Fuel cell system and air vehicle

• Main Authors: Shinozaki, Yoshihiro, Shinagawa, Tomohiro, Okabe, Hiroki
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.09.2024
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; COSMONAUTICS; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

To provide a fuel cell system configured to prevent the freezing of the gas and water discharge valve of the fuel gas system even at high altitude. A fuel cell system for air vehicles, wherein the fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell, a fuel gas system for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell, a cooling system for controlling a temperature of the fuel cell, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, and a controller, and wherein, when the controller detects an altitude increase measured by the altitude sensor, and when a temperature of the gas and water discharge valve measured by the temperature sensor is less than a predetermined temperature, the controller increases a temperature of the refrigerant by controlling the three-way valve to circulate the refrigerant in the heating flow path and operating the circulation pump and the water heater to heat the refrigerant.