Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Stefan Haase

Michael Bauer

Andreas Buchner

Lukas Wittchen

Marcel Sterzenbach

Florian Kriesch

Thomas Hoefler

Johannes Schmid

Martin Moser

Paul Eitzenberger

Marco Hausrath

Stefan Kreitmeier

Fabian Heining

Marco Schwarze

Roman Hiemer

A method for producing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell stack includes the following steps: providing two half-plates made of sheet metal, which form the bipolar plate when arranged on top of one another, wherein the half-plates are profiled via deformation of the sheet metal, and wherein, as a result of the profiling, the two half-plates arranged on top of one another contact at at least one contact region and do not contact at at least one non-contact region; carrying out at least one first cut in the non-contact region of at least one half-plate, before the half-plates are arranged on top of one another; Arranging the two half-plates on top of one another and connecting same; and carrying out at least a second cut in the contact region through both half-plates after they have been arranged on top of one another and connected.

Method for producing a bipolar plate

A separator plate for at least one fuel cell of a fuel cell system is provided. The separator plate includes at least one seal, wherein the seal is designed to seal at least one media-conducting inner region from a non-media-conducting outer region. The separator plate additionally includes at least one spacer element, which is preferably arranged in the outer region. The separator plate can be contacted by an evaluating device in a contacting region, this region being located such that it lies, in part, between the seal and spacer element. According, a deformation of the separator plate in the contacting region within a fuel cell stack is thus prevented.

Separator plate having spacer element and fuel cell system

A housing is provided for a fuel cell stack. The housing includes two end plates, two opposite side walls, a lateral connecting wall, and at least one media exchange element. The two end plates are arranged at the two ends of the fuel cell stack. The two opposite side walls connect the end plates to each other. The lateral connecting wall connects the opposite side walls to each other. The at least one media exchange element has media connections. At least the two end plates are each designed as an extruded supporting structure. The media connections are not fed across the end plates.

Housing for a fuel cell stack and method of producing same

A fuel cell having an ion-selective separator, a gas diffusion layer and a separator plate, is provided. The separator plate forms, together with the gas diffusion layer, at least one gas-conducting flow field. At least one convergent duct section and at least one divergent duct section are formed in the flow field, wherein the convergent duct section lies adjacent to the divergent duct section. A barrier is provided between the convergent duct section and the divergent duct section such that the gas flows at least partially through the gas diffusion layer in order to pass directly from the convergent duct section into the divergent duct section. At least one additional convergent duct section, at least one additional divergent duct section and at least one additional barrier are provided downstream of the convergent duct section and/or downstream of the divergent duct section.

Flow field of a fuel cell

A method for making contact with a plurality of separator plates of a fuel cell system includes the steps of: inserting at least one connecting element of a cell voltage monitoring system between two directly adjacent separator plates so that two connecting parts of the connecting element that are able to move with respect to one another are arranged at least in certain regions between the directly adjacent separator plates; and relatively moving the two connecting parts that are able to move with respect to one another so that at least one first connecting part of the connecting parts moves at least in sections toward a separator plate of the directly adjacent separator plates.

Method for making contact with a plurality of separator plates and fuel cell system

A connecting element for making electrical contact with at least one separator plate of a fuel cell stack includes a housing and a contact element which is arranged in the housing and has a contact end for making contact with the separator plate and has a connection end for connection to a continuing line. A positive z-direction is defined from the contact end in the direction of the connection end. A cutout is provided in the housing, wherein the contact element is positioned in the cutout. The contact end is arranged on a first side of the cutout. The connection end is arranged on the second side of the cutout. The contact element has an interlocking element which bears in an interlocking manner against the housing on the first side of the cutout.

Connecting element for electrically contact-connecting separator plates of a fuel cell stack

A method is provided for producing an energy supply unit for a vehicle having a housing and a stack, realized as a fuel-cell stack, battery stack or capacitor stack, arranged in the housing. The method includes providing the housing, including first and second tie-rod plates and first and second pressure-plate arrangements, wherein each pressure-plate arrangement is fastened to each tie-rod plate, arranging the stack between the two tie-rod plates and between the two pressure-plate arrangements, applying a bracing force to the two pressure-plate arrangements for the purpose of bracing the stack, and fastening at least the first pressure-plate arrangement to both tie-rod plates while the bracing force is being maintained upon the two pressure-plate arrangements. At least one pressure-plate arrangement includes a tolerance compensation system including an end plate securely connected to the tie-rod plates, a contact-pressure plate arranged between the end plate and the stack, and a positioning arrangement.

Method for producing an energy supply unit

A fuel cell having an anode-cathode stack includes at least one active surface layer formed by a first channel structure with a first and at least one second channel for conducting a first fluid over the at least one active surface layer of the anode-cathode stack. A first distributor structure for distributing the first fluid into the first and the at least one second channel of the channel structure is provided. The first distributor structure is configured with a first surface region assigned to the first channel and with a second surface region assigned to the second channel. The two surface regions are configured with a flow resistance of differing magnitude for the first fluid distributed in the first distributor structure.

Fuel cell having a flow distributor

A method for repairing a fuel cell stack having a plurality of individual cells involves the steps of: a) identifying at least one degraded individual cell in the fuel cell stack; and b) deactivating the at least one degraded individual cell.

Method for repairing a fuel cell stack

A method is provided for producing a fuel cell, which method includes the arrangement of in each case one gas diffusion layer with in each case one bipolar plate on a respective side of a membrane electrode arrangement which comprises an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane arranged between the anode and the cathode. The gas diffusion layers are set back in relation to the bipolar plates and the membrane electrode arrangement. The gas diffusion layers have in each case at least one reaction fluid supply region and in each case at least one reaction fluid discharge region and in each case at least one reaction fluid sealing region. The method is characterized by injecting a sealing material into at least one reaction fluid sealing region of at least one gas diffusion layer such that the gas diffusion layer is sealed off to the outside.

Method for producing a fuel cell and a fuel cell system

An exhaust-air guide of a fuel cell stack having a cooling structure, in particular in a motor vehicle, is provided. The cooler structure belongs to the functional environment of the fuel cell stack and is in form through which ambient air flows. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to a point upstream of the cooler structure such that the exhaust air flows through the cooler structure in a throughflow direction and, in so doing, entrains ambient air in accordance with the jet pump principle. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack may be cooled before being guided to the cooler structure. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to a point upstream of the cooler structure in multiple pipes that are oriented at least approximately parallel to the inflow surface of the cooler structure, from which pipes the exhaust air emerges via outlet openings in the pipe wall. The outlet openings are situated at a suitable angle with respect to the throughflow direction.

Exhaust air guide of a fuel cell stack in a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a fuel cell having an anode/cathode stack, which comprises at least one active surface layer, which is designed having a first channel structure having a plurality of first channels for conducting a first fluid in a first direction over the surface layer, which is designed having a second channel structure having a plurality of second channels for conducting a second fluid in a second direction over the surface layer, wherein the second direction extends substantially perpendicularly to the first direction, which is designed having a first feeding structure for feeding the first fluid into the plurality of first channels, and which is designed having a second feeding structure for feeding the second fluid into the plurality of second channels. According to the invention, the first feeding structure and the second feeding structure are both arranged on a first edge of the surface layer and the first feeding structure additionally comprises an edge channel for feeding the first fluid to a second edge of the surface layer that is directed perpendicular to the first edge.

Fuel cell having at least one active surface layer

An exhaust air guide of a fuel cell stack is provided, in particular in a motor vehicle, with a cooling device which belongs to the functional environment of the fuel cell stack and is in the form of a cooler structure through which ambient air flows. At least some of the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided into the cooler structure or behind the cooler structure, as viewed in the direction of flow of the ambient air through the cooler structure, to such an extent that, at the cooler structure, the exhaust air flow brings about an increase in the mass flow of the ambient air through the cooler structure in accordance with the jet pump principle or, at the cooler structure, the exhaust air flow, in accordance with the jet pump principle, brings about a pressure difference conveying at least a portion of the ambient air through the cooler structure.

An operating method is provided for a fuel cell system with a radiator structure which is flowed through by ambient air and a fuel cell stack, at least part of the outgoing air flow of the fuel cell stack can be guided onto the radiator structure such that, at the radiator structure, the guided outgoing air flow causes an increase in mass flow of the ambient air through the radiator structure according to the jet pump principle. At least part of the outgoing air flow of the fuel cell stack can be guided through a gas expansion machine. The division of energy which is contained in the outgoing air flow and can be recovered in the gas expansion machine and/or at the radiator structure according to the jet pump principle is changed by an electronic control unit in a manner which is adapted to boundary conditions. This division is set and changed, in particular, using the temperature of the medium to be cooled in the radiator structure and the required electrical power of the fuel cell stack, by the pressure drop in the gas expansion machine being set by targeted setting of the flow conditions prevailing therein and/or the magnitude of the outgoing air flow which is guided through the gas expansion machine being set via a controllable bypass of the gas expansion machine.

Operating method for a fuel cell system

In a motor vehicle having a fuel cell, an air compressor provides input air under pressure at the fuel cell and an electric drive motor for driving the motor vehicle, which drive motor can be supplied with electric current by the fuel cell for that purpose, wherein the air compressor is driven by the drive motor.

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Munich, Germany

Stefan Haase