Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Bernhard Edlinger

Karl Jacob Haltiner, Jr

Sean Michael Kelly

Subhasish Mukerjee

Diane M England

Michael Thomas Faville

Joachim Tachtler

In a fuel cell assembly, nickel-based anodes are readily oxidized when exposed to oxygen as may happen through atmospheric invasion of the assembly during cool-down following shutdown of the assembly. Repeated anode oxidation and reduction can be destructive of the anodes, leading to cracking and failure. To prevent such oxygen migration, check valves and oxygen getter devices containing oxygen-scavenging material such as metallic nickel are provided in the reformate passageways leading to and from the anodes. The check valves preferably are closed by gravity. Oxidation of the oxygen-gettering material is readily reversed through reduction by reformate when the assembly is restarted.

Oxygen isolation and collection for anode protection in a solid-oxide fuel cell stack

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Augsburg, Germany

Bernhard Edlinger