METHOD FOR INCREASING A TEMPERATURE OF A VEHICLE INTERIOR, AND VEHICLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for increasing a temperature of a vehicle interior of a vehicle from a low temperature value to an increased temperature value, wherein the vehicle has a fuel cell system with a fuel cell stack and a compressor connected with the fuel cell stack at the cathode side, comprising: drawing in cathode gas via the compressor, and compressing and heating the drawn-in cathode gas. At least a portion of a cathode gas mass flow of the heated cathode gas is directed into the vehicle interior, and the temperature of the vehicle interior is raised to the increased temperature value. Moreover, the disclosure relates to a vehicle for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method for increasing a temperature of a vehicle interior of a vehicle from a low temperature value to an increased temperature value, wherein the vehicle has a fuel cell system with a fuel cell stack and a compressor connected with the fuel cell stack at a cathode side, the method comprising: drawing in cathode gas via the compressor; compressing and heating the drawn-in cathode gas; and directing at least a portion of a cathode gas mass flow of the heated cathode gas into the vehicle interior such that the temperature of the vehicle interior is raised to the increased temperature value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the cathode gas mass flow is only directed into the vehicle interior until the increased temperature value is reached.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: starting a battery operation in which power is supplied to the vehicle exclusively by a battery; and operating the compressor by the battery.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: starting a fuel cell operation by supplying fuel at an anode side; and supplying at least another portion of the cathode gas mass flow to the fuel cell stack at the cathode side.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of the cathode gas mass flow is no longer directed into the vehicle interior as soon as the battery operation or the fuel cell operation is ended.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the other portion of the cathode gas mass flow is complementary to the portion of the cathode gas mass flow that is supplied to the vehicle interior.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary mass flow is mixed with the at least a portion of the cathode gas mass flow until the increased temperature value in the vehicle interior is reached.

8. A vehicle, comprising: a battery; a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack; a compressor fluidically connected with the fuel cell stack at a cathode side via a cathode supply line; and an interior line that is fluidically connected with the cathode supply line and leads into a vehicle interior and that is present downstream of the compressor to supply at least a portion of a heated cathode gas mass flow into the vehicle interior, and wherein the vehicle is configured to draw in cathode gas via the compressor, compress and heat the drawn-in cathode gas, and supply the at least a portion of the heated cathode gas mass flow into the vehicle interior such that a temperature of the vehicle interior is raised to an increased temperature value.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein a control element for controlling or adjusting the at least a portion of the heated cathode gas mass flow that is supplied to the vehicle interior is associated with the interior line.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein an air supply line is present that is fluidically connected with the interior line and that is designed to admix an auxiliary mass flow made up of ambient air with the at least a portion of the heated cathode gas mass flow.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a fuel cell system for a vehicle for increasing a temperature in a vehicle interior.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a fuel cell system 1 for a vehicle, wherein the fuel cell system 1 is suitable for raising a temperature of a vehicle interior from a low temperature value to an increased temperature value, and for driving the vehicle. The fuel cell system 1 in this case comprises a fuel cell stack 2 whose cathode chambers can be sealed at the cathode intake side 8 by a first actuator 9 formed as a first butterfly valve, and are connected via a cathode supply line 4 with a humidifier 10. The cathode chambers can be sealed at the cathode output side 11 by a second actuator 12 formed as a second butterfly valve, and are connected via a discharge line 13 with the humidifier 10. The fuel cell system 1 furthermore comprises a compressor 3 that can be driven via a drive means or device 22, via which compressor 3 dry cathode gas as a cathode gas mass flow can be supplied to the humidifier 10. Furthermore, an exhaust line 14 is associated with the humidifier 10, wherein between the humidifier 10 and the compressor 3, the cathode supply line 4 is connected with the exhaust line 14 via a system bypass line 15. An adjustable or controllable bypass actuator 16 is associated with the system bypass line 15, which bypass actuator 16 is designed to have an opening angle of between 5% and 40%, in particular between 10% and 30%. The bypass actuator 16 is in this case formed as a bypass flap and is connected to the control unit 18 wirelessly or via wire. Finally, a battery 17 is provided which, in addition to the fuel cell system 1, supplies power to the vehicle.

[0024] Downstream of the compressor 3, an interior line 5 that is fluidically connected with the cathode supply line 4 and leads into a vehicle interior is present to supply at least a portion of a cathode gas mass flow that is compressed by the compressor 3, and therefore heated, into the vehicle interior. A control element 6 formed as a valve is in this case associated with the interior line 5, which control element 6 is connected to the control unit 18 wirelessly or via wire to control or adjust the portion of the cathode gas mass flow that is supplied to the vehicle interior.

[0025] At the anode side 19, an anode supply line 20 for supplying fuel and an anode exhaust line 21 for removing unreacted fuel are associated with the fuel cell stack 2.

[0026] In order to be able to better set or reach the predetermined or predeterminable increased temperature value in the vehicle interior, an air supply line 7 that is fluidically connected with the interior line 5 is additionally provided, which air supply line 7 is designed to admix an auxiliary mass flow made up of ambient air with the portion of the cathode gas mass flow.

[0027] The method for increasing a temperature of a vehicle interior of a vehicle with the above-described device in this case comprises the following: First, a battery operation of the vehicle is started, in which power is supplied to the vehicle exclusively by the battery 17. In battery operation, fuel is not supplied to the fuel cell system 1. If the temperature in the vehicle interior does not correspond to the predetermined or predeterminable increased temperature value, the compressor 3 is operated by the battery 17. Cathode gas is drawn in by a suction means (not shown) and compressed by the compressor 3, and thus heated. At least a portion of the cathode gas mass flow heated in such a manner is directed via the interior line 5 into the vehicle interior, and the temperature of the vehicle interior is thus increased. Moreover, ambient air is drawn into the air supply line 7 as required and admixed with the cathode gas mass flow in the interior line 5 in order to be able to reach the predetermined temperature value better and/or more precisely. The cathode gas mass flow is supplied until the battery operation is ended, for example by turning off the vehicle or by starting a fuel cell operation, or until the predetermined or predeterminable increased temperature value is reached.

[0028] Further, in order to be able to drive with the vehicle, the fuel cell operation is started by supplying fuel to the anode chambers 19 and supplying at least another portion of the cathode gas mass flow to the cathode chambers 8. If the temperature prevailing in the vehicle interior does not correspond to the predetermined or predeterminable higher temperature value, the portion of the cathode gas mass flow is directed via the interior line 5 from the compressor 3 into the vehicle interior, whereas the other portion of the cathode gas mass flow is directed into the cathode chambers 8 of the fuel cell stack 2. The other portion of the cathode gas mass flow is in this case conducted across the humidifier 10, moistened there, and is subsequently directed to the cathode chambers 8 of the fuel cell stack 2. The other portion of the cathode gas mass flow is in this case complementary to the portion of the cathode gas mass flow that is supplied to the vehicle interior. In this context, it may be necessary to increase a throughput of the compressor 3 and to reduce it again when the increased temperature value is reached.

[0029] The supply of the cathode gas mass flow into the vehicle interior in this case again takes place until the fuel cell operation is ended or until the predetermined or predeterminable increased temperature value is reached. The fuel cell operation is preferably ended by interrupting the supply of fuel.

[0030] 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.