The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 10, 2010
John P. Salvador, Penfield, NY (US);
Joseph Nicholas Lovria, Honeoye Falls, NY (US);
Sriram Ganapathy, Rochester, NY (US);
John C. Fagley, Victor, NY (US);
John P. Salvador, Penfield, NY (US);
Joseph Nicholas Lovria, Honeoye Falls, NY (US);
Sriram Ganapathy, Rochester, NY (US);
John C. Fagley, Victor, NY (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A system and method for estimating the amount of hydrogen and/or nitrogen in a fuel cell stack and stack volumes at system start-up and shut-down. The method defines the fuel cell stack and stack volumes as discrete volumes including an anode flow-field and anode plumbing volume, a cathode flow-field volume and a cathode header and plumbing volume. The method estimates the amount of hydrogen and/or nitrogen in the anode flow-field and anode plumbing volume, the cathode flow-field volume and the cathode header and plumbing volume when the fuel cell system is shut down, during a first stage when the hydrogen partial pressure between the anode and cathode is not in equilibrium and during a second stage when the hydrogen partial pressure between the anode and cathode is in equilibrium by considering various flows into and out of the volumes.