Patent ID: 6818335
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A system for preventing damage to a fuel cell stack, the system comprising:a fuel processing assembly including one or more hydrogen-producing regions adapted to receive a feedstock and produce a product stream therefrom, wherein the product stream comprises at least hydrogen gas and one or more components selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, methane and water; a separation assembly adapted to receive the product stream and to produce a product hydrogen stream therefrom that contains a reduced concentration of at least one of the one or more components compared to the product stream; a fuel cell stack including at least one fuel cell adapted to receive at least a portion of the product hydrogen stream; and a control system adapted to prevent delivery of the product hydrogen stream to the fuel cell stack if the concentration of at least one selected component of the one or more components of the product hydrogen stream exceeds one or more corresponding threshold values, wherein the at least one selected component, if present in the product hydrogen stream in a concentration that is at least as great as the corresponding threshold value, is not harmful to the fuel cell stack.