US 6,440,595 B1 · Fuel cell system

Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell which includes a feed line for a fuel and a feed line for an oxidant. To ensure adequate moistening of the fuel cell membrane even during the start-up phase of the fuel cell, a fluid reservoir containing a fluid is provided, via which the fuel and/or the oxidant are humidified before entering the fuel cell. Thus adequate moistening of the fuel cell membrane is ensured even during the start-up phase of the fuel cell. To prevent the fluid from freezing at low temperatures, mixing of the fluid with an antifreeze is provided for. To ensure that the antifreeze will not pass into the fuel cell, the fluid drawn from the fluid reservoir is heated sufficiently by a heating means for evaporation of the antifreeze and separation from the fluid to take place. The heating means can include a flow conduit designed as a closed system. The flow conduit has a heating medium flowing through it which, prior to giving off heat to the fluid, is heated via a burner.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell, said fuel cell having a first feed line for feeding a fuel to said fuel cell and a second feed line for feeding an oxidant to said fuel cell and a fuel discharge line and oxidant discharge line;
a fluid reservoir wherein at least one of said first and second feed lines is connected thereto;
a heating apparatus disposed in at least one of the first and second feed lines to evaporate fluid, said fluid containing antifreeze, the heating apparatus having sufficient heating power to evaporate the antifreeze and to produce an evaporate;
a condenser to receive and condense the evaporate from the heating apparatus;
and
a recycle conduit to recycle the condensed evaporate to said fluid reservoir.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel cell system

Life of this patent

Fuel cell system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26