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AssigneeUniversity of Connecticut
InventorsRichard S. Parnas, Yatin P. Patil
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The present invention provides, a system and method for unobtrusively determining water content within a fuel cell. One embodiment of a system in accordance with the present invention includes a fuel cell body including an ionomeric membrane, water and a fluorophore contained therein. The system further includes a medium for permitting light transfer therein, such as an optical fiber, having opposing ends, wherein one end contacts or is disposed in a portion of the ionomeric membrane and the other end extends from the fuel cell body. The other end is preferably divided into at least two portions, one portion being operatively associated with a light source, and another portion being operatively associated with a spectrometer.
A fuel cell system including means for unobtrusively measuring fluorescence of a membrane within a fuel cell, the membrane containing a fluorophore, the system comprising:
A method for unobtrusively measuring fluorescence of a membrane within a fuel cell, the membrane containing a fluorophore, the method comprising steps of:
A sensing device for unobtrusively measuring fluorescence of a membrane within a fuel cell, the membrane containing a fluorophore, the device comprising a medium permitting light transfer therein having opposing ends, wherein one of the opposing ends is adapted to contact a membrane within a fuel cell, the membrane containing a fluorophore, and wherein the other of the opposing ends is operatively associated with a light source and a spectrometer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.