skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Rejuvenation of automotive fuel cells

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1303253
;

A process for rejuvenating fuel cells has been demonstrated to improve the performance of polymer exchange membrane fuel cells with platinum/ionomer electrodes. The process involves dehydrating a fuel cell and exposing at least the cathode of the fuel cell to dry gas (nitrogen, for example) at a temperature higher than the operating temperature of the fuel cell. The process may be used to prolong the operating lifetime of an automotive fuel cell.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
Assignee:
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
Patent Number(s):
9,425,461
Application Number:
14/255,847
OSTI ID:
1303253
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Apr 17
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

Procedure for shutting down a fuel cell system using air purge patent February 2005
Procedures for shutting down fuel cell system by using air purge at low cell temperature patent September 2007
Method for shutting down a fuel cell system using an air purge patent October 2009
Method for reducing degradation in a fuel cell patent May 2010
Effects of hydrothermal/thermal treatments on the water-uptake of Nafion membranes and relations with changes of conformation, counter-elastic force and tensile modulus of the matrix journal April 2008
Structure and transport properties of solution-cast Nafion® membranes subjected to hygrothermal aging journal May 2013
Highly durable fuel cell electrodes based on ionomers dispersed in glycerol journal January 2014
Increased Water Retention in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes at Elevated Temperatures Assisted by Capillary Condensation journal November 2007

Similar Records

Materials and Modules for Low Cost, High Performance Fuel Cell Humidifiers
Technical Report · Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2012 · OSTI ID:1303253
Final Report: Materials and Modules for Low Cost, High Performance Fuel Cell Humidifiers
Technical Report · Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2012 · OSTI ID:1303253
DE-FG02-08ER64658 (OASIS) - Final Technical Report
Technical Report · Thu Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · OSTI ID:1303253

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION