Shutdown strategy to avoid carbon corrosion due to slow hydrogen/air intrusion rates

Abstract

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells, each of the fuel cells including an electrolyte membrane disposed between an anode and a cathode, an anode supply manifold in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, the anode supply manifold providing fluid communication between a source of hydrogen and the anodes, an anode exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, and a fan in fluid communication with the anodes of the fuel cells, wherein the fan controls a flow of fluid through the anodes of the fuel cells after the fuel cell system is shutdown.