Patent ID: 8802305

Claim:
A process comprising: providing a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack having a cathode gas flow field, an anode gas flow field, a reactant gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the cathode gas flow field through a cathode control valve, a fuel gas source fluidly connected to an inlet of the anode gas flow field through an anode control valve, an oxygen removing device having an inlet fluidly connect to at least one of the reactant gas source and an outlet of the cathode flow field and an outlet capable of fluidly communicating with each of said anode gas flow field and said cathode gas flow field; providing flow of a reactant gas through the oxygen removing device from the reactant gas source and/or the outlet of the cathode gas flow field to remove substantially any oxygen gas component, thereby producing a substantially oxygen free gas stream at the outlet of said device; configuring said anode control valve to fluidly connect the outlet of the oxygen removing device to the inlet of the anode gas flow field; purging said anode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the anode gas flow field is filled with said oxygen free gas; and before shutdown of the fuel cell stack purging said cathode gas flow field with said substantially oxygen free gas stream so that the cathode gas flow field is substantially free of oxygen gas.