Abstract: A fuel cell includes a stack and heating plates sandwiching the stack. The stack is formed of a set of electrochemical generators superimposed along a stacking axis. The heating plates are located axially on each side of the set. Each heating plate includes cavities and orifices for accessing the cavities. The fuel cell may be incorporated in a facility that includes a source of pressurized gas, which is linked to the orifices of the heating plates, and a device for managing a supply process for supplying gas to the cavities from the source of pressurized gas and an evacuation process for evacuating gas from the cavities.

Abstract: A system for measuring a moisture content of an ion-exchange membrane in a fuel-cell stack is provided. The fuel-cell stack includes N electrochemical cells separated by bipolar plates, with N being a natural integer. The system includes a current generator, a voltage measurement device, and an impedance measurement device. The current generator enables a current to be applied to the fuel-cell stack. The voltage measurement device measures voltages of the cells of the fuel-cell stack. The impedance measurement device determines an impedance of an ion-exchange membrane according to a voltage ripple measured by the voltage measurement device across terminals of a corresponding one of the cells of the fuel-cell stack when the current is applied by the current generator. The impedance measurement device is installed in the voltage measurement device.

Abstract: A fuel-cell stack system includes a stack of electrochemical cells, a fuel gas supply circuit and an oxidant gas supply circuit, a cooling circuit, a micropump, a temperature measurement device, and a controller. The cells are separated by bipolar plates, with each bipolar plate including an anode, a cathode, and an ion-exchange membrane. The cooling circuit, which is structured to enable a coolant fluid to circulate therein, includes a secondary circuit and a primary circuit that is smaller in size than the secondary circuit, with the primary and secondary circuits being isolated from each other by a thermostatic valve. The micropump is installed at an outlet of the stack and enables a volume of water inside the stack to be mixed. The temperature measurement device determines an internal temperature of a core of the stack. The primary circuit is activated when the internal temperature rises above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for controlling a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The fuel cell is installed in a system which comprises a fuel gas supply circuit that links a fuel gas reservoir to the anode of the fuel cell. The system also has an oxidant gas supply circuit linking an oxidant gas reservoir, or atmospheric air. The method includes the step of supplying the fuel cell with oxidant gas. The method proceeds with the step of detecting that the current produced by the cell is greater than a first threshold determined on the basis of the system in which the fuel cell is installed. The method continues with the step of reducing the supply of oxidant gas to the fuel cell in order to reduce the current that is produced.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a stack and heating plates sandwiching the stack. The stack is formed of a set of electrochemical generators superimposed along a stacking axis. The heating plates are located axially on each side of the set. Each heating plate includes cavities and orifices for accessing the cavities. The fuel cell may be incorporated in a facility that includes a source of pressurized gas, which is linked to the orifices of the heating plates, and a device for managing a supply process for supplying gas to the cavities from the source of pressurized gas and an evacuation process for evacuating gas from the cavities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stopping a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell stack and to a system containing a fuel-cell stack implementing such a method. The system comprises a gas circuit and a stack of electrochemical cells forming a fuel-cell stack comprising a polymer ion exchange membrane, said circuit comprising: a fuel-gas supply circuit (11) connecting a fuel-gas tank to the anode of the fuel-cell stack; and an oxidant-gas supply circuit (12b) connecting an oxidant-gas tank, or atmospheric air, to the cathode of the fuel-cell stack; characterized in that the system furthermore comprises means able to completely eliminate hydrogen present at the anode of the fuel-cell stack.

Abstract: A system for measuring a moisture content of an ion-exchange membrane in a fuel-cell stack is provided. The fuel-cell stack includes N electrochemical cells separated by bipolar plates, with N being a natural integer. The system includes a current generator, a voltage measurement device, and an impedance measurement device. The current generator enables a current to be applied to the fuel-cell stack. The voltage measurement device measures voltages of the cells of the fuel-cell stack. The impedance measurement device determines an impedance of an ion-exchange membrane according to a voltage ripple measured by the voltage measurement device across terminals of a corresponding one of the cells of the fuel-cell stack when the current is applied by the current generator. The impedance measurement device is installed in the voltage measurement device.

Abstract: A fuel-cell stack system includes a stack of electrochemical cells, a fuel gas supply circuit and an oxidant gas supply circuit, a cooling circuit, a micropump, a temperature measurement device, and a controller. The cells are separated by bipolar plates, with each bipolar plate including an anode, a cathode, and an ion-exchange membrane. The cooling circuit, which is structured to enable a coolant fluid to circulate therein, includes a secondary circuit and a primary circuit that is smaller in size than the secondary circuit, with the primary and secondary circuits being isolated from each other by a thermostatic valve. The micropump is installed at an outlet of the stack and enables a volume of water inside the stack to be mixed. The temperature measurement device determines an internal temperature of a core of the stack. The primary circuit is activated when the internal temperature rises above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system comprising a stack of electrochemical cells forming a polymer ion-exchange membrane fuel cell (6), a fuel gas supply circuit and an oxidant gas supply circuit. Said oxidant gas supply circuit comprises a compressor (3) intended to compress the ambient air before it enters the fuel cell (6), and an outlet exhaust (10) intended to discharge the gases leaving the fuel cell. Said supply circuit is connected to the fuel cell at a first access point (7) and a second access point (8). The system additionally comprises a switching element (11) that has two positions: a first position in which the outlet of the compressor (3) is connected to the first access point (7), and the second access point (8) is connected to the outlet exhaust (10), and a second position in which the outlet of the compressor (3) is connected to the second access point (8), and the first access point (7) is connected to the outlet exhaust (10).

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling an ion-exchange-membrane type fuel-cell stack installed in a system that includes a cooling circuit and a cooling pump for circulating coolant liquid in the cooling circuit. The method includes, in a start-up phase of starting up the fuel-cell stack, determining an internal temperature of the fuel-cell stack; measuring a temperature in the cooling circuit; applying a start-up current to the fuel-cell stack; and, in parallel: controlling the cooling pump to operate in a pulsed mode when the internal temperature of the fuel-cell stack is above a first predetermined threshold and the temperature of the cooling circuit is below a second predetermined threshold, and controlling the cooling pump to operate in a continuous mode when the temperature in the cooling circuit rises above the second predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stopping a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell stack and to a system containing a fuel-cell stack implementing such a method. The system comprises a gas circuit and a stack of electrochemical cells forming a fuel-cell stack comprising a polymer ion exchange membrane, said circuit comprising: a fuel-gas supply circuit (11) connecting a fuel-gas tank to the anode of the fuel-cell stack; and an oxidant-gas supply circuit (12b) connecting an oxidant-gas tank, or atmospheric air, to the cathode of the fuel-cell stack; characterized in that the system furthermore comprises means able to completely eliminate hydrogen present at the anode of the fuel-cell stack.