Appeal 2007-3580
Application 10/359,976
INTRODUCTION
Appellants claim a method of operating a fuel cell comprising, in
relevant part, oscillating the oxidant and fuel streams, including reversing
flow direction, wherein oscillating the streams comprises flowing the fuel
stream and the oxidant stream in a same direction through the fuel cell
during a majority of the time (claim 1).
Claims 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 55 are illustrative:
1. A method of operating a fuel cell, said method comprising:
supplying a fuel stream to said fuel cell;
supplying an oxidant stream to said fuel cell; and
oscillating said streams, including reversing flow direction;
wherein oscillating said streams comprises flowing said fuel stream
and said oxidant stream in a same direction through said fuel cell during a
majority of operating time.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said fuel and oxidant streams are
oscillated in phase with one another.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said oscillation further comprises
reversing a flow direction of said streams at irregular intervals.
9. The method of claim 1, whereto said oscillating further comprises
varying a flow rate of said streams in a sinusoidal pattern.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said oscillating further comprises
varying a flow rate of said gas streams according to a rectangular-wave,
square-wave, or other polygonal-wave pattern.
55. The method of claim 6, further comprising phase shifting said fuel or
oxidant stream oscillations an amount that facilitates matching an
2
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