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US 2013/0092240 A1Published application
Back pressure valve with inductively heated flap
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsThomas Hild, Andreas Koenekamp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A back pressure valve for a fuel cell stack assembly is disclosed, wherein the valve includes a solenoid disposed thereon, an energization of the solenoid causing a generation of heat in a valve flap to facilitate a melting of ice that has formed in the valve.
Claims10
A method for heating a valve flap comprising the steps of:
- providing a valve including a housing and a plastic valve flap adapted to selectively permit and militate against a flow of fluid through the housing, a portion of the valve flap formed from metal, wherein the portion of the valve flap formed from metal is a metal ring surrounding the valve flap along an outer edge thereof, and wherein the housing includes a solenoid disposed thereon, the solenoid in communication with a source of electrical power;
- and
- energizing the solenoid to result in a generation of heat in the portion of the valve flap formed from metal, wherein the heat is generated by an induction of an alternating current in the portion of the valve flap formed from metal.
A method for heating a valve flap comprising the steps of:
- providing a valve including a housing and a valve flap adapted to selectively permit and militate against a flow of fluid through the housing, a portion of the valve flap formed from metal, wherein the portion of the valve flap formed from metal is a metal ring surrounding the valve flap along an outer edge thereof, wherein the housing is adapted to be disposed in a cathode exhaust conduit of a fuel cell stack, and wherein the housing includes a solenoid disposed thereon, the solenoid in communication with a source of electrical power;
- and
- energizing the solenoid to result in a generation of heat in the portion of the valve flap formed from metal, wherein the heat is generated by an induction of an alternating current in the portion of the valve flap formed from metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.