The invention provides a range extension system including a range extension assembly, a fuel supply unit, and a second fuel storage device. The range extension assembly has a first fuel input portion and a second fuel input portion. The first fuel input portion is configured to receive a first fuel source. The second fuel input portion is configured to receive a second fuel source different from the first fuel source. The second fuel source and the first fuel source are mixed in the range extension assembly to generate an electrical output. The fuel supply unit is configured to provide the first fuel source to the first fuel input portion. The second fuel storage device is configured to store and provide the second fuel source to the second fuel input portion.

The present invention provides a method of operating a fuel cell, which method enables a polymer electrolyte membrane to be humidified sufficiently under high-temperature conditions, and can obtain excellent power generation performance. The present invention is a method of operating a fuel cell including a membrane electrode assembly containing an electrolyte membrane, catalyst layers, and gas diffusion layers, the method including a step of setting the operating temperature of the fuel cell at 100° C. or more, wherein, in the step, the relative humidity of supply gas to be supplied to the fuel cell is 70% or more, and the back pressure of the supply gas is 330 kPa or more.

The present invention provides a method of operating a fuel cell, which method enables a polymer electrolyte membrane to be humidified sufficiently under high-temperature conditions, and can obtain excellent power generation performance. The present invention is a method of operating a fuel cell including a membrane electrode assembly containing an electrolyte membrane, catalyst layers, and gas diffusion layers, the method including a step of setting the operating temperature of the fuel cell at 100° C. or more, wherein, in the step, the relative humidity of supply gas to be supplied to the fuel cell is 70% or more, and the back pressure of the supply gas is 330 kPa or more.

A vehicle includes a fuel cell, an inlet valve, a purge valve, and a controller. The fuel cell has an anode side configured to receive hydrogen. The inlet valve is configured to open to deliver the hydrogen to the anode side. The purge valve is configured to open to purge water and nitrogen from the anode side. The controller is programmed to, operate the inlet valve to inject hydrogen into the anode side via opening the inlet valve followed by closing the inlet valve. The controller is further programmed to, in response to a concentration of the hydrogen in the anode side being less than threshold, open the purge valve to purge water and nitrogen from the anode side.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling hydrogen stack power and load. The systems include at least one hydrogen stack, a pressure sensor, and a controller, wherein the controller is operable to increase or decrease the power to the at least one hydrogen stack in response to a change in pressure. The methods include generating hydrogen using at least one hydrogen stack, measuring the pressure of the generated hydrogen, and increasing or decreasing the power supplied to the at least one hydrogen stack in response to an increase or decrease in the pressure.

An air handling system for a fuel cell stack includes a pneumatic storage device disposed downstream from a compressor, a flow control valve system configured to operatively couple an inlet of the pneumatic storage device to an outlet of the compressor and configured to operatively couple an outlet of the pneumatic storage device to an inlet of the fuel cell stack, and a controller configured to, in response to a power demand being greater than a threshold, cause the flow control valve to open to increase a flow rate of air from the pneumatic storage device to the fuel cell stack.

An all mechanically controlled, non-venting pressure control system for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks that requires no electrical control while managing disparate, non-stoichiometric reactant boil-off rates is provided. The pressure control system allows for the passive and repeatable stoichiometric consumption of hydrogen and oxygen boil-off from cryogenic tanks to form liquid water, while preventing the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks from overpressurizing and venting to the external environment. More particularly, in response to an overpressure condition in a first reactant reservoir, a backpressure regulator is opened, providing the overpressure first reactant to a fuel cell or other consumer, and providing a pilot signal to open a supply line from a second reactant reservoir to the consumer. Whether the second reactant is supplied from the second reactant reservoir as gas or a liquid is determined based on the pressure within the second reactant reservoir.

An all mechanically controlled, non-venting pressure control system for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks that requires no electrical control while managing disparate, non-stoichiometric reactant boil-off rates is provided. The pressure control system allows for the passive and repeatable stoichiometric consumption of hydrogen and oxygen boil-off from cryogenic tanks to form liquid water, while preventing the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks from overpressurizing and venting to the external environment. More particularly, in response to an overpressure condition in a first reactant reservoir, a backpressure regulator is opened, providing the overpressure first reactant to a fuel cell or other consumer, and providing a pilot signal to open a supply line from a second reactant reservoir to the consumer. Whether the second reactant is supplied from the second reactant reservoir as gas or a liquid is determined based on the pressure within the second reactant reservoir.

A fuel cell device has a mounting plate on which a fuel cell unit having a predefined number of fuel cells is arranged, the mounting plate and the fuel cell unit comprising media connections for guiding media, in particular for guiding a coolant and for guiding reactants, and electrical contact points for electrically connecting the fuel cell unit to the mounting plate. Further media connections and further electrical contact points are designed or arranged on the fuel cell unit in such a way that the fuel cell unit can be connected or is connected to a second fuel cell unit with a mechanical fluid connection for further guidance of the media and electrical connection for power uptake.

A fuel cell system includes a control unit that detects an abnormality of a flow dividing valve provided in a bypass channel for an oxidation gas by using a detected opening degree detected by a valve opening degree detection sensor that detects the opening degree of the flow dividing valve. When the detected abnormality is an opening abnormality that is failure to open and the flow dividing valve can close, the control unit sends a closing command for making the opening degree smaller than a current opening degree to a valve driving motor. Either when the detected abnormality is a closing abnormality that is failure to close and the flow dividing valve can open or when the detected abnormality is an opening-closing abnormality that is failure both to close and to open, the control unit sends a maintaining command for maintaining the opening degree to the valve driving motor.