Post humidifier fuel cell stack humidification system
OwnerAndrew D. Wuethrichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling the humidity of a fuel cell stack air inlet, a fuel cell system in which the method may be exercised, and a fuel cell system controller adapted to execute the method in a fuel cell system. The method for controlling the humidity includes detecting the humidity of air entering a fuel cell stack air inlet downstream a humidifier, detecting the water level of a water reservoir, and using the detected values to control the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack by controlling a supply of water from the water reservoir to a spray nozzle downstream the humidifier.
Claims20
A method for controlling a humidity of air entering a fuel cell stack air inlet comprising:
- detecting a value of the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet downstream a humidifier,
- detecting a water level of a water reservoir, and
- using detected values of the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet to control a supply of water from the water reservoir to a spray nozzle disposed downstream the humidifier to control the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack including a fuel cell stack air inlet,
- a stack inlet humidity sensor disposed to detect a humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet and to provide signals indicative of detected values of the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet,
- a humidifier including a humidifier outlet, the humidifier outlet being disposed upstream the fuel cell stack air inlet and the stack inlet humidity sensor to provide air to the fuel cell stack air inlet,
- a reservoir,
- a spray nozzle disposed to provide water from the reservoir to the air downstream the humidifier outlet and upstream the fuel cell stack air inlet,
- a solenoid valve disposed to control flow of water from the reservoir to the spray nozzle, and
- a controller configured receive signals from the stack inlet humidity sensor and to control operation of the solenoid at least based upon the signals from the stack inlet humidity sensor.
A fuel cell system controller adapted to control operation of a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having a fuel cell stack air inlet, a stack inlet humidity sensor disposed to detect a humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet, a humidifier including a humidifier outlet, the humidifier outlet being disposed upstream the fuel cell stack air inlet and the stack inlet humidity sensor to provide air to the fuel cell stack air inlet, a reservoir, a spray nozzle disposed to provide water from the reservoir to the air downstream the humidifier and upstream the fuel cell stack air inlet, and a solenoid valve disposed to control flow of water from the reservoir to the spray nozzle, the fuel cell system controller being configured to receive a signal indicative of the a detected value of a humidity at the fuel cell stack air inlet downstream the humidifier from the stack inlet humidity sensor, and use the detected value to control to control operation of the solenoid valve to control a supply of water from the water reservoir to the spray nozzle downstream the humidifier and upstream the fuel cell stack air inlet in order to control the humidity of air entering the fuel cell stack air inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.