Controlling an amount of liquid within a fuel cell
View Patent ↗A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell includes increasing the oxygen utilization within the fuel cell to increase heat. The heat reduces the amount of liquid in the fuel cell. A disclosed example method includes decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to lower a fuel cell voltage by increasing the oxygen utilization. The example method includes maintaining an essentially electrical current density while decreasing the supply of air.
1. A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell, comprising:
increasing oxygen utilization within the fuel cell to increase heat; and
using the heat to reduce an amount of liquid within the fuel cell.
2. The method of claim 1 , including decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to increase the oxygen utilization.
3. The method of claim 2 , including increasing the oxygen utilization to lower a voltage associated with the fuel cell.
4. The method of claim 3 , including lowering the voltage to increase the heat.
5. The method of claim 2 , including maintaining an essentially constant electrical current density while decreasing the supply of air.
6. The method of claim 2 , including producing a decreasing voltage while increasing the oxygen utilization.
7. The method of claim 1 , including increasing the heat to vaporize a liquid within the fuel cell.
8. The method of claim 1 , including increasing the heat within an electrode to control the amount of liquid within the fuel cell.
9. The method of claim 1 , including using a regulator to decrease airflow to the fuel cell.
10. The method of claim 1 , including lowering a voltage associated with the fuel cell to increase the heat.
11. A method of controlling an amount of liquid in a fuel cell, comprising:
lowering a voltage associated with the fuel cell to increase heat; and
using the heat to reduce an amount of liquid within the fuel cell.
12. The method of claim 11 , including decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell while maintaining an electrical current density to lower the voltage.
13. The method of claim 11 , including electrically shorting the fuel cell to lower the voltage.
14. The method of claim 11 , including decreasing a supply of air to the fuel cell to increase oxygen utilization.
15. The method of claim 14 , including increasing the oxygen utilization to lower the voltage associated with the fuel cell.
16. The method of claim 11 , including increasing the heat to vaporize a liquid within the fuel cell.
17. A device for controlling an amount of liquid within a fuel cell, comprising:
a regulator configured to regulate airflow that supplies oxygen to said fuel cell; and
a controller configured to control said regulator to reduce an amount of the airflow for generating a desired amount of heat during operation of said fuel cell.
18. The device of claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to control said regulator to decrease the airflow to said fuel cell such that a voltage is decreased.
19. The device of claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to maintain a selected electric current within said fuel cell and to lower a voltage to increase heat.
20. The device of claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to increase heat to vaporize a liquid within said fuel cell.
21. The device of claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to control said regulator to increase oxygen utilization within said fuel cell.