System and method to operate a fuel cell in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsShane Elwart, James Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla, David Bidner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for a vehicle having an engine with an exhaust comprises a fuel cell coupled in the engine exhaust wherein the fuel cell has an output circuit; a battery coupled with the fuel cell; and a controller receiving a signal indicative of an electric output of the fuel cell output circuit, and adjusting one of the fuel amount and the air amount supplied to the engine in response to said signal to affect air-fuel ratio of the exhaust of the engine.
Claims19
A system for a vehicle having an engine with an exhaust, the system comprising:
- a fuel cell coupled in the engine exhaust wherein the fuel cell has an output circuit;
- a battery coupled with the fuel cell;
- and
- a controller receiving a signal indicative of an electric output of the fuel cell output circuit, and adjusting one of the fuel amount and the air amount supplied to the engine in response to said signal to affect air-fuel ratio of the exhaust of the engine.
A method to operate an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine also having a fuel cell disposed downstream of the engine coupled in an engine exhaust and a battery coupled with the fuel cell, the method comprising:
- adjusting an engine operating parameter in response to an electrical output of the fuel cell coupled in the engine exhaust.
A method to operate an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine also having a fuel cell disposed at the downstream of the engine and a battery coupled with the fuel cell, the method comprising:
- generating an electrical output of the fuel cell by controlling current supplied to the fuel cell from the battery;
- and
- adjusting an engine operating parameter in response to said electrical output of the fuel cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.