Background

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is beginning to replace internal combustion engines to power personal and public transportation due to the environmental and performance improvements provided by this green technology. Integrating fuel cell technology into transportation reduces global warming emissions and improves urban citizens’ health due to the reduction of fossil fuel produced air carcinogens. Like humans, fuel cells use the oxygen from the air to generate energy. Fuel cell technology is susceptible to damage when the air that it uses is contaminated. Therefore, it is imperative that the air quality used in the fuel cell be monitored in real time for contamination, and that the fuel cell control system be informed of dangerous conditions to protect the fuel cell.

Technology Overview

Researchers at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) within the University of Hawaii have invented an Environmental Sensor Array (ESA) system which is a device that can be integrated into any stationary or mobile fuel cell platform to effectively turn that fuel cell into a “smart” fuel cell, capable of sensing and reacting to changing environmental conditions which would be detrimental to fuel cell performance and longevity, were it not for the ESA. The ESA expands the capability of fuel cells to reliably operate in harsh environmental conditions and extends the lifetime of the fuel cell. The system consists of an array of electrochemical and environmental (temperature, pressure, relative humidity) sensors that monitor real‐time environmental conditions and air contaminant concentration in: i) the environment from which the fuel cell air supply is drawn, and ii) the entrance to the cathode side of the fuel cell (post‐air filter). The data is fed into preprogrammed protocols which are capable of putting the fuel cell in a protective shutdown mode if atmospheric conditions threaten the health of the fuel cell while simultaneously alerting the driver to the hazardous environmental conditions. The ESA system estimates the onboard filter use in real time using the environmental data collected to give a continuous estimate of remaining lifetime of the onboard air filter.

Learn more from the inventors in an updated interview.

Benefits

The ESA will protect a fuel cell power plant from contaminant exposure to ensure reliability and extend the lifetime and reliability of the fuel cell.

End user benefits:

Reduce O&M costs

- Replacement of a fuel cell stack is very expensive, time-consuming and puts vehicles out of service

Replace air filters when actually needed because our system can project remaining lifetime
Improve fuel cell system reliability
Improve system availability
Predict maintenance
Reduce spare parts inventory and cost
Help with tight budgets – do more with less
Evaluate different filter brands and technologies

For Fuel Cell Suppliers:

- Product reliability

Extend fuel cell life
Reduce fuel cell degradation

Manage warranties

Competitive advantage features

Monitor fuel cell performance remotely

Applications

The ESA is currently in use on two Fuel Cell‑Electric Buses (FCEB) being deployed in the County of Hawaii public transportation bus fleet.

Environmental Sensor Array: Fuel Cell Protection through Environmental Monitoring

Patents

IP Status

Seeking