Heat management system for a fuel cell vehicle
AssigneeVolvo Construction Equipment AB
InventorsGordon Ekman, Roland Kvist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat management system for a fuel cell vehicle propelled by an electric traction motor includes a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell configured to generate electric power when receiving hydrogen through a hydrogen inlet and oxygen through an oxygen inlet, wherein the fuel cell includes an outlet configured to expel exhaust water formed in the fuel cell, and a compressor including an inlet configured to receive ambient air, and an outlet, wherein the inlet of the compressor is arranged in downstream fluid communication with the outlet of the fuel cell and configured to pressurize a mixture of exhaust water expelled from the fuel cell and ambient air.
Claims13
A heat management system for a fuel cell vehicle propelled by an electric traction motor, the heat management system comprising:
- a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell configured to generate electric power when receiving hydrogen through a hydrogen inlet and oxygen through an oxygen inlet, wherein the fuel cell comprises an outlet configured to expel exhaust water formed in the fuel cell, and
- a compressor comprising an inlet configured to receive ambient air, and an outlet connected to an ambient environment,
- wherein the inlet of the compressor is arranged in downstream fluid communication with the outlet of the fuel cell and configured to pressurize a mixture of exhaust water expelled from the fuel cell and ambient air, wherein the pressurized mixture is configured to be directed towards the ambient environment.
A method of controlling a heat management system of a fuel cell vehicle, the heat management system comprising
- a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell configured to generate electric power when receiving hydrogen through a hydrogen inlet and oxygen through an oxygen inlet, wherein the fuel cell comprises an outlet configured to expel exhaust water formed in the fuel cell,
- a compressor comprising an inlet configured to receive ambient air and an outlet connected to an ambient environment, wherein the inlet of the compressor is arranged in downstream fluid communication with the outlet of the fuel cell,
- an electric power system, and
- an electric traction motor configured to propel the vehicle and to generate electric power during braking, the electric traction motor being electrically connected to the electric power system,
- wherein the method comprises:
- determining an electric power absorption capability of an energy storage system of the electric power system,
- comparing the electric power absorption capability with a level of electric power generated by the electric traction motor during braking, and
- controlling the compressor to pressurize a mixture of exhaust water expelled from the fuel cell and ambient air when the level of electric power generated by the electric traction motor exceeds the electric power absorption capability, and feed the pressurized mixture towards the ambient environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.