Patent Document ID: 20070288126
Application ID: 11761077
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A system for simulating, predicting, and/or optimizing transient behavior of a fuel cell, the system comprising: A data input for receiving a plurality of constant parameter values determined based upon theoretical or experimental data corresponding to the fuel cell; and a computation module in communication with the data input for providing a nonlinear electrical circuit equivalent of the fuel cell, the nonlinear electrical circuit equivalent comprising an omhic resistance circuit and an RCL circuit, the RCL circuit including an inductive circuit element, L, a first resistive circuit element R L in series with the inductive circuit element, a second resistive circuit element R CT in parallel with the inductive circuit element L and first resistive circuit element R L , and a capacitive circuit element C in parallel with the second resistive circuit element R CT ; wherein the circuit elements are mathematically defined by a first set of equations comprising 
 R CT ( i CT )= A CT ·ln(α CT ·i CT )/(α CT ·i CT ) 
 R L ( i L )= A L ·ln(α L ·i L )/(α L ·i L ) 
 L ( i L )= B L ·ln(α L ·i L )/(α L ·i L ) 
 C=C 0 where A k , B k , and α k , k=CT, L, are the constant parameters determined based upon impedance spectra of the fuel cell, and where i CT , i C , and i L are currents via charge transfer through the second resistive circuit element R CT , the capacitive circuit element C, and the inductive circuit element L, respectively; wherein the nonlinear electrical circuit based upon a set of equations comprising V = V 0 - R 0 I - V RCL , V RCL = R CT ( i CT ) · i CT , i c =  q c  t =   t ( C · V RCL ) = C · (  V RCL  t ) , V RCL = R L ( i L ) · i L +   t [ L ( i L ) i L ] = R L ( i L ) · i L + R L ( i L ) · i L + [ L ( i L ) + i L ∂ L ( i L ) ∂ i L ] (  i L  t ) , and I = i CT + i c + i L , where V 0 and R 0 are open-circuit voltage and ohmic resistance of the fuel cell, respectively, V and I are voltage and current, respectively, of the fuel cell, V RCL is a voltage drop across the RCL circuit, and q, is charge stored by the capacitive circuit element C.