Patents by Inventor Andreas Knoop

Andreas Knoop has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20120051952
    Abstract: A charging device for an energy conversion device, e.g., a fuel cell, of a motor vehicle, has a rotor rotatably mounted on a housing of the charging device, the rotor having a shaft and at least two compressor wheels which are connected in rotationally fixed fashion to the shaft. The compressor wheels have wheel rear parts facing away from respective compressor wheel inlets, by which a medium that is to be supplied to the energy conversion device, e.g., air, is compressible. The wheel rear parts of the compressor wheels are matched to one another such that respective forces which are opposed to one another and which result from respective compressor wheel outlet forces impressed on the wheel rear parts substantially balance one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Andreas Knoop, Thomas Steidten, Reiner Kimmich
  • Publication number: 20110164974
    Abstract: A compressor with a housing having an air guide section and a bearing section, and a moving part having a compressor wheel and a shaft connected to the compressor wheel in a pivot-proof manner. The shaft is pivot-supported in the bearing section, and the compressor wheel is accommodated in a first chamber of the air guide section in a pivoting manner. The shaft is driveable by an electric motor and at least one radial bearing and one axial bearing are provided for supporting the shaft in the bearing section, wherein the axial bearing has at least one magnetic bearing. The axial bearing includes at least one first bearing and a second bearing, the first bearing configured in the region of the compressor wheel and the second bearing is configured in the region of an end of the moving part facing away from the compressor wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Knoop, Juergen Leitz
  • Publication number: 20110053013
    Abstract: In a method for operating a fuel cell system having recirculation blower arranged in a fuel cell circuit, fuel discharged from the anode exhaust is fed back to the inlet side of the fuel cell system via the recirculation blower. The direction of flow in the fuel return line is reversed in at least a portion of the return line, in an alternating manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Baur, Cosimo Mazzotta, Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20110045368
    Abstract: An apparatus for recirculation of a cathode gas in a fuel cell arrangement having a cathode gas supply for supplying the cathode gas to a cathode area, and a cathode gas outlet for carrying the partially consumed cathode gas out of the cathode area, includes a recirculation line for recirculation of the partially consumed cathode gas from a junction point in the cathode gas outlet into a supply point in the cathode gas supply. Blocking apparatus is provided to block the cathode gas supply in the flow direction upstream of the supply point and to block the cathode gas outlet in the flow direction downstream from the junction point, such that a closed circuit for the partially consumed cathode gas is formed when the blocking apparatus is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20110008692
    Abstract: The potential energy from a hydrogen tank is used in a gas jet pump, which draws in anode waste gas via an inlet and recirculates it to an anode inlet. To ensure that this system operates effectively even under low loads, a part of the waste gas is supplied to a compressor, and the compressed waste gas is supplied to the motive jet inlet of a gas jet pump, which may be the same one to which the hydrogen from the tank is also supplied. Different gas jet pumps may also be used, for the hydrogen from the tank on the one hand, and the compressed waste gas on the other hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20110003238
    Abstract: A pump has a shaft, an impeller arranged on the shaft, and a labyrinth seal which is arranged between stationary and moving parts of the pump. A plurality of blades are arranged on the rotor and a labyrinth seal extends at least between the shaft and a rear portion of the blades. A gap in the labyrinth seal is designed such that liquid water can be actively carried away, with the labyrinth seal for this purpose being designed at least in places with a channel in the form of a spiral and/or a staircase. The invention also relates to a fuel cell system having such a pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Harr, Andreas Knoop, Cosimo S. Mazzotta, Patrick L. Padgett, Hans-Joerg Schabel, Klaus Scherrbacher
  • Publication number: 20100239956
    Abstract: A flow unit such as may be provided as a recirculation device for an anode circuit of a fuel cell system has at least one moving element by which a two-phase flow with a liquid phase can be conveyed. At least one separator is arranged in or adjacent to the unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicants: DAIMLER AG, FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Knoop, Dietmar Mirsch, Hans-Joerg Schabel
  • Publication number: 20100111725
    Abstract: A fluid flow machine includes a housing with a connecting piece for a working fluid on an intake side, and a pressure side. At least one impeller is mounted on a shaft, which is held in the housing by radial and axial bearings, and a cooling arrangement is provided for at least one bearing. A revolving part of the axial bearing is designed as a cooling fluid transportation device, wherein a suction connection leads to the intake side of the impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicants: Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20100028722
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system, having at least one channel system (2) for a working fluid and having a device (12, 22) for adjusting the moisture content of the working fluid flowing in one direction (23) in the channel system (2), the device (12, 22) containing a sensor which represents the actual humidity in the channel system (2). The object of the invention is to develop a fuel cell system which allows reliable and dynamic measurement of the actual humidity. The invention consists in providing an ultrasonic detector (16, 17) for measuring actual humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicants: DAIMLER AG, FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20090075130
    Abstract: A fuel cell system has recycle lines for recycling exhaust from the cathode and exhaust from the anode, with a recirculation device in each of the recycle lines. The recirculation devices are operated by a drive, such as a drive motor, with the drive and the two recirculation devices arranged on a common shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Andreas Knoop, Volker Peinecke
  • Publication number: 20070259226
    Abstract: A Coanda flow amplifier has a suction intake, an outlet, a fluid channel extending between the suction intake and the outlet, and a drive-flow inlet, which is fluidly connected to the fluid channel via a drive-flow discharge slit, whereby the flow cross section of the drive-flow discharge slit is variably adjustable. In a method to operate the Coanda flow amplifier, the variably adjustable flow cross section of the drive-flow discharge slit is chosen such that a pressure ratio between an output pressure of the drive flow when it leaves the drive-flow discharge slit, and an intake pressure of the drive flow when it enters the drive-flow discharge slit, does not exceed a critical pressure ratio. A fuel cell system comprises at least one fuel cell, a fluid source, a fluid line, and a Coanda flow amplifier arranged in the fluid line, whereby the Coanda flow amplifier is equipped with a drive-flow discharge slit with a variably adjustable flow cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: NuCellSys Gmbh
    Inventors: Jochen Sang, Andreas Knoop
  • Publication number: 20050147862
    Abstract: A fuel cell system has recycle lines for recycling exhaust from the cathode and exhaust from the anode, with a recirculation device in each of the recycle lines. The recirculation devices are operated by a drive, such as a drive motor, with the drive and the two recirculation devices arranged on a common shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Andreas Knoop, Volker Peinecke
  • Publication number: 20050003258
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell which contains an anode and a cathode, further comprising a cathode compressor to supply process air to the fuel cell, and an anode compressor to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell, whereby the cathode compressor and the anode compressor can be driven by a common motor drive, and whereby an automatic clutch is provided to couple and decouple the driving of the cathode compressor and the anode compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Jochen Sang, Andreas Knoop, Falko Berg
  • Patent number: 6653010
    Abstract: In a fuel cell system, and a method of operating a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell unit and an air supply for providing a fuel for the fuel cell unit, a compressor having a variable internal compression ratio is provided for media delivery in the gas generation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems AG
    Inventor: Andreas Knoop