US Patent 10507345 Fuel cell devices for fire prevention on-board aircraft

Described are inerting systems that may be used on board an aircraft or other passenger transportation vehicle to reduce a risk of fire due to electronic components or to other elements in a compartment and to assist in preventing or extinguishing any fire or hazardous condition that may occur. The systems include a source of inert gas such as oxygen depleted air generated from a fuel cell on board the aircraft. The oxygen depleted air or other inert gas is conveyed through ducts to compartments that house the electronics, thus changing the conditions in the compartment to be less conducive to fire.