System and method for early detection of contaminants in a fuel processing system
AssigneeIdaTech, LLC
InventorsDavid J. Edlund, William A. Pledger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for preventing damage to a fuel cell stack resulting from impurities in the product stream from a fuel processor, such as may occur should the separation region of the fuel processor fail. The system and method include detecting the concentration of at least one component of the product stream and isolating the fuel cell stack should this concentration exceed an acceptable threshold level. In some embodiments, the system or method are adapted to detect the concentration of a component that itself is not harmful to the fuel cell stack, or which is not harmful in an associated threshold concentration. In some embodiments, the detected composition is at least one of water, methane, and carbon dioxide.
Claims43
A method for preventing contamination of a fuel cell stack in a fuel processing system that includes a fuel processor adapted to produce a product hydrogen stream and a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream, the method comprising:
- measuring the concentration of at least one component of the product hydrogen stream;
- comparing the measured concentration to a corresponding threshold value, wherein the at least one component includes a selected component that, if present in the product hydrogen stream in a concentration that is at least as great as the corresponding threshold value, is not harmful to the fuel cell stack, and further wherein the selected component includes water;
- and
- preventing delivery of the product hydrogen stream to the fuel cell stack if the measured concentration exceeds the corresponding threshold value.
A method for preventing contamination of a fuel cell stack in a fuel processing system that includes a fuel processor adapted to produce a product hydrogen stream and a fuel cell stack adapted to receive the product hydrogen stream, the method comprising:
- measuring the concentration of at least one component of the product hydrogen stream;
- comparing the measured concentration to a corresponding threshold value, wherein the at least one component includes a selected component that, if present in the product hydrogen stream in a concentration that is at least as great as the corresponding threshold value, is not harmful to the fuel cell stack, and further wherein the selected component includes methane;
- and
- preventing delivery of the product hydrogen stream to the fuel cell stack if the measured concentration exceeds the corresponding threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.