Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-21
2004-11-30
Le, Hoa Van (Department: 1752)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
C429S006000, C429S006000, C429S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824903
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell which supplies hydrogen, as a fuel, to a fuel cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell provided with a hydrogen occlusion tank containing a hydrogen occlusion alloy and a hydrogen tank in which hydrogen may be stored in a compressed state.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a hydrogen supplying device which supplies hydrogen to a fuel cell mounted on a movable object, such as a vehicle, one which supplies hydrogen discharged from a hydrogen occlusion alloy, in which hydrogen has been occluded, to a fuel cell, has been known as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-88196.
When hydrogen is occluded in or discharged from the hydrogen occlusion alloys, heat is associated with the process. That is, it is necessary to remove heat from the hydrogen occlusion alloy when occluding hydrogen, and to supply heat to the hydrogen occlusion alloy when discharging hydrogen. Since the quantity of heat required for discharging hydrogen is supplied from the heat capacity of the hydrogen occlusion alloy, the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion alloy decreases, if no heat is externally supplied, when hydrogen is discharged.
Accordingly, the above-mentioned type hydrogen supplying devices are provided with a heating means for applying heat to the hydrogen occlusion alloy so that hydrogen may be stably discharged from the hydrogen occlusion alloy. The heating means recovers heat which is generated when power is generated by a fuel cell, and utilizes this waste heat as a heating source. At this time, a liquid, such as water, or a gas, such as air, is used as a heating medium.
In the conventional hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell, however, the quantity of heat, which can be supplied by the heating means, may be insufficient, depending on the conditions under which the fuel cell is operated, for the quantity of heat required by the hydrogen occlusion alloy, even if the hydrogen supplying device is provided with the above-mentioned heating device. For this reason, in some cases, the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion alloy decreases during an operation, and it becomes difficult to supply the required amount of hydrogen to the fuel cell from the hydrogen occlusion alloy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell provided with a hydrogen occlusion tank containing a hydrogen occlusion alloy and a hydrogen tank in which hydrogen is stored in a compressed state, which is capable of always stably supplying an amount of hydrogen required by the fuel cell by controlling an amount of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and from the hydrogen tank.
In order to solve the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention is a hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell including: a hydrogen occlusion tank (for example, the hydrogen occlusion tank
1
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later) in which a hydrogen occlusion alloy is contained, the hydrogen occlusion alloy being capable of occluding and discharging hydrogen which is used as a fuel for a fuel cell (for example, the fuel cell
7
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later); a hydrogen tank (for example, the hydrogen tank
19
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later) in which hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell can be stored in a compressed state; a heating unit (for example, the duct
3
, the junction duct
21
, outside air duct
23
, the cold air duct
25
, the heat exchange tube
5
, and the flow rate controlling valves V
4
, V
5
, and V
6
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later) which supplies heat to the hydrogen occlusion tank; a hydrogen supply line (for example, the hydrogen supply lines
9
,
11
,
13
, and
17
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later) through which a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank can be merged to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a flow rate controlling device (for example, the flow rate controlling valves V
1
, V
2
, and V
3
used in the first through third embodiments which will be described later) which controls a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and/or a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank.
According to the hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell having the above mentioned configuration, it becomes possible to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell only from the hydrogen occlusion tank while applying heat to the hydrogen occlusion tank by controlling the flow rate of hydrogen by the flow rate controlling device. Also, it becomes possible to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell only from the hydrogen tank, or from both the hydrogen occlusion tank and the hydrogen tank by merging the flow of hydrogen from the two. Accordingly, the flow rate of hydrogen may be controlled taking into account the heating state of hydrogen occlusion tank by the heating unit.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the flow rate controlling device controls the flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and/or the flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank depending on the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank.
According to the hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell having the above mentioned configuration, it becomes possible to control the flow rate of hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen occlusion tank and the flow rate of hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen tank to be most suitable depending on the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank. Accordingly, it becomes possible to stably supply hydrogen to the fuel cell.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, a supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell from the hydrogen occlusion tank is stopped and hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell only from the hydrogen tank when the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank is lower than a lower limit temperature (for example, the lower limit value t
1
in the first through third embodiments which will be described later), and hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell from the hydrogen occlusion tank when the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank is equal to or higher than the lower limit temperature.
According to the hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell having the above mentioned configuration, it becomes possible to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell from the hydrogen tank when the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank is lower than the lower limit temperature at which the amount of hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen occlusion tank is decreased. Accordingly, a supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell may be performed in a stable manner even when the supply from the hydrogen occlusion tank is difficult.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, a supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell from the hydrogen is stopped and hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell only from the hydrogen occlusion tank when the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank is higher than an upper limit temperature (for example, the upper limit value t
2
in the first or third embodiment which will be described later).
According to the hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell having the above mentioned configuration, the amount of hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen occlusion tank is increased and it becomes possible to prevent an increase in the temperature of the hydrogen occlusion tank. Accordingly, an increase in the pressure in the hydrogen occlusion tank may also be prevente
Kuriiwa Takahiro
Nuiya Yoshio
Shimada Toshiaki
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Lahive & Cockfield LLP
Laurentano, Esq. Anthony A.
Le Hoa Van
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