Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Howaldtswerke-deutsche Werft Ag

Howaldtswerke-deutsche Werft Gmbh

Josef Lersch

Arno Mattejat

Joachim Hoffmann

Karl Strasser

Willi Bette

Herbert Hartnack

Albert Hammerschmidt

Armin Datz

Torsten Brandt

Ottmar Voitlein

Igor Mehltretter

Walter Stühler

Silke Latzel

Dieter Illner

Walter Stuehler

Burghard Grave

Norbert Ismaier

Franco Tardivo

Armin Quante

Frank BÄRNREUTHER

Gerd Ahlf

Manfred Eder

Torsten Lochner

Thomas Mahnke

Karl Straßer

Jens Uwe Iwers

Werner Hartung

Sönke Kleine

A fuel cell assembly with at least one PEM fuel cell for generating electrical energy from reactant gases includes at least one membrane/electrode having a membrane coated with platinum electrodes and, respectively positioned on each side, a porous gas diffusion layer, or having a membrane and, respectively positioned on each side, a porous gas diffusion layer coated with a platinum electrode, and also includes bipolar plates that lie against the gas diffusion layers and through which, during operation, a coolant flows, wherein at least one of the platinum electrodes has a smaller area than the gas diffusion layer, where the gas diffusion layer protrudes beyond the platinum electrode for a part of an edge region of the membrane/electrode unit, so that the formation of an electrochemical potential in this part of the edge region of the membrane/electrode unit is prevented in order to prevent damage to the membrane.

Fuel cell assembly and method for operating a fuel cell assembly

A fuel cell assembly with at least one proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell for generating electrical energy from the reactant gases hydrogen and oxygen, which includes at least one membrane/electrode unit having a membrane that is coated with platinum electrodes and, respectively positioned on each side thereof, a porous gas diffusion layer, or which has a membrane and, respectively positioned on each side thereof, a porous gas diffusion layer that is coated with a platinum electrode, and which includes bipolar plates that lie against the gas diffusion layers and through which, during operation, a coolant flows, where access by at least one of the reactant gases to the membrane is blocked by a mechanical block for a part of an edge region of the membrane/electrode unit In order to prevent damage to the membrane.

A humidification cell of a fuel cell apparatus includes a first outer plate and a second outer plate. A gas chamber, a humidification chamber and a water-permeable membrane separating the two chambers, are disposed between the first outer plate and the second outer plate, starting from the first outer plate. A first water-permeable support element that prevents fibers from detaching and also prevents medium flows from blocking narrow gas outlets, is disposed between the first outer plate and the membrane in such a way that the first support element is made of a filter material.

Humidification cell

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.

The invention relates to an electrochemical battery, in particular a fuel cell battery or electrolytic cell battery comprising several electrolytic electrode units, a number of cooling cards for respectively cooling at least one of the electrolytic electrode units and at least one pressure chamber, which can be impinged by a pressure independently of the media supply of the electrolytic electrode units, for creating a contact pressure between components of the electrochemical battery that adjoin the pressure chamber. The pressure chamber adjoins at least one of the cooling cards and is at least partly delimited by said cooling cards.

Electrolytic cell or fuel cell with pressure pads and improved transfer resistance

A fuel cell module includes a plurality of fuel cells, which are connected one behind the other and which are combined to form a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell module should be designed in such a manner that the magnetic field or leakage field, which can be detected in the outer area and which is generated during the operation of the fuel cell module, is held at a particularly low level. To this end, the materials used for providing the fuel cells themselves, the materials used for producing the connecting components or auxiliary components, which are assigned thereto, that connect these fuel cells, and the materials used for producing the housing are selected that have a relative magnetic permeability of less than 1.1.

Fuel cell module comprising a magnetic shielding

A fuel cell module includes a number of series-connected fuel cells which collectively form a fuel cell stack in such a way that the magnetic field or stray field that is generated during the operation of the fuel cell module and that is detectable in an outer area is kept particularly small. To this end, the invention provides that a number of shielding lines that are connected to a first pole flange of the fuel cell stack are provided, these shielding lines being guided on the outer area of the fuel cell stack, as far as a contact area to a second pole flange of the fuel cell stack.

Fuel cell module

A leak in a fuel cell module can allow hydrogen and/or oxygen to escape from the fuel cell module, thereby creating a high risk of fire or explosion. This problem is addressed by providing a fuel cell installation with a fuel cell module that is enclosed in a gas-tight pressure container. Filling the pressure container with a protective gas ensures that if the fuel cell module does leak, no operating gas can escape from the module, with protective gas entering the module instead. A leak therefore no longer poses a risk. The leak can also be identified and located by a voltage drop in the cells affected by the leak.

Fuel cell installation

A fuel cell block includes a plurality of channels and pipings and a resulting plurality of connecting and sealed points. Vibrations of the fuel cell block, particularly in vehicles, lead to stress and fatigue of sealed points. This causes a safety problem during operation of the fuel cell block. In order to solve the problem, the fuel cell block includes an end plate, an operating material channel that goes through the end plate and an operating material control device arranged at least partly in the operating material channel. The operating material control device is integrated at least partly into the end plate.

Fuel cell block including a water separator

During the humidification of operating gases for a fuel cell, the operating gases cool to such an extent as a result of the loss of evaporation heat that they cannot absorb humidity to prevent damage to the membrane of the fuel cell. To solve this problem, a fuel cell assembly includes a humidification cell, which contains a planar heating element. The humidification cell is configured in terms of shape, location and materials in the same way as a fuel cell of the fuel-cell stack.

Fuel-cell stack

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

The fuel cell block has stacked elements. At least two adjacent elements define an intermediate space between them. Radial channels are formed between the two elements or in one of the elements. The radial channels connect the space to an axial channel through the stack. At least one of the radial channels is a blind channel which, in contrast with the other radial channels, does not allow fluid communication between the space and the axial channel. The number of radial channels that are configured as blind channels influences the quantity of operating medium flowing through the intermediate space.

Fuel cell block

The composite conductor plate of a low-temperature fuel cell poses the following problem: it must be extremely corrosion-resistant to pure oxygen that is humidified by water and to pure hydrogen and must at the same time be able to be processed mechanically. To solve the problem, a composite conductor plate contains 50 to 60 wt. % Ni, 12 to 22 wt. % Cr, 10 to 18 wt. % Mo, 4 to 10 wt. % Fe and 0.5 to 5 wt. % W.

Low-temperature fuel cell

A method for identifying a gas leak between anode and cathode gas areas of a PEM fuel cell includes detecting a cell voltage. The anode and cathode gas areas are purged with nitrogen in a first time period. The cathode gas area is filled with oxygen and the anode gas area is filled with hydrogen in a second time period. A drop in the cell voltage below a limit value as a function of time is then measured and evaluated. The method ensures reliable identification of the gas leak. A fuel cell system operating according to the method is also provided.

Method for identifying a gas leak, and fuel cell system

In a method for adjusting the removal of inert gas from a fuel cell block having a number of fuel cells, a progressive rise in a proportion of inert gas results in a cathode-side or anode-side gas mixture flowing through the fuel cells. An inert-gas-rich gas mixture is drained out as a function of a voltage drop, and the voltage drop is measured between at least two immediately adjacent fuel cells. A fuel cell block includes a number of adjacent fuel cells having electrodes and gas chambers. At least one bipolar plate contacts the electrodes of adjacent fuel cells over a large area. Two spaced-apart contacts are disposed between at least two of the adjacent fuel cells on the at least one bipolar plate. A control element for a gas mixture leaving one of the gas chambers and having a high proportion of inert gas, is adjusted by a voltage drop picked up at the contacts.

Growing community of inventors

Heroldsbach, Germany

Josef Lersch