US20230399976A1 - Recirculation fan turbocharger assembly and fuel cell system - Google Patents
Recirculation fan turbocharger assembly and fuel cell system Download PDFInfo
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- US20230399976A1 US20230399976A1 US18/098,795 US202318098795A US2023399976A1 US 20230399976 A1 US20230399976 A1 US 20230399976A1 US 202318098795 A US202318098795 A US 202318098795A US 2023399976 A1 US2023399976 A1 US 2023399976A1
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- Prior art keywords
- fan
- compressor
- turbine
- fuel cell
- impeller
- Prior art date
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 117
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 60
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 60
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 60
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 22
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Chemical compound O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 9
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 description 8
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000003638 chemical reducing agent Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 150000002431 hydrogen Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004804 winding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001105 regulatory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C6/00—Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas- turbine plants for special use
- F02C6/04—Gas-turbine plants providing heated or pressurised working fluid for other apparatus, e.g. without mechanical power output
- F02C6/10—Gas-turbine plants providing heated or pressurised working fluid for other apparatus, e.g. without mechanical power output supplying working fluid to a user, e.g. a chemical process, which returns working fluid to a turbine of the plant
- F02C6/12—Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00Â -Â F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/04—Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants
-
- 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
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
-
- 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
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04097—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with recycling of the reactants
-
- 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
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04111—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants using a compressor turbine assembly
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2220/00—Application
- F05D2220/40—Application in turbochargers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
- H01M2250/20—Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
-
- 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
Abstract
A recirculation fan turbocharger assembly (23) recycles hydrogen and supplies air in a fuel cell system. The assembly (23) includes a fan (25), a compressor (27), and an electric drive (31) and/or a turbine (29). The fan (25) has an impeller (255) which is designed to convey a hydrogen containing recycle stream (250) to a fuel cell unit (1). The compressor (27) has a compressor wheel (275) which is designed to compress an air stream (270) for a fuel cell unit. The compressor wheel (275) and the impeller (255) are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner. The electric drive (31) and/or a turbine (29) is/are designed to drive the impeller (255) and the compressor wheel (275) simultaneously.
Description
- This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 102022114838.6 filed Jun. 13, 2022, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- The invention relates to a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly for recycling hydrogen and supplying air in a fuel cell system The invention further relates to a fuel cell system comprising a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly of this type.
- A fuel cell system can be provided in a vehicle, for example a car, a train, an aircraft or a ship. Electrical energy is generated in the fuel cell system for example by hydrogen to drive the vehicle.
- The fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell unit which is supplied with gaseous hydrogen. To supply fresh air, the oxygen of which reacts with the hydrogen, a turbocharger can be provided. Optionally, unused hydrogen gas is recycled to the inlet of the fuel cell unit. In the recycling, a recirculation fan is provided to return the unused hydrogen gas to the inlet and to ventilate the fuel cell. This means that lower fuel consumption can be achieved.
- The recirculation fan can be in the form of an electrically powered compressor, for example a centrifugal compressor. Side channel compressors and rotary blowers, known as Roots blowers, having a relatively low desired pressure ratio, are also used.
- The object of the invention is to indicate an alternative approach for recovering hydrogen in a fuel cell system.
- The object is achieved by a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly for recycling hydrogen and supplying air in a fuel cell system having the features from claim 1.
- The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly comprises a fan having an impeller which is designed to convey a hydrogen containing recycle stream to a fuel cell unit, and a compressor having a compressor wheel which is designed to compress an air stream for a fuel cell unit, wherein the compressor wheel and the impeller are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner. An electric drive and/or a turbine is/are designed to drive the impeller and the compressor wheel simultaneously.
- In the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly, both a fan for transporting the unused hydrogen back to the fuel cell unit and a compressor as a turbocharger for supplying compressed fresh air to the fuel cell unit are provided. Advantageously, the fan also acts as a compressor for the hydrogen containing recycle stream. The compressor conveys the compressed fresh air to the fuel cell unit. In one embodiment, the impeller and the compressor wheel are coupled in such a way that they are driven by an electric drive simultaneously; a turbine is not provided. Alternatively, the impeller and the compressor wheel are coupled in such a way that they are driven by the turbine simultaneously and are advantageously assisted by an electric drive so that sufficient drive torque is provided for the fan and the compressor. The turbine can be driven by a fuel cell exhaust gas stream from the fuel cell unit which substantially comprises water vapor. The fuel cell exhaust gas stream and the hydrogen containing recycle stream are guided to two outlets of the fuel cell unit and are separated from one another by the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly.
- The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly integrates a recirculation fan and a turbocharger for a fuel cell unit in one device. This is a new approach for providing a hydrogen recirculation fan which increases the efficiency and service life of fuel cell systems for all types of fuel cell electric vehicles, for example cars, trains, aircraft or ships.
- The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly expands the function range of a conventional electrically assisted fuel cell turbocharger comprising a compressor for supplying suction air, and a turbine which drives the compressor by means of an exhaust gas stream. In the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly, the recirculation fan is integrated in a turbocharger system, the construction of which is already ready to use and tested and on which the design can build during the integration of the recirculation fan and the related adaptation of the turbocharger. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly can be based on an only electrically powered turbocharger or an electrically assisted turbine powered turbocharger. In the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly, the electric drive or the turbine drive assisted by an electric drive is additionally used to convey, and advantageously compress, the hydrogen to be returned. This results in potential cost and space savings.
- The compressor wheel and impeller can be coupled by means of a shaft, wherein the electric drive is coupled to the shaft between the compressor wheel and the impeller so that the compressor wheel and impeller are arranged on the end regions of the shaft. The electric drive comprises an electric motor which is arranged between the compressor wheel and the impeller and drives the shaft. Such a shaft can be held by oil free air bearings. In this embodiment, no turbine is provided, since the driving takes place only electrically.
- In an alternative embodiment, a turbine is provided. The shaft is coupled to the compressor wheel, the impeller and the turbine wheel, and an electric drive is coupled to the shaft between two of the compressor wheel, the impeller and the turbine wheel so that wheels are provided on both end regions of the shaft. Such a shaft can be held by oil free air bearings. The fan, the compressor, the turbine and the electric motor, which is part of the electric drive, can be arranged in different orders. The electric motor has a rotatable magnetic region and a stationary magnetic region, wherein the rotatable magnetic region is arranged on the shaft. An electric motor of this type can be for example a three phase permanent magnet motor, the control circuit of which comprises a three phase inverter, which is operated with at least 48V.
- In one embodiment, an electric motor is arranged between the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel and is coupled to the shaft. In this arrangement of the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel, similarly to in a conventional electrically assisted turbocharger, the recirculation fan is arranged on the same shaft as an additional, external compressor stage, advantageously on the side of the turbine facing away from the electric motor, so that the compressor and fan are arranged externally.
- In an alternative arrangement, an electric motor is arranged between the turbine wheel and the impeller, and the compressor wheel is arranged on the side of the impeller facing away from the electric motor.
- In one embodiment, an electric motor is arranged between the compressor wheel and the impeller and is coupled to the shaft, wherein the turbine wheel is arranged on the side of the impeller facing away from the electric motor. Advantageously, the impeller and the turbine wheel turn the backs thereof to one another, which is also referred to as a back-to-back arrangement. This arrangement makes it easier to supply the incoming gas streams and is associated with a compact construction.
- In other embodiments as well, two adjacent wheels can turn the backs thereof to one another.
- In one embodiment, a housing of the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly comprises a fan housing, a compressor housing and a turbine housing and is designed in such a way that the hydrogen containing recycle stream, the air stream and the fuel cell exhaust gas stream flow through the housing spatially separately from one another. The spatial separation of the gas streams is achieved by the housing design and seals.
- In one embodiment without a turbine, the fan housing and the compressor housing are designed in such a way that the hydrogen containing recycle stream and the air stream flow through the housing spatially separately from one another.
- A fuel cell system comprises a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly and a fuel cell unit which are coupled to one another in such a way that hydrogen from the fuel cell unit can be conveyed back through the fan to the fuel cell unit, and an air stream is supplied through the compressor of the fuel cell unit. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly fulfills a dual function: recycling hydrogen and supplying air, which is associated with a compact design of the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly and thus also of the fuel cell system.
- In one embodiment of the fuel cell system, the fan has a fan inlet and a fan outlet, and the compressor has a compressor inlet for the inflow of air and a compressor outlet. The fuel cell unit is coupled on the output side to the fan inlet and on the input side to the fan outlet and the compressor outlet. The coupling can take place by means of additional components, for example valves. In this embodiment, a turbine is not required.
- In an alternative embodiment of the fuel cell system, the fan has a fan inlet and a fan outlet. The compressor has a compressor inlet for the inflow of air and a compressor outlet, and the turbine has a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet. The fuel cell unit is coupled on the output side to the turbine inlet and the fan inlet, and on the input side to the fan outlet and the compressor outlet. The coupling can take place by means of additional components, for example valves. In this embodiment, a turbine drive is provided, which is advantageously electrically assisted by the electric drive, which results in a reduction in power consumption by comparison with an embodiment without a turbine. The turbine is driven by the fuel cell exhaust gas stream, and the fan conveys the hydrogen containing recycle stream.
- In the following, some exemplary embodiments will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a conventional fuel cell system; -
FIG. 2 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system; -
FIG. 3 schematically shows a rotor having an electric motor from the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly fromFIG. 2 , -
FIG. 4 schematically shows another exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system; -
FIG. 5 schematically shows a rotor having an electric motor from the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly fromFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 schematically shows yet another exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system; -
FIG. 7 schematically shows a rotor having an electric motor from the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly fromFIG. 6 ; and -
FIG. 8 is a sectional view through an exemplary embodiment of a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly. - In the drawings, like or functionally like components are provided with the same reference signs.
-
FIG. 1 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a conventional fuel cell system having a fuel cell unit 1, which comprises a stack having a plurality of fuel cells. The fuel cells each have an anode and a cathode, and a membrane arranged therebetween. On the anode side, a fuel, in this exemplary embodiment gaseous hydrogen, is supplied. The supply takes place from a hydrogen reservoir 3 in the form of a tank via apressure reducer 5 and a pressure control valve 7 connected downstream of thepressure reducer 5. Hydrogen from the pressure reducing valve 7 and hydrogen recycled from the fuel cell unit 1 are supplied to the anode side of the fuel cell unit 1 via an ejector 9. To the cathode side, an oxidation means, conventionally air, is supplied. This supply takes place via afilter 11 and anair compressor 13. The compressed air passes through ahumidifier 15 to improve the efficiency and is supplied to the cathode side of the fuel cell unit 1. - The fuel and the oxidation means react inside the fuel cells and release energy while simultaneously producing water. The gaseous water is the output side fuel cell
exhaust gas stream 290 at the cathode. However, hydrogen which flows out of the hydrogen reservoir 3 into the anode side is conventionally not completely converted into water. Nitrogen and water which are formed during the reaction in the anode and would increasingly impair the efficiency are discharged from the fuel cell unit 1 to make space for hydrogen. As a result, an efficient reaction is made possible, and the sensitive membrane in the fuel cells is not damaged, and therefore the fuel cell system 1 functions well even when it is cold and has a long service life. As a result of the points mentioned above, a recycling circuit for a hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250 is provided with arecirculation fan 17 in the hydrogen recycle and adischarge valve 19 at the anode. Arecirculation fan 17 increases the efficiency and the robustness of the system, in particular with respect to protection when it is cold and the service life. At the anode, a separate recycling circuit is provided with therecirculation fan 17, which recycles the unused hydrogen and blows the nitrogen and the excess water out of the cell. The recycling circuit firstly feeds the unused hydrogen back into the anode input and secondly discharges the nitrogen and the excess water through thedischarge valve 19. The water is guided to thehumidifier 15 in order to humidify the input air. -
Cooling connections 21 of the fuel cell unit 1 are connected to a cooling system to cool the fuel cell unit 1. -
FIG. 2 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system. - The fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell unit 1 which is coupled on the input side to a hydrogen reservoir 3, from which hydrogen is conducted as fuel into the fuel cell unit 1. The coupling can take place by means of additional components, for example valves.
- The fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to a recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 which both supplies air to the fuel cell unit 1 and recycles unused hydrogen into the fuel cell unit 1. In the fuel cell unit 1, the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen from the supplied air brings about a conversion of the chemical energy from hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy, thepower output 47 of which is illustrated by an arrow. - The recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 comprises afan 25 which is designed to convey, and in the process compress, a hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250, and acompressor 27, which is designed to compress and convey anair stream 270 for the fuel cell unit 1. Anelectric drive 31 drives thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 jointly. - The
fan 250 comprises afan inlet 251, afan outlet 253 and animpeller 255. Thecompressor 27 comprises acompressor inlet 271, acompressor outlet 273 and acompressor wheel 275. On the input side, the fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to thecompressor outlet 273, via which compressed air is supplied, and thefan outlet 253, via which unused hydrogen is made available again. On the output side, the fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to thefan inlet 251 so that unused hydrogen flows out of the fuel cell unit 1 into thefan 25. Air is guided to thecompressor 27 via thecompressor inlet 271. - The housing of the recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 comprises a fan housing and a compressor housing which are designed in such a way that the hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250 and theair stream 270 flow through the housing spatially separately from one another, without mixing. - The
electric drive 31 is coupled between thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 and comprises anelectric motor 33 which drives both thecompressor wheel 275 in thecompressor 27 and theimpeller 255 in thefan 25 so that air is conveyed to the fuel cell unit 1, and hydrogen is conveyed back to the fuel cell unit 1. Theelectric motor 33 can be in the form of a three phase permanent magnet motor. Acontrol circuit 35 controls theelectric motor 33 and is coupled to anelectrical supply 49. The power supply of theelectric motor 33 also takes place via thecontrol circuit 35. -
FIG. 3 schematically shows a rotor from the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23 fromFIG. 2 . The rotor comprises the rotatable components of the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23. - The rotor comprises the
impeller 255 and thecompressor wheel 275, which are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner by means of ashaft 37. Theshaft 37 is driven by theelectric motor 33 and held bybearings 39. Theelectric motor 33 is arranged between theimpeller 255 and thecompressor wheel 275. Theelectric motor 33 is coupled to theshaft 37 so that the shaft can be driven by theelectric motor 33. Theimpeller 255 and thecompressor wheel 275 rotate at the same speed. However, because these have different designs, in particular different sizes, the performances thereof can be different and adapted to the operating requirements. -
FIG. 4 schematically shows another exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system. - The fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell unit 1 which is coupled on the input side to a hydrogen reservoir 3, from which hydrogen is conducted as fuel into the fuel cell unit 1.
- The fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to a recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 which both supplies compressed air to the fuel cell unit 1 and conveys unused hydrogen back into the fuel cell unit 1. A fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290 substantially comprising water vapor, but also oxygen, is guided through the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23 in order to drive the air supply and hydrogen recycling. A hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250, which is also provided on the output side of the fuel cell unit 1, is conveyed by the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23 back to the input of the fuel cell unit 1. - The recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 comprises afan 25 which is designed to convey a hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250, and acompressor 27, which is designed to compress anair stream 270 for the fuel cell unit 1. Aturbine 29 is coupled to thefan 25 and thecompressor 29 so that the turbine drives thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 simultaneously. Theturbine 29 can be driven by the fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290. Anelectric drive 31, which can drive thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 jointly, is provided to assist the turbine drive. - The
fan 25 comprises afan inlet 251, afan outlet 253 and animpeller 255. Thecompressor 27 comprises acompressor inlet 271, acompressor outlet 273 and acompressor wheel 275. Theturbine 29 comprises aturbine inlet 291, aturbine outlet 293 and aturbine wheel 295. On the input side, the fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to thecompressor outlet 273, from which compressed air is supplied, and thefan outlet 253, from which hydrogen is recycled. On the output side, the fuel cell unit 1 is coupled to thefan inlet 251, into which the hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250 flows, and to theturbine inlet 291 so that the fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290 drives theturbine wheel 295. Via thecompressor inlet 271, air is guided to thecompressor 27, compressed therein and then flows into the fuel cell unit 1. - The electric drive comprises an
electric motor 33 which is designed to drive both thecompressor wheel 275 in thecompressor 27 and theimpeller 255 in thefan 25 so that air is conveyed to the fuel cell unit 1, and hydrogen is conveyed back to the fuel cell unit 1. Acontrol circuit 35 controls theelectric motor 33. The power supply of theelectric motor 33 also takes place via thecontrol circuit 35. Theelectric motor 33 is designed to assist the turbine drive. Theelectric motor 33 can be controlled by thecontrol circuit 35 according to the amount of fuel cell exhaust gas that flows into theturbine 29, and the desired power of thefan 25 and thecompressor 27. -
FIG. 5 schematically shows a rotor from the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly fromFIG. 4 . - The rotor comprises the
impeller 255, thecompressor wheel 275 and theturbine wheel 295, which are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner by means of ashaft 37. Theshaft 37 is driven by theelectric motor 33 and/or theturbine 29. Theelectric motor 33 is arranged between theturbine wheel 295 and thecompressor wheel 275, and theelectric motor 33 is coupled to theshaft 37 so that the shaft can be driven by theelectric motor 33. Theimpeller 255 is arranged on the side of theturbine 29 facing away from theelectric motor 33. - Although the
impeller 255, thecompressor wheel 275 and theturbine wheel 295 are coupled by means of theshaft 37, the gas streams are separated from one another by thefan 25, thecompressor 27 and theturbine 29. This is achieved inter alia by the design of the housing of the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23 and seals. - In the case of the above-described recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23, thecompressor 27 and theturbine 29 are arranged similarly to in a conventional turbocharger but extended by thefan 25 on the outer side of theturbine 29. - As a result of the rotationally fixed coupling of the
turbine wheel 29, thecompressor wheel 27 and theimpeller 25, the above-described assembly is associated with a simple construction, but the wheels have the same rotational speed. An adaptation to the power requirements of thefan 25, thecompressor 27, and theturbine 29 can take place by means of different wheel designs, as well as by the design of the flow path inside thefan 25, thecompressor 27 and theturbine 29. -
FIG. 6 schematically shows another exemplary embodiment of a fuel cell system. The description is focused on differences from the previous exemplary embodiment. - In this exemplary embodiment, the
fan 25 and thecompressor 27 are arranged on one side of theelectric motor 33, and theturbine 29 is arranged on the other side. Thefan 25 is arranged between theelectric motor 33 and thecompressor 27. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 can be arranged the other way around. -
FIG. 7 schematically shows a rotor from the recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23 fromFIG. 6 . - The rotor comprises the
impeller 255, thecompressor wheel 275 and theturbine wheel 295, which are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner by means of ashaft 37. Theshaft 37 is driven by theelectric motor 33 and/or theturbine 29. Theelectric motor 33 is arranged between theturbine wheel 295 and theimpeller 255. On the side of theimpeller 255 facing away from theelectric motor 33, thecompressor wheel 275 is arranged. -
FIG. 8 is a sectional view through an exemplary embodiment of a recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23. As in the two above-described exemplary embodiments, the assembly can be coupled to a fuel cell unit 1. - The recirculation
fan turbocharger assembly 23 comprises afan 25 which is designed to convey a hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250, and acompressor 27, which is designed to compress anair stream 270 for a fuel cell unit 1. Aturbine 29 is coupled to thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 so that the turbine drives thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 simultaneously. Theturbine 29 can be driven by the fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290. Theelectric motor 33 is provided to assist the turbine drive. - The
compressor 27 and theturbine 29 are arranged on the outer sides. Theelectric motor 33 is arranged between thecompressor 27 and thefan 25. - The
compressor 27 comprises anaxial compressor inlet 271, acompressor outlet 273 and acompressor wheel 275 which is arranged in acompressor housing 277. Thecompressor wheel 275 is coupled to ashaft 37. Between thecompressor outlet 273 and thecompressor wheel 275, thecompressed air stream 270 passes through avolute 278 which extends helically around thecompressor wheel 275. - The
electric motor 33 is arranged between thecompressor 27 and thefan 25 and coupled to theshaft 37 so that the shaft can be driven by theelectric motor 33. Theelectric motor 33 comprises a magnetic region 41 on theshaft 37, which is in the form of a permanent magnetic sleeve. Around the magnetic region 41,magnetic regions 43 of a stator 45 are arranged, which are in the form of coils having windings through which a current that varies over time flows. According to the current varying over time and flowing through the windings, a magnetic field that varies over time is induced, which, together with the permanent magnetic sleeve, brings about a rotation of the rotor and thus of theshaft 37. Oilfree bearings 39 hold theshaft 37. - The
fan 25, in the form of a radial fan, comprises afan inlet 251, afan outlet 253 and animpeller 255 which is arranged in afan housing 257 and is coupled to theshaft 37. The recycled hydrogen flows through thefan inlet 251, which extends adjacently to theelectric motor 33, firstly radially in the direction of the axis of rotation and then axially to theimpeller 255 and subsequently passes through avolute 258, which extends helically around theimpeller 255, before the hydrogen containingrecycle stream 250 leaves thefan 25 through thefan outlet 253. - The
fan 29 comprises aturbine inlet 291, aturbine outlet 293 and aturbine wheel 295 which is arranged in aturbine housing 297 and is coupled to theshaft 37. The fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290 flows through a volute 298 to theturbine wheel 295 and then flows axially out of the wheel. Theturbine 29 is in the form of a recovery turbine which uses warm fuel cell exhaust gas to heat other gas streams. Hydrogen from the fuel cellexhaust gas stream 290 can be guided, after passing through theturbine 29, to thefan inlet 251 and conveyed through thefan 25. - In this exemplary embodiment, the
impeller 255 and theturbine wheel 295 are arranged back-to-back so that the rear faces thereof face one another. In this exemplary embodiment, the rear faces touch one another. Alternatively, theimpeller 255 and theturbine wheel 295 are formed as a single piece. The arrangement of theturbine wheel 295 andimpeller 255, which is also referred to as a back-to-back arrangement, allows the construction of a compact recirculationfan turbocharger assembly 23. - Although the
impeller 255, thecompressor wheel 275 and theturbine wheel 295 are coupled by means of theshaft 37, the gas streams are separated from one another by thefan 25, theturbine 29 and thecompressor 27. This is achieved inter alia by the design of the housing of the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly 1 and by seals, in particular in the region of theshaft 37. - The orientation of the wheels, namely the
impeller 25, thecompressor wheel 275 and optionally theturbine wheel 295, can be selected according to the operating and design requirements. Thus, inFIGS. 3, 5 and 7 , an orientation of the wheels with backs facing theelectric motor 33 is sketched by way of example. In these exemplary embodiments as well, a back-to-back arrangement of two adjacent wheels would be conceivable. An arrangement as shown inFIG. 8 , but in which thefan 25 and thecompressor 27 are arranged the other way around so that thecompressor wheel 275 and theturbine wheel 295 are arranged back to back, is also possible. - The preceding features, the features indicated in the claims and the features that can be derived from the drawings can advantageously be implemented both individually and in various combinations. The invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments, but rather can be modified in various ways within the capabilities of a person skilled in the art.
-
-
- 1 fuel cell unit
- 3 hydrogen reservoir
- 5 pressure reducer
- 7 pressure regulating valve
- 9 ejector
- 11 filter
- 13 air compressor
- 15 humidifier
- 17 recirculation fan
- 19 discharge valve
- 21 cooling connection
- 23 recirculation fan turbocharger assembly
- 25 fan
- 250 hydrogen containing recycle stream
- 251 fan inlet
- 253 fan outlet
- 255 impeller
- 257 fan housing
- 258 volute
- 27 compressor
- 270 air stream
- 271 compressor inlet
- 273 compressor outlet
- 275 compressor wheel
- 277 compressor housing
- 278 volute
- 29 turbine
- 290 fuel cell exhaust gas stream
- 291 turbine inlet
- 293 turbine outlet
- 295 turbine wheel
- 297 turbine housing
- 298 volute
- 31 electric drive
- 33 electric motor
- 35 control circuit
- 37 shaft
- 39 bearing
- 41 magnetic region
- 43 magnetic region
- 45 stator
- 47 power output
- 49 electrical supply
Claims (19)
1. A recirculation fan turbocharger assembly for a hydrogen recycle and an air supply in a fuel cell system, the recirculation fan turbocharger assembly comprising:
a fan having an impeller which is designed to convey a hydrogen containing recycle stream to a fuel cell unit,
a compressor having a compressor wheel which is designed to compress an air stream for a fuel cell unit, wherein the compressor wheel and the impeller are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner, and
an electric drive and/or a turbine which is/are designed to drive the impeller and the compressor wheel simultaneously.
2. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the turbine is configured to be driven by a fuel cell exhaust gas stream.
3. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the turbine comprises a turbine wheel which is coupled to the impeller and the compressor wheel so that a rotation of the turbine wheel is transmitted to the impeller and the compressor wheel.
4. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electric drive is configured to electrically assist the turbine in driving the fan and the compressor.
5. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a shaft which is coupled to the compressor wheel and the impeller, wherein the electric drive is coupled to the shaft between the compressor wheel and the impeller.
6. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a shaft which is coupled to the impeller, the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel, wherein the electric drive is coupled to the shaft between two of the impeller, the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel.
7. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 6 ,
wherein an electric motor is arranged between the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel and is coupled to the shaft, and wherein the impeller is arranged on the side of the turbine wheel facing away from the electric motor.
8. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 6 ,
wherein an electric motor is arranged between the turbine wheel and the impeller and is coupled to the shaft, and wherein the compressor wheel is arranged on the side of the impeller facing away from the electric motor.
9. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 6 ,
wherein an electric motor is arranged between the compressor wheel and the impeller and is coupled to the shaft, and wherein the turbine wheel is arranged on the side of the impeller facing away from the electric motor.
10. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 3 ,
wherein two of the impeller, the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel turn the backs thereof to one another.
11. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 2 ,
further comprising a housing which comprises a fan housing, a compressor housing and a turbine housing and which is configured such that the hydrogen containing recycle stream, the air stream and the fuel cell exhaust gas stream flow through the housing spatially separately from one another.
12. A fuel cell system comprising a recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 and a fuel cell unit which are coupled to one another such that hydrogen from the fuel cell unit can be conveyed through a fan back to the fuel cell unit, and an air stream can be supplied through the compressor.
13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12 , wherein the fan has a fan inlet and a fan outlet, the compressor has a compressor inlet for the inflow of air and a compressor outlet, and the fuel cell unit is coupled to the fan inlet on the output side and to the fan outlet and the compressor outlet on the input side.
14. The fuel cell system according to claim 12 , wherein the fan has a fan inlet and a fan outlet, the compressor has a compressor inlet for the inflow of air and a compressor outlet, the turbine has a turbine inlet and a turbine outlet, and the fuel cell unit is coupled to the turbine inlet and the fan inlet on the output side, and to the fan outlet and the compressor outlet on the input side.
15. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the turbine comprises a turbine wheel which is coupled to the impeller and the compressor wheel so that a rotation of the turbine wheel is transmitted to the impeller and the compressor wheel.
16. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 3 ,
wherein the impeller and the turbine wheel turn the backs thereof to one another.
17. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the electric drive is configured to electrically assist the turbine in driving the fan and the compressor.
18. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing which comprises a fan housing and a compressor housing which are configured such that the hydrogen containing recycle stream and the air stream flow through the housing spatially separately from one another.
19. The recirculation fan turbocharger assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the electric drive comprises an electric motor which drives both the compressor wheel and the impeller.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102022114838.6A DE102022114838A1 (en) | 2022-06-13 | 2022-06-13 | Recirculation fan-charger assembly and fuel cell system |
DE102022114838.6 | 2022-06-13 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20230399976A1 true US20230399976A1 (en) | 2023-12-14 |
Family
ID=88673621
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US18/098,795 Abandoned US20230399976A1 (en) | 2022-06-13 | 2023-01-19 | Recirculation fan turbocharger assembly and fuel cell system |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20230399976A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN220021177U (en) |
DE (1) | DE102022114838A1 (en) |
-
2022
- 2022-06-13 DE DE102022114838.6A patent/DE102022114838A1/en active Pending
-
2023
- 2023-01-19 US US18/098,795 patent/US20230399976A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2023-01-19 CN CN202320163673.3U patent/CN220021177U/en active Active
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Publication number | Publication date |
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DE102022114838A1 (en) | 2023-12-14 |
CN220021177U (en) | 2023-11-14 |
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