A method for controlling a fuel cell system includes supplying an oxidant gas, via an oxidant gas supply channel, to a cathode electrode of a fuel cell. The oxidant gas is moistened to be supplied to the cathode electrode with a humidifier. An opening degree of a bypass channel valve is decreased via a feedforward control to a first opening degree when an impedance has reached a lower limit value. The opening degree of the bypass channel valve is increased via the feedforward control to a second opening degree when the impedance has reached an upper limit value. The first opening degree is smaller than the second opening degree.

A method of shutting down operation of a fuel cell system is disclosed, comprising a fuel cell stack, the method comprising the sequential steps of: i) ceasing a supply of fuel to the fuel cell stack; ii) closing a shut-off valve on an exhaust line in fluid communication with a cathode system of the fuel cell system, the cathode system comprising a cathode fluid flow path passing through the fuel cell stack; iii) pressurizing the cathode system with an air compressor in fluid communication with a cathode air inlet port in the fuel cell stack; and iv) ejecting water from the cathode flow path.

A humidifier for transferring water vapour from a first gas stream to a second gas stream in a fuel cell system comprises a stack of thin plates having planar sealing surfaces at their edges, along which they are sealed together. A water permeable membranes is provided between each pair of plates in the stack. Each plate defines a gas flow passage along its top and bottom surfaces, with an inlet and outlet defined along edges of the plate, and a flow field extending between the inlet and outlet openings. Inlet and outlet passages connect the inlet and outlet openings to the flow field, and the planar sealing surfaces on both sides of the plate include bridging portions which extend across the inlet and outlet passages. Support structures such as ribs are provided throughout the flow field and the inlet and outlet passages to support the membrane and diffusion medium layer(s). The support structures may optionally be connected together by webs, and the webs are provided with holes to permit flow distribution between the top and bottom of each plate.

A water electrolysis and electricity generating system is equipped with a water introduction flow path, an oxygen-containing gas flow path, an oxygen-containing gas introduction flow path, a first gas-liquid separator, and a dilution flow path. The oxygen-containing gas introduction flow path introduces the oxygen-containing gas that flows through the oxygen-containing gas flow path into the first supply flow path. The first gas-liquid separator separates into a gas and a liquid the gas-containing water that is guided from the first lead-out flow path connected to the first outlet port member. The dilution flow path guides the oxygen-containing gas that flows through the oxygen-containing gas flow path to the first gas-liquid separator as a diluting gas.

A humidifier, a device including a fuel cell, and a motor vehicle. The humidifier of the includes at least one humidifying duct and is designed in such a way that a first gas to be humidified can be conducted in the humidifying duct in a direction of flow and, separated by a water-permeable material, past a humidifying second gas so that water is transferred from the second gas to the first gas. The humidifier includes a cross-sectional area of the humidifying duct available to the first gas tapers in the direction of flow. The fact that the cross-sectional area tapers results in a drop in pressure along the humidifying duct, and the drop in pressure reduces, compensates or overcompensates an increase in pressure resulting from the increasing humidification, so the partial difference in pressure between the first gas and the second gas remains large over the distance of the humidifying duct in spite of the transfer of humidity.

An integrated power generation and exhaust processing system includes a fuel cell system configured to generate power and to separate CO.sub.2 included in exhaust output from the fuel cell system, and an exhaust processing system configured to at least one of sequester or densify CO.sub.2 separated from the exhaust output from the fuel cell system.

A membrane humidifier assembly for fuel cell applications includes a first flow field plate adapted to facilitate flow of a first gas thereto, a second flow field plate adapted to facilitate flow of a second gas thereto, and a polymeric membrane disposed between the first flow field plate and second flow field plate. The polymeric membrane is adapted to permit transfer of water. In this regard, the polymeric membrane includes a porous polyolefin support and a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer layer disposed over the polyolefin support.

A fuel cell system includes a gas liquid separator provided downstream of a humidifier in an oxygen-containing gas inlet channel, a fuel exhaust gas inlet channel for guiding a fuel exhaust gas containing liquid water discharged from a fuel cell stack to the gas liquid separator. The gas liquid separator performs gas liquid separation of both of an oxygen-containing gas humidified by the humidifier and the fuel exhaust gas containing the liquid water guided from the fuel exhaust gas inlet channel.

A fuel cell control method includes calculating an amount of water in a humidifier using a production amount of water at a cathode of a fuel cell, a discharge amount of saturated vapor and a discharge amount of water at an anode, judging whether or not a vehicle is in a driving state using state information of the vehicle, judging humidity of air in the fuel cell stack upon judging that the vehicle is in the driving state, increasing RPM of an air blower and activating the air blower when the amount of water is greater than a first threshold and a second condition is satisfied, if first conditions are satisfied, and activating a heater when the amount of water is greater than a second threshold, if the first conditions are not satisfied.

The disclosure relates to a body structure element for increasing the stiffness and/or the crash performance of a body structure of a vehicle, comprising a first channel for a first gas flow with a first gas feed line and a first gas discharge line and comprising means for introducing moisture into the first gas stream. The disclosure relates, in other words, to the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into a body structure element and preferably the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into crash performance increasing element, in particular, an extrusion profile, and a body structural element. The disclosure also relates to a fuel cell system with a humidifier integrated into a body structure element and a vehicle with such a fuel cell system and/or such a body structure element.