CONTROL ASSEMBLY FOR CONTROLLING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM DURING SHUTDOWN AND RESTART

摘要

A fuel cell system and method in which the fuel cell system receives an input oxidant gas and an input fuel gas, and in which a fuel processing assembly is adapted to humidify the input fuel gas supplied to the anode The cathode receives the oxidant input gas via an anode oxidizing assembly which couples the output of the anode of the fuel cell to the inlet of the cathode of the fuel cell during normal operation, shutdown and restart of the fuel cell system, and a control assembly is adapted to respond to shutdown of the fuel cell system, dupng which input fuel gas and input oxidant gas cease to be received by the fuel cell system Dupng system shut down, the control assembly enables a purging gas to flow through the fuel processing assembly and anode to remove humidified fuel gas from the fuel cell processing assembly.