Coolant fluid feed to fuel cell stacks

• Main Authors: Cole, Jonathan, Rama, Pratap, Kells, Ashley James, Foster, Simon Edward, Farndon, Emma, Adcock, Paul Leonard
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.06.2018
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

A fuel cell stack assembly has a plurality of cells each having a fluid coolant conduit. A coolant feed manifold has a first inlet and a second inlet and is coupled to each fluid coolant conduit for distribution of fluid coolant within each cell. A pump is coupled for delivery of fluid coolant to the coolant feed manifold through the first and second inlets. A flow control assembly is configured to periodically modify the relative flow rates of fluid coolant through the first and second inlets so that stagnant regions in the coolant feed manifold are avoided. The flow control assembly may also be adapted to periodically interrupt the flow path between the pump and the manifold such that the fluid coolant is delivered to the manifold intermittently, thereby enabling low water flows below a minimum set point of the pump.