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:
Mar. 25, 2014
Filed:
Aug. 05, 2011
Matthew A. Lang, Churchville, NY (US);
Nathan Baader, Hemlock, NY (US);
Matthew A. Lang, Churchville, NY (US);
Nathan Baader, Hemlock, NY (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A system and method for detecting an intermittent failure of an injector that injects hydrogen gas fuel into the anode side of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system. The method includes operating the injector at a fixed injector pulse width and frequency, which causes the stack to generate a constant current, and therefore, a constant fuel consumption rate. While at a constant current, the injector is commanded to a constant duty cycle and frequency that matches the rate of fuel consumption in the fuel cell system. The resulting fuel pressure feedback is then monitored, and if it diverges from a defined nominal value, either in a constant or oscillatory manner, it can be determined that the injector has an intermittent opening failure. In one embodiment, the determination of the injector failure is performed during a shut-down sequence of the fuel cell system.