Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Shyam Kocha

William Henry Pettit

Bruce Jeffrey Clingerman

Abdullah Basar Alp

David S Mathews

Pinkhas A Rapaport

Jason R Kolodziej

Matthew K Hortop

Derek S Kilmer

A fuel cell system that employs a method for determining the potential that a freeze condition will exist after the system is shut-down based on predetermined input, such as ambient temperature, geographical location, user usage profile, date, weather reports, etc. If the system determines that a freeze condition is probable, then the system initiates a purge shut-down of the fuel cell system where water is purged out of the reactant gas flow channels. If the system determines that a freeze condition is unlikely, then it will initiate a normal shut-down procedure without purging the flow channels. The system will then periodically determine if the conditions have changed, and will initiate the purge if a freeze condition subsequently becomes probable.

Fuel cell system water management strategy for freeze capability

A method of operating an electrochemical conversion assembly is provided where a shut down sequence is introduced where a substantially dry gas is driven through the cathode flow field. The dry gas is supplied for an amount of time sufficient to reduce the water content of the proton exchange membrane to a level sufficient to suppress corrosion and catalyst dissolution in the membrane electrode assembly. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Mitigating fuel cell start up/shut down degradation

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West Henrietta, NY, United States of America

Shyam Kocha