Integrated COD Heater Structure for Fuel Cell Cold Start
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for fuel cell vehicles face challenges in improving cold startability, as they require separate heaters and cathode oxygen depletion (COD) devices, leading to increased manufacturing costs, complex layouts, and inefficient heat transfer, with bubble formation and pressure drops affecting performance.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with integrated COD function, featuring a housing with periodically changing cross-sections and alternating projections and concave grooves, arranged perpendicular to coolant flow, to prevent bubble formation and enhance heat transfer by creating flow disturbances and reducing drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a separate heater is provided for heating coolant to improve power generation efficiency at low temperatures, then cold startability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and layout space becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heater and COD device into a single integrated component. The heater is positioned inside the COD device housing, allowing both functions (heating coolant and cathode oxygen depletion) to be performed by one component rather than requiring separate heater and COD devices. This reduces manufacturing cost and simplifies layout while maintaining the ability to heat coolant for improved cold startability.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device performs multiple functions simultaneously: the heater element heats the coolant to improve power generation efficiency at low temperatures, while the COD device consumes residual hydrogen and oxygen through electrochemical reactions. The single component serves both thermal management and fuel cell protection functions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated heater and COD devices.
2Reliability
If conventional COD is used to ensure stack durability during start-up and shut-down, then catalyst-loaded carbon deterioration is prevented, but additional COD components increase system complexity and maintenance difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the COD device with the heater housing, creating a single component that performs both heating and cathode oxygen depletion functions. The COD device is positioned within the heater assembly, allowing residual hydrogen consumption during start-up and shut-down operations without requiring a separate COD component. This reduces system complexity and maintenance requirements while maintaining stack durability.
3Reliability
If multiple separate components (heater and COD) are provided, then specific functions are ensured, but manufacturing cost and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heater and COD device into a single integrated component, reducing the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, assembled, and maintained. The heater element is positioned inside the COD device housing, creating one unified component that delivers both thermal management and fuel cell protection functions. This integration reduces manufacturing cost while maintaining functional reliability through coordinated operation of both functions within the single device.
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 solution effectively prevents bubble formation, improves heat transfer performance, and reduces manufacturing costs by integrating the heater and COD functions, ensuring efficient cold startability and durability of the fuel cell stack even at sub-freezing temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a heater for rapidly heating the coolant to improve the power generation efficiency of the stack at a temperature below the freezing point
Implementation Method 2
the electric energy generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is consumed to generate heat energy
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a heating device with cathode oxygen depletion (COD) function for a fuel cell vehicle, in which an existing COD and a heating device for improving cold startability of the fuel cell vehicle are integrated. For this purpose, the present invention provides a heating device with COD function for a fuel cell vehicle, the heating device including: a housing having an inlet and an outlet formed on both ends thereof; a start-up heater and a shut-down heater provided in parallel on one side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to a coolant flow direction; and a plurality of heaters for heating coolant provided in parallel on the other side of the housing in a direction perpendicular to the coolant flow direction, wherein cross sections in the coolant flow direction of each of the respective heaters change periodically along the longitudinal direction of the heater so as to cause a flow disturbance.