Patent ID: 7862949
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: G01K,H01M,Y02E,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack including end cells; an end cell temperature sensor in each end cell of the stack, each end cell temperature sensor providing an end cell temperature signal; a cooling fluid outlet temperature sensor positioned within a cooling fluid loop outside of the fuel cell stack and providing a cooling fluid outlet temperature signal indicative of the temperature of the cooling fluid; and a controller responsive to the end cell temperature signals from the end cell temperature sensors and the cooling fluid temperature signal from the cooling fluid temperature sensor, said controller being configured and programmed to determine if the fuel cell stack may be overheating based on the temperature signals, calculate an average end cell temperature from the end cell temperature signals, determine if any of the end cell temperature signals are outlying by comparing each end cell temperature signal to the average end cell temperature, and recalculate the average end cell temperature without the outlying temperature measurement signals.