IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0329874
(2002-12-26)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Balliet, Ryan J.
- Reiser, Carl A.
- Patterson, Timothy W.
- Perry, Michael L.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
2 |
초록
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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
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).
대표청구항
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1. A method for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) that is shut down, the shut down fuel cell power plant (10) including at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical current from a hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and an oxygen containing oxidant and a primary load (70) that re
1. A method for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) that is shut down, the shut down fuel cell power plant (10) including at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical current from a hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and an oxygen containing oxidant and a primary load (70) that receives the electrical current through an external circuit (68) secured between the primary load (70) and the fuel cell (12), the fuel cell including an anode electrode (14) and a cathode electrode (16) on opposed sides of an electrolyte (18), an anode flow field (28) adjacent the anode electrode (14) for directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow adjacent to the anode electrode (14), and a cathode flow field (38) adjacent the cathode electrode (16) for directing the oxygen containing oxidant to flow adjacent the cathode electrode (16), the method for starting up the shut down fuel cell power plant (10) comprising the steps of:a. purging the cathode flow field (38) with the reducing fluid fuel by directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the cathode flow field (38); b. then, directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field (28); c. then, terminating flow of the reducing fluid through the cathode flow (38) field and directing the oxygen containing oxidant to flow through the cathode flow field (38); and, d. connecting the primary load (70) to the fuel cell (12) so that the electrical current flows from the fuel cell (12) to the primary load (70). 2. The method for starting up a shut down fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, comprising the further step of securing a platinum black anode electrode (14) between the electrolyte (18) and the anode flow field (28).3. The method for starting up a shut down fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, comprising the further step of, after the step of purging the cathode flow field (38) with the reducing fluid fuel and before the step of directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field (28), connecting an auxiliary load (74) to the fuel cell (12) to consume oxygen within the anode flow field (28), and then whenever the oxygen within the anode flow field (28) is substantially consumed directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field (28), then disconnecting the auxiliary load (74), and then connecting the primary load (70) to the fuel cell (12).4. The method for starting up a shut down fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 1, comprising the further step of, after the step of purging the cathode flow field (38) with the reducing fluid fuel and before the step of directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field (28), connecting an auxiliary load (74) in series with a diode (78) to the fuel cell (12) to consume oxygen within the anode flow field (28), the diode (78) permitting electrical current flow through the auxiliary load (74) when electrical current of the at least one fuel cell (12) is greater than 0.2 volts, and then whenever the oxygen within the anode flow field (28) is substantially consumed directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field (28), then disconnecting the auxiliary load (74), and then connecting the primary load (70) to the fuel cell (12).5. The method for starting up a shut down fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 3, comprising the further step of securing an anode recycle line (65) between an anode exhaust line (56) and a reducing fluid inlet line (54) of the fuel cell (12) for recycling a portion of an anode exhaust stream leaving the anode flow field (28) back into the anode flow field 28, securing a recycle blower (66) to the anode recycle line (65) for blowing the portion of the anode exhaust within the anode recycle line (65) back into the anode flow field (28), and operating the recycle blower (66) whenever the auxiliary load (74) is connected to the fuel cell (12).6. A system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10), the system comprising:a. at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical current from a hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and an oxygen containing oxidant, the fuel cell (12) including an anode electrode (14) and a cathode electrode (16) on opposed sides of an electrolyte (18), an anode flow field (28) adjacent the anode electrode (14) for directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow adjacent to the anode electrode (14), and a cathode flow field (38) adjacent the cathode electrode (16) for directing the oxygen containing oxidant to flow adjacent the cathode electrode (16); b. an oxidant inlet valve (50) secured to an oxidant inlet line (44) in fluid communication between an oxygen containing oxidant source (42) and the cathode flow field (38) for selectively permitting and terminating passage of the oxidant through the cathode inlet line (44) into the cathode flow field (38); c. an anode flow field isolation valve (62) secured to a reducing fluid inlet line (54) in fluid communication between a reducing fluid fuel source (40) and the anode flow field (28) for selectively permitting and terminating passage of the reducing fluid fuel through the reducing fluid inlet line (54) into the anode flow field (28); d. a cathode fuel purge valve (63) secured in fluid communication between the reducing fluid fuel source (40) and the cathode flow field (28), the cathode fuel purge valve (63) being secured so that whenever the oxidant inlet valve (50) and the anode flow field isolation valve (62) are closed, the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is open to permit passage of the reducing fluid fuel into the cathode flow field (38) to purge the cathode flow field (38) upon start up of the fuel cell power plant (10), and whenever the oxidant inlet valve (50) and anode flow field isolation (62) valve are open, the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is closed to prevent flow of the reducing fluid fuel into the cathode flow field (28). 7. The system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 6, further comprising:a. a reducing fluid inlet valve (60) secured to the reducing fluid inlet line (54) between the anode isolation valve (62) and the reducing fluid fuel source (40) for selectively permitting and terminating passage of the reducing fluid fuel through the reducing fluid inlet line (54); and, b. wherein the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is secured in fluid communication with the reducing fluid inlet line (44) between the reducing fluid inlet valve (60) and the anode flow field isolation valve (62) and secured to the oxidant inlet line (44) between the oxidant inlet valve (50) and the cathode flow field (38), and the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is secured so that whenever the oxidant inlet valve (50) and the anode flow field isolation valve (62) are closed and the reducing fluid inlet valve (60) is open, the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is open to permit passage of the reducing fluid fuel from the reducing fluid inlet line (54) into the cathode flow field (28) to purge the cathode flow field (28) upon start up of the fuel cell power plant (12), and whenever the oxidant inlet valve (50), anode flow field isolation valve (62), and reducing fluid inlet valve (60) are open, the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is closed to prevent flow of the reducing fluid fuel into the cathode flow field (38). 8. The system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 6, wherein the anode electrode (14) comprises a platinum black anode electrode (14).9. The system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 6, further comprising a primary load (70) secured in electrical communication with the fuel cell (12) so that the primary load (70) does not receive electrical current from the fuel cell (12) when the fuel cell is shut down, and an auxiliary load (74) secured in electrical communication with the fuel cell (12) so that whenever the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is open to permit the reducing fluid fuel into the cathode flow field (38), the auxiliary load (74) receives electrical current generated by the fuel cell (12) to consume oxygen within the anode flow field (28).10. The system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 6, further comprising a primary load (70) secured in electrical communication with the fuel cell (12) so that the primary load (70) does not receive electrical current from the fuel cell (12) when the fuel cell is shut down, and an auxiliary load (74) secured in electrical communication with the fuel cell (12) and secured in series with a diode (78) to consume oxygen within the anode flow field (28), the diode (78) permitting electrical current flow through the auxiliary load (74) when voltage of the at least one fuel cell (12) is greater than 0.2 volts, so that whenever the cathode fuel purge valve (63) is open to permit the reducing fluid fuel into the cathode flow field (38), the auxiliary load (74) receives electrical current when voltage generated by the fuel cell (12) is greater than 0.2 volts to consume oxygen within the anode flow field (28).11. The system for starting up a fuel cell power plant (10) of claim 9, further comprising an anode recycle line (65) secured between an anode exhaust line (56) and the reducing fluid inlet line (54) of the fuel cell (12) for recycling a portion of an anode exhaust stream leaving the anode flow field (28) back into the anode flow field (28), and a recycle blower (66) secured to the anode recycle line (65) for blowing the portion of the anode exhaust stream within the anode recycle line (65) back into the anode flow field (28), the anode recycle blower (66) being secured so that the anode recycle blower (66) is operating whenever the auxiliary load (74) receives electrical current from the fuel cell (12).
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