Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for starting a fuel cell vehicle

US5794732A · kind A · utility

22Cited by

12References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Daimler-Benz AG · DE

Inventors

Helmut Lorenz · Burghausen, DE
Karl-Ernst Noreikat · Eßlingen, DE
Thomas Klaiber · Waiblingen, DE
Wolfram Fleck · Coquitlam, CA
Josef Sonntag · Atzlenbach, DE
Gerald Hornburg · Langenau, DE
Andreas Gaulhofer · Überlingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 6, 1996
Grant date	Aug 18, 1998
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 6, 2016

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02T90/40
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for starting a vehicle which is driven by an electric drive unit supplied with electrical energy from a fuel cell. A compressor is arranged in the feed line of the fuel cell for the oxidant mass flow and is driven by an electric motor supplied with voltage from the fuel cell itself. For the purpose of starting the fuel cell, a starter motor is provided for driving the compressor which is fed from a 12 V starter battery. In addition, a safety interrogation is initiated before starting the vehicle. The fuel cell is not run up to a prescribed no-load power with the aid of the starter motor until successful termination of the safety interrogation. The drive unit is then released after this no-load power has been reached.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.