Patent · US Expired

Cold start pre-heater for a fuel cell system

US7368196B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
3References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 3, 2004
Grant dateMay 6, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A fuel cell system with fuel cells displaying cooling channels assembled to form a fuel cell stack, with a coolant cycle in which coolant is circulated by a pump in a main cycle which includes the cooling channels and a cooler and with a heat storage unit and a heating device is characterized by the fact that the heat storage unit is arranged in a branch on the coolant cycle parallel to the cooler, that a heat exchanger that can be heated by the heating device is arranged in a second branch parallel to the heat storage unit, that a second pump in the first branch is arranged in front of the heat storage unit, that a two-way switching valve is provided which displays a first connection arranged in a first branch in front of the second pump, a second connection arranged in the first branch in front of the second pump and a third connection which is arranged in the second branch in front of the heat exchanger, and that a T connection is provided between the first branch, the second branch and the main cycle.

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