Fuel cell stack melting of coolant water during frozen startup

Details Fuel cell stack melting of coolant water during frozen startup Fuel cell stack melting of coolant water during frozen startup

2006-01-17

2006-01-17

Crepeau, Jonathan (Department: 1746)

Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and

Having magnetic field feature

C429S006000, C429S006000, C429S006000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06986958

ABSTRACT:
A PEM fuel cell system (19) has a multifunction oxidant manifold (98) disposed contiguously beneath a fuel cell stack (20), serving as coolant accumulator (28). An electric heater (45) is powered by the fuel cell electrical output (47, 51) during frozen startup. Auxiliary pump (54) and conduits (55, 57, 58) forces water (28) above oxidant pressure in upper coolant manifold (41), into the oxidant flow fields to be warmed before flowing from the oxidant exhaust to the accumulator to melt additional ice. Alternatively, melted coolant is forced by oxidant pressure into coolant channels for heating. Conduit (61) conducts coolant from the coolant flow fields to the accumulator. A condensing heat exchanger (65) embedded in accumulator coolant receives oxidant exhaust. A condensing heat exchanger (70) has cold inlet air (75) and warm moist oxidant exhaust (72) on opposite sides, condensing liquid into the accumulator. Melting of coolant may be started by a heater (45) powered by a battery (80) or by circulating externally heated (83) glycol.

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patent: 2003/0129465 (2003-07-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: WO 02/35632 (2002-05-01), None

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