Patent ID: 7040431

Claim:
A fuel cell hybrid vehicle utilizing at least one flooded aqueous battery operatively coupled to a fuel cell stack, an electric drive motor, and an integrated watering system, said integrated watering system comprising: a heat exchanger configured to extract water from exhaust air from said fuel cell stack; a reservoir operatively connected to store said water; an electrolyte sensor operatively connected to generate an electrolyte level signal based on said at least one flooded aqueous battery's electrolyte level; a pump operatively connected to said reservoir and said at least one flooded aqueous battery; moisture sensors, operatively connected to generate moisture level signals based on moisture levels for hydrogen gas and air input lines into said fuel cell: at least one humidifier, operatively connected to said reservoir and said hydrogen gas and air input lines: and a controller operatively connected to receive and evaluate said electrolyte level signal from said electrolyte sensor and said moisture sensors to receive and evaluate said moisture level signals, to actuate said pump to move water from said reservoir to said at least one flooded aqueous battery and to actuate said at least one humidifier.