Fuel Cell Air Cleaner Anti-Freeze Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fuel cell vehicles face issues with air cleaners freezing in snowy or cold environments, leading to clogged flow paths and reduced air flow rates, which can cause fuel cell output failures.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a heating mechanism within the air cleaner, such as a heater or utilizing exhaust heat from the fuel cell system, to maintain the air cleaner's temperature above freezing points, ensuring uninterrupted air flow to the fuel cell.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the air cleaner is used in snowy or cold environments, then the air cleaner can filter external air, but snow and moisture accumulate and freeze in the case, causing flow path clogging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow rateVSAvoidfreezing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element is activated before snow and moisture can accumulate and freeze in the air cleaner case. By applying heat in advance during cold weather conditions, the system prevents freezing before it occurs, maintaining open flow paths and ensuring reliable air flow to the fuel cell.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element, which consumes energy, is used to convert the harmful freezing condition into a beneficial warm environment within the air cleaner case. The heat that would otherwise be wasted is utilized to melt snow and prevent moisture accumulation, turning a negative effect into a protective mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If a heater is provided in the air cleaner to prevent freezing, then the air flow rate is maintained, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow rateVSAvoidheating means

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element serves multiple functions: it prevents freezing of snow and moisture in the air cleaner case, maintains air flow paths open, and can potentially serve as a temperature control mechanism for the overall system. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing several benefits from a single component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element is designed to operate automatically based on temperature sensors or control systems that detect cold conditions. Once activated, the heating system self-regulates to maintain appropriate temperatures without requiring manual intervention, making the added complexity manageable through automated self-service operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 air cleaner freezing, maintains required air flow rates, and ensures the fuel cell system can provide the necessary driving force even in low-temperature conditions without wasting thermal energy.

Implementation Method 1

heating means which heats the air cleaner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

the heating means is constituted by a part of the cooling system which supplies a refrigerant, which has passed through the constituent equipment, to the air cleaner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS8927169B2Fuel cell system and mobile body

Publication Date: 2015.01.06 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system and a mobile body capable of restraining freeze in an air cleaner. The fuel cell system includes an air cleaner for cleaning the air to be supplied to a fuel cell and a heater for heating the air cleaner. The air cleaner can be alternatively heated by supplying a refrigerant in a refrigerant piping system to the air cleaner instead of using the heater.