# US 2018/0323451 A1 · Concave fuel cell knock out drain

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- Number: US 2018/0323451 A1
- Document ID: US20180323451A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/589,251
- Filed: 2017-05-08
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-08
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Seha SON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323451A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04179: {by purging or increasing flow or pressure of reactants}
- B60L 50/72: Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
- H01M 8/04164: {by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters}
- H01M 8/04253: {Means for solving freezing problems}
- H01M 16/006: {of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries}
- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H01M 2250/402: Combination of fuel cell with other electric generators
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle includes a high-voltage bus and an electric motor electrically coupled to the bus. The vehicle further includes a fuel cell system electrically coupled to the bus. The fuel cell system includes a fuel stack and a reservoir in fluid connection with the fuel stack. The reservoir has a concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall extending upwardly into and forming an apex within a cavity of the reservoir. The reservoir further includes a valve receptacle extending from a sidewall of the reservoir into the cavity of the reservoir. The valve receptacle defines a drain aperture and an outlet orifice having a bottom edge disposed proximate the apex of the bottom wall. The fuel cell system further includes a drain tube in fluid communication with the drain aperture and a control valve disposed within the valve receptacle and adapted to control fluid communication between the outlet orifice and the drain aperture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
a high-voltage bus;
an electric motor electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus; and
a fuel cell system electrically coupled to the high-voltage bus, wherein the fuel cell system includes
a fuel stack,
a reservoir in fluid connection with the fuel stack, wherein the reservoir has a generally concave bottom wall extending upwardly into and forming an apex within a cavity of the reservoir, wherein the reservoir further includes a valve receptacle extending from a sidewall of the reservoir into the cavity of the reservoir, wherein the valve receptacle defines a drain aperture and an outlet orifice having a bottom edge disposed proximate the apex of the bottom wall,
a drain tube in fluid communication with the drain aperture, and
a solenoid valve disposed within the valve receptacle and adapted to control fluid communication between the outlet orifice and the drain aperture.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell system comprises an anode side, a cathode side, and a membrane disposed therebetween.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the reservoir includes an inlet adapted to receive a fluid mixture of hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas, and water from an output of the anode side of the fuel stack.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the concave bottom wall extends upwardly into the cavity of the reservoir at an angle between approximately 15 and 25 degrees relative to a horizontal plane extending between bottom edges of sidewalls of the reservoir.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the valve receptacle protrudes through the concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at a first vehicle inclination in a first slope direction, a water level is maintained at a predetermined height proximate the apex of the bottom wall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle of claim 6, wherein at a second vehicle inclination in a second slope direction opposite the first slope direction, the water level is maintained at the predetermined height proximate the apex of the bottom wall.

### Claim 8

A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel stack; and
a reservoir in fluid connection with the fuel stack, the reservoir having a concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall forming an apex within a cavity of the reservoir, the reservoir further including a valve receptacle extending into the cavity of the reservoir, the valve receptacle defining a drain aperture and an outlet orifice having a bottom edge disposed at the apex of the bottom wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the valve receptacle is a tubular valve receptacle that extends into the cavity of the reservoir.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The fuel cell system of claim 9, wherein the valve receptacle includes an abutment surface disposed within the cavity of the reservoir between longitudinal walls of the tubular valve receptacle, and wherein the abutment surface defines the outlet orifice.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall extends upwardly into the cavity of the reservoir at an angle between approximately 15 and 25 degrees relative to a horizontal plane extending between bottom edges of sidewalls of the reservoir.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, further comprising a control valve disposed within the valve receptacle and adapted to control fluid communication between the outlet orifice and the drain aperture.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the outlet orifice substantially extends in a plane generally orthogonal to a plane defined by the drain aperture.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the outlet orifice is substantially circular.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the outlet orifice is substantially triangular and is oriented such that a first corner and a second corner of the substantially triangular outlet orifice are disposed above a third corner of the substantially triangular outlet orifice.

### Claim 16

A water removal system for a fuel cell comprising:
a reservoir in fluid connection with the fuel cell, the reservoir having a concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall forming an apex within a cavity of the reservoir, the reservoir further including a valve receptacle extending into the cavity of the reservoir, the valve receptacle defining a drain aperture and an outlet orifice having a bottom edge disposed at the apex of the bottom wall.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The water removal system of claim 16, wherein the concave, generally conically-shaped bottom wall extends upwardly into the cavity of the reservoir at an angle between approximately 15 and 25 degrees relative to a horizontal plane extending between bottom edges of sidewalls of the reservoir.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The water removal system of claim 16, further comprising a control valve disposed within the valve receptacle and adapted to control fluid communication between the outlet orifice and the drain aperture.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The water removal system of claim 16, wherein at a first vehicle inclination in a first slope direction, a water level is maintained at a predetermined height proximate the apex of the bottom wall.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The water removal system of claim 19, wherein in at a second vehicle inclination in a second slope direction opposite the first slope direction, the water level is maintained at the predetermined height proximate the apex of the bottom wall.