The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1997
David P Wilkinson, North Vancouver, CA;
Clarence Y Chow, Vancouver, CA;
Derek E Allan, deceased, late of N. Vancouver, CA;
by Patricia Allan, administrator, Vanderhoof, CA;
Erik P Johannes, Burnaby, CA;
Joy A Roberts, Burnaby, CA;
Jean St-Pierre, Vancouver, CA;
Cindy J Longley, Vancouver, CA;
John K Chan, Vancouver, CA;
Ballard Power Systems Inc., Burnaby, CA;
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for operating an electrochemical fuel cell with periodic momentary fuel starvation at the anode. It is believed that such momentary periodic fuel starvation conditions cause the anode potential to increase, resulting in the oxidation and removal of electrocatalyst poisons from the anode electrocatalyst and improved fuel cell performance. In a preferred method, while successive localized portions of the fuel cell anode are momentarily periodically fuel starved, the remainder of the fuel cell anode remains electrochemically active and saturated with fuel such that the fuel cell is continually available to generate power.