Fuel Cell Systems

By connecting a fuel cell system's first and second heating circuits in parallel and using an orifice in the second circuit to regulate flow rates, the system achieves stable hot water heating and maintains fuel cell power generation efficiency.

JP7664805B2Active Publication Date: 2025-04-18PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021166446
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-10-08
Publication Date
2025-04-18
Estimated Expiration
2041-10-08

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In fuel cell systems, the parallel connection of first and second heating circuits for hot water heating leads to unstable flow rates in the first heating circuit, potentially affecting fuel cell power generation.

Method used

The implementation of a first heating circuit with a heat exchanger and a second heating circuit with an auxiliary heating heater, both connected in parallel with an orifice in the second circuit to regulate hot water flow rates, ensuring stability and balancing heating capacities.

Benefits of technology

This configuration allows for simultaneous heating of hot water by both circuits, stabilizing flow rates and maintaining fuel cell power generation efficiency by controlling the flow rate through the orifice.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To avoid bad influences on a fuel cell side in a case of supplying warm water from a second heating circuit in addition to supplying warm water from a first heating circuit that collects waste heat of the fuel cell for the purpose of compensating necessary heating capability.SOLUTION: In a fuel cell system 1, a heating circuit 400 and an auxiliary heating circuit 300 are connected with a hot water storage tank 2 in parallel to each other to execute supplying warm water heated by the heating circuit 400 to the hot water storage tank 2 and supplying warm water heated by the auxiliary heating circuit 300 to the hot water storage tank 2, simultaneously and in parallel. In the auxiliary heating circuit 300, an orifice 335 is provided together with a heater device 301 at a downstream side of a circulation pump 317. Thereby, a flow rate of warm water in the auxiliary heating circuit 300 is reduced to a desired value by a restriction function of the orifice 335 so as not to be excessive to a warm water flow rate at the heating circuit 400 side, which can avoid bad influences on power generation of a fuel cell power generation unit 410.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Citation Information

Patent Citations

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