Patent ID: 8431280

Claim:
A fuel cell assembly comprising: a fluid flow field plate comprising a channel for delivery of fluid to a membrane-electrode assembly, the channel comprising a first inlet/outlet port for fluid communication therewith and a second inlet/outlet port for fluid communication therewith; a fluid delivery system connected to the fluid flow field plate and configured for bi-directional delivery of fluid into the channel of the fluid flow field plate, the fluid delivery system comprising a multi-way valve coupled to the first inlet/outlet port, to the second inlet/outlet port, and to a fluid source, the multi-way valve being switchable into a first configuration in which the fluid source is coupled to the first inlet/outlet port thereby providing fluid in a first direction and into a second configuration in which the fluid source is coupled to the second inlet/outlet port thereby providing fluid in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and a controller configured to periodically switch the multi-way valve between the first configuration and the second configuration; wherein the controller is configured to switch the multi-way valve at a duty cycle of between 0.1 Hz and 100 Hz.