US 12,444,761 B2
Fuel cell system containing catalyst based fuel contamination sensor and method of operating thereof
Laxmikant Girwalkar, San Jose, CA (US); Aniket Pratap, San Jose, CA (US); David Weingaertner, San Jose, CA (US); and Srikanth Ranganathan, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/892,362.
Prior Publication US 2023/0055849 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04664 (2016.01); B01D 53/04 (2006.01); H01M 8/0432 (2016.01); H01M 8/04701 (2016.01); H01M 8/04746 (2016.01); H01M 8/0662 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04679 (2013.01) [B01D 53/0446 (2013.01); B01D 53/0454 (2013.01); H01M 8/04328 (2013.01); H01M 8/04365 (2013.01); H01M 8/04731 (2013.01); H01M 8/04761 (2013.01); H01M 8/0675 (2013.01); B01D 2257/30 (2013.01); B01D 2259/402 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell system, comprising:
a fuel cell stack;
a fuel line configured to provide fuel to the fuel cell stack;
a recycle blower;
a second recycling conduit configured to receive anode exhaust from the recycle blower;
a second bypass conduit configured to provide the anode exhaust from the second recycling conduit to a catalyst sensor;
the catalyst sensor configured to receive the fuel from the fuel line and the anode exhaust generated by the fuel cell stack, the catalyst sensor comprising:
a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a fuel reformation catalyst disposed in the housing between the inlet and the outlet;
an inlet temperature sensor configured to detect an inlet temperature of fluid in the inlet; and
an outlet temperature sensor configured to detect an outlet temperature of fluid in the outlet; and
a controller configured to detect poisoning of the fuel reformation catalyst based on temperature data provided by at least the outlet temperature sensor.