Fuel cell device having a water-transferring anode gas path, and method for operating a fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403913-B2
Application number	US-201515322386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell device ( 1 ) including an anode-gas path ( 3 ) and a method for operating a fuel cell device ( 1 ). In order to wet an anode of the fuel cell device ( 1 ) in a simple manner, an anode-gas drainage section ( 13 ) of the fuel cell device ( 1 ) is connected to an anode-gas supply section ( 7 ) of the fuel cell device ( 1 ) in a water-conducting manner and water is added to an anode-gas that is carried to the fuel cell ( 2 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell device comprising:
a fuel cell; and
an anode gas path having an anode gas inflow section and an anode gas outflow section and extending through the fuel cell on an anode side between the anode gas inflow section and the anode gas outflow section, and including a recirculation section connecting the anode gas outflow section to the anode gas inflow section in an anode gas-conducting manner, the anode gas outflow section being connected to the recirculation section in such a way that product water is transferred to the fuel cell; the recirculation section including a compressor compressing the anode exhaust gas and vaporizing the product water from a liquid state.

2. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 1 wherein the anode gas inflow section is connected to the recirculation section in such a way that water vapor is received therefrom.

3. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a water separator for separating water from the anode gas outflow section.

4. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 3 wherein the water separator is designed to specify a quantity of the product water supplied to the anode gas inflow section.

5. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 3 wherein the liquid product water is conveyed from the water separator to the compressor by force of gravity.

6. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 3 wherein the water separator connects to a waste water line with a stop valve.

7. A fuel cell device comprising:
a fuel cell; and
an anode gas path having an anode gas inflow section and an anode gas outflow section and extending through the fuel cell on an anode side between the anode gas inflow section and the anode gas outflow section, and including a recirculation section connecting the anode gas outflow section to the anode gas inflow section in an anode gas-conducting manner, the anode gas outflow section being connected to the recirculation section in such a way that liquid product water together with the anode gas from the anode gas outflow section is transferred to the anode gas inflow section by gravity and then to the fuel cell.

8. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a water separator for separating water from the anode gas outflow section.

9. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 8 wherein the water separator is designed to specify a quantity of the product water supplied to the anode gas inflow section.

10. The fuel cell device as recited in claim 8 wherein the water separator connects to a waste water line with a stop valve.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Arendt Martin
• Heinrich Harald

Classifications

• H01M8/04828

  Humidity; Water content · CPC title

• H01M8/04164

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04141 Primary

  by water containing exhaust gases · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title