Fuel cell system and method for removal of water from fuel cells
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/18
H01M-008/10
H01M-002/00
H01M-002/02
출원번호
UP-0637660
(2003-08-11)
등록번호
US-7563526
(2009-07-29)
발명자
/ 주소
Takahashi, Shinichi
출원인 / 주소
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
대리인 / 주소
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
9
초록▼
A fuel cell system is provided which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising a fuel cell stack, a DC power supply, and a controller. The DC power supply comprises at least one of a generator and battery. The controller is programmed to determine wh
A fuel cell system is provided which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising a fuel cell stack, a DC power supply, and a controller. The DC power supply comprises at least one of a generator and battery. The controller is programmed to determine whether or not the fuel cell stack is generating electricity, and to supply current to the fuel cell stack by at least one of the generator and the battery when generation of electricity by the fuel cell stack is terminated. The current supplied to the fuel cell stack removes residual water in the fuel cell stack by electrolytically reducing the water into hydrogen and oxygen gasses which are subsequently purged from the fuel cell stack.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell system which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising: a fuel cell stack comprising water as a by-product of a reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell including a membr
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel cell system which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising: a fuel cell stack comprising water as a by-product of a reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell including a membrane electrode assembly to generate electricity from the reaction between the fuel gas and oxidant gas, which forms the water as a by-product, the membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and two electrodes on both sides of and adjacent to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel cell stack anode electrically connected to one of the two electrodes, and a fuel cell stack cathode electrically connected to the other of the two electrodes, wherein each unit cell is immediately adjacent another unit cell; a rechargeable battery electrically connected to the fuel cell stack in a parallel connection in which an anode of the battery is electrically connected to the anode of the fuel cell stack, and a cathode of the battery is electrically connected to the cathode of the fuel cell stack, the battery supplies current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze water therein; and a controller programmed to: determine whether or not the fuel cell stack is generating electricity, and supply current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack from the battery through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze the water therein, when generation of electricity by the fuel cell stack is terminated, and supply current from the unit cells through the parallel connection to charge the battery when the fuel cell stack generates electricity. 2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell stack comprises a pair of end plates and at least one unit cell containing a gas diffusion layer in contact with a membrane electrode assembly which is constructed of the polymer electrolyte membrane enclosed between the two electrodes, wherein said at least one unit cell is stacked between the end plates. 3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the battery is configured for being charged by electric power from a generator or the fuel cell stack. 4. A motor vehicle comprising a fuel cell system which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising: the fuel cell stack comprising water as a by-product of a reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell including a membrane electrode assembly to generate electricity from the reaction between the fuel gas and oxidant gas, which forms the water as a by-product, the membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and two electrodes on both sides of and adjacent to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel cell stack anode electrically connected to one of the two electrodes, and a fuel cell stack cathode electrically connected to the other of the two electrodes, wherein each unit cell is immediately adjacent another unit cell; a rechargeable battery electrically connected to the fuel cell stack in a parallel connection in which an anode of the battery is electrically connected to the anode of the fuel cell stack, and a cathode of the battery is electrically connected to the cathode of the fuel cell stack, the battery supplies current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze water therein; and a controller programmed to: determine whether or not the fuel cell stack is generating electricity, and supply current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack from the battery through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze the water therein, when generation of electricity by the fuel cell stack is terminated, and supply current from the unit cells through the parallel connection to charge the battery when the fuel cell stack generates electricity. 5. An automobile comprising a fuel cell system which generates electricity by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack comprising: the fuel cell stack comprising water as a by-product of a reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell including a membrane electrode assembly to generate electricity from the reaction between the fuel gas and oxidant gas, which forms the water as a by-product, the membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and two electrodes on both sides of and adjacent to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel cell stack anode electrically connected to one of the two electrodes, and a fuel cell stack cathode electrically connected to the other of the two electrodes, wherein each unit cell is immediately adjacent another unit cell; a rechargeable battery electrically connected to the fuel cell stack in a parallel connection in which an anode of the battery is electrically connected to the anode of the fuel cell stack, and a cathode of the battery is electrically connected to the cathode of the fuel cell stack, the battery supplies current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze water therein; and a controller programmed to: determine whether or not the fuel cell stack is generating electricity, and supply current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack from the battery through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze the water therein, when generation of electricity by the fuel cell stack is terminated, and supply current from the unit cells through the parallel connection to charge the battery when the fuel cell stack generates electricity. 6. A method of removing water from a fuel cell system, said fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack comprising water as a by-product of a reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell including a membrane electrode assembly to generate electricity from the reaction between the fuel gas and oxidant gas, which forms the water as a by-product, the membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and two electrodes on both sides of and adjacent to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel cell stack anode electrically connected to one of the two electrodes, and a fuel cell stack cathode electrically connected to the other of the two electrodes, wherein each unit cell is immediately adjacent another unit cell; a rechargeable battery electrically connected to the fuel cell stack in a parallel connection in which an anode of the battery is electrically connected to the anode of the fuel cell stack, and a cathode of the battery is electrically connected to the cathode of the fuel cell stack, the battery supplies current to the unit cells of the fuel cell stack through the parallel connection to allow the unit cells to electrolyze the water therein; and a programmable controller, comprising the steps of: generating electricity from the fuel cell stack by supplying fuel gas and oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack; terminating the generation of electricity from the fuel cell stack; determining that the generation of electricity by the fuel cell stack has terminated using said programmable controller; and using said programmable controller to supply current to the fuel cell stack from the rechargeable battery. 7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising charging said battery with electric power from said fuel cell stack. 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: measuring the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack; and controlling the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack reaches a predetermined amperage by controlling a voltage impressed on the fuel cell stack. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the flow of said current to said plurality of unit cells in the fuel cell stack is independently controlled. 11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising shutting off the flow of said current when the duration of the current flow to the fuel cell stack reaches a predetermined time. 12. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: measuring a flow rate of fuel gas in a gas discharged from a fuel gas discharge port of the fuel cell stack; and shutting off the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack if the flow rate of the fuel gas falls below a value that is measured before supplying said current to the fuel cell stack. 13. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: measuring humidity of a gas discharged from a fuel gas discharge port or an oxidant gas discharge port of the fuel cell stack; and shutting off the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack if the humidity of the gas discharged from said fuel gas discharge port or said oxidant gas discharge port falls below a predetermined value. 14. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: measuring moisture content of a polymer electrolyte membrane in the fuel cell stack; and shutting off the flow of said current to the fuel cell stack if the moisture content of the polymer electrolyte membrane falls below a predetermined value. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of measuring a moisture content of a polymer electrolyte membrane in the fuel cell stack comprises measuring electrical resistance of at least some of the unit cells in the fuel cell stack; and calculating the moisture content based on the resistance of said unit cells. 16. The method according to claim 6, further comprising simultaneously discharging fuel cell gas and oxidant gas remaining in the fuel cell stack. 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising burning fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack after terminating the generation of electricity from the fuel cell stack.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (9)
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