Fuel cell system and method for controlling same

Abstract

A fuel cell system that supplies fuel gas and oxidant gas to a fuel cell stack and causes the fuel cell stack to generate power includes a tank that stores aqueous solution containing oxygen-containing fuel, and a reformer that reforms mixed gas obtained as the aqueous solution is vaporized, and generates the fuel gas. The fuel cell system also includes an actuator that supplies the mixed gas to the reformer, a heating device that heats the reformer, a detecting unit that estimates or detects a concentration of the oxygen-containing fuel in the mixed gas that is supplied to the reformer, and a controller programmed to control operations of the actuator and the heating device so that the fuel cell generates power. The controller is programmed to increase a thermal dose to the reformer from the heating device or reduces a supply amount of the mixed gas to the reformer by the actuator when the concentration of the oxygen-containing fuel is high, compared to when the concentration is low.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.