FUEL CELLS EVAPORATIVELY REACTANT GAS COOLING AND OPERATIONAL FREEZE PREVENTION

摘要

Fuel cells (38) have water passageways (67) that provide water through reactant gas flow field plates to cool the fuel cell. The water passageways may be vented to atmosphere, by a porous plug (69), or pumped with or without removing any water from the passageways. A condenser (59) receives reactant air exhaust, may have a contiguous reservoir (64), may be vertical, (a vehicle radiator, figure 2), may be horizontal, contiguous with the top of the fuel cell stack, or below the fuel cell stack. The passageways may be grooves or may comprise a plane of porous hydrophilic material contiguous with substantially the entire surface of one or both of the reactant gas flow field plates. Air flow in the condenser may be controlled by shutters. The condenser maybe a heat exchanger having freeze-proof liquid flowing through a coil thereof, the amount being controlled by a valve. A deionizer may be used.