Fuel cell vehicle thermal management system and method for managing fuel cell thermal loads
The present disclosure provides a method of managing thermal loads in a fuel cell vehicle. The method may comprise heating a fuel cell coolant of a fuel cell coolant loop utilizing waste heat from a fuel cell to form a heated fuel cell coolant, heating a battery coolant of a battery coolant loop utilizing waste heat from a battery to form a heated battery coolant, heating a refrigerant of a battery refrigeration loop by exchanging heat with the heated battery coolant, and superheating the refrigerant of the battery refrigeration loop by exchanging heat with the heated fuel cell coolant.
1. A thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a battery;
a fuel cell;
a battery coolant loop thermally coupled to the battery and comprising a first radiator and a chiller;
a fuel cell coolant loop thermally coupled to the fuel cell and comprising a second radiator and a superheating heat exchanger; and
a battery refrigeration loop comprising the superheating heat exchanger thermally coupled to the chiller and a compressor,
wherein the superheating heat exchanger is configured to transfer waste heat from the fuel cell to a refrigerant of the battery refrigeration loop prior to the refrigerant entering the compressor.
2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the battery coolant loop further comprises a first pump, a first bypass valve, and a first expansion tank.
3. The thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein the fuel cell coolant loop further comprises a second pump, a second bypass valve, and a second expansion tank.
4. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the battery refrigeration loop further comprises a condenser and an expansion valve.
5. The thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein the battery, the first radiator, the chiller, the first pump, the first bypass valve, and the first expansion tank are thermally and fluidly coupled via a battery coolant line.
6. The thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell, the second radiator, the second pump, the second bypass valve, and the second expansion tank are thermally and fluidly coupled via a fuel cell coolant line.
7. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the superheating heat exchanger, the chiller, the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve are thermally and fluidly coupled via a battery refrigerant line.
8. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and forms a portion of a fuel cell stack.
9. The thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein the first bypass valve and the second bypass valve each comprise a three-way valve.
10. The thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein the first bypass valve is configured to selectively divert flow of a battery coolant in the battery coolant loop to the first radiator, the chiller, or a combination of the first radiator and the chiller.
11. The thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein the second bypass valve is configured to selectively divert flow of a fuel cell coolant in the fuel cell coolant loop to the second radiator, the superheating heat exchanger, or a combination of the second radiator and the superheating heat exchanger.
12. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the first radiator and the second radiator each comprise a fan configured to assist in convective heat transfer to an external environment.