Initiating operation of an electric vehicle or other load powered by a fuel cell at sub-freezing temperature

Abstract

A vehicle (150) includes a fuel cell stack (151) started when the stack is below freezing, by connection (158) to the vehicle propulsion system (159) within a few seconds of starting the flow of fuel (179) and oxidant (173), or when open circuit voltage (155, 156) is detected. The fuel is in excess of stochiometry requirement and the oxidant is in excess of at least twice stochiometric requirement, either may be at about atmospheric pressure or at 4 kPa (0.6 psi) or more above the pressure of any water in said water passages, and either may be below freezing. Water transport plates (84, 86, 88, 89) have water passages connected to a water circulation loop (170) including a reservoir (164) having an auxiliary heater (161) connected (160) to the stack. Warming of cell stack materials and ice in the water transport plates, heat of fusion of melting ice, warming of melted water, and evaporative cooling of water melted in the water transport plates keep the fuel cell cool until liquid coolant can be circulated.

Description

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 187,547 filed on Jul. 1, 2002.[0002] This invention relates to rapidly initiating operation of a fuel cell powered electric vehicle, at sub-freezing temperature, by means of one or more of: providing excess reactant gas or cold reactant gas to the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack which powers the load, such as a vehicle propulsion system, connecting the load to the stack within 20 seconds of reactant gas flow or when open circuit voltage is detected, previously draining hydrophilic support plates, connecting coolant only after several minutes or when sufficient water has melted.[0003] It is generally agreed that one difficulty with utilizing fuel cells to power the propulsion system of electric vehicles is the requirement that such vehicles be operable at temperatures below that at which water will freeze. Freezing provides potential mechanical damage as a consequence of the expansion of ice, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] Objects of the invention include: operating, at subfreezing temperature, an electric vehicle powered by a fuel cell within seconds of initiation; improved initiation of fuel cell powered, electric vehicle operation at subfreezing temperature; initiating fuel cell powered electric vehicle operation at subfreezing temperature with a minimal of waste power used for raising the temperature of apparatus and / or fluids; avoiding the need for heat exchangers and other apparatus to heat reactants or coolants above freezing; and avoiding use of battery power to start a fuel cell for powering a vehicle.

[0007] This invention is further predicated on the discovery that contrary to belief of the prior art, excess reactants, rather than reactant starvation, will permit extended operation of the fuel cell stack pending the ability to flow water through the stack. The invention is further predicated on the discovery that high flow of cold reactant gases through the reactant flow fields is not sufficient to cause freezing of product water, the heat generated in the membrane electrode assembly being sufficient, and sufficiently close to the reactant flow fields, to prevent freezing of product water or refreezing of melted water.

[0010] In further accord with the invention, in systems in which porous water transport plates are used for water management, heating of the water stored as ice in the pores of the water transport plates, by heating up the mass of the stack as well as the water, the heat of fusion as the ice melts, and evaporative cooling of some of that water, further prolongs the period of time at which the vehicle can be operated with power from the fuel cell stack, without circulating coolant, before there is impermissible local heating within the fuel cell.

[0011] In accordance further with the invention, at least one of the reactant gases is provided to the fuel cell stack at a pressure of at least about 4 kPa (0.6 psi) above the pressure of any water in the water channels, which typically will be about atmospheric pressure. This prevents liquid water from pooling in the reactant channels, and flooding the electrode substrates, which is particularly important in the oxidant gas reactant channel where product water can accumulate.

Problems solved by technology

It is generally agreed that one difficulty with utilizing fuel cells to power the propulsion system of electric vehicles is the requirement that such vehicles be operable at temperatures below that at which water will freeze.

Freezing provides potential mechanical damage as a consequence of the expansion of ice, and presents problems due to the inseparability of water and the fuel cell processes.

Performance of other experiments were less satisfactory.

None of the foregoing are capable of providing fuel cells operable in subfreezing temperatures, particularly as low as -40.degree. C.

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