Fuel Cell Hydrogen Removal via Preliminary Voltage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell systems face durability issues due to carbon corrosion from oxygen when air is left inside after shutdown and increased fire/explosion risks from high hydrogen concentrations upon restart.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system with a controller that applies voltages to move hydrogen from the cathode to the anode through an electrolyte membrane before operation, reducing oxygen and hydrogen concentrations, thereby preventing corrosion and safety hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air remains in the system after shutdown, then the system can be easily stopped, but carbon corrosion occurs due to oxygen reducing fuel cell durability
Solution Approach 1:
The controller applies a preliminary voltage to the fuel cell stack before shutdown to actively remove oxygen from the system. This preliminary action prevents carbon corrosion by eliminating the harmful oxygen environment before the system stops operating, thereby protecting fuel cell durability while maintaining easy shutdown operation.
2Ease of operation
If hydrogen remains in the system after shutdown, then the system can be easily stopped, but the concentration of hydrogen in discharged gases increases creating fire or explosion danger
Solution Approach 1:
The controller applies a preliminary voltage to the fuel cell stack before shutdown to actively remove hydrogen from the system. This preliminary action reduces hydrogen concentration in the system before shutdown, thereby eliminating fire or explosion dangers while maintaining easy shutdown operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If voltage is applied to move hydrogen from cathode to anode, then hydrogen concentration in cathode decreases improving safety, but additional energy consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage application to move hydrogen occurs only briefly before shutdown rather than continuously. This preliminary, time-limited action sufficiently reduces hydrogen concentration to improve safety while minimizing additional energy consumption compared to continuous 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
The solution effectively reduces oxygen and hydrogen concentrations, enhancing fuel cell durability and safety by minimizing carbon corrosion and hydrogen discharge risks.
Implementation Method 1
an electrolyte membrane, and a cathode and an anode that are a pair of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane
Implementation Method 2
when the voltages are applied to the cathode and the anode, hydrogen that resides in the cathode flows to the anode through the electrolyte membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell system that has a fuel cell stack is provided. The system includes an electrolyte membrane, and a cathode and an anode that are a pair of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane. A controller applies voltages to the cathode and the anode of the fuel cell stack before hydrogen that operates the fuel cell stack is supplied to the anode. When the voltages are applied to the cathode and the anode, hydrogen that resides in the cathode flows to the anode through the electrolyte membrane to decrease the concentration of the hydrogen in the cathode. The fuel cell system reduces the concentration of hydrogen discharged to the outside of the vehicle by reducing the concentration of hydrogen in the cathode before driving of the fuel cell is initiated.