Electric Vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrically powered vehicle including an electrically rechargeable vehicle battery for powering an electric drive for moving the vehicle, a tank for receiving a liquid or gaseous fuel, and a fuel cell operating using fuel from the tank for heating the passenger compartment, the vehicle components, and / or the vehicle battery. The invention is characterized in that the tank and the fuel cell form a module that is integrated into the vehicle.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, (a) an electrically rechargeable vehicle battery for powering an electric drive unit to move the vehicle; (b) tanks for storing liquid or gaseous fuels; (c) a fuel cell powered by fuel from the tank to heat a passenger compartment, vehicle components, and / or a vehicle battery of the vehicle; Equipped with. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle may move on land, water, or air. Specifically, a vehicle may be a car, truck, mobile home, sail, ship, airplane, motorcycle, and the like.

[0003] In the past, most vehicles were powered by fossil fuels, for example with combustion engines. Now, other solutions are required to achieve climate neutrality. In particular, vehicles with electric drives and powerful vehicle batteries are already available as standard. Drives with fuel cells are also known.

[0004] In a combustion engine, the energy stored chemically in a fuel is first converted to thermal energy and then converted to mechanical work. In an electric vehicle, the energy stored in a battery is converted to mechanical work via an electric drive. In a fuel cell, the energy stored chemically in a fuel, such as hydrogen, is converted directly to electrical energy and then converted to mechanical work.

[0005] In addition to these drive types, mixed types, also known as hybrid drives, are known. These use a conventional combustion engine and an additional electric drive with a battery as energy storage device. As long as the battery supplies energy, the vehicle is driven exclusively by electrical energy. The combustion engine is then used as the main drive. Depending on the design, the battery can be charged by recharge or, in the case of plug-in hybrids, from an external energy source. Hybrid drives use two main drives and two associated energy storage devices, namely a battery and a fuel tank. These are complex and heavy, thereby increasing production costs, maintenance efforts and energy requirements.

[0006] Disadvantages of pure electric vehicles include limited driving range, long charging times, and short battery life. These adverse effects are more pronounced at low temperatures, i.e. especially in cold regions, at night and in winter. At low temperatures, the efficiency of the battery decreases. This requires heating the battery. The heating is powered by energy from the vehicle battery. This also applies to the passenger compartment, which also requires electrical heating to warm up. This impacts the range of the vehicle.

[0007] prior art DE 10 2009 035 471 A1 discloses a vehicle with a temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a vehicle battery in the vehicle, in which a heat engine or a fuel cell is provided as the main drive and a vehicle battery is provided for operating auxiliary units.

[0008] DE 10 2011 079 640 A1 discloses a cooling system for a fuel cell system with heat extraction. The system comprises a stationary energy supply system with a fuel cell system with a fuel cell cooling circuit for cooling the fuel cell system and an accumulator cooling circuit for cooling the accumulator. Thermal energy between the fuel cell cooling circuit and the accumulator cooling circuit can be exchanged.

[0009] DE 10 2014 009 772 A1 discloses an electric vehicle with a fuel cell system, which is provided for recharging an electric energy storage device.

[0010] DE 10 2017 006 158 A1 discloses a method for operating an electric vehicle in which the driving range is increased by emptying the energy source before re-obtaining energy.

[0011] DE 102011076737 A1 discloses a device for providing electric energy, in which an electric energy storage device is thermally coupled to a fuel cell assembly by means of a heat transfer assembly. Known fuel cell assemblies are permanently installed in the vehicle. The associated additional costs and additional weight are therefore incurred even when they are not needed at all, for example when the vehicle is used in warm climates or only in summer, or when the vehicle is regularly parked in a garage, where additional heating of the battery is not required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] DE 102009035471 A1 [Patent Document 2] DE 102011079640 [Patent Document 3] DE 102014009772 [Patent Document 4] DE 102017006158 A1 [Patent Document 5] DE 102011076737 Summary of the Invention

[0013] The object of the invention is to provide an electric vehicle of the above mentioned kind, which makes it possible to travel long distances at even lower temperatures, and also to give rise to further possibilities of using fuel cells.

[0014] According to the invention, this object is achieved by forming a module in which the tank and the fuel cell are integrated into the vehicle. Vehicles that do not require additional heating of the battery, for example because the vehicle is only used at high temperatures, can then be driven without the fuel cell and the tank. This means that costs and weight are saved and longer distances can be achieved. Vehicles that are also used at low temperatures can be integrated with the module. The integration of otherwise unchanged vehicles can take place permanently or temporarily, for example during the winter season. The integration with the module allows the production of identical vehicles for both applications, with or without a fuel cell, and thus for mass production in large quantities. A large number of units has a positive effect on production costs. In addition to the passenger compartment and the vehicle battery, also vehicle components can be heated, in particular electrical components such as the motor, inverter, etc.

[0015] A particular advantage of the module is that it can also be used for other purposes independent of the vehicle: the module can be used as a combination heater and generator for mobile applications, in camping, for disaster preparedness, in emergency shelters, at events, etc.

[0016] This is particularly advantageous if the tanks form a separate module and are releasably housed in the vehicle or module. The tanks then do not need to be filled separately. Instead, the tanks can be replaced, similar to the cartridges in a carbonated water maker as a whole. For example, a deposition system can be set up for this or existing pressure tank systems can be used.

[0017] The fuel cell mainly serves as a heat source. High efficiency is achieved if the power generated during operation is used. This can be done directly by connecting the power consumers. However, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fuel cell is connected to the vehicle battery, providing that during operation the electrical energy can be supplied to the vehicle battery. Then, only one connection is required and the power consumers are supplied in the usual way via the on-board network.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the fuel tank is a hydrogen tank, providing that the fuel cell runs on hydrogen, although it will be appreciated that other fuel cell technologies are possible.

[0019] A control unit may be provided for controlling the fuel cell to operate at least in part in response to the temperature value. The fuel cell may then operate whenever the temperature of the energy storage unit of the vehicle's main drive falls below a threshold value. Also, for example, the fuel cell may operate when the passenger compartment needs to be heated.

[0020] A method for operating a fuel cell comprising: (a) determining a temperature value; (b) adjusting the temperature value to a set value by generating thermal energy in the fuel cell; (c) Electrical energy generated during operation of the fuel cell is stored or used to power a power consuming device.

[0021] The temperature value may represent the temperature of the vehicle passenger compartment downstream of the vehicle heater or the vehicle battery, but other temperature values, such as the cargo area, may also be adjusted to a setpoint.

[0022] Advantageously, the electric energy is stored in a vehicle battery provided for driving the vehicle. This allows the driving range to be extended. As an alternative or in addition, the electric energy can be provided to an on-board network of the vehicle with one or more power consumers. This is particularly useful if the consumer requires electric energy permanently, for example if the power consumer is a cooling unit. Thus, the energy loss and signs of deterioration of the battery due to intermediate storage are minimized.

[0023] The object of the invention is also realized by an auxiliary unit for installation in a vehicle with an additional energy source, comprising: (a) a tank for storing liquid or gaseous fuel; (b) a fuel cell for generating thermal and electrical energy; (c) a control unit for controlling the operation of the fuel cell in response to the temperature and / or state of charge of the cell; Equipped with.

[0024] Such an auxiliary unit can be installed in any continuous vehicle. It is installed as needed, i.e. costs and hassle are incurred only if the vehicle is driven at low temperatures and long distances are desired. However, the auxiliary unit can also be used for other purposes. It offers particular advantages if the tank is releasably connected to the module. The tank can then, for example, either be refilled when installed or be replaced by a full tank.

[0025] Advantageously, it is provided that the tank, the fuel cell and the control unit are arranged in a mountable module using joints with interfaces that allow the module to be connected to the respective functional units of the vehicle, the module then being able to be installed and removed by automotive mechatronics engineers and other specialists who are also not familiar with fuel technology, it being sufficient if the specialists know by which interfaces the module is connected to the vehicle.

[0026] Further modifications of the invention are subject of the dependent claims. Certain embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0027] definition In this description and the appended claims, all terms have the meaning familiar to those skilled in the art as defined in technical literature, standards, and in particular in relevant internet sites and publications of the language genre, such as www.wikipedia.de, www.wissen.de, or www.techniklexikon.net of competitors, research institutes, universities, and associations. In particular, terms used herein do not have the opposite meaning that a person skilled in the art would derive from the above-mentioned publications. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle showing a variant of the installation of a fuel cell module; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fuel cell module and a storage tank and a pressure tank for hydrogen. [Diagram 3] 3 shows the assembly of FIG. 2 with the support structure without the housing. [Figure 4] 4 shows the assembly of FIG. 3 without the support structure. [Diagram 5] 5 shows the assembly of FIG. 4 from a different perspective. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 5 without the pressure tank. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the assembly of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 shows part of the assembly of FIG. 6 with water / cooling / power connections on the underside of the support structure. [Figure 10] 7 shows the assembly of FIG. 6 on a base in use as a stationary fuel cell to provide electrical energy. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 10 without the housing. [Figure 12]12 shows the assembly of FIG. 11 from a different perspective. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a side view of the base of FIG. 11. [Figure 14] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit for mobile use of the assembly of FIG. 2. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the cathode subsystem of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the anode subsystem of FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cooling circuit subsystem. [Figure 18] A variation of FIG. 14 with its own cooling unit where heat is not only taken away by the vehicle. [Figure 19] FIG. 15 is another variation of FIG. 14 with two separate heat exchangers, e.g., battery and cabin. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a circuit for stationary use of the assembly of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] 1 shows a vehicle generally designated by the numeral 10. In an embodiment of the invention, the vehicle 10 is a passenger car. It is understood that the invention can also be used with any other vehicle, i.e., trucks, mobile homes, sailboats, boats, airplanes, motorcycles, etc. The vehicle has a cavity in the front or rear, such as a trunk 12 or 18. A fuel cell module 14 can be installed in the trunk 12 or 18. The fuel cell module 14 is supplied with hydrogen from a tank 16 via a supply line 20.

[0030] 2 shows in detail the fuel cell module 14 and the tank 16. In an embodiment of the invention, the tank 16 comprises two pressure tanks 22, e.g. 6 L each in volume, e.g. 350 bar or 700 bar liquid, filled with hydrogen. Depending on the fuel cell, other gases or liquids can of course also be used in more or fewer pressure tanks 22.

[0031] The pressure tanks 22 are bottle-shaped and are crash-proofed and fixed to a common base plate 24. Tension belts 26 are provided for this purpose. It is understood that instead of tension belts, other crash-proof fasteners are also possible. The base plate 24 can be rigidly screwed or fixed in any other way to the vehicle before the pressure tanks 22 are mounted. This makes it easier to install the base plate 24. Also, the tension belts 26 can be operated by a layperson, so that the pressure tanks 22 can be easily released, replaced, maintained and / or filled, if necessary.

[0032] The supply line 20 to the fuel cell module 14 is provided with a manual shutoff valve 28 on the module side. However, it is understood that instead of the manual shutoff valve, an automatically closing shutoff valve is also possible. Upstream of the shutoff valve 28, T-pieces 30 and 34 or a corner piece 32 are installed in the supply line 20. The first pressure tank 22 is connected via the T-piece 30. It should be further understood that the pressure tank can also be connected via a further T-piece. The further pressure tank is connected to the corner piece 32. If only one pressure tank 22 is provided, the T-piece 30 is not necessary. It should be understood that instead of the corner piece 32, a straight connection is also possible.

[0033] A filling connection 36 with a valve opening in the direction of the supply line is connected to the T-piece 34. When the shut-off valve 28 is closed, the pressure tank 22 can be filled and refilled via the filling connection 36. Instead of filling the pressure tank 22 via the filling connection 36, the empty pressure tank 22 can also be replaced with a full pressure tank. To do this, the quick connector 38 is opened, releasing the tension belt 26. The quick connector 38 can be designed similarly to a quick connector for a hose, for example commercially available from Garden Technology, in which case the opening of the pressure tank 22 is closed by a valve as soon as the quick connector 38 is opened. It is understood, however, that any other connection can also be used.

[0034] The use of a replaceable pressure tank 22 allows the use of a deposition system, so that not every gas station needs to provide the necessary fuel at a pump. In an alternative embodiment, the tank 16 is rigidly integrated into the fuel cell module 14 and housed therewith. Then, only the nozzle for filling is accessible from the outside. Then, the fuel cell module 14 is slightly larger, but easier to install.

[0035] Figure 2 shows the fuel cell module 14 with a simple housing 40 made from thin sheet metal. The housing 40 serves to protect against environmental influences, dust and unauthorized access. Figure 3 shows the assembly from Figure 2 without the housing 40. The support structure 42 that holds the housing 40 can be seen. The support structure 42 comprises a front part 50, a rear part 52, side walls 54 and 56, a base 58 and a top part 60. The side walls 54 and 56 and the base 58 of the support structure 42 are made from a solid material, for example 4 mm thick steel, to avoid damage to the inner components as much as possible even in the event of an accident.

[0036] The interior of the support structure 42, which is essentially a rectangular parallelepiped in shape, is easily accessible via an opening 44 in the top 60 and several openings 46 in the side walls 54 and 56. The components of the fuel cell module 14, which are described below, are mounted to this support structure 42. The openings 44, 46 allow access to the interior and also reduce the weight of the fuel cell module 14. Furthermore, less material is required for the support structure 42, which reduces costs.

[0037] Figure 4 shows the fuel cell module 14 from a first perspective with the front portion 50 fully visible, without the side walls 54 and 56, and without the top portion 60. Figure 5 shows the same fuel cell module 14 from a second perspective with the front portion 52 fully visible.

[0038] In Figure 4 it can be seen that the front part 50 has an opening 62 provided with a grid. Air is sucked in from the outside through the opening 62. This is shown in Figure 14 by the arrow 74. The air flows through the filter and funnel 64 into the compressor or blower 66. This is shown in Figures 14 and 15 by the arrow 74. In the compressor or blower 66 the air is compressed from an ambient pressure in the range of 1 bar to a high pressure, for example 1.3 bar, and transported into the fuel cell.

[0039] The output of the compressor or blower 66 is connected to the humidifier 68 via a connecting line 70. The moisture content of the air is increased in the humidifier 68. From the humidifier 68, air is supplied to the fuel cell 76 via a line 80. The fuel cell is mounted on the rear wall 52 of the support structure 42 and is clearly visible in FIG. 4. An increase in the air pressure and therefore the amount of oxygen at the cathode 98 of the fuel cell 76 has a positive effect on the performance of the fuel cell 76, but at the same time requires more drive power for the compressor 66. The compressor 66 is the largest consumer of all the components of the fuel cell module 14. Therefore, the operating strategy is important to improve the overall efficiency of the fuel cell module 14. The cathode circuit is shown separately in FIG. 15.

[0040] Also at the front side 50 there is an inlet for the fuel supply (hydrogen in the present embodiment) through the supply line 20. Behind the front side 50 there is a high pressure valve 82 and a low pressure valve 84 in the line 20. The high pressure valve 82 reduces the pressure of the fuel from the tank 16, for example from 700 bar or 350 bar to a low pressure of, for example, 10 bar. The following adjustable low pressure valve 84 regulates the pressure of the fuel to the required operating pressure of the fuel cell 76, for example 1 to 2.5 bar. The low pressure valve 84 therefore regulates the pressure to be the operating pressure of the anode circuit. In order not to damage the membrane of the fuel cell 76, the pressure difference between the anode 100 and the cathode 98 is as small as possible. An optional heat exchanger 102 is used to adapt the gas temperature to be the fuel cell temperature.

[0041] Air is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell 76 via supply line 86. The hydrogen path thus described (anode subsystem) is shown separately in Figure 16, as before. It provides the fuel cell 76 with the required amount of hydrogen at the correct concentration, pressure, and temperature to cause the electrochemical reaction to occur.

[0042] In the fuel cell 76, the fuel reacts with oxygen contained in the air. The operation of fuel cells is generally known in the art and therefore need not be described in further detail here. In principle, any fuel cell is suitable. In an embodiment of the invention, the fuel is molecular hydrogen and the fuel cell is a low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell, also known as NT-PEM-FC. The reaction produces heat and water. Also, a voltage is generated at the electrodes.

[0043] To prevent hydrogen starvation, more hydrogen is typically fed to the anode 100 than is consumed in the reaction. Excess hydrogen can be recirculated in excess water, which is separated after the anode 100 using a water separator 102. An actively controlled recirculation pump 106 optionally closes the circuit and directs the hydrogen mixture to a fresh hydrogen supply line 104. The optional recirculation allows for better flow through the fuel cell 76, improving water management and reducing losses.

[0044] The water produced in the fuel cell 76 is fed via line 88 to the humidifier 68, where it is used to humidify the air entering the assembly. After the humidifier, the gas is released to the outside as exhaust gas via a non-return valve 92, which can also be designed as a siphon. This is indicated in FIG. 14 by the arrow 94.

[0045] When the fuel cell 76 is in operation, heat is generated. The heat is dissipated generally through a cooling circuit designated by the numeral 96. The cooling circuit 96 is shown separately in FIG. 17 as before. The fuel cell 76 of the present invention achieves an electrical efficiency of up to 40%, depending on the quality of the hydrogen. This means that up to 60% of the supplied energy is generated as heat during operation. The thermal output is therefore in a similar range as the useful electrical output. The operating temperature is relatively low, in the range of 60-85°C. For this reason, the enthalpy of the exhaust gases is low, with the flow rate of the exhaust gases enthalpy reaching a proportion of 5-15%.

[0046] The electrical output of the fuel cell system is the output of the fuel cell stack minus the output of the components. The electrical efficiency is calculated from the useful output, the mass flow of hydrogen, and its heating value, as explained above.

[0047]

number

[0048] Generally, the relationship is that the maximum available efficiency is achieved at low current densities. At high current densities, the electrical efficiency decreases due to increased component power requirements and decreased efficiency of the fuel cell. The thermal output is also determined from the fuel cell stack power, the fuel energy delivered, and the enthalpy flow of the exhaust gases. For thermal efficiency, the following relationship holds:

[0049]

number

[0050] With respect to the hydrogen used, the overall efficiency of the fuel cell module 14 increases with the utilization of heat. In winter operation, it can achieve an overall efficiency of over 90%. The heat output can be used in mobile applications to heat the vehicle cabin and also as a heat source for the thermal management system of the vehicle battery at operating temperatures.

[0051] Heat from the fuel cell 76 is absorbed and dissipated via a cooling circuit 96. The design of the thermal management required for this depends not only on the connections to the fuel cell 76 but also on the auxiliary units used and their integration into the vehicle. The main tasks of the thermal management are to monitor the temperatures of the components, regulate the optimum temperature ranges and ensure a fast start-up after resting. Figures 14 and 17 show the required components and their connections.

[0052] The coolant is fed through a filter 112 to a cooling pump 110, which pumps the coolant through the fuel cell 76 and absorbs the heat of reaction. A portion of the coolant is fed through a throttle valve 114 to the vehicle's electronic components 116, which are cooled and also absorb heat. The warmed coolant flow is brought together again at a T-piece 118. From there, the warmed coolant can be conveyed to the vehicle battery 120 and / or into the passenger compartment. The heat is released there. If heat is not needed, the coolant can pass through a path bypass 122. A bypass valve 124 is provided for this purpose. The bypass valve 124 stops the operation of the thermal coupling to prevent any excess heat from being introduced into the vehicle, for example because the fuel cell takes too long to shut down.

[0053] The optimum temperature range of the fuel cell module 14 is adjusted by controlling the coolant pump 110 and by controlling various valves. The three-way valve 124 distributes the heat flow to a cooler or heat exchanger, ideally to heat the vehicle battery 120 or the vehicle cabin. Since the coolant is in direct contact with the conductive bipolar plates, it is necessary to electrically insulate the coolant. This can be achieved, for example, by using a deionized coolant.

[0054] An integrated control unit 126 at the bottom of the support structure 42 controls, regulates and monitors the operation. It includes various operating modes such as start-up process, three operating points and shutdown process. The controller 126 communicates with the vehicle control unit. In particular, signals related to the temperature of the vehicle and the battery state are read out at the control unit diagnostic interface. The control unit 126 is supplied with signals via signal lines representing, in particular, the temperature of the battery 120, the passenger compartment and the fuel cell 76. The control unit 126 is also supplied with signals representing the state of charge of the battery 120. The fuel cell module 14 can be replaced with a heater that is usually installed as standard. However, the measurement points remain the same. If the temperature is below a threshold value, the fuel cell 76 is switched on.

[0055] A heat exchanger is provided in the housing for heat transfer. The inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger form an interface for a water pipe or a glycol line, respectively. A filling opening is suitable for example for the connection. Alternatively, the line can be split and a T-piece provided. The water line is connected, if necessary, for example, to a heater circuit of the passenger compartment and / or the battery and / or other components. The control system regulates the outlet temperature of the vehicle with the heat exchanger. If only the inlet temperature signal is available, a vehicle heat loss value can be determined or estimated to take into account path losses, if necessary.

[0056] The fuel cell module 14 provides energy that is cheap, optimizes the use of hydrogen, and is less complicated. Instead of combining a large fuel cell with a small battery, which is common in modern fuel cell vehicles, the present invention takes the opposite approach. A small fuel cell delivering up to 11 kilowatts of power is installed, for example, in an electric vehicle with a normal battery storage capacity. This approach not only reduces the cost and packaging, but also significantly reduces the application effort. To improve the service life of the fuel cell, it can be operated stationary, for example, at three operating points. This also aids integration and integration into the vehicle, since the load point is the charging point for the vehicle battery. Exemplary operating points are described below. 1. A low load point (near idle) with 2.1kW electrical output and 3.0kW thermal output, used to heat the battery at low temperatures. 2. A medium load point with an electrical output of 3.6 kW and a thermal output of 6.2 kW. This is useful for operating consumers operating in the vehicle, e.g. lights and fans. 3. A high load point with an electrical output of 11.0 kW and a thermal output of 20.5 kW. Such a load point is particularly useful for additional consumers, for example when a cooling or air conditioning system is in operation or when a mobile office is in operation.

[0057] There are various switch on states. These include the thermal switch on state, when the vehicle is switched off, no charging current flows, the outside temperature is below 15°C and the battery charge level allows charging, i.e. the battery is not yet fully charged. The electric switch on state includes the state when the vehicle is moving and the range according to the navigation device is not sufficient to reach the destination with the current battery charge level. Again, the battery charge level needs to allow charging. In principle, operation is enabled when the temperature of the battery is below the optimum operating temperature, e.g. 15°C.

[0058] Incorporating a main electric drive into the vehicle advantageously means that it is only needed when the temperature where the vehicle travels actually falls below a threshold (e.g., 15°C). Unlike heat pumps, fuel cells also function in cold weather and prevent the batteries from freezing up. The fuel cell module can have its own dedicated small battery for its own operation and start-up period.

[0059] In addition to supplying thermal and electrical energy to vehicles, the fuel cell module 14 remains unchanged and enables a variety of specialized applications: for example, cooling systems in refrigerated vehicles and heat and power supplies in mobile homes, caravans and boats can be provided by the module 14, especially when the drive is switched off. In addition to mobile applications, the fuel cell module 14 can also be used in stationary applications, for example when camping or as an emergency power source for agricultural and construction machinery, in firefighting and disaster response as an alternative to emergency generators powered by fossil fuels that are harmful to the climate.

[0060] A second embodiment in which the fuel cell module 14 is used stationary is shown in figures 9 to 13 and 18. Connections 200 for power distribution are provided on the base 58. The connections 200 are connected to an inverter 130 at the module 14, in which the electrical energy available from the fuel cells 76 can be converted to the desired voltage, for example 12, 24, 48, 230 or 400 volts. Furthermore, connections 202 are provided for connection to a water circuit.

[0061] The fuel cell module 14 is mounted on a base 204. This can be seen in Figure 10. The base 204 has the outer shape of a table with four legs 206. Power is provided to a conventional socket 208 at the front 210 of the base 204. The tank 16 can be mounted to a panel at the rear of the base 204 using a base plate 24.

[0062] 11 shows the base 204 without the panels. The base 204 is provided with a floor 212 slightly above ground level. A conversion unit 222 is mounted on the floor 212 and converts the voltage provided by the fuel cell module 14 into the voltage required by the consumer devices, for example 230V or 400V AC voltage. The power is transferred to a protruding connection 214 at the top of the base 204, which interacts with the connection 200 at the underside of the module 14.

[0063] A refill nozzle 216 for cooling water in the base 204, which can be closed with a screw cap, makes it possible to fill and refill the cooling circuit 224 and the expansion tank 218 with cooling liquid. A cooling pump 226 can be seen in FIG.

[0064] A fan 220 is also disposed on the base 212. The fan 220 is used to dissipate heat outside the area under the base 212. A capacitor 228 is disposed on the fan 220. This can be clearly seen in Figures 11 and 13.

[0065] If the fuel cell module 14 is to be used in a stationary manner, for example to provide emergency power, it can be held and stationary using straps 232 at fastening brackets 236 which are mounted to the base 204 between two brackets 230 and bracket 234 (FIG. 11). This is shown in FIG.

[0066] As shown in figure 18, the base 204 serves for stationary use. In addition to the components already described in figure 14, a heat exchanger 238 for the fuel and a condenser 228 with a fan 220 are integrated into the cooling circuit. These are located in the base 204.

[0067] Figure 19 is another variation of Figure 14 with two separate heat exchangers, e.g., battery and cabin 320. Figure 20 shows a circuit for a stationary application of the assembly of Figure 10. A filter 227 can optionally be placed in front of the pump.

[0068] The exemplary embodiments described above serve to illustrate the invention as claimed in the claims. Features disclosed together with other features can generally be used alone or in combination with other features explicitly or implicitly disclosed in the text or drawings in the exemplary embodiments. Dimensions and sizes are given by way of example only. The appropriate range can be derived by the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and thus need not be described in more detail here. The disclosure of a specific embodiment of a feature does not mean that the invention should be limited to this specific embodiment. Rather, such features can be implemented using various other configurations familiar to a person skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention can be embodied not only in the form of the described embodiment, but also in all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0069] The terms "top", "bottom", "right" and "left" refer exclusively to the attached figures. It is to be understood that the claimed devices may also adopt different orientations. The terms "including" and "comprising" mean that additional components not mentioned may be provided. The terms "essentially" and "predominantly" include all features having a majority of the characteristics or significance, i.e. more than all of the other components or characteristics of the mentioned feature, i.e. in the case of two components, e.g. more than 50% of the feature.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, (a) an electrically rechargeable vehicle battery for powering an electric drive to move the vehicle; (b) a tank for storing liquid or gas fuel; (c) a fuel cell powered by fuel from the tank to heat a passenger compartment, vehicle components, and / or a vehicle battery of the vehicle; (d) An electrically powered vehicle, wherein the tank and the fuel cell form a module that is incorporated into the vehicle.

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank forms a separate module and is releasably housed in the vehicle or in the module.

3. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fuel cell is connected to the vehicle battery, and during operation, electrical energy can be supplied to the vehicle battery.

4. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank is a hydrogen tank and the fuel cell runs on hydrogen.

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a control unit is provided for controlling the fuel cell to operate the fuel cell at least partly depending on a temperature value.

6. 1. A method for operating a fuel cell, comprising: (a) determining a temperature value; (b) adjusting the temperature value to a set point by generating thermal energy in the fuel cell; (c) the electrical energy generated during operation of said fuel cell is stored or used to power a power consumer device.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the temperature value represents a temperature in a passenger compartment of the vehicle downstream of the vehicle heater or vehicle battery.

8. 8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the electrical energy is stored in a vehicle battery provided for driving a vehicle.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the electrical energy is at least partly supplied to an on-board network of a vehicle with said one or more power consumers.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one power consumer is a cooling unit.

11. A method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the state of charge of the battery is determined.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fuel cell operates only when the cell is in a state of charge that allows further charging.

13. (a) determining a distance to a destination; (b) determining the power required for a distance from a consumption point and the state of charge of the vehicle battery; (c) adjusting the load point until the required power is reached; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising:

14. 1. An auxiliary unit for incorporation into a vehicle with an additional energy source, comprising: (a) a tank for storing liquid or gas fuel; (b) a fuel cell for producing thermal and electrical energy; (c) a control unit for controlling operation of the fuel cell in response to the temperature of the cell and / or the state of charge; Including, auxiliary units.

15. 15. An auxiliary unit according to claim 14, characterized in that the tank, the fuel cell and the control unit are arranged in a joint-mountable module, the module having an interface by which it can be connected to the respective functional unit of the vehicle.

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