Exhaust air guide of a fuel cell stack in a motor vehicle

• US 10,183,592 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Haase, Stefan, Buchner, Andreas, Bauer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J
• Application Number:
  US14/587,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20150111123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/72 Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0043 for fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04716 of fuel cell exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An exhaust-air guide of a fuel cell stack having a cooling structure, in particular in a motor vehicle, is provided. The cooler structure belongs to the functional environment of the fuel cell stack and is in form through which ambient air flows. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to a point upstream of the cooler structure such that the exhaust air flows through the cooler structure in a throughflow direction and, in so doing, entrains ambient air in accordance with the jet pump principle. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack may be cooled before being guided to the cooler structure. The exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to a point upstream of the cooler structure in multiple pipes that are oriented at least approximately parallel to the inflow surface of the cooler structure, from which pipes the exhaust air emerges via outlet openings in the pipe wall. The outlet openings are situated at a suitable angle with respect to the throughflow direction.

Claims

1. An exhaust-air guide of a fuel cell stack, comprising:

a cooler structure of the fuel cell stack, wherein ambient air flows through the cooler structure; and

a guide for conducting exhaust air of the fuel cell stack to a point upstream of the cooler structure viewed in a flow-through direction of the ambient air through the cooler structure, the guide being configured such that the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack flows through the cooler structure in the flow-through direction, wherein

an outlet of the guide is arranged in such a way to draw the ambient air into the cooler structure via a pressure potential between the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack and the ambient air in accordance with a jet pump principle.

2. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is cooled before being guided to the cooler structure.

3. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 2, further comprising:

multiple pipes through which the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to the point upstream of the cooler structure, wherein;

the multiple pipes are oriented at least approximately parallel to an inflow surface of the cooler structure, and

the exhaust air emerges from the multiple pipes via outlet openings formed in walls of the pipes, the outlet openings being configured at a suitable angle with respect to the flow-through direction.

4. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 3, wherein an inflow direction and/or an inflow speed of the exhaust air relative to the cooler structure is variable in a targeted manner by variably configuring the outlet openings in the pipe walls.

5. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 4, wherein a slide structure is configured to vary the outlet openings.

6. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 1, further comprising:

multiple pipes through which the exhaust air of the fuel cell stack is guided to the point upstream of the cooler structure, wherein;

the multiple pipes are oriented at least approximately parallel to an inflow surface of the cooler structure, and

the exhaust air emerges from the multiple pipes via outlet openings formed in walls of the pipes, said outlet openings being configured at a suitable angle with respect to the flow-through direction.

7. The exhaust-air guide according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust-air guide of the fuel cell stack is configured as an exhaust-air guide of a motor vehicle fuel cell stack.