Universal automatic sensing and actuating control system for fluid consuming power sources and the like

Abstract

Abstract A COMBINED SENSING AND OUTPUT POWER ACTUATING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE DEVICES SUCH AS ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION ASSEMBLIES OF THE FLUID CONSUMING BATTERY TYPE, SUCH AS FUEL BATTERIES. THE CONTROL SYSTEM IS COMPRISED BY A RATIO DETECTOR CIRCUIT WHICH IS COUPLED, FOR EXAMPLE, ACROSS THE OUTPUT TERMINALS OF A FUEL BATTERY AND ALSO COUPLED ACROSS THE LAST FUEL CELL UNIT IN THE FUEL BATTERY FOR COMPARING THE RATIO OF THE PROPORTIONAL VOLTAGE APPEARING ACROSS THE LAST FUEL CELL TO THE OUTPUT TERMINAL VOLTAGE OF THE FUEL BATTERY TO A PRESET VALUE AND DERIVING AN OUTPUT TRIGGER SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE RATIO VARYING FROM THE PRESET VALUE. TIMING CIRCUIT MEANS ARE COUPLED TO THE OUTPUT OF THE RATIO DETECTOR CIRCUIT AND ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE OUTPUT TRIGGER SIGNAL FROM THE RATIO DETECTOR. AN OUTPUT POWER ACTUATING CIRCUIT WHICH IS COMPRISED BY A PURGE VALVE ACTUATOR IS ENERGIZED FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD BY THE TIMING CIRCUIT IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTPUT FROM THE RATIO DETECTOR FOR PURGING THE FUEL BATTERY OF UNDESIRED ACCUMULATED INERT GASEOUS MATTER THEREBY RESTORING THE FUEL BATTERY TO FULL OPERATING CAPACITY.

Inventors

• 👤 Thomas C Hovious
• 👤 Robert A Torkildsen

Bibliographic Details