Fuel Cell Apparatus Having a Current Sensor and a Current Sensor for a Fuel Cell Apparatus

• US 20090305101A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Leitz, Juergen, Belschner, Werner, Mueller, Ralf, Kugel, Matthias
• Application Number:
  US12/298,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/432
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04365 of other components of a fuel cell or fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell apparatus includes at least one busbar for discharging high electrical currents from a high-voltage side of a fuel cell unit and a current sensor that comprises an evaluation electronics unit. A resistance element of the current sensor is integrated in the outgoing electrical conductor.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. Fuel cell apparatus comprising:

at least one bus bar for discharging high electric currents from a high-voltage side of a fuel cell unit that has a current sensor comprising an electronic evaluation unit; and

a resistance element of the current sensor;

wherein the resistance element is integrated in an outgoing electrical conductor of said at least one bus bar.

16. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the resistance element is welded between two sections of the at least one bus bar.

17. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the electronic evaluation unit is soldered to the resistance element and/or the at least one bus bar.

18. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the electronic evaluation unit is arranged on a printed circuit board; and

the printed circuit board is soldered to one of the resistance element and the at least one bus bar.

19. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board is soldered to the resistance element at an edge of the resistance element.

20. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the electronic evaluation unit has an application-specific integrated circuit.

21. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board has metallized connection surfaces for mechanical and electric bonding of at least one of the printed circuit board and the electronic evaluation unit.

22. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connection surfaces extend through a plurality of levels of the printed circuit board.

23. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 21, wherein through-platings of different sizes extend through a plurality of levels in the printed circuit board.

24. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein dc decoupling is provided for the transmission of measuring signals of the electronic evaluation unit from the high-voltage side to a low-voltage side.

25. The fuel cell apparatus according to claim 24, wherein an I-coupler is provided for transmission of measuring signals of the electronic evaluation unit.

26. A current sensor for a fuel cell apparatus, according to claim 15, wherein the resistance element is constructed for the welding into an outgoing electric conductor.

27. The current sensor according to claim 26, wherein an electronic evaluation unit can be soldered at least in areas to at least one of the resistance element and the outgoing electric conductor.

28. The current sensor according to claim 27, wherein the electronic evaluation unit is arranged on a printed circuit board, which can be soldered to at least one of the resistance element and the outgoing electrical conductor.