Fuel Cell System Low-Efficiency Warming Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cells experience suboptimal output response and heat generation during low-efficiency operations, particularly when electric power is supplied to a load, especially in low-temperature environments, leading to inefficiencies and prolonged warming times.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell, secondary battery, oxidizing gas supplier, gas flow regulators, and an operation controller that adjusts gas flow rates and bypass flow ratios to maintain efficient power and heat output, even with limited power from the secondary battery, by increasing the excess gas flow rate and optimizing the target current and voltage values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If low-efficiency operation is performed to increase waste heat for warming the fuel cell, then heat generation is improved, but output response deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary warming operation at low efficiency to increase fuel cell temperature before normal operation. The control device detects temperature and initiates low-efficiency operation when temperature is below threshold, ensuring the fuel cell is pre-warmed before full power output is required, thus resolving the contradiction between heat generation and output response.
2Temperature
If low-efficiency operation is performed to warm up the fuel cell, then heat generation is improved, but power generation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts operating efficiency based on temperature conditions. The control device switches between low-efficiency operation (when temperature is low) and normal efficiency operation (when temperature is sufficient). This dynamic adjustment ensures optimal power generation efficiency is maintained whenever possible, while still achieving necessary warming when required.
3Speed
If excess gas flow rate is increased to improve output response, then power output response is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oxidizing gas supplier increases gas flow rate in advance before full power output is needed. This preliminary increase in gas supply prepares the fuel cell for rapid power output response. The control device manages this excess gas flow to ensure quick response capability while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption by only maintaining elevated gas flow when actually needed.
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 enhances output response and heat generation efficiency during low-efficiency operations, ensuring faster warming and improved performance even with limited power availability, thereby improving fuel cell stack efficiency and reducing unnecessary low-efficiency operation.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell; an oxidizing gas supplier configured to supply an oxidizing gas to the fuel cell to be utilized for power generation by the fuel cell
Implementation Method 2
a secondary battery connected with the fuel cell
Implementation Method 3
to increase a heat loss (waste heat) of the fuel cell and warm up the fuel cell with the waste heat
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery, an oxidizing gas supplier, a gas supply flow regulator, an oxidizing gas supply path, a cathode off-gas exhaust path, a bypass flow path, a flow regulator, an available power output acquirer, and an operation controller, wherein the gas supply flow regulator regulates the gas supply flow rate to cause the oxidizing gas supplier to supply an excess gas flow rate, which is set to be greater than a target fuel gas-requiring gas flow rate, wherein the target fuel gas-requiring gas flow rate is the fuel cell-requiring gas flow rate to be supplied to the fuel cell in order to achieve the target current value, when the available power output is less than a minimum amount of electric power required for the oxidizing gas supplier to increase the gas supply flow rate from 0 to a preset gas flow rate within a preset time period, and the operation controller controls the flow regulator to make the bypass flow rate equal to a difference gas flow rate between the excess gas flow rate and the target fuel cell-requiring gas flow rate.