WO2024080413A1

WO2024080413A1 - Cooling system of fuel cell construction equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2024080413A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/015558
Authority: WO
Inventors: 육욱성
Original assignee: 볼보 컨스트럭션 이큅먼트 에이비
Priority date: 2022-10-14
Filing date: 2022-10-14
Publication date: 2024-04-18

Abstract

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a cooling system of fuel cell construction equipment, comprising a radiator for discharging heat of cooling water for a fuel cell stack and a water falling device installed to the upper front surface of the radiator to enable falling of water into the radiator.

Description

Cooling system for fuel cell construction machinery

This disclosure generally relates to cooling systems for fuel cell construction machinery, and in certain aspects, the present disclosure relates to cooling systems for fuel cell construction machinery using falling water and surface evaporation. The present disclosure more specifically relates to a cooling system for fuel cell construction machinery that uses falling water and surface evaporation of condensate generated through the electrochemical reaction of a fuel cell.

The useful work of a fuel cell is usually 52%, assuming that the energy of the fuel, H _{2 ,} is 100%. The remaining 42% of the energy is wasted in the cooling system and 6% as exhaust losses. For reference, unlike the existing fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel (30% expiration date, 30% cooling, 40% exhaust), it has a relatively long expiration date, and above all, it is a complete solution to carbon dioxide, the main culprit of the global greenhouse effect. Battery systems are receiving great attention. However, it has been pointed out that the energy wasted in the cooling system is relatively large.

Here, for smooth operation of the fuel cell, the temperature of the coolant flowing into the inlet of the fuel cell stack is required to be 60°C, so the outlet temperature of the radiator must be set to that temperature. This is about 40℃ lower than the inlet temperature of 100℃ of the existing diesel engine radiator, so if the heat load and atmospheric conditions for cooling are the same, the performance of the heat dissipation system should be relatively increased. In addition, unlike driving cars, construction equipment does not have the RAM (Relative Air Movement) effect, so a heat dissipation system superior to that of cars is required due to the limitation that the cooling air passing through the radiator must be formed entirely through a fan.

The performance of the radiator is influenced by the coolant section, such as using the flow rate and flow of the internal coolant or the radiator's fins and tubes, and the cooling air section, such as the use of the air flow path and fan (and shroud) within the radiator fin and tube space. It's crazy.

Here, there is a limit to increasing the coolant pump capacity to increase the coolant flow rate in the coolant sector or to increase the heat dissipation area of the radiator in the cooling air sector. In particular, coolant pumps may fail. Additionally, there are limits to increasing the cooling air volume by increasing the fan size and rotation speed. Above all, increasing the power of pumps and fans causes losses due to excessive use of electricity generated by fuel cells. In addition, a large amount of condensate generated through the electrochemical reaction of fuel cells is being discarded.

The present disclosure is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to utilize condensate and surface evaporation of the condensate generated in the fuel cell construction machine to maximize the heat dissipation performance of the radiator of the fuel cell construction machine. It provides a cooling system for fuel cell construction machinery.

A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to cooling of fuel cell construction machinery, including a radiator for discharging heat of coolant for a fuel cell stack, and a water dripping device installed on the upper front of the radiator to drip water into the radiator. Provides a system.

In one example, the water falling from the water dripping device to the radiator may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, wherein the water is condensed water generated in the fuel cell stack.

In one example, a condensate storage tank in which condensate generated from the fuel cell stack is stored, a condensate pump for pumping and supplying the condensate, and the condensate stored to supply the condensate to the water dripping device through the condensate pump. It may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, further comprising a condensate water supply line connected from the tank to the water dripping device.

In one example, the water dripping device includes a bottom surface inclined downward toward the radiator, and one or more water dripping holes arranged in a row at intervals at the bottom of the bottom surface. It could be a cooling system for construction machinery.

In one example, the one or more dripping holes may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, characterized in that each is located on an upper side of one or more tubes of the radiator.

In one example, it may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, which is installed to at least partially cover the front of the radiator and further includes a dripping water inflow network including one or more dripping wires.

In one example, the dripping water inflow network may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, characterized in that it is in contact with the tube of the radiator or disposed close to the tube of the radiator.

In one example, the water drop wire may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, characterized in that it includes one or more vertical wires and one or more inclined wires connecting the one or more vertical wires.

In one example, the one or more vertical wires may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, wherein the one or more vertical wires are respectively located below the one or more falling water holes.

In one example, the outlet of the condensate water supply line may be a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, characterized in that it is located in the upper central part of the water dripping device.

In one example, a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine may further include a level sensor that detects the level of condensate stored in the water dripping device to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device. You can.

In one example, the cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment further comprises a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the coolant flowing into the fuel cell stack to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device. It can be.

The above aspects, claimed claims, and/or examples disclosed hereinafter and herein may be appropriately combined with each other as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Additional features and advantages are set forth in the following description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art therefrom or will be recognized by practice of the disclosure as set forth herein.

According to the cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure, condensed water generated from the fuel cell construction machine is dripped onto a tube of a radiator or a dripping wire of a dripping water inflow network, and surface evaporation of the dripping water is used to cool the radiator. The cooling performance can be further increased.

According to the cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the size of the radiator can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of the radiator, thereby reducing costs. Additionally, if the size of the radiator is kept the same, the number or size of fans can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of the radiator. Furthermore, if the radiator and fan are maintained as is, the rpm and power of the fan can be minimized by increasing the efficiency of the radiator. This can also be expected to have the effect of reducing the use of hydrogen, the fuel for fuel cells.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the structure of the disclosure described in the detailed description or claims of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the accompanying drawings, a more detailed description of aspects of the present disclosure, cited by way of example, follows below.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of the cooling system of a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 4 is a side view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figures 5 (a) and (b) are a front view of a dripping water inflow network and a front view of a radiator, respectively, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to a second aspect of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is therefore not limited to the aspects described herein. In order to clearly explain the present disclosure in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are given similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any combination of one or more of the associated listed items. When used herein, the terms "comprise" and "comprising" designate the presence of a referenced feature, integer, step, operation, element and/or component, but may also include one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, It does not exclude the presence or addition of elements, components and/or groups thereof.

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, it will be understood that such elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “top” or “bottom” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another as illustrated in the drawings. there is. It will be understood that these terms and the terms discussed above are intended to include different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intermediate elements are present.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is further understood that terms used herein shall be construed to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and related technology, and will not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein. do.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and specification, embodiments are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for purposes of limitation, and the scope of the inventive concept is set forth in the claims below.

Hereinafter, one aspect of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

As referenced in FIG. 1 , the cooling system 10 of a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure is configured to include a radiator 100 and a water dripping device 200.

The radiator 100 is an element for dissipating heat from the coolant for the fuel cell stack 20.

According to one example, the radiator 100 includes an upper tank 110, a lower tank 120, and a heat dissipation structure. The heat dissipation structure is located between the upper tank 110 and the lower tank 120 and includes a plurality of vertical or horizontal tubes 130 that flow heated coolant from the upper tank 110 to the lower tank 120, and a plurality of tubes. (130) is welded to the tube 130 to connect between them, and may include fins that facilitate heat exchange. That is, the radiator 100 releases heat from the coolant through heat exchange in this heat dissipation structure.

A cooling fan may be disposed at the rear of the radiator 100, and the cooling fan can achieve a sufficient cooling effect by forcibly ventilating cooling air from the front to the rear of the radiator 100.

Meanwhile, the fuel cell system includes a coolant pump 23 that generates a flow of coolant, and a 3-way valve 24 that determines the flow direction of the coolant to selectively provide coolant to the radiator 100 according to the temperature of the coolant. may include. The location where the coolant pump 23 or the 3-way valve 24 is installed may be installed in a line that supplies coolant to the fuel cell stack 20. Additionally, the fuel cell system may further include a heater 25 that raises the temperature of the coolant to warm up the fuel cell stack 20.

This fuel cell system supplies air containing oxygen, a reactive gas, to the fuel cell stack 20 through the air supply line 21, and nitrogen accumulated in the fuel cell stack 20 through the air discharge line 22. and discharge water.

The cooling system 10 of a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure cools the coolant by supplying air to the heat dissipation structure of the conventional radiator 100, and cools the radiator 100 through the water dripping device 200. ) Water falls toward the heat dissipation structure. The falling water is transported to the tubes and fins of the radiator by the cooling air flowing into the radiator, and as it evaporates from the surfaces of the tubes and fins, it generates additional cooling due to latent heat.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure, FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of a cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a view of the cooling system for the fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure. This is a side view of the cooling system of a fuel cell construction machine according to one aspect of the disclosure.

2 to 4, the water dripping device 200 may be installed on the upper front of the radiator 100, preferably on the front of the upper tank 110.

The water dripping device 200 has a storage space for storing water inside, and the upper part may be open. At this time, a mesh net may be installed on the top of the water dripping device 200 to prevent foreign substances from entering the water dripping device 200.

The water dripping device 200 may include a bottom surface 210 inclined downward toward the radiator 100, and one or more drip holes 220 arranged in a line at intervals at the bottom of the bottom surface 210. there is. Accordingly, the water stored in the water dripping device 200 may move along the inclined floor surface 210 and then fall into the radiator 100 through one or more dripping holes 220.

Preferably, one or more dripping holes 220 may be located on the upper side of one or more tubes 130 of the radiator 100, respectively. Accordingly, the water falling from the water dripping device 100 can more efficiently reach the surface of the tube 130, and the heat dissipation performance of the radiator 100 can be improved.

The falling water hole 220 may be formed in a circular shape, preferably in a semi-circular shape. However, it is not limited to this, and the falling water hole 220 may be formed in various shapes to facilitate the falling water into the tube 130.

Meanwhile, as referred to in FIG. 1, the water falling from the water dripping device 200 to the radiator 100 may be condensation water generated in the fuel cell stack 20 or condensation water generated on the surface of the evaporator of the AC system. .

The cooling system 10 for a fuel cell construction machine according to aspects of the present disclosure may further include a condensate storage tank 400, a condensate drain line 410, a condensate supply line 420, and a condensate pump 430. there is.

A condensate drain line 410 may be installed in the air discharge line 22 to collect condensate generated from the fuel cell stack 20, and condensate water is stored to store the condensate collected through the condensate drain line 410. A tank 400 may be provided.

Condensate stored in the condensate storage tank 400 is supplied to the water dripping device 200 through the condensate supply line 420 and the condensate pump 430 while the fuel cell is operating.

At this time, the condensate pump 430 is an element for pumping and supplying condensate. In addition, the condensate supply line 420 is an element connected from the condensate storage tank 400 to the water dripping device 200 to supply condensed water to the water dripping device 200 through the condensate pump 430.

Preferably, the outlet of the condensate water supply line 420 is configured to be located in the upper central part of the water dripping device 200.

If the condensate water supply line 420 is located in the upper central part of the water dripping device 200, in the initial situation when condensate water falls from the water dripping device 200, the condensate water falls from the central dripping hole 220. This is to induce evaporative cooling by dropping condensate from the central part of the radiator, which is most affected by the cooling air passing through the radiator 100 during the falling water process, and to ensure improved cooling performance.

As referenced in FIG. 1, the cooling system 10 of the fuel cell construction machine has a level for detecting the water level of the condensate stored in the water dripping device 200 in order to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device 200. It may further include a sensor 230.

If the level of condensate supplied to the water dripping device 200 does not reach the preset standard level during fuel cell operation, the control unit (not shown) of the cooling system 10 determines that condensate supply is a necessary condition and pumps condensate water. The condensate supply amount is controlled by operating (430).

In addition, the cooling system 10 of the fuel cell construction machine includes a temperature sensor 500 that detects the temperature of the coolant flowing into the fuel cell stack 20 to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device 200. More may be included.

When the temperature of the coolant flowing into the fuel cell stack 20 increases during fuel cell operation and reaches a preset reference temperature, the control unit (not shown) of the cooling system 10 determines that condensate supply is necessary and pumps condensate water. The condensate supply amount is controlled by operating (430).

In this way, the amount of condensed water supplied to the water dripping device 200 can be appropriately adjusted depending on the situation.

Figures 5 (a) and (b) are a front view of a dripping water inflow network and a front view of a radiator, respectively, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 is a cooling system of a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure. This is the floor plan.

1 to 6, the cooling system 10 of a fuel cell construction machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a dripping water inflow network 300 to ensure that dripping water flows smoothly into the radiator 100. ) may further be included.

The falling water inflow network 300 may also perform the function of preventing external foreign substances such as fallen leaves from penetrating into the interior of the radiator 100.

The dripping water inlet network 300 is installed to at least partially cover the front of the radiator 100 and includes one or more dripping wires. Preferably, the dripping water inflow network 300 is in contact with the tube 130 of the radiator 100 or is at least disposed close to the tube 130 of the radiator 100.

According to one example, the falling water inflow network 300 may be formed to have an area that can cover the entire front of the radiator 100. That is, the dripping water inlet network 300 allows the water falling from the water dripping device 200 to cover the entire front of the radiator 100 along the dripping wire and move uniformly to the bottom. The water falling toward the falling wire and tube 130 of the radiator 100 may be transferred to the surface of the falling wire, the surface of the radiator tube 130, and the surface of the radiator fin by the cooling air flowing into the radiator.

In this way, surface evaporation of water on the surface of the radiator tube 130 and the surface of the radiator fin further improves the cooling performance of the radiator using cooling air.

Meanwhile, as referred to in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the falling water wire may include one or more vertical wires 310 and one or more inclined wires 320 connecting between the one or more vertical wires 310 .

At this time, according to one example, one or more vertical wires 310 are configured to be positioned below one or more dripping holes 220 of the water dripping device 200. In addition, one or more vertical wires 310 are configured to contact or be located in close proximity to one or more radiator tubes 130, respectively.

The water stored in the water dripping device 200 may fall onto the vertical wire 310 of the dripping wire or the tube 130 of the radiator through the dripping hole 220, and the water falling on the vertical wire 310 has a zigzag structure. It moves to cover the entire front of the radiator along one or more inclined wires 320 arranged.

As shown in FIG. 6, the diameter of the water drop hole 220 formed in the water drop device 200 is larger than the diameter of the water drop wire so that water flows smoothly along the surface of the tube 130 of the radiator 100. It may be configured to be smaller than the width of (130). Preferably, the diameter of the dripping hole 220 may be less than 1/2 of the width of the tube 130.

Coupling holes 331 may be formed on both edges 330 of the falling water inlet network 300, and the falling water inlet network 300 may be formed on the coupling holes 331 and both edges 140 of the radiator 100. It can be bolted through the coupling hole 141. However, it is not limited to this, and of course, various coupling methods that enable the combination of the dripping water inlet network 300 and the radiator 100 can be applied.

As referenced in FIG. 7 , the falling water inlet network 300 may be configured to cover only a portion of the area of the radiator 100 depending on the cooling situation according to the ambient temperature. Preferably, the dripping water inlet network 300 may be configured to cover only the upper half of the total front area of the radiator 100. More preferably, the dripping water inflow network 300 has a structure in which the dripping water inflow network covering the upper 1/2 area and the dripping water inflow network covering the lower 1/2 area are detachable from each other, so that the cover area can be adjusted depending on the situation. It can be configured so that

Even when the falling water inlet network 300 is configured to cover only the upper half of the radiator 100, the evaporative cooling effect can be basically guaranteed in the upper area of the radiator 100 where high-temperature coolant flows in and out. In addition, the falling water continues along the tube 130 or fins of the radiator 100, thereby maintaining the effect of the falling water inflow network 300 that covers the entire area of the radiator 100.

In this way, the cooling system 10 of a fuel cell construction machine according to aspects of the present disclosure can reduce the size of the radiator 100 by increasing the efficiency of the radiator 100, thereby reducing costs. Additionally, if the size of the radiator 100 is kept the same, the number or size of fans can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of the radiator 100. Furthermore, if the radiator 100 and the fan are maintained as is, the rpm and power of the fan can be minimized by increasing the efficiency of the radiator 100. This can also be expected to have the effect of reducing the use of hydrogen, the fuel for fuel cells.

The description of the present disclosure described above is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be easily transformed into another specific form without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present disclosure. You will understand. Therefore, the aspects described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, each component described as single may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims described below, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.

부호의 설명Description of the sign

10 Cooling system for fuel cell construction machinery

20 Fuel cell stack

21 Air supply line

22 Air discharge line

23 Coolant pump

24 3-way valve

25 heater

100 radiator

110 upper tank

120 lower tank

130 tube

140 border

141 coupling hole

200 water dripping device

210 bottom surface

220 Naksu Hall

230 level sensor

300 dripping water inlet network

310 vertical wire

320 inclined wire

330 border

331 coupling hole

400 Condensate storage tank

410 Condensate drain line

420 Condensate supply line

430 condensate pump

500 temperature sensor

Claims

A radiator to dissipate heat from the coolant for the fuel cell stack; and

A cooling system for a fuel cell construction machine, including a water dripping device installed on the upper front of the radiator to drip water into the radiator.
According to paragraph 1,

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, characterized in that the water falling from the water dripping device to the radiator is condensation water generated in the fuel cell stack.
According to paragraph 2,

A condensate storage tank that stores condensate generated from the fuel cell stack;

A condensate pump for pumping and circulating the condensate; and

The cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment further comprises a condensate water supply line connected from the condensate storage tank to the water dripping device to supply the condensate to the water dripping device through the condensate pump.
According to paragraph 1,

The water dripping device,

a bottom surface inclined downward toward the radiator; and

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, comprising one or more dripping holes arranged in a row at intervals at the bottom of the floor.
According to paragraph 4,

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, characterized in that the one or more dripping holes are respectively located on the upper side of one or more tubes of the radiator.
According to paragraph 4,

The cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment is installed to at least partially cover the front of the radiator, and further includes a dripping water inflow network including one or more dripping wires.
According to clause 6,

The cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, characterized in that the dripping water inflow network is in contact with the tube of the radiator or disposed close to the tube of the radiator.
According to clause 6,

The dripping wire is,

one or more vertical wires; and

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, comprising one or more inclined wires connecting the one or more vertical wires.
According to clause 8,

The cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, wherein the one or more vertical wires are respectively located below the one or more falling water holes.
According to paragraph 3,

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, characterized in that the outlet of the condensate water supply line is located in the upper central part of the water dripping device.
According to paragraph 3,

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, further comprising a level sensor that detects the level of condensate stored in the water dripping device to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device.
According to paragraph 3,

A cooling system for fuel cell construction equipment, further comprising a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of coolant flowing into the fuel cell stack to control the amount of condensate supplied to the water dripping device.