Patent ID: 6838199

Claim:
A method for starting up a fuel cell power plant ( 10 ) that is shut down, the shut down fuel cell power plant ( 10 ) including at least one fuel cell ( 12 ) for generating electrical current from a hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and an oxygen containing oxidant and a primary load ( 70 ) that receives the electrical current through an external circuit ( 68 ) secured between the primary load ( 70 ) and the fuel cell ( 12 ), the fuel cell including an anode electrode ( 14 ) and a cathode electrode ( 16 ) on opposed sides of an electrolyte ( 18 ), an anode flow field ( 28 ) adjacent the anode electrode ( 14 ) for directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow adjacent to the anode electrode ( 14 ), and a cathode flow field ( 38 ) adjacent the cathode electrode ( 16 ) for directing the oxygen containing oxidant to flow adjacent the cathode electrode ( 16 ), the method for starting up the shut down fuel cell power plant ( 10 ) comprising the steps of: a. purging the cathode flow field ( 38 ) with the reducing fluid fuel by directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the cathode flow field ( 38 ); b. then, directing the reducing fluid fuel to flow through the anode flow field ( 28 ); c. then, terminating flow of the reducing fluid through the cathode flow ( 38 ) field and directing the oxygen containing oxidant to flow through the cathode flow field ( 38 ); and, d. connecting the primary load ( 70 ) to the fuel cell ( 12 ) so that the electrical current flows from the fuel cell ( 12 ) to the primary load ( 70 ).