System and method for determining a state of operational readiness of a fuel cell backup system of a nuclear reactor system

1 . A method, comprising:

monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system; and

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

periodically monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

continuously monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

comparatively monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

responsive to an adjusted characteristic of the nuclear reactor system, monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring thermal characteristics of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring pressure characteristics of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring humidity characteristics of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring an electrical characteristic of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring an electrical current output level of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a voltage output of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring an electrical resistance of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a capacitance of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system using a fuel cell monitoring system.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting a signal from the fuel cell monitoring system to a readiness determination system.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transmitting a signal from the fuel cell monitoring system to a readiness determination system comprises:

transmitting the monitored state of readiness from the fuel cell monitoring system to a readiness determination system.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting a signal from the fuel cell monitoring system to a computer data management system.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting a signal from a fuel cell monitoring system to an operator.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting a signal from a fuel cell monitoring system to a fuel cell safety system.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system comprises:

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a variable function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system comprises:

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one operational characteristic of the nuclear reactor system.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system comprises:

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one design characteristic of the nuclear reactor system.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system comprises:

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state using a readiness determination system, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state using a readiness determination system, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor comprises:

providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an external input signal using a readiness determination system.

25 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

transmitting a signal from the readiness determination system to a fuel cell control system.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the transmitting a signal from the readiness determination system to a fuel cell control system comprises:

transmitting the readiness determination from the readiness determination system to a fuel cell control system.

27 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system using a fuel cell control system.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one thermal characteristic of the fuel cell system.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one pressure characteristic of the fuel cell system.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one humidity characteristic of the fuel cell system.

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one electrical characteristic of the fuel cell system.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one electrical characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one electrical output of the fuel cell system

34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from the nuclear reactor system to a portion of the fuel cell system.

36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring thermal energy from an energy to a portion of the fuel cell system.

37 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring thermal energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system using a heat transfer system.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring thermal energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system using a heat transfer system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring thermal energy from an energy source to a conditioning system of the fuel cell system using a heat transfer system.

39 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring electrical energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring electrical energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring electrical energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system using at least one electrical energy transfer system.

41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring electrical energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system using at least one electrical energy transfer system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by transferring electrical energy from an energy source to a portion of the fuel cell system using at least one electrical-to-thermal energy conversion system.

42 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by adjusting a condition of a reactant of the fuel cell system.

43 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system comprises:

responsive to the readiness determination, adjusting at least one characteristic of the fuel cell system by reconfiguring a portion of an electrical configuration of the fuel cell system.

44 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a readiness state of at least one polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

45 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a readiness state of at least one solid oxide fuel cell of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

46 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a readiness state of at least one alkaline fuel cell of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.

47 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system comprises:

monitoring a readiness state of at least one molten carbonate cell of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system.