Fuel cell and method of operating same
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsToshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Nuiya
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Abstract
A fuel cell has a fuel gas passage disposed therein, a circulation passage connecting a fuel gas pump in series to the fuel gas passage, and an intermediate fuel gas supply mechanism. The intermediate fuel gas supply mechanism supplies a fuel gas, which is lower in humidity than a fuel gas flowing upstream of a intermediate fuel gas supply port in the fuel gas passage, to the intermediate fuel gas supply port, for thereby preventing water from being condensed in the fuel gas passage.
Claims13
A fuel cell comprising:
- a membrane electrode assembly comprising a solid polymer ion exchange membrane, an anode electrode mounted on one surface of said solid polymer ion exchange membrane, and a cathode electrode mounted on the other surface of said solid polymer ion exchange membrane:
- an anode separator;
- a cathode separator, said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched between said anode separator and said cathode separator;
- a fuel gas passage disposed between said anode electrode and said anode separator;
- a circulation passage connecting a fuel gas pump disposed outside of the fuel cell in series to said fuel gas passage;
- an intermediate fuel gas supply port connected to said fuel gas passage between a fuel gas inlet and a fuel gas outlet thereof;
- and
- an intermediate fuel gas supply mechanism for supplying a fuel gas, which is lower in humidity than a fuel gas flowing upstream of said intermediate fuel gas supply port, from said intermediate fuel gas supply port to said fuel gas passage.
A method of operating a fuel cell having a membrane electrode assembly comprising a solid polymer ion exchange membrane, an anode electrode mounted on one surface of said solid polymer ion exchange membrane, and a cathode electrode mounted on the other surface of said solid polymer ion exchange membrane, an anode separator, a cathode separator, said membrane electrode assembly being sandwiched between said anode separator and said cathode separator, a fuel gas passage disposed between said anode electrode and said anode separator, and an intermediate fuel gas supply port connected to said fuel gas passage between a fuel gas inlet and a fuel gas outlet thereof, said method comprising the step of:
- supplying a fuel gas, which is lower in humidity than a fuel gas flowing upstream of said intermediate fuel gas supply port, from said intermediate fuel gas supply port to said fuel gas passage, thereby preventing water from being condensed in said fuel gas passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.