SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF FUEL CELL CATALYST PERFORMANCE

• US 20130045431A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HAN, TAEHEE, DALE, NILESH, ADJEMIAN, KEVORK
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/31 for starting of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/008 Disposal or recycling of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04 Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04664 Failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04679 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/18 Regenerative fuel cells, e.g. redox flow batteries or secondary fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for recovering performance of fuel cells by recovering fuel cell catalyst activity. One system for recovering catalyst performance of a fuel cell stack made of one or more fuel cells in a vehicle comprises a sensor for detecting an EOL state of the fuel cell. A notification device notifies a user when the sensor detects the EOL state of the fuel cell. Means for drawing a steady-state load from the fuel cell stack is used to operate the fuel cell stack until the catalyst performance is recovered.

Claims

1. A system for recovering catalyst performance of a fuel cell in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor for detecting an end of life state of the fuel cell;

a notification device for presenting a notification when the sensor detects the end of life state of the fuel cell; and

means for drawing a steady-state load from the fuel cell.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects a number of hours of operation and the detected end of life state is a predetermined number of hours of operation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects a number of miles driven and the detected end of life state is a predetermined number of miles driven.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects one or both of an outlet voltage of the fuel cell and a current drawn by the fuel cell and the detected end of life state is a predetermined iV value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for drawing the steady-state load comprises one or more internal load drawing accessories of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a timer configured to automatically stop the means for drawing a steady-state load when a predetermined period has elapsed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further detects a recovery state of the fuel cell, the sensor configured to stop the means for drawing the steady-state load when the recovery state is detected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the detected recovery state is defined by an amount of time of operation of the means for drawing the steady-state load.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the detected recovery state is defined by one or both of an output voltage of the fuel cell and a current draw of the fuel cell.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the detected recovery state is defined as having at least one performance parameter at or near a beginning of life state of the fuel cell.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an external fuel gas supply; and

means for continually supplying external fuel gas to a fuel gas tank of the vehicle while the means for drawing the steady-state load is operating.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an external fuel gas supply; and

a bypass valve provided on the vehicle and configured to route fuel gas from the external fuel gas supply to the fuel cell.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is a non-precious metal group catalyst.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the non-precious metal group catalyst is a metal-nitrogen-carbon type catalyst.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for drawing the steady-state current is configured to draw about 0.3 to 0.5 A/cm².

16. A method of recovering catalyst performance of a fuel cell in a vehicle comprising:

detecting a performance parameter of a fuel cell;

presenting a notification when the performance parameter is at or near an end of life state of the fuel cell; and

drawing a steady-state load from the fuel cell until the catalyst performance is recovered.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the performance parameter is one or more of current drawn, voltage outputted, hours of operation and distance traveled.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein drawing the steady-state load comprises operating one or more internal load drawing accessories of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

detecting a recovery state of the fuel cell; and

stopping the drawing the steady-state load when the recovery state is detected.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the recovery state is defined by one or more of an amount of time of drawing the steady-state load, the amount of current drawn by the fuel cell or the amount of voltage output from the fuel cell.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

connecting the vehicle to an external fuel gas supply prior to drawing the steady-state load; and

supplying external fuel gas to the fuel cell while drawing the steady-state load.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein supplying the external fuel gas to the fuel cell comprises supplying the external fuel gas to one of a fuel gas tank or a bypass valve on the fuel cell.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein drawing the steady-state load removes surface oxides from carbon in the catalyst.