Patents by Inventor Gerold Hubner

Gerold Hubner 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: 20230089402
    Abstract: A method for production of a fuel cell includes: a) Preparing a plurality of catalyst pastes which differ from each other at least in regard to one parameter influencing the catalytic activity, b) Filling of at least two of the plurality of catalyst pastes into a first application means having a number of chambers corresponding to the number of catalyst pastes being filled, where only one of the catalyst pastes is filled into each of the chambers, c) Filling of at least two of the plurality of catalyst pastes into a second application means having a number of chambers corresponding to the number of catalyst pastes being filled, where only one of the catalyst pastes is filled into each of the chambers, d) Coating of a first side of a foil web of an electrolyte membrane which is moved past the first application means and the second application means by means of the first application means, e) Coating of a second side of the foil web by means of the second application means, f) Cutting of the resulting coated el
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Gerold HÜBNER, Hannes SCHOLZ
  • Publication number: 20220190354
    Abstract: A method for the production of an electrode for a fuel cell is provided that comprises providing a multitude of catalyst particles carried on at least one electrically conductive particle carrier, and depositing one or more atomic or molecular layers of an ionomer from the gas phase on the catalyst particles and/or the at least one particle carrier, thereby forming a proton-conducting ionomer coating. Furthermore, an electrode for a fuel cell is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas SCHLADT, Lasse SCHMIDT, Tanja GRAF, Gerold HÜBNER, Jonathan Edward MÜLLER
  • Patent number: 11322758
    Abstract: A method for reducing cell degradation in a fuel cell system includes adding oxygen-containing gas to a fuel in the anode chamber to prevent an increase in a cell voltage above a predetermined maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Miriam Stiefel, Lasse Schmidt, Gerold Hübner
  • Patent number: 11302927
    Abstract: A method for producing a noble metal-free catalyst comprises providing a catalyst support comprising organic heterocycles as catalyst, and applying an oxidation-inhibiting protective layer. Embodiments further relate to a noble metal-free catalyst, a fuel cell, and a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Gerold Hübner, Lasse Schmidt, Alexander Vollbrecht
  • Patent number: 11245124
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for determining the cathode gas quality of a fuel cell system has a fuel cell stack, with a diagnostic fuel cell which can be connected at the cathode side to a cathode supply line and at the anode side to an anode supply line of the fuel cell system. The diagnostic system furthermore comprises a detection unit which is configured to detect a measured value or the measured value time curve of the diagnostic fuel cell operating with the cathode gas provided via the cathode supply line and with the anode gas provided via the anode supply line. The present disclosure moreover relates to a fuel cell system having a diagnostic system, and to a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Lasse Schmidt, Sebastian Kirsch, Gerold Hübner
  • Patent number: 11201346
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack is provided comprising a plurality of fuel cells comprising a membrane electrode assembly and at least one gas diffusion layer, which fuel cells are divided into at least one first fuel cell segment having a portion of the plurality of fuel cells and a second fuel cell segment having a different portion of the plurality of fuel cells, wherein the first fuel cell segment and the second fuel cell segment are arranged in a common fuel cell cascade, wherein the first fuel cell segment comprises a first collector inlet line for an operating medium and a first collector outlet lined which is formed integrally with a second collector inlet line of the second fuel cell segment and wherein the second fuel cell segment comprises a second collector outlet line. The membrane electrode assemblies and/or the gas diffusion layers inside the second fuel cell segment are designed in such a way that they are more water-repellent than those of the first fuel cell segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignees: AUDI AG, VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Natalja Ermatschenko, Christian Lucas, Gerold Hübner
  • Publication number: 20210320304
    Abstract: A method for producing a noble metal-free catalyst comprises providing a catalyst support comprising organic heterocycles as catalyst, and applying an oxidation-inhibiting protective layer. Embodiments further relate to a noble metal-free catalyst, a fuel cell, and a motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Gerold HÜBNER, Lasse SCHMIDT, Alexander VOLLBRECHT
  • Publication number: 20210305589
    Abstract: A layered structure for a fuel cell comprises a carbon-based catalyst-free gas diffusion layer substrate and a carbon-based microporous layer, which is joined to the gas diffusion layer substrate and comprises a plurality of carbon carriers or carbon fibers embedded into an ion-conducting polymer binder mixture. The polymer binder mixture comprises a sulfur-free binding polymer and a sulfonated polymer, and a fraction of the binding polymer at or near a surface of the microporous layer facing away from the gas diffusion layer substrate is less than or equal to a fraction of the sulfonated polymer. A method for producing a layered structure of this type is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Gerold HÜBNER, Tanja GRAF, Thomas SCHLADT
  • Publication number: 20210288343
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack is provided comprising a plurality of fuel cells comprising a membrane electrode assembly and at least one gas diffusion layer, which fuel cells are divided into at least one first fuel cell segment having a portion of the plurality of fuel cells and a second fuel cell segment having a different portion of the plurality of fuel cells, wherein the first fuel cell segment and the second fuel cell segment are arranged in a common fuel cell cascade, wherein the first fuel cell segment comprises a first collector inlet line for an operating medium and a first collector outlet lined which is formed integrally with a second collector inlet line of the second fuel cell segment and wherein the second fuel cell segment comprises a second collector outlet line. The membrane electrode assemblies and/or the gas diffusion layers inside the second fuel cell segment are designed in such a way that they are more water-repellent than those of the first fuel cell segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Natalja ERMATSCHENKO, Christian LUCAS, Gerold HÜBNER
  • Publication number: 20210091392
    Abstract: A method for reducing cell degradation in a fuel cell system includes adding oxygen-containing gas to a fuel in the anode chamber to prevent an increase in a cell voltage above a predetermined maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Miriam STIEFEL, Lasse SCHMIDT, Gerold HÜBNER
  • Patent number: 10573916
    Abstract: In order to provide a membrane (100) for a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) of a fuel cell, comprising two partial membranes (200, 300), which allows for a simpler water circuit compared to the prior art, it is proposed that the partial membranes (200, 300) have different ion exchange capacities (IECs) and/or one partial membrane (200) consists of a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer (PFSA) and the other partial membrane (300) consists of a sulfonated hydrocarbon polymer (HC). Optionally, the membrane can contain a porous carrier film (600). Moreover disclosed are a method for producing the membrane (100) as well as a membrane-electrode assembly and a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: AUDI AG, VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventor: Gerold Hübner
  • Publication number: 20190157693
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for determining the cathode gas quality of a fuel cell system has a fuel cell stack, with a diagnostic fuel cell which can be connected at the cathode side to a cathode supply line and at the anode side to an anode supply line of the fuel cell system. The diagnostic system furthermore comprises a detection unit which is configured to detect a measured value or the measured value time curve of the diagnostic fuel cell operating with the cathode gas provided via the cathode supply line and with the anode gas provided via the anode supply line. The present disclosure moreover relates to a fuel cell system having a diagnostic system, and to a corresponding method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Lasse SCHMIDT, Sebastian KIRSCH, Gerold HÜBNER
  • Publication number: 20190044170
    Abstract: In order to provide a membrane (100) for a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) of a fuel cell, comprising two partial membranes (200, 300), which allows for a simpler water circuit compared to the prior art, it is proposed that the partial membranes (200, 300) have different ion exchange capacities (IECs) and/or one partial membrane (200) consists of a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer (PFSA) and the other partial membrane (300) consists of a sulfonated hydrocarbon polymer (HC). Optionally, the membrane can contain a porous carrier film (600). Moreover disclosed are a method for producing the membrane (100) as well as a membrane-electrode assembly and a fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventor: Gerold HÜBNER
  • Patent number: 9911992
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell having such assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has a polymer electrolyte membrane, two catalytic electrodes in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane on both sides, namely an anode and a cathode, and two gas diffusion layers directly or indirectly adjoining the electrodes, namely an anode-side gas diffusion layer and a cathode-side gas diffusion layer. At least one of the gas diffusion layers may optionally feature a microporous layer facing the polymer electrolyte membrane. The sequence of layers is anode-side gas diffusion layer, anode-side microporous layer, anode, polymer electrolyte membrane, cathode, cathode-side microporous layer, cathode-side gas diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Gerold Hubner, Hannes Scholz
  • Publication number: 20160064755
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell having such assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has a polymer electrolyte membrane, two catalytic electrodes in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane on both sides, namely an anode and a cathode, and two gas diffusion layers directly or indirectly adjoining the electrodes, namely an anode-side gas diffusion layer and a cathode-side gas diffusion layer. At least one of the gas diffusion layers may optionally feature a microporous layer facing the polymer electrolyte membrane. The sequence of layers is anode-side gas diffusion layer, anode-side microporous layer, anode, polymer electrolyte membrane, cathode, cathode-side microporous layer, cathode-side gas diffusion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Gerold HUBNER, Hannes SCHOLZ
  • Publication number: 20050255347
    Abstract: An electrode paste for manufacturing a catalyst layer for an electrochemical cell, in particular a high-temperature fuel cell having a polymer fuel cell membrane, includes a catalyst material and a polymer solution. In addition to the catalyst material and the polymer solution, the electrode paste includes a solvent and at least one pore-forming material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Inventors: Christiane Jacksch, Wolfgang Zipprich, Gerold Hubner