STACK MODULE BOX IN CONNECTION WITH A PLURALITY OF MEDIA GUIDES LEADING TO THE STACK MODULE BOX, FUEL CELL DEVICE AND FUEL CELL VEHICLE

Abstract

A system includes a stack module box, within which is accommodated a fuel cell stack and which stack module box has at least one fuel cell, the fuel cell being in connection with a plurality of media guides leading to the stack module box and from which media can be delivered to the stack module box or received from the stack module box, wherein at least two of the media guides have electrically conductive regions for discharge of current from the fuel cell stack, and/or the wall of the stack module box is electrically conductive in the regions laying opposite to the media guides, and wherein connection lines are led away from the fuel cell stack to the electrically conductive regions and away therefrom. A fuel cell device and a fuel cell vehicle including such a stack module box are also provided.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: a stack module box within which is accommodated a fuel cell stack and which stack module box has at least one fuel cell, the fuel cell stack being in connection with a plurality of media guides leading to the stack module box and from which media can be delivered to the stack module box or received from the stack module box, wherein at least two of the media guides have electrically conductive regions for discharge of current from the fuel cell stack, and/or the wall of the stack module box is electrically conductive in the regions laying opposite to the media guides, and wherein connection lines are led away from the fuel cell stack to the electrically conductive regions and away therefrom.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive region of the wall is in contact with the electrically conductive region of the media guide laying opposite to it.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein a tensioning device of a tensioning system is guided around the media guides, and in that the tensioning device comprises at least two electrically conductive sections which are electrically insulated from one another and rest against the electrically conductive media guides.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the media guides and/or a distribution structure of the stack module box have a spring function.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the tensioning device is guided around four media guides in the circumferential direction of the stack module box.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the tensioning device is guided in the longitudinal direction of two of the media guides around the stack module box.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the stack module box is provided several times in a sequence corresponding to the course of the tensioning device.

8. A fuel cell device having a system according to claim 1.

9. A fuel cell vehicle comprising a fuel cell device according to claim 8.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Further advantages, features and details will be apparent from the claims, from the following description of embodiments as well as from the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a cross-section through a stack module box with the discharge of current via the media guides.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 with the inclusion of the wall of the stack module box in the discharge of current.

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 with the discharge of current exclusively via the wall of the stack module box.

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a cross-section through a stack module box, with the tensioning system exerting a tensioning force by means of a tensioning device, with discharge of current via the media guides and the tensioning system.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 4 with a tensioning force that is greater than in FIG. 4.

[0021] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1 with action upon all the media guides by the tensioning system.

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a schematic, perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 6.

[0023] FIG. 8 shows a representation of a further embodiment corresponding to FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A fuel cell device comprises a fuel cell stack 1 having a plurality of fuel cells 2 connected in series. The fuel cell device can, for example, be part of a fuel cell vehicle not shown in more detail. In this, the fuel cell 2 may, in particular, also be formed by solid oxide fuel cell.

[0025] Each of the fuel cells 2 comprises an anode and a cathode, as well as an ion-conductive membrane separating the anode from the cathode. Fuel (for example, hydrogen) is supplied by means of an anode supply line via anode compartments within the fuel cell stack 1 to the anodes from a gas pressure reservoir. Cathode gas (for example, oxygen or oxygen-containing air) may be supplied to the cathodes by means of a cathode supply line via cathode compartments within the fuel cell stack 1. The fuel cell device may moreover comprise a coolant circuit for temperature control of the fuel cell stack 1.

[0026] The fuel, the cathode gas and, if necessary, the coolant must be fed into and discharged from the fuel cell stack 1, for which purpose media guides 3 are used.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a highly simplified representation of a fuel cell stack 1, which is accommodated in a stack module box 4. The reactants, which is to say the fuel and the oxidant, are fed to the stack module box 4 via the media guides 3 and distributed to the electrodes via a distribution structure 5 in the stack module box 4.

[0028] A tensioning system 6 is guided around the stack module box 4, the tensioning device 7 of which surrounds the distribution structure 5, which is designed with a spring function and is formed by gas channels on the outside, wherein the spring action is indicated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, as the response to the tensioning force indicated by arrows 8.

[0029] The stack module box 4 together with the fuel cell stack 1 accommodated within it and which fuel stack has at least one fuel cell, in particular, a solid oxide fuel cell, is thus in connection with a plurality of media guides 3 leading to the stack module box 4, from which media can be delivered to the stack module box 4 or taken up from the stack module box 4. In FIG. 1, two of the media guides 3 for conducting current out of the fuel cell stack 1 have electrically conductive areas or are formed overall from an electrically conductive material.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows that the wall 9 of the stack module box 4 is electrically conductive, in the example shown in the areas laying opposite to the media guides 3. Connection lines 10 are led from the fuel cell stack 1 to the electrically conductive areas of the media guides 3 and/or of the wall 9 and are led away from them.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the electrically conductive area of the wall 9 is in contact with the electrically conductive area of the media guide 3 laying opposite to it.

[0032] FIG. 4, in combination with FIG. 5, refers to an embodiment in which the tensioning device 7 of the tensioning system 6 is guided around the media guides 3, wherein the tensioning device 7 comprises at least two electrically conductive sections 11, 12 which are electrically insulated from one another and rest against the electrically conductive media guides 3. The media guides 3 and/or the distribution structure 5 of the stack module box 4 here additionally have a spring function.

[0033] In the embodiments elucidated above, current is discharged from the stack module box 4 through structures already present and required for operation, so that a reduction in the complexity of the stack module box 4 is achieved, with the possibility of supplying the current to remote areas. Due to the characteristics of direct current, care has been taken to provide separate current lines from both electrodes, so that isolated, which is to say electrically non-conductive, regions are provided in the wall 9 of the stack module box 4 and of the tensioning device 7.

[0034] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show that the tensioning device 7 is guided around four media guides 3 in the circumferential direction of the stack module box 4, whereas FIG. 8 highlights the possibility that the tensioning device 7 can be guided around the stack module box 4 in the longitudinal direction of two of the media guides 3, which is particularly useful if the stack module box 4 is provided several times in a sequence corresponding to the pathway of the tensioning device 7.

[0035] Aspects of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.