Method of and apparatus for activating fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019006687-A1
Application number	US-201816016699-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method of activating a fuel cell, after a voltage application step is performed, a humidifying step is performed. In the voltage application step, a hydrogen gas is supplied to an anode, and an inert gas is supplied to a cathode. In the meanwhile, cyclic voltage which is increased and decreased within a predetermined range is applied to the fuel cell. In the humidifying step, in a state where application of the voltage is stopped, a humidified gas containing water vapor is supplied to at least one of the anode and the cathode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of activating a fuel cell, the fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane of solid polymer, an anode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode provided on another surface of the electrolyte membrane,
the method comprising: a voltage application step of applying cyclic voltage which is increased and decreased within a predetermined range, to the fuel cell while supplying a hydrogen gas to the anode and supplying an inert gas to the cathode; and a humidifying step of supplying a humidified gas containing water vapor to at least one of the anode and the cathode after the voltage application step, in a state where application of the voltage is stopped.

2 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein, in the humidifying step, a dew point of the humidified gas is regulated to become higher than a temperature of the fuel cell.

3 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the fuel cell in the humidifying step is regulated to become equal to or lower than a temperature of the fuel cell in the voltage application step.

4 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature of the fuel cell is regulated by supplying a heat transmission medium having a regulated temperature, to a coolant flow field provided for the fuel cell.

5 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the steps of:
supplying the humidified gas having same dew point as that of the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode in the voltage application step, to the anode in the humidifying step; and supplying the humidified gas having same dew point as that of the inert gas supplied to the cathode in the voltage application step, to the cathode in the humidifying step.

6 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein in the humidifying step, as the humidified gases, the hydrogen gas is supplied to the anode and the inert gas is supplied to the cathode.

7 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 5 , wherein in the humidifying step, as the humidified gases, both of the hydrogen gas and the inert gas are supplied to the anode.

8 . The method of activating the fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a stack of a plurality of power generation cells stacked together.

9 . An apparatus for activating a fuel cell, the fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane of solid polymer, an anode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode provided on another surface of the electrolyte membrane,
a gas supply unit configured to supply an anode gas to the anode, and supply a cathode gas to the cathode; and a voltage application unit configured to apply cyclic voltage which is increased and decreased within a predetermined range, to the fuel cell, wherein the gas supply unit is configured to supply a hydrogen gas as the anode gas, and supply an inert gas as the cathode gas, in a voltage application period in which the voltage is applied by the voltage application unit, and configured to supply a humidified gas containing water vapor as at least one of the anode gas and the cathode gas after the voltage application period, in a state where application of the voltage is stopped.

10 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , wherein the gas supply unit is configured to supply the humidified gas having a dew point which is higher than a temperature of the fuel cell.

11 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , further comprising a temperature regulating unit configured to regulate a temperature of the fuel cell,
wherein the temperature regulating unit is configured to regulate a temperature of the fuel cell after the voltage application period to become equal to or lower than a temperature of the fuel cell in the voltage application period.

12 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the temperature regulating unit is configured to regulate the temperature of the fuel cell by supplying a heat transmission medium having a regulated temperature, to a coolant flow field provided for the fuel cell.

13 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , wherein the gas supply unit is configured to perform at least one of:
supplying the humidified gas having same dew point as that of the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode in the voltage application period, to the anode after the voltage application period; and supplying the humidified gas having same dew point as that of the inert gas supplied to the cathode in the voltage application period, to the cathode after the voltage application period.

14 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , wherein the gas supply unit is configured to supply the hydrogen gas to the anode, and supply the inert gas to the cathode, as the humidified gases.

15 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , wherein the gas supply unit is configured to supply both of the hydrogen gas and the inert gas to the anode, as the humidified gases.

16 . The apparatus for activating the fuel cell according to claim 9 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a stack of a plurality of power generation cells stacked together.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsuge Hodaka
• Mizuno Ayumi
• Kato Takashi
• Yamada Tadaaki
• Sato Koichiro
• Shimomura Yo

Classifications

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04225 Primary

  during start-up · CPC title

• H01M8/04828

  Humidity; Water content · CPC title

• H01M8/04302 Primary

  applied during start-up · CPC title