Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell unit in a housing and comprising an anode part and a cathode part, a hydrogen source for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell unit, an air supply unit for supplying air to the fuel cell unit, and a catalytic converter for catalytically converting oxygen and hydrogen to generate an inert gas mixture and supplying it to the interior of the housing. The catalytic converter comprises a cathode exhaust gas intake for receiving a cathode exhaust gas from the cathode part of the fuel cell unit. In a method for generating inert gas for a fuel cell system, a purge gas is supplied from the anode part of the fuel cell unit, and/or fresh hydrogen is supplied from a hydrogen supply unit of the fuel cell unit to the catalytic converter, to generate the inert gas mixture.

Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having cathode and anode sides, a housing surrounding the fuel cell stack, a housing purging air inlet, an air-conveying installation disposed on the housing purging air inlet, a housing purging air outlet, an oxidation catalyst, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The air-conveying installation continuously directs an airflow into the housing purging air inlet. The oxidation catalyst is disposed downstream of the housing purging air outlet and catalytically combusts hydrogen and oxygen. The temperature sensor is disposed on the oxidation catalyst and detects the oxidation catalyst temperature as an information item pertaining to a volumetric hydrogen flow occurring outside a fuel cell process and to be discharged. The control unit couples to the temperature sensor and to the air-conveying installation and receives the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and to therefrom determine variations of a hydrogen concentration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel cell system comprising a fuel supply unit, at least one high-temperature fuel cell having a cathode and an anode and an electrolyte between the cathode and anode. The cathode has a cathode supply line and the anode has an anode supply line, wherein the anode is fluidically connected via the anode supply line to the fuel supply unit. Furthermore, a reforming device is arranged in the anode supply line. In addition, an anode exhaust gas line is provided for at least discharging anode exhaust gas from the anode. The fuel cell system has an exhaust gas heat exchanger for cooling exhaust gas and a recirculation conveyor for returning anode exhaust gas to the reforming device.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a housing, a first coolant port, a second coolant port, and a cooling device having a coolant pump and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the coolant pump. The housing includes an upper side and a bottom side. The fuel cell stack is arranged inside the housing. The first coolant port and the second coolant port each comprise a coolant tube having an inner tube, an outer tube and a gap therebetween. Each of the first coolant port and the second coolant port reach through the housing in a way that an inner end is further to the upper side than an outer end. The first coolant port and the second coolant port are coupled to the cooling device and a first coolant path of the fuel cell stack to form a coolant loop.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system (10) comprising at least one fuel cell stack (11) having an anode section (12) and a cathode section (13), an ejector (14), a fuel mixture line (15) for conveying a fuel mixture—containing primary fuel and secondary fuel—from the ejector (14) to the anode section (12), a primary fuel line (16) for supplying the primary fuel to the ejector (14), and a recirculation line (17) for returning the secondary fuel from the anode section (16) to the ejector (14), wherein at least sections of the primary fuel line (16) extend through a heat exchange volume (18) within the recirculation line (17) for a heat-transmitting connection between the secondary fuel and the primary fuel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for heating a fuel cell system (1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) comprising at least one fuel cell stack (2) with an anode portion (3) and a cathode portion (4), and a reformer (5) upstream of the anode portion (3) for steam reforming using a fuel, the reformer (5) comprising a nickel-based catalyst, said method having the following steps: starting a heating process for heating the fuel cell system (1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) with a heating device (6) and conducting a carbon-containing fluid and conducting steam through the nickel-based catalyst of the reformer (5) during the heating process. The invention also relates to a fuel cell system (1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) which is designed to carry out a method according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel cell system comprising a fuel supply unit, at least one high-temperature fuel cell having a cathode and an anode and an electrolyte between the cathode and anode. The cathode has a cathode supply line and the anode has an anode supply line, wherein the anode is fluidically connected via the anode supply line to the fuel supply unit. Furthermore, a reforming device is arranged in the anode supply line. In addition, an anode exhaust gas line is provided for at least discharging anode exhaust gas from the anode. The fuel cell system has an exhaust gas heat exchanger for cooling exhaust gas and a recirculation conveyor for returning anode exhaust gas to the reforming device.