Patent ID: 8877401

Claim:
A method for optimizing a fuel feed of a fuel cell stack catalytic electrode, a fuel cell stack containing a cell comprising a proton exchange membrane located between said catalytic electrode and another electrode, and operating in a superstoichiometric mode, said fuel comprising at least one carbonyl-containing polluting agent compound, said compound reacting on said catalytic electrode, comprising the following steps: defining a reference voltage for said cell when fed with a fuel exempt from polluting agent; defining a threshold voltage corresponding to a preset operating voltage of said cell equal to a percentage of said reference voltage; defining a calibration curve for given operating conditions, relating said threshold voltage to a flow rate of polluting agent and allowing a first parameter corresponding to the flow rate of polluting agent to be defined; detecting the amount of polluting agent in order to define a second parameter corresponding to the content of polluting agent present in said fuel; and determining a maximum stoichiometry coefficient for said fuel stream, depending on said two parameters, under given operating conditions.