FEED UNIT FOR A FUEL CELL SYSTEM FOR FEEDING AND/OR CONTROLLING A GASEOUS MEDIUM

Abstract

The invention relates to a feed unit (1) for a fuel cell system (31) for feeding and/or controlling a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, comprising a jet pump (4), which is driven by a propelling jet of a gaseous medium under pressure, an outlet of the feed unit being fluidically connected to an anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32). The jet pump (4) has an intake region (7), a mixing tube (9) and a diffuser region (11), and the gaseous medium flows through the jet pump in a flow direction (III) which runs parallel to a longitudinal axis (52) of the jet pump (4), and the diffuser region (11) is at least indirectly fluidically connected to the anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32). The jet pump (4) has a housing assembly (6), the housing assembly (6) having the components main body (8) and mixing tube insert (17), resulting in particular in a modular design of the jet pump (4).

Claims

1. A feed unit (1) for a fuel cell system (31) for feeding and/or controlling a gaseous medium, the feed unit (1) having a jet pump (4), which is driven by a motive jet of a pressurized gaseous medium, an outlet of the feed unit (1) being configured to be fluidically connected to an anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32), the jet pump (4) having an intake region (7), a mixing pipe (9) and a diffuser region (11), and the gaseous medium flowing through said jet pump in a flow direction III which runs parallel to a longitudinal axis (52) of the jet pump (4), and the diffuser region (11) being configured to be at least indirectly fluidically connected to the anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32), characterized in that the jet pump (4) has a housing assembly (6), the housing assembly (6) including a main body (8) and a mixing pipe insert (17), the mixing pipe insert (17) and the main body (8) being configured such that the mixing pipe insert (17) is exchangeable, such that either of at least two different mixing pipe inserts (17) can be installed in the main body (8).

2. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17) together at least partially form flow regions including the intake region (7), the mixing pipe (9) and the diffuser region (11) in the interior of the jet pump (4), the mixing pipe insert (17) running at least approximately entirely rotationally symmetrically about the longitudinal axis (52).

3. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least two different mixing pipe inserts (17) have a different mixing pipe radius (25) and/or a different mixing pipe length (26), the mixing pipe length (26) running parallel to the longitudinal axis (52), and the mixing pipe radius (25) running orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis (52).

4. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the main body (8) has at least one first shoulder (13) on an inner diameter of the main body (8), and the mixing pipe insert (17) has in each case at least one second shoulder (14) in a region of an outer diameter of the mixing pipe insert (17).

5. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the feed unit (1) has a dosing valve (10) in addition to the jet pump (4), whereby the feed unit (1) is configured as a combined valve-jet pump arrangement (3).

6. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a heating element (27) is situated between the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17).

7. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17) are composed of different materials.

8. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the mixing pipe insert (17) has a high surface quality and/or low surface roughness in a region of the flow channel.

9. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the mixing pipe insert (17) is produced at least partially from a material that has a low heat capacity and/or high thermal conductivity.

10. (canceled)

11. A fuel cell system (31) comprising a fuel cell (32) with an anode inlet (5), and comprising a feed unit (1) having a jet pump (4), which is driven by a motive jet of a pressurized gaseous medium, an outlet of the feed unit (1) being fluidically connected to the anode inlet (5) of the fuel cell (32), the jet pump (4) having an intake region (7), a mixing pipe (9) and a diffuser region (11), and the gaseous medium flowing through said jet pump in a flow direction III which runs parallel to a longitudinal axis (52) of the jet pump (4), and the diffuser region (11) being at least indirectly fluidically connected to the anode inlet (5) of the fuel cell (32), wherein the jet pump (4) has a housing assembly (6), the housing assembly (6) including a main body (8) and a mixing pipe insert (17), the mixing pipe insert (17) and the main body (8) being configured such that the mixing pipe insert (17) is exchangeable, during the course of assembly, such that either of at least two different mixing pipe inserts (17) can be installed in the main body (8).

12. A feed unit (1) for a fuel cell system (31) for feeding and/or controlling a gaseous medium including hydrogen, the feed unit (1) having a jet pump (4), which is driven by a motive jet of a pressurized gaseous medium, an outlet of the feed unit (1) being configured to be fluidically connected to an anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32), the jet pump (4) having an intake region (7), a mixing pipe (9) and a diffuser region (11), and the gaseous medium flowing through said jet pump in a flow direction III which runs parallel to a longitudinal axis (52) of the jet pump (4), and the diffuser region (11) being configured to be at least indirectly fluidically connected to the anode inlet (5) of a fuel cell (32), characterized in that the jet pump (4) has a housing assembly (6), the housing assembly (6) including a main body (8) and a mixing pipe insert (17), the mixing pipe insert (17) and the main body (8) being configured such that the mixing pipe insert (17) is exchangeable, during the course of assembly, such that either of at least two different mixing pipe inserts (17) can be installed in the main body (8).

13. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17) together at least partially form flow regions including the intake region (7), the mixing pipe (9) and the diffuser region (11) in the interior of the jet pump (4), the mixing pipe insert (17) running at least approximately entirely rotationally symmetrically about the longitudinal axis (52).

14. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the at least two different mixing pipe inserts (17) have a different mixing pipe radius (25) and/or a different mixing pipe length (26), the mixing pipe length (26) running parallel to the longitudinal axis (52), and the mixing pipe radius (25) running orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis (52).

15. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the main body (8) has at least one first shoulder (13) on an inner diameter of the main body (8), and the mixing pipe insert (17) has in each case at least one second shoulder (14) in a region of an outer diameter of the mixing pipe insert (17).

16. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the feed unit (1) has a dosing valve (10) in addition to the jet pump (4), whereby the feed unit (1) is configured as a combined valve-jet pump arrangement (3).

17. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a heating element (27) is situated between the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17).

18. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the main body (8) and the mixing pipe insert (17) are composed of different materials.

19. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the mixing pipe insert (17) has a high surface quality and/or low surface roughness in a region of the flow channel.

20. The feed unit (1) as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the mixing pipe insert (17) is produced at least partially from a material that has a low heat capacity and/or high thermal conductivity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will be discussed in more detail below on the basis of the drawing, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a feed unit with a jet pump and with a dosing valve,

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a detail, denoted in FIG. 1 by X, of the jet pump of the feed unit in an enlarged illustration with a housing assembly,

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a detail, denoted in FIG. 2 by XI, of the housing assembly with the components main body, mixing pipe insert, heating element and the sealing elements,

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a fuel cell arrangement according to the invention with a fuel cell and with the feed unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The illustration as per FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a feed unit 1, the feed unit 1 having a combined valve-jet pump arrangement 3. The combined valve-jet pump arrangement 3 has a dosing valve 10 and a jet pump 4, the dosing valve 10 being connected for example by means of a screw connection to the jet pump 4, in particular to a main body 8 of the jet pump 4.

[0025] Here, the jet pump 4 has a first inlet 28, a second inlet 36a, an intake region 7, a mixing pipe 9 and a diffuser region 11. The metering valve 10 has the second inlet 36b and a nozzle 12. The dosing valve 10 is in particular pushed into the jet pump 4, in particular into an opening in the main body 8 of the jet pump 4, in the direction of a longitudinal axis 52.

[0026] FIG. 1 also illustrates that a medium that is to be fed flows in a flow direction III through the combined valve-jet pump arrangement 3. Most of the regions of the valve-jet pump assembly 3 through which flow passes are at least approximately tubular and serve for conveying and/or conducting the gaseous medium, which is in particular H.sub.2 with fractions of H.sub.2O and N.sub.2, in the feed unit 1. Here, the gaseous medium flows through a central flow region 19 in the interior of the main body 8 parallel to the longitudinal axis 52 in the flow direction III, the central region 19 beginning in the region of the mouth of the nozzle 12 and the intake region 7 and extending through the mixing pipe 9 into the diffuser region 11 and, for example, beyond this, in particular in a region with an at least approximately constant diameter of a flow cross section of the feed unit 1. Here, firstly, a recirculate is supplied to the valve-jet pump arrangement 3 through the first inlet 28, the first recirculate in particular being the unconsumed H.sub.2 from an anode region 38 (shown in FIG. 4) of a fuel cell 32, in particular from a stack, wherein the recirculate may also comprise water and nitrogen. Here, the recirculate flows into the valve-jet pump arrangement 3 on a first flow path IV. Secondly, a gaseous motive medium, in particular H.sub.2, flows on a second flow path V through the second inlet 36 from outside the valve-jet pump arrangement 3 into an opening of the valve-jet pump arrangement 3 and/or into the main body 8 and/or the dosing valve 10, wherein the motive medium may originate from a tank 34 and is at a high pressure, in particular of higher than 5 bar. Here, the second inlet 36a, b runs through the components main body 8 and/or dosing valve 10. From the dosing valve 10, the motive medium is discharged, in particular in discontinuous fashion, through the nozzle 12 into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing pipe 9 by means of an actuator arrangement and a fully closable valve element. The H.sub.2 which flows through the nozzle 12 and which serves as motive medium has a pressure difference and/or a speed difference with respect to the recirculation medium that flows into the feed unit 1 from the first inlet 28, wherein the motive medium is in particular at a relatively high pressure of at least 5 bar. When a so-called jet pump effect arises, the recirculation medium is fed at a low pressure into the central flow region 19 of the feed unit 1, for example through the use of a side channel compressor positioned upstream of the feed unit 1. Here, the motive medium flows with the described pressure difference and a high speed, which may in particular lie close to the speed of sound, through the nozzle 12 into the central flow region 19 of the intake region 7 and/or of the mixing pipe 9. Here, the nozzle 12 has an internal recess in the form of a flow cross section through which the gaseous medium can flow, which gaseous medium originates in particular from the dosing valve 10 and flows into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing pipe 9. Here, the motive medium impinges on the recirculation medium that is already situated in the central flow region 19 of the intake region 7 and/or of the mixing pipe 9. Owing to the high speed difference and/or pressure difference between the motive medium and the recirculation medium, internal friction and turbulence is generated between the media. A shear stress arises here in the boundary layer between the fast motive medium and the much slower recirculation medium. This stress causes a transfer of momentum, wherein the recirculation medium accelerates and is entrained. The mixing occurs in accordance with the principle of the conservation of momentum. Here, the recirculation medium is accelerated in the flow direction III, and a pressure drop occurs for the recirculation medium, giving rise to a suction effect and thus a follow-up feed of further recirculation medium from the region of the first inlet 28. This effect can be referred to as the jet pump effect. By controlling the dosed introduction of the motive medium by means of the dosing valve 10, a feed rate of the recirculation medium can be regulated and adapted to the respective requirements of an overall fuel cell system 31 (not shown in FIG. 1) in accordance with an operating state and operating requirements. In an exemplary operating state of the feed unit 1 in which the dosing valve 10 is in a closed state, it is possible to prevent a follow-up flow of the motive medium into the central flow region 19 of the jet pump 4 from the second inlet 36, such that the motive medium can no longer flow into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing pipe 9 in the flow direction III to the recirculation medium, and the jet pump effect is thus eliminated.

[0027] After passing through the mixing pipe 9, the mixed medium to be fed, which is composed in particular of the recirculation medium and the motive medium, flows in the flow direction III into the diffuser region 11, wherein a reduction of the flow speed may occur in the diffuser region 11. From there, the medium flows, for example, onward into the anode region 38 of the fuel cell 32.

[0028] The feed unit 1 from FIG. 1 furthermore has technical features that additionally improve the jet pump effect and the feed efficiency and/or further improve the cold start operation and/or manufacturing and assembly costs. Here, the diffuser region 11 as a part runs conically, in particular so as to increase in size in the flow direction III, in the region of its internal flow cross section. By means of this form of the diffuser region 11 as a part, the advantageous effect can be generated that the kinetic energy is converted into pressure energy, whereby the possible feed volume of the feed unit 1 can be further increased, whereby more of the medium to be fed, in particular H.sub.2, can be supplied to the fuel cell 32, whereby the efficiency of the fuel cell system 31 as a whole can be increased.

[0029] According to the invention, the dosing valve 10 may be designed as a proportional valve 10 in order to allow an improved dosing function and more exact dosing of the motive medium into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing pipe 9. In order to further improve the flow geometry and the efficiency of the feed unit 1, the nozzle 12 and the mixing pipe 9 are of rotationally symmetrical design, wherein the nozzle 12 runs coaxially with respect to the mixing pipe 9 of the jet pump 4.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a detail, denoted in FIG. 1 by X, of the jet pump 4 of the feed unit 1 in an enlarged illustration with a housing assembly 6 which has the components main body 8 and mixing pipe insert 17. Here, the jet pump 4 has the nozzle 12 which, in its interior and rotationally symmetrically about the longitudinal axis 52, has an inner flow opening 20 which connects the central flow region 19 and/or the intake region 7 to the second inlet 36 and through which a motive medium can flow. Here, the jet pump 4 has a housing assembly 6, the housing assembly 6 having the components main body 8 and mixing pipe insert 17, the mixing pipe insert 17 being exchangeable, in particular during the course of assembly, such that at least two mixing pipe inserts 17 can be installed in the main body 8. In this way, the feed unit 1 and thus the jet pump 4 can be adapted to different customer requirements and/or specification requirements such that only the mixing pipe insert 17 is exchanged, but the main body 8 can be used for different customer requirements, in particular in accordance with a modular principle. Here, the components main body 8 and mixing pipe insert 17 together at least partially form the flow regions intake region 7, mixing pipe 9 and diffuser region 11 in the interior of the jet pump 4, the mixing pipe insert 17 running at least approximately entirely rotationally symmetrically about the longitudinal axis 52. Furthermore, the at least two mixing pipe inserts 17 have a different mixing pipe radius 25 and/or a different mixing pipe length 26, the mixing pipe length 26 running parallel to the longitudinal axis 52, and the mixing pipe radius 25 running orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis 52. Here, the mixing pipe radius 25 is formed between the longitudinal axis 52 and an internal wall 35 of the respective mixing pipe insert 17.

[0031] It is also shown in FIG. 2 that the main body 8 has at least one first shoulder 13 on its inner diameter, and the mixing pipe insert 17 has in each case at least one second shoulder 14 in the region of its outer diameter. In this exemplary embodiment, the mixing pipe insert 17 has two first shoulders 13. Here, the at least one first shoulder 13 is in contact with the second shoulder in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52. In this way, during the assembly process, the mixing pipe insert 17 can be pushed into the main body 8 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52 until said mixing pipe insert is in contact, by way of its first shoulder 13, with the second shoulder 14 of the main body 8, whereby correct alignment of the components main body 8 and mixing pipe insert 17 with respect to one another, in particular in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52, can be ensured, in such a way that the internal flow contour is formed as required. An additional measure that improves the embodiment according to the invention of the jet pump 4 is the arrangement of at least one sealing element 15 between the shoulders 13, 14 of the components of the jet pump 4.

[0032] Different requirements, in particular customer requirements, to which the recirculation capability of the jet pump 4 is subject can lead to high variance with regard to the individual optimum internal geometry in the region of the central flow region 19 of the jet pump 4. In many cases, the designs of the optimum geometry differ significantly only in the region of the mixing pipe 9 and/or of the directly adjacent flow regions of intake region 7 and/or diffuser region 11. A modular construction of the feed unit 1 is therefore proposed in which the variance in the region of the flow geometry is shifted into the mixing pipe insert 17 as a component, and the design of the main body 8 of the jet pump 4 remains unchanged. In this way, the number of identical parts can be increased, and costs, in particular variance costs, can thus be reduced. The feed unit 1 thus has, for example, a “platform” housing assembly with a customer-specific mixing pipe insert 17.

[0033] FIG. 2 furthermore illustrates that a gaseous recirculation medium, in particular H.sub.2, flows into the central flow region 19 from outside the feed unit 1 through the first inlet 28, the gaseous recirculation medium being fed for example from a fuel cell stack. Said gaseous recirculation medium flows through between the nozzle 12 and the main body 8, into the intake region 7 and/or the mixing pipe 9, in the flow direction III.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a detail, denoted in FIG. 2 by XI, of the housing assembly 6 in the region of the mixing pipe 9 with the components main body 8, mixing pipe insert 17, heating element 27 and at least one sealing element 15. Here, a heating element 27 may be situated between the main body 8 and the mixing pipe insert 17. It is shown here that the main body 8 has the first shoulder 13 and the mixing pipe insert 17 has the second shoulder 14, wherein, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the heating element 27 is situated between the first shoulder 13 and the second shoulder 14 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 52. Here, the heating element 27 may run in at least approximately rotationally symmetrical and/or sleeve-shaped encircling fashion about the longitudinal axis 52. By means of the heating element 27, the risk of ice forming in the feed unit 1, in particular the jet pump 4, for example upon a cold start, can be prevented because the ice can be thawed by virtue of energy being fed to the heating element 27, for example in the form of electrical energy in the case of an electrical heating element 27. Furthermore, upon a cold start, the refreezing of water in the otherwise cold mixing pipe can be prevented. The contacting of the heating element 27 may be implemented for example through a bore in the main body 8. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, it is shown here that in each case one separate sealing element 15 which runs in encircling fashion around the axis of rotation 52 and which may for example be designed as an O-ring 15 seals off the heating element 27 with respect to the gaseous medium and/or other liquids from the central flow region 19 of the jet pump 4, such that damage to electrical components, for example, can be prevented.

[0035] It is furthermore advantageous here if the main body 8 and the mixing pipe insert 17 are composed of different materials. Here, the mixing pipe insert 17 is advantageously produced at least partially from a material that has a low heat capacity and/or high thermal conductivity, in particular in relation to the material of the main body 8. In this way, fast heating of the mixing pipe insert 17 by means of the heating element 27 can be achieved, whilst the main body 8 is heated up only slightly. The energy for unnecessarily heating up the main body 8 can thus be reduced, because it is sought only to thaw the ice bridges in the region of the surface of the mixing pipe insert. It is furthermore advantageous if the mixing pipe insert 17 has a high surface quality and/or a low surface roughness in the region of the flow channel, in particular in relation to the main body 8. The flow contours for which a high surface quality and/or low surface roughness give(s) rise to lower friction losses between the gaseous medium and the feed unit 1 are in this case situated at least approximately exclusively in the region of the mixing pipe insert 17. The production costs for the feed unit 1 can thus be reduced, whilst the efficiency of the feed unit 1 can be increased.

[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the fuel system 31, in particular of an anode circuit. It is shown here that the feed unit 1 is connected via a connecting line 29 to the fuel cell 32, which comprises the anode region 38 and a cathode region 40. Also provided is a recirculation line 23 that connects the anode region 38 of the fuel cell 32 to the first inlet 28, and thus in particular to the intake region 7, of the feed unit 1. Via the recirculation line 23, the first gaseous medium that is not used in the anode region 38 during the operation of the fuel cell 32 can be recirculated to the first inlet 28. Said first gaseous medium is in particular the above-described recirculation medium.

[0037] As can also be seen from FIG. 4, the second gaseous medium, which is stored in the tank 34, is supplied via an inflow line 21 to an inflow region, which is configured in particular as the second inlet 36, of the feed unit 1 and/or of the jet pump 4. Said second gaseous medium is in particular the motive medium.