Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Utc Power Corporation

Thomas M Clark

Leslie L Van Dine

Richard D Breault

Albert P Grasso

Paul R Margiott

Margaret M Steinbugler

Alfred Meyer

Alfred P Meyer

Parthasarathy Seshadri

Edward J Bludnicki

A PEM fuel cell power plant system () has a process air pump (), which may be a fan, a blower or a compressor, with an adiabatic efficiency of between 40% and 70%. The process air at the inletof the cathode reactant gas flow fieldis between 1.07 atmospheres and 1.85 atmospheres, and may be at an optimal pressure for maximum overall system efficiency={0.45+2.6&#x2212;1.8} atms&#xb1;0.2 atmswhere P is the air inlet pressure and E is the adiabatic efficiency of the process air pump.

Maximizing PEM fuel cell power plant system efficiency at optimum system pressure

A fuel cell power plant system includes the ability to operate an enthalpy recovery device even under cold conditions. A bypass arrangement allows for selectively bypassing one or more portions of the enthalpy recovery device under selected conditions. In one example, the enthalpy recovery device is completely bypassed under selected temperature conditions to allow the device to freeze and then later to be used under more favorable temperature conditions. In another example, the enthalpy recovery device is selectively bypassed during a system startup operation. One example includes a heater associated with the enthalpy recovery device. Another example includes preheating oxidant supplied to one portion of the enthalpy recovery device.

Low temperature fuel cell power plant operation

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Suffield, CT, United States of America

Thomas M Clark