Energy dissipation device for controlling flow of a fuel cell fluid
AssigneeDoosan Fuel Cell America, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey G. Lake, Yu Guo, Xiangyang Deng, Ying Shi, Lei Yu, George S. Hirko, Vicky Zhang, Robin J. Guthrie, Sushant S. Bhadange, Andrew Joseph Melough
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example energy dissipation device for controlling a fuel cell fluid includes a conduit extending in longitudinal direction between a first opening and a second opening. A flow control insert is configured to be received within the conduit. The flow control insert is configured to cause a fuel cell fluid to flow helically relative to the longitudinal direction.
Claims17
An energy dissipation device for controlling flow of a fuel cell fluid, comprising:
- a conduit extending in a longitudinal direction between a first opening and a second opening;
- and
- a first flow control insert configured to be received within the conduit, wherein the first flow control insert is configured to cause a fuel cell fluid to flow helically about the first flow control insert relative to the longitudinal direction in a first direction;
- and
- a second flow control insert configured to be received within the conduit and arranged coaxially with the first flow control insert, wherein the second flow control inset is configured to cause the fuel cell fluid to flow helically about the second flow control inset relative to the longitudinal direction in a second direction opposite a first direction, wherein the fuel cell fluid is a coolant.
A fuel cell arrangement, comprising:
- a fuel cell fluid supply;
- a fuel cell stack;
- and
- an energy dissipation device configured to control the flow of a fuel cell fluid between the fuel cell fluid supply and the fuel cell stack, the energy dissipation device including a first insert that causes the fuel cell fluid to flow helically about the first insert through the energy dissipation device in a first direction, the energy dissipation device further including a second insert that causes the fuel cell fluid to flow helically about the second insert through the energy dissipation device in a second direction opposite a first direction, the first insert dissipation device in a second direction opposite a first direction, the first insert arranged coaxially with the second insert.
A method of controlling a fuel cell fluid flow, comprising:
- receiving a fuel cell fluid at a conduit;
- restricting flow of the fuel cell fluid by directing the fuel cell fluid to move helically about a first threaded insert within the conduit;
- communicating the fuel cell fluid from the conduit to a fuel cell stack;
- directing the fuel cell fluid to move helically in a first longitudinal direction using the first threaded insert;
- and
- directing the flow to move helically in a second longitudinal direction using a second threaded insert at least partially received within the first threaded insert, the second longitudinal direction opposite the first longitudinal direction.
An example energy dissipation device for controlling fuel of a fuel cell fluid, comprising:
- a conduit extending in a longitudinal direction between a first opening and a second opening;
- and
- a first flow control insert configured to be received within the conduit, wherein the first flow control insert is configured to cause a fuel cell fluid to flow in a first direction that is the same as the longitudinal direction and to flow helically about the first flow control insert relative to the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a second flow control insert arranged coaxially with the first flow control insert and configured to cause the fuel cell fluid to flow in a second direction that is opposite the longitudinal direction and to flow helically about the second flow control insert relative to the longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.