Patent ID: 7914935

Claim:
A method for managing fuel cell power increases in a fuel cell system using air flow feedback delay, the method comprising the steps of: a. determining gas flow effecting characteristics of an air flow path of the fuel cell system between a compressor supplying air and a cathode outlet of a fuel cell stack by modeling a distance and a static volume of a line linking the compressor to a cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack, and a plurality of channels between the cathode inlet and the cathode outlet b. determining an air mass flow rate in the air flow path between the compressor and the cathode outlet; c. determining a gas pressure of the fuel cell system on the cathode side; d. calculating an air flow feedback delay as a function of said gas flow effecting characteristics, said air mass flow rate, and said gas pressure; and e. delaying an external circuit from drawing current out of the fuel cell stack by the magnitude of the air flow feedback delay.