Method for increasing the operational efficiency of a fuel cell power plant
AssigneeUTC Fuel Cells, LLC
InventorRichard D. Sawyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is proposed for increasing the operational efficiency of a fuel cell power plant including a cell stack assembly comprised of a plurality of fuel cells in electrical communication with one another. The cell stack assembly includes a fuel inlet manifold and a fuel exhaust manifold for accepting and exhausting, respectively, a reactant fuel stream. The proposed method includes providing the cell stack assembly with the reactant fuel stream, sealing the fuel exhaust manifold for a first predetermined time period, thereby preventing the reactant fuel stream from exiting the cell stack assembly and opening the fuel exhaust manifold for a second predetermined time period.
Claims21
A method for increasing the operational efficiency of a fuel cell power plant including a cell stack assembly comprised of a plurality of fuel cells in electrical communication with one another, said cell stack assembly including a fuel inlet manifold and a fuel exhaust manifold for accepting and exhausting, respectively, a reactant fuel stream, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing said cell stack assembly with said reactant fuel stream;
- sealing said fuel exhaust manifold for a first predetermined time period, thereby preventing said reactant fuel stream from exiting said cell stack assembly;
- opening said fuel exhaust manifold for a second predetermined time period;
- sensing a contaminant level in said reactant fuel stream;
- and
- determining a duration of said first and said second predetermined time periods in accordance with said sensed contaminant level.
A fuel cell power plant, comprising:
- a cell stack assembly having a plurality of planar fuel cells in electrical communication with one another, said fuel cells including a proton exchange membrane;
- a fuel inlet manifold in gaseous communication with an anode flow field of said fuel cells, said fuel inlet manifold accepting a pressurized supply of reactant fuel comprised of a hydrogen-rich gaseous stream;
- a fuel exhaust manifold in gaseous communication with an exhaust side of said anode flow field, said fuel exhaust manifold including an exhaust valve for selectively permitting said reactant fuel to exit said fuel exhaust manifold;
- and
- a controller for operating said exhaust valve, wherein said controller selectively commands said exhaust valve to alternate between an open position and a closed position during ongoing operation of said fuel cell power plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.