Fuel cell energy generating system
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorsHans Frieder Walz, Detlef zur Megede
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Abstract
A fuel cell energy generating system which includes a reformate generating device that contains a hydrocarbon reforming reactor and produces a high-hydrogen reformate, has a fuel cell arrangement to which reformate generated by the reformate generating device can be fed on the inlet side by way of a reformate supply line, having at least one reformate-quality-indicating sensor arranged in the reformate flow path, and having a control unit. A valve is provided in the reformate supply line which can be controlled by the control unit such that it releases or interrupts the feeding of the reformate supplied by the reformate generating device into the fuel cell arrangement as a function of the output signal of the at least one reformate-quality-indicating sensor.
Claims12
An energy generating system comprising:
- a reformate generating device which contains a hydrocarbon reforming reactor and generates a high-hydrogen reformate;
- a fuel cell arrangement having an input which receives reformate generated by the reformate generating device via a reformate feed line;
- at least one reformate quality indicating sensor arranged in a reformate flow path;
- a control unit;
- at least one reformate flow control valve in the reformate feed line, said at least one reformate flow valve being controllable by the control unit to selectively interrupt a flow of reformate from the reformate generating device into the fuel cell arrangement as a function of an output signal of the at least one reformate quality indicating sensor;
- and
- a supply air control valve in an air or oxygen supply line of the fuel cell arrangement which valve can be controlled by the control unit as a function of an output signal of the at least one reformate-quality-indicating sensor.
A method for operating an energy generating system having a fuel cell arrangement coupled to receive a flow of high hydrogen reformate gas from a reformate generating device, said method comprising:
- detecting a quality of said reformate gas;
- selectively interrupting said flow of reformate gas from said reformate generator to said fuel cell arrangement when detected quality of said reformate gas falls below a predetermined value;
- and
- controlling a flow of oxygen input to said fuel cell arrangement in response to detected quality of said reformate gas.
An energy generating system comprising:
- a reformate generating device which contains a hydrocarbon reforming reactor and generates a high-hydrogen reformate;
- a fuel cell arrangement having an input which receives reformate generated by the reformate generating device via a reformate feed line;
- at least one reformate quality indicating sensor arranged in a reformate flow path;
- a control unit;
- and
- a supply air control valve arranged in an air or oxygen supply line connected at a cathode side input to the fuel cell arrangement, which valve is controllable by the control unit as a function of an output signal of the at least one reformate quality indicating sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.