Motor vehicle having a fuel cell

Abstract

In a motor vehicle having a fuel cell, an air compressor provides input air under pressure at the fuel cell and an electric drive motor for driving the motor vehicle, which drive motor can be supplied with electric current by the fuel cell for that purpose, wherein the air compressor is driven by the drive motor.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising: a fuel cell; an air compressor configured to provide intake air under pressure to the fuel cell; and an electric drive motor configured to drive the motor vehicle, wherein the electric drive motor is supplied with electric current by the fuel cell, and wherein the air compressor is driven by the electric drive motor, wherein the drive motor is connected to the air compressor by way of a torque-transmitting coupling.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the torque-transmitting coupling is designed with a switchable gear mechanism which can be switched into two stages.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switchable gear mechanism can be coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to a drive axle of the motor vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the switchable gear mechanism can be coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to an air expander configured to discharge waste air under pressure from the fuel cell.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switchable gear mechanism can be coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to an air expander configured to discharge waste air under pressure from the fuel cell.

6. A method for operating a fuel cell in a motor vehicle, comprising the acts of: providing intake air under pressure to the fuel cell by way of an air compressor; supplying an electric drive motor with electric current by the fuel cell; driving the motor vehicle by way of an electric drive motor; driving the air compressor by the electric drive motor; and connecting the drive motor to the air compressor by way of a torque-transmitting coupling.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the torque-transmitting coupling is configured with a switchable gear mechanism which is switched into two stages.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switchable gear mechanism is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to a drive axle of the motor vehicle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the switchable gear mechanism is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to an air expander configured to discharge waste air under pressure from the fuel cell.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switchable gear mechanism is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to an air expander configured to discharge waste air under pressure from the fuel cell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the following text, one exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention will be explained in greater detail using the appended drawing. The FIGURE shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle having a fuel cell according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(2) A motor vehicle 10 comprises a fuel cell 12, the core of which is an anode/cathode stack 14. Furthermore, a line 16 for feeding hydrogen to the anode/cathode stack 14, a line 18 for feeding intake air to the anode/cathode stack 14, a line 20 for discharging electrical energy from the anode/cathode stack 14, and a line 22 for discharging waste air from the anode/cathode stack 14 are provided on the fuel cell 12. During operation of the fuel cell 12, intake air from the surroundings of the motor vehicle 10 can be conveyed as compressed air into the line 18 by way of an air compressor 24. The intake air is fed to the air compressor 24 through a line 26. The air compressor 24 can provide the intake air directly through the line 18 to the anode/cathode stack 14 or can buffer-store the intake air in a compressed air tank 28. To this end, a line 30 for feeding intake air into the compressed air tank 28 and a line 32 for discharging intake air from the compressed air tank 28 into the anode/cathode stack 14 are provided.

(3) Furthermore, an electric drive motor 34 is situated in the motor vehicle 10, by way of which electric drive motor 34, as will now be explained in greater detail in the following text, the air compressor 24 for the fuel cell 12 can also be driven. Electrical energy can be provided to the drive motor 34 from the fuel cell 12 by means of the line 20. As an alternative, the electrical energy from the fuel cell 12 can be buffer-stored in a battery 36. To this end, the battery 36 is provided on a line 38 for feeding electrical energy from the anode/cathode stack 14 into the battery 36 and a line 40 for discharging the electrical energy from the battery 36 to the drive motor 34. In this way, the drive motor 34 can also be driven at least for a short time, without it already being necessary for electrical energy to be supplied by the fuel cell 12.

(4) In order that energy can also be recuperated from the waste air of the fuel cell 12, an air expander 42 is provided, to which the waste air is fed by means of the line 22. From the air expander 42, the waste air then passes through a line 44 into the surroundings of the vehicle 10.

(5) The drive motor 34 and the air expander 42 are connected to a gear mechanism 46 which, furthermore, is also connected to the air compressor 24 and to a drive axle 48 with two drive wheels 50. To this end, a torque-transmitting coupling 52 is provided between the respective drive wheel 50 and the drive axle 48. The gear mechanism 46 is coupled to the drive axle 48 by way of a torque-transmitting coupling 54. In a similar way, the gear mechanism 46 is coupled to the drive motor 34 by way of a torque-transmitting coupling 56, is coupled to the air compressor 24 by way of a torque-transmitting coupling 58, and is coupled to the air expander 42 by way of a torque-transmitting coupling 60. The couplings 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 are designed such that they can selectively be opened and closed, with the result that, in particular, the drive motor 34 can distribute its drive power as required both to the drive axle 48 and to the air compressor 24.

(6) Finally, two non-driven wheels 62 are also provided on the motor vehicle 10, which non-driven wheels 62, however, can also as an alternative be incorporated as likewise driven wheels into the above-described drive concept of the drive axle 48 in the form of an all-wheel drive system.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(7) 10 Motor vehicle 12 Fuel cell 14 Anode/cathode stack 16 Line, feed of hydrogen into anode/cathode stack 18 Line, feed of intake air into anode/cathode stack 20 Line, discharge of electrical energy from anode/cathode stack 22 Line, discharge of waste air from anode/cathode stack 24 Air compressor 26 Line, feed of intake air from surroundings 28 Compressed air tank 30 Line, feed of intake air into compressed air tank 32 Line, discharge of intake air from compressed air tank 34 Drive motor 36 Battery 38 Line, feed of electrical energy into battery 40 Line, discharge of electrical energy from battery 42 Air expander 44 Line, discharge of waste air to surroundings 46 Gear mechanism 48 Drive axle 50 Drive wheel 52 Coupling, drive axle to drive wheel 54 Coupling, drive axle to gear mechanism 56 Coupling, drive motor to gear mechanism 58 Coupling, air compressor to gear mechanism 60 Coupling, air expander to gear mechanism 62 Non-driven wheel

(8) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.