POWER-ON SHUTDOWN OF FUEL CELL POWER PLANT FOR ENHANCED DURABILITY

摘要

A technique is disclosed of modified shut-down of a fuel cell power plant (14) having a fuel cell stack assembly (26) contained with and supplying electrical power to a mobile vehicle (12). The vehicle characteristically proceeds at intervals to a station (10) containing one or more resources (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, etc) utilized by the fuel cell power plant, for resupply thereof. One such, resource provided at/by the station is electrical energy (20A), aid operation of the fuel cell power plant (14) is controlled to utilize the availability of that electrical energy (20A) to maintain, an active protective Hydrogen On condition for greatly extended intervals, for example many hours to several days or longer, via a Power On mode of operation. The Power On mode maintains at least a low level of hydrogen introduction and circulation sufficient to maintain a predetermined presence, e.g., pressure, of hydrogen at the fuel cell stack assembly (26).