Patent ID: 6794067
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A fuel cell system, comprising:a fuel cell mixing apparatus into which can be fed a source fuel and a diluting fluid, capable of mixing said source fuel and said diluting fluid together in a desired mixing proportion into a fuel mix, and capable of outputting said fuel mix for feeding to a fuel cell; and a fuel mix dielectric constant sensor capable of measuring a fuel mix dielectric constant of said fuel mix output from said fuel cell mixing apparatus, thereby enabling actual relative proportions of said source fuel and said diluting fluid within said fuel mix to be determined from said fuel mix dielectric constant; wherein: the measurement of said fuel mix dielectric constant is used in a feedback loop as a basis to adjust, as needed, said mixing said source fuel and said diluting fluid together, in order to maintain said desired mixing proportion.