US 11,695,132 B2
Method for controlling air flow in a fuel cell power system
Marco Cauchi, Milan (IT); and Marco Spataro, Varese (IT)
Assigned to Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, Billerica, MA (US)
Filed by Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, Billerica, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 25, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/17,677.
Application 16/017,677 is a continuation of application No. 14/317,022, filed on Jun. 27, 2014, granted, now 10,033,055.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/840,862, filed on Jun. 28, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2018/0309144 A1, Oct. 25, 2018
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); H01M 8/04746 (2016.01); H01M 8/0438 (2016.01); H01M 8/04858 (2016.01); H01M 8/04992 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04104 (2013.01) [H01M 8/0441 (2013.01); H01M 8/04395 (2013.01); H01M 8/04432 (2013.01); H01M 8/04753 (2013.01); H01M 8/04776 (2013.01); H01M 8/04783 (2013.01); H01M 8/04947 (2013.01); H01M 8/04992 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell power system comprising:
one or more fuel cells configured to generate electric power;
a compressor configured to supply compressed air to the one or more fuel cells;
one or more sensors associated with the one or more fuel cells and configured to (i) measure pressure of the compressed air at a cathode input of the one or more fuel cells, (ii) measure pressure of the compressed air at a cathode output of the one or more fuel cells, (iii) determine a measured pressure drop in air flowing across the one or more fuel cells based on a difference between the pressure at the cathode input of the one or more fuel cells and the cathode output of the one or more fuel cells, and (iv) generate a signal indicative of at least one measured parameter of the measured pressure drop across the one or more fuel cells; and
a controller in communication with the one or more fuel cells, the compressor, and the one or more sensors, the controller being configured to:
determine a desired pressure drop across the one or more fuel cells based on at least one calculated parameter;
determine a control command for the compressor based on the desired pressure drop; and
adjust the control command based on a feedback gain parameter, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the feedback gain parameter based on a difference between the measured pressure drop and the desired pressure drop.