Anode Exhaust Condenser Layout for Fuel Cell Hydrogen Preconditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrogen fuel cell systems require costly, complex, and heavy coolant-hydrogen heat exchangers (HEXs) to precondition hydrogen streams, which pose a risk of hydrogen leakage and explosion due to high heat transfer areas.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a condenser in the anode exhaust line upstream of the hydrogen/water separator to reduce water vapor and humidity, eliminating the need for high heat transfer area HEXs, thereby reducing complexity, weight, and potential hydrogen leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If coolant-hydrogen heat exchangers with high heat transfer areas are used to precondition hydrogen, then hydrogen temperature and humidity control is improved, but system weight, cost, and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water removal function from the heat exchanger system by introducing a separate condenser upstream of the water separator. This allows the heat exchanger to focus on temperature control without needing excessive heat transfer area for humidity management, thereby reducing its weight and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the hydrogen preconditioning process into distinct stages: condensation of water vapor in the recirculated stream (upstream of water separator), followed by heat exchange. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the overall system weight.
2Temperature
If coolant-hydrogen heat exchangers with high heat transfer areas are used to precondition hydrogen, then hydrogen temperature and humidity control is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the water removal function to a separate condenser, the heat exchanger can be smaller and less expensive while still achieving the required hydrogen temperature control. The condenser handles humidity management, allowing the heat exchanger to be optimized for its primary function at lower cost.
3Temperature
If coolant-hydrogen heat exchangers with high heat transfer areas are used to precondition hydrogen, then hydrogen temperature and humidity control is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the preconditioning system into a condenser stage followed by a heat exchanger stage. This segmentation simplifies each individual component's design requirements, allowing the heat exchanger to be less complex since it doesn't need to handle both temperature and humidity control simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
By taking out the water removal function to a separate condenser, the heat exchanger's design complexity is reduced. It only needs to focus on thermal exchange rather than combined thermal and moisture management.
4Productivity
If high heat transfer area heat exchangers are used, then hydrogen preconditioning effectiveness is improved, but hydrogen leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the water removal function to a separate condenser upstream of the water separator, the patent eliminates the need for excessively large heat transfer areas in the heat exchanger. This reduces the surface area available for potential hydrogen leaks while maintaining preconditioning effectiveness through the segmented approach.
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
The system effectively controls hydrogen humidity and temperature, minimizing the need for large HEXs, reducing system weight and cost, and preventing hydrogen leakage to undesirable parts of the powertrain.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a condenser in the anode exhaust line upstream of the hydrogen/water separator to reduce water vapor and humidity
Implementation Method 2
fresh H2 from an H2 fuel tank of the H2 management system (HMS). This H2 stream typically is quite cold and has a relative humidity (RH) of 0%; and 2. An H2 and water vapor stream that has been recirculated from the anode exhaust. This stream is warm and typically has a RH of 100%. A common practice of the prior art is to heat up fresh, relatively cold and dry H2 from the H2 fuel tank
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a hydrogen feed conditioning system for a hydrogen fuel cell in which fresh hydrogen from storage and recycled hydrogen from an anode exhaust of the fuel cell are mixed and fed to an anode feed of the fuel cell. A stream of recycled hydrogen is first passed through a hydrogen/water separator configured to reduce an amount of water vapor in the recycled hydrogen stream. The system includes a condenser for the anode exhaust stream upstream of the hydrogen water separator.