摘要:
The invention is a hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant (10). An anode flow path (24) is in fluid communication with an anode catalyst (14) for directing hydrogen fuel to flow adjacent to the anode catalyst (14), and a cathode flow path (38) is in fluid communication with a cathode catalyst (16) for directing an oxidant to flow adjacent to the cathode catalyst (16) of a fuel cell (12). Hydrogen fuel is permitted to transfer between the anode flow path (24) and the cathode flow path (38). A hydrogen reservoir (66) is secured in fluid communication with the anode flow path (24) for receiving and storing hydrogen during fuel cell (12) operation, and for releasing the hydrogen into fuel cell (12) whenever the fuel cell (12) is shut down.
摘要:
The invention is a hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant (10). An anode flow path (24) is in fluid communication with an anode catalyst (14) for directing hydrogen fuel to flow adjacent to the anode catalyst (14), and a cathode flow path (38) is in fluid communication with a cathode catalyst (16) for directing an oxidant to flow adjacent to the cathode catalyst (16) of a fuel cell (12). Hydrogen fuel is permitted to transfer between the anode flow path (24) and the cathode flow path (38). A hydrogen reservoir (66) is secured in fluid communication with the anode flow path (24) for receiving and storing hydrogen during fuel cell (12) operation, and for releasing the hydrogen into the fuel cell (12) whenever the fuel cell (12) is shut down.
摘要:
The invention is a hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant (10). An anode flow path (24) is in fluid communication with an anode catalyst (14) for directing hydrogen fuel to flow adjacent to the anode catalyst (14), and a cathode flow path (38) is in fluid communication with a cathode catalyst (16) for directing an oxidant to flow adjacent to the cathode catalyst (16) of a fuel cell (12). Hydrogen fuel is permitted to transfer between the anode flow path (24) and the cathode flow path (38). A hydrogen reservoir (66) is secured in fluid communication with the anode flow path (24) for receiving and storing hydrogen during fuel cell (12) operation, and for releasing the hydrogen into fuel cell (12) whenever the fuel cell (12) is shut down.
摘要:
The invention is a start up system and method for a fuel cell power plant (10) using a purging of the cathode flow field (38) with a hydrogen rich reducing fluid fuel to minimize corrosion of the cathode electrode (16). The method for starting up the shut down fuel cell power plant (10) includes the steps of: a. purging the cathode flow field (38) with the reducing fluid fuel; b. then, directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through an anode flow field (28); c. next, terminating flow of the fuel through the cathode flow field (38) and directing an oxygen containing oxidant to flow through the cathode flow field (38); and, d. finally, connecting a primary load (70) to the fuel cell (12) so that electrical current flows from the fuel cell (12) to the primary load (70).
摘要:
A fuel cell power plant (10) having a fuel concentration sensor cell (54) is disclosed for detecting a concentration of fuel in a fuel cell (12) of the plant (10). A portion of a fuel exhaust stream is directed to flow through the sensor cell (54) adjacent to a membrane electrode assembly (60) of the sensor cell (54). A power circuit (62) may or may not deliver an electrical current to the cell (12), while changes in voltage across the cell (12) that are proportional to changes in hydrogen concentrations within the fuel exhaust stream are detected by a detector (68) which communicates the changes to a controller (108) for controlling a rate of fuel supply to the fuel cell (12). A porous sensor water transport plate (74) cools, humidifies delivers and removes liquid from the sensor cell (12).
摘要:
A fuel cell power plant (19, 19a) has a plurality of fuel cells (70, 70a, 70c) arranged in a stack (20, 20c), each fuel cell having porous, at least partially hydrophilic water transport plates (75, 81) with fuel (74) and oxidant (82) reactant gas channels, there being water channels (78, 85, 78a, 85a, 78c, 85c) exchanging water with the water transport plates. On shut down, water is retained in the water channels and water transport plates by means of either a micro vacuum pump (46), one or two valves (89, 90, 118, 120), a check valve (95, 99), capillary force in the water channels to prevent water from entering the reactant channels which, if frozen, could block flow of reactant gas upon startup.
摘要:
A fuel cell stack (31) includes a plurality of fuel cells (9) each having an electrolyte such as a PEM (10), anode and cathode catalyst layers (13, 14), anode and cathode gas diffusion layers (16, 17), and water transport plates (21, 28) adjacent the gas diffusion layers. The cathode diffusion layer of cells near the cathode end (36) of the stack have a high water permeability, such as greater than 3×10−4 g/(Pa s m) at about 80° C. and about 1 atmosphere, whereas the cathode gas diffusion layer in cells near the anode end (35) have water vapor permeance greater than 3×10−4 g/(Pa s m) at about 80° C. and about 1 atmosphere. In one embodiment, the anode gas diffusion layer of cells near the anode end (35) of the stack have a higher liquid water permeability than the anode gas diffusion layer in cells near the cathode end; a second embodiment reverses that relationship.
摘要:
Fuel cells (38) have water passageways (67; 78, 85; 78a, 85a) that provide water through reactant gas flow field plates (74, 81) to cool the fuel cell. The water passageways may be vented to atmosphere (99), by a porous plug (69), or pumped (89, 146) with or without removing any water from the passageways. A condenser (59, 124) receives reactant air exhaust, may have a contiguous reservoir (64, 128), may be vertical, (a vehicle radiator, FIG. 2), may be horizontal, contiguous with the top of the fuel cell stack (37, FIG. 5), or below (124) the fuel cell stack (120). The passageways may be grooves (76, 77; 83, 84) or may comprise a plane of porous hydrophilic material (78a, 85a) contiguous with substantially the entire surface of one or both of the reactant gas flow field plates. Air flow in the condenser may be controlled by shutters (155). The condenser may be a heat exchanger (59a) having freeze-proof liquid flowing through a coil (161) thereof, the amount being controlled by a valve (166). A deionizer (175) may be used.
摘要:
A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell includes increasing the oxygen utilization within the fuel cell to increase heat. The heat reduces the amount of liquid in the fuel cell. A disclosed example method includes decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to lower a fuel cell voltage by increasing the oxygen utilization. The example method includes maintaining an essentially electrical current density while decreasing the supply of air.
摘要:
A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell includes increasing the oxygen utilization within the fuel cell to increase heat. The heat reduces the amount of liquid in the fuel cell. A disclosed example method includes decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to lower a fuel cell voltage by increasing the oxygen utilization. The example method includes maintaining an essentially electrical current density while decreasing the supply of air.