Negative cell detector for a multi-cell fuel cell stack
First Claim
1. A detector for sensing a faulty cell among a plurality of series connected voltage producing cells forming a source of DC electrical power, comprising:
- a plurality of light emitting diode means having an anode and a cathode which are capable of being biased to a conducting state by a positive anode-to-cathode voltage. and capable of being biased to a nonconducting state by a positive cathode-to-anode voltage, andmeans connecting each anode and cathode to the negative and positive junctions, respectively, of each of said plurality of voltage producing cells forming said source of DC electrical power thereby normally reverse biasing said light emitting diode means, whereby in the absence of a voltage output from any one of said voltage producing cells, the remaining voltage producing cells of said source of DC electrical power cause a positive anode-to-cathode voltage on that light emitting diode coupled to that one cell producing no voltage so that said light emitting diode means changes from its nonconducting state to its conducting state thereby emitting light.
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Abstract
A detector for sensing defective cells among a plurality of voltage producing cells which together form a source of DC electrical power. A series of light emitting diodes are coupled to the positive and negative junctions of each voltage producing cell so that they are biased to a nonconducting state so long as the cell has a positive output voltage. In the event that a cell becomes defective causing its voltage output to drop, the voltage produced by the remaining cells create a load current by which the defective cell goes negative and forward biases the corresponding light emitting diode. In turn, the light emitting diode changes to its conducting state whereupon it emits light and identifies the defective cell.
37 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A detector for sensing a faulty cell among a plurality of series connected voltage producing cells forming a source of DC electrical power, comprising:
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a plurality of light emitting diode means having an anode and a cathode which are capable of being biased to a conducting state by a positive anode-to-cathode voltage. and capable of being biased to a nonconducting state by a positive cathode-to-anode voltage, and means connecting each anode and cathode to the negative and positive junctions, respectively, of each of said plurality of voltage producing cells forming said source of DC electrical power thereby normally reverse biasing said light emitting diode means, whereby in the absence of a voltage output from any one of said voltage producing cells, the remaining voltage producing cells of said source of DC electrical power cause a positive anode-to-cathode voltage on that light emitting diode coupled to that one cell producing no voltage so that said light emitting diode means changes from its nonconducting state to its conducting state thereby emitting light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification