IP Library Granted Patent US 12,640,378
Granted Patent B2
US 12,640,378 · App. 17/831,686 · Granted May 26, 2026

Cooling apparatus of fuel cell vehicle

Inventor: Seung Taek Lim (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; Kia Corporation
H01M8/04014B60L50/75B60L58/40H01M8/04134H01M8/04701H01M8/04843H01M10/613H01M10/625H01M10/6563H01M16/006H01M2220/20H01M2250/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,640,378
App. No.
17/831,686
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a cooling apparatus of a fuel cell vehicle, including an air supply part, an air conditioning part that cools air discharged from the air supply part, and a valve provided at a rear end of the air supply part and that communicates cooled air discharged from the air supply part with a fuel cell part or a battery.

Claims (19)

1 . A cooling apparatus of a fuel cell vehicle, comprising:

an air supply part;

an air conditioning part to cool air discharged from the air supply part; and

a valve disposed downstream of the air supply part and to communicate cooled air discharged from the air supply part with at least one of a fuel cell part and a battery,

wherein the air supply part includes:

an air compressor to compress suctioned air; and

an air cooler connected to a refrigerant line of the air conditioning part and to cool air discharged from the air compressor.

2 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioning part includes:

a compressor to compress a refrigerant in a gas state, which is discharged from an evaporator;

a condenser to condense the refrigerant in the gas state, which is compressed by the compressor, and liquefy the refrigerant in the gas state into a liquid state;

an expansion valve to expand the refrigerant in the liquid state, which is discharged from the condenser, to the gas state; and

the evaporator to evaporate the refrigerant in the gas state, which is expanded through the expansion valve, through heat exchange with air, and decrease a temperature of the air cooler.

3 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell part includes:

a fuel cell stack configured to produce electric power by bringing hydrogen that is a fuel and air that is an oxidizer into reaction with each other; and

a humidifier to supply humidified air, which is obtained by exchanging moisture between the cooled air discharged from the air supply part and air discharged from the fuel cell stack, to the fuel cell stack.

4 . The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a 3 -way valve, in which a first direction inlet is communicated with the air supply part, a second direction inlet is communicated with the battery, and a third direction inlet is communicated with the fuel cell part.

5 . The cooling apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the valve is configured such that the cooled air discharged from the air supply part is supplied to the battery and the fuel cell part at the same time when the first direction inlet, the second direction inlet, and the third direction inlet are all in an opened state.

6 . The cooling apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the valve is configured such that supply of the cooled air to the battery is interrupted and the cooled air is supplied only to the fuel cell part when the first direction inlet and the third direction inlet are in an opened state and the second direction inlet is in a closed state.

7 . The cooling apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the valve is configured such that supply of the cooled air to the fuel cell part is interrupted and the cooled air is supplied only to the battery when the first direction inlet and the second direction inlet are in an opened state and the third direction inlet is in a closed state.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2024
From: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068672/0692 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2022
From: LIM, SEUNG TAEK
To: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060099/0816 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0089375 · Jul 7, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230011881A1 · Jan 12, 2023
References Cited (7)
US 20220088990A1 · Kim · 2022 [cited by examiner]
EP 4102601B1 · 2024 [cited by examiner]
KR 1020060068173A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200045363A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017102619 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in corresponding Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0089375 dated Nov. 16, 2025, with English translation. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance issued in corresponding Korean Priority Application No. 10-2021-0089375 dated Apr. 1, 2026, with English translation. [cited by applicant]