Absorption Heat Engine Cooling Fuel Cell Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power module installations with fuel cells, particularly in aircraft, face challenges with bulky and inefficient cooling systems that lose heat energy and are sensitive to external temperatures, degrading the efficiency of the power module and making them unsuitable for on-board use.
Innovation Solution
The integration of an absorption heat engine with a closed liquid circulation circuit and heat exchangers, utilizing a binary mixture of refrigerant and absorbent fluids to efficiently transfer heat and maintain the fuel cell at optimal operating temperature, while minimizing size and weight, and utilizing latent heat for enhanced cooling performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling system with radiators and fans is used to cool the power module, then the fuel cell can be maintained at proper operating temperature, but the system becomes bulky and unsuitable for on-board installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling function with the waste heat recovery function into a single integrated organic Rankine cycle system. The working fluid circulates through components that simultaneously extract heat from the fuel cell for cooling purposes and convert the extracted heat into mechanical work, eliminating the need for separate bulky radiators and fans while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat that needs to be dissipated into a useful resource by using it to drive the organic Rankine cycle. The heat extracted from the fuel cell for cooling purposes is not discarded but instead utilized to generate mechanical work through the expansion of the working fluid in the turbine, turning a harmful thermal load into a beneficial energy source.
2Temperature
If a cooling system with radiators and fans is used, then cooling is achieved, but the system efficiency is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat that would otherwise be lost through radiators into a useful resource by using it to drive the organic Rankine cycle. The heat extracted from the fuel cell for cooling purposes is not discarded but instead utilized to generate mechanical work through the expansion of the working fluid in the turbine, turning a harmful thermal load into a beneficial energy source.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system generates its own driving force through the organic Rankine cycle. The heat extracted from the fuel cell during cooling spontaneously drives the working fluid through evaporation, expansion, and condensation, creating a self-sustaining cycle that produces mechanical work without requiring external energy input or active cooling components.
3Temperature
If a cooling system dependent on outside air temperature is used, then cooling is achieved in cold environments, but performance is limited in hot zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat that would otherwise be lost through radiators into a useful resource by using it to drive the organic Rankine cycle. The heat extracted from the fuel cell for cooling purposes is not discarded but instead utilized to generate mechanical work through the expansion of the working fluid in the turbine, turning a harmful thermal load into a beneficial energy source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes its operational parameters based on environmental conditions by utilizing the organic Rankine cycle's ability to operate across a wide temperature range. The working fluid's phase change characteristics and the cycle's thermodynamic parameters are optimized to maintain effective cooling performance whether the ambient temperature is low or high, making the system adaptable to various environmental conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a compact, efficient cooling system that optimizes energy efficiency by utilizing waste heat for cooling, reduces dependence on external temperatures, and enhances heat dissipation capabilities, making it suitable for on-board applications.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange circuit of the first boiler being inserted in the heat removal loop of the fuel cell in order to cool it
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchange circuit of the evaporator being inserted in said closed liquid circulation circuit, said heat exchange circuit of the evaporator having said heated liquid of the circulation circuit passing therethrough after it has passed through the heated circuit of said heat exchanger in order to cool the heated liquid of said circulation circuit
Implementation Method 3
the heat exchange circuit of the evaporator having said heated liquid of the circulation circuit passing therethrough
Implementation Method 4
utilizing a binary mixture of refrigerant and absorbent fluids to efficiently transfer heat and maintain the fuel cell at optimal operating temperature, while minimizing size and weight, and utilizing latent heat for enhanced cooling performance
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an installation (100) comprising:a power module having a fuel cell (12) and a reformer (14a), the fuel cell including a heat removal loop (24); andan absorption heat engine (40) having a first boiler (42), a condenser (46), an evaporator (48), and an absorber (50).According to the invention, a heat exchange circuit (42a) of the first boiler is inserted in the heat removal loop of the fuel cell.Furthermore, in the invention, the installation has a closed liquid circuit (10), which circuit comprises at least one heat exchanger (26, 28, 30, 32) having a heating circuit thermally coupled to the power module and a heated circuit inserted in said circulation circuit, said circulation circuit exchanging heat with said heating circuit, heating the liquid of the circulation circuit.Finally, in the invention, a heat exchange circuit (48a) of the evaporator is inserted in said closed liquid circulation circuit.