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US 12,381,238 B2Granted
Systems and methods to measure or control fuel cell stack excess hydrogen flow using humidity
AssigneeCummins Inc.
InventorsRichard J. Ancimer, Aleksey Yezerets, Tyler Rash, Leta Woo
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Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for managing and/or excess hydrogen flow in a system comprising a fuel cell or fuel cell stack based on humidity measurements.
Claims20
A fuel cell stack system comprising:
- a first flow stream and a second recirculated flow stream mixing to form a third flow stream,
- a blower,
- the third flow stream flowing through an anode inlet manifold in a fuel cell stack, and
- a controller configured to compare
- an excess fuel ratio of the fuel cell stack system to a target excess fuel ratio of the fuel cell stack system based on data regarding water content in the second recirculated flow stream,
- wherein the excess fuel ratio is equal to [(1−x_H2O_RC−x_N2_RC)m_RC+m_H2_P]/[m_H2_P], and wherein x_H2O_RC is a mass fraction of water in the second recirculated flow stream, x_N2_RC is a mass fraction of nitrogen in the second recirculated flow stream, m_RC is a mass flow rate of the second recirculated flow stream, m_H2_P is a mass flow rate of fuel in the first flow stream, and
- wherein the controller is configured to determine when to operate the blower based on the excess fuel ratio.
4 more elements
A method of determining an excess fuel ratio of a fuel cell stack system comprising:
- flowing a first flow stream and a second recirculated flow stream,
- mixing the first flow stream and the second recirculated flow stream to form a third flow stream,
- flowing the third flow stream through an anode inlet manifold in a fuel cell stack, and
- comparing an excess fuel ratio of the fuel cell stack system to a target excess fuel ratio of the fuel cell stack system based on data regarding water content in the second recirculated flow stream via a controller,
- wherein the excess fuel ratio is equal to [(1−x_H2O_RC−x_N2_RC)m_RC+m_H2_P]/[m_H2_P], and wherein x_H2O_RC is a mass fraction of water in the second recirculated flow stream, x_N2_RC is a mass fraction of nitrogen in the second recirculated flow stream, m_RC is a mass flow rate of the second recirculated flow stream, and m_H2_P is a mass flow rate of fuel in the first flow stream, and
- determining, via the controller, when to operate a blower based on the excess fuel ratio.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.