Method and apparatus for operating an electrochemical fuel cell with periodic fuel starvation at the anode
First Claim
1. A method of operating a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, said method comprising:
- supplying an oxidant stream to the cathode of said fuel cell;
supplying a fuel stream to the anode of said fuel cell; and
periodically fuel starving at least a portion of said anode, while continuing to produce electrical power from said fuel cell.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for operating an electrochemical fuel cell with periodic momentary fuel starvation at the anode. It is believed that such momentary periodic fuel starvation conditions cause the anode potential to increase, resulting in the oxidation and removal of electrocatalyst poisons from the anode electrocatalyst and improved fuel cell performance. In a preferred method, while successive localized portions of the fuel cell anode are momentarily periodically fuel starved, the remainder of the fuel cell anode remains electrochemically active and saturated with fuel such that the fuel cell is continually available to generate power.
86 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of operating a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, said method comprising:
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supplying an oxidant stream to the cathode of said fuel cell; supplying a fuel stream to the anode of said fuel cell; and periodically fuel starving at least a portion of said anode, while continuing to produce electrical power from said fuel cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of operating a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells, each of said fuel cells comprising an anode and a cathode, said method comprising:
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supplying an oxidant stream to said cathodes; supplying a fuel stream to said anodes; and periodically fuel starving at least one of said anodes such that a cell reversal occurs in said at least one of said fuel cells while continuing to generate electrical power from said fuel cell assembly.
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Specification