Eberspacher Climate Control Systems Gmbh & Co. Kg

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Thyssen Krupp Ag

J. Eberspacher Gmbh & Co Kg

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Gmbh

Karsten Reiners

Walter Blaschke

Andreas Kaupert

Norbert Wiesheu

Günter Eberspach

Valentin Notemann

Sven Wenzel

Markus Willkommen

Thomas Beisswenger

Thomas Poschmann

Gerhard Berger

Wolfgang Weger

Jörg Vom Schloss

Christian Weiss

Christoph Boese

Stefan Krummrich

Dennis Ruser

Alfred Mechsner

Birgit Kienzle

Herrmann Eppler

A fuel treatment device () converts a hydrocarbon-containing fuel into a fuel for a fuel cell (). The fuel treatment device () has for this purpose a mixture formation space () for forming and processing a mixture of fuel and another component, a reformer () for converting the mixture into a synthesis gas and a desulfurization stage () for removing sulfur from the synthesis gas or from the mixture. The reformer () and desulfurization stage () are arranged adjacent to each other in a housing () along an axis of the housing ().

Fuel treatment device

A fuel cell system (), especially for motor vehicles, is provided with at least one fuel cell (), which has at least two electrodes (), to which at least one electric user () can be connected. The electrodes (), especially the anode (), are protected if a temperature-measuring device () measures the electrode temperature of at least one of the electrodes () and if a control () sets the water fed into the fuel cell () by a water feed device (), preferably before the reformate gas enters the fuel cell (), as a function of the measured electrode temperature.

Fuel cell system and corresponding operating process

A system () includes an electrical load system () with a load network battery (), and a fuel cell system (). Operation is simplified, especially during start of the fuel cell system () if the fuel cell system () has a system battery (). A system voltage across the system battery () can be supplied to electrical system loads () of the fuel cell system () and, via a load voltage converter () and at least one additional voltage converter (), to the load system () and secondary electrical loads ().

Arrangement comprising a fuel cell system

A fuel cell system () with a fuel cell unit () including at least one fuel cell (), as well as an anode gas feed () including a reformer (). A reduced deposit of hydrocarbons on an anode () of the fuel cell (), especially in case of a cold start of the fuel cell system (), is achieved when the anode gas feed () has a reduction device (), which is arranged between the reformer () and the anode ().

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system () has a fuel cell () and a reformer (). A careful operation of the fuel cell system (), in particular during a start-up of the fuel cell system (), is obtained when the fuel cell system () is equipped with a reformer heating burner (additional burner) (). The heat of reformer heating burner waste gas of the reformer heating burner () is fed to the reformer ().

A fuel cell system with a reformer for generating hydrogen-containing synthesis gas and a fuel cell of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell is arranged downstream of the reformer. The fuel cell system is heated up conventionally in a first heat-up phase by combusting a superstoichiometric fuel/air mixture. The first heat-up phase is stopped by stopping the combustion of the fuel/air mixture in the mixing chamber of the reformer. In a second heat-up phase, in which the reformer catalyst is operated in the catalytic combustion operation with a superstoichiometric fuel/air mixture, the entire heat-up process can be significantly shortened by a change in stoichiometry at the end of the second heat-up phase.

Operating process for a fuel cell system

The present invention relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system comprises at least one reformer for generating a reformate gas and at least one fuel cell for generating an electric current. An increased lifespan for the anode is achieved when with said anode an anode state value is continuously determined which correlates to a current degree of loading with carbon of the anode of the at least one fuel cell and when depending on the anode state value an oxygen-carbon ratio is varied in the reformate gas which is fed to the anode of the respective fuel cell.

Operating method for a fuel cell system

A fuel cell system (), especially in a motor vehicle, is provided with a fuel cell (), which generates electric current during the operation from anode gas and cathode gas, with a residual gas burner (), which reacts anode waste gas with cathode waste gas into burner waste gas during the operation; with an air delivery device (), which feeds air as cathode gas to the fuel cell () via a fuel cell air line () during the operation; and with a first heat exchanger (), which couples a waste gas line () removing burner waste gas from the residual gas burner () with the fuel cell air line () in a heat-transmitting operation. The start-up process of the system () is improved with an auxiliary burner (), which reacts air with a fuel into an auxiliary burner waste gas during the operation; with a bypass air line (), which is connected on the inlet side to the fuel cell air line () between the air delivery device () and the first heat exchanger () and which is connected to the fuel cell air line () on the outlet side between the first heat exchanger () and the fuel cell (). A second heat exchanger () couples an auxiliary waste gas line () removing auxiliary burner waste gas from the auxiliary burner () with the bypass air line () in a heat-transmitting manner.

Fuel cell system and operating process

A membrane module for hydrogen separation includes a stack of flat membrane packs disposed adjacent one another so as not to exert a force on one another and a rotationally symmetrical pressure shell enclosing the stack of flat membrane packs. A feed space for a reformate gas is disposed between every two membrane packs in the stack. Each membrane pack has a pair of membrane assemblies and a support structure disposed therebetween and each membrane assembly includes a hydrogen-selective flat membrane supported by at least one membrane frame.

Growing community of inventors

Esslingen, Germany

Karsten Reiners