Initiating operation of an electric vehicle or other load powered by a fuel cell at sub-freezing temperature

A method of initiating operation of an electric load powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing at least stochiometric requirement of fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields and at least stochiometric requirement of air from said ambient environment to said oxidant flow fields;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (v) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (vi) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said load;
• and
• (d) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) the expiration of approximately five minutes following step (c), or (viii) when the quantity of liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill all of said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages.

A method of initiating operation of an electric vehicle in an ambient environment having a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said vehicle having a propulsion system powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells each including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, said support plates being porous and at least partially hydrophilic, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, each cell having at least one of (i) a porous water transport plate disposed adjacent said anode support plate and (ii) a porous water transport plate disposed adjacent said cathode support plate, each water transport plate having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (iii) product water removal (iv) condensate removal (v) humidification of reactants, and (vi) cooling, said method comprising:

• (a) previously causing the pores of said support plates to be substantially free of water;
• (b) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (c) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing unheated, unhumidified fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields in excess of stochiometric requirement and unheated, unhumidified oxidant reactant gas from said ambient environment to said oxidant flow fields in excess of about two times stochiometric requirement;
• (d) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) within less than about 20 seconds from step (c) and (viii) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said propulsion system;
• (e) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (ix) the expiration of about five minutes following step (d), and (x) when liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages and providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields of at least stochiometric requirement and oxidant reactant gas from said ambient environment to said oxidant flow fields of less than about twice stochiometric requirement, cooling of said stack between step (d) and step (e) being provided by heating the ice in said water transport plates, the heat of fusion of melting ice, heating the mass of said stack, and by evaporation of water, at least from said water transport plates, into said oxidant reactant gas.

A method of initiating operation of an electric vehicle having a propulsion system powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between a porous anode support plate and a porous cathode support plate, the pores of said support plates being substantially free of water, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields in excess of stochiometric requirement and oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields in excess of about two times stochiometric requirement;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (v) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (vi) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said propulsion system;
• and
• (d) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) the expiration of five minutes following step (c), or (viii) when the quantity of liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages and providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields of at least stochiometric requirement and oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields of less than about twice stochiometric requirement.

A method of initiating operation of an electric vehicle in an ambient environment having a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said vehicle having a propulsion system powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing at least stochiometric requirement of unheated, unhumidified fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields and at least stochiometric requirement of unheated, unhumidified air from said ambient environment to said oxidant flow fields;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (v) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (vi) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said propulsion system;
• and
• (d) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) the expiration of five minutes following step (c), or (viii) when the quantity of liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill all of said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages and providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields of at least stochiometric requirement, and providing air from said ambient environment to said oxidant flow fields of less than about twice stochiometric requirement.

A method of initiating operation of an electric vehicle having a propulsion system powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack at least a part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said support plates being porous and at least partially hydrophilic, said method comprising:

• (a) previously causing the pores of said support plates to be substantially free of water;
• (b) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (c) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing fuel and oxidant reactant gas respectively to said fuel flow fields and to said oxidant flow fields;
• (d) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (v) within less than about 20 seconds from step (c) and (vi) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said propulsion system;
• (e) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) the expiration of five minutes following step (d), or (viii) when liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages and providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields of at least stochiometric requirement and oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields of less than about twice stochiometric requirement.

A method of initiating operation of an electric vehicle having a propulsion system powered by a power plant including a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells each including a membrane electrode assembly disposed between a porous anode support plate and a porous cathode support plate, the pores of said support plates being substantially free of water, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, each cell having at least one of (i) a porous water transport plate disposed adjacent said anode support plate and (ii) a porous water transport plate disposed adjacent said cathode support plate, each water transport plate having water passages connected to a water circulation system, with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (iii) product water removal (iv) condensate removal (v) humidification of reactants, and (vi) cooling, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said propulsion system, providing fuel and oxidant reactant gas respectively to said fuel flow fields and to said oxidant flow fields;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (viii) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said propulsion system;
• (d) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (ix) the expiration of five minutes following step (c), or (x) when liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages and providing fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields of at least stochiometric requirement and oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields of less than about twice stochiometric requirement, cooling of said stack between step (c) and step (d) being provided by heating the ice in said water transport plates, the heat of fusion of melting ice, heating the mass of the stack, and by evaporation of water, at least from said water transport plates, into said oxidant reactant gas.

A method of initiating operation of an electric load powered by a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a MEA disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said load, providing at least stochiometric requirement of fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields and at least stochiometric requirement of oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields, at least one of said reactant gases being at a pressure at least 4 kPa (0.6 psi) above either (v) atmospheric pressure or (vi) pressure of any water in said water passages;
• (c) after said step (b), connecting said stack to power said load;
• and
• (d) after said step (c), starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages.

A method of initiating operation of an electric load powered by a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a MEA disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said load, providing at least stochiometric requirement of fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields and at least stochiometric requirement of oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields, at least one of said reactant gases being at a pressure at least 4 kPa (0.6 psi) above either (v) atmospheric pressure or (vi) pressure of any water in said water passages;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (vi) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (vii) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said load;
• and
• (d) upon the expiration of about five minutes following step (c), starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages.

A method of initiating operation of an electric load powered by a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack at least part of which is at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water, said stack having a plurality of cells and having water passages connected to a water circulation system with a reservoir, to provide at least one of (i) product water removal (ii) condensate removal (iii) humidification of reactants, and (iv) cooling, each of said cells including a MEA disposed between an anode support plate and a cathode support plate, a fuel reactant gas flow field on an anode side of said cell, and an oxidant reactant gas flow field on a cathode side of said cell, said method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the current provided by and voltage across said stack;
• (b) with said stack disconnected from said load, providing at least stochiometric requirement of fuel reactant gas to said fuel flow fields and at least stochiometric requirement of oxidant reactant gas to said oxidant flow fields, at least one of said reactant gases being at a pressure at least 4 kPa (0.6 psi) above either (v) atmospheric pressure or (vi) pressure of any water in said water passages;
• (c) upon occurrence of a condition selected from (vi) within less than about 20 seconds from step (b) and (vii) when open circuit voltage across said stack is detected, connecting said stack to power said load;
• and
• (d) upon the occurrence of a condition selected from (vii) the expiration of five minutes following step (c), or (viii) when the quantity of liquid water within said water circulation system is sufficient to fill all of said water circulation system except said reservoir, starting circulation of water flowing within said water passages.