Patent ID: 6977119

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell having an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the anode chamber is in fluid communication with a hydrogen reservoir, wherein the cathode chamber has an inlet and an outlet; wherein the cathode chamber comprises non-intersecting flow channels, the non-intersecting flow channels providing fluid communication between the cathode inlet and outlet; the fuel cell having a first connection to an electrical load, the first connection comprising a first diode adapted to prevent current flow to the fuel cell; a blower in fluid communication with the cathode inlet, the blower having an electronic connection to a controller, the blower being adapted to vary a flow of oxygen through the cathode chamber according to a control signal received from the controller; a battery having a second connection to the electrical load, the second connection being in parallel with the first connection of the fuel cell to the load, the second connection comprising a second diode adapted to prevent current flow to the battery; and wherein the controller maintains the flow of oxygen such that an output power capacity of the fuel cell is limited by the amount of oxygen flowed through the fuel cell.