Fuel Cell Abnormal Shutdown Cooling Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fuel cell systems do not adequately cool down during abnormal shutdowns, posing safety risks for maintenance operators and potentially delaying maintenance operations.

Innovation Solution

A fuel cell system with enhanced cooling capabilities, utilizing a controller to manage a higher flow rate of a first heat medium through a first heat medium path, an abnormality detector, and a flow control device to rapidly cool the fuel cell during abnormal shutdowns, ensuring faster temperature reduction and facilitating maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a normal shut-down process is performed with standard cooling, then energy efficiency is maintained through heat recovery, but the fuel cell temperature remains high posing safety risks for maintenance operators

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel cell temperatureVSAvoidsafety risk to maintenance operators

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the cooling flow rate based on the shut-down type. During abnormal shut-downs, the flow control device increases the first heat medium flow rate to a higher level compared to normal shut-downs, enabling rapid temperature reduction when safety risks are present while maintaining energy efficiency during planned operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The controller changes the operating parameters of the flow control device based on the detected abnormality. By switching from standard cooling parameters during normal operation to enhanced cooling parameters during abnormal shut-downs, the system achieves rapid temperature reduction to safe levels without compromising normal operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If rapid cooling is implemented during abnormal shutdowns, then maintenance safety is improved, but energy loss increases due to reduced heat recovery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety risk to maintenance operatorsVSAvoidheat recovery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between heat recovery mode and rapid cooling mode based on the shut-down type. During abnormal shut-downs, the controller prioritizes safety by directing more heat medium flow through the cooling path, accepting temporary energy loss. During normal shut-downs, the system maintains heat recovery efficiency with standard cooling flow rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The controller adjusts the flow rate parameter of the first heat medium based on the abnormality detection. By increasing the cooling flow rate parameter during abnormal shut-downs, the system achieves rapid temperature reduction. The parameter adjustment is temporary and condition-specific, minimizing overall energy loss while ensuring safety when required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If standard cooling flow rate is used during abnormal shutdowns, then energy efficiency is maintained, but maintenance operation timing is delayed due to prolonged high temperature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat recovery efficiencyVSAvoidmaintenance operation delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically responds to abnormal conditions by adjusting the cooling intensity. When an abnormality is detected, the flow control device automatically increases the heat medium flow rate, accelerating the cooling process and enabling timely maintenance operations without compromising energy efficiency during normal operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The controller receives feedback from the abnormality detector and adjusts the cooling flow rate accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that rapid cooling is activated only when necessary, maintaining energy efficiency during normal operations while enabling quick temperature reduction and maintenance access during abnormal shut-downs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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 lowers the fuel cell temperature at a higher pace during abnormal shutdowns, enhancing safety and efficiency by allowing quicker maintenance operations and reducing start-up time.

Implementation Method 1

a first heat medium path through which a first heat medium for cooling the fuel cell flows

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat absorption: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9083014B2Fuel cell system for performing normal and abnormal shut-down processes

Publication Date: 2015.07.14 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A fuel cell system of the present invention comprises a fuel cell (101); a first heat medium path through which a first heat medium for cooling the fuel cell (101) flows; a first flow control device (107) configured to flow the first heat medium in the first heat medium path; an abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality; and a controller (110) configured to control the first flow control device (107) such that the fuel cell (101) after shut-down of power generation is cooled with a higher rate in an abnormal shut-down process performed after the abnormality detector detects the abnormality, than in a normal shut-down process.