High-temperature fuel cell system and method of operating it

Abstract

Provided is a method of controlling an operation of a PEM fuel cell system, PEMFCS, comprising a set of one or more PEM fuel cells, PEMFC, a compressor with one or more compressor stages for providing a pressurized gaseous oxidizing agent to a cathode side of the PEMFC, and a controller for controlling an operation of the PEMFCS. The method comprises controlling the PEMFCS, by the controller, so as to cause the compressor to compress and provide the gaseous oxidizing agent to a cathode side of the PEMFC during the operation of the PEMFCS as a function of a target electricity output Oe of the PEMFCS. Specifically, controlling the PEMFCS comprises controlling at least two of the following parameters: a pressure p to which the oxidizing agent is compressed by the compressor, a flow rate r at which the compressed oxidizing agent is provided to cathode side of the PEMFC, and an operating temperature T of the PEMFC, such that an increase of the operating temperature T is accompanied by at least one of a corresponding increase of the pressure p, and a corresponding decrease of a stoichiometric ratio of the consumption of the oxidizing agent in its electrochemical reaction with a fuel in the PEMFC.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.