Patent · US Expired

Method for monitoring the discharge of media out of fuel cell, and a fuel cell system

US7413823B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

3References

14Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

Dieter Illner · Erlangen, DE
Igor Mehltretter · Buckenhof, DE
Ottmar Voitlein · Lonnerstadt, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Sep 10, 2001
Grant date	Aug 19, 2008
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 25, 2022

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02E60/50
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A defective operation of a valve (15, 35, 37, 39) in a drainage line (13, 21, 31, 33) of a fuel cell results in unintentionally permitting process gas to flow into the surrounding area of the fuel cells. In order to resolve this problem, the invention provides a method for monitoring the discharge of media out of a fuel cell and provides a fuel cell system, with which the gas and water stream flowing through the drainage line (25, 41) is monitored (65) by means of a Venturi nozzle (23, 40) that is connected to a differential pressure sensor (27, 53). The magnitude (67) and the temporal progression (69) of the differential pressure indicated by the differential pressure sensor (27, 53) establishes the basis for controlling the valve (15, 35, 37, 39) in the drainage line (13, 21, 31, 33) and for shutting down (71) the fuel cell block (1) in the event that the valve (15, 35, 37, 39) is defective.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.