Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a fuel cell

• US 20110294026A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UTC Power Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Shigetaka, Kandoi, Shampa, Darling, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,932,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/432
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04388 of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04649 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0485 of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a controller, a resistance sensor, and a regulator. The fuel cell has a cathode plate, an anode plate, and an ion-exchange membrane interposed between the cathode plate and the anode plate. The controller is for controlling a gas flow rate to the anode plate. The resistance sensor is coupled to the fuel cell for measuring a resistance of the fuel cell. The regulator is coupled to the controller and coupled to the anode plate for regulating the gas flow to the anode plate. The controller receives a signal from the resistance sensor and is configured to control the regulator to adjust the gas flow to the anode plate based on the signal from the resistance sensor.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell having a cathode plate, an anode plate, and an ion-exchange membrane interposed between the cathode plate and the anode plate;

a controller for controlling a gas flow rate to the anode plate;

a resistance sensor coupled to the fuel cell for measuring a resistance of the fuel cell;

a first regulator coupled to the controller and coupled to the anode plate for regulating the gas flow to the anode plate,

wherein the controller receives a signal from the resistance sensor and is configured to control the regulator to adjust the gas flow to the anode plate based on the signal from the resistance sensor.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage sensor coupled to the fuel cell for measuring a voltage of the fuel cell, wherein the controller is configured to control the regulator to adjust the gas flow rate to the anode plate based on the measured voltage.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the first regulator to increase the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate increases the voltage of the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the regulator to increase the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate increases the voltage of the fuel cell, and wherein the controller is configured to increase the anode gas flow rate until a point where increasing the anode gas flow rate does not cause change of the voltage.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the first regulator to increase the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate lowers the resistance of the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the regulator to increase the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate lowers the resistance of the fuel cell, and wherein the controller is configured to increase the anode gas flow rate until a point where increasing the anode gas flow rate does not cause change of the resistance.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the first regulator to decrease the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate increases the resistance of the fuel cell.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first regulator includes an injector coupled an input of the anode plate of the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first regulator includes a gas compressor coupled between an output and an input of the anode plate of the fuel cell.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a second regulator, which includes a gas compressor disposed between an output and an input of the anode plate of the fuel cell, wherein the gas compressor is coupled to the controller.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the anode plate further comprising an anode gas diffusion layer and an anode catalyst layer.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the cathode plate further comprising a cathode gas diffusion layer and a cathode catalyst layer.

13. A method of improving performance of a fuel cell system, the method comprising:

measuring a voltage across the fuel cell;

measuring a resistance of the fuel cell;

increasing an anode gas flow rate of the fuel cell at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate lowers the resistance of the fuel cell.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein increasing the anode gas flow rate includes increasing the anode gas flow rate until a point where increasing the anode gas flow rate does not lower the resistance.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising decreasing the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate increases the resistance of the fuel cell.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein increasing the anode gas flow rate includes adjusting a regulator coupled to an input of an anode plate to increase the anode gas flow rate.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising adjusting a gas compressor coupled to an input of the anode plate to increase the anode gas flow rate.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein increasing the anode gas flow rate includes adjusting a gas compressor coupled to an input of the anode plate to increase the anode gas flow rate.

19. A method of improving performance of a fuel cell system, the method comprising:

measuring a voltage of a fuel cell;

measuring a resistance of the fuel cell;

increasing an anode gas flow rate of the fuel cell; and

continuing to increase the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate lowers the resistance.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein continuing to increase the anode gas flow rate includes increasing the anode gas flow rate until a point where increasing the anode gas flow rate does not lower the resistance.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising decreasing the anode gas flow rate at times when increasing the anode gas flow rate increases the resistance of the fuel cell.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein measuring a voltage of the fuel cell includes measuring a voltage of the anode plate of the fuel cell and measuring a voltage of an anode plate of an adjacent fuel cell, and calculating the voltage of the fuel cell based on the voltage of the anode plate of the fuel cell and the voltage of the anode plate of the adjacent fuel cell.