Patent ID: 6207308
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A water treatment system for a fuel cell stack having a plurality of electrochemical fuel cell assemblies being in electrical connection with each other, said fuel cell assemblies each having an electrolyte, an anode, a cathode, each of said anode and said cathode are adapted to support anode and cathode flow field plates through which flows of fuel and oxidant are circulated to said anode and said cathode, respectively, one of said anode and cathode flow field plates being adapted to support a coolant channel having coolant inlet and exhaust manifolds through which a supply of coolant is circulated, said system comprising:a coolant conduit for exhausting said circulated coolant from said fuel cell stack;an oxidant source generator for providing said fuel cell stack with said oxidant;a degasifying apparatus, including a coolant exit conduit and an oxidant exit conduit, which accepts said circulated coolant and said oxidant for subsequent interaction with one another thereby treating both said circulated coolant and said oxidant by removing contaminants from said circulated coolant and by humidifying said oxidant; andwherein said degasifying apparatus provides said fuel cell stack with said treated coolant and said treated oxidant.