Water management

Water management is critical for fuel cell operation. Water is a product of the fuel cell reaction, and it must be removed from the exhaust gas for use in various operations such as fuel reformation and humidifying reactant gases (to avoid drying out the fuel cell membrane). For auto­motive applications, water condensed from the exhaust steam is recy­cled for reforming and reactant humidification in a closed cycle to avoid periodical recharging with water.