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US 11,962,047 B2Granted
System and methods for monitoring and controlling emissions from fuel cell engines
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorsMingjian Li, Guangji Ji
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to monitoring and controlling emissions produced by a fuel cell or fuel cell stack in a fuel cell engine of a vehicle and/or powertrain.
Claims20
A control system for monitoring and controlling emissions produced by a fuel cell engine in a vehicle and/or a powertrain, the system comprising:
- an exhaust mixer configured to mix purged hydrogen from the fuel cell engine with air before being released;
- a purge valve configured to control a flow of the purged hydrogen from the fuel cell engine to the exhaust mixer;
- a hydrogen concentration sensor configured to monitor a concentration of the purged hydrogen in the exhaust mixer;
- an air handling device configured to direct the air into the fuel cell engine;
- a back pressure valve configured to control a flow of the air from the fuel cell engine into the exhaust mixer;
- and
- a controller configured to set a purge delay time and a width time of the purge value and to determine a volume of hydrogen from the fuel cell engine based on the purge delay time or the width time of the purge valve, and further configured to adjust one or more of a speed of the air handling device, the purge valve, or the back pressure valve in response to the monitored concentration of purged hydrogen by the hydrogen concentration sensor when different than a target hydrogen concentration.
4 more elements
A method of monitoring and controlling hydrogen emission concentrations of a fuel cell engine in a vehicle and/or a powertrain, the method comprising:
- setting a purge delay time and/or width time of a purge valve,
- calculating a volume of purged hydrogen configured to pass through the purge valve,
- determining an amount of purged air that is passed into the fuel cell engine by an air handling device,
- mixing the purged air and the purged hydrogen in an exhaust mixer to form an exhaust,
- monitoring a volume of the purged hydrogen in the exhaust using a hydrogen concentration sensor,
- changing a speed of the air handling device or the purge valve when the hydrogen concentration sensor detects a difference between the monitored volume of the purged hydrogen and a target hydrogen concentration, and releasing the exhaust from the exhaust mixer.
3 more elements
A control system for monitoring and controlling emissions produced by a fuel cell engine in a vehicle and/or a powertrain, the system comprising:
- an exhaust mixer configured to mix purged hydrogen from the fuel cell engine with air before being released;
- a purge value configured to control a flow of the purged hydrogen from the fuel cell engine to the exhaust mixer;
- a hydrogen concentration sensor configured to minitor a concentration of the purged hydrogen in the exhaust mixer;
- an air handling device configured to direct the air into the fuel cell engine;
- a back pressure valve configured to control a flow of the air from the fuel cell engine into the exhaust mixer;
- and
- a controller configured to adjust one or more of a speed of the air handling device, the purge valve, or the back pressure valve in response to the monitored concentration of purged hydrogen by the hydrogen concentration sensor when different than a target hydrogen concentration, wherein in response to the hydrogen concentration sensor detecting the concentration of purged hydrogen to be less than the target hydrogen concentration, the controller is configured to decrease the speed of the air handling device, adjust an opening of the back pressure valve, adjust a purge delay time, or adjust a width time of the purge valve to increase a volume of purged hydrogen being passed through the purge valve.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.