Fuel cell system and method of operation
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsVolker Formanski, Martin Woehr, Thomas Herbig
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of operating a fuel cell system and a fuel cell system that can adjust the operating pressure of the fuel cell system to maximize efficiency. This present invention recognizes that under certain operating conditions appropriately matched operating pressures enable a substantially more efficient system operation. The method of the present invention and the fuel cell system of the present invention incorporate the recognition that a higher system efficiency can be achieved when the operating pressure produced by the air compressor is matched to the prevailing operating temperature of the fuel cell system.
Claims59
A method for operation of a fuel cell system comprising:
- providing a fuel cell stack defining a plurality of operating points wherein each of said operating points are characterized by an operating temperature, an operating pressure, and a reactant stoichiometry within said fuel cell stack;
- providing a cooling system that establishes an actual operating temperature of said fuel cell stack independent of said reactant stoichiometry within said fuel cell stack;
- determining at least one actual operating temperature of said fuel cell stack;
- and
- providing a compressed flow of an oxygen containing gas to a cathode inlet at an operating pressure controlled such that it represents a minimum pressure necessary to ensure operation of said fuel cell system at an actual operating point defined by said actual operating temperature.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack defining a plurality of operating points wherein each of said operating points are characterized by an operating temperature, an operating pressure, and a reactant stoichiometry within said fuel cell stack;
- a cooling system adapted to establish an actual operating temperature of said fuel cell stack independent of said reactant stoichiometry within said fuel cell stack;
- a temperature sensor adapted to determine said actual operating temperature established by said independent cooling system;
- and
- pressure components configured to produce a compressed flow of oxygen containing gas for delivery to a cathode inlet of said fuel cell stack at an operating pressure, that represents a minimum pressure necessary to ensure operation of said fuel cell system at an actual operating point defined by said actual operating temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.