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US 8,802,305 B2Granted
Fuel cell system and processes
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorBernd Karuse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell system comprises an oxygen removing device having an inlet fluidly connected to at least one of the reactant gas source and an outlet of the cathode gas flow field, and an outlet fluidly connected to each of an anode control valve and a cathode control valve. Various fuel cell operation processes are also disclosed.
Claims23
A process comprising:
- providing a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack having a cathode gas flow field, an anode gas flow field, a reactant gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the cathode gas flow field through a cathode control valve, a fuel gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the anode gas flow field through an anode control valve, an oxygen removing device having an inlet fluidly connect to at least one of the reactant gas source and an outlet of the cathode flow field and an outlet capable of fluidly communicating with each of said anode gas flow field and said cathode gas flow field;
- providing flow of a reactant gas through the oxygen removing device from the reactant gas source and/or the outlet of the cathode gas flow field to remove substantially any oxygen gas component, thereby producing a substantially oxygen free gas stream at the outlet of said device;
- configuring said anode control valve to fluidly connect the outlet of the oxygen removing device to the inlet of the anode gas flow field;
- purging said anode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the anode gas flow field is filled with said oxygen free gas;
- and
- before shutdown of the fuel cell stack purging said cathode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the cathode gas flow field is substantially free of oxygen gas.
3 more elements
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- and
- before shutdown of the fuel cell stack simultaneously or sequentially purging the anode and the cathode gas flow fields of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
A process comprising:
- providing a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack having a cathode gas flow field, an anode gas flow field, a reactant gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the cathode gas flow field through a cathode control valve, a fuel gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the anode gas flow field through an anode control valve, an oxygen removing device having an inlet fluidly connected to at least one of the reactant gas source and an outlet of the cathode flow field and an outlet that fluidly communicates with each of said anode gas flow field and said cathode gas flow field and a gas pump and a gas storage device that are fluidly connected to the outlet of the oxygen removing device;
- providing flow of a reactant gas through the oxygen removing device from the reactant gas source and/or the outlet of the cathode gas flow field to remove substantially any oxygen gas component, thereby producing a substantially oxygen free gas stream at the outlet of said device;
- configuring said anode control valve to fluidly connect the outlet of the oxygen removing device to the inlet of the anode gas flow field;
- purging said anode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the anode gas flow field is filled with said oxygen free gas;
- and
- purging said cathode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the cathode gas flow field is substantially free of oxygen gas.
3 more elements
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- and
- sequentially purging the anode and the cathode gas flow fields of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- and
- before shutdown of the fuel cell, sequentially purging the cathode gas flow field and thereafter the anode gas flow field of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- and
- simultaneously purging the anode and the cathode gas flow fields of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- and
- before shutdown of the fuel cell, simultaneously purging the cathode gas flow field and thereafter the anode gas flow field of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
A process of purging a fuel cell comprising:
- providing an oxygen removing device capable of substantially removing oxygen gas from air or the exhaust gas stream from a fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to provide a substantially oxygen free gas stream;
- providing a gas pump and gas storage device wherein the gas pump is capable of pulling air or the exhaust gas stream from the fuel cell cathode exhaust gas through the oxygen removing device at a controlled flowrate and pressurizing the substantially oxygen free gas stream and allowing for storage of the pressurized gas in the gas storage device;
- and
- simultaneously or sequentially purging the anode and the cathode gas flow fields of the fuel cell with said oxygen free gas stream.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.