Patent ID: 7070873
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A cooling method for a fuel cell, in which heat produced during power generation in said fuel cell is dissipated by circulating a cooling fluid and by using a heat exchanger and a thermostat provided for switching flow passages of said cooling fluid depending on the temperature thereof, the method comprising the steps of: providing an ion exchanger, for removing ions contained in said cooling fluid, in a circulation system for said cooling fluid; decreasing ion concentration in said cooling fluid by circulating said cooling fluid through said fuel cell and said ion exchanger when the temperature of said cooling fluid is below a thermostat operating temperature at which the thermostat valve of said thermostat is operated; distributing a portion of said cooling fluid discharged from said fuel cell to said heat exchanger, mixing the portion of said cooling fluid returning from said heat exchanger with another portion of said cooling fluid whose ion concentration has been decreased in the step of decreasing ion concentration, and returning the cooling fluid mixture to said fuel cell, when the temperature of said cooling fluid is approaching said thermostat operating temperature; and cooling said fuel cell by circulating said cooling fluid through said fuel cell and said heat exchanger after the temperature of said cooling fluid reaches said thermostat operating temperature.