Patent · US Expired

Transient controls to improve fuel cell performance and stack durability

US7402353B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
0References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 2004
Grant dateJul 22, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a method of operating a fuel cell stack and system that minimizes the potential for having a large pressure differential between the anode and cathode flow fields and a low relative humidity occurrence within the cathode flow fields. This is accomplished by tempering the downward transient in power demand seen by the fuel cell stack. The downward transient in power demand on the fuel cell stack is tempered by reducing the rate at which the power generated by the fuel cell stack is decreased and providing the excess power generated by the fuel cell stack to other parasitic components of the fuel cell system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.