Patent ID: 8057949
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell stack generating electrical energy; a compressor providing compressed gas to the fuel cell stack, the compressor driven by the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell stack; a control valve disposed between the compressor and the fuel cell stack, the control valve diverting at least a portion of the compressed gas produced by the compressor before the compressed gas reaches the fuel cell stack; and control logic in communication with the compressor and the control valve, the control logic operative to determine a load dump condition for the fuel cell stack, to increase flow through the compressor in response to determining the load dump condition to increase power consumption by the compressor to increase the electrical load on the fuel cell stack to cause the fuel cell stack to generate an increased amount of heat, and to control the control valve to divert at least some of the increased flow away from the fuel cell stack.