Patent ID: 7396605

Claim:
An electrochemical fuel cell system adapted for maintaining the efficient production of electrical power of a fuel cell, said system comprising: a fuel cell having a normal operating temperature for producing electricity; a fuel supply containing a hydrogen rich fuel for delivery to said fuel cell; a fuel supply conduit connecting said fuel supply and said fuel cell for delivering a fuel stream of said hydrogen rich fuel to said fuel cell; a heating mechanism in communication with said fuel supply conduit operative to generate heat in said fuel supply conduit for increasing the temperature of said fuel stream entering said fuel cell to raise said normal operating temperature of said fuel cell to an elevated operating temperature; and, an impurity sensor carried by said fuel supply conduit for sensing impurities in said fuel stream prior to said impurities entering said fuel cell; said impurity sensor operatively associated with said heating mechanism for activating said heating mechanism in response to detecting impurities in said fuel stream prior to said impurities entering said fuel cell; whereby, said normal operating temperature of said fuel cell is raised to said elevated operating temperature before said impurities enter said fuel cell so that binding of said impurities within said fuel cell is resisted.