Fuel Cell Pressure Sensor Offset Correction at the Anode Inlet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pressure sensors in fuel cell systems experience offset issues, particularly with gauge pressure sensors unable to measure negative pressures, affecting measurement accuracy and system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for correcting pressure sensor offsets using two pressure sensors installed between a fuel supply valve and an anode inlet, calculating and summing positive and negative offsets to improve accuracy, applicable to both gauge and absolute pressure sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a gauge pressure sensor is used to measure pressure in the hydrogen supply system, then the sensor structure is simple and cost-effective, but the sensor cannot measure pressures less than atmospheric pressure, making negative offset correction impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a differential pressure sensor as an intermediary device to indirectly measure the pressure at the nozzle. This differential pressure sensor measures the pressure difference between the nozzle and atmosphere, allowing the system to calculate absolute pressure values even when using a gauge pressure sensor that cannot directly measure pressures below atmospheric pressure. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining the simplicity of gauge pressure sensors while enabling accurate offset correction through the intermediary measurement approach.
2Ease of operation
If offset correction is performed using traditional methods with gauge pressure sensors, then the correction process is simple, but the correction accuracy deteriorates when negative offsets occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the offset correction process into multiple distinct steps: (1) measuring the differential pressure between nozzle and atmosphere, (2) calculating the actual nozzle pressure based on this differential measurement, (3) determining the offset value, and (4) applying the correction. This segmentation allows the system to handle both positive and negative offsets accurately while maintaining operational simplicity through a structured, step-by-step approach that can be clearly implemented and monitored.
3Measurement precision
If additional hardware is added to enable negative offset correction, then the offset correction accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing differential pressure sensor serve multiple functions: it is used both for normal pressure monitoring in the hydrogen supply system and for offset correction measurements. By configuring the sensor and control algorithm to perform dual purposes, the system achieves accurate offset correction (including negative offsets) without adding dedicated hardware solely for correction, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Introduced are an apparatus for correcting an offset of a pressure sensor in a fuel cell system including a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, which are installed between a rear end of a fuel supply valve of a hydrogen supply system and an anode inlet, and a method of correcting an offset using the same. The apparatus includes an offset corrector that calculates offsets between the sensors from a condition of same pressure of each of the sensors and corrects offsets with respect to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor using the calculated offsets.