Appeal 2007-3378
Application 10/715,458
current and an output voltage of the fuel cell (Specification ¶ 0010 and
¶ 0023), it may be an interterminal voltage and/or cell voltage (Specification
¶ 0011 and ¶ 0023), it may be an internal resistance of the fuel cell
(Specification ¶ 0013 and ¶ 0023), it may be a temperature of the fuel cell,
or it may be a temperature of an exhaust gas (Specification ¶ 0014 and
¶ 0023). We, therefore, determine that the “operational state of the fuel cell”
is any condition of the fuel cell arising from its operation.
Turning to Fuglevand, we find that this reference describes a process
of operating a fuel cell as follows:
As best understood by a study of FIG. 3, the fuel cell 10
has an anode and a cathode 52 and 53 which produces electrical
power having a given current and voltage output. The
controller 122 is electrically coupled with the fuel cell 10 and is
operable to shunt the electrical current between the anode and
the cathode of the fuel cell under predetermined operational
conditions. As earlier discussed, the shunt controller 122
includes voltage and current sensors 123 and 128 which are
disposed in voltage and current sensing relation relative to the
voltage and current output of the fuel cell 10 and are further
electrically coupled with the anode and cathode 52 and 53 of
the fuel cell 10. Still further, the shunt controller 122 further
comprises an electrical switch, and which is shown herein as a
field effect transistor 124. The field effect transistor 124 has
open and closed electrical conditions. As will be described in
further detail below, the controller 122 upon sensing, by way of
the voltage and current sensors 123 and 128, a given voltage
and current output of the fuel cell 10, adjusts the valve 104 into
a predetermined fluid metering relationship relative to the
supply of fuel gas 105. Still further, the controller 122
positions the field effect transistor in an open or closed
electrical condition, based upon predetermined performance
parameters for the respective fuel cells 10.
Fuglevand, col. 7, ll. 35-58 (emphasis added).
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Last modified: September 9, 2013