Patent ID: 8828616
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack including an anode side, a cathode side, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, said fuel cell stack further including a shorting line electrically coupled to the positive terminal and the negative terminal; a switch electrically coupled to the shorting line that can be selectively opened and closed to provide or remove a dead short across the fuel cell stack; a cathode inlet valve for closing off cathode flow channels at the inlet to the fuel cell stack; a cathode outlet valve for closing off the cathode flow channels at the outlet of the fuel cell stack; a hydrogen source for providing hydrogen to the anode side of the fuel cell stack; and a controller configured to control the cathode inlet valve, the cathode outlet valve, the switch and the hydrogen source, said controller simultaneously or nearly simultaneously closing the switch, closing the cathode inlet valve, closing the cathode outlet valve and opening the hydrogen source so that hydrogen is provided to the anode side of the fuel cell stack and existing air in the cathode side of the fuel cell stack reacts with the hydrogen being introduced to the anode side of the fuel cell stack without creating a voltage potential as a result of the short.