FUEL CELL POWER SYSTEM WITH EXTERNAL HUMIDIFICATION AND REACTANT RECIRCULATION AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

摘要

The present invention relates to a fuel cell system for producing electrical power and a method of operating same. The fuel cell has a first reactant inlet, a first reactant outlet, a second reactant inlet, and a second reactant outlet. The invention involves (a) providing a first reactant incoming stream to the first reactant inlet at a first reactant supply rate; (b) providing a second reactant incoming stream to the second reactant inlet at a second reactant supply rate; (c) conditioning at least one of the first reactant incoming stream and the second reactant incoming stream to a selected conditioning level; and, (d) selectably and temporarily reducing the selected conditioning level to increase at least one of the first reactant supply rate and the second reactant supply rate.