Method and apparatus for monitoring a fuel cell

A fuel cell system arranged to supply electric power to an electric power circuit, comprising:

• an anode system including a multi-injector system including a plurality of hydrogen injectors arranged to supply pressurized hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell;
• a pressure sensor disposed in the anode system;
• and
• a controller operably coupled to the plurality of hydrogen injectors and in communication with the pressure sensor, the controller including an instruction set, the instruction set executable to:
• monitor, via the pressure sensor, pressure in the anode system;
• command actuations of the plurality of hydrogen injectors;
• detect a fault in the multi-injector system when the commanded actuations of the plurality of hydrogen injectors are greater than a first threshold and the pressure in the anode system is less than a second threshold;
• execute an alternating actuation of the hydrogen injectors of the multi-injector system and monitor, via the pressure sensor, pressure in the anode system;
• and
• detect a fault in one of the hydrogen injectors of the multi-injector system based upon the pressure in the anode system during the alternating actuation of the hydrogen injectors.

A method for monitoring a fuel cell system arranged to supply electric power to an external load circuit, the method comprising:

• monitoring, via a pressure sensor, pressure in an anode system, wherein the anode system includes a multi-injector system including a plurality of hydrogen injectors arranged to supply pressurized hydrogen to an anode of the fuel cell;
• monitoring actuation commands to the plurality of hydrogen injectors to control flow of hydrogen into the anode system, wherein the actuation commands include a pulsewidth-modulated duty cycle command;
• detecting a fault in the multi-injector system when the pulsewidth-modulated duty cycle commands to the plurality of hydrogen injectors are greater than a first threshold and the pressure in the anode system is less than a second threshold;
• executing an alternating actuation of the hydrogen injectors of the multi-injector system and monitoring, via the pressure sensor, pressure in the anode system;
• detecting a fault in one of the hydrogen injectors of the multi-injector system based upon the pressure in the anode system during the alternating actuation of the hydrogen injectors;
• and
• communicating the fault detected in the one of the hydrogen injectors to a second controller.