The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 08, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 07, 2001
Rob Baumert, San Diego, CA (US);
Craig Greenhill, Richmond, CA;
Ballard Power System AG, Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern, DE;
Abstract
A vehicle includes a traction unit for delivering mechanical power from a combustion engine to a vehicle drive shaft and driving wheels, electric loads and a vehicle cooling loop for cooling vehicle components and/or said combustion engine. A fuel cell system, which supplies the electric loads with electric power, includes a fuel cell stack, an anode fuel input, a anode exhaust, a cathode fuel input, a cathode exhaust, and a fuel cell cooling loop for cooling the fuel cell stack via an input line which delivers a cooling medium into the fuel cell stack and an output line which removes the heated cooling medium from the fuel cell stack. A compression/expansion unit is provided between the output line of the fuel cell stack and the vehicle cooling loop. The expansion side of the compression/expansion unit in thermal contact with the heated cooling medium, which is at a first temperature level, so that heat is transferred from the heated cooling medium to the expansion side of the compression/expansion unit. The vehicle cooling loop is in thermal contact with the compression side of the compression/expansion unit for transferring the heat thus delivered into the vehicle cooling loop at a second temperature level.