Fuel cell instrumentation system
View Patent ↗An instrumentation system utilizes a single light source collimated through windows through a gas line in communication with a fuel cell. As each beam passes through each window, the gas stream will attenuate each beam. A diffraction grating disperses each attenuated beam and transmits particular wavelength bands through a focusing system to a detector. The measured concentration in the gas stream may then be utilized by a controller to determine the amount of power produced by the cell, determine potential leaks, or determine incomplete reaction.
1. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell;
a gas line in communication with said fuel cell, said gas line having a first window and a second window;
a light source;
a collimator system to collimate a beam from said light source into a first collimated beam directed through said first window and a second collimated beam directed through said second window;
a first diffraction grating through which said first collimated beam passes subsequent to passage through said first window;
a first focus system to focus said first collimated beam which has passed through said first diffraction grating on a first detector to receive said first collimated beam focused by said first focus system;
a second diffraction grating through which said second collimated beam passes subsequent to passage through said second window;
a second focus system to focus said second collimated beam which has passed through said second diffraction grating; and
a second detector to receive said second collimated beam focused by said second focus system.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first diffraction grating disperses the first collimated beam and transmits a first wavelength band and said second diffraction grating disperses the second collimated beam and transmits a second wavelength band, said first wavelength band different than said second wavelength band.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with said first detector and said second detector.
4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the gas line is a tap-off line.
5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first detector detects carbon dioxide gas of an approximately 2 micron wavelength band and said second detector detects carbon dioxide gas of an approximately 1 micron wavelength band.
6. A method of instrumenting a fuel cell comprising the steps of:
(A) collimating light from a single light source into a first collimated beam and a second collimated beam;
(B) directing the first collimated beam through a first window in a gas line in communication with a fuel cell;
(C) directing the second collimated beam through a second window in the gas line in communication with the fuel cell;
(D) receiving the first collimated beam at a first detector subsequent to said step (B); and
(E) receiving the second collimated beam at a second detector subsequent to said step (C).
7. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein said step (D) comprises the step of:
(a) directing the first collimated beam onto a first diffraction grating prior to receiving the first focused beam at the first detector;
(b) communicating with the first detector; and
(c) identifying the concentration of a gas communicated through the gas line at a wavelength band defined by the first diffraction grating.
8. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein said step (E) comprises the step of:
(a) directing the second collimated beam onto a second diffraction grating prior to receiving the second focused beam at the second detector;
(b) communicating with the second detector; and
(c) identifying the concentration of a gas communicated through the gas line at a wavelength band defined by the second diffraction grating.
9. A method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
(F) communicating with the first and second detector; and
(G) determining a fuel cell power level from said step (F).
10. A method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
(F) communicating with the first and second detector; and
(G) determining a CO 2 concentration at a first and second wavelength in a gas stream communicated through the gas line.
11. A method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
(F) communicating with the first detector; and
(G) determining a quantity of CO in a gas stream communicated through the gas line.
12. A method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
(F) communicating with the first detector; and
(G) determining a quantity of O 2 in a gas stream communicated through the gas line.
13. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said gas line having said first window and said second window is an exhaust line from said fuel cell.
14. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust line from said fuel cell, said gas line having said first window and said second window a tap-off line from said exhaust line.
15. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said controller is operable to determine power produced by the fuel cell from identified concentrations of CO 2 .