# US 2013/0252124 A1 · System and method for activating fuel cell

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- Number: US 2013/0252124 A1
- Document ID: US20130252124A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/890,745
- Filed: 2013-05-09
- Published: 2013-09-26
- Earliest claimed: 2008-11-25
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company
- Inventors: Sang Yeoul Ahn; Sae Hoon Kim; Tae Won Lim; Bo Ki Hong; Byung Ki Ahn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130252124A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04302: applied during start-up
- H01M 8/04223: during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
- H01M 8/04402: {of anode exhausts}
- H01M 8/0441: {of cathode exhausts}
- H01M 8/04783: {Pressure differences, e.g. between anode and cathode}
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A system for activating a fuel cell includes a flow meter for measuring the amount of water discharged from an outlet of the air electrode and an outlet of the fuel electrode; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure at the respective outlets; and a back pressure regulator receiving flow values measured by the flow meters and pressure values measured by the pressure sensors, which are fed back from a controller, and regulating a pressure difference (ΔP=PCathode−PAnode) to be a value greater than 0. With the system, the activation time of a fuel cell and the amount of hydrogen used for the activation can be reduced, thus improving the productivity and manufacturing cost.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for activating a fuel cell, in which an electrode load connected between a fuel electrode and an air electrode of the fuel cell stack and a controller controlling activation of the fuel cell stack are provided, the system comprising:
a flow meter measuring the amount of water discharged from an outlet of each of the air electrode and the fuel electrode;
a pressure sensor measuring the pressure at the outlet of each of the air electrode and the fuel electrode; and
a back pressure regulator receiving flow values measured by the flow meters and pressure values measured by the pressure sensors, which are fed back from the controller, and regulating a pressure difference (ΔP=PCathode−PAnode) between the air electrode and the fuel electrode to be a value greater than 0,
wherein the flow meter, the pressure sensor, and the back pressure regulator are mounted on the outlet of the air electrode and the outlet of the fuel electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a hydrogen sensor and an oxygen sensor mounted on the respective outlets of the air electrode and the fuel electrode and measuring the concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen discharged from the respective outlets of the air electrode and the fuel electrode together with water.

### Claim at position 3

3-7. (canceled)