Blower for a fuel cell assembly for a vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, fuel cell assembly, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a blower (1) for a fuel cell assembly (205) for a vehicle (200a), in particular a utility vehicle (200b); wherein the blower (1), in order to recirculate a gas mixture (40) used in the operation of the fuel cell assembly (205), comprises a drive motor (7, 8, 9) having a motor shaft (7) defining an axis (A), a rotor (9) coupled to the motor shaft (7), and a stator (8) arranged radially outside the rotor (9); the blower (1) comprises a blower impeller (5) coupled to the motor shaft (7), the blower impeller (5) being designed to convey the gas mixture (40) when the motor shaft (7) rotates; and the blower (1) comprises a carrier section (30) having two radial bearings (11, 12) for rotatably supporting the motor shaft (7), wherein the carrier section (30) and the two radial bearings (11, 12) are arranged on the same side (18) of the blower impeller (5) in the direction of the axis (A).

Description

[0001] Blower for a fuel cell assembly for a vehicle, in particular

[0002] Commercial vehicle, fuel cell arrangement, vehicle

[0003] One disclosure relates to a blower for a fuel cell arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle. The disclosure relates equally to a fuel cell arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, comprising a fuel cell stack that can be supplied with a gas mixture on the anode side and a blower, and to a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, comprising a fuel cell arrangement.

[0004] Such blowers for fuel cell arrays are known from the prior art. A fuel cell array of this type comprises a fuel cell system with galvanic cells that can be used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The electrical energy is generated from a so-called fuel cell reaction, a chemical reaction between a supplied fuel, for example hydrogen, and an oxidant, usually oxygen. To increase energy yield, several cells or fuel cells can be combined to form a fuel cell stack. In addition to the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell array typically includes other components, such as a compressor for supplying the fuel cell stack with the oxidant, for example air, on the cathode side.

[0005] For fuel cell systems, particularly in mobile applications with varying operating points, such as vehicles, especially commercial vehicles, it is advantageous to incorporate recirculation of a gas mixture containing the fuel within the anode path. The aim is to return fuel not consumed through chemical reactions, particularly electrolysis, to the system, to remove harmful gases, such as nitrogen (also known as "purging"), and / or to allow purging of the fuel cell stack to prevent and / or remove liquid and / or water accumulation. This recirculation can be implemented passively and / or actively. Active recirculation means that a blower is used to circulate the fuel or gas mixture within the anode path according to the operating points and other requirements.

[0006] The design of a recirculation blower, i.e., a blower for recirculation in the anode path, is challenging because hydrogen, nitrogen, and moisture are problematic features of the gas mixture, requiring special measures regarding tightness, robustness, and service life. Known recirculation blowers therefore exhibit some characteristics of compressors, particularly Roots compressors, scroll compressors, claw compressors, and / or turbomachinery.

[0007] WO 2021 / 094491 A1 discloses a media-gap motor, in particular for a turbocharger. The proposed media-gap motor comprises a rotor and a stator, the stator having fins which extend radially with an inner section into a flow space formed between the stator and the rotor in the direction of the rotor. The fins do not extend with their inner sections to the rotor, so that a gap is formed between an inner end of the fins and the rotor.

[0008] EP 1 995 426 A1 discloses an electric motor for conveying media, comprising a stator, a rotor with a rotor magnet, and a media passage opening between the stator and rotor. The smallest inner diameter of the stator is 1.5 to 8 times the largest outer diameter of the rotor magnet.

[0009] German patent application 102023210206.4, which was not yet published on the filing date of the present disclosure, describes a blower for a fuel cell arrangement for recirculating a gas mixture used to operate the fuel cell arrangement. The blower has a drive motor comprising a rotor coupled to a motor shaft and a stator arranged radially outside the rotor. The blower assembly is designed to minimize the tolerance chain between the bearing points of the motor shaft. Solutions are known from the prior art, particularly in recirculation blowers with a media-gap motor, where the tolerance chain extends over, for example, two or three components, resulting in one or two transition interfaces between components that cause coaxiality deviations or concentricity tolerances between the bearings.This can significantly reduce the service life of the bearings, especially at high speeds. Furthermore, every mechanical interface requires assembly effort.

[0010] Against the background of this prior art, one objective of the present disclosure is to provide a blower for a fuel cell assembly of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, which is suitable for enriching the prior art and improving at least the aforementioned aspects of the prior art. In particular, it is the objective of the disclosure to achieve improved tolerance with regard to the arrangement of the bearings and / or reduced assembly effort.

[0011] The problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims contain further developments of the disclosure.

[0012] The problem is then solved according to one aspect of the disclosure by a blower for a fuel cell arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle; wherein the blower for recirculating a gas mixture used for operating the fuel cell arrangement comprises a drive motor with a motor shaft defining an axis, a rotor coupled to the motor shaft and a stator arranged radially outside the rotor; the blower comprises a blower impeller coupled to the motor shaft, wherein the blower impeller is configured to convey the gas mixture when the motor shaft rotates; and the blower comprises a support section having two radial bearings for rotatably supporting the motor shaft, wherein the support section and the two radial bearings are arranged in the direction of the axis on the same side of the blower impeller.It was discovered that it is possible to arrange the radial bearings within the support section and to position the support section and the radial bearings along the axis on the same side of the fan impeller. In other words, the arrangement along the axis, or in the direction of the axis and / or relative to the axis, is such that the fan impeller is not located between the radial bearings, but rather one of the radial bearings is positioned between the fan impeller and the other radial bearing. This allows for space-efficient and effective integration of the radial bearings into the support section. Consequently, both radial bearings for supporting the motor shaft can be arranged in a single component, and only the support section needs to be positioned relative to, for example, a main housing. Therefore, only one mechanical interface is required for supporting the motor shaft.

[0013] The disclosure thus enables a reduction in the tolerance for the arrangement of the bearings supporting the motor shaft by minimizing the number of mechanical interfaces. Furthermore, the assembly of the blower can be simplified by eliminating at least one mechanical interface compared to the prior art.

[0014] The blower can be used to recirculate a gas mixture associated with an anode region of the fuel cell assembly. The gas mixture can contain hydrogen as fuel. It can also contain other components, particularly those resulting from the reaction of hydrogen in the anode region of the fuel cell assembly. The gas mixture can contain water, which is a byproduct of the hydrogen reaction. The gas mixture can be passed through the anode region of the fuel cell assembly.

[0015] The blower can be operated by the drive motor, which can be an electric motor. The electric motor can be a brushless motor. The drive motor can be a media-gap motor. In this case, the medium conveyed by the blower, in particular the gas mixture used in the fuel cell arrangement, can be conveyed through an annular channel.

[0016] The blower impeller, coupled to the motor shaft, can be positioned at the outlet end such that the gas mixture can be conveyed when the impeller rotates. The blower impeller can have an arrangement of blades distributed around its circumference. The gas mixture can be conveyed by rotating the impeller, acting as a pump. The blower impeller can convey the gas mixture radially due to its rotation.

[0017] Optionally, the fan impeller has an upstream side exposed to the gas mixture and a backside located opposite the upstream side with respect to the axis of the upstream side; and the support section and the two radial bearings are arranged along the axis on the backside of the fan impeller. This makes it possible to arrange the support section and the radial bearings in an impeller backspace, i.e., on the backside of the fan impeller. This allows the upstream side to remain unobstructed, and the bearings and the electric drive can be arranged efficiently on the backside.

[0018] Optionally, the blower comprises a main housing and a support component attached to the main housing, forming the support section. The radial bearings can be arranged on this support component so that the corresponding bearing seats are located within the support component, thus enabling high accuracy to be achieved with corresponding tolerance references within the support component as a single component.

[0019] Optionally, the blower features an annular channel arranged radially between the rotor and the stator; the gas mixture can flow through this annular channel. The annular channel can be formed on the support component or be separate. In other words, the electric drive can be designed as a media-gap motor. Since the electric drive is located, for example, on the back of the blower impeller, a comparatively narrower gap between the rotor and stator can be achieved, as the media flow is not intended to pass between the stator and rotor. The stator is thus encapsulated by the annular channel or a gap tube, so that it is located in a sealed space. The gas mixture can still flow through the annular channel and serve as the medium and / or lubricant for the radial bearings.

[0020] Optionally, the radial bearings are designed as foil bearings. This allows the motor shaft to be supported with low friction and wear, especially at comparatively high speeds.

[0021] Optionally, the rotor and stator, the two radial bearings, and the axial bearing for supporting the motor shaft are arranged on the same side of the fan impeller. This allows for a space-saving arrangement of the aforementioned components. Specifically, the rotor, stator, two radial bearings, and axial bearing are located on the rear side of the fan impeller.

[0022] Optionally, the blower impeller is arranged at one end of the motor shaft. This allows the shaft to be stably supported while the blower impeller is positioned at the shaft end, thus forming a direct interface to the media inlet.

[0023] Optionally, the blower comprises a main housing and a volute-forming component mounted to the main housing, and / or the volute is integrated into the main housing. It was recognized that the proposed design allows for many variations regarding the volute. For example, a separate volute component may be unnecessary depending on the arrangement of the axial bearing. Both the inlet and outlet can be integrated into a single volute component. At the same time, flexible angular orientation of the volute is easily achievable.

[0024] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a fuel cell arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, is provided, comprising a fuel cell stack that can be supplied with a gas mixture on the anode side and a blower as described above. Optionally, the blower has one or more features described as optional and / or advantageous in order to achieve an associated technical effect.

[0025] The blower can be connected via appropriate piping within the fuel cell assembly to one or more fuel cell modules or fuel cell stacks in such a way that the blower can guide the gas mixture through the anode area of ​​the fuel cell assembly. The blower can also be connected to a fuel source or fuel storage system, which allows the fuel content of the recirculated gas mixture to be adjusted.

[0026] The blower can be connected to a fuel cell module via a piping system within the fuel cell assembly. The blower can be designed to recirculate hydrogen-containing gas within the fuel cell assembly. In particular, the recirculation of the hydrogen-containing gas can be configured for the anode side of the fuel cell assembly. The blower can be controlled as needed via a control unit, which can take into account the operating state of the fuel cell assembly. The fuel cell assembly can also include several blowers of the type described above, which are integrated into the fuel cell assembly via corresponding piping systems.

[0027] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, is provided comprising a fuel cell arrangement as described above. Optionally, the blower and / or the fuel cell arrangement has one or more features described as optional and / or advantageous in order to achieve an associated technical effect.

[0028] The blower and / or the fuel cell assembly can be used in a mobile application. In particular, the blower and / or the fuel cell assembly can be used in an electric vehicle, where the electrical power is generated by the fuel cell assembly and can optionally be supplied to a buffer battery or traction battery. Alternatively, the fuel cell assembly with the blower can be used in a stationary application. The blower can also be used to provide a gas flow in other areas. In particular, the blower can be used to achieve a flow through the cathode side of the fuel cell assembly.

[0029] Further features of the disclosure and its technical effects will become apparent from the figures and the description of the preferred embodiments shown in the figures.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, according to one aspect of the disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of a blower according to one aspect of the revelation; Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of a blower according to one aspect of the revelation; and

[0032] Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of a blower according to one aspect of the disclosure.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 200a, in particular a commercial vehicle 200b, according to one aspect of the disclosure.

[0034] Vehicle 200a, in particular commercial vehicle 200b, is hereinafter referred to as vehicle 200a, 200b. Vehicle 200a, 200b is, for example, a land vehicle or a watercraft.

[0035] The vehicle 200a, 200b comprises a fuel cell assembly 205, an energy storage device 260, and an electric main drive 250. The fuel cell assembly 205 is configured to supply electrical energy 65 to the energy storage device 260. The energy storage device 260 is, for example, a rechargeable energy storage device 260 and serves as a buffer battery for storing electrical energy 65. The energy storage device 260 is also referred to as a traction battery. The energy storage device 260 is connected to the electric main drive 250 to supply the electric main drive 250 with electrical energy 65 so that the electric main drive 250 can propel the vehicle 200a, 200b.

[0036] The fuel cell assembly 205 comprises a blower 1, a compressor 210, a fuel cell system 204 or a fuel cell stack 206 and optionally an expander 270. The fuel cell stack 206 has a cathode 207 and an anode 208.

[0037] The blower 1 of the present embodiments is used in a fuel cell arrangement 205 in which hydrogen-containing gas is circulated as a gas mixture 40 and reacts electrochemically to generate electrical energy 65. In particular, the blower 1 described here is used to purge an anode region of the fuel cell stack 206 and / or to ensure a predetermined composition of the gas mixture 40 located in the anode region. The blower 1 is configured to supply the anode 208 with the gas mixture 40 and thus with the fuel.

[0038] Several of the blowers 1 described above can be used in the fuel cell assembly 205. Furthermore, the fuel cell assembly 205 generally includes a control unit (not shown) which, among other things, controls the operation of the blower 1. This includes controlling the speed of the blower 1, which allows the blower output to be adjusted. In addition, the operating state of the fuel cell assembly 205 is taken into account to determine whether or not operation of the blower 1 is necessary. If the blower 1 is not operated, the gas mixture 40 can easily pass through the blower 1 due to its design as a media-gap motor.

[0039] Due to the structure of the blower 1 described above, and in particular a flow guide device 14 or a guide grid 14, it is conceivable that even when the blower 1 is not in operation, the flow through the blower 1 can bring about the separation function for separating water from the gas mixture 40, since the guide grid 14 imparts a swirl to the gas flow. The compressor 210 is configured to supply an airflow to the fuel cell stack 206 on the cathode side, i.e., to the cathode 207. For this purpose, the compressor 210 is configured to be supplied with electrical energy 65 in order to draw in air, compress it, and supply it to the fuel cell stack 206 as supply air 240. The expander 270 is designed to be supplied with exhaust air 245 from the fuel cell stack 206 in order to convert energy from the exhaust air 245 into electrical energy 65.

[0040] Blower 1 is further described with reference to Figures 2 to 4.

[0041] Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a blower 1 according to one aspect of the disclosure. The blower 1 according to Figure 2 is a blower 1 for a fuel cell arrangement 205 for a vehicle 200a, in particular a commercial vehicle 200b. Such a blower 1 and vehicle 200a, 200b are each described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 2 is described with reference to Figure 1.

[0042] The blower 1 is designed to recirculate the gas mixture 40 used for operating the fuel cell arrangement 205. For this purpose, the blower 1 has a drive motor 7, 8, 9 with a motor shaft 7, a rotor 9 coupled to the motor shaft 7, and a stator 8 arranged radially outside the rotor 9. The motor shaft 7 defines an axis A, which corresponds to the axis of rotation of the motor shaft 7.

[0043] The stator 8 is rotationally fixed to the main housing 2. In the present embodiment, the rotor 9 comprises one or more permanent magnet elements 9a (only schematically indicated in Figure 2). When energy is applied, the stator 8 generates a rotating magnetic field, so that the rotor 9 rotates together with the motor shaft 7 when energy is applied to the stator 8.

[0044] The rotor 9 is connected to the rotatable motor shaft 7, allowing the rotor 9 to rotate together with the motor shaft 7. The motor shaft 7 is rotatably mounted on both sides via radial bearings 11, 12. The radial bearings 11, 12 are designed as foil bearings 11', 12'. The blower 1 comprises a main housing 2, a housing cover 6, and a volute component 43b forming a volute 43. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the volute component 43b and the housing cover 6 can be designed as a single component and / or the volute 43 can be integrated into the main housing 2.

[0045] The blower 1 according to Figure 2 thus comprises the main housing 2, the housing cover 6, and the volute component 43b, which forms the volute 43 and is mounted on the main housing 2. The volute component 43b has an inlet flange 13 or an inlet pipe. The volute component 43b is designed to guide the gas mixture 40. For this purpose, the volute component 43b has an inlet side 41 and an outlet side 42.

[0046] The main housing 2 forms an outer circumference of a main section of the blower 1 and, in the present embodiment, is essentially cylindrical. The drive motor 7, 8, 9 is arranged radially inside the main housing 2 and comprises the radially outer stator 8, the radially inner rotor 9, and the motor shaft 7 connected to the rotor 9.

[0047] In a central section of Figure 2, the blower 1 has a housing cover 6 attached to the main housing 2. The blower 1 has fastening elements 45 for attaching the housing cover 6 and the support component 31 to the main housing 2. The fastening elements 45 are, for example, screws and / or bolts and are designed to secure a mechanical interface between the main housing 2, a support component 31, and the housing cover 6. The housing cover 6 has a passage and / or a recess in its center through which the motor shaft 7 passes.

[0048] The blower 1 has a support section 30 which includes two radial bearings 11, 12 for rotatably supporting the motor shaft 7. The support section 30 is arranged inside the main housing 2. The blower 1 comprises the main housing 2 and the support component 31, which is attached to the main housing 2 and forms the support section 30. The support component 31 is fixed to the main housing 2 and to the housing cover 6 by means of the fastening elements 45.

[0049] The blower 1 has a blower impeller 5 coupled to the motor shaft 7. In the area of ​​the housing cover 6, the blower impeller 5 is rotationally fixed to the motor shaft 7. The blower impeller 5 is located at one end 7a of the motor shaft 7. In other words, the motor shaft 7 extends in the direction of axis A approximately and / or exactly to the blower impeller 5. Rotation of the motor shaft 7 causes rotation of the blower impeller 5.

[0050] The volute component 43b and the housing cover 6 form the volute 43, or outlet volute, which has a circumferentially variable diameter and is open towards the blower impeller 5. The volute 43 is designed to be in operative contact with the blower impeller 5 during operation in order to improve the blower performance 1. A housing flange 6a is attached to the housing cover 6 for connecting the main housing 2 and the support component 31 to the housing cover 6. This flange has a passage in the center into which the motor shaft 7 projects.

[0051] The blower impeller 5 has an upstream side 5a, which is exposed to the gas mixture 40, and a backside 5b, which is arranged opposite the upstream side 5a with respect to the axis A. In other words, the blower impeller 5 is bounded along the axis A by the upstream side 5a and opposite the upstream side 5a by the backside 5b. The upstream side 5a points towards the inlet side 41, and the backside 5b points in the opposite direction, i.e., towards the housing cover 6 and / or the main housing 2.

[0052] The blower impeller 5 is designed to convey the gas mixture 40 from the inlet side 41 to the outlet side 42 when the motor shaft 7 rotates. For this purpose, the blower impeller 5 has blades arranged on the upstream side 5a, which are shaped to achieve a conveying or pumping function. The inside of the housing cover 6 and the volute 43 are adapted to the contour of the blower impeller 5 in the radial area where the blower impeller 5 is located. Radially outside the blower impeller 5, there is an annular gap that is open to the volute 43.

[0053] The support section 30 and the two radial bearings 11, 12 are arranged in the direction of axis A on the same side 18 of the blower impeller 5. In particular, the support section 30 and the two radial bearings 11, 12 are arranged in the direction of axis A on side 18 of the rear 5b of the blower impeller 5.

[0054] The blower 1 has an axial bearing 19 arranged in or on the housing cover 6 for supporting the motor shaft 7. The rotor 9, the stator 8, the two radial bearings 11, 12 and the axial bearing 19 are arranged in the direction of axis A on the same side 18 of the blower impeller 5, namely on the rear side 5b of the blower impeller 5. The axial bearing 19 is arranged on the housing cover 6.

[0055] The blower 1 has an annular channel 10 arranged radially between the rotor 9 and the stator 8. In other words, the annular channel 10 is located on the rear side 5b of the blower impeller 5. The annular channel 10 is provided radially between the stator 8 and the rotor 9. The blower 1 has sealing elements 10a for fluidic sealing of the annular channel against the stator 8. A radial inner wall of the annular channel 10 is formed by an outer circumference of the support section 30. A radial outer wall of the annular channel 10 is formed by an outer wall 17 arranged radially outside the support section 30 and radially inside the stator 8. In an alternative embodiment, the radial inner wall is formed by an outer surface of the rotor 9. The annular channel 10 can have a cylindrical inner wall and a cylindrical outer wall. The gas mixture 40 can flow between the cylindrical inner wall and the cylindrical outer wall of the annular channel 10.The stator 8 is located radially outside the annular channel 10 and the support component 31 .

[0056] The volute component 43b has a flow guide 14 in the inlet flange 13. The flow guide 14 is explained below. The flow guide 14 is provided in the form of a guide vane 14 on the right-hand section of the inlet flange 13 in Figure 2, i.e., on the inlet side 41. The flow guide 14, or guide vane 14, has an arrangement of guide vanes (not shown) distributed around the circumference of the flow guide 14. Flow can pass through the guide vane 14 via a passage in the direction of the upstream side 5a of the fan impeller 5. The guide vane 14 is integrated with the elements of the inlet flange 13. In particular, the radial outer wall in the inlet area of ​​the inlet flange 13 has the guide vanes of the guide vane 14. The guide vanes are formed in one piece with a tube of the inlet flange 13.This design enables a simplified manufacturing of the inlet flange 13, since the outer tube can be manufactured with the guide vanes of the guide grid 14.

[0057] With appropriate dimensioning of the inlet pipe, the flow guide device 14 can be integrated into the volute component 43b in such a way that liquid components from the gas mixture 40 can be separated onto the outer wall of the inlet pipe. The liquid components can be separated via a water separation channel 16, shown only schematically and provided in the volute component 43.

[0058] Figure 3 shows a cross-section of a blower 1 according to one aspect of the revelation. The blower 1 according to Figure 3 is an alternative to the blower 1 according to Figure 2. Figure 3 is described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, outlining the differences between the blowers 1 according to Figures 2 and 3.

[0059] In the embodiment shown, the outer wall 17 of the annular channel 10 is omitted. This allows the stator 8 and rotor 9 to be arranged closer together, which can improve the efficiency of the electric drive 7, 8, 9.

[0060] Figure 4 shows a cross-section of a blower 1 according to one aspect of the disclosure. The blower 1 according to Figure 4 is an alternative to the blowers 1 according to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 4 is described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, outlining the differences between the blower 1 according to Figure 4 and the blowers 1 according to Figures 2 and 3. The blower 1 has a thrust bearing support 19a that carries the thrust bearing 19. This allows the thrust bearing 19a to be arranged opposite the shaft end 7a on the shaft 7. The drive 7, 8, 9 is thus arranged between the thrust bearing 19 and the blower impeller 5.The axial bearing 19 and the axial bearing support 19a, which carries the axial bearing 19, opposite the shaft end 7a on the shaft 7, allow the housing cover 6 to be designed more simply, integrated with the support component 31 (see only schematic figure 4), i.e. as an assembly unit, and / or integrated into the main housing 2.

[0061] Reference symbol (part of the description)

[0062] 1 blower

[0063] 2 Main cases

[0064] 5 Blower impeller

[0065] 5a Inflow side

[0066] 5b reverse

[0067] 6 Housing covers

[0068] 6a Housing flange

[0069] 7 Motor shaft

[0070] 7a Wave end

[0071] 8 Stator

[0072] 9 Rotor

[0073] 9a Permanent magnet element

[0074] 10 Ring channel

[0075] 10a Sealing element

[0076] 11 radial bearings

[0077] 11' Foil storage

[0078] 12 radial bearings

[0079] 12' foil storage

[0080] 13 Entry flange

[0081] 14 Flow guidance device, guide grid

[0082] 16 Water separator channel

[0083] 17 Exterior wall

[0084] 19 axial bearings

[0085] 19a Axial bearing support

[0086] 30 Carrier section

[0087] 31 Support component

[0088] 40 Gas mixture

[0089] 41 Entry page

[0090] 42 Exit side

[0091] 43 Volute 43b Volute component

[0092] 45 fasteners

[0093] 46 Fuel

[0094] 47 anode-side exhaust air

[0095] 48 Liquid

[0096] 65 electrical energy

[0097] 200a vehicle

[0098] 200b commercial vehicle

[0099] 204 Fuel cell system

[0100] 205 Fuel cell arrangement

[0101] 206 fuel cell stacks

[0102] 207 Cathode

[0103] 208 Anode

[0104] 240 supply air

[0105] 245 Exhaust air

[0106] 250 main drive

[0107] 260 Energy storage device

[0108] Axis

Claims

Patent claims 1. Blower (1) for a fuel cell arrangement (205) for a vehicle (200a), in particular a commercial vehicle (200b); wherein - the blower (1 ) for recirculating a gas mixture (40) used for the operation of the fuel cell arrangement (205) has a drive motor (7, 8, 9) with a motor shaft (7) defining an axis (A), a rotor (9) coupled to the motor shaft (7) and a stator (8) arranged radially outside the rotor (9); - the blower (1) has a blower impeller (5) coupled to the motor shaft (7), the blower impeller (5) being configured to convey the gas mixture (40) when the motor shaft (7) rotates; and - the blower (1) comprises a support section (30) having two radial bearings (11, 12) for rotatable bearing of the motor shaft (7), wherein - the support section (30) and the two radial bearings (11 , 12) are arranged in the direction of the axis (A) on the same side (18) of the blower impeller (5).

2. Blower (1) according to claim 1 , wherein - the blower impeller (5) has an upstream side (5a) accessible to the gas mixture (40) and a back side (5b) arranged opposite the upstream side (5a) with respect to the axis (A); and - the support section (30) and the two radial bearings (11 , 12) are arranged in the direction of the axis (A) on the side (18) of the rear (5b) of the blower impeller (5).

3. Blower (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower (1 ) comprises a main housing (2) and a support component (31) attached to the main housing (2) and forming the support section (30).

4. Blower (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the blower (1) has a ring channel (10) arranged radially between the rotor (9) and the stator (8); and - the gas mixture (40) can flow through the annular channel (10).

5. Blower (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the radial bearings (11 , 12) are designed as foil bearings (11', 12').

6. Blower (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor (9) and the stator (8), the two radial bearings (11 , 12) and an axial bearing (19) for supporting the motor shaft (7) in the direction of the axis (A) are arranged on the same side (18) of the blower impeller (5).

7. Blower (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the blower impeller (5) is arranged at a shaft end (7a) of the motor shaft (7).

8. Blower (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the blower (1) comprises a main housing (2) and a volute component (43b) forming a volute (43) and mounted on the main housing (2) and / or the volute (43) is integrated into the main housing (2).

9. Fuel cell arrangement (205) for a vehicle (200a), in particular a commercial vehicle (200b), comprising a fuel cell stack (206) that can be supplied with a gas mixture (40) on the anode side and a blower (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims.

10. Vehicle (200a), in particular commercial vehicle (200b), comprising a fuel cell arrangement (205) according to claim 9.

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