Fuel cell assembly and method for operating a fuel cell assembly

US10297851B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Torsten Brandt · Forchheim, DE
• Armin Datz · Baiersdorf, DE
• Albert Hammerschmidt · Erlangen, DE
• Silke Latzel · Kleinsendelbach, DE
• Josef Lersch · Heroldsbach, DE
• Arno Mattejat · Bubenreuth, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 2015
• Grant date: May 21, 2019
• Expiry date: May 10, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/50
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A fuel cell assembly with at least one proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell for generating electrical energy from the reactant gases hydrogen and oxygen, which includes at least one membrane/electrode unit having a membrane that is coated with platinum electrodes and, respectively positioned on each side thereof, a porous gas diffusion layer, or which has a membrane and, respectively positioned on each side thereof, a porous gas diffusion layer that is coated with a platinum electrode, and which includes bipolar plates that lie against the gas diffusion layers and through which, during operation, a coolant flows, where access by at least one of the reactant gases to the membrane is blocked by a mechanical block for a part of an edge region of the membrane/electrode unit In order to prevent damage to the membrane.