Patent ID: 8405399
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method for predicting a minimum cell voltage trend of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, said method comprising: using a stack health monitor and a controller to perform the steps of: monitoring fuel cell stack voltage and current density of the fuel cell stack; determining an average cell voltage from the measured stack voltage based on the number of fuel cells in the stack; monitoring a minimum cell voltage of the cells in the stack; determining whether the minimum cell voltage falls below a first predetermined threshold value; generating a first set of artificial data points for a cell voltage proximate to the first threshold value if the minimum cell voltage falls below the first threshold value; determining whether the minimum cell voltage falls below a second predetermined threshold value, wherein the second predetermined threshold value is less than the first predetermined threshold value; generating a second set of artificial data points for a cell voltage proximate to the second threshold value if the minimum cell voltage falls below the second threshold value; and estimating fuel cell stack parameters based on the average cell voltage, the current density, and the first and second set of artificial data points so as to predict the minimum cell voltage trend and a minimum cell voltage polarization curve of the fuel cells in the stack.