A method for improving the reliability of a fuel cell stack after an end cell heater failure

摘要

A method of improving the reliability of a fuel cell system in the event of an end cell heater failure in a fuel cell stack. The method includes detecting that an end cell heater has failed. When an end cell heater failure is detected, the method performs one or more of setting a cooling fluid pump to a predetermined speed that drives a cooling fluid through cooling fluid flow channels in the fuel cell stack, limiting the output of the fuel cell stack or the net power of the fuel cell system, limiting the maximum temperature of the fuel cell stack Stacks of flowing cooling fluid, shutdown of stack flood prevention algorithms that can be used to remove water from reactant gas flow channels in the stack, and shutdown of cathode stoichiometry settings to control the relative humidity in response to water accumulating in cathode flow channels in the fuel cell stack.