Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Hermann Victor

Bruce Jeffrey Clingerman

Rainer Pechtold

Manfred Herrmann

Bernhard Wnendt

Scott Dewey

Roland Nolte

Christian Kunstmann

A mechanization of a fuel cell system and a method of operating the same is provided which simplifies the start-up of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system can be started up without using any battery derived high voltage power to drive a high voltage compressor. The present invention provides for the use of a low voltage blower to provide oxygen to the cathode side of the fuel cell stack to enable start-up of the fuel cell stack without the initial use of a high voltage compressor. The low voltage blower can be powered by a low voltage power source and/or the voltage produced by the fuel cell stack.

Starting a fuel cell system using ambient air and a low voltage blower

Growing community of inventors

Mainz-Mombach, Germany

Hermann Victor