Active thermal management system for fuel cell stack
AssigneeHyundai Motor Company
InventorsHee Seok Jeong, Sung Ho LEE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An active thermal management system for a fuel cell stack controls the distribution of coolant flow for each unit cell of the fuel cell stack based on the temperature distribution measured at unit cells of the fuel cell stack. A coolant distribution means is capable of controlling the distribution of coolant flow for different sets of unit cells. The coolant distribution means is disposed in a coolant inlet manifold, and controls the coolant flow based on the temperature distribution measured at different unit cells of the fuel cell stack so as to reduce temperature variation in the unit cells, thus improving the performance and durability of the fuel cell stack.
Claims7
An active thermal management system for a fuel cell stack, the system comprising:
- a plurality of distribution plates disposed in a coolant inlet manifold of the fuel cell stack and guiding a flow of coolant toward selected unit cells of a plurality of unit cells;
- a plurality of thermocouples, each thermocouple disposed in a corresponding unit cell selected from the plurality of unit cells to measure the temperature of the corresponding unit cell;
- a coolant distribution means disposed in the coolant inlet manifold or in a manifold interface, connected to the coolant inlet manifold, and configured to controllably distribute the flow of coolant differently to each of a plurality of coolant distribution spaces separated by the distribution plates;
- and
- a controller controlling a degree of opening of the coolant distribution means based on measurement values of the thermocouples to control the distribution of flow of coolant to teach of the plurality of coolant distribution spaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.