Saturated vapor block for frozen fuel cell power plant

1. A fuel cell power plant comprising:

a cell stack assembly including an anode and a cathode, the cell stack assembly includes an anode and a cathode having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet, a fluid line connected to one of the cathode inlet or cathode outlet, the fluid line providing a gas pathway, the cell stack assembly configured to have a shut-down procedure in response to a command from a controller;

a component arranged in fluid connection with the cathode, the component having a first shut-down cooling rate relating to the shut-down procedure based upon component characteristics; and

a heat exchanger arranged in fluid communication with and between the component and the cathode in the gas passageway configured to carry a gas having water vapor, the gas passageway configured to trap the water vapor in the heat exchanger to minimize condensing of the water vapor in the fuel cell component, the heat exchanger having a second shut-down cooling rate relating to the shut-down procedure greater than the first shut-down cooling rate, the second shut-down cooling rate based upon heat exchanger characteristics, the heat exchanger is arranged adjacent to the component and is configured to condense the water vapor in the heat exchanger instead of the water vapor condensing in the component based upon the differential between the second and first shut-down cooling rates from the heat exchanger and component characteristics.

2. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a heating element, the heating element configured to heat frozen condensed water within the heat exchanger in response to a signal from a controller.

3. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 1 , comprising an insulation associated with the component for providing the first shut-down cooling rate, the heat exchanger outside of the insulation.

4. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 3 , comprising a fluid line fluidly connecting the component and the heat exchanger, and the insulation arranged around and insulating the fluid line.

5. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 4 , wherein the insulation is provided on either side of the heat exchanger.

6. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 4 , wherein the insulation is arranged around and insulates the component.

7. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 4 , wherein the component includes a movable element arranged within the fluid line and exposed to gas having a condensable water vapor.

8. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 4 , comprising fuel and reactant sources respectively in fluid communication with the anode and the cathode, and the heat exchanger arranged between the reactant source and the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 8 , wherein the fluid line is an inlet line, and the component is a blower arranged in the inlet line between the reactant source and the cell stack assembly.

10. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a body providing a passageway fluidly connecting the component and the cathode via the fluid line, and fins extending from the body.

11. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 10 , comprising a controller, and a heating element arranged in the heat exchanger and in communication with the controller, the controller selectively energizing the heating element in response to frozen water vapor within the heat exchanger.

12. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 10 , wherein the body is extends generally linearly between an inlet and an outlet, and the fins are arrange circumferentially about the body and radially inwardly and outwardly therefrom at a central intersection within the body to provide separate the passageway into segments.

13. The fuel cell power plant according to claim 12 , wherein a heating element is provided at the central intersection, and comprising a controller in communication with the heating element, the controller selectively energizing the heating element in response to frozen water vapor within the heat exchanger.

14. A method of shutting down a fuel cell power plant, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a heat exchanger in a gas passageway between a fuel cell component and a cell stack assembly, the gas passageway carrying a gas having water vapor, wherein the cell stack assembly includes an anode and a cathode having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet, a fluid line connected to one of the cathode inlet or cathode outlet, the fluid line providing the gas pathway;

shutting down the fuel cell power plant; and

trapping the water vapor from the gas passageway in the heat exchanger to minimize condensing of the water vapor in the fuel cell component, the trapping step includes cooling the fuel cell component at a first shut-down cooling rate, and cooling the heat exchanger at a second shut-down cooling rate that is greater than the first shut-down cooling rate.

15. The method according to claim 14 , comprising insulating the gas passageway to condense the water vapor in the heat exchanger instead of the water vapor condensing in the fuel cell component, with the heat exchanger arranged outside of the insulation.

16. A method of shutting down a fuel cell power plant, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a heat exchanger in a gas passageway between a fuel cell component and a cell stack assembly, the gas passageway carrying a gas having water vapor, wherein the cell stack assembly includes an anode having an anode inlet and an anode outlet, and a cathode having a cathode inlet and a cathode outlet, a fluid line connected to one of the anode inlet, anode outlet, cathode inlet or cathode outlet, the fluid line providing the gas pathway;

shutting down the fuel cell power plant; and

trapping the water vapor from the gas passageway in the heat exchanger to minimize condensing of the water vapor in the fuel cell component, the trapping step includes cooling the fuel cell component at a first shut-down cooling rate, and cooling the heat exchanger at a second shut-down cooling rate that is greater than the first shut-down cooling rate, wherein the trapping step includes freezing the water vapor in the heat exchanger subsequent to the shutting down step; and

thawing the frozen water vapor upon starting the fuel cell power plant by selectively energizing a heating element in the heat exchanger having the frozen water vapor in response to a signal from a controller.