초록 ▼

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for determining the concentration of CO gas in a fuel reformate stream such as in a PEM fuel cell vehicle. This invention protects the fuel cell catalyst by controlling the reformate stream system to minimize the CO and reduce it by a novel cata

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for determining the concentration of CO gas in a fuel reformate stream such as in a PEM fuel cell vehicle. This invention protects the fuel cell catalyst by controlling the reformate stream system to minimize the CO and reduce it by a novel catalyst system that selectively converts CO to methane but does not react with carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The catalyst may reduce the CO to methane by reaction with hydrogen. The preferred embodiment both monitors the CO by a thermal differential sensing means and an optical biomimetic sensor and or a conductivity sensor. These sensors respond to the CO gas and are monitored by one or more monitoring sensors such as the temperature and or conductivity difference between the control and the catalytic material such as nickel and in the biomimetic sensor an optical change is monitored. The optical sensing comprising a photon source optically coupled to the sensor and photodiode system, so that the photon flux is a function of at least one other sensor's response to the CO gas, e.g., transmits light through the sensor to the photodiode. The photocurrent from the photodiode is converted to a digital sensor reading value proportional to the optical characteristic(s) of the sensor(s) as a function of time and the data is loaded into a microprocessor or other logic circuit. In the microprocessor, the sensor readings are essentially used to calculate the CO concentration and control the process to maximize the fuel cell or to trigger a signal for service.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for determining the concentration of carbon monoxide within a hydrogen rich stream of a fuel cell reformer comprising the steps of:passing a portion of the hydrogen rich stream into a first sensor chamber that includes at least one sensor that is responsive to carbon monoxide; exposing a

1. A method for determining the concentration of carbon monoxide within a hydrogen rich stream of a fuel cell reformer comprising the steps of:passing a portion of the hydrogen rich stream into a first sensor chamber that includes at least one sensor that is responsive to carbon monoxide; exposing at least one sensor that is responsive to carbon monoxide, and that is disposed within a second sensor chamber, to air to regenerate the same; determining the level of carbon monoxide present in the hydrogen rich stream by monitoring the response of the sensor exposed to thereto; and routing the hydrogen rich stream to the second sensor chamber, and exposing the sensor within the first sensor chamber to air, when a predetermined carbon monoxide saturation level is satisfied.