Voltage measuring circuit and voltage supply circuit of an integrated fuel cell system

• US 6,628,120 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation (Superior Plus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation (Superior Plus Corporation)
• Inventors: Paul, Steffen
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/720,365
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 324/429, 324/426, 324/425, 324/433, 324/434, 320/134, 320/136, 320/162, 320/101
• US Class Current: 324/429
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04552 of the individual fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

In a voltage measuring circuit for a composite fuel cell system, the potential of at least one point of the composite fuel cell system is detected by tapping the potential of such point, and feeding it to an input of an arrangement for evaluating the voltage. A potential shifting element is interposed between the at least one point of the composite fuel cell system and the input of the arrangement, which element is connected in series with a current sink or current source. A voltage supply circuit for such voltage measuring circuit of a composite fuel cell system comprising a plurality of individual fuel cells connected in series includes at least one voltage stabilization element connected in parallel with the circuit which is to be supplied with voltage by the composite fuel cell system. At least one current source or current sink is connected in series with this parallel circuit.

Claims

1. A voltage measuring circuit for a composite fuel cell system, in which the potentials of a plurality of points within the composite fuel cell system are detected by tapping respective potentials of these points, comprising:

a voltage evaluating device having a plurality of voltage measurement inputs;

potential shifting elements coupled between respective inputs of said voltage evaluating device, and respective ones of the plurality of points of the composite fuel cell system; and

a current sink or current source connected in series with the respective shifting elements,

wherein potential shifting via the potential shifting element is based on potential of a respective point within the composite cell system relative to a reference point of the composite fuel cell system, with a proper state of the individual cells of the composite fuel cell system.

2. The voltage measuring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the potentials of two points whose potential is to be measured are shifted by the same magnitude via the respective potential shifting elements.

3. The voltage measuring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises at least one integrated circuit.

4. The voltage measuring circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one voltage stabilization element is connected in parallel with the voltage measuring circuit, at least one current source or current sink being connected in series with this parallel circuit.

5. A method of measuring voltages at a plurality of points within which a composite fuel cell system, comprising:

tapping potential at each of said plurality of points;

shifting tapped potential values at each of said plurality of points by a predetermined amount;

inputting shifted potential values to a voltage measurement device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said shifting step is performed by means of a potential shifting element connected in series with a constant current device, between each of said plurality of points and respective inputs of said voltage measurement device.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining a potential difference between a selected pair of said plurality of points by subtracting measured voltage values based on said shifted potential values.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the potentials of two points whose potential is to be measured are shifted by the same magnitude via respective potential shifting elements.