Patent ID: 6428916
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A coolant treatment system for a fuel cell power plant having a plurality of electrochemical fuel cell assemblies 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 water transport plates through which a fuel and an oxidant are fed to said anode and said cathode, respectively, one of said anode and cathode water transport plates being adapted to support a coolant channel through which an antifreeze solution is circulated, said system comprising:an oxidant source for providing said fuel cell power plant with said oxidant; a coolant conduit through which said antifreeze solution is exhausted from said fuel cell power plant; a degasifying apparatus which accepts said oxidant and said antifreeze solution for subsequent interaction with one another thereby treating both said oxidant and said antifreeze solution by removing contaminants from said antifreeze solution and by humidifying said oxidant, said degasifying apparatus providing said fuel cell power plant with said humidified oxidant; and wherein said antifreeze solution is in fluid communication with one of said anode and cathode water transport plates.