Method and apparatus for monitoring equivalent series resistance and for shunting a fuel cell
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell power system comprising:
- a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and which is configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output;
a controller electrically coupled with the fuel cell, and configured to selectively short the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell; and
circuitry configured to measure resistance of the fuel cell in timed relation to the shorting.
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Abstract
A fuel cell power system comprising a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and which is configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output; a controller electrically coupled with the fuel cell, and configured to selectively short the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell; and circuitry configured to measure resistance of the fuel cell in timed relation to the shorting.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. A fuel cell power system comprising:
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a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and which is configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output;
a controller electrically coupled with the fuel cell, and configured to selectively short the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell; and
circuitry configured to measure resistance of the fuel cell in timed relation to the shorting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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- 14. A fuel cell power system comprising at least one fuel cell configured to supply power to a load, and circuitry configured to measure equivalent series resistance of at least one fuel cell of the power system while the power system continues to substantially serve the load.
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19. A fuel cell power system comprising:
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a pair of output terminals;
a plurality of fuel cells respectively having an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and a cathode, which fuel cells are selectively coupled to the output terminals, and which, in operation, convert chemical energy into electrical power having a current and voltage output, wherein one or more of the fuel cells are selectively decoupled from the output terminals while other fuel cells continue to provide power to the output terminals; and
circuitry configured to measure the equivalent series resistance of one of the decoupled fuel cells in situ while the other fuel cells continue to produce electrical power. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A fuel cell power system comprising:
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a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output;
a voltage sensor;
a current sensor; and
a controller electrically coupled with the fuel cell, the voltage sensor, and the current sensor, and configured to, at times, perform a shunting operation including shorting the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell according to a duty cycle, the controller further being configured to determine equivalent series resistance of the fuel cell based on fuel cell current and voltage changes during a shunting operation, determined using the current sensor and voltage sensor, and the controller being configured to selectively adjust the duty cycle in response to the determined equivalent series resistance. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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- 28. A fuel cell power system comprising at least one fuel cell configured to supply power to a load, and circuitry configured to determine hydration level of at least one fuel cell of the power system while the power system continues to substantially serve the load.
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33. A fuel cell power method comprising:
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providing a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output;
selectively shorting the anode of the fuel cell to the cathode of the fuel cell; and
measuring resistance of the fuel cell in timed relation to the shorting. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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- 46. A fuel cell power method comprising supplying power to a load using at least one fuel cell, and measuring equivalent series resistance of at least one of the fuel cells while power is continued to be substantially supplied the load.
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50. A fuel cell power method comprising:
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providing a pair of output terminals;
providing a plurality of fuel cells respectively having an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and a cathode, which fuel cells are selectively coupled to the output terminals, and which, in operation, convert chemical energy into electrical power having a current and voltage output, wherein one or more of the fuel cells are selectively decoupled from the output terminals while other fuel cells continue to provide power to the output terminals; and
measuring equivalent series resistance of one of the fuel cells, in situ, while the other fuel cells continue to produce electrical power. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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54. A fuel cell power method comprising:
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providing a fuel cell having a cathode and an anode adapted to be coupled to a fuel supply, and configured to produce electrical power having a current and voltage output;
providing a voltage sensor;
providing a current sensor; and
at times, performing a shunting operation including shorting the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell according to a duty cycle, and determining equivalent series resistance of the fuel cell based on fuel cell current and voltage during a shunting operation, and using the current sensor and voltage sensor, and selectively adjusting the duty cycle in response to the determined equivalent series resistance. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method comprising:
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providing a fuel cell power system including at least one fuel cell configured to supply power to a load; and
determining hydration level of at least one fuel cell of the power system while the power system continues to substantially serve the load. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. A method comprising:
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providing a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode and having a level of hydration;
applying a short from the anode to the cathode for a predetermined amount of time;
removing the short;
measuring the amount of time for current to recover after the short between the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell is removed; and
determining what the level of hydration of the fuel cell was prior to the shorting, in response to the measured amount of time.
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Specification