A vortex tube based fuel cell thermal management system and method of controlling the same

Abstract

The application discloses a fuel cell thermal management system based on a vortex tube, which comprises a cell stack, a thermal management device, an air device, a hydrogen device, an exhaust device and a vortex tube assembly. The air device, the hydrogen device and the exhaust device can form a working structure with the cell stack. The thermal management device can regulate the temperature of the fuel cell system through a cooling liquid, and the vortex tube assembly can generate cold air flow to cool the fuel cell system, thereby reducing the performance requirement of the thermal management device. The application also discloses a control method based on the fuel cell thermal management system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a fuel cell thermal management system and control method based on eddy current tubes. Background Technology

[0002] As fuel cell systems are increasingly adopted in the automotive industry, the heat dissipation issues they present during operation are becoming more and more prominent, such as high heat dissipation requirements, bulky radiators, and loud cooling fan noise. These problems seriously affect the driving experience for customers and are particularly prominent in the development and application of high-power fuel cell systems, making the development of new and efficient thermal management systems extremely urgent. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fuel cell thermal management system based on vortex tubes to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0004] The technical solution adopted to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0005] A vortex tube-based fuel cell thermal management system includes: a fuel cell stack, a thermal management device, an air device, a hydrogen device, an exhaust device, and a vortex tube assembly.

[0006] The battery stack has: a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a thermal management inlet, and a thermal management outlet; the thermal management inlet and thermal management outlet are both connected to the thermal management device, the hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet are both connected to the hydrogen device, the air inlet and air outlet are both connected to the air device, and the air device and hydrogen device are both connected to the discharge device.

[0007] The air device includes an air compressor assembly, one end of which is connected to the atmosphere and the other end of which is connected to an air inlet; the vortex tube assembly includes a vortex tube on / off valve, a refrigerated vortex tube, and an ejector; the inlet of the refrigerated vortex tube is connected between the air compressor assembly and the air inlet through the vortex tube on / off valve, and the cold end outlet of the refrigerated vortex tube is connected to the ejector.

[0008] The vortex tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by this invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the air device and hydrogen device respectively provide the required air and hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, and the reaction products of the fuel cell stack are transported to the discharge device through the hydrogen outlet and air outlet. The thermal management device can form a circulation loop with the thermal management inlet and outlet of the fuel cell stack, and achieve temperature regulation of the fuel cell system by controlling the temperature of the coolant in the loop. In the vortex tube assembly, the vortex tube on / off valve can control the on / off connection between the refrigerated vortex tube and the air compressor assembly. When the refrigerated vortex tube is connected to the air compressor assembly, the air compressor assembly can drive compressed air into the refrigerated vortex tube, forming a cold airflow at the cold end outlet of the refrigerated vortex tube, thereby cooling the fuel cell system; while the hot end outlet discharges the hot airflow into the atmosphere outside the fuel cell system. In addition to temperature regulation through the thermal management device, the fuel cell thermal management system of this invention also generates a cold airflow through the vortex tube assembly to cool the fuel cell system, reducing the need for radiators or cooling fans, thereby reducing heat dissipation noise and improving user experience.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the thermal management device includes: a water pump, a heater, a radiator, and a thermostat; the radiator is equipped with a cooling fan, the thermal management outlet is connected to the inlet of the thermostat, the two outlets of the thermostat are respectively connected to the inlet of the heater and the inlet of the radiator, and the outlets of the heater and the radiator are connected to the thermal management inlet via the water pump. Through the above technical solution, the water pump can drive the coolant flow, thereby achieving heat exchange. The two outlets of the thermostat are respectively connected to the heater and the radiator, so that the heater and the radiator are connected in parallel, realizing the heating or cooling of the coolant.

[0010] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the air unit includes an intercooler, and the hydrogen unit includes a hydrogen heat exchanger. The thermal management outlet, the coolant channel of the intercooler, the coolant channel of the hydrogen heat exchanger, and the inlet of the water pump are sequentially connected. Through this technical solution, the thermal management device, the thermal management inlet, and the thermal management outlet of the battery stack form a coolant circulation channel. The intercooler and the hydrogen heat exchanger are also connected to this circulation channel, achieving integrated heat processing of the fuel cell system. The intercooler cools the compressed air, and the hydrogen heat exchanger heats the hydrogen. The cooling effect caused by the expansion and heat absorption of compressed hydrogen can exchange heat with the heat generated by the compression of air through the circulating coolant, reducing the thermal management requirements of the air unit and the hydrogen unit.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the inlet of the intercooler is connected to the air compressor assembly, the outlet of the intercooler is connected to the air inlet, and a throttle valve is provided between them. The swirl tube on / off valve is connected to either the inlet or outlet of the intercooler. Through this technical solution, the throttle valve can control the on / off connection between the intercooler outlet and the air inlet, thus enabling the start and stop of the air supply to the battery stack. When the swirl tube on / off valve is connected to the inlet of the intercooler, compressed air is directly introduced into the cooling swirl tube, reducing the performance requirements of the intercooler. When the swirl tube on / off valve is connected to the outlet of the intercooler, the compressed air is cooled by the intercooler before being introduced into the cooling swirl tube, further reducing the performance requirements of the cooling swirl tube.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the thermal management device also includes an ion filter and a particulate filter. One end of the ion filter is connected to the thermal management outlet, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the water pump. The particulate filter is connected between the radiator and the water pump. Through the above technical solution, the ion filter and the particulate filter can filter ions or particles generated by various components within the thermal management system, thereby controlling the conductivity of the coolant and ensuring the normal operation of the fuel cell system.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the thermal management device also includes an expansion tank, which has a water inlet and an air inlet. The water inlet is connected to the inlet of the water pump, and the radiator and / or the thermal management outlet are both provided with exhaust ports connected to the air inlet. Through the above technical solution, the expansion tank accommodates the expansion of the system coolant in the heating system, and also serves to maintain pressure and replenish water to the system.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the vortex tube assembly also includes a booster pump. The inlet of the booster pump is connected to the cold flow outlet of the cooling vortex tube, and the outlet of the booster pump is connected to the injector and / or the air inlet. Through the above technical solution, the cold airflow processed by the cooling vortex tube is pressurized by the booster valve, enabling the cold airflow to be ejected from the injector or enter the fuel cell stack from the air inlet.

[0015] The present invention also provides a control method for a fuel cell thermal management system, the control method being based on the aforementioned fuel cell thermal management system, and the specific control method is as follows:

[0016] The preset minimum and maximum stable operating temperatures of the fuel cell stack are T1 and T3, respectively, the standard temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T4, and the shutdown temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T6.

[0017] During startup, the coolant temperature is controlled between T1 and T3.

[0018] During the shutdown process, keep the thermal management device running until the coolant temperature drops below T6, then completely shut down the fuel cell system.

[0019] The control method provided by this invention controls the operation of various components of the thermal management system by detecting the coolant temperature, thereby achieving coolant temperature regulation and enabling the fuel cell system to operate in a suitable temperature environment.

[0020] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the upper limit of the fuel cell coolant temperature is preset to T5. During the operation of the fuel cell system, when the coolant temperature is between T3 and T5, the radiator operates and adjusts the water pump and the eddy tube on / off valve; when the coolant temperature is not lower than T5, the fuel cell system is shut down. When the coolant temperature is high, the fuel cell system temperature is jointly regulated by the thermal management system and the eddy tube assembly; and when the coolant temperature exceeds the set upper limit, the fuel cell system can stop working in time to ensure that the fuel cell system does not exceed the safe range and improve safety.

[0021] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the warm-up process of the fuel cell system is as follows: The minimum start-up temperature of the fuel cell stack is preset to T2. The coolant temperature is detected and compared with T2. When the coolant temperature is lower than T2, the water pump and heater are started, and the coolant temperature is continuously monitored. When the coolant temperature is between T2 and T1, the fuel cell system operates in a low-efficiency mode. The system is only started up after the coolant temperature is no lower than T1. Through this technical solution, for applications with low ambient temperatures, the heater and water pump can be controlled to heat the coolant and fuel cell system before startup, preventing damage to the fuel cell system due to excessively low starting temperatures. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method provided by the present invention.

[0032] In the diagram: 11. Battery stack; 20. Thermal management device; 21. Water pump; 22. Thermostat; 23. Ion filter; 24. Heater; 25. Radiator; 26. Particulate filter; 27. Expansion tank; 28. Cooling fan; 30. Air supply unit; 31. Air filter; 32. Air compressor; 33. Intercooler; 34. Throttle valve; 35. Humidifier; 36. Back pressure valve; 37. Bypass valve; 40. Hydrogen supply unit; 41. Hydrogen storage tank; 4 2. Shut-off valve; 43. Pressure reducing valve; 44. Safety valve; 45. Hydrogen heat exchanger; 46. Ejector; 47. Liquid-gas separator; 48. Ejector reflux check valve; 49. Hydrogen circulation pump; 410. Hydrogen circulation check valve; 411. Drain valve; 412. Hydrogen discharge valve; 50. Vortex tube assembly; 51. Vortex tube on / off valve; 52. Refrigeration vortex tube; 53. Booster pump; 54. Ejector; 60. Discharge device; 61. Mixing pipe; 62. Silencer. Detailed Implementation

[0033] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0035] In the description of this invention, if there are words such as "several", they mean one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than", "less than", "exceeding" etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood to include the number itself.

[0036] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0037] Reference Figures 1 to 9 The eddy tube-based fuel cell thermal management system of the present invention is implemented in the following embodiments:

[0038] A vortex tube-based fuel cell thermal management system includes: a battery stack 11, a thermal management device 20, an air device 30, a hydrogen device 40, an exhaust device 60, and a vortex tube assembly 50.

[0039] The battery stack 11 has: a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a thermal management inlet, and a thermal management outlet.

[0040] The thermal management inlet and outlet are both connected to the thermal management device 20. The hydrogen inlet and outlet are both connected to the hydrogen device 40. The air inlet and outlet are both connected to the air device 30. Both the air device 30 and the hydrogen device 40 are connected to the exhaust device 60.

[0041] The air device 30 includes an air compressor assembly, an intercooler 33, and a humidifier 35. The humidifier 35 has a dry-side inlet, a dry-side outlet, a wet-side inlet, and a wet-side outlet. The humidifier 35 also has a dry-side channel and a wet-side channel. The dry-side inlet and dry-side outlet are located at opposite ends of the dry-side channel, and the wet-side inlet and wet-side outlet are located at opposite ends of the wet-side channel.

[0042] The air compressor assembly is connected to the inlet of the intercooler 33, and the outlet of the intercooler 33 is connected to the dry-side inlet. The dry-side outlet is connected to the air inlet. Before entering the stack, the air is externally humidified by the humidifier 35 to ensure that the proton exchange membrane contains an appropriate amount of moisture. After the air compressor assembly compresses the outside air, it is cooled by the intercooler 33 and humidified by the humidifier 35 before being introduced into the battery stack 11. A throttle valve 34 is provided between the outlet of the intercooler 33 and the dry-side inlet. The outlet of the intercooler 33 is connected to the discharge device 60 via a bypass valve 37.

[0043] The air outlet is connected to the wet-side inlet, and the wet-side outlet is connected to the discharge device 60. The wet-side outlet of the humidifier 35 is connected to the discharge device 60 via a back pressure valve 36.

[0044] The air compressor assembly includes an air filter 31 and an air compressor 32. The air filter 31 is connected to the inlet of the air compressor 32, and the outlet of the air compressor 32 is connected to the inlet of the intercooler 33.

[0045] In this embodiment, the air filter 31 integrates an ambient temperature sensor and an air flow meter. Its inlet is directly connected to the atmosphere, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the air compressor 32 via a pipe. During the operation of the air compressor 32, a negative pressure is generated at its inlet. To prevent the connecting pipe between the air compressor 32 and the air filter 31 from collapsing, the connecting pipe between the outlet of the air filter 31 and the inlet of the air compressor 32 should be able to withstand a pressure of at least ±50 kPa. The specific pressure value can be determined according to the specific system.

[0046] The hydrogen device 40 includes: a hydrogen storage assembly, a hydrogen heat exchanger 45, an ejector 46, a hydrogen circulation pump 49, and a liquid-gas separator 47.

[0047] The hydrogen storage assembly includes a hydrogen storage cylinder 41, a shut-off valve 42, a pressure reducing valve 43, and a safety valve 44. The hydrogen storage cylinder 41, shut-off valve 42, pressure reducing valve 43, safety valve 44, and hydrogen heat exchanger 45 are sequentially connected to each other. The inlet of the shut-off valve 42 is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen storage cylinder 41, and the outlet of the shut-off valve 42 is connected to the inlet of the pressure reducing valve 43. The inlet of the safety valve 44 is connected to the outlet of the pressure reducing valve 43, and the outlet of the safety valve 44 is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen heat exchanger 45.

[0048] The ejector 46 has an ejector inlet, an ejector outlet, and an ejector return port. The outlet of the hydrogen heat exchanger 45 is connected to the ejector inlet. The ejector outlet is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the battery stack 11.

[0049] The liquid-gas separator 47 has a drain outlet and a hydrogen discharge outlet. The inlet of the liquid-gas separator 47 is connected to the hydrogen outlet of the battery stack 11, and the hydrogen discharge outlet is connected to a four-way pipe. One end of the four-way pipe is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen circulation pump 49, another end is connected to the hydrogen inlet of the deoxygenation bottle via a hydrogen discharge valve 412, and the remaining end is connected to the ejector return port via an ejector return check valve 48. The drain outlet is connected to the discharge device 60 via a drain valve 411.

[0050] A hydrogen circulation check valve 410 is also provided between the outlet of the hydrogen circulation pump 49 and the hydrogen inlet. The inlet of the hydrogen circulation check valve 410 is connected to the outlet of the hydrogen circulation pump 49. The hydrogen inlet, the outlet of the hydrogen circulation check valve 410, and the ejector outlet are connected by a three-way pipe.

[0051] The discharge device 60 includes a mixing pipe 61 and a silencer 62. The inlet of the mixing pipe 61 is connected to the back pressure valve 36, the bypass valve 37, the drain valve 411, and the hydrogen discharge valve 412, respectively. The silencer 62 is located at the outlet of the mixing pipe 61. In this embodiment, the mixing pipe 61 has a drainage function to prevent excessive liquid water or water vapor from flowing into the silencer 62, thereby avoiding whistling or performance degradation of the silencer 62.

[0052] The thermal management device 20 includes: a water pump 21, a thermostat 22, an ion filter 23, a heater 24, a radiator 25, a particulate filter 26, and an expansion tank 27.

[0053] The water pump 21 can be selected as a high-pressure pump or a low-pressure pump according to the needs of the fuel cell system.

[0054] The radiator 25 is equipped with a cooling fan 28. In this embodiment, the heater 24 is a PTC heater 24. A PTC heater 24, also called a PTC heating element, is composed of a PTC ceramic heating element and an aluminum tube. This type of PTC heating element has the advantages of low thermal resistance and high heat exchange efficiency, making it an automatic temperature-controlled, energy-saving electric heater 24. A parallel flow pipe is connected between the inlet and outlet of the PTC heater 24, with both ends of the parallel flow pipe connected to the inlet and outlet of the PTC heater 24, respectively. The parallel flow pipe can be arranged on the PTC heater 24 or externally connected to it according to space requirements. By setting up a parallel flow pipe, the flow resistance of the PTC heater 24 can be improved, the coolant circulation load reduced, and the performance requirements of the water pump 21 lowered.

[0055] The thermal management outlet of the battery stack 11 is connected to the inlet of the thermostat 22. The two outlets of the thermostat 22 are respectively connected to the inlet of the heater 24 and the inlet of the radiator 25. The outlets of the heater 24 and the radiator 25 are interconnected and connected to the inlet of the water pump 21. The outlet of the water pump 21 is connected to the thermal management inlet of the battery stack 11. When the thermostat 22 is open, its inlet is connected to the inlet of the radiator 25; when the thermostat 22 is closed, its inlet is connected to the inlet of the heater 24.

[0056] One end of the ion filter 23 is connected via a T-junction between the thermal management outlet and the thermostat inlet 22, and the other end is connected via a T-junction between the water pump inlet 21 and the heater outlet 24. The battery system contains many high-voltage components, necessitating control of the coolant conductivity. By using parallel-connected ion filters 23, various ions released during operation of the components in the thermal management system can be controlled without causing excessive flow resistance, thus avoiding impact on system operation and reducing the reliance on the reliability of the ion filters 23.

[0057] The particulate filter 26 is connected between the radiator 25 and the water pump 21. The inlet of the particulate filter 26 is connected to the outlet of the radiator 25, and the outlet of the particulate filter 26 is connected to the outlet of the heater 24. In some other embodiments, the particulate filter 26 may be connected between the outlet of the heater 24 and the inlet of the water pump 21.

[0058] The expansion tank 27 has a water inlet and an air inlet. The water inlet is connected to the inlet of the water pump 21 via a T-connector. The air inlet is connected to the exhaust port of the radiator 25 and the exhaust port at the thermal management outlet. Air dissolved in the coolant is released from the coolant after pressure and temperature changes, and is transported into the expansion tank 27 through the exhaust ports at the thermal management outlet and the radiator 25.

[0059] Due to the thermal expansion and contraction of water in the heating system, the water volume in the system increases when the hot water temperature rises. When there is nowhere to accommodate this expansion, the water pressure in the heating system increases, affecting normal operation. The expansion tank 27 accommodates the water expansion, reducing water pressure fluctuations caused by water expansion and improving the safety and reliability of system operation. When the system leaks or cools down for any reason, the water level in the expansion tank 27 drops, replenishing the system with water. The expansion tank 27 also stabilizes the system pressure and removes air released during the heating process.

[0060] The vortex tube assembly 50 includes: a vortex tube on / off valve 51, a cooling vortex tube 52, a booster pump 53, and an injector 54. In this embodiment, the vortex tube on / off valve 51, the cooling vortex tube 52, the booster pump 53, and the injector 54 are connected in sequence. The inlet of the cooling vortex tube 52 is connected between the outlet of the intercooler 33 and the throttle valve 34 through the vortex tube on / off valve 51, and the booster pump 53 is connected between the cold end outlet of the cooling vortex tube 52 and the injector 54.

[0061] The vortex tube assembly 50 of the present invention can be modified and replaced to obtain, but is not limited to, several other embodiments:

[0062] Example 2 Figure 3 As shown, the booster pump 53 can be configured according to the performance of the air compressor assembly. If the pressure and flow rate of the cold air outlet of the refrigeration vortex tube 52 can meet the heat dissipation requirements, the booster pump 53 can be omitted, and the cold air outlet of the refrigeration vortex tube 52 can be directly connected to the ejector 54.

[0063] Example 3 Figure 4 As shown, the vortex tube on / off valve 51 can be connected between the air compressor 32 and the intercooler 33 via a three-way pipe. If the air compressed by the air compressor 32 first passes through the intercooler 33 and then through the vortex tube on / off valve 51 into the refrigeration vortex tube 52, the intercooler 33 can cool the compressed and heated air, but this places high demands on the performance of the intercooler 33. If the air compressed by the air compressor 32 passes through the vortex tube on / off valve 51 into the refrigeration vortex tube 52, the pressure drop is small, which can reduce the performance requirements of the booster pump 53 or the intercooler 33, saving costs.

[0064] Example 4 Figure 5 As shown, the outlet of the booster pump 53 is connected to both the injector 54 and the outlet of the intercooler 33 via a three-way valve. Part of the air cooled by the cooling vortex tube 52 flows through the booster pump 53 to the injector 54 to cool the fuel cell system, while the other part merges with the air cooled by the intercooler 33, thereby reducing the system's cooling performance requirements on the intercooler 33.

[0065] Example 5 Figure 6As shown, there are two cooling vortex tubes 52, which are designated as a primary vortex tube and a secondary vortex tube, respectively. The vortex tube on / off valve 51, the primary vortex tube, the booster pump 53, the secondary vortex tube, and the ejector 54 are sequentially connected. Air is cooled by passing through the two vortex tubes, reducing the cooling performance requirements of the two cooling vortex tubes 52 and thus lowering the system development difficulty. It is conceivable that the number of cooling vortex tubes 52 could be more than two. The hot end outlet of the cooling vortex tube 52 is connected to the atmospheric environment, and the cold end outlets of the cooling vortex tubes 52 are connected in series to form a multi-stage cooling structure, resulting in a superior cooling effect.

[0066] Based on Example 5 and combined with Example 4, the following can be obtained: Figure 7 Example 6 shown, and as... Figure 8 Example 7 is shown. In Example 6, the inlet of the booster pump 53 is connected to the cold end outlet of the first-stage vortex tube, and a second-stage vortex tube is provided between the outlet of the booster pump 53 and the injector 54. The outlet of the booster pump 53 is also connected to the outlet of the intercooler 33 via a T-junction. In Example 7, the second-stage vortex tube is located between the outlet of the booster pump 53 and the outlet of the intercooler 33 to perform secondary cooling on the air flowing from the first-stage vortex tube to the outlet of the intercooler 33.

[0067] Reference Figure 9 The present invention also provides a control method for the above-mentioned fuel cell thermal management system.

[0068] The control method specifically includes:

[0069] First, based on the temperature resistance performance of the fuel cell stack 11, the minimum and maximum stable operating temperatures of the fuel cell stack 11 are preset to T1 and T3, respectively. The minimum start-up temperature of the fuel cell stack 11 is T2, the standard temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T4, the upper limit of the fuel cell coolant temperature is T5, and the shutdown temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T6.

[0070] It can be inferred that T2 is less than T1, T4 is between T1 and T3, and T5 is greater than T3. Generally, T6 is less than T1. In this embodiment, the minimum and maximum stable operating temperatures T1 and T3 of the fuel cell stack 11 are configured as 60°C and 80°C, respectively; the standard temperature of the fuel cell coolant T4 is configured as 70°C; the minimum start-up temperature T2 of the fuel cell stack 11 is configured as 5°C; the upper limit of the fuel cell coolant temperature T5 is configured as 92°C; and the fuel cell coolant shutdown temperature T6 is configured as 60°C.

[0071] During the power-on process:

[0072] The coolant temperature Tc of the fuel cell is compared with T1 to determine whether to perform a warm-up operation for the fuel cell system.

[0073] If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is less than T1, then the fuel cell system warm-up command is executed.

[0074] The warm-up process of the fuel cell system is as follows: The coolant temperature is detected and compared with T2. When the coolant temperature is lower than T2, the water pump 21 and heater 24 are started, and the coolant temperature is continuously detected. When the coolant temperature is between T2 and T1, the fuel cell system is operated in low-efficiency mode. The fuel cell system is then started up only after the coolant temperature is not lower than T1.

[0075] During the operation of the fuel cell system, the water pump 21, thermostat 22, and radiator 25 are controlled according to T4 to maintain the coolant temperature between T1 and T3.

[0076] If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is less than T4, the water pump 21 is turned on, the thermostat 22 is adjusted to maintain the fuel cell system coolant temperature, and the system checks whether a shutdown command for the fuel cell system has been received.

[0077] If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is not less than T4, then turn on the water pump 21 and thermostat 22, adjust the fan speed, and while maintaining the fuel cell system coolant temperature, check whether a fuel cell system shutdown command has been received.

[0078] During the operation of the fuel cell system, if the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is not less than T3, then it is determined whether the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is not less than T5.

[0079] If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is not less than T5, a fault is reported and the fuel cell system is shut down. The specific fault reporting strategy can be determined based on the sensitivity of the fuel cell system, such as the thermal management inlet temperature of fuel cell stack 11, the thermal management outlet temperature of fuel cell stack 11, and the temperature difference between the thermal management inlet and outlet of fuel cell stack 11.

[0080] If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is less than T5, the thermostat 22 is activated, the fan speed is adjusted, and the speed of the water pump 21 and the opening of the eddy tube on / off valve 51 are decoupled and adjusted. The system also checks for a shutdown command from the fuel cell system. The water pump 21 and the eddy tube on / off valve 51 are decoupled from each other; that is, the speed of the water pump 21 and the opening of the eddy tube on / off valve 51 work together to cool the fuel cell coolant, and they also adjust to each other according to their respective power requirements.

[0081] During the operation of the fuel cell system, the temperature of the fuel cell coolant and the shutdown command of the fuel cell system are continuously monitored.

[0082] When a shutdown command for the fuel cell system is received, the fuel cell system is shut down.

[0083] During the shutdown process, keep the thermal management device 20 operational until the coolant temperature drops below T6, then completely shut down the fuel cell system.

[0084] First, close the eddy current tube on / off valve 51, then determine if the fuel cell temperature Tc is not greater than T6. If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is greater than T6, turn on the water pump 21, adjust the thermostat 22, adjust the fan speed, and continuously monitor the fuel cell coolant temperature. If the fuel cell coolant temperature Tc is not greater than T6, turn off the fan and water pump 21 to complete the fuel cell system shutdown.

[0085] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0086] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. All such changes, modifications, equivalent alterations or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application, and the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fuel cell thermal management system based on eddy tubes, characterized in that: include: Battery stack, thermal management device, air device, hydrogen device, exhaust device, and vortex tube assembly; The battery stack has: a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen outlet, an air inlet, an air outlet, a thermal management inlet, and a thermal management outlet; the thermal management inlet and thermal management outlet are both connected to the thermal management device, the hydrogen inlet and hydrogen outlet are both connected to the hydrogen device, the air inlet and air outlet are both connected to the air device, and the air device and hydrogen device are both connected to the discharge device. The thermal management device includes: a water pump, a heater, a radiator, and a thermostat; the radiator is equipped with a cooling fan, the thermal management outlet is connected to the inlet of the thermostat, the two outlets of the thermostat are respectively connected to the inlet of the heater and the inlet of the radiator, and the outlets of the heater and the radiator are connected to the thermal management inlet via the water pump; The air device includes an air compressor assembly, one end of which is connected to the atmosphere and the other end of which is connected to an air inlet; The air device includes an intercooler, the hydrogen device includes a hydrogen heat exchanger, and the thermal management outlet, the coolant passage of the intercooler, the coolant passage of the hydrogen heat exchanger, and the inlet of the water pump are connected in sequence. The inlet of the intercooler is connected to the air compressor assembly, and the outlet of the intercooler is connected to the air inlet, with a throttle valve provided between the two. The vortex tube assembly includes: a vortex tube on / off valve, a refrigerated vortex tube, and an injector. The cold end outlet of the refrigerated vortex tube is connected to the injector. The vortex tube on / off valve is connected to the inlet or outlet of the intercooler. That is, the inlet of the refrigerated vortex tube is connected between the air compressor assembly and the intercooler through the vortex tube on / off valve, or the inlet of the refrigerated vortex tube is connected between the intercooler and the air inlet through the vortex tube on / off valve. The vortex tube assembly also includes a booster pump, the inlet of which is connected to the cold flow outlet of the refrigeration vortex tube, and the outlet of which is connected to the ejector. Alternatively, the outlet of the booster pump may be connected to both the ejector and the outlet of the intercooler.

2. The fuel cell thermal management system based on eddy tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal management device further includes an ion filter and a particulate filter. One end of the ion filter is connected to the thermal management outlet, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the water pump. The particulate filter is connected between the radiator and the water pump.

3. The fuel cell thermal management system based on eddy tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal management device further includes an expansion tank, which has a water inlet and an air inlet; the water inlet is connected to the inlet of the water pump, and the radiator and / or the thermal management outlet is provided with an exhaust port connected to the air inlet.

4. A control method for a fuel cell thermal management system, characterized in that: The control method is based on the fuel cell thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the control method is specifically as follows: The preset minimum and maximum stable operating temperatures of the fuel cell stack are T1 and T3, respectively, the standard temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T4, and the shutdown temperature of the fuel cell coolant is T6. During startup, the fuel cell system warm-up operation is determined by comparing the fuel cell coolant temperature with T1. During the operation of the fuel cell system, the water pump, thermostat and radiator are controlled according to T4, so as to control the coolant temperature between T1 and T3; During the shutdown process, keep the thermal management device running until the coolant temperature drops below T6, then completely shut down the fuel cell system.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The preset upper limit of the fuel cell coolant temperature is T5. During the operation of the fuel cell system, when the coolant temperature is between T3 and T5, the radiator operates and adjusts the water pump and the eddy tube on / off valve; when the coolant temperature is not less than T5, the fuel cell system is shut down.

6. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The warm-up process of the fuel cell system is as follows: The minimum start-up temperature of the fuel cell stack is preset to T2. The coolant temperature is detected and compared with T2. When the coolant temperature is lower than T2, the water pump and heater are started, and the coolant temperature is continuously monitored. When the coolant temperature is between T2 and T1, the fuel cell system is run in low-efficiency mode. The fuel cell system is started up only after the coolant temperature is not lower than T1.

Images