Integrated operation of molten carbonate fuel cells
US-2017271701-A1 · Sep 21, 2017 · US
System including fuel cell assembly voltage monitor
US12412913B2 · US · B2
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-12412913-B2 |
| Application number | US-202218072287-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | B2 |
| Filing date | Nov 30, 2022 |
| Priority date | Sep 12, 2018 |
| Publication date | Sep 9, 2025 |
| Grant date | Sep 9, 2025 |
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Abstract
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A method for controlling a carbon dioxide utilization in a fuel cell assembly includes: measuring a voltage across the fuel cell assembly; determining an estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly by determining an expected voltage of the fuel cell assembly based on at least a temperature of the fuel cell assembly, a current density across the fuel cell assembly, a fuel utilization of the fuel cell assembly, and a cathode oxygen utilization of the fuel cell assembly; determining the estimated carbon dioxide utilization based on a comparison between the measured voltage and the determined expected voltage; comparing the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization to a predetermined threshold utilization; and upon determining that the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization is higher than the predetermined threshold utilization, reducing the carbon utilization of the fuel cell assembly.
First claim
Opening claim text (preview).
What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a carbon dioxide utilization in a fuel cell assembly, the method comprising: measuring a voltage across the fuel cell assembly using a fuel cell assembly voltage monitor; determining an estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly by determining an expected voltage of the fuel cell assembly based on at least a temperature of the fuel cell assembly, a current density across the fuel cell assembly, a fuel utilization of the fuel cell assembly, and a cathode oxygen utilization of the fuel cell assembly, wherein the estimated carbon dioxide utilization based on a comparison between the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly and the determined expected voltage across the fuel cell assembly; comparing the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly to a predetermined threshold utilization; and upon determining that the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly is higher than the predetermined threshold utilization, reducing the carbon utilization of the fuel cell assembly. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: an anode inlet gas of an anode portion of the fuel cell assembly comprises a fuel gas flow; and the method further comprises: measuring a flow rate of the fuel gas flow; and determining the fuel utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured flow rate of the fuel gas flow. 3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring a hydrogen content of an anode exhaust gas of an anode portion of the fuel cell assembly; and determining the fuel utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured hydrogen content of the anode exhaust gas. 4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring a flow rate of a cathode inlet gas of a cathode portion of the fuel cell assembly; measuring a composition of the cathode inlet gas; and determining the cathode oxygen utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured flow rate of the cathode inlet gas and the composition of the cathode inlet gas. 5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring a flow rate of a cathode outlet gas of a cathode portion of the fuel cell assembly; measuring a composition of the cathode outlet gas; and determining the cathode oxygen utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured flow rate of the cathode outlet gas and the composition of the cathode outlet gas. 6. The method of claim 1 , comprising: determining, by a controller, an average temperature of the fuel cell assembly based temperatures measured using a temperature sensor; wherein the temperature of the fuel cell assembly used to determine the expected voltage of the fuel cell assembly is the average temperature of the fuel cell assembly. 7. The method of claim 1 , comprising: determining the current density across the fuel cell assembly based on a current across the fuel cell assembly as measured by a load controller. 8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: measuring a flow rate of a cathode inlet gas; measuring a composition of the cathode inlet gas; measuring a flow rate of a cathode outlet gas; measuring a composition of the cathode outlet gas; and determining the cathode oxygen utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the flow rate of the cathode inlet gas, the composition of the cathode inlet gas, the flow rate of the cathode outlet gas, and the composition of the cathode outlet gas. 9. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly is reduced at least by reducing the current density across the fuel cell assembly. 10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: upon determining that the determined estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly is below the predetermined threshold utilization, increasing the carbon utilization of the fuel cell assembly at least by increasing the current density across the fuel cell assembly. 11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: upon determining that the determined estimated carbon dioxide of the fuel cell assembly is lower than the predetermined threshold utilization, increasing the carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly.
Assignees
Inventors
Classifications
Fuel cells with molten carbonates · CPC title
Removal of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide · CPC title
of fuel cell stacks · CPC title
of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title
of fuel cell reactants · CPC title
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Frequently asked questions
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- What does patent US12412913B2 cover?
- A method for controlling a carbon dioxide utilization in a fuel cell assembly includes: measuring a voltage across the fuel cell assembly; determining an estimated carbon dioxide utilization of the fuel cell assembly based on at least the measured voltage across the fuel cell assembly by determining an expected voltage of the fuel cell assembly based on at least a temperature of the fuel cell a…
- Who is the assignee on this patent?
- Fuelcell Energy Inc
- What technology area does this patent fall under?
- Primary CPC classification B01D53/326. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
- When was this patent published?
- Publication date Tue Sep 09 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
- What related patents are in patentsdb?
- We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).