Fuel cell and method for controlling same

A fuel cell having an anode and cathode and which produces electrical power having a current and voltage output, comprising:

• a supply of fuel gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode of the fuel cell;
• a valve disposed in fluid flowing controlling relation relative to the supply of fuel gas to meter the fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell;
• and
• a controller electrically coupled with the fuel cell and disposed in controlling relation relative to the valve, and wherein the controller adjusts the valve into a given fluid metering relationship relative to the supply of fuel gas, and the controller shunts current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell.

A fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and which produces electrical current having an electrical power output, comprising:

• a membrane having opposite sides, and wherein the anode is mounted on one side of the membrane, and the cathode is mounted on the side of the membrane opposite to the anode;
• a supply of fuel gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode, and a supply of an oxidant gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the cathode;
• voltage and current sensors which are individually electrically coupled with the anode and cathode;
• a valve disposed in fluid flowing controlling relation relative to the supply of fuel gas to meter the supply of fuel gas to the fuel cell;
• an electrical switch electrically coupled with the anode and cathode and which can be placed into an open and closed electrical condition;
• a controller coupled with the electrical switch, valve and the voltage and current sensors, the controller upon sensing a voltage and current at the voltage and current sensors causing the valve to be adjusted into a fluid metering relationship relative to the supply of fuel gas, and the electrical switch to assume a predetermined open or closed electrical condition.

A fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and which produces a current having an electrical power output, comprising:

• a membrane having opposite sides, and wherein the anode is mounted on one side of the membrane, and the cathode is mounted on the side of the membrane opposite to the anode;
• a supply of fuel gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode, and a supply of an oxidant gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the cathode;
• voltage and current sensors which are individually electrically coupled with the anode and cathode;
• a valve disposed in fluid flowing controlling relation relative to the supply of fuel gas to meter the supply of fuel gas to the fuel cell;
• an electrical switch electrically coupled with the anode and cathode and which can be placed into an open and closed electrical condition;
• and
• a controller coupled with the electrical switch, valve and the voltage and current sensors, the controller upon sensing a voltage and current at the voltage and current sensors causing the valve to be adjusted into a fluid metering relationship relative to the supply of fuel gas, and the electrical switch to assume an open or closed electrical condition, and wherein the controller, in a first condition, shunts current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell when the electrical switch is in the closed electrical condition, and simultaneously causes the valve to terminate the supply of fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell, and wherein the electrical switch when placed in the open electrical condition by the controller causes the valve to be placed in a condition which allows the substantially continuous supply of fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell;
• and wherein the controller, in a second condition, shunts current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell when the electrical switch is placed in the closed electrical condition, and simultaneously maintains the valve in a condition which allows the substantially continuous delivery of the fuel gas to the fuel cell to the anode during the opening and closing of the electrical switch.

A plurality of fuel cells which are serially electrically connected together and which individually produce voltage and current outputs comprising:

• a membrane having opposite sides and which is made integral with each of the fuel cells, and wherein an anode is mounted on one side of the membrane, and a cathode is mounted on the side of the membrane opposite to the anode;
• a supply of fuel gas disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode of each of fuel cells, and a supply of an oxidant fuel disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to the cathode of each of the fuel cells;
• voltage and current sensors which are individually electrically coupled with the anode and cathode of each of the fuel cells and which sense the electrical power output of each of the fuel cells;
• a valve disposed in fluid flowing controlling relation relative to the supply of fuel gas to meter the supply of fuel gas to each of the fuel cells.
• an electrical switch electrically coupled with the anode and cathode of each of the fuel cells and which can be placed into an open and closed electrical condition;
• and
• a controller coupled with each of the electrical switches, valves and the voltage and current sensors, the controller operable to adjust the respective valves into a fluid metering relationship relative to the supply of fuel gas, and one or more of the electrical switches to assume an open or closed electrical condition relative to one or more of the fuel cells under operational conditions, and wherein the controller, in a first operational condition, upon sensing, at one or more of the fuel cells of interest a voltage and current output at the voltage and current sensors electrically coupled with same, shunts current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell of interest when the electrical switch is in the closed electrical condition, and wherein the controller simultaneously causes the valve which is coupled to the fuel cell of interest to terminate the supply of fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell of interest, and wherein the electrical switch when placed in the open electrical condition by the controller causes the valve coupled to the fuel cell of interest to be placed in a condition which allows the substantially continuous supply of fuel gas to the fuel cell of interest;
• and wherein the controller, in a second operational condition, shunts current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell of interest when the electrical switch is placed in the closed electrical condition, and wherein the controller maintains the valve coupled with the fuel cell of interest in a condition which allows the substantially continuous delivery of the fuel gas to the fuel cell of interest during the open and closing of the electrical switch.

A method for controlling a fuel cell which has an anode and a cathode, and a voltage and current output, comprising:

• determining the voltage and current output of the fuel cell;
• shunting electrical current between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell under operational conditions;
• providing a supply of a fuel gas in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode of the fuel cell;
• providing a valve disposed in fluid metering relation relative to the supply of the fuel gas;
• and
• providing a controller which is electrically coupled with the anode and the cathode and which is effective to shunt the electrical current between the anode and the cathode, and which further is coupled in controlling relation relative to the valve.

A method for controlling a fuel cell which has an anode and a cathode, and a voltage and current output, comprising:

• providing a supply of a fuel gas in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode of the fuel cell;
• providing a valve disposed in fluid metering relation relative to the supply of the fuel gas;
• providing a controller which is electrically coupled in voltage and current sensing relation with the anode and the cathode and which is effective to shunt the electrical current between the anode and the cathode, and which further is coupled in controlling relation relative to the valve;
• determining by way of the controller whether the voltage and current output of the fuel cell has a voltage and current output;
• after the step of determining the voltage and current output, adjusting the valve by way of the controller to terminate the flow of fuel gas to the anode if the voltage and current output is less than a predetermined amount, and shunting the electrical current by way of the controller between the anode and cathode of the fuel cell.

A method for controlling a fuel cell which has an anode, a cathode, a voltage and current output, and a duty and operating cycle, comprising:

• providing a supply of a fuel gas in fluid flowing relation relative to the anode of the fuel cell;
• providing a valve disposed in adjustable fluid metering relation relative to the supply of the fuel gas;
• providing a controller which is electrically coupled in voltage and current sensing relation with the anode and the cathode and which is effective to shunt the electrical current during the duty cycle between the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell, and which further is coupled in controlling relation relative to the valve;
• and
• after determining the voltage and current output of the fuel cell, and with the valve being maintained in a position which insures the substantially continuous supply of fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell, periodically shunting, by way of the controller, the current between the anode and the cathode to cause a resulting increased electrical power output, and wherein the operating cycle is about 0.01 seconds to about 4 minutes, and wherein the duration of the shunting during the duty cycle is less than about 20% of the operating cycle.