JP2018518015A - Heating system and method for operating a heating system - Google Patents

Abstract

  The present invention relates to a heating system (10) comprising at least one sensor (52), in particular a fuel cell system (12). Here, it has been proposed to provide at least one inspection device (54), which inspection device (54) has at least one sensor (52) at least part of at least one fluid for inspection. Is provided. The invention further relates to a method of operating such a heating system (10).

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating system including at least one sensor, in particular a fuel cell system, and a method of operating the heating system.

BACKGROUND ART WO 02/20300 (WO 02 / 20300A1) discloses a sensor for measuring the concentration of carbon monoxide in a fuel cell vehicle. Here, when the concentration of carbon monoxide increases, the operation of the fuel cell is performed. Is stopped.

International Publication No. 02/20300

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION On the other hand, the heating system of the present application including at least one sensor, in particular a fuel cell system, is provided with at least one inspection device, the at least one inspection device being inspected by at least one sensor. Therefore, it has the advantage that it is provided to supply at least a part of the at least one fluid. This increases the safety of the heating system.

  The invention also provides a heating system, in particular a fuel cell system, comprising at least one sensor, wherein at least one operating condition supplies at least one part of at least one fluid for inspection to at least one sensor. The present invention relates to a heating system, particularly a fuel cell system, which is superior in that the setting can be adjusted. This increases the safety of the heating system as well.

  The features described in the dependent claims enable preferred developments of the invention. Therefore, the at least one sensor is a safety sensor, preferably a gas sensor, capable of efficient technical realization.

  Preferably, the at least one sensor is arranged inside at least one housing of the at least one heating unit. This can ensure an efficient measurement of the sensor.

  In a preferred embodiment, said inspection device or one inspection device comprises at least one inspection line and / or at least one metering unit, in particular a metering valve, for the supply to at least one sensor. Thereby, the supply to the at least one sensor and / or its inspection can be configured to have little effect on the flow of at least one fluid required for operation of the heating system.

  Advantageously, said inspection device or one inspection device, in particular at least one inspection line, is in the immediate vicinity of at least one sensor, at least one opening, in particular at least for at least a part of at least one fluid. Has one outlet opening. Thereby, a particularly efficient measurement of the sensor is possible.

  In a further preferred embodiment, said inspection device or one inspection device is upstream of at least one fuel cell unit, in particular on the inlet side of at least one heating unit and / or downstream of at least one fuel container. And / or downstream of at least one desulfurization unit and / or downstream of at least one reformer unit. Thereby, the supply to the at least one sensor and / or its inspection can be configured to be as independent as possible of the heat generation process in the heating system.

  In a further preferred embodiment, said inspection device or one inspection device is arranged downstream of at least one fuel cell unit and / or downstream of at least one afterburner. This allows a technically simple integration of the inspection device.

  In a further preferred embodiment, said inspection device or one inspection device is arranged downstream of at least one condensate container and / or downstream of at least one electrolytic cell. Thereby, for example, high-purity condensate can be utilized, whereby at least one sensor is “poisoned” to a lesser extent, thus making it possible to extend its lifetime.

  The present invention further relates to a method of operating a heating system that includes at least one sensor. This method has the advantage that at least one sensor is supplied with at least a part of at least one fluid using at least one inspection device for monitoring. Thereby, operation | movement of a heating system can be comprised especially safely.

  In a preferred embodiment, at least one sensor is supplied with at least a part of at least one fluid at regular time intervals, in particular at a time interval of 24 hours, thereby realizing efficient monitoring of at least one sensor. Can be done.

  Preferably, the at least one sensor is supplied with a fixed metering of at least a part of the at least one fluid. Thereby, a uniform inspection of at least one sensor can be ensured.

  In particularly preferred embodiments, the at least one sensor detects at least one combustible component and / or toxic component of at least a portion of the at least one fluid. Thereby, the detection of dangerous substances can be inspected or monitored as expected.

  Particularly preferably, at least one valve, preferably at least one fuel valve, is closed if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor, in particular during the test phase, does not exceed at least one threshold value. Thereby, it is ensured that no dangerous substance is supplied to the heating system if at least one sensor has failed.

In a preferred embodiment, this method is performed by the following method steps. A) identifying whether the heating system is in operation;
a1) if the heating system is in operation, proceeding to method step b);
a2) if the heating system is not in operation, proceeding to method step d);
b) providing at least one sensor with at least a portion of at least one fluid;
c) identifying whether at least one output signal of the at least one sensor does not exceed at least one threshold;
c1) proceeding to method step d) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) does not exceed at least one threshold;
c2) proceeding to method step d) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) is above at least one threshold;
d) closing at least one valve (26, 28), in particular the fuel valve (26, 28) and / or outputting an error message for the user;
e) after a predetermined time, in particular after 24 hours, proceeding to method step a).

  Thereby, the monitoring of the at least one sensor can be performed particularly efficiently.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the method is such that method step b) is performed using the following method steps: That is,
b1) opening at least one valve, in particular a metering valve, in at least one line in fluid communication with at least one sensor, in particular in a test line of at least one inspection device;
b2) waiting for a predetermined time, in particular 30 seconds, and / or until at least a part of the at least one fluid is supplied to the at least one sensor by a predetermined metering amount;
b3) closing at least one valve, in particular a metering valve, in a line in fluid communication with the at least one sensor, in particular in a test line of the test device;
b4) proceeding to method step c).

  In this way, this method can be extended particularly effectively.

  In a preferred embodiment, at least a part of the at least one fluid is used upstream of the fuel cell unit, in particular on the inlet side of the heating unit and / or downstream of the fuel container, using at least one inspection device and Branching downstream of the desulfurization unit and / or downstream of the at least one reformer unit. Thereby, monitoring of at least one sensor can be realized particularly efficiently.

  In a further preferred embodiment, at least a part of the at least one fluid is branched downstream of at least one fuel cell unit and / or at least one afterburner using at least one inspection device. Thereby, monitoring of at least one sensor can be realized particularly easily technically.

  In a further preferred embodiment, at least a part of the at least one fluid is diverted downstream of the at least one condensate container and / or the at least one electrolytic cell using at least one inspection device. Thereby, for example, high-purity condensed water can be used for monitoring of at least one sensor. Thereby, at least one sensor is “poisoned” to a lesser extent.

  Particularly preferably, the at least one electrolytic cell is supplied with electric current during the test phase, thereby enabling the use of condensed water.

  The invention further relates to a heating system operated in the manner described in the above description, in particular to the heating system described in the above description.

Drawings Embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawings and are described in more detail in the following specification.

1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a heating system according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating system according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating system according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating system according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating system according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention for operating a heating system. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating a heating system.

Description of Embodiments The same components in the embodiments are given the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a heating system 10 according to the present invention. The illustrated heating system 10 is a fuel cell system 12 having a heating unit 14 having a housing 15. The heating unit 14 has a fuel cell unit 16 having one fuel cell 17. However, the fuel cell unit 16 may have a plurality of fuel cells 17. Therefore, the fuel cell unit 16 can be a fuel cell stack.

  Fuel is supplied to the heating system 10 or the heating unit 14 via the fuel supply path 24. In the illustrated case, this fuel is natural gas or methane, and these are supplied to the anode gas processing unit 32 using the compressor 30 via the two fuel valves 26 and 28. The anode gas processing unit 32 is used to generate a gas that can be used for energy generation, in the illustrated case, an ultra-high purity hydrogen gas, from the supplied fuel, in the illustrated case, in a natural gas. The anode gas processing unit 32 includes a reformer unit 36, in the illustrated case, a steam reformer 37, and a desulfurization unit 34 (FIG. 2).

  Using the desulfurization unit 34, sulfur components are removed from the supplied fuel, while using the reformer unit 36 natural gas or methane gas is substantially reformed to hydrogen and carbon monoxide. . In addition, it is conceivable that the anode gas processing unit 32 includes a filter. Therefore, this filter may be arranged in place of the desulfurization unit 34.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the desulfurization unit 34 is a high temperature desulfurization section (HDS). In this case, the anode gas processing section 32 has a reflux path 35, and the ultra-high purity hydrogen gas is transferred from a position downstream of the reformer unit 36 to a position upstream of the desulfurization unit 34 using the reflux path 35. Guided.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the fuel cell 16 is a SOFC fuel cell. It is also conceivable here to use other fuel cell types, for example PEM fuel cells.

  The fuel cell 16 includes an anode 18, a cathode 20, and an electrolyte 22 disposed therebetween.

  The ultra-high purity hydrogen gas generated using the anode gas processing unit 32 is supplied to the anode 18 of the fuel cell 17. There, the hydrogen is converted electrochemically, generating heat and electricity. Accordingly, the illustrated heating system or fuel cell system is a cogeneration plant.

  Air or oxygen is supplied to the cathode 20 of the fuel cell 17 using the air line 38 and the further compressor 40. In the illustrated embodiment, in this case, the air is taken in from the housing 15. In this case, the housing itself has an air opening 42, and outside air can be introduced into the housing 15 through the air opening 42.

  An anode exhaust gas containing hydrogen that has not been consumed in some cases is supplied to the afterburner 44. Similarly, cathode exhaust gas containing air that has not been consumed or oxygen that has not been consumed is also supplied to the afterburner 44. In the afterburner 44, hydrogen that is not finally consumed and carbon monoxide resulting from reforming are oxidized or burned. The heat generated during this combustion can also be used for the heating circuit and / or for heating the water.

  The afterburner 44 can be a flame burner, a Phlox burner and / or a catalyst burner. Similarly, the afterburner 44 may be implemented as a combination of the above-described burners. Therefore, the afterburner 44 can have a plurality of individual burners.

  The exhaust gas generated during the heat generation in the fuel cell unit 16 and the afterburner 44 then reaches the heat exchanger 46, and the heat generated in the heating unit 14 by the heat exchanger 46 is supplied to the heating circuit or water. Output for heating system. Subsequently, the exhaust gas is discharged from the heating unit 14 via the exhaust pipe 48. In so doing, it is conceivable that the exhaust line 48 and the air opening 42 are connected to an air-exhaust gas system, preferably a double-pipe chimney or a coaxial pipe.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, a further compressor 50 is shown. With this further compressor 50, the air for the cleaning process is guided from the air opening 42 through the housing 15 to the exhaust line 48.

  As shown in the embodiment, the heating system 10 or the fuel cell system 12 according to the present invention includes a sensor 52 and is excellent in that it is configured as follows. That is, an inspection device 54 is disposed, which inspects the sensor 52 for inspection, at least a portion of at least one fluid, in the illustrated embodiment, supplied fuel, and / or It is excellent in that it is provided or configured to supply at least a part of exhaust gas and / or condensed water or gas obtained from condensed water. Inspection of sensor 52 increases the safety of heating system 10. Here, it is also conceivable that the heating system 10 has a plurality of sensors 52.

  The heating system 10 or the fuel cell system 12 according to the present invention including one sensor 52 is excellent in that it is similarly configured as follows. That is, depending on the at least one operating condition, the sensor 52 may be inspected for at least a portion of at least one fluid, in the case shown, supplied fuel and / or exhaust gas and / or condensed water. Or it is excellent at the point which is comprised so that setting adjustment can be performed so that at least one part of the gas obtained from condensed water may be supplied. Thereby, the safety | security with respect to operation | movement of the heating system 10 is improved further.

  The sensor 52 is a safety sensor or a gas sensor, which allows an efficient technical realization to increase the safety of the heating system 10.

  The sensor 52 is arranged inside the housing 14 of the heating unit 14, which ensures an efficient measurement of the sensor 52.

  The inspection device 54 has an inspection pipeline 56 and a metering unit 58, and in the illustrated case, a metering valve 60 for supply to the sensor 52. Thereby, the supply to the at least one sensor 52 and / or the inspection thereof is the flow of at least one fluid necessary for the operation of the heating system 10, the fuel supplied to the inlet of the heating unit 14 in the case shown. It is constructed so as not to affect the flow of

  Furthermore, it is also conceivable for the inspection device 54 to have at least one desulfurization unit and / or at least one filter for the supply to the sensor 52. Thereby, absorption or adsorption of sulfur can also be performed using the inspection device 54.

  In the testing device 54, in the illustrated case, at least one test line 56 has an opening 62 or an outlet opening 64 for at least a portion of at least one fluid proximate to the sensor 52. In the illustrated case, the inspection device 54 or the inspection pipeline 56 terminates in the immediate opening or outlet opening of the sensor 52. Thereby, at least a part of the at least one fluid flows out in a small amount as expected in the immediate vicinity of the sensor 52 inside the housing for the inspection of the sensor 52, which makes the inspection of the sensor 52 more Configured efficiently.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 54 is disposed upstream of the fuel cell unit 16. Thereby, the inspection device 54 is arranged on the inlet side of the heating unit 14, in the illustrated case, at the location of the supply path 24 where the supplied fuel flows into the heating unit 14 in an unchanging form in terms of fluid technology. . Thereby, the supplied fuel can be used for the inspection of the sensor 52 in an unchanging form.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of the compressor 30. However, it is also conceivable that the inspection device 54 is arranged upstream of the compressor 30 instead.

  Alternatively, the inspection device 54 may be arranged downstream of the fuel container. Similarly, it is also conceivable to arrange a gas accumulator, for example a gas cylinder, provided to obtain gas for supply to the sensor 52. This gas accumulator may in this case be designed for each lifetime of the heating system 10, or may be exchanged or filled during maintenance.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of a heating system 10 according to the present invention. Here, the anode gas processing unit 32 is shown in more detail. As described above, the anode gas processing unit 32 includes the desulfurization unit 34 and the reformer unit 36. In the illustrated case, the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of the desulfurization unit 34. Thereby, the fuel can be supplied to the sensor 52 in a desulfurized form for inspection.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of a heating system 10 according to the present invention. In this case, the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of the reformer unit 36, so that ultra-high purity hydrogen gas can also be used for the inspection of the sensor 52. In this case, the inspection device is disposed upstream of the fuel cell unit 16.

  FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of the heating system 10 according to the invention. In this case, the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of the fuel cell unit 16 and downstream of the afterburner 44. As a result, the exhaust gas of the afterburner 44 can be used for the inspection of the sensor 52. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to arrange the inspection device 54 upstream of the afterburner 44 and downstream of the fuel cell unit 16. Thus, the exhaust gas coming from the fuel cell unit 16, that is, the anode exhaust gas and / or the cathode exhaust gas can be used for the inspection of the sensor 52.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of a heating system 10 according to the present invention. In this case, the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of at least one condensate container 66 and at least one electrolytic cell 68. Thereby, high-purity condensed water generated when heat is removed by the heat exchanger 46 can be used for the inspection of the sensor 52. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the inspection device 54 is disposed downstream of the condensed water container 66 and includes the electrolytic cell 68.

  As the electrolytic cell 68, an alkaline electrolytic cell and / or an electrolytic cell having a membrane, for example, a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) can be used.

  Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the condensed water generated after the heat exchanger 46 is filtered, preferably deionized, and supplied to the reformer unit 36 for steam reforming (not shown).

  The method according to the invention for operating a heating system 10 comprising a sensor 52 is used to monitor at least a portion of at least one fluid, in the illustrated embodiment, fuel supplied to the sensor 52 for monitoring purposes. And / or exhaust gas and / or condensed water or at least part of the gas obtained from condensed water is excellent. This makes the operation of the heating system 10 particularly safe.

  The sensor is supplied with at least a portion of at least one fluid at regular time intervals, in particular at a time interval of 24 hours, thereby realizing efficient monitoring of the sensor 52.

  The sensor 52 is supplied with a fixed metering of at least a portion of the at least one fluid so that the sensor 52 can be tested with a uniform metering, especially when delivered at regular time intervals. Is done.

  The sensor 52 detects at least some combustible and / or toxic components of the at least one fluid. As a result, the sensor 52 can be monitored as expected for dangerous substances that may be exposed if a leak occurs inside the housing 14. This sensor 52 thereby monitors the internal space of the heating unit 14 for flammable gases and / or toxic gases, in which case the output signal of the sensor 52 is measured during the examination.

  When supplying at least a portion of at least one fluid to the sensor 52, the output signal evaluated by the control unit 70 increases. In the illustrated embodiment, the control unit 70 is a gas burner automatic control unit (GFA).

  The control unit 70 is connected to the sensor 52 via the communication line 72. Further, the control unit 70 is connected to the fuel valves 26 and 28 via communication lines 74 and 76. Accordingly, the control unit 70 has a double fail-safe design.

  Furthermore, the control unit 70 is connected to the system control unit 80 via a communication line 78. The system control unit 80 is connected to the display unit 84 via the communication line 82.

  Further, the control unit 70 is connected to the metering unit 58 or the metering valve 60 via the communication line 86. Thereby, the control unit 70 can control metering of at least part of the fluid during the inspection of the sensor 52. As a result, the control unit 70 controls the supply to the sensor 52 and monitors its output signal.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the communication lines 72, 74, 76, 78, 82, 86 are provided to perform communication via open loop and / or closed loop control techniques for safe operation of the heating system 10. . In this case, the communication lines 72, 78, and 82 are executed as data lines, and the communication lines 74, 76, and 86 are executed as control lines.

  However, it is alternatively conceivable that the communication lines 72, 78, 82, 74, 76 are realized by a bus system, by a wireless connection and / or by an internet connection.

  If the output signal does not exceed at least one threshold, in the illustrated case a predetermined threshold, during the inspection of the sensor 52 or during the test phase, at least one valve, in the illustrated embodiment the fuel valve 26, 28 or supply valves 26, 28 are closed. This ensures that no dangerous substances are supplied to the heating system 10 if the sensor 52 is faulty. Therefore, there is no possibility that dangerous substances will flow into the housing 15 of the heating unit 14 due to leakage while the sensor 52 is malfunctioning. If the sensor 52 is faulty, an error message is output for the user via the system control unit 80 and the display unit 84 so that the user can repair or replace the sensor 52. Can be contacted.

  The threshold value is stored in the data memory of the control unit 70. This threshold is set by the control unit 70 during installation of the heating system 10. Alternatively, this threshold can also be set after installation of the heating system 10 via additional communication lines, wireless connections and / or internet connections. The setting of the threshold can be done statically or dynamically, for example taking into account the operating state of the heating system 10 and / or adapting to the operating state.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating the heating system 10. The method of operating the heating system 10 is performed using the following method steps. That is,
a) identifying whether the heating system 10 or the heating unit 14 is in operation;
a1) proceeding to method step b) when the heating system 10 is in operation;
a2) proceeding to method step d) if the heating system 10 is not in operation;
b) providing at least one sensor with at least a portion of at least one fluid;
c) identifying whether the output signal of the sensor 52 does not exceed a threshold or a predetermined threshold;
c1) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor 52 does not exceed at least one threshold, proceed to method step d);
c2) proceeding to method step d) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor 52 exceeds at least one threshold;
d) closing at least one valve 26, 28, in particular the fuel valve 26, 28, and / or outputting an error message for the user;
e) after a predetermined time, in particular after 24 hours, proceeding to method step a).

  Thereby, the method is implemented particularly efficiently using the described method steps.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating the heating system 10. The method for operating the heating system 10 is performed by carrying out method step b) using the following method steps. That is,
b1) Open at least one valve, in the embodiment shown, the metering valve 60 in the inspection line 56 of the inspection device 54 in the embodiment shown in fluidic communication with the sensor 52. Steps,
b2) waiting until a predetermined time, in the illustrated embodiment of 30 seconds has elapsed, and / or until at least a portion of at least one fluid has been supplied to the sensor 52 by a predetermined metering amount. When,
b3) closing at least one valve, in the illustrated embodiment metering valve 60, in a fluid line in fluid communication with the at least one sensor 52, in the illustrated embodiment in the inspection conduit 56 of the testing device 54; Steps,
b4) proceeding to method step c), and performing method step b) using

  Thereby, the efficiency of the method of operating the heating system 10 is additionally increased. It is also conceivable that the method step b4) is alternatively omitted within the extension according to FIG. 7 from the method according to FIG.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, as already mentioned in the above description, at least a part of at least one fluid, in the case shown, at least a part of the fuel, Upstream, in the case shown, it branches off at the inlet side of the heating unit 14. This causes the heating system 10 to be moved so that the supplied fuel is available for inspection of the sensor 52 in an unchanging form.

  In an alternative embodiment not shown, it is also conceivable that at least part of the at least one fluid, preferably at least part of the fuel, is branched downstream of the fuel container using the inspection device 54. Thereby, the heating system 10 is moved so that the unchanging fuel can be directly used from the fuel cell container which can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the heating system 10.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, as already described in the above description, at least a part of at least one fluid, in the illustrated case, at least a part of the fuel is used for the desulfurization unit 34 by using the inspection device 54. Branches downstream. Thereby, the heating system 10 is moved so that the fuel is utilized in a desulfurized form, so that the sensor 52 is poisoned to a lesser extent.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, as already mentioned in the above description, at least a part of at least one fluid, in the case shown, at least a part of the fuel, using the inspection device 54, the reformer unit Branches downstream of 36. Thereby, the heating system 10 is moved so that ultra-high purity hydrogen gas is utilized for the inspection of the sensor 52.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, as already described in the above description, at least a part of at least one fluid, in the illustrated case, at least a part of exhaust gas is used by using at least one inspection device 54. The fuel cell unit 16 and the afterburner 44 are branched downstream. Thereby, the heating system 10 is moved so that the exhaust gas is utilized for the inspection of the sensor 52.

  Alternatively, at least a portion of the at least one fluid may be diverted downstream of the fuel cell unit 16 and upstream of the afterburner 44 using the inspection device 54.

  If the afterburner 44 has, in an alternative embodiment, a plurality of individual burners, at least a portion of the at least one fluid is diverged at one or more points between these individual burners using the inspection device 54. It can also be considered.

  In the case shown in FIG. 4, for the inspection of the sensor 52, the ratio of the supplied fuel to the supplied air is preferably set and adjusted as follows using the compressors 30 and 40. That is, the settings are adjusted so that a large amount of carbon monoxide is generated due to air shortage during combustion in the afterburner 44. Thereby, the exhaust gas downstream of the afterburner has a high carbon monoxide ratio.

  The sensor 52 shown in FIG. 4 is designed to detect carbon monoxide. Therefore, in the illustrated case, carbon monoxide contained in the exhaust gas is detected by the sensor 52.

  In the illustrated case, the inspection device 54 does not have the metering unit 58 or the metering valve 60. Thereby, as long as the sensor 52 is a sensor designed to detect carbon monoxide as in the case shown, the sensor is usually in the exhaust gas downstream of the afterburner 44 or downstream of the fuel cell unit 16. Substances to which 52 reacts are not included. In the illustrated case, no filter is required.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, as already mentioned in the above description, at least a part of at least one fluid, in the illustrated case, at least a part of condensed water or a gas obtained from condensed water is inspected. The apparatus 54 is used to branch downstream of the condensed water container 66 and the electrolytic cell 68. Thereby, the heating system 10 is moved so that condensed water having high purity is utilized.

  The electrolyzer 68 is supplied with electric current during the test phase, thereby producing a gas, in the illustrated case hydrogen or a hydrogen-oxygen mixture, from pure condensed water. The current flow is set and adjusted by the control unit 70 during the test of the sensor 52 or during the test phase so that the presence of gas from the condensed water is sufficient for the test of the sensor 52.

  The heating system according to the present invention, in particular the fuel cell system according to the present invention, is not limited to the applications that will become apparent from the above description. Therefore, the heating system according to the present invention, in particular the fuel cell system according to the present invention, can be used for any application that needs to generate current and / or heat. For example, a heating system according to the invention, in particular a fuel cell system according to the invention, can be used in a vehicle to generate current and / or heat. Therefore, the safety of the vehicle is enhanced by using the heating system according to the present invention, particularly the fuel cell system according to the present invention. Similarly, the heating system according to the invention can also be used in emergency power supply systems.

The present invention also provides a heating system including at least one sensor, in particular a fuel cell system, at least one operating state, at least one sensor, for examination, at least a portion the supply of at least one fluid The present invention relates to a heating system, particularly a fuel cell system, which is excellent in that setting can be adjusted. This increases the safety of the heating system as well.

In a preferred embodiment, this method is performed by the following method steps. A) identifying whether the heating system is in operation;
a1) if the heating system is in operation, proceeding to method step b);
a2) if the heating system is not in operation, proceeding to method step e );
b) providing at least one sensor with at least a portion of at least one fluid;
c) identifying whether at least one output signal of the at least one sensor does not exceed at least one threshold;
c1) proceeding to method step d) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) does not exceed at least one threshold;
c2) proceeding to method step e ) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) is above at least one threshold;
d) closing at least one valve (26, 28), in particular the fuel valve (26, 28) and / or outputting an error message for the user;
e) after a predetermined time, in particular after 24 hours, proceeding to method step a).

Particularly preferably, at least one electrolytic cell, a current is supplied during the test phase, which allows the use of condensed water.

The heating system 10 or the fuel cell system 12 according to the present invention including one sensor 52 is excellent in that it is similarly configured as follows. That is, the at least one operating condition may cause the sensor 52 to check at least a portion of at least one fluid, in the illustrated case, supplied fuel, and / or exhaust gas, and / or condensed water for inspection. Or it is excellent at the point which is comprised so that setting adjustment can be performed so that at least one part of the gas obtained from condensed water may be supplied. Thereby, the safety | security with respect to operation | movement of the heating system 10 is improved further.

The sensor 52 is arranged inside the housing 15 of the heating unit 14, which ensures an efficient measurement of the sensor 52.

The sensor 52 detects at least some combustible and / or toxic components of the at least one fluid. As a result, the sensor 52 can be monitored as expected for dangerous substances that may be exposed if a leak occurs inside the housing 15 . This sensor 52 thereby monitors the internal space of the heating unit 14 for flammable gases and / or toxic gases, in which case the output signal of the sensor 52 is measured during the examination.

Furthermore, the control unit 70 is connected to the system control unit 80 via a communication line 75 . The system control unit 80 is connected to the display unit 84 via the communication line 82.

In the illustrated embodiment, the communication lines 72, 74, 75, 76 , 82 , 86 are provided to perform communication by open loop and / or closed loop control techniques for safe operation of the heating system 10. . In this case, the communication lines 72, 75 , and 82 are formed as data lines, and the communication lines 74, 76 , and 86 are formed as control lines.

However, it is alternatively conceivable that the communication lines 72, 75 , 82, 74 , 76 are realized by a bus system, by a wireless connection and / or by an internet connection.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating the heating system 10. The method of operating the heating system 10 is performed using the following method steps. That is,
a) identifying whether the heating system 10 or the heating unit 14 is in operation;
a1) proceeding to method step b) when the heating system 10 is in operation;
a2) if the heating system 10 is not in operation, proceeding to method step e );
b) providing at least one sensor with at least a portion of at least one fluid;
c) identifying whether the output signal of the sensor 52 does not exceed a threshold or a predetermined threshold;
c1) if at least one output signal of the at least one sensor 52 does not exceed at least one threshold, proceed to method step d);
c2) proceeding to method step e ) if at least one output signal of at least one sensor 52 exceeds at least one threshold;
d) closing at least one valve 26, 28, in particular the fuel valve 26, 28, and / or outputting an error message for the user;
e) after a predetermined time, in particular after 24 hours, proceeding to method step a).

Claims (21)

A heating system (10) comprising at least one sensor (52), in particular a fuel cell system (12), comprising:
At least one inspection device (54) is disposed, and the at least one inspection device (54) supplies the at least one sensor (52) with at least a portion of at least one fluid for inspection. A heating system (10) characterized in that it is provided. A heating system (10) comprising at least one sensor (52), in particular a fuel cell system (12), comprising:
A heating system (10) characterized in that at least one operating state is set and adjustable such that at least a part of at least one fluid is supplied to the at least one sensor (52) for examination. ).   The heating system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one sensor (52) is a safety sensor, preferably a gas sensor.   The heating system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (52) is arranged inside at least one housing (15) of at least one heating unit (14). ).   Said inspection device (54) or one inspection device (54) is arranged to supply at least one sensor (52) with at least one inspection line (56) and / or at least one metering unit ( 58), in particular the heating system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a metering valve (60).   Said inspection device (54) or one inspection device (54), in particular said at least one inspection line (56), is located in the immediate vicinity of said at least one sensor (52), at least part of said at least one fluid. The heating system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, having for this purpose at least one opening (62), in particular at least one outlet opening (64).   Said inspection device (54) or one inspection device (54) is upstream of at least one fuel cell unit (16), in particular on the inlet side of said at least one heating unit (14) and / or at least one. 2. Located downstream of one fuel container and / or downstream of at least one desulfurization unit (34) and / or downstream of at least one reformer unit (36). The heating system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 10.   Said inspection device (54) or one inspection device (54) is arranged downstream of said at least one fuel cell unit (16) and / or downstream of at least one afterburner (44), A heating system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.   The inspection device (54) or one inspection device (54) is arranged downstream of at least one condensate container (66) and / or at least one electrolytic cell (68). A heating system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims. A method for operating a heating system (10) comprising at least one sensor (52), in particular a heating system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:
A heating system (10), characterized in that the at least one sensor (52) is supplied with at least a part of at least one fluid using at least one inspection device (54) for monitoring. How to make it work.   The heating system (10) according to claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor (52) is supplied with at least a part of the at least one fluid at regular time intervals, in particular at a time interval of 24 hours. ) How to work.   12. A method of operating a heating system (10) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the at least one sensor (52) is provided with a fixed metering of at least a portion of the at least one fluid.   13. Heating according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the at least one sensor (52) detects at least one combustible component and / or toxic component of at least a portion of the at least one fluid. A method of operating the system (10).   The at least one valve (26, 28), preferably the at least one fuel valve (26, 28) is configured so that at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52), in particular during the test phase, is at least one threshold value. 14. A method of operating a heating system (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the heating system (10) is closed if not exceeded. a) identifying whether the heating system (10) is in operation;
a1) if the heating system (10) is in operation, proceeding to method step b);
a2) if the heating system (10) is not in operation, proceeding to method step d);
b) supplying the at least one sensor (52) with at least a portion of the at least one fluid;
c) identifying whether at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) does not exceed at least one threshold;
c1) proceeding to method step d) if the at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) does not exceed the at least one threshold;
c2) proceeding to method step d) if the at least one output signal of the at least one sensor (52) is above the at least one threshold;
d) closing at least one valve (26, 28), in particular the fuel valve (26, 28) and / or outputting an error message for the user;
15. A method of operating a heating system (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, comprising e) proceeding to the method step a) after a predetermined time, in particular after 24 hours. Said method step b) is carried out using the following method steps:
b1) at least one valve in at least one line (56) in fluid communication with the at least one sensor (52), in particular in the inspection line (56) of the at least one inspection device (54); (60), in particular opening the metering valve (60);
b2) until a predetermined time, in particular 30 seconds has elapsed, and / or until at least a part of the at least one fluid is supplied to the at least one sensor (52) by a predetermined metering amount, A step to wait;
b3) The at least one valve (60) in the conduit (56) in fluid communication with the at least one sensor (52), in particular in the inspection conduit (56) of the inspection device (54). In particular closing the metering valve (60);
16. The method of operating a heating system (10) according to claim 15, performed using b4) proceeding to method step c).   At least a portion of the at least one fluid may be used upstream of the fuel cell unit (16), in particular on the inlet side of the heating unit (14) and / or fuel using the at least one inspection device (54). 17. Branching downstream of the vessel and / or downstream of the desulfurization unit (34) and / or downstream of the at least one reformer unit (36). A method of operating a heating system (10) according to claim 1.   At least a portion of the at least one fluid is branched downstream of the at least one fuel cell unit (16) and / or at least one afterburner (44) using the at least one inspection device (54). 18. A method of operating a heating system (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 17.   At least a portion of the at least one fluid is branched downstream of the at least one condensate container (66) and / or the at least one electrolytic cell (68) using the at least one inspection device (54). A method of operating a heating system (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 18.   The method of operating a heating system (10) according to claim 19, wherein the at least one electrolytic cell (68) is supplied with current during a test phase.   A heating system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is operated using the method according to any one of claims 10 to 20.

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