A fuel cell device is provided, including a media system for supplying fluid media to electrochemical units of the fuel cell device and/or for discharging fluid media from the electrochemical units of the fuel cell device, wherein the media system includes at least one valve to which, in a standard operating state of the fuel cell device, an electrical standard input power is suppliable in order to maintain the valve in a desired valve state. The fuel cell device is able to be reliably started with as little effort as possible, even under frost conditions. The fuel cell device is switchable into a heating operating state in which an electrical heating input power that is greater than the electrical standard input power is suppliable to the at least one valve.

A system and method for controlling operation of a fuel cell are provided. The method includes estimating an effective catalyst amount within a fuel cell stack and monitoring a change in the estimated effective catalyst amount according to time. An irreversible degradation state of the fuel cell stack is determined based on the monitored change in the estimated effective catalyst amount.

Methods and systems are provided for iron preformation in a redox flow battery. In one example, a method may include, in a first condition, discharging and then charging the redox flow battery, and in a second condition, charging the redox flow battery including preforming iron metal at a negative electrode of the redox flow battery, and thereafter entering an idle mode of the redox flow battery including adjusting one or more electrolyte conditions. In some examples, each of preforming the iron metal and adjusting the one or more electrolyte conditions may increase a battery charge capacity to greater than a threshold battery charge capacity.

Methods and systems are provided for iron preformation in a redox flow battery. In one example, a method may include, in a first condition, discharging and then charging the redox flow battery, and in a second condition, charging the redox flow battery including preforming iron metal at a negative electrode of the redox flow battery, and thereafter entering an idle mode of the redox flow battery including adjusting one or more electrolyte conditions. In some examples, each of preforming the iron metal and adjusting the one or more electrolyte conditions may increase a battery charge capacity to greater than a threshold battery charge capacity.

The invention relates to a fuel cell stack (10) having a plurality of fuel cells (20) which have an inlet-side cathode port (22), anode port (24) and coolant port (26) and an outlet-side cathode port (23), anode port (25) and coolant port (27), wherein the fuel cell stack (10) also has: two end plates (30, 31) between which the plurality of fuel cells (20) are arranged, wherein at least one of the end plates (30, 31) has inlet openings (32, 34, 36) and outlet openings (33, 35, 37) for a cathode gas, an anode gas and a coolant, which are each fluidically connected to the inlet-side and outlet-side cathode ports (22, 23), anode ports (24, 25) and coolant ports (26, 27), and at least one sensor (50) which is guided through at least one additional opening (39) in at least one of the end plates (30, 31) into one of the inlet-side or outlet-side cathode ports (22, 23), anode ports (24, 25) or coolant ports (26, 27). The invention also relates to a method for producing the fuel cell stack (10).

The present disclosure provides a performance prediction method and system for a fuel cell in an anode recirculation mode. The method includes: calculating output results of a membrane water transfer equation, a liquid water transfer equation, and a temperature transfer equation based on the membrane water transfer equation, the liquid water transfer equation, and the temperature transfer equation inside the fuel cell; calculating output results of a gas transfer equation based on output results of a first labeling equation according to a phenomenon of nitrogen transmembrane permeation inside the fuel cell; determining gas state parameters in the anode recirculation mode based on the output results of the temperature transfer equation and the gas transfer equation; and predicting output voltage performance of the fuel cell based on the gas state parameters in the anode recirculation mode and output results of a second labeling equation.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including a fuel electrode being supplied with fuel gas and an oxidant electrode being supplied with oxidant gas and generating electric power by causing the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to react with each other, a voltmeter measuring an output voltage of the fuel cell, an ammeter measuring an output current of the fuel cell, a restricting valve provided upstream and downstream of an oxidant electrode side of the fuel cell and being opened in a power generation state and being closed in a stopped state or under the oxygen consuming control, and a load control unit controlling a current value of an output current to be output by the fuel cell and, under the oxygen consuming control, controlling the output voltage of the fuel cell such that the output current reduces as the output voltage of the fuel cell increases.

A method of monitoring operation of a reactor system includes causing a chemical reaction to occur within an assembly of the reactor system, and measuring a chemical composition of one or more reactants of the chemical reaction with spatial resolution at a plurality of points along a path within the assembly using a sensor system structured to implement distributed sensing. The sensor system includes an optical fiber sensing member provided at least partially within the assembly, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in the chemical composition of the one or more reactants.

A method of monitoring operation of a reactor system includes causing a chemical reaction to occur within an assembly of the reactor system, and measuring a chemical composition of one or more reactants of the chemical reaction with spatial resolution at a plurality of points along a path within the assembly using a sensor system structured to implement distributed sensing. The sensor system includes an optical fiber sensing member provided at least partially within the assembly, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in the chemical composition of the one or more reactants.

The present invention relates to a method for shutting down a generator unit (1) comprising a fuel cell device (100) having the steps (a) shutdown of a current generation via a control unit (510); (b) detection of at least one anode temperature of an anode (122) of the fuel cell device (100), in particular during a cool-down process; (c) blocking of an escape of carbon monoxide from an anode chamber (120) in which the anode (122) is arranged at least partially, in particular, at least for the most part, completely, if the anode temperature is higher than the first limit temperature T.sub.1; (d) at least partial removal of carbon monoxide from an anode chamber (120) in which the anode (122) is arranged at least in part, in particular, at least for the most part, completely, if the anode temperature falls below a first limit temperature T.sub.1. The present invention further relates to a generator unit (1), a vehicle having this generator unit (1) and a use of this generator unit (1).