Method to measure and communicate cell voltage in a fuel cell stack by embedding measurement units on the plate
US8206862B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 8, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jun 26, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for communicating measurement data from each fuel cell or a group of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, including a plurality of fuel cells, a plurality of stack plates, and a plurality of embedded smart plates. The stack plates are between each fuel cell and on each end of the stack, and the plurality of embedded smart plates are mechanically and electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of stack plates, and each smart plate including optical transceivers on the top side and the bottom side. The system further includes first and second aggregator devices, said first and second aggregator devices including at least one optical transceiver for communicating with the embedded smart plate adjacent to the first or second aggregator device, where one aggregator device initiates communication with the embedded smart plates and the other aggregator device completes communication.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.