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US 6,646,413 B2Granted
Fuel cell system and method for operating the fuel cell system
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorsRainer Autenrieth, Gerhard Konrad, Karsten Ledwig, Michael Niehues, Markus Walter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell unit having an anode side and a cathode side, anode-side feeding and outflow lines for the supply of fuel and removal of anode-side exhaust, and cathode-side feeding and outflow lines for the supply of oxygen and removal of cathode-side exhaust. The fuel cell system also includes means for electrically switching the fuel cell unit on and off depending on the available quantity of fuel.
Claims17
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell unit having an anode side, a cathode side and an electrical output;
- an anode feeding line and outflow line for supplying of fuel and removing anode exhaust;
- a cathode feeding line and outflow line for supplying oxygen and removing cathode exhaust;
- and
- means for switching the fuel cell unit electrically between a switched-on mode in which electric power flows from said electrical output, and a switched-off mode in which no electric power flows from said electrical output, depending on an available quantity of fuel.
2 more elements
A method for operating a fuel cell systems comprising:
- detecting an available quantity of at least one of an input fuel and an oxygen supply to said fuel cell system;
- and
- electrically switching a fuel cell unit between a switched-on mode in which electric power flows from said electrical output, and a switched-off mode in which no electric power flows from said electrical output, depending on said available quantity of at least one of fuel and oxygen.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell unit;
- a sensor for sensing a quantity of at least one of fuel and oxygen that is available for input to said fuel cell unit;
- a switch for switching said fuel cell between an on state in which it supplies an electric power output, and an off state in which it supplies no electric power output;
- and
- a control unit which controls operation of said switch between said on state and said off state, as a function of said quantity of available fuel or oxygen sensed by said sensor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.