The present invention relates to a device (1, 30) for the recirculation of an at least partially gaseous composition containing hydrogen, wherein the device (1, 30) is a dry rotary pump comprising a first rotating shaft (13) and a second rotating shaft (14) driving respectively a first piston with claws (8) and a second piston with claws (9) in rotation in a pumping chamber (2) comprising an inlet orifice (11) and an outlet orifice (10) for the gaseous composition, the first rotating shaft (13) and the second rotating shaft (14) being configured to be driven in rotation by a drive system (17,18) situated in a gear chamber (4), wherein the device (1, 30) comprises a first pair of seals (19) and a second pair of seals (20), each comprising a first shaft seal (19a, 20a) and a second shaft seal (19b, 20b), the first pair of seals (19) being provided around the first rotating shaft (13) and the second pair of seals (20) being provided around the second rotating shaft (14) between the pumping chamber (2) and the gear chamber (4), wherein the device (1, 30) comprises a pressure equalization chamber (25) which is in fluid connection with a gap (24) present between the first shaft seal (19a, 20a) and the second shaft seal (19b, 20b) of the first and of the second pair of seals (19, 20) to regulate the pressure in the gap (24), wherein the gear chamber (4) is in fluid connection with the gap (24), and wherein the pumping chamber (2) is in fluid connection with the first shaft seal (19a) of the first pair of seals (19) and with the first shaft seal (20a) of the second pair of seals (20) by means of a pulsation attenuation chamber (22). The present invention also relates to a fuel cell system (40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) comprising a device for recirculation according to the present invention.

An internal gear pump or motor includes inner and outer rotors that mesh together. An internal electric motor or generator may include a stator supported by a support element that passes through bearings of the outer rotor and the inner rotor may act as a rotor of the electric motor or generator. With or without the stator, the support element may support bearings of the inner rotor. The support element may be, for example, an eccentric shaft. Fluids may be supplied via the support element, if present, for cooling, lubrication or to flush a working fluid out of portions of the pump or motor, such as bearings. Flushing may also occur via channels in the housing with or without the presence of the support element. Axial faces of one of a pair of adjacent elements, for example the inner rotor and the outer rotor, may include portions for improved axial sealing and wearing in of the other of the pair. Fluid may enter and exit chambers between the inner and outer rotors by radial ports

A roots pump includes a housing, a rotor chamber, a pair of rotary shafts, and a pair of rotors. The rotor chamber includes a rotor chamber peripheral surface facing a pair of distal end portions of each of the rotors. Each of the pair of the distal end portions includes: a pair of rotor peripheral surfaces facing the rotor chamber peripheral surface with a first radial clearance; and a distal end peripheral surface that is formed between the pair of the rotor peripheral surfaces in the rotational direction and faces the rotor chamber peripheral surface with a second radial clearance greater than the first radial clearance. A width of the rotor chamber peripheral surface facing the distal end peripheral surface in the rotational direction is greater than a sum of a pair of predetermined widths of the rotor chamber peripheral surface facing the pair of the rotor peripheral surfaces.

A motor-driven Roots pump includes a housing, a drive shaft and a driven shaft that have axial lines parallel with each other, and a gear chamber. The housing includes a first partition that has a first defining surface, a second partition having a second defining surface, and a relief recess. An addendum circle of the drive gear and an addendum circle of the driven gear intersect with each other at a first intersection point. A plane that includes both the axial lines is defined as an imaginary plane. The first intersection point is located on a side of the imaginary plane on which the drive gear and the driven gear start meshing with each other. An opening of the relief recess is opposed to the first intersection point and is arranged in a region on a side of the imaginary plane on which the first intersection point is located.

A gas supplying apparatus includes a compressor, a housing having an exhaust port, and an exhaust duct. The housing has a circumferential wall and a top wall. The circumferential wall has an access section. The exhaust port is provided on at least one of the circumferential wall and the top wall at a location higher than the access section. The exhaust duct includes a discharge port for discharging the air, exhausted from the exhaust port, to the outside. The discharge port is opened upward or opened downward in an area overlapping the top wall in an up-and-down direction.

A motor-driven Roots pump includes a housing, a drive shaft and a driven shaft that have axial lines parallel with each other, and a gear chamber. The housing includes a first partition that has a first defining surface, a second partition having a second defining surface, and a relief recess. An addendum circle of the drive gear and an addendum circle of the driven gear intersect with each other at a first intersection point. A plane that includes both the axial lines is defined as an imaginary plane. The first intersection point is located on a side of the imaginary plane on which the drive gear and the driven gear start meshing with each other. An opening of the relief recess is opposed to the first intersection point and is arranged in a region on a side of the imaginary plane on which the first intersection point is located.

A hydrogen circulation pump includes a pump body, a motor, a driver, and a housing. The housing internally includes a hydrogen recirculation passage connecting the pump body to a fuel cell stack, a hydrogen supply passage through which hydrogen is supplied from a hydrogen supply source to the fuel cell stack, and a partition wall that defines an accommodation chamber accommodating the driver. The hydrogen supply passage includes a merge portion where the hydrogen supply passage merges with the hydrogen recirculation passage. The hydrogen supply passage is arranged in the housing such that heat is exchanged at an upstream side of the merge portion through the partition wall between the driver and the hydrogen in the hydrogen supply passage.

An internal gear pump or motor includes inner and outer rotors that mesh together. An internal electric motor or generator may include a stator supported by a support element that passes through bearings of the outer rotor and the inner rotor may act as a rotor of the electric motor or generator. With or without the stator, the support element may support bearings of the inner rotor. The support element may be, for example, an eccentric shaft. Fluids may be supplied via the support element, if present, for cooling, lubrication or to flush a working fluid out of portions of the pump or motor, such as bearings. Flushing may also occur via channels in the housing with or without the presence of the support element. Axial faces of one of a pair of adjacent elements, for example the inner rotor and the outer rotor, may include portions for improved axial sealing and wearing in of the other of the pair. Fluid may enter and exit chambers between the inner and outer rotors by radial ports.

A dry rotary pump for recirculating an at least partially gaseous composition containing hydrogen. The dry rotary pump comprising a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are driven in rotation by a drive system in a gear chamber. The dry rotary pump comprises a first pair of seals and a second pair of seals, each comprising a first shaft seal and a second shaft seal. The dry rotary pump comprises a pressure equalization chamber in fluid connection with a gap between the first shaft seal and the second shaft seal to regulate pressure in the gap. The gear chamber is in fluid connection with the gap, and the pumping chamber is in fluid connection with the first shaft seal and the first shaft seal by a pulsation attenuation chamber.

A roots pump includes a housing, a rotor chamber, a pair of rotary shafts, and a pair of rotors. The rotor chamber includes a rotor chamber peripheral surface facing a pair of distal end portions of each of the rotors. Each of the pair of the distal end portions includes: a pair of rotor peripheral surfaces facing the rotor chamber peripheral surface with a first radial clearance; and a distal end peripheral surface that is formed between the pair of the rotor peripheral surfaces in the rotational direction and faces the rotor chamber peripheral surface with a second radial clearance greater than the first radial clearance. A width of the rotor chamber peripheral surface facing the distal end peripheral surface in the rotational direction is greater than a sum of a pair of predetermined widths of the rotor chamber peripheral surface facing the pair of the rotor peripheral surfaces.