Cooling Medium Tank Venting for Fuel Cell Ship Gas Leak Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fuel cell ships, a fuel gas leak can lead to the entry of combustible gases into the cooling medium tank, posing a risk of explosion.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell ship with a cooling system that includes a cooling medium tank, a circulation pipe, a detector, and a discharge valve, controlled by a control unit to prevent fuel gas from entering and staying in the cooling medium tank by opening the discharge valve when a specified fuel gas concentration is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a cooling medium tank is used to cool the fuel cell, then the fuel cell power generation efficiency is improved, but the risk of fuel gas accumulation and explosion in the cooling medium tank increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent installs a gas detector in the cooling medium tank to detect fuel gas concentration in advance, and sets up a discharge valve that can be opened when fuel gas is detected, preventing fuel gas accumulation before it reaches dangerous levels. This preliminary detection and prepared discharge mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining cooling efficiency while proactively preventing explosion risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gas detector as an intermediary monitoring device between the fuel cell and cooling medium tank system. The detector acts as a mediator that monitors fuel gas concentration and triggers the discharge valve operation, creating a safety intermediary layer that allows the cooling system to operate efficiently while preventing fuel gas accumulation.
2Reliability
If the cooling medium tank is sealed to prevent fuel gas entry, then safety is improved, but the ability to discharge accumulated fuel gas is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic valve mechanism that can switch between closed and open states based on fuel gas concentration conditions. The discharge valve remains closed during normal operation to maintain safety, but opens automatically when fuel gas is detected, dynamically adjusting the tank's sealing state to resolve the contradiction between safety and discharge capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas detector provides feedback on fuel gas concentration to the control system, which then controls the discharge valve operation. This feedback mechanism ensures the valve remains closed when safe (maintaining safety) and opens when fuel gas is detected (enabling discharge), dynamically resolving the contradiction between safety and discharge capability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a gas discharge valve is installed in the cooling medium tank, then the ability to remove fuel gas is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a system where the gas detector and discharge valve work together in a self-service manner. When fuel gas is detected, the valve automatically opens to discharge the gas without requiring complex external control systems or manual intervention. This self-service approach removes fuel gas effectively while minimizing system complexity.
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
Prevents fuel gas from accumulating in the cooling medium tank, reducing the risk of explosion and allowing for the use of pressurized cooling medium for efficient cooling, enhancing safety and design flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling system that cools the fuel cell, and the cooling system includes a cooling medium tank that accommodates a cooling medium
Implementation Method 2
a fuel cell that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction of a fuel
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell ship includes a cooling system that cools a fuel cell. The cooling system includes a cooling medium tank that accommodates a cooling medium, a cooling medium circulation pipe that circulates the cooling medium between the fuel cell and the cooling medium tank, a cooling tank internal gas detector installed in the cooling medium tank, a cooling tank internal gas discharge pipe connected to the cooling medium tank, and a cooling tank internal gas discharge valve installed in the cooling tank internal gas discharge pipe. The fuel cell ship includes a control unit that controls opening and closing of the cooling tank internal gas discharge valve. The control unit opens the cooling tank internal gas discharge valve when the cooling tank internal gas detector detects that the concentration of the fuel gas in the cooling medium tank is equal to or greater than a specified value determined in advance.