Fuel cell system and vehicle comprising a fuel cell system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel cell system (100) for converting energy, the fuel cell system (100) comprising: - a first fuel cell stack (101), - a second fuel cell stack (103), and an individual anode subsystem (105) which is configured to jointly supply the first fuel cell stack (101) and the second fuel cell stack (103) with fuel.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] The presented invention relates to a fuel cell system and a vehicle according to the appended claims.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] A fuel cell system is a device for converting chemical energy contained in hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy.

[0006] In this process, gaseous hydrogen is used as fuel with a polymer electrolyte membrane and combined with oxygen from the air to produce pure

[0007] Water is converted into electricity and heat as further reaction products in the cell.

[0008] Unlike combustion engines, no toxic exhaust gases are emitted and, provided the hydrogen is not produced from fossil fuels, no carbon dioxide is emitted either.

[0009] A fuel cell system consists of at least one fuel cell stack and several subsystems, such as an anode subsystem for supplying fuel, a cathode subsystem for supplying air and a cooling system for controlling the temperature of the fuel cell system.

[0010] Various system topologies are known, such as an arrangement with only one fuel cell stack or an arrangement with multiple fuel cell stacks. Disclosure of the invention

[0011] Within the scope of the invention presented, a fuel cell system and a vehicle are presented. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the respective subclaims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the vehicle according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the fuel cell system according to the invention, and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention, reference is always made to each other.

[0012] The invention presented serves in particular to provide a possibility for a compact fuel cell system.

[0013] Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention presented, a fuel cell system for converting energy is presented.

[0014] The presented fuel cell system comprises a first fuel cell stack, a second fuel cell stack and a single anode subsystem configured to jointly supply fuel to the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack.

[0015] The proposed fuel cell system is based on a single or shared anode subsystem for supplying two fuel cell stacks with fuel. Accordingly, the proposed fuel cell system enables a particularly compact design and operation with a minimal number of components, such as a single water separator, a single purge / drain valve, a single temperature sensor, and / or a single pressure sensor in the single anode subsystem provided according to the invention.

[0016] It may be provided that the anode subsystem comprises a single

[0017] Recirculation fan configured to recirculate fluid discharged from the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack in the anode subsystem.

[0018] By using a single recirculation fan, considerable space can be saved and the lifetime of the fuel cell system can be maximized compared to a fuel cell system with multiple recirculation fans.

[0019] It may further be provided that the anode subsystem comprises a single hydrogen dosing valve.

[0020] A single hydrogen dosing valve for supplying the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack with fuel requires a uniform, jointly controlled operation of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack, so that the fuel cell stacks wear evenly and the control effort for controlling or regulating the fuel cell system is minimized.

[0021] It may further be provided that the anode subsystem comprises a first hydrogen dosing valve and a second hydrogen dosing valve.

[0022] By means of two separate hydrogen dosing valves, the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack can be supplied with different amounts of fuel, so that the first fuel cell stack can be operated independently of the second fuel cell stack.

[0023] It may further be provided that the anode subsystem comprises a single jet pump.

[0024] By using a single jet pump, significant space savings can be achieved compared to a fuel cell system with multiple jet pumps, and the lifetime of the fuel cell system can be maximized. Furthermore, the anode subsystem can be configured to include a first jet pump and a second jet pump.

[0025] Using two separate jet pumps, the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack can be supplied with different mass flows, allowing the first fuel cell stack to be operated independently of the second fuel cell stack. For this purpose, for example, a first jet pump for supplying the fuel cell stack can be designed larger or smaller than a second jet pump for supplying the fuel cell stack.

[0026] It can further be provided that the fuel cell system comprises a collecting line which is fluidly coupled to the first jet pump and the second jet pump as well as to the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack.

[0027] A manifold fed with a fuel-containing mass flow by a first jet pump and a second jet pump ensures uniform operation and correspondingly uniform wear of the first fuel cell stack and the second fuel cell stack.

[0028] It can further be provided that the first jet pump is fluidly coupled to the first fuel cell stack via a first connecting line and the second jet pump is fluidly coupled to the second fuel cell stack via a second connecting line.

[0029] Two separate or separate connecting lines for fluidly coupling respective jet pumps with a respective fuel cell stack enable operation of the different fuel cell stacks independently of one another, for example by metering a first amount of fuel into the first connecting line that differs from a second amount of fuel that is metered into the second connecting line.

[0030] It can further be provided that the fuel cell system comprises only a purge / drain valve, a water separator and / or only a temperature sensor and / or only a pressure sensor in the anode subsystem.

[0031] Individual components in the anode subsystem, in particular a single water separator, result in a particularly compact fuel cell system and a correspondingly small installation space requirement.

[0032] The water separator can, for example, be integrated into a single recirculation fan.

[0033] According to a second aspect, the presented invention relates to a vehicle. The presented vehicle comprises a possible embodiment of the presented fuel cell system.

[0034] Due to the particularly compact fuel cell system presented, the vehicle can also be designed to be particularly compact. For example, the vehicle presented could be a passenger car.

[0035] Advantages described in detail for the fuel cell system for converting energy according to the first aspect of the invention equally apply to the vehicle according to the second aspect of the invention.

[0036] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which describes exemplary embodiments of the invention in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination.

[0037] They show:

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first possible embodiment of the presented fuel cell system, Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a second possible embodiment of the presented fuel cell system,

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a third possible embodiment of the fuel cell system presented,

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a fourth possible embodiment of the presented fuel cell system, and

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a possible design of the presented vehicle.

[0042] The figures are described in conjunction below. Like reference numerals indicate like features.

[0043] Figure 1 shows a fuel cell system 100 for converting energy. The fuel cell system 100 includes a first fuel cell stack 101, a second fuel cell stack 103, and a common anode subsystem 105.

[0044] The anode subsystem 105 here comprises, by way of example, a single recirculation fan 107, which includes a water separator 109 and is fluidly coupled to anode outlets 111, 113 of the first fuel cell stack 101 and the second fuel cell stack 103.

[0045] An anode inlet 119 of the first fuel cell stack 101 is supplied with a fuel mixture via a first jet pump 115 and a first hydrogen metering valve 117.

[0046] An anode inlet 125 of the second fuel cell stack 103 is supplied with a fuel mixture via a second jet pump 121 and a second hydrogen metering valve 123.

[0047] In Figure 1, the anode inlet 119 of the first fuel cell stack 101 and the anode inlet 125 of the second fuel cell stack 103 are fluidly coupled via a manifold 127, so that the first fuel cell stack 101 and the second fuel cell stack 103 are always supplied with a homogeneous fuel mixture and are operated accordingly uniformly.

[0048] In Figure 2, the fuel cell system 100 according to Figure 1 is shown without the collecting line 127. Accordingly, the first fuel cell stack 101 is supplied with a fuel-containing mixture by the first jet pump 115 independently of the second fuel cell stack 103 or the second jet pump 121.

[0049] Figure 3 shows the fuel cell system 100 according to Figure 1 with only one jet pump 115. Accordingly, the first fuel cell stack 101 and the second fuel cell stack 103 are uniformly supplied with the same fuel-containing mixture through the manifold 127 and are operated uniformly. Accordingly, the fuel cell system 100 according to Figure 3 can be operated with only one jet pump 115, one recirculation fan 107, and one hydrogen metering valve 117, and is particularly compact.

[0050] Figure 4 shows the fuel cell system 100 according to Figure 3 with an additional hydrogen metering valve 123. The second hydrogen metering valve 123 allows a particularly large amount of fuel to be supplied to the first fuel cell stack 101 and the second fuel cell stack 103, thus preventing undersupply of the first fuel cell stack 101 and the second fuel cell stack 103.

[0051] Figure 5 shows a vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 includes the fuel cell system 100 shown in Figure 1. Because the fuel cell system 100 is particularly compact, the vehicle 200 is characterized by particularly high potential power and can pull correspondingly large loads or accelerate particularly strongly.

Claims

Claims 1. A fuel cell system (100) for converting energy, the fuel cell system (100) comprising: a first fuel cell stack (101), a second fuel cell stack (103), a single anode subsystem (105) configured to jointly supply fuel to the first fuel cell stack (101) and the second fuel cell stack (103).

2. Fuel cell system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the anode subsystem (105) comprises a single recirculation fan (107) configured to recirculate fluid discharged from the first fuel cell stack (101) and the second fuel cell stack (103) in the anode subsystem (105).

3. Fuel cell system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anode subsystem (105) comprises a single hydrogen metering valve (117).

4. Fuel cell system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the anode subsystem (105) comprises a first hydrogen metering valve (117) and a second hydrogen metering valve (123).

5. Fuel cell system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anode subsystem (105) comprises a single jet pump (115).

6. Fuel cell system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the anode subsystem (105) comprises a first jet pump (115) and a second jet pump (121).

7. Fuel cell system (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the fuel cell system (100) comprises a collecting line (127) which is fluidly coupled to the first jet pump (115) and the second jet pump (121) as well as to the first fuel cell stack (101) and the second fuel cell stack (103).

8. Fuel cell system (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the first jet pump (115) is fluidly coupled to the first fuel cell stack (101) via a first connecting line and the second jet pump (121) is fluidly coupled to the second fuel cell stack (103) via a second connecting line.

9. Fuel cell system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fuel cell system (100) comprises only one purge / drain valve, only one water separator (109) and / or only one temperature sensor in the anode subsystem (105) and / or only one pressure sensor in the anode subsystem (105).

10. Vehicle (200), wherein the vehicle (200) comprises a fuel cell system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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