Cooling system for fuel cell

Abstract

To provide a technology of easily configuring a cooling system where a radiator at an installation destination of a fuel cell is used at the same time.SOLUTION: A cooling system for a fuel cell includes the fuel cell and a heat exchanger. The system includes a first cooling system where a first coolant for cooling the fuel cell is circulated, a second cooling system including a radiator where a second coolant to be cooled by the radiator is circulated, and an intercooler for cooling air to be supplied to the fuel cell. The heat exchanger and the intercooler are integrated together and are insulated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a cooling system for a fuel cell.

[0002] Fuel cells as power generation devices are being used in a variety of shapes and sizes, and their usage patterns are becoming increasingly diverse. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cooling system for a fuel cell that includes an intermediate cooling system that is a heat exchanger. Due to the diversification of usage patterns of fuel cells, there are cases where they are used in conjunction with a cooling device at the installation site. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-33108 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the cooling system of the fuel cell itself is large, it may be difficult to use it in conjunction with a radiator at the installation site.

[0005] This specification provides a technique for easily constructing a cooling system for a fuel cell that also uses a radiator at the location where the fuel cell is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a cooling system for a fuel cell. The cooling system for a fuel cell includes a first cooling system including a fuel cell and a heat exchanger, and through which a first refrigerant that cools the fuel cell circulates, a second cooling system including a radiator and the heat exchanger, and through which a second refrigerant cooled by the radiator circulates, and an intercooler that cools air supplied to the fuel cell. The heat exchanger and the intercooler are integrated and insulated.

[0007] In this fuel cell cooling system, the heat exchanger and intercooler are integrated in advance, making the cooling system compact, including the fuel cell and the air supplied to the fuel cell. Furthermore, because the heat exchanger and intercooler are insulated from each other, the cooling effect of the heat exchanger on the first refrigerant is prevented from being reduced by the heat of the air compressed in the intercooler. Therefore, this fuel cell cooling system makes it easier to utilize the radiator where the fuel cell is installed. Furthermore, in this fuel cell cooling system, the heat exchanger and intercooler are integrated, reducing the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a cooling system for a fuel cell; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of a cooling system for a fuel cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description will be given of a fuel cell cooling system (hereinafter simply referred to as a cooling system) 2. The cooling system 2 shown in Fig. 1 is, for example, a fuel cell system in a power generation facility such as a stationary fuel cell system.

[0010] The cooling system 2 includes a first cooling system 20, an intercooler 50, a second cooling system 80, and the intercooler 50. Of the cooling system 2, the first cooling system 20 and the intercooler 50 can form a fuel cell cooling module (hereinafter simply referred to as the cooling module) 10. The first cooling system 20 includes a fuel cell 30, a heat exchanger 40, and a flow path 60 through which a first refrigerant that cools the fuel cell 30 circulates. The cooling module 10 can also be configured as a product that is configured to be distributed. Parts of the cooling system 2 other than the cooling module 10 (i.e., the radiator 90, pipes 102, 104, etc. of the second cooling system 80) may be components that are subsequently connected to the cooling module 10. In the following explanation, they will be described as the cooling system 2.

[0011] The first cooling system 20 is a flow path system through which a first refrigerant that cools the fuel cell 30 circulates. The first cooling system 20 cools the refrigerant, such as cooling water, that cools the fuel cell 30 by exchanging heat with the refrigerant from the radiator 90. The first refrigerant is, for example, a liquid refrigerant such as cooling water.

[0012] The first cooling system 20 has a fuel cell 30 as an object to be cooled. The fuel cell 30 is usually made up of a stack of multiple cells, and generates the required electricity by being supplied with hydrogen from a tank (not shown) and compressed air from a compressor (not shown).

[0013] The first cooling system 20 includes a cooling unit 12. The cooling unit 12 includes a heat exchanger 40. The heat exchanger 40 has a first flow path 41 and a second flow path 42. Of the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40, the portion leading from the heat exchanger 40 toward the upstream side is made up of a pipe 42a. Of the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40, the portion leading from the heat exchanger 40 toward the downstream side is made up of a pipe 42b. The pipes 42a and 42b are made up of a rigid body such as resin.

[0014] The pipes 42a and 42b are provided with connection structures that allow external pipes such as the cooling module 10 to be attached and detached. These connection structures may be bolt-type connection structures or connector-type connection structures. A pump 170, which will be described later, is detachably connected to the pipe 42a. A pipe 102, which will be described later, is detachably connected to the pipe 42b.

[0015] The cooling unit 12 further includes an intercooler 50 integrated with the heat exchanger 40. The intercooler 50 is connected to the heat exchanger 40 by a bypass flow path 52 that connects the pipes 42a and 42b. The intercooler 50 cools the compressed air supplied to the fuel cell 30 by heat exchange with the second refrigerant flowing through the bypass flow path 52.

[0016] The intercooler 50 and the heat exchanger 40 are insulated and integrated. The structure for the insulation and integration is not particularly limited, but examples include a structure in which a known insulating structure 54 is interposed between the intercooler 50 and the heat exchanger 40 and stacked or arranged to integrate them. Another example is a structure in which a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper, is used for the intercooler 50, and a material with low ion elution and low thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel or titanium, is used for the heat exchanger 40. Another example is a structure in which the intercooler 50 and the heat exchanger 40 are stacked via a flow path for a second refrigerant to prevent heat transfer from the intercooler 50 to the heat exchanger 40. Another example is a structure in which the intercooler 50 and the heat exchanger 40 are stacked via an air chamber that draws in and discharges air, such as outside air. In this case, a reservoir tank, described below, can be used as the air chamber. Using a reservoir tank (RT) can further compact the cooling system 2. The insulated and integrated structure can also be a combination of these various structures.

[0017] The first cooling system 20 has an annular flow path 60 through which a first refrigerant circulates. The flow path 60 is made up of a first flow path 41 of the heat exchanger 40, a pipe 62, a fuel cell flow path 32 provided inside the fuel cell 30, and a pipe 64. The pipe 62 connects the downstream end of the first flow path 41 to the upstream end of the fuel cell flow path 32. The pipe 64 connects the downstream end of the fuel cell flow path 32 to the upstream end of the first flow path 41.

[0018] A pump 70 is provided between the pipe 64 and the first flow path 41. The pump 70 pumps the coolant from the pipe 64 toward the first flow path 41. When the pump 70 operates, the coolant flows through the first flow path 41, the pipe 62, the fuel cell flow path 32, and the pipe 64 in that order, and the first coolant circulates within the first cooling system 20.

[0019] The second cooling system 80 is a flow path system through which a second refrigerant circulates that is cooled by a radiator 90. The second refrigerant is a liquid refrigerant such as cooling water. In the second cooling system 80, the radiator 90 includes a radiator flow path 92 therein.

[0020] The second cooling system 80 forms an annular flow path 100 through which the second refrigerant circulates. The flow path 100 includes the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40 of the first cooling system 20, as well as a pipe 102, a radiator flow path 92, a pipe 104, and a pump 170 that the second cooling system 80 has.

[0021] The upstream end of the pipe 102 is connected to the pipe 42b, which is the downstream end of the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40. The downstream end of the pipe 102 is connected to the upstream end of the radiator flow path 92. The downstream end of the radiator flow path 92 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 104. The downstream end of the pipe 104 is connected to the suction port of the pump 170.

[0022] The discharge port of the pump 170 is connected to the pipe 42b, which is the upstream end of the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40. The pump 170 pumps the refrigerant from the pipe 104 toward the second flow path 42.

[0023] When the pump 170 is operated, the second refrigerant flows through the second flow path 42, the pipe 102, the radiator flow path 92, and the pipe 104 in this order.

[0024] Furthermore, when the second refrigerant circulates in flow path 100, the refrigerant also flows from pipe 42a into bypass flow path 52, enabling operation of intercooler 50. The second refrigerant that has flowed through bypass flow path 52 is discharged from pipe 42b and merges with pipe 102.

[0025] In FIG. 1, RT denotes a reservoir tank, and IE denotes an ion exchanger.

[0026] Next, the cooling action of the cooling system 2 will be described. When the fuel cell 30 is operating in the cooling system 2, the pump 170 circulates the second refrigerant through the flow path 100, and the pump 70 circulates the first refrigerant through the flow path 60. The radiator 90 cools the second refrigerant circulating through the flow path 100. The second refrigerant cooled by the radiator 90 flows through the second flow path 42 of the heat exchanger 40. The heat exchanger 40 cools the first refrigerant in the first flow path 41 by heat exchange between the second refrigerant in the second flow path 42 and the first refrigerant in the first flow path 41. Therefore, the first refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger 40 flows through the fuel cell flow path 32 of the fuel cell 30, cooling the fuel cell 30.

[0027] The second refrigerant flowing into the second flow path 42 passes through the bypass flow path 52 and cools the compressed air passing through the intercooler 50. The cooled air is then supplied to the fuel cell 30. The second refrigerant that has passed through the bypass flow path 52 merges with the pipe 102 via the pipe 42b and is cooled by the radiator 90.

[0028] In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 40 is provided with a cooling unit 12 integrated with an intercooler 50, so the cooling mechanism using the second refrigerant instead of the first refrigerant that cools the fuel cell 30 and the cooling mechanism for the air supplied to the fuel cell 30 are integrated and made compact. Therefore, the cooling system 2 can be easily constructed with the cooling module 10 equipped with the first cooling system 20 and the radiator 90 where it is installed.

[0029] Furthermore, because these two cooling mechanisms are integrated, the number of parts can be reduced, which in turn reduces manufacturing costs.

[0030] Furthermore, in the cooling unit 12, the heat exchanger 40 and the intercooler 50 are insulated from each other, which prevents the high-temperature compressed air passing through the intercooler 50 from reducing the cooling effect of the first refrigerant by the heat exchanger 40. As a result, the first refrigerant that cools the fuel cell 30 is appropriately cooled by the second refrigerant.

[0031] In the above-described embodiment, the intercooler 50 is provided on the flow path 100 side of the second cooling system 80, but as shown in Fig. 2, it may also be provided on the flow path 60 side of the first cooling system 20. That is, the intercooler 150 may be provided so as to bypass the pipes 62, 64 and may be thermally insulated and integrated with the heat exchanger 40. In this way, the cooling of the fuel cell 30 and the intercooler 50 can be controlled by controlling only the pump 70.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, the stationary cooling system 2 has been described, but the technology disclosed in this specification may also be applied to a cooling system mounted on an electric vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 2 Fuel cell cooling system, 10 Fuel cell cooling module, 12 Cooling unit, 20 First cooling system, 30 Fuel cell, 40 Heat exchanger, 41 First flow path, 42 Second flow path, 50 Intercooler, 60 Flow path, 70 Pump, 80 Second cooling system, 90 Radiator, 100 Flow path, 170 Pump, 150 Intercooler

Claims

[Claim 1] a first cooling system including a fuel cell and a heat exchanger, through which a first refrigerant for cooling the fuel cell circulates; a second cooling system including a radiator and through which a second refrigerant cooled by the radiator circulates; an intercooler that cools the air supplied to the fuel cell; Equipped with A fuel cell cooling system, wherein the heat exchanger and the intercooler are integrated and insulated from each other.

Images