore the resistance value of the metal-oxide layer back into the predetermined range.
Fuel cell hydrogen detection
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to produce electrical power by a chemical reaction of a flow of fuel and a flow of oxygen or air with an electrolyte and a cooling system configured to remove thermal energy from the fuel cell via a flow of coolant through the fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes one or more conductivity sensors configured to measure a change in conductivity of the coolant flow. A method of operating a fuel cell system includes producing electrical power at a fuel cell by a chemical reaction of a flow of fuel and a flow of air with an electrolyte, urging a flow of coolant through the fuel cell to remove thermal energy and ions from the fuel cell, and measuring a conductivity of the flow of coolant via one or more conductivity sensors.
SOFC COOLING SYSTEM, FUEL CELL AND HYBRID VEHICLE
The invention provides an SOFC cooling system. For the feature that not all components work in the full operation process of an SOFC, a DC step-down transformer DCDC, a fan and a condenser are connected in parallel, and a solenoid valve is installed in each parallel pipeline for controlling on/off of each pipeline according to a corresponding signal. Compared with the traditional SOFC cooling system, the constant-flow serial cooling system will reduce pressure losses and the power of a water pump; a solenoid valve is installed in each parallel pipeline for controlling on/off of each branch according to a corresponding signal; considering the cooling requirements of SOFC during start-up, power generation and shutdown, all components are cooled in parallel through reasonable design of each parallel pipeline, consequently to improve the cooling effect and reduce the energy consumption; the invention also discloses a fuel cell and hybrid vehicle.
FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME
The purpose of the present invention is to provide fuel cell system capable of stably executing differential pressure control and having a simplified configuration, and method for controlling the same. Fuel cell system equipped with fuel cell, a turbocharger, exhaust fuel gas line, exhaust oxidizing gas line, combustion gas supply line for supplying combustion gas discharged from a combustor to a turbine, oxidizing gas supply line for supplying oxidizing gas compressed by a compressor to cathode, a regulator valve provided to the exhaust fuel gas line, and a control unit for controlling the differential pressure between the pressure of the cathode of the fuel cell and the pressure of the anode thereof by controlling the regulator valve, wherein the exhaust oxidizing gas line is not provided with venting system for discharging exhaust oxidizing gas outside the system.