Importance

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Abstract

A technique that is usable with a fuel cell system that provides power to a load and is directed toward learning an optimal reactant stoichiometric ratio(s) for starting up the fuel cell system. In accordance with the technique, data representative of a plurality of reactant flows, each of which corresponds to an output power level provided by a fuel cell stack is stored in a memory. Upon startup of the system, a particular reactant flow is provided to the fuel cell stack based on the stored data. A new reactant flow that corresponds to current output power level being provided by the fuel cell stack is learned by adjusting the reactant flow until the fuel cell system is operating at a desired performance level. The stored data is then adapted based on the learned new reactant flow and the adapted data replaces the data that was previously stored in the memory. In this manner, a more exact starting reactant stoichiometric ratio(s) may be determined while the fuel cell system is in operation. This learned reactant stoichiometric ratio may then be used the next time the fuel cell system is powered up, thus, increasing the operating efficiency of the fuel cell system.

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First Claim