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Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft

Atecs Mannesmann Ag

Holger Klos

Karl Eck

Thomas Zapp

Hans-Dieter Wilhelm

Wolfgang Herdeg

J&uuml;rgen Habrich

Martin Sattler

Markus Keutz

Walter Sch&uuml;tz

Sabine Hess

Franz Reichenbach

Bernd Rumpf

Christian Rasche

Bernd Wiemann

Ulrich Schmitz

The humidifying device for a fuel cell has a membrane, one side of which is exposed to cathode exhaust gas of a fuel cell for extracting water vapor from the exhaust gas. A connecting element connects the other side of the membrane to an anode or cathode gas supply to the fuel cell. In operation, water vapor permeates through the membrane and passes on through the connecting elements to humidify the gas being supplied to the fuel cell. A vacuum pump may additionally be provided to enhance the extraction of water vapor from the exhaust gas. A no metering unit allows accurate metering of the humidity of the cathode or anode gas supply.

Humidifying device for a fuel cell, method for humidifying a fuel cell membrane and fuel cell

A fuel tank, in particular for fuel-cell systems, which can feed fuel into a system via a mechanism without a pump or the like. This is achieved by a fuel tank with a fuel cavity of variable size and a mechanism for compressing the fuel cavity. The fuel cavity is preferably bounded by a cylindrical inner wall of the fuel tank, by a circular end surface of the fuel tank and by a circular, displaceable intermediate wall. The intermediate wall is forced essentially in the direction of the fuel cavity by a spring and has a form fit with the cylindrical inner wall. A feed device and a discharge device allow incorporation in a fuel line. The system also includes a control device and a method for this fuel container, which is thus enabled to have the following operating states: A. fuel-cell system is switched on: discharge valve open, feed valve closed; B. fuel-cell system is in operation: discharge valve open, feed valve open; C. fuel-cell system is switched off: discharge valve closed, feed valve open; and D. fuel-cell system is off, fuel cavity is full: discharge valve closed, feed valve closed.

Fuel tank

A fuel cell system which has a fuel cell is described. Also provided is a device for producing/preparing the fuel, for example hydrogen, which is connected on its outlet side to a fuel supply line and on its inlet side to a device for supplying fuel. The device for supplying fuel has a dual pump, in which a starting material for the fuel, stored in the motor-fuel tank, and water fed in via a water supply line, which is for example process water produced during the fuel cell process, are mixed to form a fuel/water mixture. This fuel/water mixture is intermediately stored in an intermediate tank before it is fed to the device for producing/preparing the fuel.

Fuel cell system with a device for supplying fuel

A fuel tank having an inlet and an outlet is connected to a separate pressure vessel by means of a pump. Fuel vapors are pumped out of the tank and into the pressure vessel while the tank is being filled via the inlet, so that fuel vapors cannot escape during filling. After filling, the inlet is closed and the pressure in the tank is increased to about 4 bar by means of a pressure regulator in a line connecting the pressure vessel to the fuel tank. The pump is then switched off and the fuel can be delivered to the engine via the outlet under the increased fuel pressure in the tank, the pressure being reduced to fuel system pressure by a pressure regulator in the outlet line.

Arrangement for storing fuel and method for operating a fuel tank

A closed storage reservoir has at least one feed and discharge line for compressed gas and, in its interior, a gas flow control system which connects the feed and discharge line to a solid filling for storing the compressed gas in the interior. To ensure the highest possible specific storage capacity of the device and to enable the device to be used as a tank system for a fuel cell, the solid filling comprises carbon nanostructures which are joined to form larger, cohesive conglomerates. A device for measuring the filling level of the compressed gas in the storage vessel may be a device for measuring the nuclear magnetic resonance or a device for measuring the mass flow rates of the compressed gas. A temperature sensor and a heating/cooling device having an inlet connection piece and an outlet connection piece for a heating/cooling medium and a cooling passage connected to the connection pieces are provided in order to set a defined temperature in the storage vessel.

Device for storing compressed gas

A fuel cell system which has a fuel cell with a supply line and a discharge line for a fuel as well as a supply line and a discharge line for an oxidizing agent. Also provided is a fuel tank which contains, for example, benzene or methanol for producing the fuel for the fuel cell. To avoid the release of hydrocarbons from the fuel contained in the tank, a filter element, for example an active carbon filter, is connected to the fuel tank. To be able to regenerate the filter element, the filter element is connected to the discharge line for the oxidizing agent and/or the discharge line for the fuel. The filter element is regenerated by the flow of exhaust gas from the fuel cell. The filter element is preferably connected via a connecting line to a burner, with the result that the hydrocarbons taken up by the flow of exhaust gas can be burned in the burner. Furthermore, by designing the fuel cell system appropriately, a leakage diagnosis can also be performed in the fuel tank.

Fuel cell system and method of regenerating a filter element in a fuel cell system

A gas accumulator for storing pressurized gases, in particular gaseous fuels such as hydrogen or the like, which gas accumulator has a sealed vessel which is provided with a valve-actuated feed line and outlet line for the pressurized gas and with a solid packing of carbon nanostructures. To increase the storage capacity of a gas accumulator of this type significantly, the particles of the carbon nanostructures are compacted to form larger coherent conglomerates having an apparent density which is increased in comparison with the apparent density of the originally loose particles. The compaction can be carried out, for example, by ordering the carbon nanostructures in their orientation to one another, or else by forming the conglomerates by pressing non-ordered carbon nanostructures. In each case, minimizing the interstices between the individual carbon nanostructures means that the amount of the carbon nanostructures which can be introduced into the vessel and thus the amount of the pressurized gas which can be stored in these can be increased.

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München, Germany

Holger Klos