Patent ID: 7282285

Claim:
A fuel cell system, comprising: a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stack including a coolant inlet manifold having an inlet and a coolant exhaust manifold having an outlet, and coolant channels for flowing coolant from said inlet manifold to said exhaust manifold; a coolant pump having an inlet; characterized by: means for blocking flow of coolant from said pump so that it does not enter the inlet of said inlet manifold; means for blocking the flow of coolant from the outlet of said exhaust manifold to the inlet of said pump; means for connecting the inlet of said inlet manifold to the inlet of said pump; and means for connecting the outlet of said exhaust manifold to a source of gas; whereby gas is drawn by said pump through said coolant channels to thereby remove water therefrom, and further comprising: porous, anode support plates with fuel reactant gas channels, porous, cathode support plates, with oxidant reactant gas channels; and further characterized by: means for providing a pressure differential between gas in said reactant gas channels and said coolant sufficient to force water from a substantial fraction of the pores in said support plates into said coolant channels, prior to blocking the flow of coolant from and to said pump.