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US 2010/0136448 A1Published application
System and method for optimizing fuel cell purge cycles
AssigneeIdaTech, LLC
InventorThomas G. Herron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for optimizing the purge cycle of a fuel cell stack responsive to the performance of the fuel cell. The system includes a controller that measures a process parameter indicative of the rate at which water is being produced in the fuel cell. If the measured value exceeds a threshold value, then the purge assembly is automatically actuated.
Claims20
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a source of hydrogen gas;
- a fuel cell stack adapted to receive hydrogen gas from the source and to produce an electric current therefrom, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises a plurality of fuel cells that each include a cathode chamber that is adapted to receive an air stream and an anode chamber that is adapted to receive hydrogen gas from the source;
- a purge assembly adapted to selectively purge the anode chambers of the fuel cells to reduce the concentration of at least a selected composition therein;
- and
- a controller adapted to selectively actuate the purge assembly responsive to the value of a process parameter representative of the performance of the fuel cell stack;
- wherein the process parameter includes the cumulative amp-hours of current produced by the fuel cell stack during an operative cycle of the fuel cell stack.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.