Electric vehicles, which include fuel cell vehicles, must meet the standards for high-voltage components. To keep vehicles safe, a minimum insulation resistance of the electrically conductive components to the vehicle ground (earthing) must be maintained.
Through the coolant, however, the bipolar plates of the fuel cell stack may be linked electrically to earthed neighboring components. For this reason, the solubility of ionic components in the coolant circuit of fuel cell stacks may create a problem, as it increases conductivity. This causes electrical short-circuit effects and power losses of the fuel cell, which may lead to the entire system shutting down.
Over the service life of a fuel cell, various ions may penetrate the coolant circuit. The ions may be created, for example, by the coolant interacting with the various cooling system materials and by the aging or decomposition products of the coolant itself.
Insulation resistances from fuel cell stack to adjacent grounded components when ion exchanger is arranged parallel to coolant pump.
The Hengst Blue.iox ion exchanger ensures a rapid lowering of the initial ion concentration within the coolant circuit. It can be integrated in the main flow or in parallel connection with components of the coolant circuit (see diagram 1). The ion exchanger is available in capacities up to 1500 meq and various designs for use in passenger and commercial vehicles, in agricultural and construction machinery, and for stationary applications as well.
The innovative design of the resin system in the Blue.iox filter cartridge ensures consistently high filtration performance throughout the entire service interval. All the materials used exhibit good aging behavior and were selected for their compatibility with the coolant.
In addition, the Hengst Blue.iox ion exchanger is designed to be easy to handle. A screw cap allows the filter cartridge to be changed cleanly using standard tools, while the integrated shut-off valves ensure that no coolant leaks out.
Hengst offers analysis and mobile measurements to determine the optimal ion resin design. Please feel free to contact us!
Mathias Diekjakobs
Product Manager
Fuel Cell Filtration & Fluidmanagement
m.diekjakobs[at]hengst.de
