ISOLATION OF A FUEL CELL

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for isolating a fuel cell, which make it possible to safely work on the fuel cell during a servicing or repair operation.

Claims

1. A fuel-cell system, comprising: at least one fuel cell having: a fuel supply line having a valve controlled by a signal line; a short-circuit line arranged between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the at least one fuel cell; and a shorting jumper that is configured to bridge breaks in the signal line and the short-circuit line.

2. The fuel-cell system according to claim 1, wherein breaks in the signal line and in the short-circuit line are configured to allow only one of the breaks to be closed.

3. The fuel-cell system according to claim 1 wherein a single shorting jumper bridges, alternately, a break in the signal line or in the short-circuit line.

4. The fuel-cell system according to claim 1, wherein the shorting jumper is configured to either be inserted into or removed from the signal line or short-circuit line manually.

5. The fuel-cell system according to claim 1, wherein the shorting jumper is mechanically encoded such that the shorting jumper is configured to be used only in the signal line or the short-circuit line of the at least one fuel cell having a corresponding encoding to receive the shorting jumper.

6. The fuel-cell system according to claim 1, wherein a break in the signal line and a break in the short-circuit line are configured to allow closing of one of the breaks to cause opening of the other break.

7. The fuel-cell system according to claim 6, wherein opening and closing of the breaks is carried out by a switching relay.

8. A method for maintenance or repair of a fuel cell of a fuel-cell system, the fuel cell including a fuel supply line with a valve controlled by a signal line; a short-circuit line arranged between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the at least one fuel cell; and a shorting jumper that is configured to bridge breaks in the signal line and the short-circuit line, the method comprising: arranging a break in the signal line; arranging a break in the short-circuit line between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the fuel cell; and closing the break in the short-circuit line.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising, upon completion of the maintenance or repair operation of the fuel cell: breaking the short-circuit line; and closing the break in the signal line.

10. The method according to claim 8, comprising: inserting a shorting jumper to close the break in the short-circuit line.

11. The method according to claim 9, comprising: inserting a shorting jumper to close the break in the signal line, the inserting causing breaking of the short-circuit line.

12. The method according to claim 8, comprising: isolating the fuel cell by inserting a shorting jumper to close the break in the short-circuit line, the inserting interrupting a supply of fuel to the fuel cell.

13. The method according to claim 9, comprising: opening the valve by inserting the shorting jumper to close the break in the signal line.

14. The method according to claim 8, comprising: providing a mechanically coded shorting jumper that is configured to be insertable only in the signal line or the short-circuit line.

15. The method according to claim 8 wherein closing the break in the short-line is caused by a switching relay.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] An embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in the drawing and is further described by reference to the drawing. The following is shown:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the fuel-cell system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the fuel-cell system 1 according to the invention with a fuel cell 10. The fuel cell 10 is supplied with hydrogen via a fuel supply line 11. The hydrogen line 11 contains an electric valve 12 which is controlled via a signal line 13. A signal bridge 14 is arranged in the signal line 13. When the shorting jumper 14 is removed, the valve 12 closes and stops the flow of hydrogen through the line 11. The shorting jumper 14 is then inserted as shorting jumper 14 into the short-circuit line 15, which is arranged between the positive and negative terminals of the fuel cell 10, and short-circuits the terminals of the fuel cell 10.

[0029] The fuel cell 10 is thus isolated for a repair or servicing operation. Upon completion of the repair or servicing operation, the shorting jumper 14 is removed from the short-circuit line 15 and re-inserted in the signal line 13 of the valve 12 as a signal bridge 14. The changes in position are indicated in the FIGURE by arrows.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0030] 1 Fuel-cell system [0031] 10 Fuel cell [0032] 11 Hydrogen supply line [0033] 12 Shut-off valve [0034] 13 Signal line [0035] 14 Signal bridge [0036] 14 Shorting jumper [0037] 15 Short-circuit line