Retaining water in a fuel cell stack for cooling and humidification during frozen startup
US7645531B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 15, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jan 12, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A fuel cell power plant (19, 19a) has a plurality of fuel cells (70, 70a, 70c) arranged in a stack (20, 20c), each fuel cell having porous, at least partially hydrophilic water transport plates (75, 81) with fuel (74) and oxidant (82) reactant gas channels, there being water channels (78, 85, 78a, 85a, 78c, 85c) exchanging water with the water transport plates. On shut down, water is retained in the water channels and water transport plates by means of either a micro vacuum pump (46), one or two valves (89, 90, 118, 120), a check valve (95, 99), capillary force in the water channels to prevent water from entering the reactant channels which, if frozen, could block flow of reactant gas upon startup.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.