METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM
A method for operating a fuel cell system comprising: a first fuel cell stack having a first current and a first temperature, electrically coupled in parallel with a second fuel cell stack having a second current and a second temperature, may include: triggering a fault response when a differential between the first and second currents or between the first and second temperatures exceeds a respective threshold.
1 . A method for operating a fuel cell system the fuel cell system having a first fuel cell stack operable to produce a first current, and at least a second fuel cell stack operable to produce a second current, the second fuel cell stack electrically coupled in parallel with the first fuel cell stack, the method comprising:
determining if a differential between the first current and the second current exceeds a threshold; and
triggering a fault response in response to the differential between the first current and the second current exceeding the threshold.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
interrupting a flow of electricity between the first fuel cell stack and a load as at least part of the fault response, where a magnitude of the first current is less than a magnitude of the second current.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
increasing a supply of a reactant to the first fuel cell stack as at least part of the fault response where the first current is greater than the second current.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
alerting an operator as at least part of the fault response.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing the first current and sensing the second current.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a magnitude of the threshold based at least in part on at least some operating conditions of the fuel cell system.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel cell system has a third current which is at least the aggregation of the first current and the second current; and further comprising:
sensing the first current; and
calculating the second current based at least in part on the sensed first current.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing the first current with a Hall Effect sensor.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the differential between the first current and the second current via a controller.
10 . A method for operating a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system having a first fuel cell stack operable to produces a first current, and at least a second fuel cell stack operable to produce a second current, the second fuel cell stack electrically coupled in parallel with the first fuel cell stack, the method comprising:
sensing the first current;
determining the second current;
determining a current differential between the first current and the second current; and
triggering a fault response when the current differential exceeds a threshold.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein determining the second current comprises sensing the second current.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
interrupting a flow of electricity between the first fuel cell stack and a load as at least part of the fault response where a magnitude of the first current is less than a magnitude of the second current.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
increasing a supply of a reactant to the first fuel cell stack as at least part of the fault response where a magnitude of the first current is less than a magnitude of the second current.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
alerting an operator as at least part of the fault response.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein a magnitude of the threshold is based on at least one operating condition of the fuel cell system.
16 . A method for operating a fuel cell system the fuel cell system having a first fuel cell stack characterized by a first temperature which can vary from time-to-time during operation, and at least a second fuel cell stack characterized by a second temperature which can vary from time-to-time during operation, the second fuel cell stack electrically coupled in parallel with the first fuel cell stack, the method comprising:
sensing the first temperature;
sensing the second temperature; and
triggering a fault response when a differential between the first temperature and the second temperature exceeds a threshold.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
interrupting a flow of electricity between the first fuel cell stack and a load as at least part of the fault response where the first temperature is greater than the second temperature.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
increasing a supply of a reactant to the first fuel cell stack as at least part of the fault response where the first temperature is greater than the second temperature.
19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
alerting an operator as at least part of the fault response.
20 . The method of claim 16 wherein a magnitude of the threshold is based on at least one operating condition of the fuel cell system.
21 . The method of claim 16 wherein sensing the first temperature includes directly sensing a temperature of a physical portion of the first fuel cell stack.
22 . The method of claim 16 wherein sensing the first temperature includes sensing a temperature of an ambient environment proximate the first fuel cell stack.
23 . The method of claim 16 wherein sensing the first temperature includes sensing a temperature of the reaction product of the first fuel cell stack.