Monitoring system for fuel cell stack

• US 20060284591A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shen-Li High Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shen-Li High Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Fu, Mingzhu, Hu, Liqing
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04679 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a plurality of monitoring devices adjacently provided to a group of integrated fuel cell stacks for measuring a voltage of the fuel cell units. Each of the monitoring devices includes a plurality of monitoring sensors adapted for electrically connecting to a predetermined set of fuel cell units and a MCU (Micro-Chip-Unit) for sequentially and circularly switching each two neighboring monitoring sensors for reading the voltage of each respective fuel cell. A CAN bus is provided for electrically and collectively interconnecting the monitoring devices with a central operator which is arranged in such a manner that when said the voltage of the respective fuel cell unit exceeds a safety range, the central operator generates an alert signal for indicating an abnormal operation of the respective fuel cell.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for at least a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell units, comprising:

a central operator electrically connected to said fuel cell stack to administrate an operation of said fuel cell stack; and

a monitoring device, comprising;

a plurality of monitoring sensors electrically connecting to said fuel cell units of the fuel cell stack respectively so as to measure a voltage of each of said fuel cell units; and

a MCU (Micro-Chip-Unit), which is electrically connected to said monitoring sensors, sequentially and circularly switching each neighboring pair of said monitoring sensors for reading said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit until said voltage of a last one of said fuel cell units is read, wherein said MCU comprises an A/D converter converting said voltage into a digital message, and a CAN (control area network) bus port allowing a CAN bus electrically coupled to said MCU and said central operator to transmit said digital message to said central operator, wherein said central operator is arranged in such a manner that when said digital message of said respective fuel cell unit exceeds a safety range, said central operator generates an alert signal for indicating an abnormal operation of the respective fuel cell unit of the fuel cell stack.

2. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said MCU programmably activates said monitoring sensors in an “

on” and

“

off”

manner that said preceding monitoring sensor is automatically switched off when said subsequent monitoring sensor is switched on such that only said neighboring pair of monitoring sensors are switched on at the same time for reading said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit.

3. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said monitoring sensors are photoelectric isolating relays for reading said output voltages of said fuel cell units.

4. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said monitoring sensors are photoelectric isolating relays for reading said voltages of said fuel cell units.

5. A monitoring system for integrated fuel cell stacks each having a plurality of fuel cell units, comprising:

a central operator electrically connected to said integrated fuel cell stacks to administrate an operation of said fuel cell stacks; and

a plurality of monitoring devices adjacently provided to said integrated fuel cell stacks to measure a voltage of each of said fuel cell units, wherein each of said monitoring devices comprises a plurality of monitoring sensors electrically connecting to said fuel cell units in such a manner that said fuel cell units are respectively monitored by said monitoring devices, and a MCU (Micro-Chip-Unit), which is electrically connected to said monitoring sensor, sequentially and circularly switching each neighboring pair of said monitoring sensors to read said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit until said voltage of a last one of said fuel cell units is read, said MCU comprises an A/D converter converting said voltage into a digital message and a CAN (control area network) bus port; and

a CAN bus electrically and collectively interconnecting said monitoring devices with said central operator for transmitting said digital messages to said central operator, wherein said central operator is arranged in such a manner that when said digital message of said respective fuel cell unit exceeds a safety range, said central operator generates an alert signal for indicating an abnormal operation of the respective fuel cell unit of the fuel cell stack.

6. The monitor system, as recited in claim 5, further comprising a voltage analyzer, which is disposed between said monitoring devices and said central operator, screening and coordinating said digital messages to ensure an efficient operation of said integrated fuel cell stacks.

7. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said MCU programmably activates said monitoring sensors in an “

on” and

“

off”

manner that said preceding monitoring sensor is automatically switched off when said subsequent monitoring sensor is switched on such that only said two neighboring monitoring sensors are switched on at the same time to read said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit.

8. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 6, wherein said MCU programmably activates said monitoring sensors in an “

on” and

“

off”

manner that said preceding monitoring sensor is automatically switched off when said subsequent monitoring sensor is switched on such that only said two neighboring monitoring sensors are switched on at the same time to read said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit

9. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said monitoring sensors are photoelectric isolating relays for reading said output voltages of said fuel cell units.

10. The monitoring system, as recited in claim 8, wherein said monitoring sensors are photoelectric isolating relays for reading said voltages of said fuel cell units.

11. A method of monitoring at least a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell units, comprising said steps of:

(a) communicatively connecting a plurality of monitoring sensors to a MCU and said fuel cell units of said fuel cell stack respectively;

(b) sequentially and circularly switching each neighboring pair of said monitoring sensors for reading a voltage of the respective fuel cell unit until said voltage of a last one of said fuel cell unit is read;

(c) digitally converting and processing said voltage of said fuel cell units via said MCU to obtain a digital message;

(d) transmitting the digital message to a central operator via a CAN bus;

(e) diagnosing said digital message of said fuel cell units, wherein when said voltage value of said respective fuel cell exceeds a safety range, said central operator generates an alert signal for indicating an abnormal operation of said respective fuel cell unit of said fuel cell stack.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step (a) further comprises a sub-step of initializing said MCU to activate a diagnosing loop for checking said fuel cell units circularly.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein in the step (b), said preceding monitoring sensor is automatically switched off when said subsequent monitoring sensor is switched on such that only said neighboring pair of said monitoring sensors are switched on at the same time for reading said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein in the step (b), said preceding monitoring sensor is automatically switched off when said subsequent monitoring sensor is switched on such that only said neighboring pair of said monitoring sensors are switched on at the same time for reading said voltage of said respective fuel cell unit.