Fuel cell instrumentation system
AssigneePratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
InventorsAndrew J. Zillmer, Joseph P. Carroll
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An instrumentation system utilizes a single light source collimated through windows through a gas line in communication with a fuel cell. As each beam passes through each window, the gas stream will attenuate each beam. A diffraction grating disperses each attenuated beam and transmits particular wavelength bands through a focusing system to a detector. The measured concentration in the gas stream may then be utilized by a controller to determine the amount of power produced by the cell, determine potential leaks, or determine incomplete reaction.
Claims15
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell;
- a gas line in communication with said fuel cell, said gas line having a first window and a second window;
- a light source;
- a collimator system to collimate a beam from said light source into a first collimated beam directed through said first window and a second collimated beam directed through said second window;
- a first diffraction grating through which said first collimated beam passes subsequent to passage through said first window;
- a first focus system to focus said first collimated beam which has passed through said first diffraction grating on a first detector to receive said first collimated beam focused by said first focus system;
- a second diffraction grating through which said second collimated beam passes subsequent to passage through said second window;
- a second focus system to focus said second collimated beam which has passed through said second diffraction grating;
- and
- a second detector to receive said second collimated beam focused by said second focus system.
A method of instrumenting a fuel cell comprising the steps of:
- (A) collimating light from a single light source into a first collimated beam and a second collimated beam;
- (B) directing the first collimated beam through a first window in a gas line in communication with a fuel cell;
- (C) directing the second collimated beam through a second window in the gas line in communication with the fuel cell;
- (D) receiving the first collimated beam at a first detector subsequent to said step (B);
- and
- (E) receiving the second collimated beam at a second detector subsequent to said step (C).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.