US 11,757,110 B2
Method for operating a fuel cell and controller therefore
Shahin Moghimi, Loughborough (GB); Nathaniel Thomas Palmer, Loughborough (GB); Pratap Rama, Loughborough (GB); and Alex Mark Thirkell, Loughborough (GB)
Assigned to Intelligent Energy Limited, Loughborough (GB)
Appl. No. 16/636,498
Filed by Intelligent Energy Limited, Loughborough (GB)
PCT Filed Aug. 4, 2017, PCT No. PCT/GB2017/052308
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 4, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/025746, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0259191 A1, Aug. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04029 (2016.01); H01M 8/0267 (2016.01); H01M 8/04223 (2016.01); H01M 8/04701 (2016.01); H01M 8/04746 (2016.01); H01M 8/04858 (2016.01); H01M 8/04955 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04029 (2013.01) [H01M 8/0267 (2013.01); H01M 8/0488 (2013.01); H01M 8/0494 (2013.01); H01M 8/04253 (2013.01); H01M 8/04723 (2013.01); H01M 8/04768 (2013.01); H01M 8/04955 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a fuel cell system configured to generate electrical power from a fuel flow and an oxidant flow to a plurality of fuel cells in an assembly arranged in combination with a coolant storage module configured to supply the fuel cell assembly with a flow of coolant, the method comprising;
activating one or more heaters configured to heat frozen coolant of the coolant storage module;
then providing a compressor configured to provide the flow of oxidant and/or the flow of fuel, based on a low performance threshold comprising a voltage across the fuel cells of the fuel cell assembly being below a first predetermined assembly voltage threshold and/or a voltage of one or more of the fuel cells being below a first cell voltage threshold;
performing a first recovery routine comprising deactivating one or more of the activated heaters; and
provided that, within a first predetermined time, a recovery threshold is met comprising a voltage across the fuel cells of the fuel cell assembly is above a second predetermined assembly voltage threshold and/or a voltage of one or more of the fuel cells is above a second cell voltage threshold, performing a heater activation procedure that includes activating one or more of the heaters; otherwise
performing a further recovery routine comprising decreasing power supplied to the compressor while continuing to provide heat from the operational fuel cell assembly to the coolant storage module.