Utilization-based fuel cell monitoring and control
First Claim
1. An energy producing and consuming assembly comprising:
- a fuel source adapted to provide supply fuel at a supply pressure;
a fuel cell stack including at least one fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell stack is adapted to receive the supply fuel and to produce electric current at a production amperage from the received supply fuel in response to an applied load;
a load applying assembly adapted to be controlled to apply a load to the fuel cell stack; and
a control system adapted to detect a pressure at the fuel cell stack and to control the electric current production based on the detected pressure by actively controlling the load applying assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Fuel cell systems and methods for controlling the operation of components of the fuel cell system, which may include a fuel source and a fuel cell stack. In some examples, a fuel source is adapted to provide supply fuel to a fuel cell stack at a supply pressure. The fuel cell stack produces electric current at a production amperage. In some examples, a control system is adapted to control operation of the fuel cell stack based on a pressure detected at the fuel cell stack. In some examples, a target production amperage is determined based on the detected pressure, such that when electric current is produced at the target production amperage for the detected pressure, the fuel cell stack consumes a predetermined proportion of the supply fuel.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An energy producing and consuming assembly comprising:
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a fuel source adapted to provide supply fuel at a supply pressure;
a fuel cell stack including at least one fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell stack is adapted to receive the supply fuel and to produce electric current at a production amperage from the received supply fuel in response to an applied load;
a load applying assembly adapted to be controlled to apply a load to the fuel cell stack; and
a control system adapted to detect a pressure at the fuel cell stack and to control the electric current production based on the detected pressure by actively controlling the load applying assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An energy producing and consuming assembly comprising:
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a fuel source adapted to provide supply fuel at a supply pressure;
a fuel cell stack including at least one fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell stack is adapted to receive supply fuel from the fuel source at the supply pressure and to use at least a portion of the received supply fuel to produce electric current at a production amperage in response to an applied load;
a load applying device adapted to be controlled to apply a load on the fuel cell stack; and
a control system adapted to detect a pressure at the fuel cell stack, to determine a target production amperage at which the fuel cell stack consumes a predetermined proportion of the supply fuel for the detected pressure, to control operation of the fuel cell stack based on the target production amperage; and
to control the production amperage by actively controlling the load applying device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating an energy producing and consuming assembly, comprising:
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producing a supply fuel at a supply pressure;
applying oxidant and the supply fuel to a fuel cell stack, which includes at least one fuel cell, and which is adapted to produce electric current therefrom at a production amperage;
applying a load to the fuel cell stack to draw electric current from the fuel cell stack;
detecting a pressure at the fuel cell stack; and
controlling the production amperage based on the detected pressure by actively controlling the load applied to the fuel cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of operating an energy producing and consuming assembly, comprising:
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supplying a supply fuel at a supply pressure;
applying oxidant and the supply fuel to a fuel cell stack, which includes at least one fuel cell;
producing electric current with the fuel cell stack at a production amperage;
detecting a pressure at the fuel cell stack;
determining a target production amperage at which the fuel cell stack consumes a predetermined proportion of the supply fuel for the detected pressure; and
controlling the operation of the fuel cell stack based on the target production amperage. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification