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AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsDieter Illner, Igor Mehltretter, Ottmar Voitlein
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A defective operation of a valve (15, 35, 37, 39) in a drainage line (13, 21, 31, 33) of a fuel cell results in unintentionally permitting process gas to flow into the surrounding area of the fuel cells. In order to resolve this problem, the invention provides a method for monitoring the discharge of media out of a fuel cell and provides a fuel cell system, with which the gas and water stream flowing through the drainage line (25, 41) is monitored (65) by means of a Venturi nozzle (23, 40) that is connected to a differential pressure sensor (27, 53). The magnitude (67) and the temporal progression (69) of the differential pressure indicated by the differential pressure sensor (27, 53) establishes the basis for controlling the valve (15, 35, 37, 39) in the drainage line (13, 21, 31, 33) and for shutting down (71) the fuel cell block (1) in the event that the valve (15, 35, 37, 39) is defective.
A method for monitoring the discharge of media out of a fuel cell (1D), in which, after the fuel cell (1D) has been drained through a line (25, 33), the line (25, 33) is closed (63) by means of a valve (39), the flow in the line (25, 33) is measured (65) with the aid of a means for measuring the differential pressure (27, 53) at a venturi nozzle (23, 40), and, if the differential pressure is above a limit pressure, the fuel cell is shut down (71).
A method for monitoring the discharge of media out of a fuel cell (1D), in which, while the fuel cell (1D) is being drained, a change from a stream of water to a stream of gas through a venturi nozzle (23, 40) is detected (59) by monitoring (57) the differential pressure at the venturi nozzle, and a line (25, 33) is closed (63) by means of a valve (39) after gas has started to pass through it.
A fuel cell system having a fuel cell block (1) and a line (25, 41), characterized by a venturi nozzle (23, 40) with a differential pressure sensor (27, 53) arranged in the line (25, 41).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.