Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080241608 | METHOD OF STARTING UP A FUEL CELL UNDER CONDITIONS IN WHICH WATER MAY FREEZE - A method including starting a fuel cell stack and generating heat in the fuel cell stack to raise the fuel cell stack temperature above 0° C. for each start to eliminate ice in the fuel cell stack before shutdown. | 10-02-2008 |
20080292921 | RECOVERY OF INERT GAS FROM A FUEL CELL EXHAUST STREAM - A fuel cell system is provided including a fuel cell stack having a fuel cell having an anode, an anode outlet, an anode inlet, and a cathode. The fuel cell system further includes a hydrogen pump in communication with the anode outlet and the anode inlet. The hydrogen pump features a proton exchange membrane disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is configured to accept an anode outlet stream from the anode outlet, the anode outlet stream including a hydrogen gas and an inert gas, the first electrode being configured to exhaust the inert gas. In one embodiment, the hydrogen pump is in communication with a PROX unit and configured to provide the hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack. Further provided are methods employing the hydrogen pump wherein a start-stop degradation of the fuel cell is militated against and a hydrogen feed stream is humidified. | 11-27-2008 |
20090029235 | Mitigation of Membrane Degradation by Multilayer Electrode - An MEA for a fuel cell that employs multiple catalyst layers to reduce the hydrogen and/or oxygen partial pressure at the membrane so as to reduce the fluoride release rate from the membrane and reduce membrane degradation. An anode side multi-layer catalyst configuration is positioned at the anode side of the MEA membrane. The anode side multi-layer catalyst configuration includes an anode side under layer positioned against the membrane and including a catalyst, an anode side middle layer positioned against the anode side under layer and not including a catalyst and an anode side catalyst layer positioned against the anode side middle layer and opposite to the anode side under layer and including a catalyst, where the amount of catalyst in the anode side catalyst layer is greater than the amount of catalyst in the anode side under layer. | 01-29-2009 |
20110039167 | MEMBRANE HUMIDIFIER FOR A FUEL CELL - A membrane humidifier for a fuel cell with a wet side plate having a plurality of flow channels formed therein and a dry side plate having a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the flow channels of the wet side plate adapted to facilitate a flow of a wet gas therethrough and the flow channels of said dry side plate adapted to facilitate a flow of a dry gas therethrough, wherein a pressure drop in the humidifier is minimized and a humidification of a proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell is optimized. | 02-17-2011 |