Abstract: A fuel cell system (1) is provided, especially for a motor vehicle, with a fuel cell stack (2), which has a plurality of fuel cell elements (3). The elements (3) are stacked up one upon the other in which an electrolyte separates an anode space from a cathode space. A risk of damage is reduced during heating by a bracing housing (4), which accommodates the fuel cell stack (2) in its interior (5) and which has a pot part (6) and a cover part (7), which are or can be prestressed (with compressive force) towards one another by means of pulling elements (8) and which are supported in the interior (5) by mutually opposite front sides (10) of the fuel cell stack (2).

Abstract: A process for operating a fuel cell system (2) arranged in a vehicle (1), in which process a foreseeable travel time duration and/or a foreseeable travel time end point are communicated to a control device (4) of the fuel cell system (2) at the beginning of a travel of the vehicle (1) or during the travel. The control device (4) operates the fuel cell system (2) such that a switch-off procedure for switching off the fuel cell system (2) is started so far ahead of the foreseeable end of the travel in time that the switch-off procedure will have been completed extensively simultaneously with the foreseeable end of the travel and the fuel cell system (2) is switched off.

Abstract: A burner (1) for burning a gaseous oxidant with a gaseous fuel, with a combustion chamber (2), in which the combustion reaction takes place during the operation of the burner (2), has a wall structure (4) which defines the combustion chamber (2) on the inlet side and which has oxidant openings (5) for introducing the oxidant into the combustion chamber (2) and fuel openings (6), which are separate therefrom, for introducing the fuel into the combustion chamber (2). The wall structure (4) has an oxidant distributor space (7), which is fluidically connected with the oxidant openings (5) on the outlet side and is fluidically connected with at least one oxidant feed opening (9) on the inlet side, as well as contains a fuel distributor space (8), which is fluidically separated from the oxidant distributor space (7) and is fluidically connected on the outlet side with the fuel openings (6) and is fluidically connected with at least one fuel feed opening (10) on the inlet side.

Abstract: A process for starting up a fuel cell system (1) is provided wherein the fuel cell system (1) has a fuel cell (2), a reformer (33) and an auxiliary burner (20). The fuel cell air is preheated with the auxiliary burner (20) and fed to a cathode side (8) of the fuel cell (2). Residual gas is circulated from an anode side (6) of the fuel cell (2) to the reformer (33) and from the reformer (33) to the anode side (6).

Abstract: A fuel cell system (1), especially in a motor vehicle, is provided with a fuel cell (2), which generates electric current during the operation from anode gas and cathode gas, with a residual gas burner (3), which reacts anode waste gas with cathode waste gas into burner waste gas during the operation; with an air delivery device (17), which feeds air as cathode gas to the fuel cell (2) via a fuel cell air line (12) during the operation; and with a first heat exchanger (14), which couples a waste gas line (13) removing burner waste gas from the residual gas burner (3) with the fuel cell air line (12) in a heat-transmitting operation.

Abstract: A wall structure for bordering a combustion chamber of a burner has a top plate that is exposed to the combustion chamber and a bottom plate in contact with the top plate in contact zones on a side facing away from the combustion chamber. The top plate and/or the bottom plate are shaped so that a channel system is created between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate contains first openings which communicate with the channel system. In addition, the top plate and the bottom plate have joint second openings in the contact zones communicating with a feed space which is arranged on a side of the bottom plate facing away from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A fuel cell module (1) with a fuel cell (2), a residual gas burner (4) and a heat exchanger (6). The service life of the module (1) can be improved by at least one compensator (27) for establishing a flow-carrying connection between the residual gas burner (4) and the heat exchanger (6).

Abstract: A process for operating a fuel cell system (2) arranged in a vehicle (1), in which process a foreseeable travel time duration and/or a foreseeable travel time end point are communicated to a control device (4) of the fuel cell system (2) at the beginning of a travel of the vehicle (1) or during the travel. The control device (4) operates the fuel cell system (2) such that a switch-off procedure for switching off the fuel cell system (2) is started so far ahead of the foreseeable end of the travel in time that the switch-off procedure will have been completed extensively simultaneously with the foreseeable end of the travel and the fuel cell system (2) is switched off.

Abstract: A modular fuel cell system (1) is provided, especially for use in vehicles, with a fuel cell module (2), which has a stack (7) of a plurality fuel cell elements (6) between a first end plate (4) and a second end plate (5), with a burner-heat exchanger module (3), which has a heat exchanger (10) for preheating cathode gas and a burner (11) for reacting fuel cell waste gases.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (1) is provided, especially for a motor vehicle, with a fuel cell stack (2), which has a plurality of fuel cell elements (3). The elements (3) are stacked up one upon the other in which an electrolyte separates an anode space from a cathode space. A risk of damage is reduced during heating by a bracing housing (4), which accommodates the fuel cell stack (2) in its interior (5) and which has a pot part (6) and a cover part (7), which are or can be prestressed (with compressive force) towards one another by means of pulling elements (8) and which are supported in the interior (5) by mutually opposite front sides (10) of the fuel cell stack (2).

Abstract: A burner for burning a gaseous fuel containing hydrogen with a gaseous oxidizer containing oxygen, having a combustion chamber in which the combustion reaction takes place during operation of the burner and having a wall structure which seals off the combustion chamber on the input end and which has multiple fuel openings through which the fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber during operation of the burner and has multiple oxidizer openings through which the oxidizer is introduced into the combustion chamber during operation of the burner.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (1), especially in a motor vehicle, is provided with at least one fuel cell (18) for generating electric current from anode gas and cathode gas, with at least one reformer (22) for generating anode gas from oxidant gas and fuel. At least one residual gas burner (26) is provided for burning anode waste gas with cathode waste gas. A recycling device (48) is provided for recycling burner waste gas to the reformer (22).

Abstract: A wall structure (21) for a burner (19), with a first wall (40), which has elevations (41) and which defines a first supply chamber (22), and with a second wall (43), which has recesses (44) cooperating with end sections (42) of the elevations (41) and which defines a reaction chamber (20). The first wall (40) has first openings (34), which connect the first supply chamber (23) to the reaction chamber (20). The second wall (43) has second openings (37), which connect a second supply chamber (24) located between the walls (40, 43) to the reaction chamber (20). The first openings (34) are arranged in first rows (35) and the second openings (37) in second rows (38). The mixture formation or homogenization of the gases in the reaction chamber (20) can be improved if at least one second opening (37) is arranged within the first row (35) between two openings (34).

Abstract: A fuel cell system (1), especially in a motor vehicle, includes at least one fuel cell (2) for generating electricity, at least one reformer (3) for generating a reformat gas, a fuel supply means (13) for feeding fuel to the reformer (3), a recycling means (83), which has a recycling line (31) connected to the reformer (3) for feeding anode waste gas of the fuel cell (2) to the reformer (3), and an air supply means (17), which has an air line (18) connected to the reformer (3) separately from the recycling line (31) for feeding air to the reformer (3). To increase performance, the fuel supply means (13) may be designed such that fuel can be introduced with it into the recycling line (31).

Abstract: The invention relates to a burner, in particular a residual gas burner for a fuel cell system. The burner includes a combustion chamber which is bordered by a supply wall and by a heat exchanger and which is encompassed at the sides by a burner wall. The heat exchanger is a cross-current heat exchanger having a primary path and a secondary path. The supply wall has a burner zone with oxidizer openings for oxidizer gas and with combustion gas openings for combustion gas and a bypass zone with bypass openings for bypass gas. The bypass zone is arranged in a section of the supply wall which is allocated to an area of the heat exchanger adjacent to the primary path and to the secondary path at the inlet end, so that the bypass gas or a bypass gas-burner exhaust gas mixture acts upon this area.

Abstract: A reformer system for generating a hydrogen-containing gas for a fuel cell system, especially in a motor vehicle, includes an evaporator arrangement (12) to be fed with hydrocarbon and mixed material for generating a hydrocarbon vapor/mixed material mixture, and a reformer arrangement (14) with reformer catalytic converter material (40, 42) for converting the hydrocarbon vapor/mixed material mixture to hydrogen-containing gas. The reformer arrangement (14) is surrounded by a mixed material flow space (22), through which at least a part of the mixed material to be introduced into the evaporator arrangement (12) can flow for the transmission of heat between the reformer arrangement (14) and the mixed material. An ignition arrangement (52) is assigned to the mixed material flow space (22) for igniting and burning the mixed material flowing through same in the mixed material flow space.

Abstract: A device for conditioning a vehicle includes at least one electrically operated conditioning arrangement, a hot air supply system with a heat source, and a delivery arrangement for delivery of heated air into a vehicle interior, a fuel cell system for providing electrical energy for the at least one conditioning arrangement and the delivery arrangement. The hot air supply system includes the fuel cell system as heat source and also furthermore a heat exchanger arrangement for transferring heat arising in the region of the fuel cell system to the air to be delivered into the vehicle interior.

Abstract: A wall structure for bordering a combustion chamber of a burner has a top plate that is exposed to the combustion chamber and a bottom plate in contact with the top plate in contact zones on a side facing away from the combustion chamber. The top plate and/or the bottom plate are shaped so that a channel system is created between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate contains first openings which communicate with the channel system. In addition, the top plate and the bottom plate have joint second openings in the contact zones communicating with a feed space which is arranged on a side of the bottom plate facing away from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A fuel cell system for a vehicle including at least one reformer, at least one fuel cell and at least one reformer-reformate burner arrangement. The at least one reformer is configured for the production of a reformate as a fuel gas. The at least one fuel cell receives the reformate from the at least one reformer. The at least one reformer-reformate burner arrangement is connected to the fuel cell, where either prior to reaching an anti-condensation temperature of residual hydrocarbons and water vapor the combustion gases, which are produced in the reformer-reformate burner arrangement, are immediately directed into the fuel cell or after reaching the anti-condensation temperature the reformate is immediately directed into the fuel cell.

Abstract: A burner for burning a gaseous fuel containing hydrogen with a gaseous oxidizer containing oxygen, having a combustion chamber in which the combustion reaction takes place during operation of the burner and having a wall structure which seals off the combustion chamber on the input end and which has multiple fuel openings through which the fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber during operation of the burner and has multiple oxidizer openings through which the oxidizer is introduced into the combustion chamber during operation of the burner.