Fuel cell system including a catalytically active reactor unit with flow control means

US7320837B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Ian Faye · Stuttgart, DE
• Ulrich Gottwick · Stuttgart, DE
• Rainer Saliger · Freiberg, DE
• Jan-Michael Graehn · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 2003
• Grant date: Jan 22, 2008
• Expiry date: Sep 30, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T90/40
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The fuel cell system has a fuel cell unit and a catalytically active reactor unit (3) for at least partial chemical transformation of an operating medium stream (1), especially a reformer, gas purifier stage and/or a combustor, in which the catalytically active reactor unit (3) has a variable catalytically active reactor volume (4) acted on by the operating medium stream. To provide the fuel cell system with a higher efficiency and good dynamic behavior the catalytically active reactor unit is provided with at least one control device (5, 8, 11, 12, 13) for controlling and/or for changing the variable catalytically active reactor volume (4) acted on by the operating medium stream (1). In a preferred embodiment the control device includes a first valve (11) for the reactor unit arranged downstream of the maximum reactor volume and a second valve (12) connected with the reactor unit upstream of the first valve, so that, when the second valve is opened and the first valve is closed, the operating medium stream (1) passes through an effective reactor volume that is smaller than the maximum reactor volume.