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:
May. 06, 2008
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2005
Kurt Osborne, Dearborn, MI (US);
Milos Milacic, New Boston, MI (US);
William Sanderson, Waterford, MI (US);
Fred Brighton, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Jon Beasley, Dearborn, MI (US);
Donald Franks, Linden, MI (US);
Richard Scholer, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Kurt Osborne, Dearborn, MI (US);
Milos Milacic, New Boston, MI (US);
William Sanderson, Waterford, MI (US);
Fred Brighton, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Jon Beasley, Dearborn, MI (US);
Donald Franks, Linden, MI (US);
Richard Scholer, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of removing moisture from a fuel cell stack. The presence of liquid water in a fuel cell stack is especially undesirable should the temperature drop below freezing since the structures within the fuel cell are subject to degradation. One method includes measuring the temperature in the vicinity of a fuel cell vehicle when the fuel cell vehicle has been shut down and measuring the time elapsed since fuel cell vehicle shut off, and then flowing a moisture-removing medium through the fuel cell when the ambient temperature drops to a predetermined temperature and a time delay condition is satisfied. The moisture-removing medium is flowed through the fuel cell for a sufficient time to remove a sufficient amount of the water to inhibit degradation by freezing of water. A system which implements the method of the present invention is also provided.