Systems and methods for indirectly monitoring separation resistance of one or more fuel cells

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for monitoring the isolation resistance of one or more fuel cells.SOLUTION: In one example, a system includes a current transformer having a hollow core 62. A first portion 40 and a second portion 42 of a load line from a fuel cell are located within the hollow core 62. The first portion 40 of the load line is electrical between an anode of the fuel cell and an electrical load, while the second portion 42 of the load line is electrical between a cathode of the fuel cell and the electrical load. The current transformer outputs an electrical signal proportional to a current passing through the hollow core 62. The electrical signal can then be used to determine the isolation resistance of the fuel cell.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to systems and methods for monitoring isolation resistance in fuel cells. [Background technology]

[0002] The background discussion provided is intended to generally present the context for the present disclosure. To the extent that it may be described in this background section, the inventor's work and aspects of the description that may not be considered prior art at the time of filing are not explicitly or implicitly admitted as prior art to the present technology.

[0003] Fuel cells are electrochemical cells that convert the chemical energy of a fuel or oxidant into electricity through a pair of oxidation-reduction reactions. Fuel cells typically contain an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte that allows ions (often positively charged hydrogen ions) to migrate between the fuel cell's electrodes. At the anode, a catalyst drives the oxidation of the fuel, producing ions and electrons. The ions migrate from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. Simultaneously, electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating direct current (DC) electricity. Another catalyst drives the ions, electrons, and oxygen to react at the cathode, forming water and possibly other products.

[0004] Some fuel cells require the use of a coolant to properly cool the fuel cell. The coolant passes through the fuel cell and then is fed to a heat exchanger. However, during this process, corrosion and other contaminants from the fuel cell can accumulate in the coolant. This accumulation increases the conductivity of the coolant, which can lead to short circuits, induce galvanic corrosion, electrolyze the coolant, reduce efficiency, and potentially pose a safety hazard. To prevent these drawbacks from occurring, fuel cell coolant systems can use ion exchangers that effectively remove ions from the stream.

[0005] However, ion exchangers must be inspected periodically to operate properly. Currently, maintenance schedules are time-based, meaning one or more parts of the ion exchanger are replaced after a certain period of time, whether in operation or at rest. This can lead to situations where the ion exchanger is inspected unnecessarily, resulting in unnecessary maintenance costs. A further concern is situations where the ion exchanger is not inspected even though it needs to be inspected due to the maintenance schedule. This situation could result in serious damage to the fuel cell or safety issues. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This section generally summarizes the disclosure and does not comprehensively describe its entire scope or all of its features.

[0007] In one embodiment, the system includes a current transformer having a hollow core. First and second portions of a load line from a fuel cell are located within the hollow core. The first portion of the load line is electrically connected between the negative terminal of the fuel cell and an electrical load, while the second portion of the load line is electrically connected between the positive terminal of the fuel cell and an electrical load. The current transformer is configured to output an electrical signal proportional to the current passing through the hollow core. This electrical signal can then be used to determine the separation resistance of the fuel cell and / or to determine when the ion exchanger should be replaced or otherwise serviced.

[0008] The system can also be used to determine the overall separation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells and / or to determine when the ion exchangers of the plurality of fuel cells should be replaced or otherwise serviced. Here, the system includes a current transformer having a hollow core, as described above. First and second portions of a plurality of load lines from the plurality of fuel cells are positioned within the hollow core. The first portions of the load lines are electrically connected between the negative electrodes of the plurality of fuel cells and at least one electrical load, and the second portions of the load lines are electrically connected between the positive electrodes of the fuel cells and at least one electrical load. The current transformer is configured to output an electrical signal proportional to the current passing through the hollow core. This electrical signal can then be used to determine the overall separation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells and / or to determine when the ion exchangers of the plurality of fuel cells should be replaced or otherwise serviced.

[0009] In another embodiment, a method includes receiving an electrical signal from a current transformer having a hollow core and determining a separation resistance of the fuel cell based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer. As described above, first and second portions of a load line from the fuel cell are located within the hollow core. The first portion of the load line is electrically connected between a negative terminal of the fuel cell and an electrical load, and the second portion of the load line is electrically connected between a positive terminal of the fuel cell and an electrical load. The current transformer is configured to output an electrical signal proportional to a differential current passing through the hollow core, which is used by the method to determine the separation resistance of the fuel cell.

[0010] Alternatively, the method may determine the overall separation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells and / or determine when the ion exchangers of the plurality of fuel cells should be replaced or otherwise serviced, in which case the first and second portions of the plurality of load lines from the plurality of fuel cells are disposed and located within the hollow core.

[0011] Further areas of application and various ways of improving the disclosed technology will become apparent from the description provided. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various systems, methods, and other embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one embodiment of the boundaries. In some embodiments, one element may be designed as multiple elements, or multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some embodiments, an element shown as an internal part of another element may be implemented as an external part, and vice versa. Additionally, elements may not be drawn to scale. [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a fuel cell system having a fuel cell and a separation resistance determination system used to determine the separation resistance of the fuel cell. [Figure 2] 1 shows an example of a current transformer used by the isolation resistance determination system. [Figure 3] 1 shows a plurality of fuel cells and a separation resistance determination system used to determine the overall separation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells. [Figure 4] 1 shows a more detailed view of the separation resistance determination system. [Figure 5] A method for determining the separation resistance of one or more fuel cells is presented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A system and method are described for indirectly determining the isolation resistance of one or more fuel cells. Generally, the isolation resistance of a fuel cell is measured by measuring the electrical resistance between points in the fuel cell's coolant loop. Changes in the measured resistance can be related to coolant degradation. Essentially, over time, corrosion and other contaminants from the fuel cell can accumulate in the coolant. This accumulation increases the conductivity of the coolant, which can lead to short circuits, induce galvanic corrosion, electrolyze the coolant, and reduce efficiency.

[0014] The described system and method can indirectly determine the isolation resistance of one or more fuel cells by using a current transformer. As described later in this specification, the current transformer generates an electrical signal representative of the flow passing through a hollow core along the primary conductor. Wires from the negative and positive terminals of the fuel cell to an electrical load pass through the hollow core of the current transformer, so that the current transformer essentially measures the current passing through these wires. Because the wires are between the fuel cell and the electrical load, with the only difference being that one wire is connected to the negative terminal of the fuel cell and the other wire is connected to the positive terminal of the fuel cell, the current measured by the current transformer should be close to zero.

[0015] As the conductivity of the coolant increases, the efficiency of the fuel cell decreases, leading to a situation where the current in the wire between the fuel cell's positive terminal and the electrical load is greater than the current in the wire between the fuel cell's negative terminal and the electrical load. When this occurs, the current transformer outputs an electrical signal indicating a current measurement greater than zero, indicating the fuel cell's isolation resistance. If the measurement from the current transformer exceeds a threshold, the system and method can then determine that the ion exchanger should be checked.

[0016] As explained in the Background section, inspection or other maintenance of ion exchangers is typically performed on a maintenance schedule. By determining when an ion exchanger should be inspected based on an indirect measurement of separation resistance using the above-described system and method, the ion exchanger can be inspected when the fuel cell actually requires inspection, as opposed to a maintenance schedule that may result in unnecessary inspection.

[0017] In other situations, the ion exchanger may be operating acceptably, but the amount of coolant actually circulating through it may not be able to keep up with the rate at which the entire coolant loop is ionizing. In these situations, this information can be used to perform intentional deionization. Therefore, the separation resistance measurement can be used as a feedback loop to perform tests whereby the controller automatically activates the fuel cell during a routine maintenance procedure specifically designed to force additional coolant through the ion exchanger at a higher flow rate in order to deionize the system.

[0018] 1 illustrates an example of a fuel cell system 10 that utilizes a separation resistance determination system 100. The fuel cell system 10 may include a fuel cell 12 having a positive electrode 14 and a negative electrode 16. The fuel cell 12 is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as oxygen, into electrical power through a pair of oxidation-reduction reactions.

[0019] During operation of the fuel cell 12, the electrolyte allows ions to move between the electrodes of the fuel cell 12. A catalyst at the anode 16 causes a fuel to undergo an oxidation reaction that produces ions and electrons. The ions move through the electrolyte from the anode 16 to the cathode 14. Simultaneously, electrons flow from the anode 16 to the cathode 14 through one or more electrical loads 50, generating DC power. At the cathode 14, another catalyst reacts the ions, electrons, and oxygen to form water and possibly other products.

[0020] The electrical load 50 may be any type of electrical device. In one example, the electrical load 50 may be one or more batteries that are used to store the power generated by the fuel cell 12 for later use in one or more applications. In another example, the electrical load 50 may be one or more inverters that convert direct current from the fuel cell 12 into alternating current that can power a building. Again, the electrical load 50 may vary significantly from application to application and should not be limited to the above examples.

[0021] The fuel cell 12 may require cooling provided by a coolant loop 20. The coolant utilized in the coolant loop may be any one of a number of different coolants, such as deionized water or a mixture of ethylene glycol and deionized water. The coolant is supplied to the fuel cell 12 by a pump 22. After the coolant passes through the fuel cell 12, it is supplied to a heat exchanger 26, which transfers the heat in the coolant to another system. Also shown within the coolant loop 20 is a reservoir 24 that holds excess coolant and accumulates air or other gases within the coolant loop 20 so that they are replaced by coolant as they circulate throughout the coolant loop 20.

[0022] The coolant loop 20 also includes a valve 28 that directs a portion of the coolant through an ion exchanger 30. The ion exchanger 30 may include an ion exchanger component 32, which may include one or more filters or other components, such as a cartridge, that may require periodic replacement. The ion exchanger 30 may remove metal ions from the coolant by adsorbing the metal ions onto an ion exchange resin. Effectively, the ion exchanger 30 may remove ions from the coolant to reduce its conductivity. As previously discussed, corrosion and other contaminants from the fuel cell can accumulate in the coolant, increasing its conductivity. Increased coolant conductivity reduces the efficiency of the fuel cell 12. Therefore, the ion exchanger 30 may need to be inspected periodically to ensure it is functioning properly to remove ions from the coolant.

[0023] However, instead of servicing the ion exchanger 32, situations may arise where the ion exchanger 32 is operating acceptably, but the amount of coolant actually circulating through the ion exchanger 32 cannot keep up with the rate at which the entire coolant loop is ionizing. In these situations, this information can be used to perform intentional deionization. Thus, the separation resistance measurement can be used as a feedback loop to perform tests whereby the controller automatically operates the fuel cell during a specific servicing operation specifically designed to force additional coolant into the ion exchanger at a higher flow rate (by operating the water pump and three-way control valve) in order to deionize the system.

[0024] As previously described, the fuel cell 12 supplies power to an electrical load 50. More specifically, electrical current generated by the fuel cell 12 is supplied from the fuel cell's positive terminal 14 to the electrical load 50 via electrical wire 40. As this current passes through the electrical load 50, it is sent to the fuel cell's negative terminal 16 via electrical wire 42. A current transformer 60 is now positioned such that the electrical wires 40 and 42 pass through the hollow core of the current transformer 60. As will be described below, the current transformer 60 outputs an electrical signal 67 that is supplied by a transmitter 70 to a separation resistance determination system 100. As will be described later in this description, the electrical signal 67 is then utilized to indirectly determine the separation resistance of the fuel cell 12, which indicates when the ion exchanger 30 requires service.

[0025] Referring to Figure 2, an example of a current transformer 60 that may be utilized by the isolation resistance determination system 100 of Figure 1 is shown. In this example, the current transformer 60 has a hollow core 62. In this example, the hollow core 62 is a ring-shaped hollow core that defines a hole 61 that allows one or more primary conductors to pass through. The hollow core 62 may be made from any suitable material, such as iron or silicon steel.

[0026] A secondary winding 64 is wound around a portion of hollow core 62. When current passes through the primary conductor extending through hole 61 or hollow core 62, an electric field is generated and magnetic flux concentrates within hollow core 62, which generates eddy currents 63 that are transmitted to secondary winding 64. Secondary winding 64 has terminations 66 and 68 connected to an ammeter 69, which outputs an electrical signal 67 based on the current passing through secondary winding 64.

[0027] As previously mentioned, current transformer 60 can measure the current passing through the primary conductors. In this example, there are two primary conductors. The first primary conductor is wire 40 and the second primary conductor is wire 42. As previously mentioned, wire 40 carries current 41 from positive terminal 14 of fuel cell 12 to electrical load 50. Wire 42 is a wire that carries current 43 from electrical load 50 to negative terminal 16 of fuel cell 12.

[0028] The electrical signal 67 generated by ammeter 69 represents the differential current between currents 41 and 43, carried by electrical wires 40 and 42, respectively. As previously mentioned, it is generally expected that currents 41 and 43 are generally equal to one another. This results in a situation where electrical signal 67 output by ammeter 69 is approximately zero. However, if the isolation resistance of fuel cell system 10 of FIG. 1 changes due to an increase in the conductivity of the coolant in coolant loop 20, this differential current should increase. Therefore, electrical signal 67 indicative of the differential current between currents 41 and 43 can be used to indirectly determine the isolation resistance of fuel cell 12.

[0029] A brief comment will now be made regarding ammeter 69 and electrical signal 67 output by ammeter 69. Electrical signal 67 output by ammeter 69 may be an analog or digital signal indicative of the differential current between currents 41 and 43. Electrical signal 67 may then be provided to isolation resistance determination system 100 of FIG. 1 directly or via transmitter 70. In some cases, transmitter 70 may transmit a signal based on electrical signal 67 to isolation resistance determination system 100 using a wired or wireless communication protocol.

[0030] 1 and 2 show situations where only two wires 40 and 42 pass through the hole 61 in the hollow core 62 of the current transformer 60. In these situations, the isolation resistance of a single fuel cell, such as fuel cell 12, can be measured indirectly. However, it may be advantageous to place multiple pairs of wires through the hole 61 in the hollow core 62 of the current transformer 60 to generate an overall indirect measurement of the isolation resistance of multiple fuel cells. In some situations, multiple fuel cells may utilize the same coolant loop and may be subject to the same problem of the conductivity of the coolant in the coolant loop becoming higher over time.

[0031] 3, there is illustrated a number of fuel cells 12A-12D, each having electrical wires 40A-40D extending from a cathode 14A-14D to an electrical load 50A-50D and electrical wires 42A-42D extending from an anode 16A-16D to an electrical load 50A-50D, where like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements, and any above-described descriptions of those elements are equally applicable.

[0032] In this example, current transformer 60AB has electrical wires 40A-40B and 42A-42B extending through its hollow core. Similarly, current transformer 60CD has electrical wires 40C-40D and 42C-42D extending through its hollow core. Thus, current transformer 60AB measures the differential current between electrical wires 40A-40B and 42A-42B, and current transformer 60CD measures the differential current between electrical wires 40C-40D and 42C-42D. Current transformers 60AB and 60CD then output, either directly or via transmitter 70, electrical signals 67AB and 67CD to isolation resistance determination system 100 that represent the differential currents measured by current transformers 60AB and 60CD, respectively.

[0033] The example shown in Figure 3 can be advantageous because it does not necessarily require as many current transformers. In this example, the overall isolation resistance of two fuel cells can be indirectly determined using a single current transformer. However, instead of two fuel cells, the overall isolation resistance of any number of fuel cells can be determined utilizing a single current transformer.

[0034] Attention is now directed to FIG. 4, which shows a more detailed diagram of isolation resistance determination system 100, which may be in the form of a programmable logic controller. As shown, isolation resistance determination system 100 includes one or more processing units 110. Accordingly, processing unit 110 may be part of isolation resistance determination system 100, and isolation resistance determination system 100 may access processing unit 110 via a data bus or another communication path. In one or more embodiments, processing unit 110 is an application specific integrated circuit configured to perform functions associated with isolation resistance determination module 122. Generally, processing unit 110 is an electronic processor, such as a microprocessor, capable of performing the various functions described herein.

[0035] In one embodiment, the separation resistance determination system 100 includes a memory 120 that stores a separation resistance determination module 122. The memory 120 may be a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or other suitable memory for storing the separation resistance determination module 122. The separation resistance determination module 122 may be, for example, computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit 110, cause the processing unit 110 to perform the various functions disclosed herein.

[0036] Additionally, in one embodiment, separation resistance determination system 100 includes one or more data stores 130. In one embodiment, data store 130 is an electronic data structure, such as a database, stored in memory 120 or another memory and comprised of routines that can be executed by processing unit 110 to analyze the stored data, provide the stored data, organize the stored data, etc. Thus, in one embodiment, data store 130 stores data used by separation resistance determination module 122 in performing various functions.

[0037] In this example, data store 130 may record current transformer data 132, which may be data provided by current transformer 60 to isolation resistance determination system 100 in the form of electrical signal 67. As previously mentioned, electrical signal 67 includes data from current transformer 60 and may be provided to isolation resistance determination system 100 directly or indirectly via transmitter 70. Current transformer data 132 may be data indicative of the differential current measured by current transformer 60.

[0038] The data store 130 may also include one or more models or look-up tables 134. As previously described, the current transformer 60 may determine the differential current of the currents 41 and 43 carried by the electrical lines 40 and 42, respectively, and record this as current transformer data 132. However, to interpret the current transformer data 132, the models and / or look-up tables 134 may be utilized by the processor 110 to determine when to inspect the isolation resistance and / or ion exchanger 30.

[0039] In situations where a look-up table is utilized, the differential current values ​​recorded in the current transformer data 132 may be cross-referenced with values ​​indicative of the separation resistance and / or values ​​indicative of when to service the ion exchanger 30. In situations where a model is utilized, one or more equations, neural networks, or other methods may be utilized to convert the current transformer data 132 into one or more values ​​indicative of the separation resistance and / or when to service the ion exchanger 30.

[0040] The isolation resistance determination system 100 may also include a receiver 140 in communication with the processing unit 110 to receive information from the transmitter 70 or even directly from the current transformer 60. In one example, the receiver 140 may be a wired or wireless receiver capable of receiving signals and converting these signals into data that can be recorded as current transformer data 132.

[0041] The separation resistance determination system 100 may also have an output device 150 in communication with the processing unit 110. The output device 150 may be any output device capable of providing an operator or another system with information regarding the separation resistance determined by the separation resistance determination system 100 and / or instructions on when to service the ion exchanger 30. Thus, the output device 150 may be a display device, an audio device, a tactile feedback device, or an electrical output to another system.

[0042] With respect to the isolation resistance determination module 122, the isolation resistance determination module 122 includes instructions that, when executed by the processing device 110, cause the processing device 110 to receive information from the current transformer 60 directly or indirectly via the receiver 140. As previously mentioned, the electrical signal 67 generated by the current transformer may be in the form of an analog or digital signal that can then be converted into data recorded as current transformer data 132.

[0043] The isolation resistance determination module 122 may also include instructions that, when executed by the processing unit 110, cause the processing unit 110 to determine the isolation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells based on the electrical signals output by the current transformers 60 and / or recorded as current transformer data 132. As previously discussed, the current transformer data 132 and / or the electrical signals 67 essentially represent the differential current of the currents transmitted by the electrical wires passing through the hollow core 62. Here, the isolation resistance determination module 122 may cause the processing unit 110 to utilize a model or lookup table 134 to convert the differential current measured by the current transformers 60 into an indirect measure of the isolation resistance of the fuel cells 12.

[0044] The separation resistance determination module 122 may also include instructions that, when executed by the processing device 110, cause the processing device 110 to determine when to check the ion exchanger 30. The determination of when to check the ion exchanger 30 may be provided to the output device 150.

[0045] The maintenance may include replacing the ion exchanger 30 or one or more of its components 32, such as filters or cartridges. The maintenance may also include forcing additional coolant through the ion exchanger at a higher flow rate to perform the intended deionization. The higher flow rate is compared to a steady-state flow rate, which typically indicates the flow rate of coolant through the coolant loop. The separation resistance determination module 122 may instruct the processing unit 110 to automatically operate the fuel cell during a specific maintenance operation specifically designed to force additional coolant through the ion exchanger 30 at a higher flow rate by appropriately operating the pump 22 and three-way valve 38.

[0046] Referring to Figure 5, a method 200 for determining the separation resistance of a fuel cell or a plurality of fuel cells is shown. Method 200 is described in terms of fuel cell system 10 of Figure 1 and separation resistance determination system 100 of Figure 4. However, it should be understood that this is merely one example of implementing method 200. Although method 200 is described in conjunction with separation resistance determination system 100, it should be understood that method 200 is not limited to being implemented within separation resistance determination system 100, but instead is an example of a system that may implement method 200.

[0047] In step 202, the isolation resistance determination module 122 causes the processing unit 110 to receive, directly or indirectly, information from the current transformer 60 via the receiver 140. As previously mentioned, the electrical signal 67 produced by the current transformer may be in the form of an analog or digital signal that can then be converted into data that is recorded as current transformer data 132.

[0048] In step 204, the isolation resistance determination module 122 causes the processing unit 110 to determine the isolation resistance of the plurality of fuel cells based on the electrical signals output by the current transformers 60 and / or recorded as current transformer data 132. As previously discussed, the current transformer data 132 and / or the electrical signals 67 essentially represent the differential current of the currents transmitted by the electrical wires passing through the hollow core 62. Here, the isolation resistance determination module 122 may cause the processing unit 110 to utilize a model or look-up table 134 to convert the differential current measured by the current transformers 60 into an indirect measure of the isolation resistance of the fuel cells 12.

[0049] In step 206, the separation resistance determination module 122 causes the processing device 110 to determine when to service the ion exchanger 30. The service may include replacing the ion exchanger 30 or one or more ion exchanger components 32 of the ion exchanger 30, such as one or more filters or cartridges. The service may also include forcing additional coolant through the ion exchanger at a higher flow rate to perform the intended deionization. The higher flow rate is compared to a steady-state flow rate, which typically indicates the flow rate of coolant through the coolant loop. The determination of when to service the ion exchanger 30 may be provided to the output device 150.

[0050] From there, method 200 may end, or may return to step 202. It may be advantageous to return to step 202 and run method 200 continuously to continuously monitor the separation resistance of fuel cell system 10 to determine when it is appropriate to service ion exchanger 30. Thereby, ion exchanger 30 is serviced when necessary, saving both time and cost while also preventing damage to fuel cell system 10.

[0051] It should be understood that any of the systems described herein can be configured in various arrangements using separate integrated circuits and / or chips. The circuits are connected via connecting paths to provide communication signals between the separate circuits. Of course, while separate integrated circuits are described, in various embodiments the circuits can be integrated on a common integrated circuit substrate. Furthermore, the integrated circuits can be combined into fewer integrated circuits or split into more integrated circuits.

[0052] In other embodiments, the described methods and / or methods equivalent thereto may be implemented using computer-executable instructions. Thus, in one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises stored computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a machine (e.g., a processing device, a computer, etc.), cause the machine (and / or associated components) to perform the described methods.

[0053] For ease of explanation, the illustrated methodologies in the figures are shown and described as a series of blocks; however, it should be understood that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, and that some blocks may occur in a different order than illustrated and described and / or concurrently with other blocks. Also, fewer than all of the illustrated blocks may be used to implement the example methodologies. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and / or alternative methodologies may employ additional blocks not illustrated.

[0054] Detailed embodiments are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended as examples only. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art how to variously employ the aspects of the present specification in substantially all appropriate structural details. Furthermore, the terms and expressions used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather to provide an understandable description of possible implementations.

[0055] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate possible architectures, functions, and operations of systems, methods, and computer program products of various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code having one or more executable instructions for performing a particular logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions shown in the blocks may occur out of the order shown in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved.

[0056] The above-described systems, components, and / or processes may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, either centralized in one processing system or distributed where different elements are distributed across several interconnected processing systems. Any type of processing system or other apparatus adapted to perform the methods described herein is suitable. A combination of hardware and software may be a processing system having computer-usable program code that, when loaded and executed, controls the processing system to perform the methods described herein. The systems, components, and / or processes may also be embedded in computer-readable storage, such as a computer program product or other data program storage device, that is machine-readable and tangibly embodies a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the methods and processes described herein. These elements may also be embedded in an application product that has all the features enabling implementation of the methods described herein, which, when loaded into a processing system, can perform these methods.

[0057] Furthermore, the arrangements described herein may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied thereon, e.g., recorded thereon. Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable recording medium. The phrase "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a continuous recording medium. The computer-readable medium may take forms including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical disks, magnetic disks, etc. Volatile media may include, for example, semiconductor memory, dynamic memory, etc. Examples of such computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, other magnetic media, ASICs, graphics processing units (GPUs), CDs, other optical media, RAM, ROM, memory chips or cards, memory sticks, and other media readable by a computer, processor, or other electronic device. In the context of this document, a computer-readable medium may be any tangible medium that can have or record a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0058] The following includes definitions of selected terms used herein. The definitions include various examples and / or forms of components that fall within the scope of the terms and that may be used for various implementations. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be included in the definitions.

[0059] References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "one example," "example," etc. indicate that the embodiment or example so described may include certain features, structures, characteristics, capabilities, elements, or limitations, but not all embodiments or examples necessarily have the particular features, structures, characteristics, capabilities, elements, or limitations. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase "in one embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.

[0060] As used herein, a "module" includes computer or electrical hardware components, firmware, a serial computer-readable medium storing instructions, and / or a combination of these components configured to perform a function or operation and / or cause a function or operation from another logic, method, and / or system. A module may include a microprocessor controlled by an algorithm, discrete logic (e.g., ASIC), analog circuitry, digital circuitry, a programmed logic device, a memory device having instructions that, when executed, perform an algorithm, etc. In one or more embodiments, a module may include one or more CMOS gates, a combination of gates, or other circuit components. Where multiple modules are described, one or more embodiments may include incorporating multiple modules into one physical modular component. Similarly, where a single module is described, one or more embodiments may distribute the single module among multiple physical components.

[0061] Additionally, as used herein, a module includes a routine, program, object, component, data structure, etc. that performs a task or implements a data type. In further aspects, a memory typically stores the referenced module. The memory associated with a module may be a buffer or cache embedded within a processing unit, RAM, ROM, flash memory, or another suitable electronic storage medium. In further aspects, a module contemplated by the present disclosure is implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a hardware component of a system-on-chip (SoC), a programmable logic array (PLA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or another suitable hardware component embedded with a defined configuration set (e.g., instructions) for performing the disclosed functions.

[0062] In one or more configurations, one or more of the modules described herein may include artificial or computational intelligence elements, such as neural networks, fuzzy logic, or other machine learning algorithms. Further, in one or more configurations, one or more of the modules may be distributed among multiple modules described herein.

[0063] Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wired, fiber optic, cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof. Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present configurations may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java™, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0064] The terms "a" and "an," as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term "plurality," as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term "another," as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms "comprising" and / or "having," as used herein, are defined as including (i.e., open-ended). The phrase "at least one of ... and ..." as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As an example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" includes A only, B only, C only, or any combination thereof (e.g., AB, AC, BC, or ABC).

[0065] Aspects of the present specification may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. a current transformer having a hollow core; a first set of load wires located within the hollow core and electrically connected between the anode and cathode of the first fuel cell and a first electrical load; a second set of load wires located within the hollow core and electrically connected between the anode and cathode of the second fuel cell and a second electrical load; a processor in communication with the electrical signal output by the current transformer; a memory in communication with the processing unit, the memory, when executed by the processing unit, causing the processing unit to: determining an isolation resistance of the first and second fuel cells based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer; directing a pump to force additional coolant into the ion exchanger of at least one of the first and second fuel cells at a higher flow rate based on the separation resistance; a memory having an isolation resistance determination module; A system having:

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the current transformer outputs the electrical signal proportional to the current passing through the hollow core.

3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the current passing through the hollow core is a differential current indicative of the difference between a first current between the negative electrodes of the first and second fuel cells and the first and second electrical loads, and a second current between the first and second electrical loads and the positive electrodes of the first and second fuel cells.

4. The isolation resistance determination module, when executed by the processing unit, further determines, based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer: when to replace the ion exchanger in at least one of the first and second fuel cells; The system of claim 1 , further comprising causing the processor to determine:

5. The system described in claim 3, wherein the first and second fuel cells are hydrogen fuel cells.

6. receiving an electrical signal from a current transformer having a hollow core, a first set of load wires located within the hollow core and electrically connecting the anode and cathode of a first fuel cell to a first electrical load, and a second set of load wires located within the hollow core and electrically connecting the anode and cathode of a second fuel cell to a second electrical load; determining an isolation resistance of the first and second fuel cells based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer; directing a pump to force additional coolant into an ion exchanger of at least one of the first and second fuel cells at a higher flow rate based on the separation resistance; A method having the following.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the electrical signal is proportional to the current passing through the hollow core.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the current passing through the hollow core is a differential current indicative of the difference between a first current between the negative electrodes of the first and second fuel cells and the first and second electrical loads, and a second current between the first and second electrical loads and the positive electrodes of the first and second fuel cells.

9. The method described in claim 8, further comprising a step of determining when to replace at least one ion exchanger in the first and second fuel cells based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the electrical conductivity of the coolant of the first and second fuel cells based on the electrical signal output by the current transformer.

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