Patents by Inventor Patrick Zihrul

Patrick Zihrul 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).

  • Patent number: 11543387
    Abstract: A method for characterizing at least one joined connection between at least two components, whereby an eddy-current sensor is consecutively moved several times over the at least one weld, thereby generating a plurality of data sets of the detected measuring signals in various parallel sectional planes of the weld, and whereby, on the basis of the plurality of data sets, a projection data set is subsequently determined as the measure of the spatial distribution of the measuring signals along the at least one joined connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, PLR PRÜFTECHNIK LINKE & RÜHE GMBH
    Inventors: Dennis Böhm, Alexander Breuer, Karsten Dilz, Mathias Kraken, Malte Schönemann, Patrick Zihrul
  • Publication number: 20210181150
    Abstract: A method for characterizing at least one joined connection between at least two components, whereby an eddy-current sensor is consecutively moved several times over the at least one weld, thereby generating a plurality of data sets of the detected measuring signals in various parallel sectional planes of the weld, and whereby, on the basis of the plurality of data sets, a projection data set is subsequently determined as the measure of the spatial distribution of the measuring signals along the at least one joined connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicants: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, PLR Prüftechnik Linke & Rühe GmbH
    Inventors: Dennis BÖHM, Alexander BREUER, Karsten DILZ, Mathias KRAKEN, Malte SCHÖNEMANN, Patrick ZIHRUL
  • Patent number: 10868317
    Abstract: A method for starting a fuel cell and to a fuel cell system which is configured to carry out the method. The fuel cell includes electrically conductive bipolar plates, arranged between which there is in each case a cathode, including a fluid-conducting cathode space, a membrane and an anode, including a fluid-conducting anode space. There is provision that the method includes the following steps in the specified order: purging the anode space with a fluid in order to expel fuel, —impressing electricity on a unit composed of the cathode (2k)/membrane (1)/anode (2a) by applying a current and/or a voltage, wherein the fluid is applied to the anode space or continues to be so, —switching off the electricity, and —introducing a fuel into the anode space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Kirsch, Patrick Zihrul, Ingmar Hartung
  • Patent number: 10122037
    Abstract: A method for controlling an operating point change of a fuel cell stack (10) operated with an anode operating medium and with a cathode operating medium, in which the fuel cell stack (10) is controlled in such a way that, starting from an initial electric power (L1), the fuel cell stack generates a target power (L2) requested by an electrical consumer (51), which is greater than the initial power (L1) is provided. It is provided that the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack (10) is controlled in accordance with a predetermined current-voltage profile (S1, S2, S3), so that a voltage present at the fuel cell stack (10), starting from an initial voltage (U1) corresponding to the initial power (L1), passes through a local voltage minimum (Umin) and then increases to an end voltage corresponding to the target power (L2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Maren Ramona Kirchhoff, Sebastian Kirsch, Patrick Zihrul, Ingmar Hartung
  • Publication number: 20170279139
    Abstract: A method for starting a fuel cell and to a fuel cell system which is configured to carry out the method. The fuel cell includes electrically conductive bipolar plates, arranged between which there is in each case a cathode, including a fluid-conducting cathode space, a membrane and an anode, including a fluid-conducting anode space. There is provision that the method includes the following steps in the specified order: purging the anode space with a fluid in order to expel fuel, impressing electricity on a unit composed of the cathode (2k)/membrane (1)/anode (2a) by applying a current and/or a voltage, wherein the fluid is applied to the anode space or continues to be so, switching off the electricity, and introducing a fuel into the anode space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Sebastian Kirsch, Patrick Zihrul, Ingmar Hartung
  • Publication number: 20160315334
    Abstract: A method for controlling an operating point change of a fuel cell stack (10) operated with an anode operating medium and with a cathode operating medium, in which the fuel cell stack (10) is controlled in such a way that, starting from an initial electric power (L1), the fuel cell stack generates a target power (L2) requested by an electrical consumer (51), which is greater than the initial power (L1) is provided. It is provided that the electric power generated by the fuel cell stack (10) is controlled in accordance with a predetermined current-voltage profile (S1, S2, S3), so that a voltage present at the fuel cell stack (10), starting from an initial voltage (U1) corresponding to the initial power (L1), passes through a local voltage minimum (Umin) and then increases to an end voltage corresponding to the target power (L2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Maren Ramona Kirchhoff, Sebastian Kirsch, Patrick Zihrul, Ingmar Hartung