Fuel Cell Hybrid Powertrain for Electric Motor Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid vehicles, batteries often discharge significantly in city traffic, necessitating the startup of the combustion engine to recharge, even when drive power requirements are low, leading to inefficient energy use and increased emissions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a fuel cell system that utilizes the existing fuel to generate electrical energy for charging batteries and powering the electric motor, with a reformer to produce hydrogen gas and a heat exchanger to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions by preheating oxidizers and cathode gases, allowing the vehicle to operate independently of the combustion engine for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the combustion engine is started to recharge the battery in city traffic, then the battery can be recharged, but fuel consumption increases and emissions are raised
Solution Approach 1:
A fuel cell system is introduced as an intermediary energy conversion device between the hydrocarbon fuel tank and the battery. The fuel cell converts hydrocarbon fuel directly into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions, charging the battery without requiring combustion engine operation. This mediator resolves the contradiction by providing an alternative energy conversion path that avoids the inefficiencies of mechanical combustion while maintaining battery charge availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical combustion process is replaced with an electrochemical energy conversion system. Instead of using the combustion engine to generate mechanical power that could potentially charge the battery, the patent employs a fuel cell system that directly converts chemical energy from hydrocarbon fuel into electrical energy, substituting the mechanical energy conversion pathway with a more efficient electrochemical one.
2Power
If the combustion engine is started to provide drive power in city traffic, then the drive power requirement is met, but fuel consumption increases and emissions are raised
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion-based mechanical power generation is replaced with electrochemical energy conversion. The fuel cell system converts hydrocarbon fuel directly into electrical energy with significantly higher efficiency and lower emissions compared to combustion engines. This substitution eliminates the harmful emissions associated with combustion while providing the necessary drive power through the electric motor.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy conversion parameters are fundamentally changed from thermal-mechanical conversion (combustion engine) to electrochemical conversion (fuel cell). This parameter change results in higher conversion efficiency and different emission characteristics, specifically reducing harmful emissions while maintaining or improving power output capability.
3Ease of operation
If the battery is used to power the electric motor in city traffic, then the vehicle can operate in electric motor mode, but the battery discharges to such an extent that the combustion engine must be started
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel cell system enables continuous useful action by continuously converting hydrocarbon fuel into electrical energy to recharge the battery during electric motor operation. This continuous energy conversion process ensures that the battery maintains sufficient charge levels, allowing the vehicle to operate in electric motor mode for extended periods without requiring combustion engine intervention, thus extending the duration of electric operation.
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
This solution extends the operational time of the hybrid drive in electric motor mode, reduces fuel consumption, and lowers emissions by leveraging the fuel cell system's higher efficiency and ability to recharge batteries and power the electric motor, thereby minimizing combustion engine usage.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell system for generating electrical energy from the fuel and from an oxygen-containing oxidizer
Implementation Method 2
the fuel cell system has a reformer for generating an anode gas containing hydrogen gas from the fuel
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger which is integrated on the one hand in an anode waste gas return line returning to the reformer and on the other hand in an oxidant line which feeds the oxidant to the reformer and/or in a cathode gas line which feeds the cathode gas to the fuel cell
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The drive (1) has a combustion engine (2) for generating drive power by combustion of fuel comprising hydrocarbon. A fuel tank (5) is provided for storing the fuel. An electric motor (3) is provided for generation of drive power by conversion of electrical energy. A battery (6) is provided for storing electrical energy. A fuel cell system (4) is provided for generating electricity from the fuel and from an oxidator comprising oxidizer. The combustion engine and the fuel cell system are attached for supply of fuel to the fuel tank.