Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Dieter Illner

Arno Mattejat

Josef Lersch

Ottmar Voitlein

Igor Mehltretter

Walter Stühler

Walter Stuehler

Franco Tardivo

A fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell configuration having a solid electrolyte-based fuel cell with terminal contacts tapping an electrical voltage from the fuel cell configuration between which the fuel cell is disposed. An assembly has an electrically conductive component and another component disposed between a first terminal contact and the electrically conductive component on the side of the first terminal contact away from the fuel cell and has a lower electrical conductivity than that thereof. A supply duct transports a fluid medium connecting the first terminal contact to the electrically conductive component through the other component. The electrically conductive component is connected to the first terminal contact and/or a voltage supply adjusting an electrical potential on the electrically conductive component to an electrical potential on the first terminal contact. There is a maximum potential difference of 3 volts between the electrically conductive component and the first terminal contact.

Fuel cell assembly and method for operating a fuel cell assembly

A defective operation of a valve () in a drainage line () of a fuel cell results in unintentionally permitting process gas to flow into the surrounding area of the fuel cells. In order to resolve this problem, the invention provides a method for monitoring the discharge of media out of a fuel cell and provides a fuel cell system, with which the gas and water stream flowing through the drainage line () is monitored () by means of a Venturi nozzle () that is connected to a differential pressure sensor (). The magnitude () and the temporal progression () of the differential pressure indicated by the differential pressure sensor () establishes the basis for controlling the valve () in the drainage line () and for shutting down () the fuel cell block () in the event that the valve () is defective.

Method for monitoring the discharge of media out of fuel cell, and a fuel cell system

A planar, rectangular and water-cooled fuel cell includes a cooling element with a cooling chamber through which cooling water flows during the operation of the fuel cell. Cooling water does not flow through the cooling chamber in a homogeneous manner, normally resulting in local heating of the fuel cell in regions through which the cooling water flows through less frequently. A fuel cell is provided with a cooling element which includes an essentially rectangular cooling chamber with four corner regions, whereby the opening of the coolant flow is arranged in the first corner, the opening of a first coolant flow is arranged in a second corner and a second coolant flow is disposed in a third corner. The first coolant flow has a cross section Qon the narrowest point thereof and the second coolant flow has a cross section Qon the narrowest point thereof, the ratio of Q/Qbeing 7-25.

Planar and essentially rectangular fuel cell and fuel cell block

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Erlangen, Germany

Dieter Illner