KR-20260065475-A - Integrated control system for hydrogen generator

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising a fuel cell stack, a humidification device, an air supply device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, a hydrogen production supply device for producing hydrogen and supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, a temperature control device for controlling the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack, and a control unit for controlling the fuel cell stack, the air supply device, the hydrogen production supply device, and the temperature control device, wherein heat generated from the fuel cell stack and heat generated from the hydrogen production supply device are supplied to the humidification device to be used for humidifying the air.

Inventors

• 손병락

Assignees

• 주식회사 워터코리아
• 재단법인대구경북과학기술원

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20250421

Priority Date

20241030

Claims (20)

1. Fuel cell stack; An air supply device including a humidification device and supplying air to the fuel cell stack; A hydrogen production and supply device that produces hydrogen and supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell stack; A temperature control device for controlling the internal temperature of the above fuel cell stack; and A control unit that controls the fuel cell stack, the air supply device, the hydrogen production supply device, and the temperature control device; comprising A hydrogen generator integrated control system that supplies heat generated from the fuel cell stack and heat generated from the hydrogen production supply device to the humidification device to use for humidifying air.
2. In Article 1, The above hydrogen production and supply device is, A fuel tank for storing fuel mixed with solid hydride and water in a certain ratio; A hydrogen reactor that generates hydrogen through the reaction of fuel supplied from the above fuel tank and a catalyst; A fuel supply pump that supplies fuel from the fuel tank to the hydrogen reactor; A hydrogen buffer connected to the above hydrogen reactor for temporarily storing hydrogen generated in the above hydrogen reactor; and A hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising: a first heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of hydrogen stored in the hydrogen buffer.
3. In Article 2, The above hydrogen production and supply device includes a first heat supply valve connected between the hydrogen reactor and the humidifier or between the first heat exchanger and the humidifier, and A hydrogen generator integrated control system in which the above control unit controls the heat supply from the hydrogen reactor to the humidification device by controlling the above first heat supply valve.
4. In Article 2, The above control unit is, A hydrogen generator integrated control system that controls the amount of fuel supplied to the hydrogen reactor by controlling the fuel supply pump when the pressure of the hydrogen buffer is greater than or equal to a preset value.
5. In Article 2, The above hydrogen production and supply device further includes a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell stack, and The above control unit controls the amount of air supplied by the air supply device according to the hydrogen flow rate measured by the flow sensor, in a hydrogen generator integrated control system.
6. In Article 2, The above hydrogen production and supply device is, A byproduct storage tank for receiving and storing the byproduct remaining after generating hydrogen in the above-mentioned hydrogen reactor; and A hydrogen generator integrated control system further comprising a byproduct discharge pump that controls the supply of byproducts to the above-mentioned byproduct storage tank.
7. In Article 1, The above hydrogen generator integrated control system is, It further includes a voltage sensor for measuring the voltage of each cell of the fuel cell stack, and The voltage of the fuel cell stack is monitored in real time from the above voltage sensor, and A hydrogen generator integrated control system that stops the hydrogen generator in the order of stopping the hydrogen production supply device, purging the fuel cell stack, stopping the air supply device, and stopping the temperature control device when the voltage of each cell of the fuel cell stack is below a preset voltage.
8. In Article 1, The above temperature control device is, A second heat exchanger for cooling high-temperature water discharged from the above fuel cell stack; A cooling water tank connected to the above-mentioned second heat exchanger for storing cooling water; and A hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising: a water pump that supplies cooling water from the cooling water tank to the fuel cell stack.
9. In Article 8, The above temperature control device includes a second heat supply valve connected between a connecting pipe connecting the second heat exchanger and the fuel cell stack and the humidifier. A hydrogen generator integrated control system in which the above control unit controls the heat supply from the fuel cell stack to the humidification device by controlling the above second heat supply valve.
10. In Article 8, The above control unit is, A hydrogen generator integrated control system that calculates the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack based on the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the second heat exchanger, and controls the driving speed of the cooling fan of the second heat exchanger and the water pump.
11. A control method for an integrated control system for a hydrogen generator comprising a fuel cell stack, an air supply device, a hydrogen production supply device, and a temperature control device, wherein A step of obtaining temperature data of a humidifier equipped in the air supply device; A step of determining the temperature state of the humidifier using a normal temperature range and the temperature data; and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising the step of controlling a heat supply valve that supplies or blocks heat to the humidifier based on the temperature state of the humidifier.
12. In Article 11, The step of controlling the heat supply valve above is, In response to the above temperature data being included in the normal temperature range, the heat supply valve is operated normally, and In response to the above temperature data exceeding the maximum temperature of the normal temperature range, the amount of heat supplied to the humidifier is reduced, and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system that increases the amount of heat supplied to the humidifier in response to the above temperature data being below the minimum temperature of the above normal temperature range.
13. In Article 11, The step of controlling the heat supply valve above is, A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising a first heat supply valve control step for controlling the supply of heat generated in a hydrogen reactor of the above-mentioned hydrogen production and supply device.
14. In Article 11, The step of controlling the heat supply valve above is, A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising a second heat supply valve control step for controlling the supply of heat generated in the fuel cell stack.
15. In Article 11, A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising the step of controlling the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack through the above-mentioned temperature control device.
16. In Article 15, The step of controlling the internal temperature of the fuel cell stack is, A step of obtaining temperature data of the cooling water flowing from the fuel cell stack to the second heat exchanger; A step of determining the temperature state of the fuel cell stack using the normal temperature range and the temperature data of the coolant; and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising the step of controlling the cooling fan and water pump of the second heat exchanger based on the temperature state of the fuel cell stack.
17. In Article 16, The step of controlling the cooling fan and water pump of the second heat exchanger is, In response to the above cooling water temperature data being included in the normal temperature range, the cooling fan and water pump of the second heat exchanger are operated normally, and In response to the temperature data of the above-mentioned coolant exceeding the maximum temperature of the normal temperature range, the cooling fan and the water pump are accelerated, and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system, wherein the cooling fan and the water pump are decelerated in response to the temperature data of the cooling water being below the minimum temperature of the normal temperature range.
18. In Article 11, A control method for an integrated control system for a hydrogen generator, comprising the step of controlling the temperature of a hydrogen reactor of the above-mentioned hydrogen production and supply device.
19. In Article 18, The step of controlling the temperature of the above hydrogen reactor is, A step of obtaining temperature data of the above hydrogen reactor; A step of determining the temperature state of the hydrogen reactor using a normal temperature range and temperature data of the hydrogen reactor; and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system comprising the step of controlling a hydrogen reactor cooling fan and a fuel supply pump based on the temperature state of the hydrogen reactor.
20. In Article 19, The step of controlling the hydrogen reactor cooling fan and fuel supply pump described above is, In response to the temperature data of the above hydrogen reactor being within the normal temperature range, the hydrogen reactor cooling fan and fuel supply pump are operated normally, and In response to the temperature data of the above hydrogen reactor exceeding the maximum temperature of the normal temperature range, the cooling fan of the above hydrogen reactor is accelerated, and In response to the temperature data of the above hydrogen reactor being below the minimum temperature of the normal temperature range, the cooling fan of the hydrogen reactor is decelerated, and A control method for a hydrogen generator integrated control system that stops fuel supply by the fuel supply pump when the temperature data of the hydrogen reactor exceeds a safe temperature.

Description

Integrated control system for hydrogen generator The present invention relates to an integrated control system for a hydrogen generator. The research for this invention was conducted with the support of the “Dalseong-gun New Industry Technology Transfer and Commercialization Support Project - Customized Commercialization Support.” Representative examples of fuel cells include polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). These fuel cells utilize a polymer membrane capable of conducting hydrogen ions as an electrolyte. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack is formed by repeatedly stacking multiple separators and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). In the above membrane electrode assembly, a fuel electrode (anode) and an air electrode (cathode) are formed on each side of the electrolyte membrane, and hydrogen gas and air (oxygen) are supplied to the fuel electrode and the air electrode, respectively, through a flow path formed on the surface of the separator plate. Therefore, hydrogen ions ionized at the fuel electrode move through the electrolyte membrane to the air electrode and combine with oxygen to produce water, and an electric current is generated by the flow of electrons separated from the hydrogen. The generated current is collected through current collector plates provided at both ends of the stack, converted into an appropriate form through a current converter, and then supplied to the point of use. One of the key factors in improving the performance of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) is maintaining a moisture content by supplying a certain amount of water to the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (or Proton Exchange Membrane: PEM) of the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). This is because the ionic conductivity of the PEM increases and losses due to resistance decreases as it becomes sufficiently wetted; however, if the PEM dries out due to the continuous supply of reaction gases with low relative humidity, the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell drops sharply. Therefore, humidifying the gas supplied to the PEM is essential. The aforementioned background technology is technical information that the inventor possessed for the derivation of the present invention or acquired during the process of deriving the present invention, and it cannot be considered as prior art disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a hydrogen generator integrated control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a hydrogen generator integrated control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an air supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling and interlocking a heat supply valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a temperature control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling and interlocking a temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a hydrogen production and supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts illustrating a control and interlocking method of a hydrogen production and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control and interlocking method of an air supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a fuel cell stack and a voltage sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a voltage/current control and interlocking method of a fuel cell stack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a humidification device for a fuel cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the automatic water supply unit of FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fuel cell system including a humidification device for a fuel cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the following embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Since the embodiments are capable of various modifications, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The