Detecting a fault condition in a fuel cell system

A method for detecting a fault condition in a fuel cell which comprises providing a fuel cell with one or more sensors external to a fuel cell surface, activating the one or more sensors, and generating an alert signal when a change in the external surface is detected, wherein the one or more sensors comprise ultrasound transducer sensors, and including the steps of directing infrared energy pulses into an interior of the fuel cell, and employing said one or more sensors to monitor the external surface of said fuel cell for changes.

A method for detecting a fault condition in a fuel cell which comprises providing a fuel cell with one or more mass spectrometer sensors external to a fuel cell surface, activating the sensors, directing an ionized beam toward a surface of the fuel cell, detecting ionization products produced using the one or more mass spectrometer sensors, and generating an alert signal when a change in the ionization products is detected.

An article comprising a computer readable storage medium storing instructions to cause a process-based system to:

• collect data regarding characteristics of a surface of a fuel cell using one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an ultrasound transducer, and a combination of a mass spectrometer sensor and at least one ionizing beam source directed toward the fuel cell,
• compare said data to a standards data, and when changes in at least one surface are detected, determine whether said changes are caused by a fault condition in said fuel cell.