Fuel Cell Purge Gas Isolation Prevents Component Deterioration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel cell systems face issues with the deterioration of purge gas supply components due to direct contact with vaporized fuel, leading to potential damage and inefficiencies in fuel management.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system design that incorporates a collector to gather vaporized fuel from the tank, using a separate purge gas supply unit that does not directly interact with the fuel, thereby preventing component deterioration and optimizing fuel utilization through efficient combustion and reforming processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pump is used to supply purge gas directly to the canister for detaching vaporized fuel, then the purge gas supply efficiency is improved, but the pump deteriorates due to direct contact with vaporized fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the purge gas supply function into two separate paths: a first path that supplies purge gas to the canister through the vaporized fuel discharge path, and a second path that supplies purge gas directly to the reformer. This segmentation eliminates the need for a pump to directly contact vaporized fuel while maintaining effective purge gas supply to the canister.
Solution Approach 2:
The vaporized fuel discharge path acts as an intermediary medium. Purge gas is supplied to the canister through this path, allowing the canister to be purged without requiring a pump to directly handle the vaporized fuel. The system uses the existing vapor discharge infrastructure as a mediator to achieve the purge function.
2Device complexity
If vaporized fuel is discharged directly to the atmosphere, then the system complexity is reduced, but air pollution increases due to vaporized fuel emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful vaporized fuel that would otherwise be discharged to the atmosphere into a useful resource. The vaporized fuel is collected from the canister and supplied to the reformer where it is combusted and reformed, transforming a pollutant into a valuable fuel source for the fuel cell system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding vaporized fuel to the atmosphere, the system recovers it by directing it through the discharge path to the reformer. The reformer processes the vaporized fuel, converting it into usable fuel gas for the fuel cell, thereby recovering what would have been waste.
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 prevents component deterioration and enhances fuel management by ensuring the purge gas supply unit is isolated from direct fuel contact, allowing for efficient vaporized fuel combustion and reforming, thus improving overall system stability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vapor portion of a sulfur-free hydrocarbon mixture is sent to a vapor canister where it is adsorbed on an activated carbon adsorbent
Implementation Method 2
a supply path and a purge gas supply unit that are connected to the collector, the supply path and the purge gas supply unit being configured to supply, to the collector, purge gas for pushing out the vaporized fuel collected by the collector into the discharge path
Implementation Method 3
detaching the adsorbed fuel to supply the detached fuel and the gas for purge (purge gas) to a reformer, and reforming them along with fuel for combustion in the reformer
Implementation Method 4
a fuel cell that is supplied with a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to generate electric power
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A fuel cell system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell that is supplied with a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to generate electric power; a fuel tank that stores therein liquid fuel acting as the fuel gas; an oxidant gas supply source configured to supply the oxidant gas; and a supply/discharge mechanism that is connected to the fuel tank and the oxidant gas supply source, the supply/discharge mechanism being configured to supply and discharge the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to and from the fuel cell. The fuel cell system further includes: a collector configured to collect vaporized fuel that is vaporized in the fuel tank; an introduction path that is connected to the fuel tank and the collector, the introduction path being configured to guide the vaporized fuel to the collector; a discharge path configured to discharge the vaporized fuel collected by the collector to the supply/ discharge mechanism; and a supply path and a purge gas supply unit that are connected to the collector, the supply path and the purge gas supply unit being configured to supply, to the collector, purge gas for pushing out the vaporized fuel collected by the collector into the discharge path.