Cooling/heating apparatus using waste heat from fuel cell

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a cooling/heating apparatus using waste heat from a fuel cell. The cooling/heating apparatus comprises a fuel cell, a hydrogen modifying unit, a cooling/heating unit, and refrigerant heating units. The cooling/heating unit includes at least one compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, to establish a heat pump type refrigerant cycle. The refrigerant heating units provide waste heat recovered from the fuel cell and the hydrogen modifying unit to a suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor included in the cooling/heating unit to raise the temperature of a refrigerant. During a heating operation, the cooling/heating apparatus can achieve an enhancement in heating performance and an enhancement in system efficiency.

1 . A cooling/heating apparatus using waste heat of a fuel cell comprising: 
 the fuel cell;    a cooling/heating unit which includes at least one compressor, a 4-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, to establish a heat pump type refrigerant cycle; and    a refrigerant heating unit to provide the waste heat recovered from the fuel cell to a refrigerant line of the cooling/heating unit so as to raise the temperature of a refrigerant.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant heating unit is configured to supply the waste heat to a suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant heating unit includes: 
 a cooling water line to transfer the heat recovered from the fuel cell; and    a heat accumulation tank to transfer the heat, supplied via the cooling water line, to the suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor.    
   
   
       4 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the cooling water line is provided with a temperature sensor and a flow rate sensor to measure the temperature and flow rate of cooling water, respectively, and is also provided with a cooling water pump to circulate the cooling water and a flow-rate control valve to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water.  
   
   
       5 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the heat accumulation tank is connected to a line which receives the heat transferred via the cooling water line and supplies the heat to a heat demand unit.  
   
   
       6 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the suction-side refrigerant line, connected to the suction side of the compressor, is provided with a bypass line and a valve unit to cause the refrigerant to bypass the heat accumulation tank.  
   
   
       7 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a hydrogen modifying unit to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell; and    a refrigerant heating unit for the hydrogen modifying unit which supplies waste heat recovered from the hydrogen modifying unit to a suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor included in the cooling/heating unit.    
   
   
       8 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the refrigerant heating unit for the hydrogen modifying unit includes: 
 a cooling water line to transfer the heat recovered from the hydrogen modifying unit; and    a heat accumulation tank to transfer the heat, supplied via the cooling water line, to the suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor.    
   
   
       9 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the cooling water line is provided with a temperature sensor and a flow rate sensor to measure the temperature and flow rate of cooling water, respectively, and is also provided with a cooling water pump to circulate the cooling water and a flow-rate control valve to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water.  
   
   
       10 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the heat accumulation tank for the hydrogen modifying unit is connected to a line which receives the heat transferred via the cooling water line and supplies the heat to a heat demand unit.  
   
   
       11 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the suction-side refrigerant line, connected to the suction side of the compressor, is provided with a bypass line and a valve to cause the refrigerant to bypass the heat accumulation tank.  
   
   
       12 . A cooling/heating apparatus using waste heat of a fuel cell comprising: 
 the fuel cell;    a hydrogen modifying unit to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell;    a cooling/heating unit which includes at least one compressor, a 4-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, to establish a heat pump type refrigerant cycle; and    a pair of first and second refrigerant heating units to provide the waste heat recovered from both the fuel cell and the hydrogen modifying unit to respective refrigerant lines of the cooling/heating unit so as to raise the temperature of a refrigerant.    
   
   
       13 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the refrigerant heating units are configured to supply the waste heat to suction-side refrigerant lines connected to the suction side of the compressor.  
   
   
       14 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the first refrigerant heating unit includes: 
 a cooling water line to transfer the heat recovered from the fuel cell; and    a heat accumulation tank to transfer the heat, supplied via the cooling water line, to the suction-side refrigerant lines connected to the suction side of the compressor.    
   
   
       15 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the cooling water line is provided with a temperature sensor and a flow rate sensor to measure the temperature and flow rate of cooling water, respectively, and is also provided with a cooling water pump to circulate the cooling water and a flow-rate control valve to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water.  
   
   
       16 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the heat accumulation tank is connected to a line which receives the heat transferred via the cooling water line and supplies the heat to a heat demand unit.  
   
   
       17 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the suction-side refrigerant line, connected to the suction side of the compressor, is provided with a bypass line and a valve unit to cause the refrigerant to bypass the heat accumulation tank.  
   
   
       18 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the second refrigerant heating unit is adapted to supply waste heat recovered from the hydrogen modifying unit to an associated one of the suction-side refrigerant lines connected to the suction side of the compressor included in the cooling/heating unit.  
   
   
       19 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the second refrigerant heating unit for the hydrogen modifying unit includes: 
 a cooling water line to transfer the heat recovered from the hydrogen modifying unit; and    a heat accumulation tank to transfer the heat, supplied via the cooling water line, to the suction-side refrigerant line connected to the suction side of the compressor.    
   
   
       20 . The cooling/heating apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the suction-side refrigerant line, connected to the suction side of the compressor, is provided with a bypass line and a valve to cause the refrigerant to bypass the heat accumulation tank.