Body structure element for a vehicle with integrated humidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10651488-B2
Application number	US-201715454933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a body structure element for increasing the stiffness and/or the crash performance of a body structure of a vehicle, comprising a first channel for a first gas flow with a first gas feed line and a first gas discharge line and comprising means for introducing moisture into the first gas stream. The disclosure relates, in other words, to the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into a body structure element and preferably the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into crash performance increasing element, in particular, an extrusion profile, and a body structural element. The disclosure also relates to a fuel cell system with a humidifier integrated into a body structure element and a vehicle with such a fuel cell system and/or such a body structure element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A body structure element of a vehicle, comprising:
a first gas feed line;
a first channel for a first gas stream with the first gas feed line;
a first gas discharge line; and
a second channel for introducing moisture into the first gas stream between the first gas feed line and the first gas discharge line to increase a moisture content of the first gas stream.

2. The body structure element according to claim 1 wherein the second channel has a second gas feed line and a second gas discharge line and a water vapor permeable membrane, wherein the first channel and the second channel are separated from each other at least in sections by the water vapor permeable membrane.

3. The body structure element according to claim 1 , further comprising at least in sections an outer wall with a closed cross-section surrounding a volume of the body structure element and the first channel and the second channel are arranged in the volume.

4. The body structure element according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two chambers.

5. The body structure element according to claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of profile webs that separate the at least two chambers, the profile webs are adapted to dissipate mechanical energy.

6. The body structure element according to claim 2 wherein the water vapor permeable membrane is at least one water vapor permeable plate membrane arranged in the first channel.

7. The body structure element according to claim 2 wherein at least one of an alignment and a wall thickness of the water vapor permeable membrane is adapted to a mounting position of the body structure element in the body structure and at least one of the water vapor permeable membrane and membrane holding elements are configured to dissipate mechanical energy.

8. The body structure element according to claim 1 wherein the body structure element is one from among a front bumper cross beam, a front section side member, a cockpit module beam, a subfloor cross beam, a subfloor side member, a sill reinforcement part, a rear section cross beam, a rear section side member, and a rear bumper cross beam.

9. The body structure element according to claim 2 wherein the water vapor permeable membrane is a water-vapor-permeable hollow fiber.

10. The body structure element according to claim 9 wherein the second gas stream flows around at least one hollow fiber and at least one hollow fiber cavity forms at least one first channel for the first gas stream.

11. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
an anode supply with an anode supply path configured to supply an anode operating medium to the fuel cell stack and with an anode exhaust path configured to discharge an anode exhaust from the fuel cell stack;
a cathode supply with a cathode supply path configured to supply a cathode operating medium to the fuel cell stack and with a cathode exhaust path configured to discharge a cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack; and
a body structure element, arranged in one of the anode supply and the cathode supply, the body structure element including:
a first gas feed line;
a first channel for a first gas stream with the first gas feed line;
a first gas discharge line; and
a second channel for introducing moisture into the first gas stream between the first gas feed line and the first gas discharge line, wherein the first gas feed line and the first gas discharge line of the first channel area arranged in an anode or cathode supply path of the fuel cell system, and the first gas stream is an anode or cathode operating gas stream.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 11 wherein the second channel has a second gas feed line and a second gas discharge line and a water vapor permeable membrane, wherein the first channel and the second channel are separated from each other at least in sections by the water vapor permeable membrane.

13. A vehicle, comprising:
a body structure element;
a humidifier module in the body structure element;
a first channel within the humidifier module;
a first gas input line coupled to the first channel;
a first gas discharge line coupled to the first channel and in fluid communication with the first gas input line through the first channel.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the first channel includes a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes positioned in the humidifier module.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising:
a second channel within the humidifier module;
a second gas input line coupled to the second channel; and
a second gas discharge line coupled to the second channel and in fluid communication with the second gas input line through the second channel.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Minter Frank
• Schütz Daniel
• Stieg Jürgen

Classifications

• H01M8/04149 Primary

  by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title