Patent ID: 7344788

Claim:
A method of fuel cell start-up for a fuel cell system having a hydrogen source connected to an anode inlet of a fuel cell stack, an oxygen source connected to a cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack, and a low voltage power source, the cathode inlet being connected to a high voltage compressor and to a low voltage blower, the method comprising: introducing hydrogen to the anode inlet of the fuel cell stack; operating the low voltage blower with the low voltage power source for supplying oxygen to the cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack; producing a voltage output with the fuel cell stack using oxygen supplied by the blower; and supplementing the quantity of oxygen supplied to the cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack when said voltage output is sufficient to begin driving the high voltage compressor by simultaneously operating the high voltage compressor with said voltage output of the fuel cell stack and the low voltage blower with the low voltage power source.