US20090269624A1 - Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same - Google Patents
Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same Download PDFInfo
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- US20090269624A1 US20090269624A1 US12/268,162 US26816208A US2009269624A1 US 20090269624 A1 US20090269624 A1 US 20090269624A1 US 26816208 A US26816208 A US 26816208A US 2009269624 A1 US2009269624 A1 US 2009269624A1
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- hydrogen
- fuel cell
- air
- tank
- electrode
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/10—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks concerning gas-producing plants
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/01—Arrangement of fuel conduits
- B60K15/013—Arrangement of fuel conduits of gas conduits
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
- B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
- B60K15/03006—Gas tanks
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell and a method for controlling the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hydrogen supply system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, in which an in-tank regulator is mounted on one hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve is mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks so as to stably supply hydrogen by controlling the solenoid valves during driving, and a method for controlling the same.
- the in-tank regulator is effective for a single tank system; however, in the case of a multiple tank system including a plurality of tanks, the manufacturing cost of the in-tank regulator is increased since it should be provided at each of the plurality of tanks.
- a large-scale single tank system is employed; however, it is necessary to optimally design a space for mounting the large-scale single tank in the vehicle body and chassis, and it is difficult to pack the single tank with peripheral components due to the large volume.
- the present invention provides a hydrogen supply system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, in which an in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve is preferably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks so that a reduction in manufacturing cost is suitably realized and preferably hydrogen is stably supplied to a fuel cell stack by preferably controlling the solenoid valves during driving, and a method for controlling the same.
- the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator suitably mounted at the inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank is preferably controlled to be opened and the solenoid valve suitably mounted at the inlet portion of each of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is preferably controlled to be suitably closed so that only the hydrogen in the first hydrogen tank is supplied to the fuel cell stack.
- the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator suitably mounted at the inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank is preferably controlled to be suitably closed and the solenoid valve suitably mounted at the inlet portion of each of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is preferably controlled to be suitably opened so that the hydrogen in the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is transferred and filled in the first hydrogen tank.
- the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator of the first hydrogen tank and the solenoid valves of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks are preferably controlled to be all opened so that residual hydrogen in the respective hydrogen tanks is used.
- vehicle or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).
- motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).
- SUV sports utility vehicles
- plug-in hybrid electric vehicles e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum
- a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hydrogen filling process in a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hydrogen supply process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of residual hydrogen when the pressure of respective hydrogen tanks is reduced to a low pressure in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention.
- first hydrogen tank 12 first solenoid valve 14: in-tank regulator 16: second hydrogen tank 18: second solenoid valve 20: fuel cell stack 22: high pressure line 24: low pressure regulator 26: filling line
- the present invention includes a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system comprising a plurality of hydrogen tanks, an intake regulator and a solenoid valve.
- the in-tank regulator is mounted at an inlet portion of a first hydrogen tank of the plurality of hydrogen tanks and the solenoid valve is mounted at an inlet portion of each of the other hydrogen tanks.
- the hydrogen transfer step comprises hydrogen being transferred from the second to Nth hydrogen tanks to the first hydrogen tank during parking or stopping of the vehicle.
- the present invention provides a hydrogen supply system preferably including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, i.e., a multiple hydrogen tank system.
- a hydrogen supply system preferably including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, i.e., a multiple hydrogen tank system.
- an in-tank regulator is suitably mounted only on one hydrogen tank adjacent to a fuel cell stack and a solenoid valve is suitably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks.
- the in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank, it is possible to considerably reduce manufacturing cost, compared with the conventional multiple hydrogen tank system in which the in-tank regulator is preferably provided at each of the plurality of hydrogen tanks, which results in an increase in manufacturing cost.
- the plurality of hydrogen tanks i.e., first to Nth hydrogen tanks, in certain exemplary embodiments, will be suitably limited to two hydrogen tanks, in which the hydrogen tank adjacent to the fuel cell stack will be preferably referred to as the first hydrogen tank, and the hydrogen tank suitably connected to the first hydrogen tank through a high pressure line will be preferably referred to as the second hydrogen tank.
- an in-tank regulator 14 having a first solenoid valve 12 is preferably mounted at an inlet portion of a first hydrogen tank 10 adjacent to a fuel cell stack 20
- a second solenoid valve 18 is preferably mounted at an inlet portion of a second hydrogen tank 16 .
- the inlet portions of the first hydrogen tank 10 and the second hydrogen tank 16 are suitably connected to each other through the high pressure line 22 .
- the in-tank regulator 14 and the second solenoid valve 18 are preferably connected to each other through the high pressure line 22 .
- an outlet portion of the in-tank regulator 14 is suitably connected to a fuel electrode of the fuel cell stack 20 preferably through another low pressure regulator 24 .
- the in-tank regulator 14 is preferably mounted only on the first hydrogen tank 10 adjacent to the fuel cell stack 20 among the plurality of hydrogen tanks, and it is necessary to suitably employ a new control method for supplying hydrogen.
- the first solenoid valve 12 suitably mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 of the first hydrogen tank 10 and the second solenoid valve 18 suitably mounted on the second hydrogen tank 16 are on/off controlled during hydrogen filling, during driving of a vehicle, and during parking or stopping of a vehicle, respectively, thus stably supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell stack 20 .
- a filling line 26 is suitably connected to the high pressure line 22 preferably connected between the inlet portions of the first and second hydrogen tanks 10 and 16 , i.e., preferably between the in-tank regulator 14 of the first hydrogen tank 10 and the second solenoid valve 18 of the second hydrogen tank 16 .
- the first solenoid valve 12 mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 is preferably automatically opened by the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen, and preferably the high pressure hydrogen is suitably filled in the first hydrogen tank 10 .
- the second solenoid valve 18 of the second hydrogen tank 16 is preferably automatically opened by the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen, and thus the high pressure hydrogen is suitably filled in the second hydrogen tank 16 .
- the first and second solenoid valves 12 and 18 are preferably automatically opened by a difference in pressure without using electrical power, i.e., by the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen, and thus the first and second hydrogen tanks 10 and 16 are suitably filled with the high pressure hydrogen.
- the first solenoid valve 12 mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 is suitably controlled to be opened and, at the same time, the second solenoid valve 18 is suitably controlled to be closed.
- hydrogen transfer process is meant to refer to a process in which the high pressure hydrogen in the second hydrogen tank is suitably transferred and filled in the first hydrogen tank.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary hydrogen transfer process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention.
- the amount of hydrogen becomes suitably reduced and, accordingly, the hydrogen in the second hydrogen tank 16 is suitably refilled in the first hydrogen tank 10 during parking, stopping, or driving low speed of the vehicle.
- the first solenoid valve 12 of the in-tank regulator 14 mounted at the inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank 10 is preferably controlled to be closed and the second solenoid valve 18 mounted at the inlet portion of the second hydrogen tank 16 are preferably controlled to be opened so that the high pressure hydrogen in the second hydrogen tank 16 is suitably transferred through the high pressure line 22 and filled in the first hydrogen tank 10 .
- the filling process continues until the pressures of the first and second hydrogen tanks 10 and 16 become suitably equal to each other.
- the pressures of the first and second hydrogen tanks 10 and 16 are reduced to a low pressure, i.e., a minimum operating pressure.
- the first solenoid valve 12 of the in-tank regulator 14 of the first hydrogen tank 10 and the second solenoid valve 18 of the second hydrogen tank 16 are suitably controlled to be all opened so that preferably the residual hydrogen in the first and second hydrogen tanks 10 and 16 are used.
- the present invention provides the following effects.
- the in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank adjacent to the fuel cell stack and the solenoid valve is preferably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks in the hydrogen supply system including the plurality of hydrogen tanks, and thus it is possible to suitably stably supply hydrogen to the fuel cell stack by controlling on/off of the solenoid valves of the respective hydrogen tanks during driving of the vehicle.
- the in-tank regulator is suitably applied to onehydrogen tank, it is possible to considerably reduce the manufacturing cost.
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- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
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- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0039149 filed Apr. 28, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- (a) Technical Field
- The present invention relates to a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell and a method for controlling the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hydrogen supply system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, in which an in-tank regulator is mounted on one hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve is mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks so as to stably supply hydrogen by controlling the solenoid valves during driving, and a method for controlling the same.
- (b) Background Art
- Generally, a fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack for generating electrical energy, a fuel (hydrogen) supply system for supplying fuel (hydrogen) to the fuel cell stack, an air supply system for providing oxygen in the air to the fuel cell stack, the oxygen in the air being an oxidizer required for an electrochemical reaction, and a thermal management system for controlling the operating temperature of the fuel cell stack.
- Hydrogen compressed to a high pressure of about 350 bar is stored in a hydrogen tank in the fuel supply system. The stored compressed hydrogen is discharged to a high pressure line according to an on/off of a solenoid valve preferably provided at an inlet portion of the hydrogen tank and then supplied to the fuel cell stack after the pressure of the compressed hydrogen is reduced from 350 bar to 10 bar by an external regulator.
- Preferably, as a method of storing hydrogen in the hydrogen tank of the fuel cell system, a high pressure compression (350 bar or 700 bar compression) method is generally adopted. Accordingly, a high pressure of 350 bar or 700 bar is always applied to the high pressure line connected to the solenoid valve by the use of the external regulator, thus affecting the durability of the portions to which the high pressure is continuously being applied.
- Given the above circumstances, when an in-tank regulator is used instead of the external regulator, it is possible to ensure safety during operation of the system by eliminating the high pressure line, and further it is possible to simplify the system and reduce manufacturing cost.
- The in-tank regulator is effective for a single tank system; however, in the case of a multiple tank system including a plurality of tanks, the manufacturing cost of the in-tank regulator is increased since it should be provided at each of the plurality of tanks.
- Accordingly, a large-scale single tank system is employed; however, it is necessary to optimally design a space for mounting the large-scale single tank in the vehicle body and chassis, and it is difficult to pack the single tank with peripheral components due to the large volume.
- Accordingly, the multiple tank system, in which a plurality of small-scale tanks is mounted, provides a degree of freedom for the vehicle body and chassis design and can be packaged with the peripheral components, as compared with the single tank system. Further, the multiple tank system has a reduced manufacturing cost.
- The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
- In one aspect, the present invention provides a hydrogen supply system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, in which an in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve is preferably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks so that a reduction in manufacturing cost is suitably realized and preferably hydrogen is stably supplied to a fuel cell stack by preferably controlling the solenoid valves during driving, and a method for controlling the same.
- In one embodiment, the present invention provides a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system preferably comprising a plurality of hydrogen tanks, wherein an in-tank regulator is suitably mounted only at an inlet portion of a first hydrogen tank of the plurality of hydrogen tanks and a solenoid valve is preferably mounted at an inlet portion of each of the other hydrogen tanks.
- In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for controlling a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system preferably including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, and the method comprising: a hydrogen filling step in which high pressure hydrogen is preferably supplied to a high pressure line suitably connecting first to Nth hydrogen tanks to be filled in the first to Nth hydrogen tanks; a hydrogen supply step in which only hydrogen in the first hydrogen tank provided adjacent to a fuel cell stack is preferably supplied to the fuel cell stack during driving of a vehicle; and a hydrogen transfer step in which hydrogen is suitably transferred from the second to Nth hydrogen tanks to the first hydrogen tank during parking or stopping of the vehicle.
- In a preferred embodiment, in the hydrogen filling step, a solenoid valve of an in-tank regulator suitably mounted at an inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank and a solenoid valve suitably mounted at an inlet portion of each of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks are all suitably opened by the pressure of high pressure hydrogen so that the high pressure hydrogen is suitably filled in the respective hydrogen tanks.
- In another preferred embodiment, in the hydrogen supply step, the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator suitably mounted at the inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank is preferably controlled to be opened and the solenoid valve suitably mounted at the inlet portion of each of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is preferably controlled to be suitably closed so that only the hydrogen in the first hydrogen tank is supplied to the fuel cell stack.
- In still another preferred embodiment, in the hydrogen transfer step, the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator suitably mounted at the inlet portion of the first hydrogen tank is preferably controlled to be suitably closed and the solenoid valve suitably mounted at the inlet portion of each of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is preferably controlled to be suitably opened so that the hydrogen in the second to Nth hydrogen tanks is transferred and filled in the first hydrogen tank.
- In yet another preferred embodiment, when the pressure of the first to Nth hydrogen tanks is suitably reduced to a minimum operating pressure, the solenoid valve of the in-tank regulator of the first hydrogen tank and the solenoid valves of the second to Nth hydrogen tanks are preferably controlled to be all opened so that residual hydrogen in the respective hydrogen tanks is used.
- It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).
- As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered.
- The above features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain by way of example the principles of the present invention.
- The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hydrogen filling process in a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hydrogen supply process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hydrogen transfer process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention; and -
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of residual hydrogen when the pressure of respective hydrogen tanks is reduced to a low pressure in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention. - Reference numerals set forth in the Drawings includes reference to the following elements as further discussed below:
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10: first hydrogen tank 12: first solenoid valve 14: in-tank regulator 16: second hydrogen tank 18: second solenoid valve 20: fuel cell stack 22: high pressure line 24: low pressure regulator 26: filling line - It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.
- In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.
- As described herein, the present invention includes a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system comprising a plurality of hydrogen tanks, an intake regulator and a solenoid valve. In certain embodiments, the in-tank regulator is mounted at an inlet portion of a first hydrogen tank of the plurality of hydrogen tanks and the solenoid valve is mounted at an inlet portion of each of the other hydrogen tanks.
- The present invention also features a method for controlling a hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell, the system including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, the method comprising: a hydrogen filling step; a hydrogen supply step; and a hydrogen transfer step.
- In certain embodiments, the hydrogen filling step comprises high pressure hydrogen being supplied to a high pressure line connecting first to Nth hydrogen tanks to be filled in the first to Nth hydrogen tanks. In other embodiments, in the hydrogen supply step only hydrogen in the first hydrogen tank provided adjacent to a fuel cell stack is supplied to the fuel cell stack during driving of a vehicle.
- In further embodiments of the invention, the hydrogen transfer step comprises hydrogen being transferred from the second to Nth hydrogen tanks to the first hydrogen tank during parking or stopping of the vehicle.
- The invention can also include a motor vehicle comprising the hydrogen supply system as described in any one of the above aspects.
- Hereinafter reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
- The present invention provides a hydrogen supply system preferably including a plurality of hydrogen tanks, i.e., a multiple hydrogen tank system. In certain preferred embodiments, an in-tank regulator is suitably mounted only on one hydrogen tank adjacent to a fuel cell stack and a solenoid valve is suitably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks. As a result, in certain embodiments, since the in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank, it is possible to considerably reduce manufacturing cost, compared with the conventional multiple hydrogen tank system in which the in-tank regulator is preferably provided at each of the plurality of hydrogen tanks, which results in an increase in manufacturing cost.
- For a better understanding of the present invention, the plurality of hydrogen tanks, i.e., first to Nth hydrogen tanks, in certain exemplary embodiments, will be suitably limited to two hydrogen tanks, in which the hydrogen tank adjacent to the fuel cell stack will be preferably referred to as the first hydrogen tank, and the hydrogen tank suitably connected to the first hydrogen tank through a high pressure line will be preferably referred to as the second hydrogen tank.
- In certain exemplary embodiments, and as shown in
FIGS. 1 to 4 , an in-tank regulator 14 having afirst solenoid valve 12 is preferably mounted at an inlet portion of afirst hydrogen tank 10 adjacent to afuel cell stack 20, and asecond solenoid valve 18 is preferably mounted at an inlet portion of asecond hydrogen tank 16. - Accordingly, the inlet portions of the
first hydrogen tank 10 and thesecond hydrogen tank 16 are suitably connected to each other through thehigh pressure line 22. In certain embodiments, the in-tank regulator 14 and thesecond solenoid valve 18 are preferably connected to each other through thehigh pressure line 22. - In further embodiments, an outlet portion of the in-
tank regulator 14 is suitably connected to a fuel electrode of thefuel cell stack 20 preferably through anotherlow pressure regulator 24. - In other embodiments, the in-
tank regulator 14 is preferably mounted only on thefirst hydrogen tank 10 adjacent to thefuel cell stack 20 among the plurality of hydrogen tanks, and it is necessary to suitably employ a new control method for supplying hydrogen. - According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the
first solenoid valve 12 suitably mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 of thefirst hydrogen tank 10 and thesecond solenoid valve 18 suitably mounted on thesecond hydrogen tank 16 are on/off controlled during hydrogen filling, during driving of a vehicle, and during parking or stopping of a vehicle, respectively, thus stably supplying hydrogen to thefuel cell stack 20. - Next, a preferred method for controlling the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention will be described with respect to the respective processes in detail.
- Hydrogen Filling Process
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary hydrogen filling process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. - As shown in exemplary
FIG. 1 , afilling line 26 is suitably connected to thehigh pressure line 22 preferably connected between the inlet portions of the first andsecond hydrogen tanks tank regulator 14 of thefirst hydrogen tank 10 and thesecond solenoid valve 18 of thesecond hydrogen tank 16. - According to further embodiments, when high pressure hydrogen is suitably supplied from a hydrogen storage tank of a hydrogen filling station (not shown) to the filling
line 26 and thehigh pressure line 22, thefirst solenoid valve 12 mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 is preferably automatically opened by the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen, and preferably the high pressure hydrogen is suitably filled in thefirst hydrogen tank 10. In related embodiments, at the same time, thesecond solenoid valve 18 of thesecond hydrogen tank 16 is preferably automatically opened by the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen, and thus the high pressure hydrogen is suitably filled in thesecond hydrogen tank 16. - In preferred embodiments, the first and
second solenoid valves second hydrogen tanks - Hydrogen Supply Process
- In preferred embodiments, the term he “hydrogen supply process” is meant to refer to a process in which hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell stack during driving of a vehicle.
-
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary hydrogen supply process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention. - As described herein, when the vehicle is driven in a state where the high pressure hydrogen is preferably filled in the first and
second hydrogen tanks first solenoid valve 12 mounted on the in-tank regulator 14 is suitably controlled to be opened and, at the same time, thesecond solenoid valve 18 is suitably controlled to be closed. - According to further embodiments, only the high pressure hydrogen in the
first hydrogen tank 10 is preferably supplied to the fuel electrode of thefuel cell stack 20 after the pressure of the high pressure hydrogen suitably discharged from thefirst hydrogen tank 10 is regulated to a low pressure of about 10 bar by the in-tank regulator 14. - Hydrogen Transfer Process
- In preferred embodiments, the term “hydrogen transfer process” is meant to refer to a process in which the high pressure hydrogen in the second hydrogen tank is suitably transferred and filled in the first hydrogen tank.
-
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary hydrogen transfer process in the hydrogen supply system for a fuel cell in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. - As described herein, since only the hydrogen in the
first hydrogen tank 10 is preferably supplied to thefuel cell stack 20 during driving of the vehicle, the amount of hydrogen becomes suitably reduced and, accordingly, the hydrogen in thesecond hydrogen tank 16 is suitably refilled in thefirst hydrogen tank 10 during parking, stopping, or driving low speed of the vehicle. - According to further preferred embodiments, the
first solenoid valve 12 of the in-tank regulator 14 mounted at the inlet portion of thefirst hydrogen tank 10 is preferably controlled to be closed and thesecond solenoid valve 18 mounted at the inlet portion of thesecond hydrogen tank 16 are preferably controlled to be opened so that the high pressure hydrogen in thesecond hydrogen tank 16 is suitably transferred through thehigh pressure line 22 and filled in thefirst hydrogen tank 10. In this case, the filling process continues until the pressures of the first andsecond hydrogen tanks - Accordingly, in further embodiments, as the hydrogen filling process, the hydrogen supply process, and the hydrogen transfer process are repeatedly performed, the pressures of the first and
second hydrogen tanks - Preferably, when the pressures of the first and
second hydrogen tanks first solenoid valve 12 of the in-tank regulator 14 of thefirst hydrogen tank 10 and thesecond solenoid valve 18 of thesecond hydrogen tank 16 are suitably controlled to be all opened so that preferably the residual hydrogen in the first andsecond hydrogen tanks - As described above, in certain preferred embodiments, the present invention provides the following effects.
- According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the in-tank regulator is preferably mounted only on one hydrogen tank adjacent to the fuel cell stack and the solenoid valve is preferably mounted on each of the other hydrogen tanks in the hydrogen supply system including the plurality of hydrogen tanks, and thus it is possible to suitably stably supply hydrogen to the fuel cell stack by controlling on/off of the solenoid valves of the respective hydrogen tanks during driving of the vehicle.
- Preferably, since the in-tank regulator is suitably applied to onehydrogen tank, it is possible to considerably reduce the manufacturing cost.
- The invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (13)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/797,230 US8492047B2 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2010-06-09 | Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same |
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KR10-2008-0039149 | 2008-04-28 | ||
KR1020080039149A KR101047412B1 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2008-04-28 | Hydrogen supply device for fuel cell and control method thereof |
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US12/797,230 Division US8492047B2 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2010-06-09 | Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same |
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US12/268,162 Abandoned US20090269624A1 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2008-11-10 | Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same |
US12/797,230 Active 2029-09-03 US8492047B2 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2010-06-09 | Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same |
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US12/797,230 Active 2029-09-03 US8492047B2 (en) | 2008-04-28 | 2010-06-09 | Hydrogen supply system for fuel cell and method for controlling the same |
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Country | Link |
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US (2) | US20090269624A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5368733B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101047412B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101572320B (en) |
DE (1) | DE102008043396A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20140109974A1 (en) * | 2011-06-06 | 2014-04-24 | Zoz Gmbh | Vehicle having a plurality of storage vessels for a combustible gas, and method for displaying the available stored quantity and controlling the extraction |
JP2017149194A (en) * | 2016-02-22 | 2017-08-31 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Fuel cell vehicle |
US9841147B1 (en) | 2016-05-23 | 2017-12-12 | Twisted Sun Innovations, Inc. | Gas storage device |
CN113074314A (en) * | 2020-01-03 | 2021-07-06 | 广州汽车集团股份有限公司 | Hydrogen tank valve protection support and fuel cell car |
US20210284012A1 (en) * | 2020-03-16 | 2021-09-16 | Hyundai Motor Company | Hydrogen storage system and flow rate adjusting valve used for same |
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JP5556250B2 (en) * | 2010-03-09 | 2014-07-23 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | High pressure gas supply system and fuel cell system |
KR101219346B1 (en) * | 2011-06-09 | 2013-01-09 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Device and method for controlling hydrogen supply of fuel cell system |
JP5299855B2 (en) * | 2012-03-12 | 2013-09-25 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | vehicle |
DE102012204565A1 (en) * | 2012-03-22 | 2013-09-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Proportional valve with improved sealing seat |
KR101394679B1 (en) * | 2013-03-20 | 2014-05-15 | 현대중공업 주식회사 | A fuel gas supply system of liquefied natural gas |
KR101610476B1 (en) | 2014-06-27 | 2016-04-20 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Apparatus for warning hydrogen tank safety on car fire and method for the same |
CN105644352A (en) * | 2014-11-14 | 2016-06-08 | 天津市优耐特汽车电控技术服务有限公司 | Electric control device system for gas automobile |
ITUA20161289A1 (en) * | 2016-02-19 | 2017-08-19 | Vicario Guido Francesco Edoardo | MOBILE INTERCHANGEABLE CYLINDER IN CARBON FIBER WITH SAFETY INTAKE VALVE IN THE USAGE CIRCUIT ON NEW ELECTRIC DOUBLE ENERGY VEHICLES FOR FAST REFUELING OF LARGE CARS NUMBERS, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN WIDE KLOMETRIC AUTONOMY, TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL AUTOROMY OF REFUELING WITH SPARE TANKS, WITH A NETWORK OF SERVICE STATIONS SIMPLIFIED WITH HIGH FIREPROOF AND ACOUSTIC THERMAL INSULATION, NO PUBLIC SOIL REQUIRED FOR STOPS, FOR PRODUCTION AND STORAGE IN REDUCED SPACES OF LARGE QUANTITIES OF ELECTROLYTIC HYDROGEN PRODUCED WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY. FOR THEIR USE FOR AUTOMOTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REHABILITATION THROUGH THE USE OF ELECTROLYTIC WATER IN REPLACEMENT OF OIL: A GLOBAL INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL MOBILITY WITH DOUBLE ENERGY IS FORMED WITH EXTENDER HYDROGEN RANGE. |
US10059215B1 (en) | 2017-03-08 | 2018-08-28 | A3 Labs, Llc | Energy source supply systems, energy source supply devices, and related methods |
JP7203858B2 (en) * | 2018-03-02 | 2023-01-13 | エア・リキード・アドバンスド・テクノロジーズ・ユー.エス.・エルエルシー | Mobile hydrogen dispenser for fuel cell vehicles |
KR102566784B1 (en) | 2021-04-29 | 2023-08-16 | (주)모토닉 | Safety valve apparatus for hydrogen high pressure regulator |
US11732843B2 (en) | 2021-07-19 | 2023-08-22 | Caterpillar Inc. | On-tank regulator for high-pressure tank |
EP4202283A1 (en) * | 2021-12-22 | 2023-06-28 | Volvo Truck Corporation | A hydrogen gas supply system |
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2008
- 2008-04-28 KR KR1020080039149A patent/KR101047412B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2008-06-12 JP JP2008154172A patent/JP5368733B2/en active Active
- 2008-11-03 DE DE102008043396A patent/DE102008043396A1/en not_active Ceased
- 2008-11-06 CN CN2008101735870A patent/CN101572320B/en active Active
- 2008-11-10 US US12/268,162 patent/US20090269624A1/en not_active Abandoned
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2010
- 2010-06-09 US US12/797,230 patent/US8492047B2/en active Active
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US6041762A (en) * | 1996-08-16 | 2000-03-28 | Impco Technologies, Inc. | Control module for natural gas fuel supply for a vehicle |
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Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20140109974A1 (en) * | 2011-06-06 | 2014-04-24 | Zoz Gmbh | Vehicle having a plurality of storage vessels for a combustible gas, and method for displaying the available stored quantity and controlling the extraction |
JP2017149194A (en) * | 2016-02-22 | 2017-08-31 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Fuel cell vehicle |
US10081242B2 (en) * | 2016-02-22 | 2018-09-25 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell vehicle |
US9841147B1 (en) | 2016-05-23 | 2017-12-12 | Twisted Sun Innovations, Inc. | Gas storage device |
US11454350B2 (en) | 2016-05-23 | 2022-09-27 | Twisted Sun Innovations, Inc. | Gas storage device |
US12013085B2 (en) | 2016-05-23 | 2024-06-18 | Twisted Sun Innovations, Inc. | Gas storage device |
CN113074314A (en) * | 2020-01-03 | 2021-07-06 | 广州汽车集团股份有限公司 | Hydrogen tank valve protection support and fuel cell car |
US20210284012A1 (en) * | 2020-03-16 | 2021-09-16 | Hyundai Motor Company | Hydrogen storage system and flow rate adjusting valve used for same |
US11738638B2 (en) * | 2020-03-16 | 2023-08-29 | Hyundai Motor Company | Hydrogen storage system and flow rate adjusting valve used for same |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR20090113431A (en) | 2009-11-02 |
DE102008043396A1 (en) | 2009-10-29 |
JP5368733B2 (en) | 2013-12-18 |
JP2009264575A (en) | 2009-11-12 |
CN101572320A (en) | 2009-11-04 |
US20100248063A1 (en) | 2010-09-30 |
CN101572320B (en) | 2013-08-07 |
US8492047B2 (en) | 2013-07-23 |
KR101047412B1 (en) | 2011-07-08 |
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