Cold start-up of a PEM fuel cell

摘要

A method of heating a cold MEA to accelerate cold start-up of a PEM fuel cell. The MEA is locally heated from below freezing to a suitable operating temperature by the exothermal chemical reaction between H2 and O2 on the anode and/or cathode catalysts. To their end, H2 is introduced into the O2-rich cathode feed stream and/or O2 is introduced into the H2-rich anode feed stream.