Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Power Generation, Inc.

Fuel Cell Technologies, Ltd

Gordon M McAlary

Raymond A George

Wojtek Halliop

A fuel cell system including an anode, a cathode, a first passage, and a second passage, wherein the anode is disposed in the first passage and the cathode is disposed in the second passage, an evaporator, fluidly communicating with the first passage, for evaporating an aqueous mixture including at least one oxidizable component to form a gaseous feed, and a controller, communicating with the fuel cell for receiving an anode corrosion indication, and configured to effect deliver the gaseous feed to the first passage to form a first gaseous stream flowing through the first passage in response to the anode corrosion indication within the fuel cell.

Fuel cell system with degradation protected anode

A method of operating a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, a first passage, and a second passage, wherein the anode is disposed in the first passage and the cathode in the second passage including producing a non-explosive gaseous feed consisting of (i) at least one oxidizable component having a greater tendency to undergo oxidation relative to the anode, and (ii) a remainder which is the predominant component in the gaseous feed consisting essentially of water vapor; and introducing the non-explosive gaseous feed to the first passage to form a first gaseous feed stream flowing through the first passage when the anode realizes a temperature effective to facilitate deteriorative oxidation of the anode in the presence of an oxidizing agent. The non-explosive gaseous feed is provided to mitigate or prevent anode oxidation and the formation of potentially explosive gaseous mixtures.

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Gordon M McAlary