Fuel cell system

• US 20050277006A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staxera GmbH (Sunfire GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Jeremy Carl
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/423
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04067 Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/06 Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues regenerative fuel cells H01M8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/12 operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system which has a high temperature fuel cell stack (1) with current diverters (5) and a reformer and/or an afterburner (6), the current diverters (5) being connected with low temperature connecting elements (10) for current delivery. The current diverters (5) are in thermal contact with the reformer and/or afterburner (6) between the high temperature fuel cell stack (1) and the low temperature connecting elements (10). The thermal contact prevents cooling of the HTFC stack 1 on its ends in the vicinity of the connecting points of the current diverters (5) and ensures effective conversion and uniform transport of the fuel.

Claims

1. Fuel cell system, comprising:

a high temperature fuel cell stack with current diverters for current delivery, at least one of a reformer and an afterburner, and

low temperature connecting elements that are connected to a downstream end of the current diverters,

wherein the current diverters are in thermal contact with the at least one of the reformer and afterburner between the high temperature fuel cell stack and the low temperature connecting elements.

2. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermal contact comprises the current diverters running through an inner hot gas flow area of the at least one of the reformer and afterburner.

3. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermal contact comprises the current diverters being connected to a housing of the at least one of the reformer and the afterburner.

4. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel cell system further comprises a heat exchanger for preheating of air which is supplied to the high temperature fuel cell stack, and wherein the current diverters are in thermal contact with the heat exchanger between the at least one of the reformer and afterburner and the low temperature connecting elements.

5. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said thermal contact of the current diverters with the heat exchanger is in an air flow area within the heat exchanger.

6. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said thermal contact of the current diverters with the heat exchanger is by a connection to a housing of the heat exchanger.

7. Fuel cell system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a voltage converter unit for converting voltage of current delivered from the high temperature fuel cell stack, the voltage converter unit being internally connected in the fuel cell system to the low temperature connecting elements.