Fuel source, fuel cell system and associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016351927-A1
Application number	US-201515116799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel source ( 100 ), a fluid gauge adapter ( 300 ), a fuel cell system ( 200 ) and an associated method. The fuel source ( 100 ) has a gauge ( 104 ) comprising an electronic multi-stable display ( 106 ). The fuel cell system ( 200 ) and method relate to receiving fuel from the fuel source ( 100 ), determining ( 212 ) a fuel consumption of the fuel cell system ( 200 ), calculating ( 214 ) a substance level of the fuel source in accordance with the fuel consumption and updating ( 216 ) an electronic multi-stable display of the fluid gauge of the fuel source in accordance with the substance level.

First claim

1 . A fuel source for a fuel cell system, the fuel source having a gauge comprising an electronic multi-stable display and a read-back unit configured to determine a substance level of the fuel source by measuring an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display.

2 . The fuel source of claim 1 wherein the electronic multi-stable display comprises an electronic paper display.

3 . The fuel source of claim 2 wherein the electronic paper display comprises electrophoretic ink.

4 . (canceled)

5 . A fuel cell system configured to receive fuel from the fuel source of claim 1 and comprising:
a controller configured to;
determine a fuel consumption of the fuel cell system;
calculate a substance level of the fuel source in accordance with the fuel consumption; and,
update the electronic multi-stable display of the fluid gauge of the fuel source in accordance with the substance level.

6 . The fuel cell system of claim 5 wherein; the controller is configured to
receive a substance level from the read-back unit; and,
the controller is configured to calculate a subsequent substance level of the fuel source in accordance with the fuel consumption and the read substance level.

7 . The fuel cell system of claim 6 wherein receiving the substance level of the display comprises measuring an electrical property of one or more picture elements of the display.

8 . The fuel cell system of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to determine the fuel consumption in accordance with an output voltage, current or power of the fuel cell system.

9 . The fuel cell system of claim 5 further comprising a flow meter on a fuel inlet line and wherein the controller is configured to determine the fuel consumption in accordance with the metered flow.

10 . A method for operating a fuel cell system, the method comprising:
receive fuel from a fuel source having a gauge comprising an electronic multi-stable display; determining a substance level of the fuel source by way of measurement of an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display; determining a fuel consumption of the fuel cell system; calculating a subsequent substance level of the fuel source in accordance with the fuel consumption; and, updating the electronic multi-stable display of the fluid gauge of the fuel source in accordance with the subsequent substance level.

11 . A non-transient computer program on a computer readable medium configured to perform the method of claim 10 .

12 . A fluid gauge adapter comprising:
a fluid gauge comprising an electronic multi-stable display; a flow path between an inlet and an outlet of the adapter; a fluid property measuring device configured to measure a property of a fluid in the flow path; and, a controller configured to:
determine a substance level of a fluid storage device by way of measurement of an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display calculate a subsequent fluid level of the fluid storage device in accordance with the property of the fluid; and,

update the electronic multi-stable display of the fluid gauge in accordance with the subsequent fluid level.

13 . The fluid gauge adapter of claim 12 wherein the controller periodically updates the display.

14 . The fluid gauge adapter of claim 12 further comprising a generator configured to generate power using the fluid flow through the flow path.

15 . The fluid gauge adapter of claim 12 further comprising a renewable energy source.

16 . A substance storage vessel, the vessel having a gauge comprising an electronic multi-stable display, the vessel including a read-back unit configured to provide for determination of a substance level in the vessel by measurement of an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display.

17 . A system configured to receive a substance from a substance storage vessel, the vessel having a gauge comprising an electronic multi-stable display, the system configured to determine a substance level in the vessel by measurement of an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display.

18 . A method of determining a substance level of a substance in a storage vessel, the storage vessel comprising an electronic multi-stable display configured to display the substance level, the method comprising
measuring an electrical property of the electronic multi-stable display and deriving the substance level therefrom.

19 - 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Edgar David

Classifications

• H01M8/04656 Primary

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04559

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04208 Primary

  Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs · CPC title

• H01M8/04589

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/04992

  characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence · CPC title